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    La Vaca

    4.2 (111 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican, Food Stands
    Closed 11:00 am - 5:30 pm

    La Vaca Photos

    Business Info

    LA VACA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - La Vaca

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    Reviews With Photos

    Richard W.

    Small place but very few Mexican food in town. Seen microwave being used. It was ok, as I'm from California expected better.

    Wet burrito carnitas
    Kyle W.

    With so many places packed in the street and heavy foot traffic, this place can be very easily overlooked. It is just a small counter where you order and grab the food to-go, with a microwave and containers containing the ingredients to make a variety of food listed in the menu. My first assumption of a microwave being so visible from the counter makes it feel like I am going to eat preheated food, but that's used for sprinkling cheese to melt on top of the burrito. I got the wet burrito with carnitas, which is a lot of food for the price, though a majority of the burrito is the tortilla and rice. It comes with sour cream, salad, choice of beans (opted for retried beans), and rice. Carnitas is quite juicy and tender, jam packed with more rice and beans inside the burrito. It's definitely enough for a single filling meal, or 1.5-2 regular meals! It's definitely a hole in the wall place, as the decor and surroundings are a bit run down, but it is worth to check out.

    2 Taco Combo
    Christopher L.

    Fantastic food at affordable prices! This literal 'hole in the wall' stand has the best Mexican food at Pike Place Market. It's authentic and the service is spot on. However, note that everything is to go. There is not a place there to eat but you can find some tables inside the market close by or take it home as it travels pretty well.

    Chicken enchilada platter.

    I work downtown. I go out to lunch daily. I've been looking for a cheap lunch spot ever since PCC closed and La Vaca, along with Chipotle, have become my go-tos. Everything up and down the menu is low-priced here. My favorite is the Enchilada combo, which comes with two enchiladas with rice, beans, salsa, sour cream and your choice of meat. There's probably enough in here for two meals for most people, but I always end up eating it all in one sitting since I workout frequently. I try to avoid cliches, but this place is literally a hole in the wall. It's a one man operation, so they probably have low labor costs. I'd say the only downside is that there is no seating area and when you wait for your food, it's either waiting on the sidewalk or the foyer to one of the Pike Place buildings, so there are loads of people brushing by you, lol.

    Menu
    Angie Y.

    La vaca is one of those tiny literal "hole in the wall" joints tucked away near the street of Pike Place market. Run by two Mexican gents, the food here is super authentic, quick, and cheap! You can get a whole entree for under $8! Another huge plus is the hot sauce they deem hot is actually burn your mouth spicy! Finally a place that advertises their homemade salsa that has a kick to it. I got enchiladas that came in twos. You can choose between the sauces red, green, or mole - I chose the salsa verde (green). It is topped with a ton of shredded cheese so if you're not a fan of a lot of cheese ask them to tread lightly. On the side of your dish comes a shredded lettuce salad which is pretty much just lettuce and chopped tomatoes. Overall, this meal was pretty filling and left me feeling like I was eating an actual warm meal for lunch, homey and comforting.

    Mexican Salad w/ Pork
    Jacques I.

    Walk-up window in Pike Place Market, serving solid Mexican eats. I came here after finding out about this place on Yelp, as I was craving some casual Mexican food to take back to the office. Instead of going to a chain, I was on a mission to try a Seattle gem, so I'm glad I found La Vaca Burrito Express. I'm one of those horrible people who've walked by this place so many times, having never seen it before. I guess you take where you're from for granted. So when a Yelp review told me where it's located in Pike Place Market, I was shooting myself in the foot for having been a fool to skip out on this place for so long. I love that it's a walk-up window, located right next to the entrance of the Market's atrium plaza where there are seats available. Therefore, if you're looking for a place to sit down with your La Vaca Burrito meal, don't let the window discourage you. There are plenty of seats next door in the atrium. I ordered the Mexican Salad with marinated pork. It didn't take long for me to get my order and as I was walking back to the office with it, which is four blocks away, the container was starting to feel heavy. Sure enough - once I got back to the office to open my container, it was a large portion that I suspected it was. This is easily two meals in one! The Mexican Salad includes meat, rice, choice of beans, lettuce, guac, sour cream, pico de gallo and cheese. And it was all tasty! I liked that the pork was not at all greasy or oily, which can sometimes be the case for marinated pork. But the marinade/flavor on the pork was actually light, getting you to really taste the true flavor of the tender, shredded pork. I dug it. The rest of the meal was standard. I will say that since I personally am a spicy sauce fan - I would ask to get a side of hot salsa to go with the meal, to kick it up a notch! But this meal was solid and am now glad to have this option for something affordable, especially when walking around such a tourist area.

    Soni K.

    Great hole in the wall restaurant at the Pikes Market. Great food with good price. Tried the tacos with enchilada combo including a beverage for $8 and very happy with what I got. The steak tacos were so tasty and the beef enchilada was seasoned just right. Will definitely return.

    Waiting for our #2
    Danielle C.

    Cool spot! It's a "hole in the wall" but you can tell they know what they are doing. It's authentic Mexican food and quick. We got burritos and walked down by the gum wall and ate them with a view of city.

    a sign for the restaurant
    Chelsea A.

    This spot has an incredibly convenient location near the mouth of the Pike Place Market. There's nothing too crazy special about these burritos but as a broke traveler staying at the hostel across the street, it's everything I needed and more. I got a vegetarian burrito and they were able to add avocado (for an additional cost) and let me choose what type of beans I wanted. Hot sauce or spicy salsa would have been nice, but it really hit the spot regardless!

    Burrito
    Matt W.

    I have been searching for the perfect burrito in Seattle for the last 10+ years. I think that I have found it. Not only is this massive, but it's also delicious. Perfect ratio of meat/rice/beans. The added sour cream and guacamole are generous portions as well. This beats our everything I've tried, even great burritos in White Center. Also very reasonably priced. I'll definitely be coming back.

    Carne Asada Torta

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    1 year ago

    I loved my burrito and it was cheap and huge... this is going to be my new go to lunch spot!

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    Great burrito and service from this spot! Nice place to grab a meal away from the Pike Place hustle and bustle.

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    3 years ago

    Found a dead fly in my food. Disgusting and the guy was mad and rude about my findings never again. Saturday June 10th @1pm.

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    La Vaca - mexican - Updated May 2026

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