Carmelos Tacos
Mexican restaurant · Capitol Hill
110 Summit Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102
Highlights
Mexico City-style taqueria serving flavorful tacos and burritos
Mexico City-style taqueria serving flavorful tacos and burritos
"This walk-up window inside the Hillcrest Market (which has since expanded to two additional locations) serves a wonderful array of tacos on thick and fluffy tortillas. Its vegan mushroom taco impresses with its garlic and guajillo chile seasoning, and the spicy mix of steak, chorizo, and potato on the campechano is a winner as well." - Joey Carreon
"Hiding in the same building as Capitol Hill’s Hillcrest Market, this Mexico City-style taqueria is a true gem. Among the highlights are the campechano, featuring chorizo, steak, and potato, as well as a satisfying vegan taco with mushrooms, refried beans, garlic, guajillo chili, and onions. It also has a location on First Hill on Cherry Street." - Mark DeJoy
"This family-owned, Mexico City-style taqueria has come a long way from a single walkup window tucked into Hillcrest Market; now Carmelo’s has two full-fledged restaurants, one in First Hill and one on Broadway right across from the light rail station. The original location frequently draws a long line but has that OG taco stand charm, and you won’t mind that the counter seating is sparse because your tacos won’t make it longer than about 15 seconds. The tortillas have that unmistakable sweet, earthy scent of fresh masa and tender texture to match, and the salsa is always fresh. The smoky, deeply savory carne asada is a crowd favorite, but the humble chicken is not to be ignored either, the edges of each juicy piece craggy and caramelized and the salt and spice of the marinade cut by lashings of creamy, refreshing avocado salsa verde." - Sophie Grossman
"We wish that Carmelo’s could climb into our window with a ladder like Sam did in Clarissa Explains It All, but we’ll happily go to the source for some great tacos. The tortillas are thick and homemade, the carne asada has a delicious marinade, and the chorizo/potato/cactus filling is something we’re still thinking about days later. And if you like a cheesy burrito, Carmelo’s sears cheese briefly on the flat top grill before adding it to the mix. It’s perfect for a grab-and-go lunch." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley
"Either step up to the Capitol Hill sidewalk window or slip through a small grocery store to the indoor walk-up window to wait in a constant (but quickly moving) line with some of Seattle's most devout taco fans. You can get burritos or quesadillas, but these are some of the best tacos in the city—Mexico City style, on tortillas made from freshly ground masa, with blasts of acid and heat in the salsas—and at a great price. Try as many as you're able to eat, but especially the campechano (with chorizo, steak, and potatoes) and the vegan mushroom and guajillo chile. If you prefer a sit-down taco experience, head a mile south to the full restaurant in the Central District." - Naomi Tomky, Stefan Milne, Jessica Voelker
