This is an authentic restaurant run by a mother and daughter. Don't expect chips and salsa...instead carrots and some sort of tomatillo sauce. Do expect some awesome food. I had a three steak taco meal with beans and rice. I think it was about $14 and was so tasty. The pico de gallo also has carrots in it along w the usual suspects in pico and it really made the tacos flavorful. I would definitely come back and you should try it too! It's an interesting twist on your everyday Mexican joint. read more

Excellent, authentic and welcoming. What a wonderful discovery! The food was delicious! Do stop and try it out!

I would give this place 5 stars, but my husband didn't really enjoy his meal. I was a little disapointed that they didn't have margaritas and they didn't have flour tortillas. I had the chile verde and it was amazing!! It was so hot and delicious! My husband had the steak tacos, which wasn't really anything to ride home about. I recommend letting the ladies recomend the food for you and you will be much better off. The service was really good too. I'm taking my family here when they visit! read more

Centralia has always been just a gas stop for us during our frequent drives between Portland and Seattle. Now it's going to be a purposeful stop just to eat at La Tarasca. Mouth watering, soulful, comforting, heart warming, satisfying authentic food, family friendly and warm and welcoming family running the place. Their carnitas are their specialty and should not be missed. Our kids, ages 6, 4 and 10 months, loved their substantial kids plates - even the baby dug into his sope with gusto. It's an obvious local favorite. It was packed with a rotating diverse crowd the whole time we were there but we never felt rushed. Good people, good food! read more

It really doesn't get any better than this place. Found La Tarasca on yelp. Doesn't look like much from the outside but those places can be the best. Had the pork carnitas and tostadas. Carnitas were amazing, best pork I've ever had. They didn't serve chips and salsa but they had some awesome pickled carrots and verde sauce both were great. Great Mexican place one of my favorite in Washington. read more

The Munudos was pretty good but the Tacos and tamales were amazing! I had 8 tacos and a small bowl of Munudos in one sitting the tacos were so good I kept ordering more. My wife and kids had the tamales and I had a bite they were really good as well. I grew up with authentic mexican food from friends families and this was one of the closest restaurants to that especially with there homemade tortillas. read more

Came by on a Friday @ lunch time. Closed! Chairs on top of tables. Did not expect that. Now seated at Los Agaves.

What a great find. Great carnitas, tamales and pork tacos. Very fast, friendly and accommodating service.

This restaurant has home made everything. The food is decadent and the atmosphere is welcoming. If your in Centralia and want a unique Mexican food experience, this IS the place. read more

Wow, people from far away reviewing this place. This place has flat out great Mexican food. I am happy with their tortilla and beans and rice. But everything is good here. read more

la tarasca is amazing!! it really is the best mexican restaurant in washington! its a great stop if you go for a hike at mt. st. helens. i wish there was somewhere this great in seattle! read more

The pork is worth the stop even if your not that hungry, service was fast and only 2 min off the freeway. Its well worth many miles for the adobo. read more

This is a family owned business who specializes in recipes from a particular southern region of Mexico. Everybody was very friendly and obviously proud of their successful business If you're expecting chip and dishes smothered in cheese this is not the place for you. We ordered the house specialty which was pork carnitas. The meal started with tasty pickled carrots...a healthy change from the chips i usually pig out on. The carnitas, rice, and salsa had a good flavor but the meat was on the dry side which was disappointing. The three stars rating is because I felt the prices were a little high at $12.95 and the meat too dry for a dish they highly recommended. I do appreciate how authentic the dishes are so i would probably return but try something else. read more

I had high expectations prior to eating here for the first time based on other Yelp reviews. The food here was amazing and exceeded my expectations. Any time I come near Centralia I will make it a point to eat here. I don't normally like corn tortillas but they were amazing here. Best Mexican I've had in the state. read more

This place has the best Mexican food in Washington. They have the best tamales, the best tacos (adobada tacos are my fav), the best tostadas. Oh and lets not forget the spicy carrots you get when you first walk in. So bottom line is they are freakin delicious!!! I would recommend this place to everyone even a stranger on the street! read more

Very good tortillas, horchata, pickled carrots. We had carnitas and special chicken dish. Both were totally fine but not amazing.

This is one of our favorite family dinner locations. Try the Carnitas they are absolutely delicious and it is a big enough portion for two!

Just to reiterate the other reviews: You can't go wrong with the adobada, homemade tortillas and flan! I'm originally from the San Joaquin Valley of California and I know good Mexican food. This is great Mexican food...and it's in Washington! read more

Ordered the Adobado tacos and they did not disappoint. The fresh homemade tortillas were amazing and the taco filling and salsas were very tasty. Also loved the pickled carrots that were served on the side. We will make this a regular to-go pickup on our Seattle-portland drives. read more

Lovely little restaurant just off the freeway. The rumors are true - no chips - but the salsa is good and the menu very authentic. The service was incredibly friendly, helpful and fast. Cute decor and pleasant. Only complaint was my food was a bit cold - had the tostada with rice and beans and it was a bit cold - especially on a cold day! Not sure if that was on purpose or not, but my personal preference would have been warmer. However, would be worth a try if you are looking for a quick Mexican place, with nice staff and healthy choices (no fast food here!). read more

I loved my visit to La Tarasca. The food, ambience and staff were terrific. Such a pleasant experience. My understanding is that this is AUTHENTIC Mexican food. I am used to TexMex style and can't speak to authenticity. But wow! Such great flavors. As a vegetarian, I was concerned that there would not be many choices. But not so! I had a tostada with whole beans, a cheese quesadilla and rice and beans. Such a nice chance from too many tortilla chips (they don't even serve them) and food drowning in cheese. And the hand made tortillas were incredible. We finished with flan. And oh, my...so delicious! I'll be driving from Olympia to Centralia again for this great restaurant. read more

Co-worker brought me here, and the service and food was great. Homemade tortillas and tamales made this restaurant a 5-star for me.

Yummy!! Have had mexican in S. Cal and this tops it! All homemade it's obvious by the taste and texture of the warm tortillas. We will be back FOR SURE! THE SERVICE IS GREAT TOO! read more

Incredibly freaking yum. Great food great service. I am a vegetarian and the options there are few but what they do have is soooooo delicious. I could eat there every single day and never get tired of it. Love this place. read more

Best Mexican food in Washington state but please don't go because we don't want to have to wait in line for these fabulous tamales that are served by outstanding staff. But it's not just the tamales; it's everything we have tried here. Seriously, we've been here several times and make it a point to eat here whenever we are driving from Portland back to Seattle. You should too. read more

Great restaurant! Food was amazing. The family/staff was wonderful and welcoming. The space is bright and comfortable. Really wonderful folks and delicious homemade, legit Michoacán food. Heck yes. read more

Excellent food, good service and love the carrots! I love the horchata! Come here often, when ever I'm in town...

This is the best authentic Mexican food I have ever found in the US. Bar none. What a delight to find this place on such a dismal stretch of highway. Last time I was there, I was lucky enough to get a fresh tamale. SUPERB. If you're the kind of American who wants a basket of chips with your "Mexican" food, go somewhere else. This is ACTUAL Mexican food, not the version they make for Americans. read more

I was very pleasantly surprised to stumble on this quality restaurant in tiny Centralia. Definitely where you should eat if you're in/around/traveling through the Centralia area! The pros: The pickled carrots - delicious, unique, a great way to start the meal! The carnitas (house specialty) is fantastic! The abodabo was also amazing! The service was really friendly and food came quickly. There was a table next to us who all had the mole - next time we'll have to try it! The cons: Avoid the "gringo" food - the shredded chicked was mediocre. read more

Excellent, authentic Mexican food, warm service (my wife was remembered from a previous visit two years ago) and homey surroundings at this Centralia taqueria. We mixed our order between fresh, steaming pork tamales, a selection of tacos and the carnitas plate. Everything was full of flavor with the adobada taco and the carnitas standing out. They were very accommodating with our kids who loved the food just as much as the adults. This will be our go-to lunch spot for the Seattle to Portland trip from now on. read more

Awesome! The refried beans and Mexican rice are out of this world. Homemade tortillas are fresh and hot. Carnitas are tender and amazing. Horchata was good but not my favorite as I like more cinnamon. Atmosphere is quaint and homey. Service is fast and nice. Go here and you won't be disappointed. read more

After a long day of doing Mt. St. Helens we were in need of some Mexican food and Yelpers came to the rescue. There are three in our party, all from the Southwest so we were pleasantly surprised to find such a gem in a small town of the Northwest. My two companions immediately complained that there were no chips, just marinated carrots (great, more for me) but their concerns evaporated after their first bite of the main dishes. We all ordered a la carte and were in heaven. The chile rellenos, very good and the tamales were excellent. As stated over and over the tortillas are superb and our chicken and chorizo tacos were tops. If in the area and in need of a good meal, this place is a must. read more

The reviews are great and we were afraid of a let down but the food was the best. We were in Cabo last summer and it wasn't as good as LaTarasca. Outstanding and my kids loved it too. Great friendly service, great food. Two thumbs up. read more

Amazing authentic food straight from the heart of Mexico. Served with care. Get the Adobada (pork) tacos. The tamales were also very good.

Amazing, authentic food! The dishes were explained well, and everything was delicious. Try the molé chicken, it's amazing! They really make you feel like family, too. read more

Authentic - I ordered the chili relano and a taco. Nice stuffed pepper - the taco was stuffed with chicken. It is a small quaint family restaurant. No chips instead veggies and salsa (nice change). Love that the plates were not drowning in greasy cheese. No lunch prices, meals a bit pricey for one item and rice and beans. read more

La Tarasca is the best authentic Mexican food you can get! I've been going there for years. The Tamales are amazing and my husband loves the tacos! I don't eat pork but I will even eat a few bites of the Carnitas if my husband orders it. Simply the best!!! read more

Wow, wow, wow. Great service, flavor and portion sizes. I do miss chips and salsa to kick off the meal, even if inauthentic, but the pickled carrots were tasty enough. House salsas were good too, with the red one being pleasantly spicy. The house relleno was delicious for something that seemed so simple, as well as the pork taco with the most delicious tortillas I've ever had. No guacamole or margaritas either, but all in all, a great stop if you are in the area! read more

The best Mexican food I have had in a long time. Rivals Mexico itself. Tamales are the best I have ever had. So here it is,,,,,,,The mole is out of this world. I was craving it and it didn't disappoint. An absolute must experience. read more

Adding my voice to the choir of those who sing the praises of La Tarasca. We like to order 1 of everything on the menu- the kitchen tends to send out really interesting stuff that way, as they take serious pride in showcasing the quality of their food. Last time we were in, our server explained at length why they don't believe in using anything canned in the restaurant and all their ingredients are fresh (except maybe the tomatoes?). That alone makes me feel great about supporting them. read more