Matador

Good food. Flavors are strong and unique. Happy hour is from 4-6pm and 10pm onwards. The place is on a romantic dimmed light setting. If you can't read well in the dark, bring a flashlight and your reading glasses. Servers are not the most optimistic but not a bad service either. Parallel street parking. There's a bar, high tables, and booths for dining.

Atmosphere and food are both A+. I don't think I've ever been disappointed. The full menu is great and they usually have some neat seasonal options. I go most often for the amazing happy hour deals since the food is delicious and inexpensive.

As far as I am concerned, the quality of chips n salsa, quanto “pica” la salsa, whether or not they have fresh jalapeños or Serrano peppers in the kitchen, how authentic their meats are cooked and the quality of classics (like chilaquiles and tacos)… these things are the determinants of whether I return or not. Atmosphere and price are secondary, to me. Matador West Seattle scores very high during my Happy Hour visit. The salsa was quite mild, but w a nice flavor. The street tacos (chicken) were perfect (and the happy hour price was top notch). They even gave me a lime for my Modelo Especial w/out having to ask for one. Their spicy salsa was quite spicy (7 or 8, maybe), and the slight sweetness was provided by pineapple juice… unique and yummy. (Although, the “creamy” texture apparently comes from butter and I don’t have a clue who thought salsa needed creamy butter, but …whatever) The service was TOP notch and the manager (owner?) who brought me my food was clearly well versed on the ingredients of each dish. Service people were friendly and present without being too present. Their regular menu looks like it is worth a try, and given the quality of this Happy Hour visit, I’ll be back w friends! Only amendment after reviewing the receipt (when I got home)… two charges for “medium”, $2.50 and $1.50, no idea what that could be for, unless it is for the spicy sauce and the chopped peppers. No problem paying for them, but it would have been nice to know beforehand. Three months later: have returned many times and still love it, but their regular salsa definitely has a sweetness to it that I would prefer more if absent. ALSO, never once have the wait staff informed me of additional charges for asking for a jalapeño or extra hot sauce. To the question: do you have …? The answer is always: yes, I’ll get that for you. Excuse me, is there an extra charge for the jalapeño? Oh yes. This leads me to think that the wait staff is either trained to not inform clientele of extra charges, or they are trained poorly. Also…in what world does a jalapeño cost extra in a Mexican restaurant?

Matador is my ALL TIME FAVORITE place in Seattle for Mexican food!!!! Especially their happy hour. We love both the new Ballard location & West Seattle. Before they moved in Ballard I was a regular at the old location - going for late night happy hour multiple times a month! The West Seattle location is a little further away for us, but when we're in the part of town we always stop by. They have one of the best happy hour's in Seattle, the food is always amazing, and great portion sizes! Also, HUGE difference that makes Matador stand out is the free chips & salsa. So many places these days don't do that anymore which is really disappointing... I know it's something small, but it's part of what makes Matador great, and shows they appreciate their customers!! The margaritas are all yummy, and they have a big tequila/mezcal menu. Great place for either a date night or to hang out with friends!! Highly recommended the following: * Chicken quesadilla * Matador Guacamole * Grande Nachos (they're huge, good for sharing) * Taco Salad * Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños * Ahi Tuna Tostada * Chicken Tortilla Soup * Divorciadas Enchiladas * Top Shelf Margarita - great classic marg!! * Bartender's Margarita - if you want something with reposado Tbh you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.

Matador has a great seasonal menu and killer happy hour deals. Their nachos are probably the most popular, but I have enjoyed the other dishes they offer. Couldn't get enough of their steak sandwich. I'm happy to live down the street from here.