We had the Carnitas and a chicken tamale and they were delicious. The salsa was good and the best was the homemade tortillas.

The food tasted so good. It actually had flavor!! The service was amazing and the owner was so nice! The ambiance felt just like Mexico!! 100% would recommend read more

This small family owned restaurant serves my favorite Mexican food on the planet. The menu contains family recipes from Southern Mexico. In a community of Mexican places that serve mostly Americanized Mexican food. This place is a refreshing change. The service is great and the servers are friendly. You'll love the pickled carrots. This place is definitely worth a visit. read more

Great food-the BEST corn tortillas made in house. So glad we tried it-will definitely be going back!

I was in the mood for excellent Mexican food today and La Tarasca came through big time!! We did tacos for dinner--ground beef, chorizo, chicken, adobada and each one was so flavorful, perfectly-seasoned and all-around terrific! Prices are great, restaurant is super colorful with a really friendly vibe and the staff is very kind. Love that. Thank you for an awesome dinner today!! read more

Amazing food unlike any main stream Mexican joints. Tamales and carnitas on point highly recommend.

Dislike the food. Not Mexican food. It is just not the food I would waste my money on. Just isn't impressive

This was our second time here. Both visits were disappointing. The food is just ok. Certainly not great and it was spendy. We paid $16 a plate and there wasn't that much to it. Small portion rice and beans. I had the carnitas, The house specialty and it was ok. But nothing special. We won't be going back. read more

All the glowing reviews are spot on. Met with family here, had a truly excellent dinner. The staff (owner?) was thoughtful and kind, the food was absolutely amazing! The horchata authentic, no animal milk, which is hard to find. It's our new favorite stop between Seattle & Portland! I have a milk allergy, so I can't often eat americanized Mexican food. This was the real deal, without cheese on everything. I could eat nearly everything here. We had the chile verde & chile colorado. Both were rich in flavor and deliciously spicy. The relleno is tangy, smoky & spicy. I could endlessly pontificate on how much we enjoyed our dinner. Thanks again! read more

Sadly we only ate here on one of the three nights we visited Centralia. The food was authentic and fresh. The owner was so warm and welcoming that it was like coming home. Don't visit Centralia without stopping in for carnitas and fresh, from scratch horchata. read more

Was in the Centralia area and tried this authentic Mexican family restaurant. Not the usual chips with the salsa, instead a delicious bowl of seasoned carrots. We didn't miss the chips at all! We let our waitress know we don't eat meat or dairy and she was quick to make food suggestions that they could modify to meet our dietary needs. We tried all three options and they were all flavorful and delicious. The mole sauce was the best we have ever eaten! The beans were tender and so good. The potatoes were an excellent substitution for meat in some of the dishes. This was truly authentic Mexican food and the friendly waitress was amazing. Put this restaurant on your list of must go to places! read more

Everything tasted super home made and hearty. The owner is this adorbs mexican lady who greets you with a smile and explains the menu. We had pazole which was super yummy...has a little kick tho so if u don't like spicy food it might be too much 4 u. ....the kids had about 20 cheese quesadillas.... those were soo yummy! The pork tacos were so fresh and delish. read more

La Tarasca - The yummy pozole soup - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Food is good. Homemade tortillas as always hot and wonderful. They are pricy but better Mexican food than anyone else in town. Due to the quality I am a repeat customer. Average price is $19 per item so with tax and tip it's $24 person. Service is wonderful and they care about your experience. read more

Me: What's the special? Server: Today my mother has prepared for you... Me: I'll have that. What do you have to drink? Server: Today my mother has prepared for you... Me: Sounds good. No chips and salsa, don't ask. Get a tamale as an appetizer. You ask and they just hand you one like they magically knew you wanted it. Everything on the menu is awesome if there is no special that day. Also, best Molé ever! read more

Stellar food, outstanding employees and great customer service. You can tell there is time, effort and love that goes into the food

Amazing food. Don't order any tamales. Save them all for me. We drive an hour or more to eat here, and take home "leftovers."

I know this to be the best Mexican restaurant in Washington State. I eat there whenever I travel down I-5 and order extra tamales to bring home to friends and family. read more

Been coming here is I was young, food has always been spot on, from the quesadillas, tamales, sopes, you name it. Everything is freshly made and tastes it. Most traditional Mexican restaurant I've ever ate at. Not one thing on the menu I haven't tried and have not liked. Owners/staff all very attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the food. Make sure you try there flan, it's the best I've ever had anywhere. I live about an hour away. I try and make the drive to this place as much as I can. It's that good. read more

Outstanding! We were driving through the Washington State and needed a place to eat and found this place on Yelp. The food was great! Tacos, chili relleno, carnitas and chicken tamale were all prepared to perfection. The owner was great! Stop and try if you are in the area. read more

I went here with an empty nesters group and the food was very good. They serve spiced carrots in the middle of the table which was a totally original treat. read more

A perfect stop on the way through Centralia, it is the #1 eatery here for a reason. I put the Mexican food in the B+ catagory but the charm at A+. For sure the thing to eat here is the pork as it is the family specialty. The family is ALL working here and are great to talk to and really, the best part. It makes me happy to see these folks seeing such success in this and their other businesses in the area. As a Canadian living in a city with no regard for old interesting or historic buildings, I also just appreciate the free standing building which has all the hallmarks of a Mexcican fiesta. read more

Foods good. Attitude is not. Every time I got in I feel like I'm bothering them I thought maybe they're busy I can understand a bad day but their attitudes don't change anytime of say I walk in. That in itself will make me run the opposite direction from this place. So sad. read more

One of the best Mexican restaurants we've eaten at...and we like to EAT. The food is incredibly fresh and flavorful. The homemade tortillas were soft as silk and they offer options for vegetarians. We also loved the fact that it's family-run, focusing on, as the woman helping us said, "...mama's recipes". So good!!!!! read more

What great food! The chili Colorado was amazing. The carnitas were delicious. The fresh and homemade corn tortillas are a fantastic addition the the meal. The interior is clean and nice and has an authentic feel to it. Plenty of parking, and clean rest rooms. The staff was friendly and helpful. My only knock: they are too authentic. They don't serve chips, and they don't serve guacamole. read more

La Tarasca - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Que rico! We just enjoyed the carnitas and crispy chicken taco. I felt like I was at someone's mother's home and getting wonderful comfort food full of love and flavor. Those house made tortillas are something else too! We were just passing through town and felt lucky to have found this little gem. Gracias! read more

The best meal I've had in quite some time, and some outstanding authentic food. Their salsas + pickled carrots are delicious. We got the enchiladas w/ chicken, chicken (crunchy) and adobada (soft) tacos, Chile relleno, chicken tamale, and the flan. Everything was delicious and super satisfying, especially the salsas, adobada tacos, enchiladas, and flan. Definitely a must stop for us everytime we're driving through centralia. read more

Cute family run restaurant. Second time eating here. Husband wanted to eat here due to high reviews. No chips here FYI. Instead you get pickled carrots. Yum. It would be good to dip chips in the beans & salsa. Chicken enchilada comes with two huge bone-in chunks of chicken on the side. Food is average, flavors we didn't really think stood out. Good in town Mexican place, clean but if you eaten at places like La Fonda Catrina, you will be underwhelmed. Tortillas were soft & fresh. Service was friendly but rushed. Solid three and a half stars from me. read more

Message from Yelp HQ [ 3806334 ] Yelp HQ Add to contacts 8/25/15 [Keep this message at the top of your inbox] To: ***************@hotmail.com feedback@yelp.com AUG 25, 2015 | 11:42AM PDT Hi Nathan, I'm writing to let you know that we've removed your review update of La Tarasca. Our Support team has determined that it falls outside our Content Guidelines (http://www.yelp.com/guidelines) because it addresses a dispute with another reviewer. We understand you may have strong opinions, but please make sure your reviews focus on your own experiences with a business. We hope you will keep in mind our Content Guidelines as you continue to participate on Yelp. Removed Content: I decided to revisit La Tarasca, because some idiot named Brian C. (12/7/2014) gave them 2-stars, claiming that they served him carnitas "half immersed in a pool of oil." Anyone who knows anything about food can easily refute this claim with the understanding that it is total bullshit. I ordered the carnitas and they were NOT immersed in oil. They were immersed in juices...meat juices. You know? The stuff that leaks out of meat while it is cooking? If Brian C. doesn't know the difference between oils and juices, then he has no business reviewing and criticizing restaurants. To make matters worse, he expected the carnitas to be "crispy." WTF!? Obviously, Brian C. has never been to Chipotle, because pork carnitas is tender, not crispy...like the shitty chicken katsu I ordered the other day. In fact, all of the carnitas I have tried has been tender and juicy, like it says on Wikipedia: " The process takes three or four hours and the result is very tender and juicy meat..." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnitas This was my impression of the carnitas at La Tarasca: tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. I also ordered a beef tostada that was absolutely delicious, but happened to be somewhat greasy. Why? Because ground beef is usually greasy. Did I care? Not one bit. Once again, everything at La Tarasca was fabulous, including the tiny, little women working hard to serve you....and not just because they make me feel tall and powerful, but also because they provide excellent customer service and spectacular food. read more

La Tarasca - Carnitas (not immersed or floating in oil), includes yummy corn tortillas - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

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Eighty four reviews, well now eighty five... almost five stars. I am so there. Doing a little GPS Roulette, find this restaurant and check out the info on Yelp, wow, what an amazing little find. Odd, no chips, they serve marinated carrots, well color me, confused. But I dug in anyway and guess what. Freakin' Delicious. There are plenty of a la carte items, we ordered tamale, pork taco, sopes and something else. It was so good, we took our time and savored every bite. What fun to order a bunch of items and share. Also, very vegetarian friendly if you have one of those in the bunch. The only bummer was Pepsi products, I just drank agua. My date had iced tea, really good. I took a little sip. OK, really my date is my husband , so half of his tea is mine anyways. If you find yourself in the vicinity, definitely stop by. read more

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Well,, an awesome meal! Found this little out of the way place. Not that for off the hwy, and oh man, what a great place to get a great Carnitas Plate! Soooooo, good! read more

La Tarasca - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Checked this place out on yelp and had to try it out. Now it's my new favorite mexican spot in Washington! Visited last Saturday for a late lunch with a friend. Restaurant was pretty busy but not packed. Decorated the way you'd expect (colorful, simple, etc), with both tables and booths. I believe the owner waited on us, and she was very friendly and helpful in making choices. My friend ordered the potato mole tacos ($12), and I ordered the mole ($15). Menu lists carnitas as the specialty, and our server recommended the two pork verde dishes as the most spicy. I look forward to eventually trying all of the above! While we waited, we were served pickled carrots and salsa, which was a little confusing (no chips??) but really good. Food arrived quickly, and was oh soooo good. Mole was perfect- spicy and sweet, just the right amount of heat. Comes with homemade corn tortillas (3-4) as well as rice and beans. Servings are huge- I got 3 meals out of one order by getting an additional serving of homemade tortillas (3 for $1.50) to take home. Friend loved the tacos- both dishes highly recommended. Already craving that mole again... I will definitely be back! read more

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Went here after seeing all the favorable reviews and I have to agree, this restaurant is pretty great! Was pretty slow when I arrived a bit after lunch, was seated quickly by the owner/waitress/hostess. This place goes to great lengths to look authentic, from the chili pepper string lights to the different colored wood chairs. Very heavily decorated in general and small and cozy. I think maybe 12 tables in the place. The waitress stands out among other servers I have encountered. Very friendly and assertive. You feel like you are sitting in her kitchen and at her suggestion I should try the carnitas, well, I couldn't say no. I got a horchata with it, which I should have asked if it was homemade cause I have never tasted horchata that good. Food was out in about 10 min and it was cooked perfectly. The rice was fluffy and not dry, the beans were rich and not runny and the pork was tender and juicy. On the plate was also a bit of pico de gallo and it came with some homemade, very tasty tortillas. The thing that really got me was when(Mercedes?) came and retrieved my cleaned plate is she said "good job." This 36 year old man felt like an 8 year old kid at that moment, heh. This restaurant may as well be her home and she treats her customers like houseguests. Looking forward to my next visit. read more

Who needs chips and salsa or combo plates? On a recent drive from Portland to Olympia I had heard of this place from The Yelp, so I was intrigued. I was really excited, because I was quite hungry, to get my chips and salsa and my combo plate on. This place has neither, but what is there is incredible. If it was not for social media this place would certainly be in danger of going out of business. The building is at best "unassuming" and it's kind of away from the hustle and bustle of the outlet malls. Hooray for the Yelp, because this place is awesome. The meal starts with a little history lesson from our very kind server who let us know that these dishes are from family recipes from her state in Mexico. She even points it out for us on the map. No chips, and salsa, but pickled carrots Probably better for you, and they taste delicious. In the interest of the soft tissue in my mouth, one bowl is probably plenty. At the suggestion of the menu I got the carnitas. They came with hand made corn tortillas which were amazing. The carnitas were superiorly seasoned and also amazing. In fact I regretted eating the two together because one just overshadowed the other. My wife was impressed by their veggie options. The chile relleno was very flavorful and not too heavy. The seeds and veins were left in so it gave a little kick. The sopes were delicious on the top and the bottom. Some places get a premade bottom that gets soggy and not very flavorful. Not the case here. Good thing we saved room for the flan. Perfect texture, light taste and a very true to life caramel sauce. Any time you are sitting in a restaurant with mismatched chairs and was possibly a Dairy Queen before, you can be comfortable picking up the plate and licking it. I'm definitely coming back to order everything else on the menu. Love read more

This is by far our favorite place to eat off of I-5... We headed down to Portland for a convention and stopped here on the way down.... it was sooo good, we had to stop on the way back too. Way down to Portland: We had the Adobada tacos, the chicken tacos(crispy) and Chile Relleno. DELICIOUS!!! Way back: We just had the Adobada tacos. The pork is super tender, melts in your mouth, and the taste is ridiculously good... slightly sweet with a good healthy kick of heat to your tastes buds! Sooo delicious.... The owner, such a sweet and welcoming personality, insisted we have the Flan... OMG!!!! Sooo amazing... not too sweet, and buttery in texture and taste... YUM! It was sooo good we ordered Tamales to go.... I'll eat this when I'm home in a few hours.... a must if you're in Centralia or even if you're just passing thru. You will not be disappointed... this is true, authentic Mexican food... they don't saturate their food with blankets of cheddar cheese... Also, they don't serve chips and salsa because that's not true to the region of Mexico that the owner is from... which quite frankly wasn't missed at all.... Great Food!!!! read more

Man oh man! Not your typical Mexican restaurant. Don't come here expecting chips and salsa and table side flaming meat dishes. Genuine favors and spices and just simple, good meals. The service is fast and the food is fresh and delicious! I had 3 steak tacos with beans and rice and some flan for dessert. All was really good tasting. I would come here again and again if I lived closer. read more

La Tarasca - MMMMHHHMMMMMMM!! 3 steak tacos with beans and rice. Deal me in! - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Amazing! Family owned and operated, fantastic authentic Mexican food. A Momma and her daughters. Beautiful plants everywhere and very clean. Our experience was great. Our beautiful server made excellent recommendations for the pork taco, the special was steak, and the tamales. We ordered everything and were not disappointed! The tamale was so good, very moist and flavorful. The chile relleno was piping hot and very tasty. The pork tacos! Fresh corn tortilla that was soft and pillowy, cilantro and the pork was melt in your mouth tender. And the fried jalapeños were perfect! All the salsa was fresh and great heat. The flan! Smooth, creamy and perfect caramel. A work of art. We are from out of town and hoping to go back for more tomorrow! read more

La Tarasca - Yummy pickled carrots and fresh HOT salsa! Awesome service. Can't wait to eat! - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

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Thank you Yelpers for leading us to La Tarasca! I had the potato tacos with mole, my husband had the shrimp soup. Both were excellent. It's not common to have mole offered with a vegetarian entree, so that was definitely a treat. Service was friendly and attentive, food came promptly. We look forward to eating here again whenever we are in the area. Hours on Yelp are incorrect as of this writing. La Tarasca posts their hours as 11-7 W, TH, Su, M; 11-8 F, Sa. (Closed Tuesdays) Also posted that they stop serving 15 minutes before closing, but the night we were there, they flipped the sign to closed about 20 minutes before closing. So you should arrive not later than 30 minutes before closing to be sure of being served and having time to eat. read more

La Tarasca - Potato tacos with mole. Delicious! - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

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Color me confused. There are many fantastic ratings for this restaurant on many review sites. To me, they seem on the decline and still riding off their numerous positive reviews from the good ol' days. The place is pricy, especially for Mexican food in the middle of nowhere. Large slanted floor to ceiling windows let in ample light and the decor is ethnic and cheerful. Tables are paired with a colorful arrangement of chairs and come with pickled carrots and salsa. Salsa was spicier than average (4 stars) and had a nice earthy flavor. These notes of toasted seaweed were probably toasted leaves. We ordered the carnitas, chicken mole tamale, horchata and flan. The carnitas arrived half immersed in a pool of oil. Ick. The pork was not flavorful and was begging to be seasoned. On the plus side, it wasn't dry or tough, but still a far cry from tender. Nor was it slightly crispy like I expect my carnitas to be. The flan was creamy except the sauce was bitter. Burnt sugar. I'm surprised they still served it. I feel sorry for the lady before us that ordered two. If I came back, it would only be for the salsa. read more

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Great service! Delicious homemade food. Tortilla's are mouth watering. We would definitely frequent this place if we lived in town. Actually, we might make a special trip once a month. You won't be disappointed:-) read more

Always amazing service and the food is the best. Try their Thursday special with flan for dessert.