How have I been sleeping on this place??…read more Just got back from an awesome Friday night at Lenox, highly recommend. Food: We were thrilled with everything, including the beef empanada they sent out just because. Mofongo: prawns with mashed plantain and a broth to die for Pollo al Carbon: chicken with the right amount of smokiness and sauce Coco Greens: hands down some of the best greens and potlikker we've ever had Tostones - couldn't stop eating these Red Beans and Rice - perfectly cooked Service: outstanding from the host to our server Marcus to all the staff. It's friendly, comfortable and fun Ambience: Most of the tables turned over during our 6:15pm dinner but we were never rushed and while the restaurant was full, it never felt too crowded or loud. All ages were there on a Friday night from families to millennials to older couples out on a date. Fun to see such good food uniting everyone. We will definitely be back!

I was extremely excited to try this restaurant with my partner but the food was not good at all…read more The food is insured by Cuban and Puerto Rican/Nuyurican dishes. I have had my fair share of visits to NY but clearly need to trying the PR food there and also need to prioritize going straight to PR as well. Ive had the food in Cuba and this was nothing close to that so, let move on. We had the Pollo al Carbon, Coco Greens and Hushpuppies. For drinks we had the Rhude Boy and Sandia. The Pollo al Carbon was not good at all. The chicken was smoked (dry) and the sauce underneath it taste like nothing. The veggies and potatoes were good though! The Hushpuppies tasted more like cinnamon and were simply not good. The Coco Greens tasted like kelp and coconut milk. Service was also decent! Our server was kind and friendly despite us returning the first thing that came out, the Hushpuppies. The drinks were made and sat for about 5mins after the bartender made them while our server was stocking silverware. Despite the food being nasty and the drinks taking some time to be served, I appreciated that they included gratuity for the sake of supporting staff. Overall, I liked the drinks but truly could've lived without the food.

Last time I visited the Mi Patria food truck was back on 7/25/24 when it was in North Seattle in…read morethe Olympic Hills/Jackson Park area. Via an IG post & a Plate of Nations showcase, I was able to locate them again. Currently, their food truck is located in South Seattle in Hillman City right off of S Brandon & Rainier Ave S. Earlier this morning I saw a post that the pernil was ready. Pernil is marinated and slow roasted pork shoulder which results in tender, succulent meat. Omg, I'm so there! Traffic on I-5, I-90, and Rainier Ave S was merciful and I found a parking spot diagonal from their food truck. I ventured over after 12noon and was greeted by one of the owners. She was putting finishing touches on the specials whiteboard. There's their usual menu, as well as, today's featured specials. I ordered a pair of pernil empanadillas. With my order, I was given a sauce cup with cilantro aioli, which was recommended by one of the owners. I kept the takeout box open so the empanadillas would remain crisp. The tantalizing scent permeated my car. I was good and did not feast on one while driving. Once home, a brief nuke, cut it in half, first tasted the pernil on its own (amazing!), then the crust (thin & crispy), finally another bite altogether with the recommended dipping sauce. On point flavorful savory special! Look forward to coming back to try other menu items: appetizers, sandwiches, hearty entree plates, and mofongo bowls. Plus their dessert flan!

Epically good sandwich and super friendly, hospitable service! Came to try the Mofongo, but ended…read moreup getting the Tripleta (chicken, beef, pork) Sandwich instead ... and immediately (upon devouring it), ordered a second one to take home to my family... that is, right after I texted mo fewer than 4 friends to let them know they need to check this place out, STAT! Sat outside at one of their cute lil picnic tables in the beautiful summer sun and thoroughly enjoyed what was easily one of the BEST sandwiches I've ever had! I'm gonna crave this thing, dammit!

I have had Bad Chancla bookmarked due to various awards and accolades mentioned in magazines,…read moreblogs, and IG. Good thing I happen to see via IG that they were having a neighborhood celebration for their 2nd year in business (6/7/26). After circling, I did manage to snag a parking spot at the end of the block. This popular hole in the wall is located on E Olive Way between a cannabis shop and a hair salon. Folks were already queued up or seated at the array of sidewalk tables and chairs. The vibe was festive and upbeat. I was mesmerized with the culinary dance that had three, including chef/owner Jose Garzon, cooking all the incoming orders for onsite eating or takeout in such a tight space. Reminded me of an efficiently laid out galley. I tried half of the Tio Dan Cono Glizzy. A grilled hot dog with cream cheese, caramelized onion, and picadillo beef. I also took home a can of Yonder cider for The Homie. I overheard that each hour there's other featured food. Fried rice was next up after the hot dogs. While waiting for my takeout order, it was great to just take in the vibe of the front counter and cooking area. No seating available, so I just walked back down Olive and savored the grilled Fake Ass Cuban. Think of a cubano using a trio of Hawaiian rolls generously filled with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. The grill press, makeshift plancha, created a flavorful, cheesy end result. Omg, that was delicious! Another Capitol Hill culinary gem. Wishing everyone at Bad Chancla continued success!

[inglés] admittedly, i've been a garzón enjoyer for awhile…read more i first tried the latinx street food on ubereats a few months after i moved to seattle in 2022 and i was hooked. i even went on to try it irl at the black cat. at first, i was devastated when it was announced the black cat kitchen was closing... but then i was overjoyed when bad chancla was announced to be opening in capitol hill! a small counter service spot with big windows on olive way. easy to find as the outside is painted a bright hot pink to contrast with the cool colours of the reef -- the building it's attached to. big letters in the window read "not your abuela's cooking," accurate to chefs jose garzón's and stefanie hieber's modern takes on staple latin dishes. i initially tried bad chancla during the soft opening back in the spring of 2024, and i thought it was good then, but i was even more impressed during the grand opening later that year. i think the menu was tweaked a bit, going from great to amazing. i've been back multiple times since; during normal hours and even special events. one of the coolest events was topless tapas, where the restaurant created a fixed-course meal in collaboration with other local chefs. the tickets were extremely limited and the menus were all different every time. i was lucky to get into one of them and had a blast. the "fake ass" cuban sandwich, while again non-traditional, is close enough to remind me of my roots in miami. the picadillo bowl sends me every time. some dishes are swapped out seasonally; my favourite so far is the encocado de camarón. and, of course, i always can go for their fresh aguafrescas, which rotate weekly. bad chancla just hits. if you know, you know. --- [español] lo admito, llevo un tiempo siendo fan de garzón. probé latinx street food por primera vez en ubereats, unos meses después de mudarme a seattle en 2022, ¡y quedé enganchado! llegué a probarla en persona en el black cat. a la primera, estaba muy triste cuando se anunció que la cocina de black cat cerraría... pero luego estaba feliz cuando se anunció que bad chancla abriría en capitol hill. un pequeño local de servicio en mostrador y grandes ventanales, situado en olive way. es fácil de ver, porque su exterior está pintada de vibrante rosa fuerte contrastar con los colores fríos de the reef, el edificio al adjunto. unas letras grandes en el ventana lean "not your abuela's cooking" (esp: "no es la cocinada de tu abuela"), una afirmación que hace honor a las interpretaciones modernas de platos latinos tradicionales que son creados por los chefs josé garzón y stefanie hieber. probé bad chancla por primera vez durante la marcha blanca en la primavera de 2024; ya entonces me gustaba mucho, pero estaba más impresionado durante la gran inauguración más adelante ese mismo año. creo que cambiaban el menú un poquito, pasando de bueno a increíble. he regresado veces varias, tanto durante las horas normal o en eventos especiales. uno de los eventos más geniales fue "topless tapas" (esp: "tapas sin camisa" ... más o menos), cuando el restaurante creó un menú de pasos fijos en colaboración con otros chefs locales. las entradas eran sumamente limitadas y los menús cambiaban por completo en cada ocasión. tuve la suerte ir a solo vez y me lo pasé de maravilla. el cubano "fake-ass" (esp: "falso," pero... muy despectivo) -- otra vez, no es tradicional-- me recuerda a miami. el bowl de picadillo es perfecto. algunos platos cambian según la temporada; mi favorito hasta ahora es el encocado de camarón. y, por supuesto, siempre me encantan sus aguasfrescas, están rotando semanalmente. bad chancla es el uno. ya tu sabes.

I heard someone at my hairdresser mention this place having the only decent Cubano in the city…read more They had lived in Miami and found this place to be the most authentic - so we had to go. I haven't had a real Cubano but if it's like what we had at Cafe con Leche then I may need to book a flight. It was so good! We started with a small shot of espresso and moved on to a pair of tasty sandwiches. A Cubano for him and a marinated chicken sandwich for me. Our server was drifting between Spanish and English and greeted a number of the customers like old friends. Always an excellent sign.

The Ropa Vieja from here was quite good. It came as a very large amount of shredded beef, a smaller…read morehelping of rice, and fries to go along with it. I'll start with the beef, as it was the primary component of the dish. Despite it being flank steak, it was clearly simmered for a long time - and displayed none of the traditionally chewy or dry properties associated with the tougher cut. The sauce also helped - it was very well spiced, and had a slight tomato-like flavor. Mixing this with the yellow rice yielded something that was really satisfying to eat. The combination of sauce, beef, and rice was quite enjoyable, even with mixing the vegetables in for some extra crunch. The portion size of beef was crazy. When combined with the rice, the total amount of food here was solidly enough for two full meals. It is around 20 dollars for the dish, but I would classify that as a good value when you consider how much food you get. On the opposite side, I swapped the maduros out for fries. These...were not good. The fries tasted stale, hard, and not appealing at all. While the portion size was high, the appeal was not. The sauce that came with these was interesting at least. Overall, I think this is a very strong core dish at an impressive portion. Would recommend sticking with the plantains as a side though. 8.5/10

The best jerk chicken wings in the whole city. Could not recommend enough. I have only attended…read morethe resturant in person once, but they had wonderful serivce and the resturant feels very homey and comfortable.

Taste of the Caribbean is a black- and woman- owned Jamaican restaurant in the Central District…read more (The Central District rocks as a source for minority owned ethnic foods.) Walking in, the layout suggests they are also a party/mini-concert/event space. Service is casual; we were told to sit anywhere. I should have boogied my way to the table. We happily browsed through the menu looking at the many choices, some very unfamiliar. Everything looks so good, and prices are reasonable. We need to return and be more adventurous next time. Our server was helpful, guiding portion size and optional sides. The Food: Jerk Chicken plate, add steamed veggie, $20 + $2 - 5 Stars True to the jerk seasoning, theirs is spicy, as it should be. I find it annoying when jerk seasoning isn't spicy enough. The seasoning tastes even spicier when I drink water, and the heat spreads. So good! I was also happy they use boned chicken, which is more flavorful. I asked about veggies, that is $2 extra. Oxtails plate, add rice & peas, $24 + $1 - 5 Stars With beefy stock, these oxtail pieces are well-seasoned and paired well with root vegetables. A small salad and the rice & peas are a good match to the oxtail. I enjoy seeing oxtails used in different recipes. Jamaican patty, $5 - 5 Stars These beef meat pies are freshly baked and arrived at our table smoking hot. We were happy that we ordered two, so we wouldn't have to share. Haha. Very delicious. Plantains, $8 - 5 Stars From the appetizers portion of the menu, these are perfectly fried, caramelized, with minimal blackened carcinogens. This plate was a particularly good batch.

What a relief that this place simply re-located from its old spot in UW, instead of shuttering its…read moredoors! It would be such a disservice to the community here if it were to disappear! Anyways, we stopped here for a quick bite, since it has a very unique Venezuelan arepas that you cannot find anywhere else in the city. We got the sifrina and the Seattle arepas, and the portions were ridiculously generous. The shredded beef and the cheese filled up the fluffy yet crispy arepa shell, which was a delight to eat. It also has a row of different sauces to try on the table we sat down, which made the whole experience more fun. Trying out chipotle sauce and comparing it to garlic habanero sauce was just added an additional layer of fun to eating it in the restaurant. The service was quick and helped us answer how they were prepared. You couldn't ask for more at a place like this. The vibes in the restaurant also definitely improved, since the last location. Much cleaner and more spacious. With the ample parking spots nearby too, it should be easy to access this location from now on. At any rate, amazing Venezuelan arepas place. I'd recommend if you were hankering for a good Latin American food place. Or if you needed some hangover curing greasy food!

It's been long I had good Arepa. I tried a place in Factoria mall in Bellevue but that was pretty…read moreaverage. I discovered Arepa several years back in Raleigh in NCSU campus and always felt that's the best Arepa I ever had. But then comes this place which absolutely set the bar even higher. Their Arepas are really good - given I just tried a black bean Arepa - no meat. I loved it. I also enjoyed their sauces and it is just fun to experiment with different sauces and enjoying the flavors. I won't be surprised if all their sauces were housemade. My friend got Chicken Empanadas and this was first time he was having Venezuelian food - he really liked it. We also tried Flan - it was okay. You probably don't want to try lot of desserts here. Ambience is pretty good here. Loved the dining area.

Lives up to the hype! I got the pork tenderloin and it was one of the best sandwiches I've had in…read morea while. I'll definitely try other locations and other sandwiches of theirs. Despite it being a busy friday evening they were pretty quick as well I must say.

Amazing sandwiches. Impeccable flavor. Would 100% come back if I'm in the area…read more The only downside is that it's a little messy with how juicy the sandwiches are, so it was hard to picnic with them, but honestly not even much of a downside since it's how I prefer my sandwiches!

I've eaten here twice and it's so delicious! The yuca fries are so yummy and the sauces are…read moreinteresting and different than the regular type of "sauce" you might expect.

Paprepas makes me wonder...why do I eat sandwiches when I could just eat arepas and empanadas?…read moreSandwiches seem so dull compared to this! Wandering the neighborhood freely (the Light Rail 2 Line making Seattle so much more accessible!) I saw this cute little restaurant and decided to try Venezuelan food for the first time. Ordering was easy as there is a little kiosk to input the order. The pictures and descriptions made the decision easy. We waited a few minutes and out came this whole tray of food. The chicken arepa was great! At first I was a bit concerned because I saw all that cheese and wondered if that would smother the taste, but found the whole experience was super balanced. The chicken was marinated in this bright sauce that balanced the creaminess of the cheese. With the spicy sauce packet it added a punch that was perfect! Soooo good! Best churro I have eaten in King County as well. Crunchy on the out, soft on the in, and nice and cinnamon. Wonderful. All in all would highly recommend for fast convenient arepas.