Tacos La Cuadra, Seattle’s Al Pastor Sensation, Now Has a Restaurant | Eater Seattle

"For months the operation functioned as a guerrilla pop-up, serving al pastor from tent stands in parking lots across Seattle — notably the O’Reily parking lot on Aurora and 105th, the Key Bank parking lot across from the Northgate Target, and next to the Rainier Beach AutoZone — and, "according to the Seattle Times," was shut down five times in 2024. In mid-March the nomadic taco stand opened a brick-and-mortar storefront in Kent (and announced a second location in north Ballard, directly across the street from Un Bien in the former Maiz Taqueria space), though the Kent site still “needs to file the paperwork necessary for a sitdown restaurant,” according to the Times. Tucked in a corner of an unassuming strip mall with plenty of parking and a few spots behind the restaurant, the storefront shares a building with a nail salon and a tiny Mexican grocery; the decor is pared down apart from a singular oil painting of two roosters fighting over a bottle of tequila, and the dining room seats 36 total (including bar seating). The soundtrack and atmosphere are a lively mix — from a bar-TV performance of a warbly “Despacito” cover to cumbia being played in the kitchen and playlist detours into Daft Punk or “Take On Me” — and customers range from families to construction workers; Spanish is helpful and a simple “gracias” goes a long way. The menu is deliberately simple (six items with eight fillings, plus sodas and aguas frescas) and built around the al pastor that made the operation famous: al pastor is described correctly as usually reddish in color, originally inspired by (and derivative of) doner kebab, and roasted on a vertical spit known as a trompo. The al pastor here is thinly sliced, tender, and generously spiced — “just as good as the Redditors said” and evocative of Mexico City or Mérida — while all fillings are meticulously prepared and well portioned (the lengua was noted as perhaps slightly overcooked). Toppings are fresh (surprisingly thick-cut cucumbers), and the darker-colored salsa — made with chipotle, chile de árbol, and guajillo — "achieves an ideal blend of smoky and spicy." The asada is rich and satisfying and shines in the torta (but committing to the whole sandwich can lead to a serious food coma). Other offerings include mulitas, burritos, quesadillas, and alambres; prices can be hard to read on the menu, but quality makes everything feel relatively affordable. Look for sticky-note desserts on the back of the menu: the lemon carlota, "a no-bake ice-box cake, is nostalgic with a hodgepodge of textures coming from a uniquely Mexican mix of condensed milk and Maria’s cookies," and a mango flavor may also be available. Vegetarian options are limited (no vegetable fillings), so a quesadilla with an horchata is the best bet for non-meat eaters. If the team can overcome Public Health hurdles and submit the necessary permits, the combination of accessible pricing, carefully prepared fillings, lightly eye-watering smoky sauces, and palpable momentum gives the operation a strong shot at becoming one of the region’s best purveyors of street-style Mexican tacos." - Charlie Lahud-Zahner