Love this place, great authentic food. Been coming here for years. Anytime I drive through this area I have to stop. Adabada tacos are like meat candy a must try. Love the pickled carrots too. read more

I wish I took pictures, I live in Vancouver and met my bestie that lives in Puyallup, to catch up so I wasn't thinking of food pictures. The restaurant is decorated like you're in someone's home in Mexico, it was so cute! It was very busy when we came in They don't have chips and salsa fyi - this joint is incredibly authentic Not a HUGE menu, but decent amount of choices which right away tells me they do what they do well if the menu isn't 8 pages haha We got quick service, there was one woman seating people, taking orders, and closing checks, and she did it well! My friend and I ordered soup (specifically carne en su jugo), which is my FAVORITE SOUP EVER, and I can't ever find it anywhere, and boy oh boy I will drive the 1.5 hours to get it again and again, it was perfect. They provide maximum of 2 ramekins of pickled carrots (cost if you want more, which were amazing) and 1 ramekin of green salsa (charge if you want more - and it's spicy but so good!) 3 crispy chicken tacos 1 mole with refried beans taquito (not rolled) 1 adobado pork sopa 1 adobado pork taco 2 chorizo tacos 1 hibiscus aqua fresca The restaurant doesn't have any music on, which I always appreciate background noise in general, but my friend and I were talking so much and the place was busy I didn't notice too much We planned on meeting monthly in Centralia and will continue to go here to eat, check it out!!! read more

If you're driving between Seattle and Portland, plan your drive so you can stop here for lunch or dinner. It's a cozy family run joint with super authentic food from the Southwest of Mexico. Service if wonderful and the hosts are very accommodating and pay a lot of attention to make sure you're enjoying your meal. The tamales are great - they're heavier on the outer soft shell than the meat but very tasty - save some of the salsa you get when you are seated to go with this. But the standout for me are the ala carte tacos - the chorizo and the adovado meats are well portioned, superbly cooked, and seasoned to be juicy and flavorful. I'll be back to try a bunch of other menu items on my next road trip! read more

Wife and I have been wanting to eat here since moving to the area earlier this year! We've heard and read so many positive reviews of this place and we finally got the opportunity to eat here! The ambiance is quaint and homely and service was very friendly and welcoming. Honestly, we loved this! But unfortunately, the food was just not edible. It was awful and If I'm being honest, I'll cite this as the worst meal we've had in 2025. The pictures of just the tamales below will speak volumes...and are representational of just how off the mark ALL our food was. Sorry guys, we wanted to love you! Hope it was just an off day for ya... read more

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This is a six plus star rating. You cannot eat better Mexican food than what this offers. They don't serve the traditional chips so know that going in. Instead, they serve up pickled carrots with salsa. Which is far better. And unique. It won't disappoint. We had their two specialties: carnitas and a tamale. The tamale is out of this fucking world. Their homemade tortillas are thick. Their sauce is perfect. The meat is tender. Good prices and good size servings. They greet you like family. The best. read more

La Tarasca - Pickled carrots instead of chips. Perfection. - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

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This is authentic mexico. Fresh tortillas for each of us we had carnitas and rice n beans. Make your own taco. No chips with Salsa. Pickled carrot chips. New for me , but good. No Coke, only Pepsi here. read more

Absolutely phenominal!! Wish we had this at home . Staff is remarkable This history captivating Cant wait for the Flan! read more

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Food was well seasoned, delicious, colorful ambience, service was great the owner is wonderful, will definitely be back here again soon I felt at home and the owner Mercedes was wonderful!! read more

La Tarasca - Chicken mole , the house special carnitas house made tortillas and house made horchata - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Fantastic food and service. The owner is a lady who welcomed us very warmly. She described the foods very patiently. The food is amazing and very reasonably priced. The restaurant atmosphere is very nice and traditional. read more

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On our way home from Tacoma to Portland and we picked this place due to the high Yelp reviews. It did not disappoint. We had a taco adobada, chicken tamale, chili verde and the carnitas dish. Everything was delicious, especially the taco and verde. The owner, we didn't catch her name, was very friendly and was very excited about sharing this culinary experience. Anytime we are traveling past La Tarasca we will be stopping for another round of fine Mexican cuisine. read more

Delicious AUTHENTIC Mexican food!! From the decor, to the food this place was like a little trip to Mexico. This is not American Mexican food, it is legit and delicious!!! No tortilla chips and salsa, instead these amazing pickled carrots and green salsa that is to die for. The tamales were fresh made in house and on point. They have chicken and pork. I preferred the chicken but both were good. The pork carnitas were phenomenal. Beans and rice were perfection. Adobada tacos had flavor I've never had but was left wanting more. Fresh tortillas made in house. We were in town for a basketball tourney and I ordered extra tamales for home. Waitress was the sweetest with a no nonsense attitude. Loved her!!! Seriously, pass the other restaurants right off the freeway and come into town slightly. It's worth it. read more

La Tarasca - Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

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The food is so authentic, delicious the dining and service experience is wonderful. G read more

Time your I-5 trip to land a homemade meal here Sig- worthy flavors ¿Quieres comer? ¡Ven aquí, prueba todo! Sabores ricos read more

Delicious. Had the house special- carnitas. Great flavor. Fresh tamale was the best we've ever had. Hostess I believe is the owner and her service is geniune. read more

It only took me 16 years to have a date night here with my husband. It's our new favorite spot. Adore the owner. Food is top shelf! We had carnitas, a tamale, and taquitos tarascos. So delicious!! Must go. read more

Fast and very friendly service and even better food. Tasty and flavorful dishes. Highly recommend!

Plan a detour from the highway to visit this place. Family owned and operated, serving generational recipes. The best corn tortilla I have ever had -- seriously, I didn't know they could be fluffy! -- proper tamales, savory carnitas, mole with just the right amount of spice, aguas frescas made in house and not too sweet. I had no room left over for dessert but we'll be back! read more

Owner seemed to be busy with a table of eight to be bothered with us. The food was marginal at best. We both had chili rellinos, with rice and beans. The chili's were not very good, maybe left over from yesterday. Very disappointing. Have had better at your average run of the mill Mexican restaurants. Wish I'd have gone to Taco Bell, would have saved myself $45.00. This place was excellent at one time. Better step up your game, I drove 150 miles to be disappointed, never again. read more

La Tarasca - Inside of restraint. - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Way Over priced for quality and quantity of food. Steak was so dry and lacking spice. Tasted as if it was burnt and i dont mean seared flavoring. It was like it was burt along with some type of onion or other vegetable. Difficulty cutting with steak knife and chewing. That being said......Everything else was great. Enchilladas and Rice were great, just not the steak. Salsa and carrots given in the beginning were also great. Flan was one of the best I have had. Service and setting was awesome. read more

Amazing find while in town for a wrestling tournament!. We had the owner wait on us and she couldn't have been sweeter. She explained the history and the menu as it was our first time here. EVERYTHING was amazing... food, service with the cutest eat in dining room! I had the crispy ground beef taco with rice and beans. 27 years and still killing it! read more

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Not your traditional Mexican restaurant. Doesn't serve chips and salsa or margaritas. So if that's what you're looking for, go elsewhere. Otherwise, food was good and service was good. read more

The place is small but charming. Everyone greeted us and were really friendly. The food was amazing! Good portions, hand made tortillas that we had with our tacos and for the chile colorado and menudo. Highly recommend if you want authentic Mexican food. read more

Better food than when I was in Mexico. Grandma is an amazing woman and cooks such good food. Staff is always polite and helpful.

Authentic home cooked Mexican cuisine. Dining experience amplified by colorful decor and abuela/grandmother (owner) service. She greeted us at the door and, after we were seated, offered menu recommendations. We enjoyed the signature slow cook pork plate and pozole soup. Then we enjoyed exceptional desserts - flan and rice pudding. We will definitely return to this special place. read more

We always try to come in here when we come visit moms house. Today we hit it just right for lunch. Pozole small was all I could muster. Their fresh tortillas are fantastic as well. Till next time. read more

La Tarasca - Pozole small - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Amazing food and excellent service ... and did I mention amazing food. We went out of our way to come to La Tarasca, based upon a friend's recommendation. We will certainly return any time we are in the area. A quaint and authentic restaurant, with lots of charm and amazing food. read more

This place never disappoints. Consistently wonderful food prepared and served by the nicest family. Off the beaten path from the interstate but worth it! read more

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This charming family run restaurant has been serving the best mole in the Pacific Northwest for decades. The food has always been consistently excellent, the servers are friendly, attentive, and efficient, and the menu has never strayed from its roots in Michoacán. I have always hesitated to review my very favorite places because, well, frankly, I don't want them to go viral and morph into something else altogether. Some secrets are worth keeping. The Pollo en Mole at La Tarasca is one of my most epic secrets. I'm going to gamble on their track record here, and tell you this secret, because after all these years of reviewing on Yelp, it seems a bit unfair to this family not to shout it to the world. I would drive for many hours just for a plate of their mole (and I have). And if you think I'm just some ignorant gabacha who doesn't know anything about it, I spent a full month in Puebla, the birthplace of this dish, educating my palate. Don't drive past Centralia without stopping here. read more

This place absolutely lived up to the hype! Delicious food, adorable place and super friendly service, quick too. Would highly recommend. I got the chile relleno with rice and beans and we ordered a vegetarian enchilada with potatoes and beans. Side quesadilla and a flan, because it sounded so incredibly delicious. Loved all the salsas it came with, especially that spicy verde one. Pickled veggies were on point. Rice and beans are the basis on which I judge all Mexican food, and this was perfect. So much lovely atmosphere here, too. Older building and filled with beautiful colors, happy plants, and kind servers Thanks so much! read more

We took a quick pit stop on our road trip based of the extensive recommendations and online reviews. Colorful, lively interior, staff was friendly enough. We ordered the house specialty, the carnitas, and we found them below average at best (very dry). It was a good size portion but kinda pricey for what it was (around $22.00). The taste of the horchata was good but slightly grainy. Don't anticipate complimentary chips at the table. Salsa and pickled carrots were provided. read more

La Tarasca - Carnitas (house specialty) - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Here's another place that I discovered because of Yelp. I don't make it to Centralia often, but now I feel like I want to visit more often due to La Tarasca. It's not the typical type of Mexican restaurant you see around our area, which is one of the reasons it stands out so much. The food is absolutely fresh and delicious! I ordered ala carte, a chille relleno, taco adobada, and rice/beans. The relleno was fresh and tasty, the taco was amazing. My mom ordered a Chicken tamale and a tostada and we couldn't believe how much chicken the tamale had. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area or passing by on I-5. read more

La Tarasca - Chille Relleno, taquito tarasco, rice & beans. So delicious!! - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

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The food was amazing. It is now my go to for Mexico food. The pozole soup, tamale, and carnitas was like the best. Service was incredibly fast. The servers were friendly and knowledgeable about the food they served. The restaurant was clean and nicely decorated fiesta style. read more

Ambiance and service were adequate, but the food is very inadequate. Little to no seasoning no salt pepper. Nothing. The person that took our order hyped up everything to be greatly seasoned and flavorful. The carnitas are the specialty but were very underwhelming. 80 dollars for 3 people and did not deliver half that. read more

I can't say enough how amazing this food was. The people there that served us were very attentive to their customers. It was neat to walk in and see all the decor from the region where they're from. read more

La Tarasca - Pollo con mole - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

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I was on a drive back to portland and decided to stop for Mexican. I guess everyone expects Chips and Salas but that's not an option here. My friend wasn't happy for the lack but I'm ok, it's just filler. They do give you some salsa and pickled carrots. Like the other reviewers said, food is from Michoacán and the owner tries to bring you her food from her hometown to the next level. I ordered the carnitas plate which were good with three homemade soft pliable thin corn tortillas and rice and beans. Usually I'm not a big fan of retried beans but these were really tasty and the pork was good, a little sweet. I thought the food was pretty good and the service was very efficient. I would definitely stop here again if I'm in the area. read more

La Tarasca - a plate of rice, beans, and meat - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

If you've never had authentic mole then run, don't walk, to La Tarasca in Centralia. All of the food here is wonderful and the lovely people that own and run this funky and friendly place make you feel part of the family from the first instant. If you're on your way to the ocean from Seattle or Tacoma this is an easy place to make a stop for lunch or for some take-out to enjoy at your lodging. The food is top-notch and very authentic Michoacan food and your server will be happy to tell you all about it! Our dishes were served up quick and hot by our server clad in colorful wear from the region. I had the mole which is served cloaking a tender chicken thigh and a side of creamy beans and savory rice. Those help to cool the subtle heat of the sauce but if you like it hot, like I do, get a side of roasted jalapeños too. I loved scooping up the sauce, chicken, rice and beans with the fresh tortillas and cleaned the plate. I felt the burn for an hour after, in the best way! Do not miss this place! read more

La Tarasca - I couldn't resist taking a close-up of the glossy goodness which is the complex mole. - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

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I would just eat here. The food is great. It ain't Central Valley food. The food is from Michoacán home of Carnitas which is their signature dish. It's true they don't sell chips but chipotle does if that is your preference. The tortillas are the bomb. Homemade and delicious. The rice and beans are legit. Perfectly made like someone might make at home. Not fancy but spiced right and delicious. They staff are friendly and if you are new, they will walk you through their menu and signature dish which is course Carnitas and my favorite. Sorry no picture but I ate them fast. read more

La Tarasca - Carnitas with rice and beans. A Negra Modelo on the side! - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Perfect. It's right off the highway which is a plus, but even if you had to go out of your way, go! There's so much to love this might sound silly. But bear with me because I'll talk about the food last. The bathrooms were bright and sparkling clean. Clean bathrooms? The entire restaurant was bright and sparkling clean!!!! The plants were healthy, the decor was what could have been "kitschy Mexican" but it wasn't tired and overdone; the colorful decor had well chosen, adorable items. We're still doing takeout from Covid and thought we might have to eat in the car, but on this gorgeous warm evening, the (sparkling clean) picnic tables out front surrounded by a cute fence (with geckos) and flowers was a delight and actually reminded us of Zihuatanejo! The outside seating is actually reserved for people who prefer take-out and we had the garden patio to ourselves. Inside was pretty full but even still, it felt airy and... clean! The meal: My husband and I shared the Carnitas Plate and each had a taco. Our son had four tacos with beans and rice. As I bit into the adabado taco I said,"this might just be the best bite of Mexican food I've ever had anywhere!" It was sort of sweet and spicy, tender, moist and flavorful. It reminded me of what Mexican bbq might be. The carnitas plate had about 6 large chunks of very tender but not so (over) cooked that they'd become shredded. The flavor actually was quite delicious but had it had a sauce of some kind I think it would have been better. The plate came with rice and beans, and while both were fresh and tasty, neither was exciting or special. It also came with little condiments and homemade tortillas. The tortillas were fluffy and soft and they were so generous we didn't eat them all. The shredded chicken taco was cooked well but pretty boring. The portions were plentiful and in fact we didn't finish all we ordered. We left feeling content, full, but not at all bloated. One reason might be we didn't stuff ourselves with chips and salsa while waiting (as they don't serve chips!) another is they don't fill up the dishes with beans and rice instead of good quality (not fatty) meat. Heads up: they don't have flour tortillas or burritos. What they do have is very authentic and well prepared, and it feels healthy. Oh that adabado!!!! read more

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We love supporting our local restaurants and give everyone a fair chance, or two, or three! However, the food doesn't compare to the Mexican restaurants of Los Angeles, for example. Everyone has a bad day, but we got mediocre service everytime and frankly the prices are way high. To price might be justified if the taste of the food reflected it. The restaurant is pleasant but you can sit outside ONLY if you order take out. Couple with no chips/salsa it really loses its appeal. read more

La Tarasca - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

We visit La Tarasca as often as we can. The sisters (servers) recognize us every time we visit and know our typical orders. The tortillas are delicious. The tamales have a very good flavor. My favorite is always the rice and beans. The restaurant is small but the food comes quickly. The decor is inviting and it is always a nice experience. We are originally from the Central Valley of CA (near Stockton/Modesto) and our favorite is still in Stockton. However, La Tarasca is one of the best, most flavorful and authentic Mexican restaurants in western WA. They have delicious salsa but I don't think they need tortilla chips to fill you up like the other places do. Their food isn't cheese covered, sauce laden globs of grease. Yes, I do crave that once in a while but not when I want to have a very authentic meal. read more