LITTLE DONKEY MEXICAN KITCHEN AND BAR

Stopped by this new (to me) Mexican spot in West Seattle for happy hour and had a great experience! The decor and aesthetic are really well done. I felt like there were mostly high-top tables with fewer regular-height tables, but perhaps it only felt that way because it’s not a particularly large restaurant. There were plenty of TVs playing whatever football game was on that Sunday. The happy hour was good value with solid drinks and decent food with really good guacamole! The staff was friendly, efficient, and attentive. I’d definitely recommend this nice local place, especially for happy hour with a lively atmosphere!

Had the happy hour nachos and tacos. Nachos were better than I expected. Tacos are always delicious and they don’t disappoint. The blue drink was Gulf of Mexico and it was yummy. The other was cartel old fashioned. Really really good. I would like to come back and try the entrees on the menu. I liked the decor. The interior lights were pretty and lit up like a wave. Our server was good and knowledgeable. Love the name!! Check it out!

I was really rooting for this restaurant. We went to Little Donkey for brunch a few months ago and it was pretty good. We tried it again for dinner tonight and it was terrible. Both the food and service has declined considerably. The food: carne asada was a slab of veiny, unseasoned beef. The chicken quesadilla had water pooled on the plate and the whole thing was a soggy mess (pictured). I couldn’t eat it. The rice and beans had no flavor. And, the chips (which you have to pay extra for) were cold and a bit stale. The corn elote and guacamole were good. The service: They sat our group of five (2 adults, 3 kids) in the back corner with the air blowing on us. The kids were cold and they said they could turn it off. This took about 25 minutes (and only when another family complained their kids were cold did it finally get done). My kids asked for crayons and coloring sheets when we first got there (they gave this to us last time unprompted) and we had to ask three more times before that finally came. When asked if there was a way to not have the quesadilla drenched in water, waitress said no because the chicken is pre made earlier in the day) they did ask me if I wanted something else but by then, I was already over it). The bill comes. They don’t ask if we need anything boxed. I ate two bites of my watery quesadilla. Was still on the bill. $144 for two carne asadas, two tacos, corn, watery quesadilla and chips and guacamole.

Little Donkey Mexican Restaurant has instantly become one of our favorites! The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with beautiful light fixtures creatively made from cardboard and lush greenery everywhere you look. Our waitress was incredibly kind and accommodating, making the experience even better. The food was absolutely phenomenal! The birria tacos were my personal favorite—perfectly seasoned, tender, and bursting with flavor. I also love that you can mix and match different tacos for variety. My husband ordered the tortilla soup and said it’s one of the best he’s ever had. We will definitely be back again soon—this place is a true gem!

Carnitas were great. Queso had nice spice to it. The gin alternative tequila drink was strong and tasty. Little of tortillas with the entree (some places are stingy with the tortillas, not this place, 5 tortillas).

Been here twice and both times had great food and drinks. Margaritas are freshly made. Al pastor tacos are amazing.

I came around 5 pm with my husband to have dinner on the recommendation of my friend. The parking lot is behind the store. When I entered the store, the staff guided us to the table. We liked the lighting in the store and interior. I ordered Chile Relleno and Pork Taco recommended by my friend. Also, salsa trio w chips and beers. We liked the taste of Chile Relleno but not tacos. The tacos were bland and not delicious and $13. Nope! We'd like to try other menus next time.

The vibe of this place is the best part! Really cool interior with all sorts of interesting touches (walls decor, lighting, etc.) And a fun bar menu, cocktails were personally my favorite part of the menu. We went for brunch and had a variety of dishes. The Poblano Burger (was told it was good, the fries we all tried, they were a little odd, the seasoning is some sort of spice and has almost a citrus taste and did not really go). Dutch Baby, Migas, Pork Tamales also on order. Presentation is lovely, food was good, some a little bland but can easily be spiced up with the various sauces they provide on the table.

We stopped by Little Donkey Mexican Kitchen and were seriously impressed! I had the house margarita, and even though it's their standard option, it was hand-shaken with quality ingredients--so refreshing and flavorful. The ground beef tacos were incredible! As someone who appreciates a good ground beef taco, these did not disappoint. Pairing them with the margarita? Perfect combo. The chips were thin and crisp, just how I like them, and the habanero salsa was packed with flavor and the perfect amount of heat. Being from Arizona, I honestly expected something a bit bland, but the food here completely exceeded my expectations. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and expertly done. Service was fantastic, too--friendly and attentive throughout the meal. Since we live here part-time, we'll definitely be coming back for more. Vibe was chill and they played great music. I don't understand the other reviews. Had a great time.

Gosh I wanted to love this place since it's in our hood! Service is missing the mark. Very difficult to order a drink and then find someone to order food and then find someone to pay the bill. Should have worked out the kinks by now.... Food was bland. I could make a better bowl and better carnitas and I have to follow a recipe... Maybe invest in better sauces and flavors! Love the atmosphere and design but that's it unfortunately. Taco Time has more flavor sad to say....

I just came here for dinner a few hours ago, searching for Mexican food to eat while in West Seattle. There weren't that many good looking options during the late hour but I ended up coming to Little Donkey since there was a lot of nice pictures of the restaurant. Right as I walked in, I saw how nicely decorated the restaurant interior was. It was dimly-lit that gave it a pleasant intimate feeling, thinking it would be a good date spot or place to meet with friends. They also had an extensive bar section which looked really cool. It was 9pm on a Sunday, so there weren't too many people there, but it was also late night happy hour. I was deciding between the nachos or the tacos, and so I asked the waitress which she recommended, to which I ended up ordering three carne asada tacos. I could tell this restaurant wasn't going to have the most authentic Mexican food but I kept an open mind. The tacos I got looked mediocre, came with everything I expected. Judging piece-by-piece on these tacos, the toppings were decent. It was well garnished, but the meat was a little bland and could've been seasoned more. The tortillas were pretty sad though, it's okay if they weren't handmade at the restaurant, but the fact that I could tell these tortillas were store-bought right away wasn't a good indicator of it going to be a good taco. I also think they could've heated the tortilla longer to get a nice char to it, but I'm starting to think they didn't even heat the tortilla after the first bite. Don't get me wrong it wasn't bad, just not that good. "OK". But it is not worth the price of $5 per taco during happy hour, and the fact that it costed around $6.50 during regular hours feels outrageous to me. I should've ordered the nachos like my head was telling me to...

With the name "Little Donkey," which is the actual definition of "Burrito," I'd hoped they make a decent burrito. They do not. It seems to be an afterthought on the menu. Just a rolled up flour taco. And grossly overpriced. Chips and salsa are so-so. Service nice and setting pleasant.

For starters we went during happy hour and apparently their menu that is on the table with the description of food is not accurate?! The waitress when asked why our food didn't include the additional toppings LISTED IN THE HAPPY HOUR MENU she said oh you must have ordered the happy hour ones those don't come with it. She also didn't know the beers on tap either which is no big deal but clear she didn't much of the menu. Overall the food was fine nothing special but overall a disappointment. I really wanted to like this place. But the salsas were good and the margaritas were delish!

Way too expensive. Burrito would have been amazing if it had some guac,sour cream, or anything creamy, it was so dry that I couldn't eat it. The guy told me they had sour cream, turns out they didn't. My breakfast burrito after tip Was $25 dollars. They had a bar, Looks like a cool place to have a drink. . I'm giving them three stars because They did offer to replace my burrito,I was in a hurry so didn't. I might come back to try their chicken and waffles and a cocktail.

I came around 5 pm with my husband to have dinner on the recommendation of my friend. The parking lot is behind the store. When I entered the store, the staff guided us to the table. We liked the lighting in the store and interior. I ordered Chile Relleno and Pork Taco recommended by my friend. Also, salsa trio w chips and beers. We liked the taste of Chile Relleno but not tacos. The tacos were bland and not delicious. We'd like to try other menus next time.

Love the ambiance, the food, the drinks, and the service! They have great brunch and happy hour options!

I've only tried their amazing happy hour & am very pleasantly surprised by the yummy taste, options & good service at normal prices lol great service & house margaritas & huac too I'll definitely go again

It's a neighborhood restaurant with a creative and upscale flavor. Decor is carefully selected and interesting to look at, and the seating is cozy and open at the same time and pretty comfortable. I went on a Monday night and it was busy but far from packed - was able to sit down right away. We got the guacamole to start with which was good but a bit small - I wish it had also come with at least one salsa for the price and chip amount. I got the tostadas with carne asada which was colorful, substantive and delicious. Also got the donkey's delight margarita which I keep thinking about and which I had right now!

The food is tasty but pretty expensive for what it is. Excellent service and wonderful ambiance which is really what you pay for. They have taco Tuesday special but don't advertise it all - it's a good deal so recommend looking into it if you're there on a Tuesday! Took a star off because I felt it was a little overpriced.

TLDR: Little Donkey is a Modern Bar and Restaurant that has everything you would expect from that title; and this is a great thing!!! I walked in with the negative reviews at the top of my mind and was SHOCKED when I saw a busy packed modern restaurant and everyone happy and having a good time. The two cocktails I tried were inspired, well balanced and while not outstanding very very very good. The nachos were hot, made with care, delicious and good enough for 2 people. Listen, if you don't have 15 bucks to spend on a cocktail, want a place to take children to, or feel uncomfortable in a modern dimly lit setting. I suggest you Google where the nearest Azteca restaurant is and stay away from people who enjoy this sort of vibe. Little Donkey IS WORTH YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION! I'll 100000% be back here.

It's a cute place with a parking lot in the back. The drinks were decent. The food was just ok. We ordered blistered carrots, pastor nachos, chile relleno, and churros. The carrots were good. The pastor on the nachos was dry like jerky. About the chile relleno, it came with black beans on the side and it was watery. The churros were good. I may go back for their happy hour.

The decor is really fun. Kind of a mid century modern vibe. The food was...edible. Everything tasted kind of pre made. Lots of cheese. Lots of grease. Don't expect authentic Mexican cooking. I got the Cantarita and it was gross.

First time trying Little Donkey in west Seattle. I was excited to have a New Mexican spot close to us in west Seattle, bc we usually go to White Center for tacos. As we came in for happy hour at 4p (2 adults +1 child) it was fairly empty inside (at that moment) at the restaurant but almost all 5 or 6 tables out side were taken. Which is where most of the people were when we were seated. Service: We waited almost 15 min for someone to take our drink and food orders, only given 2 cups for water (3 of us) and never received a 3rd cup, asked for more napkins but did not get them until we were finishing up (had to take them off another table during our meal). Had to ask a 2nd time (after waiting a good amount of time) for the drink for our daughter. The wait staff were nice when they actually came to the table... Food: Happy Hour prices: we had tacos $5ea ($6.5 regular) Al Pastor and fish. The Al pastor was ok the portion of meat was a pretty solid amount but they tasted cold and not much flavor. The fish taco (Cod) was pretty good crispy fried and hot. The presentation was good. Childs Nachos: $5 barely any cheese but only $5 so I guess that's ok.. We would have ordered the child's chicken tacos for our 6 year old but the waitress said that the chicken was very spicy for kids?! Which is fine for us (adults) but having ONLY spicy chicken for children's tacos seems odd. The happy hour prices are reasonable $5 a taco but $6.5/taco is a bit much other places in west Seattle are between $4.5-4.75 $6 house margarita $4 draft beer We were suppose to have happy hour prices (which I think we did) but seemed a bit more than we thought when paying. We could not see our itemized receipt bc when we asked for our bill they brought a portable machine that only showed our total.

Our bartender Neno was awesome - we asked him to make us something special and he did not disappoint. Happy to say I tried my first ever Donkey Punch! Told us it was part of their secret menu. Highly recommend ordering it if you're looking for something strong but tasty.

Super cool neighborhood spot. The design and decor are lovely. Margaritas are $10 made with fresh lime juice. I'm a huge nacho lover. Was a bit surprised they used queso instead of cheddar on their nachos. It was ok. Carne asada was loaded with cactus. Their house made habanero sauce is EXCELLENT! Service is excellent. This is a cool hip place. Gotta support our local neighborhood restaurants. This is our community! Cheddar on the nachos please! I'll be back!

Really enjoyed a Saturday happy hour date with my husband here; we each got margs and shared a bunch of tacos and the nachos. We also got the chips with three kinds of salsa. While they had just opened and so they are ironing out the kinks with service and staff, we thought they were very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu when we had questions. We will definitely be back! PS: very much digging the mid-century decor; it's nice to see a business put their stamp on a spot.

We tried this place Labor Day weekend so we had to choose from the weekend menu. The location was vibrant and right in the middle of the neighborhood. We ordered the Salsa Trio, Dutch Baby, Breakfast Burrito, Poblano Burger & Chile Relleno. Hadn't ever seen mushrooms in an relleno but for some reason that was an odd taste for that dish. The Breakfast burrito was okay, it lacked garlic salt in the Chile salsa. The Poblano burger was eh, nothing special and lack seasoning and flavor. The best by far the Dutch Baby. That was really good. The Salas Trio were all very liquidity. The hot, orange salsa was too hot to enjoy. The medium one was okay while the mild one was bland and no flavor. Once again, they could have used some garlic salt. The service was good.

Some places are bars that serve food, others are cafés that serve drinks, this appears to be the former. When we arrived, I smiled. We were here about 4 years ago. It was during Covid and it was a pizza place. Business had reopened, but this place chose to be takeout only. We made the drive from the eastside and were greeted rudely. On top of it all, we were told if we wanted Pizza to go, it would be 45-60 minutes, so we ended up at Ironically, a Mexican spot down the street. Reviews for this place are mediocre. No question some people have given 5 stars, but most reviews are closer to 2 with even some single star reviews. Since Mexican is my favorite cuisine, trust me when I tell you, this is fake Mexican food. I had the nachos, which are not well reviewed and to be blunt, they forgot to add Bell Grande to the end of that description. It was a decent pile of chips with a mound of ground beef on top and food service cheese wiz. Someone said it was queso, but this wasn't queso, queso is delicious and an acceptable alternative to grated cheese. The meat and cheese should have been layered, but it was all mounded-on top, so after you ate the top layer there was just broken and soggy chips. We also had the salsa trio. This came with 3 salsas and they all tasted funny. The green was tangy, but almost tasted oil base. The red was really peppery, but again, had a silky texture than I've never experienced before. And there was a Habanero salsa that came with no less than 2 warnings for heat. It was the mildest habanero salsa I ever had and again, had a weird taste and texture. All the salsas needed a generous shake of salt, but if you ask me, I've had better salsa out of a jar and that is never a good sign at a restaurant. Service was really slow, but friendly. The pricing was fair, but the flavor wasn't restaurant quality. I ate somewhere a year ago and the food was mediocre and when I told the bartender, her response was, "It tastes better with a buzz". I think this place will be alright, but that doesn't mean I recommend it. It was Taco Bell like in flavor and as I've said before, when you eat at Taco Bell, you'll be running for a whole lot more than the border! If I lived near this place, I'd never come back. I'd expect better Mexican food in a public-school cafeteria.

Super cute place and we got there about 4:30 because I heard it got crowded. There's parking in the back - a little tight but definitely worth not cruising the neighborhood for street parking. We were able to get a round and a half of HH margaritas and then ordered. My companions were making fun of me because I wanted the parking lot tacos so I ordered the quesadillas like they did. It was kind of spicy so I got through only one triangle. I ordered a couple of the old school tacos I wanted in the first place and those things were friggin delicious. I hosed them back quickly because I was starving but it's a hard shell taco with seasoned ground beef, lettuce and tomato. Bottom a wee bit soft so you can shove it in your face faster. Yup, I'm ordering those again. Knocked a star because there was some confusion on the bill of HH drinks vs non HH, and some drinks that they thought we ordered but ended up going to another table. All made good and fair by the server.

I came across this place by accident and wow was I impressed. The interior is really welcoming and trendy. It really makes you feel like you've found the new, cool spot. The food is really good. I had their chicken tinga taco and carnitas tacos and both were phenomenal. The house made tortillas made all the difference. What really made it a special experience was the service I received. My server, Maria (maybe Mariah?), was so nice and so knowledgeable. She knew the menu from top to bottom and told me all about the secret gems. I plan on going back very soon. This place should be on everyone's must try list!

Great vibe, really friendly staff and delicious drinks. The food is just not there. This is the second time my food has come out cold when I've been here. This time around I sent it back as my fish taco was cold and the waiter was super nice about it, but when it came back it was even colder and more stale. For a Mexican restaurant to not serve fresh fish tacos at that price is unacceptable. My friend's tacos were also lukewarm and the tortillas were soggy. It's almost like the chef doesn't care. I want this place to do well and my husband still really liked his chicken mole so I think it still has great options, but they have to work on the flavors and serving fresh food.

The ambiance and lighting of the place is spectacular, however the food left much to be desired. The tacos were very bland and I even had a large piece of an onion shell in my taco. Even the salsa tasted from a jar. The chicken tacos were not good, the carne asada was dry, the carnitas were good, however for 6.50 I was left saying where's the meat. The service was ok, the hostess was not friendly, but the server was friendly. Recommend to sit at the bar with some margaritas, chips and guacamole.

We are Texas so a little picky about our Mexican food but this place definitely exceeded our expectations. The carne asada tacos were delicious! Our server was the best ever. He was insanely busy but still managed to ensure everyone had everything they needed in a timely manner.

The inside is very mellow with the hawks game on. Sad we lost. Overall our service was just ok. It took the waitress 10-15 minutes to get to our table for drinks. I think she was the only one working that night and it was busy. We ordered chips and salsa and as that arrived our nachos sat at the window. Just two take aways here. 1. Please ask if your guests would like ice for the water. I always prefer cold ice glass of water. 2. Don't leave your food sitting at the window. Our food started coming out and the nachos and fried items was at the window for 10-15 minutes before the main came out and then everything was served. Our nachos was soggy from sitting there and the fried items weren't so hot anymore. The only item that was good was the main entree, the burger. This place is very 50/50 on service. We ate here weeks ago and the service was great.

We ordered the tacos - ground beef - parking spot tacos (I think that was the name). Pools of grease and no flavor. Surprisingly bad. It's a cute place, but honestly, hesitant to give it another chance...

Nice atmosphere and the food was ok. I really liked the guac and poutino appetizer. Service is a little slow and chaotic right now since everyone is new, but friendly. That's all fine. The problem is that they charge you even more than the already steep menu price for tacos. They are listed at 6.50 each, but they charged us $15 for 2 and $31 for 4 pretax on the bill. Also the default tip options are 20%, 25%, and 30%. You leave just feeling kind of cheated.

I love this place soooooo muchhhhhhh! Much better than PV. Love their lights too! Friendly staff and great food.

This is a place to try. Really enjoyed the food. Great taste combinations. you will like it!!

Wow, after only having Cactus in the area, this fairly New Mexican restaurant is a great addition to the neighborhood. Drinks very good (classic margarita packs a punch), and the food quality very good.....plenty of interesting sauces and yes spicy ones.....also staff working a full house of customers.....pleasant and helpful. Will be a definite regular customer... Kevin

Food was fantastic! Service was stellar. Vibe is just right. Great addition to the West Seattle food scene!

The flavors were bright and inviting! Every bite was a destination filled with subtle but deep reminders of why we should enjoy feeding our bodies. Grateful we can walk to enjoy some parking lot tacos and delicious cocktails!

What a cool space. Really great atmosphere. I had some tacos and guacamole and was a big fan of both.Our server was really attentive and did a good job for this new spot. Wonderful addition to the neighborhood for sure.

Great, hip, kid-friendly Mexican spot in West Seattle! If you haven't been to try their skillet enchiladas...run, don't walk! Yummy margs! Great kids options! We love this spot!

At first when approaching there isn't much signage to give off the name of the restaurant or their cuisine and the decor on the inside stands to say the same. It's decorated quite well but you don't know if you're getting a burger, lo mein, tacos, or a kofta plate until you see the menu. When walking in it is quite nice inside and the vibe is amazing. Good music at the right sound level, plenty of people and booths to feed the hungry masses which pretty much earned it the two stars on the service alone. The service was quick, efficient and attentive . However, getting into the belly of the beast, if you have kids who will eat anything and you're short on time or want somewhere to have happy hour drinks and a meal to help you through the drunken night, this the place for you. There's much to be desired with what comes out of that kitchen and honestly that's about as best as I can describe it. It's edible? But if you're looking for good Hispanic cuisine, please go somewhere else, it will not cure the hankering at all. My partner and I got the nachos, fish tacos and parking lot tacos and much of it was cold, bland and seems to have been out of a can, box, or the microwave. I'm not sure if the other reviews missed something, but I definitely feel misled by all means. Like I said, if you have a reason to want to try it then by all means, but honestly... don't expect much.

I was eagerly awaiting the opening of Little Donkey for over a year, and was beyond disappointed when I finally got to go. As I usually do, I waited a couple of weeks after opening to let the restaurant iron out some of the kinks that new restaurants inevitably deal with. So when I went for the first time after a few weeks, I was very happy with the decor of the place. However, VERY below-average food and drinks. Not wanting to be too judgmental, I went back again after another month (the first chef had been let go, and a new one was now in place), but the food sadly has not gotten any better with time. I only write this review so that others will be warned of what they will probably experience. Sadly, unless the restaurant can dramatically improve, I'm hoping for a quick death of Little Donkey so that the restaurant space can be utilized by a better concept.

Service was great - had a lovely, sweet person attend to us and our kids. A few things that were pretty bad though: the KIDS entrees come out on scalding plates served by someone wearing an oven mitt. Maybe transfer the hot entree to a different plate (?) I feel like that's just asking for kids to get burned. The tacos are $6.50 a piece unless you get the parking lot tacos. The chips (from the kids nachos) are good, but no chips or salsa for the table. Overall: not the greatest, not bad.

Have tried this place twice, was really excited about it because I learned the chef was from CDMX but the food doesn't compare to what you can get there. The first time I went, I got the carne asada plate and it wasn't anything to write home about. The saving grace was the raspberry spicy margarita! I went again last Monday and got their happy hour carne asada tacos and al pastor, the al pastor was basically jerky and the asada taco had a weird crema on it and the meat was chewy. The only reason I'd return is for that margarita, other than that, this place is a FLOP!

The mid century decor is great. Unfortunately the food is also mid. Tacos were cold, and margaritas watery. Service was spotty and inconsistent. Wanted to like it but it's just mediocre and expensive for what it is. Also charging for chips and salsa in general should be against the law. Send it to Olympia.

Ambiance and location is great. And that's where the greatness ends and mediocrity begins. Nachos were served cold and not with real cheese. Drinks were so-so. Service wavered between insecure waitresses and mansplaining dudes. Get a margarita and don't get much else because you'll be disappointed.

Delicious mole chilaquiles, substitute with chorizo since I don't like or eat eggs. They should add this as an option on the menu.

We've enjoyed the dinner menu but the happy hour menu is where it's at. Always great service, but $6 margaritas, $5 tacos and a $9 burrito are hard to beat. Food was excellent and this could become our regular Sunday afternoon stop. Keep up the great work!

Love the decor, light and open. A bit noisy and the wait staff a bit green but overall a great unique Mexican spot in West Seattle.

Bad bland food. Ala carte pricing is ridiculous, very little flavor in both the steak and chicken entrees. Looks like they spent all the funds on decor and vibe and 0 on staff training or quality ingredients. Over 200 dollars before tip for me and my daughter (10) my friend and her son (8). Lack of kids menu ridiculous anla carte pricing and the generally horrible service means I won't be returning and will tell others to avoid.

Went in with a friend for happy hour and was warmly greeted by Mariah who also turned out to be our server. She had wonderful food suggestions and an overall great attitude and knowledge of the menu. The ambience was nice, modern and cozy at the same time. Food was less than what I expected, but but didn't feel like it was overpriced. HH tacos were pretty good and they have a great selection of tequilas and mezcal. Giving 5 stars due to service otherwise I don't know if I'd go out of my way to return.

I was so excited for this neighborhood Mexican restaurant, but I regret to report that I am sorely disappointed. I should've exited when I was sat at a dirty table. The food was dismal at best, arriving lukewarm and bland. It was as if the food wasn't cooked long enough and placed on a cold plate. It was inedible. It's pretty unfortunate how horrible it was and I sure hope they can do a reset, considering it's brand new. This place has all the right tools to make a great restaurant, but they are using worst ingredients available.

$9 guac? Yeah. So everyone told us this place sucks. They were like, it's way overpriced, the food is $#it, the service sucks, but the atmosphere is good. They were correct across the board. That guac in the pic was $9, that was not a reasonable amount of guac for $9. The service totally sucked. Barely attentive and rude when they showed up. Oh and the food was totally average at best.

I have been a few times and want to love it but the service is inconsistent as well as the food. Last time my food was so salty I couldn't eat it. I will give it one more try then skip It in the future.