Matador is incredible. I hear they may serve all ages pretty soon. We've been waiting years to take our son there for the Grande Nachos, but he'll be 21 in August, so it won't matter anyway. We've tried all kinds of things there, but what really keeps us coming back are the nachos. They are amazing! Sometimes better than others, but 80% of the time, they're truly incredible. Especially for $7.00 during Happy Hour. We don't get a protein, but my wife and I have never been able to finish them all. You can get them and even a couple of margaritas or beers without breaking the bank! Give it a try! read more

Matador West Seattle - Grande Nachos! - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I really wanted to like this place but it keeps disappointing. I used to go to the Portland location and I've gone to this location since moving to Seattle a few times -- dinner, lunch and HH. The service is always off. This time our host didn't been greet us. Our server this time was short with her exchanges, forgot the utensils, never checked in on us, needed to track her down to get utensils and the check. The place is a good size and had maybe 10 people not including the people at the bar. The food has always been off too. The carnitas is always dry and hard. I'd stick with the nachos and shrimp dishes. I wish there was another Mexican spot. But honestly, save your money and just head to chipotle. read more

Matador. I want to love what you are...but I'm conflicted. Everyone knows Goblins love tacos. The sticking point for me is that I can't remember a dish here that feels memorable. Did I get a mole? Did I come here for some work thing? I remember spending a bit above what I wanted to. The servers are helpful, but the bar is slow to get drinks out. They are also expensive and just okay. The interior looks like a Goblin outpost in a dark castle, so in that respect, they get points. There's a fire feature if you appreciate burning down the countryside like me. Sure, you can get some charred brussels sprouts in a balsamic glaze with feta and bacon to kick off the hang. But 2/3 times, the brussels sprouts came out as black as my Goblin heart. I like some smoke and char, but it tasted bitter and underwhelming. Chips and Gauc are serviceable, but don't come running. This place made more sense before exorbitant food cost increases across the greater Seattle area writ large. Let me paint one final picture for the real ones, "Matador is essentially Mexican Olive Garden with low lighting and candles". If you are okay with that, pull up a chair. In a world where four Goblins used to eat for $80, it made sense. No amount of sizzling fajita flare can change my mind. read more

I've been going here at least once a week, sometimes twice, for their nachos with ground beef. I went last week after being out of town for a couple of weeks and found out they took ground beef off the menu. So disappointing. Love the staff, love the salsa, but I'm a ground beef girl so I'll only be going back when I want a cheese quesadilla. Hate to lose one of my favorite West Seattle restaurants. read more

We came here on a Friday for happy hour. It was a fantastic experience. Friendly staff. Seated asap and they checked in on us often. Ambience was really fun. Lively with all sorts of age range. We were just worried we'd run into our kids! Food was solid. Got Brussels sprouts (a little too soggy), loaded nachos, shrimp taco and fish taco. Shrimp taco was our favorite. There was so much food and at HH pricing! Will be back. read more

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Good! Loved the happy hour options and my margarita was made for the gawwwds will come back with a friend for happy hour hot gossip soon!

I went to Matador West Seattle recently after 10pm during their late night happy hour. They have incredible food and drink options at a reasonable price. For example we got a pretty big portion of the Grande Nachos for $7 during HH which is more than enough for 2 people as a meal or a shareable app for a larger group. The servers were very fast, reliable and friendly. The bar has amazing decor and a really fun vibe. The wait was not too bad as well. Definitely recommend checking them out! read more

Matador West Seattle - Grande Nachos - $7 during Happy Hour - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

9 years ago I had a bad experience here but I came back for happy hour and was warmly greeted. I went for shrimp tacos this time and not steak (which I ordered last time) and was satisfied with not only the food but the service. The Brussels sprouts were amazing! This place is so cozy inside I love the way it's laid out. Happy to be back. read more

Matador West Seattle - Crispy Brussels SproutsBrussels - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Had carne asada to round out the day with a strawberry margarita in a normie glass which was disappointing and steak was tender but a tad dry. Would come back with the staff and interior looking quite inviting. read more

Good customer service and nice ambience. Love the margaritas. Nice place to stop by have some good food and drinks. read more

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I ordered the habanero enchiladas and they were good at first until I took more bites of my beans and bit into a literal ROCK. Not sure how they had this get into their batch of beans but it is gross and concerning as I could have chipped my tooth or accidentally swallowed it. read more

Matador West Seattle - A rock from inside my beans - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

If you're in West Seattle and looking for a fun, flavorful happy hour with great drinks, delicious food, and an awesome atmosphere, Matador is absolutely worth the stop. Highly recommend! read more

Food is good big portions although not cheap Server was nice and atmosphere was cozy read more

So glad I ran into this place! If you're looking for delicious Mexican food with GREAT deals, this is the place to go! We went during happy hour which is 4-6pm and 10p-close EVERYDAY and they have such great options! I got their carnitas street tacos. Very delicious tacos and the meat was juicy and tasty. There was a bit too much oil though from the meat. I also got their chicken quesadillas which was amazing as well. The ambiance of the restaurant was great. Very well structured and nice dim lighting to give it a nice, relaxing place to enjoy good food. The service was good. We went on a packed day, so it took some time to get our order and food, but it didn't take too long. Overall, amazing experience and I am definitely coming back here! read more

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Came here on a Friday night around 8pm with no reservation and got seated right away! We ordered our drinks, blood orange and the blackberry habanero margaritas. We got our drinks 5-10 minutes after we ordered them. We ordered our food and had to wait around 20 minutes for the first thing to come out. We got the shrimp ceviche, enchiladas, and habanero steak burrito. The ceviche was a bit disappointing. We were wondering where the shrimp was and thought it was a bit pricey for the amount of food you got. The burrito was so yummy, it was pretty spicy with the sauce on top. I only ate 1/3 of it but happy I had left overs! read more

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Have loved this happy hour for years. It still hits as far as I remember. The value, portion, and taste was great. West seattle and Ballard location have it by far the best. Redmond one has disappointed 2/2 times I went so I'm glad west seattle was great. Service was a bit pushy and not the friendliness at times, otherwise would've given this a 4. read more

Matador West Seattle - Crispy Brussels Sprouts and grande nachos - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Food, Service, Ambiance is amazing!!! My new fav find. 100/10! especially their happy hour ;)

Love going here, they have great food and a fun atmosphere. My only complaint is it is pretty dark in the restaurant I often see people using their phone lights to read the menu haha. Otherwise the food is great. Love the fish tacos! read more

Service at the bar is good for late night. Servers and staff are polite and helpful. The menu can definitely be hit or miss, depending upon what your taste buds are after. read more

Great happy hour menu with lots to offer. Food was delicious, especially the crispy Brussels sprouts and bacon wrapped jalapeños. We were there on a Top shelf Tuesday, therefore some drinks were half off. Service was awesome, even though the place was packed, our server always came by to check on us. read more

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We were in West Seattle and stopped by this place. When we arrived just before the late night Happy hour: from 10p to close (11pm). It was pretty dark and quiet, I mean it was a Thursday night. Our server was pleasant and dropped off chips and salsa first thing. The chips were good the salsa had a real kick (foreshadowing what was in store). We ordered the black bean dip and it was SPICY.... Super hot. If spicy isn't your thing keep away from the black bean dip. I had the chili shrimp tacos with flour tortillas, the purple cabbage serrano slaw on top packs a punch! My husband had the grilled chicken nachos, they were HUGE and NOT spicy at all. We decided that we could have just split the nachos and been fine and full. Worth mentioning: the food came out pretty quick. All in all, if spice is your jam, check it out.... if not, take a hard pass on Matador. We got out the place for less than $30, which is a great deal. read more

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Serving staff are always nice. The happy hour nachos can't be beat. And they even offer a takeout kit to easily make their nachos at home. Grateful to whoever came up with that idea! read more

I used to love this place for happy hour prior to pandemic, but now, it's just ok. The happy hour menu items have shrunk in size. I really wish they would bring back the chicken tortilla soup, quesadilla and calamari to the happy hour menu! We ordered the fish tacos and they were overly crispy and flavorless without the sauce they put all over it. Skip it. Chicken nachos were pieces of overly dry and not fully shredded chicken. Portion was huge! My fave was the free chips and salsa they give you. read more

Nachos And Street Tacos Great service Happy hour Over valued Great environment Great location read more

Matador West Seattle - Street Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We were in town visiting my cousin and I asked her to take us to one of her favorite places...she picked the Matador in Ballard. We had a great time the cocktails were delicious and so was the food. Our server was friendly and attentive. read more

Matador West Seattle - Quesabirria. Sooo good - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The best happy hour, great food, highly recommend the streak quesadilla and chicken wrap! The service is welcoming and friendly.

This place is a go-to anytime I'm in town. The staff is fantastic, and the food is killer: steak nacho, chicken quesadilla, chicken mole, and dip flight. Everything was great, and we didn't walk away hungry or sober. Kicking down the margaritas couldn't have been more perfect. read more

Matador West Seattle - Chicken Mole' - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Service for 5 was swift and friendly. We all had different dishes and everything I tasted was fresh and just right. A great end to a long, cold day. Returning today to try something more. read more

We have lived in West Seattle for 16 years and we have only been to Matador once previously. I have been craving enchiladas for some time so we thought we would give it a try. It was ok. It is quite popular due to an extensive Happy Hour menu, and by 6:00 it was full. The food was actually 4 stars. The portions were plentiful, and the presentation was perfect. The salsa with the chips that were served quickly upon sitting down was very good. It had a bit of a smoky flavor, reminiscent of the salsa that was served at Chevy's. We chose the bean dip off the Happy Hour menu, but it was a bit spicy for my taste buds, though the accompanying sour cream helped cut the spiciness. My wife had the Beyond Burrito and it was very good. I had the Verde Carnitas Enchiladas and while it was presented perfectly, the flavor just wasn't there. The chili-lime sour cream that was on the plate had zero flavor. It was basically sour cream. The rice and beans were fine. The margaritas that we ordered were excellent. What suffered the most was the service. We had a newer server, and she was simply overwhelmed. It appeared she had at least seven tables and she did a phenomenal job not visibly stressing. The bearded gentleman that sat us just was not overly engaging. When he sat us, I made the comment that it looked like the booths were all full. Nothing. He took us back to the back and sat us. He was also the person that said he would deliver us to go boxes when we were done, but after he went by our table at least ten times, the boxes finally came. One big issue is the size of booths. They are curved, and very tight on each side. We moved to a more comfortable booth, but saw two other tables move as well, due to the lack of space to sit. We also felt the restaurant was too dark. I realize it is an over 21 setting, but it was too dark. read more

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Tried the guacamole this time during happy hour, sooooo good. Again got sat in the back. read more

Matador West Seattle - Guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great food, great service. I'm always pleased at Matador. Nice vibe to it, too. Most recently, made an order of nachos my entree. Fantastic. read more

Matador is hit or miss - many times it is great sometimes not so much - tonight we spent about $100 - I sent one margarita back as it tasted like cleaning chemicals - the first and replacement drinks were good - we ordered churros and they looked like they were burned and were crunchy - ever been to Disneyland? There they are soft and yummy - the place has good days and bad - at $100 a meal they all need to be good read more

This place is so delicious! Highly recommend, food is always high quality. Love the rice and ribeye tacos. Just wish the online ordering matched full menu. read more

Just visited Matador after a 10 year hiatus (we moved from west Seattle to Oregon in 2015). Food and service was as amazing as we remembered it being. We use to be regulars here and always loved the huge nachos and seasonal offerings. Grilled/stuffed jalapeños were amazing, pozole was on point, and street tacos were perfect. read more

I had the Carne asada entree. I was disappointed because the meat was very tough and gristly. Additionally the flour tortillas were fried crisp as a cracker. For hindsight, I should have sent it back but I did not want to make an issue in front of our guests. This was poor entree for $30. The service was good. My wife liked the chili rellenos. read more

Cocktail only review. This is such a fun joint with stellar ambiance!!! When you see the platters full of actual white, lit candles going up in sconces snd strewn throughout the restaurant you'll understand. We went for pre-dinner drinks and I wish it would have been darker as I am guessing the matador is super moody at night. Unique decor and a fab 70d style floating fireplace read more

A great happy hour spot in West Seattle!! A friend and I grabbed a soot near the fire, they have booths which are massive spaces for two, with huge wood partitions between each one (which is a thing now....). Being on a restricted eating plan for a bit, I was able to find good options for me, and our waitress was very accommodating in helping me sort through options. I had the Matador bowl (no rice/cheese) with shrimp. It has great flavor and was very filling. My friend had the nachos with Chorizo, which could easily have fed two. Tons of Chorizo on top. It was served with a salsa that looked like Tapatio or similar. The jalapeños were filled with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon. They are the epitome of my favorite appetizer. I will be back to get these again and again!! Highly recommend! Great spot to grab food in the junction. read more

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Absolutely disgusting service. We came in to have dinner and were completely ignored, then another group was seated before us that came in 10 mins after us!! Never again!! read more

Cinco de Mayo was perfect. Music was at the perfect volume and playing songs from Selena to Bad bunny, margaritas were excellent and the dip flight was tasty. Service was prompt and attentive. read more

Matador West Seattle - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I tried The Matador with my partner for the first time. We had a really great experience. The customer service and table service was great. Our server was really kind and fast. They are taking great COVID-19 precautions as well and I felt very safe in there and it's very clean. They do require you to wear a mask when you are not eating or drinking and I am HAPPY to comply. I'm not sure why others are complaining. I would definitely rather keep the business open by keeping others safe, myself safe, and the staff safe than contribute to spreading COVID-19 and have the business go back into lockdown and not have it at all. I am GRATEFUL for the heightened COVID-19 standards put in place. The restaurant has very nice decor and a very relaxed/chill vibe which I can always go for. They also have a nice fire table in the middle but it wasn't burning at the time we went in. They have a delicious menu to choose from. Their Queso dip was AMAZING! Highly recommend! We also had the Beyond Burrito and Steak Habanero Burrito, both of which were delicious. I definitely recommend The Matador! read more

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