Whether you’re a classic al pastor kind of person, in the mood for retro American hard-shells, or want the kind of street tacos you remember from a late-night wander in Tijuana, the highlight of any week is Taco Tuesday. That’s the day the tortillas are made, the meat (or vegetables!) hit the griddle, and the tequila flows. Okay, those happen every day (thankfully), but only one day was named specifically for it, and that means every Taco Tuesday is something to celebrate. All that’s left for you to figure out is where you want to go for the evening — and we’ve rounded up the Seattle area’s best options for you.
Read MoreThe Best Seattle Area Spots for Taco Tuesdays
Old Fifth Avenue Tavern
Nestled into a tiny corner of Maple Leaf, one of Seattle’s few remaining gems of a dive bar serves up beer nuts and pull tabs. It’s the kind of bar where it doesn’t matter if anyone knows your name, because everybody is treated like a neighbor (most of them are), and the drinks are affordable. It’s an everyday type of place, but the day to go is always Taco Tuesday, when the bar busts out the old-school hard shells just like when you were a kid, with ground beef, shredded lettuce, and plenty of orange cheese. They’re so good you might feel like you could eat a million — in which case you should try to break the house record and earn a spot on the wall of fame.
The Matador
With its grand wrought-iron entrance beckoning to all lovers of tacos and tequila, this Ballard hot spot delivers on its promise of bigger and better: The menu includes 14 different kinds of tacos, including Cali tacos with agave-rubbed chicken, bacon, and haba-ranch, Modelo Negra beer-battered shrimp, and fried pork belly. And the tequila menu is even more impressive. Clocking in at five pages long, it sorts each spirit into flavor categories — for example, you’ll find Cazadores under “Earthy & Floral,” “Smoke & Oak,” and “Cinnamon & Spice.” But you can also order tequilas as a family — like a flight — so you can taste Cazadores Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo, all back to back to explore the nuances of each style.
Senor Moose Cafe
Wake up and smell the machaca. This Ballard café serves up their Zacatecan shredded beef specialty all day, which means you don’t have to wait until the evening to celebrate Taco Tuesday. Along with the regional Mexican food — think carnitas, carne asada, and Puerto Vallarta-style mahi mahi tacos — this brightly colored, always-crowded spot gets creative with its cocktails. A round of refreshing Hierbabuenas will keep the table talking tacos all night, with its mix of Cazadores Blanco, muddled cucumber and mint, lime juice, and a splash of soda.
El Camino
The tables on the back patio of El Camino, overlooking Fremont, are some of the city’s most coveted happy hour seats. The daily race to snag one is fierce as folks look to settle in the sunshine with their discount street tacos — especially the poblano mole sauce over all-natural free-range chicken with onions, radish, and queso fresco — and a glass of tequila.
Peso's Kitchen & Lounge
The menu here doesn’t lie: Among its many margarita options is the “Best margarita for the $$$ anywhere!” So start with the Cazadores Ultimate Margarita, but then turn your attention to the special Taco Tuesday menu offered weekly here. Peso’s is always lively and plenty of people come here to meet and mingle, but who needs friends when there are discounted tacos on offer — which come on fresh masa corn tortillas.
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Sam's Tavern
When you need your Taco Tuesday to include a few more vegetables — and not just in salsa form — this restaurant from the son of one of the first Red Robin franchisees (and named for the original Red Robin), has what you need: taco salad. You’ll get your vitamins from the lettuce, tomatoes, and guacamole, but you’ll also get that a healthy dose of vitamin T — that’s for taco — in the form of the oversized tortilla shell holding it all together. But since this is a burger joint at heart, taco lovers can also order any of the burgers in a tortilla instead of bun, which is the Mexican mashup that Taco Tuesday dreams are made of.
Lost Lake Cafe & Lounge
Settle into the big red booths and order a cup of coffee any time, day or night, as you dive into this diner. It’s just like the one you remember from childhood, only here, there’s cocktails and tacos. Start with the Rosalita, which has Cazadores Reposado tequila, chile liqueur, pineapple juice, and ginger beer. It will surely wake you up for a breakfast of migas tacos — eggs with chorizo, onions, and jalapeño — served 24 hours a day.
Garage
Three strikes and you’re in: Taco Tuesday is on a roll — right down the lane — at this bowling alley and party spot. Not only can you grab discounted soft tacos filled with fajitas or Baja fish, you can get them delivered directly to your bowling lane, along with their Bartender’s Margarita, made with Cazadores Reposado tequila, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, and a splash of cranberry. Sounds even better than scoring a turkey.
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El Chupacabra
Taco Tuesday on the beach gives things a different flare at this local mini-chain. Stake out a spot on the patio and settle in for a few rounds while picking from the extensive taco menu. There’s soft corn tacos, crunchy tacos, and Tex-Mex tacos before you even get into the salsa varieties and fillings — which, naturally for this waterfront hot spot, include plenty of seafood options like shrimp, grilled cod, and beer-battered fish.
El Pueblito Mexican Restaurant
The best seasoning is great service, and there’s nowhere in the region that makes you feel more like a part of la familia than the folks at El Pueblito. Along with the kindness and caring, though, they also serve big portions of homestyle Mexican food. Their tacos al carbon comes cooked to order and loaded up with charred meat, their special sauce, a little cotija cheese, and plenty of pico de gallo, not to mention a healthy portion of rice, beans, and guacamole on the side.