How have I been sleeping on this place??…read more Just got back from an awesome Friday night at Lenox, highly recommend. Food: We were thrilled with everything, including the beef empanada they sent out just because. Mofongo: prawns with mashed plantain and a broth to die for Pollo al Carbon: chicken with the right amount of smokiness and sauce Coco Greens: hands down some of the best greens and potlikker we've ever had Tostones - couldn't stop eating these Red Beans and Rice - perfectly cooked Service: outstanding from the host to our server Marcus to all the staff. It's friendly, comfortable and fun Ambience: Most of the tables turned over during our 6:15pm dinner but we were never rushed and while the restaurant was full, it never felt too crowded or loud. All ages were there on a Friday night from families to millennials to older couples out on a date. Fun to see such good food uniting everyone. We will definitely be back!

I was extremely excited to try this restaurant with my partner but the food was not good at all…read more The food is insured by Cuban and Puerto Rican/Nuyurican dishes. I have had my fair share of visits to NY but clearly need to trying the PR food there and also need to prioritize going straight to PR as well. Ive had the food in Cuba and this was nothing close to that so, let move on. We had the Pollo al Carbon, Coco Greens and Hushpuppies. For drinks we had the Rhude Boy and Sandia. The Pollo al Carbon was not good at all. The chicken was smoked (dry) and the sauce underneath it taste like nothing. The veggies and potatoes were good though! The Hushpuppies tasted more like cinnamon and were simply not good. The Coco Greens tasted like kelp and coconut milk. Service was also decent! Our server was kind and friendly despite us returning the first thing that came out, the Hushpuppies. The drinks were made and sat for about 5mins after the bartender made them while our server was stocking silverware. Despite the food being nasty and the drinks taking some time to be served, I appreciated that they included gratuity for the sake of supporting staff. Overall, I liked the drinks but truly could've lived without the food.

This place is one of a kind and so delicious for Carribean and Jamaican cuisine! If you have not…read moretried -- you must! We were celebrating my colleagues birthday the day before and were going to see a show at the Royal Room! We got drinks and I had the caprihlana and the Carribean Star! The Carribean Star is a MUST- TRY, the flavors of that drink were amazing! Both the tostones and shrimp ceviche for appetizers was out of this world! The fried catfish was breaded and crisped perfectly and their sides, especially the collard greens are tasty, a bit tangy and phenomenal! I was able to sample my coworkers dishes (they offered of course and I did too) and the goat curry -- try this too if you like curry! Such amazing flavor and tender goat! They do not take reservations but it's peak around dinner time and weekends! We got lucky with the last big table! The menu is creative and colorful. Staff is amazing! They actually had a location in Kirkland but had to close it and this location remains and is a HIT!

This is my new favorite neighborhood spot! We showed up on…read morea Thursday night not realizing that it was karaoke night. The place was packed and the vibes were great! There were no open tables so we were seated at the bar. The other patrons were sweet and friendly and everyone was having a good time. The staff were all hella friendly and attentive and were able to move us to a table once one opened up. The food was SO good!! The catfish was bangin, perfectly breaded and spiced. All of the flavors and spices were rich and delicious and everything the was cooked just right. Can't wait to go back and try other options. Also, they have a dope happy hour for smaller snax and deals. Great spot :)

OSJ International is the most authentic Puerto Rican food I've had on the West Coast (not just in…read moreSeattleso far. Most Caribbean spots around Washington lean Jamaican, so finding a place doing proper Puerto Rican dishes felt special. The menu and quality reminded me of what you'd find back on the island, at least pre-pandemic. They had classics like chillo frito, mofongo, and pasteles, and it tasted like homemade small business cooking. Honestly, I thought it was even better than La Isla before the fire that shut that place down. A few pain points. It's far. The restaurant is south of Tacoma near I-5, so it's a bit of a drive whether you're coming from Seattle or even from the airport. It was also cash only when I went, though you could sit inside and eat. Last time I called it sounded like they were still mostly doing the to-go model and hadn't fully gone back to the way it used to operate. I haven't made the trip again yet, but it's still on my list. Also worth saying, after the pandemic when I moved to San Diego, I couldn't find an authentic Puerto Rican spot there either. That made me appreciate this place even more. After the Benito Super Bowl performance I'm definitely craving some Puerto Rican food again. Might have to make the drive soon.

Phenomenal!! As a foodie in Washington this was phenomenal and the pricing was out of this world,…read moreour server was the most informative and even made suggestions to make sure we had a great meal. Carla was the best, made me wanna visit just to say hi!! And even let us know where we can get those fantastic plantains, brought a tear to my eye!! Can't wait till the reservation done so we can bring the whole family.

I have had Bad Chancla bookmarked due to various awards and accolades mentioned in magazines,…read moreblogs, and IG. Good thing I happen to see via IG that they were having a neighborhood celebration for their 2nd year in business (6/7/26). After circling, I did manage to snag a parking spot at the end of the block. This popular hole in the wall is located on E Olive Way between a cannabis shop and a hair salon. Folks were already queued up or seated at the array of sidewalk tables and chairs. The vibe was festive and upbeat. I was mesmerized with the culinary dance that had three, including chef/owner Jose Garzon, cooking all the incoming orders for onsite eating or takeout in such a tight space. Reminded me of an efficiently laid out galley. I tried half of the Tio Dan Cono Glizzy. A grilled hot dog with cream cheese, caramelized onion, and picadillo beef. I also took home a can of Yonder cider for The Homie. I overheard that each hour there's other featured food. Fried rice was next up after the hot dogs. While waiting for my takeout order, it was great to just take in the vibe of the front counter and cooking area. No seating available, so I just walked back down Olive and savored the grilled Fake Ass Cuban. Think of a cubano using a trio of Hawaiian rolls generously filled with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. The grill press, makeshift plancha, created a flavorful, cheesy end result. Omg, that was delicious! Another Capitol Hill culinary gem. Wishing everyone at Bad Chancla continued success!

[inglés] admittedly, i've been a garzón enjoyer for awhile…read more i first tried the latinx street food on ubereats a few months after i moved to seattle in 2022 and i was hooked. i even went on to try it irl at the black cat. at first, i was devastated when it was announced the black cat kitchen was closing... but then i was overjoyed when bad chancla was announced to be opening in capitol hill! a small counter service spot with big windows on olive way. easy to find as the outside is painted a bright hot pink to contrast with the cool colours of the reef -- the building it's attached to. big letters in the window read "not your abuela's cooking," accurate to chefs jose garzón's and stefanie hieber's modern takes on staple latin dishes. i initially tried bad chancla during the soft opening back in the spring of 2024, and i thought it was good then, but i was even more impressed during the grand opening later that year. i think the menu was tweaked a bit, going from great to amazing. i've been back multiple times since; during normal hours and even special events. one of the coolest events was topless tapas, where the restaurant created a fixed-course meal in collaboration with other local chefs. the tickets were extremely limited and the menus were all different every time. i was lucky to get into one of them and had a blast. the "fake ass" cuban sandwich, while again non-traditional, is close enough to remind me of my roots in miami. the picadillo bowl sends me every time. some dishes are swapped out seasonally; my favourite so far is the encocado de camarón. and, of course, i always can go for their fresh aguafrescas, which rotate weekly. bad chancla just hits. if you know, you know. --- [español] lo admito, llevo un tiempo siendo fan de garzón. probé latinx street food por primera vez en ubereats, unos meses después de mudarme a seattle en 2022, ¡y quedé enganchado! llegué a probarla en persona en el black cat. a la primera, estaba muy triste cuando se anunció que la cocina de black cat cerraría... pero luego estaba feliz cuando se anunció que bad chancla abriría en capitol hill. un pequeño local de servicio en mostrador y grandes ventanales, situado en olive way. es fácil de ver, porque su exterior está pintada de vibrante rosa fuerte contrastar con los colores fríos de the reef, el edificio al adjunto. unas letras grandes en el ventana lean "not your abuela's cooking" (esp: "no es la cocinada de tu abuela"), una afirmación que hace honor a las interpretaciones modernas de platos latinos tradicionales que son creados por los chefs josé garzón y stefanie hieber. probé bad chancla por primera vez durante la marcha blanca en la primavera de 2024; ya entonces me gustaba mucho, pero estaba más impresionado durante la gran inauguración más adelante ese mismo año. creo que cambiaban el menú un poquito, pasando de bueno a increíble. he regresado veces varias, tanto durante las horas normal o en eventos especiales. uno de los eventos más geniales fue "topless tapas" (esp: "tapas sin camisa" ... más o menos), cuando el restaurante creó un menú de pasos fijos en colaboración con otros chefs locales. las entradas eran sumamente limitadas y los menús cambiaban por completo en cada ocasión. tuve la suerte ir a solo vez y me lo pasé de maravilla. el cubano "fake-ass" (esp: "falso," pero... muy despectivo) -- otra vez, no es tradicional-- me recuerda a miami. el bowl de picadillo es perfecto. algunos platos cambian según la temporada; mi favorito hasta ahora es el encocado de camarón. y, por supuesto, siempre me encantan sus aguasfrescas, están rotando semanalmente. bad chancla es el uno. ya tu sabes.

Bongos has been a favorite of ours for years, from way back in the pre-pandemic days all the way to…read morenow. Honestly, the food here is completely unstoppable. I catch myself having to log on and update my review every few months just to reassure everyone that yes, it is still just as incredible as it has always been. Admittedly, the portion sizes seem to have gotten a little bit smaller over the years, but it doesn't take away from how special this place is. If anything, I love it even more now that I get to bring my toddler along. They absolutely love playing around in the sand while we eat, and sharing the West Indies plates as a family has become one of our favorite routines. Bongos is an absolute gem, and we will keep coming back for as long as they keep the doors open!

Fun, super casual, yummy food, super friendly staff…read more Bongos is a great spot for food that's a little different than anything else Green Lake has to offer. An assortment of Caribbean food - sandwiches, plates, bowls, and sides. There are so many good dishes, this is a place that I'm very familiar with, yet I never know what I'm going to order until I get to the counter. Maybe it'll be the Desi plate. Maybe it'll be the Veggie Platter. Sometimes I'll go with the Ropa Vieja. Maybe I'll try a sandwich with a side of yucca fries. If you're in Green Lake and looking for something to eat that's a little different than anything else you'll find around the lake, in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere, definitely check out Bongos. One note of warning: it can get slammed with lots of people around prime dinner hours, especially on the weekend, so be prepared. Maybe grab a drink and a seat while you wait for your food.

Fun spot featuring Latin food in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Seattle…read more The place has two bars and seating areas. We sat at the bar as you walk in to the restaurant. Our bartender was attentive and friendly. It was cool to see him mixing drinks. Oh! The mojito is good and seems to be a popular drink there. I ordered a ceviche and it was brought out in a timely manner. The ceviche was surrounded by fried plantain strips that had been salted liberally (thank you!). Ceviche had shrimp, slices of oranges and the rest of the regular ingredients. Nice place to go hangout with friends and enjoy drinks.

Damn. I really wanted to like this place. It's a rum bar but it is clearly well stocked as…read moreevidenced by the large selection of alcohol on the wall and variety of drinks offered on the menu. My friend ordered a dirty martini from the waiter, Collin. He rudely and condescendingly informed her that it was a rum bar. When she told him that she saw gin on the wall. He again responded with condescending tone that they cannot make a dirty martini because they don't have olives. We asked for more time to think about our decision. And we contemplated leaving because he was so rude. However, we had been driving for 4 hours and really just wanted to unwind and have a drink so we ordered martini espressos, a pina colada, and some "monkey" drink. The only drink that tasted good was the piña colada. And honestly, we weren't sure if the drinks were genuinely horrible or if Collin's attitude soured the experience. I don't think this place was anything special. We went to a lovely wine bar just a block away with great ambiance and lovely staff. This is not a place worth visiting

I love this place, it's like going to a friends house & have you stay for lunch, I'm so comfortable…read morewhen I'm there, love their food, love to shop for misc groceries, fresh meat & veggies TW Covington, WA

great to see new latino's business. the parking is amazing, the food super good. they have a fresh…read moremeat butcher shop (carniceria) i was received very warm and welcomed..I say support this business!!!