Great, authentic Mexican food provided by members of the Ayala family. My wife and son loved the pulled pork. I'm vegetarian but did well with the mole taquitos and beans. Service is solid, Price is reasonable. Good choice! read more

Driving home from Oregon coast yelp search led me here and I concur with all the positive reviews. Authentic is accurate. Friendly. Humble, (waitress quote of her family restaurant. We had the carnitas, the adobado taco, beef strip stew special that night and hibiscus tea. Carrots were yummy too. Just go there, you won't be disappointed. A must stop next time. Wish had read more

After reading incredible reviews, I had to stop by La Tarasca on a roadtrip from Seattle to Portland. I picked up some tamales and corn tortillas for friends in Portland. Service was slow and less than friendly, but the food was good! Horchata was disappointing - it had an unexpected floral note to it - not quite what I was expecting. Bonus: It's not too far off I-5 & is pretty much halfway from Seattle to Portland! read more

Amazing!!! Authentic! You will not be disappointed! The corn tortillas are wonderful....some of the best I've ever had.

Flavorful meals served in small town restaurant. Our boys love the beans and rice and my husband enjoys the enchiladas with beans and chicken. Consistent quality and service. I wish there were more vegetarian options, but I make the exception for La Tarasca's pollo con mole and chicken tamales. Meals are great, NOT your traditional TexMex or overly cheesey Mexican food. read more

By far, the best authentic Mexican food I have ever had and the service matches the quality of food.

Absolutely wonderful! Fresh, authentic, and those homemade tortillas make everything that much better. Can't be beat!

Great authentic Mexican food. Friendly staff great food made from original Mexican recipes carried down from generations. Coming from LA it's hard to find good Mexican but this place matches up with the best! read more

Sooooo good!!! I'm from Portland and was in Centralia for a month for field work and would spend most of my work day drooling at the thought of the food here. I tried to eat through the menu during my stay. Highlights for me were the Chili Colorado (best I've had, but the pork is a tad less fattier than say a shoulder roast) Chili Verde of course, but what really blew me away one night were the Adobada tacos... If you like chipotle peppers and flavoring please order 3 of these with beans and rice... read more

The food was delicious, the service was great and so friendly. This is by far the best Mexican food my wife and I have had and we'll be back to try each thing on the menu. Everything tasted fresh and I didn't feel like I had a gut bomb like after leaving the chain type Mexican restaurants. Do yourself a favor and eat chow here! read more

Authentic mexican food! The chile Colorado and chile verde are favorites! The tortillas are the best I've EVER had, fresh soft handmade, delicious!! read more

Best Mexican food I've found in Washington State!!!! As long as I live here, I will continue to go for Tamales, Chile Relleños, Flan!!!

Stopped in while on vacation based on other Yelp reviews. Great food, we will be back, hopefully on our way back home!

We stopped here during a recent stop on the recommendation of Yelp, and we couldn't have been happier. The food was delish! My husband had the carnitas and I had the tamales. A huge plus was that the service was super quick and friendly. If we are back In the area we will defiantly stop in again. read more

Unforgettable food, witty service and a delightful atmosphere. If you've never been here, you need to stop. After the first bowl of pickled carrots are gone, you'll forget that they don't have chips and salsa....and you'll wish more places had pickled vegetables this good. More than worth the detour past the usual I-5 fast-food options. read more

Feels like family - amazing authentic food! You need to give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.

What a wonderful restaurant in Centralia! Really good food!! I had the best Tamale I have had in a long time and the Carnitas are great. Based on the reviews, I'll try the Flan next time! I didn't realize it until we had visited, they have many awards, magazine and newspaper write ups! read more

Best Mexican food I've had since I was traveling through Baja California on a mission trip. Small place, casual Mexican cafe atmosphere, very busy--We waited for about 5 min for a table on a Monday evening, absolutely worth it. Tortillas were fantastic. Staff is great. Magic happening in the kitchen. I had the chile Colorado and it was amazing, and not this bland stuff from most Tex-mex joints. This was flavorful, tender pork and a little kick. Even the basic whole pinto beans and rice were delicious. A new "must stop" when we are in the area. read more

Loved our lunch: carnitas, Chile colorados, chile relleno. Awesome pickled carrots. Friendly staff. Fantastic flan. read more

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

We had an absolutely fantastic experience here, the service was exceptional, friendly, knowledgeable, and courteous. We also found the food to be very, very good. Definitely a strong-recommend that we hope to visit again. read more

Amazing Mexican food you can't find anywhere else in Southern Washington. My favorite restaurant in the area.

If you haven't eaten here yet - get in here!! Authentic, healthy, every bite was amazing. I'm traveling through and just happened to stop in, but this is a great reason to keep coming back. read more

Wow, the family recipe special was awesome. I grew up in SoCal and have been looking for a place to compare to the fabulous places I grew up with and this place hits the target and then some. read more

Having the blessing of growing up with 2 mexican/spanish grandmothers, one who owned her own mexican restraunt and grandma #2 was a killer mex cook, for decades, if I wanted decent mex food just stay home and cook it myself. La Tarasca, first, no tortillia chips, yeah the spicy carrots and what else were fine but I'll take chips w/ a bowl of beans and salsa anyday! I already knew what I wanted before I walked thru the front door: CARNE ASADA TACOS - soft meat wrapped in warm corn torts, smothered in fresh onions & cilantro dripping with fresh lime juice(makes my mouth water). I was told by the rude waitress, "you can go anywhere for tacos you should try the carnitas, suit yourself...frankly I don't care for carnitas. My tacos were average, the beans & mex rice were good & my husband chilie rellenos were better than average. IF YOU want awesome and wayyy better mexican food, try Rameriz on Trosper Rd & Capitol Blvd. in Tumwater, WA. Having their own mexican bakery, tortilleria plus they have pictures of all their menu items. Very simple place, very casual. My favorite mex food in thurston/lewis/mason/grays harbor counties read more

Though we came when it was relatively empty, before we had gotten our food, the place had filled up. Noisy, but in that families having a great time way that adds to the atmosphere. The food was stellar. I'd come back here in a heart beat, and I hope to soon. read more

Dang it. I was so looking forward to the "authentic" Mexican food that so many of the reviewers spoke and raved about. I can tell that there are hints of very traditional flavors, and there were some bright notes. But my 2 star rating was about all I could muster for this one. I was torn between ordering the carnitas or the mole. I'm a huge fan of flavorful, moist pork, so I ordered the carnitas. Wow, what a disappointment. It was a Friday evening too, so I wouldn't think I'd get the end-of-the-week leftovers. It was dry and many chunks were actually hard. I ended up pouring a cup and a half of the delicious green sauce all over it to wake up the dry, bland pork. That green sauce, what seemed to be a good blend of tomatillo, green chili and cilnatro, etc and the pickled carrots when you first sit down are a nice welcome. Our server kept bringing more as we finished each little bowlful. The homemade tortillas are some of the very best I've had in the states or Mexico. But along with this "authentic" carnitas dish came the refried bean puree and pale orange rice that comes with most every dish at just about every run of the mill Mexican restaurant around here. It would have been so wonderful if they had served moist, delicious carnitas with some shredded cabbage, sliced radishes and jalapenos on the side, with some whole pinto or black beans. At first I thought maybe it was just a bad night to order carnitas. But then I thought again about the refried puree and that rice and thought, nope, this isn't too much different than the usual that is often sold as "Mexican" food. Too bad. The servers were delightful, but the food was a sore disappointment, especially when you have such high hopes! I can't wait to go back to Mexico......... read more

We often go to Seattle and heard about this place by chance, so happy we have found you La Tarasca!!! Very authentic, fresh, home cooked meals. I knew it was good when I saw the pickled carrots served in lieu of chips. This is for the folk who truly appreciate authentic Mexican food from different regions of Mexico. This family cooks from the region of the Michoacan state. The mother of the family cooks everything and I can assure you it is GOOD!!!!!! This is not an American/Mexican establishment that serves chips and salsa and gigantic, super sized portions. If that is what you are looking for head to Chevy's. read more

Loved this restaurant, if you are looking for authentic Mexican food, then this is the place! No chips and salsa, but the pickled carrots are pretty good. This place has always been pretty busy when we have been there. One day we went with the whole family and just had all their different kinds of tacos. It was great. I have also had their Pork Roast, not sure what it's called on the menu, was a special that day. It was very good. Plates of food are way more than I can eat in one sitting, so you can take the leftovers home for another meal. Terrific atmosphere and is run by a mother and her two daughters. Best authentic Mexican food we have found in Washington State, and that says a lot as my husband was born and raised in southern California supposedly with real Mexican food. Give La Tarasca a chance if you love Mexican food, I think you will really appreciate it. read more

Driving from Portland to Seattle and stopped. Best service ever right off the bat. First review for me on yelp and this place deserves it.

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant by far. I always get the special and I am never disappointed.

Mole was delicious, rich in flavor with 26 different spices. Super good food and a great atmosphere. read more

La Tarasca - Chicken Mole, excellent - Mexican Near Me - Centralia, Washington

I love this place! An enthusiastic 5 stars! Makes me miss living in Latin America. Family favorites include: carnitas, tacos adobada, tacos de bistec, quesadillas and tamales. I love the soups too but I'm a little bit more adventurous than the rest of my family. Be warned that this is not your average tex-mex place, no chips served here and the salsa is spicy, spicy, spicy! read more

One of my favorite places to eat in Centralia. Food is great, prices are good and the staff is friendly. My only wish was it was closer to Olympia. read more

By far some of the best and most authentic Mexican food I've eaten outside of Mexico. I often wake up and realize I've been dreaming about their adobada tacos, perfectly spiced and slow and low cooked pork in their handmade tortillas. Eat there... Trust me! read more

Went for a late lunch and even then the place was full indicating perhaps good food and service beyond the humble appearance. We were not disappointed. I had the Carnitas and my wife had the Posole. The dishes were both excellent and were not smothered in cheese as at almost all Mexican restaurants. The tortillas were home made soft corn and were fresh, hot and yummy. A shared dessert of flan and coffee was an excellent finish to a meal I know won't be our last at this little gem. read more

Best and most authentic Mexican food in Lewis County. They have the most delicious tortillas, and items off the a la carte menu are great for a cheap lunch. read more

I admit I was a bit put off with the veggies instead of chips and salsa but the food was decent, people were friendly and the place was lovely. read more

I thought when I moved to washington from southern California that I would no longer be enjoying great mexican food. After the few times I've been to this place I know I was wrong. Great authentic food and friendly service. read more

Absolutely superb service and food! I can't wait to go back and try the homemade flan! The owner was so helpful and informative about the menu, and the authenticity of her recipes. Well worth the extra half mile or so off of the freeway, and past all of the chain restaurants. read more

Amazing food! Pride filled staff who understand authentic mexican cuisine. I had the enchiladas and my husband head the Chile relleno, and both were great. Baked chicken breast was a little dry, but I didn't care because the rest filled me up plenty. read more