Matador Ballard

One of the nicest Mexican restaurants with a unique and cozy vibe! The food, service, and drinks are all great. Vegetarians might need to request a few tweaks to their orders, but the staff is accommodating. Perfect spot for a cozy dinner date or a fun weekend meal with friends!

First time to this location in Seattle. Always wanted to go. Its definitely not my Tacoma location, but for this location Is very very cute. Resteraunts on both sides of the street. Cute cobble streets, location was awesome. The Resteraunt had the Matador vibe.. customer service was good. Just too small for me.. The Resteraunt is consistent with other locations.. Bring the pork belly!

Wanted to like this place after seeing it’s always full but the service from the kitchen/bar is TOUGH. Be prepared to wait for your food while others at your table eat, yes even for simple tacos. Drinks and our appetizer (nachos) took ridiculously long for a Monday night as well While the food is adequate and service is friendly but it’s hard to give this place a good rating when 2 of 5 people in your party get served at one time. 18 mins later 2 more meals (tacos) come out and finally 12 mins later the 5th person has their tacos… After multiple asks to servers (at least they were nice)

We've had a gift card for Matador so we picked the Ballard location for Monday night dinner. The menu has changed a lot in the 4-5 years since we last visited and the changes seem good as all the food we ordered was delicious. We got the dip trio (the queso was to die for), quesobirria tacos, and the Divorciadas enchiladas with a really flavorful marinated chicken. The consomme with the quesobirria was... not good as it was a bowl of rendered fat and nothing else. The tacos were tasty enough without the consomme but drinking the consomme after eating the tacos is so good that I missed it.

The food and drinks here are wonderful! Some of my favorite items are the nachos (they're huge) and the habanero steak burrito. I feel like the prices are appropriate for the quality and size of the food that you get. The only unfortunate thing is that parking can be a bit tricky, especially during busier times of the day.

Update: If the truth about how people are treated makes you uncomfortable, direct your discomfort at the behavior—not the person exposing it! Tried calling multiple times to place a takeout order, but no one answered. I love the food here, but the lack of phone service makes it hard to support regularly. So I came in person to order. After waiting nearly an hour for a simple salad order—placed at 10:24 and promised within 10–15 minutes—I returned at the exact time it was supposed to be ready, only to find no receipt, no food at the table, and no communication from staff. I had already been seated for 20 minutes without being offered water or acknowledged. When I finally received the order, it was missing to-go silverware—basic essentials for a takeout meal. This experience reflects a complete lack of professionalism and courtesy, especially toward a solo diner who came in ready to be a regular customer. After a long day at work, I was really looking forward to my Chop Chop Salad. Unfortunately, when I got home and opened it, I realized there was not nearly enough dressing to cover the salad. As you can see from the photos, a large portion of it was left dry—even after using the entire container provided. I’ve enjoyed your food in the past, but this was a disappointing experience after a long day. I hope in the future more dressing can be included with to-go orders, especially with full-size salads like this one.

The host at the entrance was not pleasant to talk to. Our waitress was just going through the formalities of asking us. Water and a simple ask to get hot sauce took close to 10 min. Food was fine but the management needs to audit the staff and how they are treating customers.

We've eaten here a couple of times in the past and the food is good, huge variety on the menu so something for everyone. But we tried to eat here tonight and had a really frustrating experience. We arrived to a very busy night of service (Sat night) and asked for a table for 4 on their patio (we specified since we don't eat inside restaurants when COVID levels are high, so, ever), they said it would be 20 min wait and we'd get a text when the table was ready. Fine with us, we got the confirmatory text that we were next in line, yet 20 mins came and went and we hadn't gotten a text about our table (we'd been standing right outside the whole time, nobody came to find us either). When we checked the status on the phone, it said we'd been seated. Definitely not true! So we went back in to ask what was up - the host couldn't figure out what had happened in the system to change our status without actually seating us. She offered to seat us at that time, but when we reiterated that we wanted to sit on the patio, she then said they were not sitting anyone at the patio tonight. Say what? We had been standing out in the cold for 30 mins at this point, and nobody had thought to mention this when we originally requested the patio seating and got added to the wait-list. The patio is often empty in cooler weather but there is no indication it's closed - the lamps were lit and the happy hour menus were on the tables. We have so few options for comfortable outside dining in the city, so it's extra disappointing that they were not seating anyone on the patio when it's usually an option, and ESPECIALLY frustrating that they didn't mention this before we waited a half hour and were mysteriously and erroneously cleared from the wait-list. And I don't get the sense that calling ahead will help next time, because we were told two different things tonight and that could easily happen on the phone vs upon arrival (that's happened at other restaurants too). Food is good, wish we'd been able to have our meal tonight, hope this restaurant and others work on better communicating with outside diners and keep us in mind when making plans - when we find solid options we tell everyone we know, and we want to bring in business! Help us help you help us help you 😭

Went to Matador on a Sunday at 4:30pm with friends and we all really enjoyed their happy hour. Service was good and the ambiance was warm and festive feeling. We shared the roasted Brussel sprouts (amazingly good) guacamole, and chips and salsa. I also got two steak tacos for $7. They were delicious but wish there had been a warning about the spice level. Both the pico de gallo and red sauce on the tacos were too spicy for me. Admittedly I am a lightweight when it comes to spice! Maybe it'd be perfect for you? If you're looking for an affordable happy hour with a fun atmosphere, check out Matador. If you don't like noise, show up earlier at 4pm or 4:30pm and there will be less of a crowd. Also, this is a 21+ place so leave the kids and teens at home.

Sooooooo salty the vibe is nice but I couldn't finish the carne asada fajitas. They also overcooked it to medium well It gets loud so it's not really a place for conversation unless you're ok shouting a bit

Food was good. Got quesabirrias and street corn on the cob delivered. Took an hour to cook the food. Update: the restaurant reached out to me and it turns out my experience was a one time thing. They weren't aware that DoorDash orders update slowly. My food shouldn't have taken long to cook. They were so nice and kind. I'll definitely seek out their restaurants when I'm back in town. Changed my review from three to five stars.

Okay, first, I need to confess, I am a professional Mexican Foodie! HAHAAA. I know good Mexican food. The place, the vibe the ambiance is gorgeous. I love this sexy little dungeon of a feel. Very beautiful lighting. I love the bar. It's in such a fun location. A great date night place. Great selection of tequila too... esp if you like a nice sipping tequila. The bartender was busy, so kinda slow... but that is okay. The three dips with chips was the bomb. I loved my spicy prawn dish and the guac is really good here. My hubby's soft tacos were SO SO GOOD! We loved the steak the best. I loved everything about this place. Funny side note, I wanted to go to this other fabulous Mexican restaurant across the street (which I love and adore), but my hubby wanted me to try Matador --- so we did--- and I LOVED everything about it!

One of the better happy hours out there! Most famously known for their grande nachos, which are $7. Add $3.50 for most protein and $5 for marinated steak. I happen to see the menu advertising free nachos if you download their app so I did - basically $7 discount since the protein surcharge is not included. We also got the guacamole dish for $7 which also had 2 different types of salsa. I think just go for the nachos because one order is more than enough to feed 2 people. When we saw the plate, no kidding. This is on top of complimentary chips and salsa. We pretty much paid $12+tax+tip for 2 dishes which is very hard to beat for happy hour or even just a meal in Seattle these days, and we had leftovers of the nachos. It was not too busy Monday 5:30pm, just know that happy hour is 4-6pm for the earlier times.

A quick errand run in Ballard turned into a full-blown quest to survive the parking madness, find a killer late lunch, and secure a well-deserved Marg....enter Matador! This area of Ballard requires patience for parking. There's a small paid lot across the street and another next to the restaurant, but with the sheer volume of restaurants and cars crammed into one area, you'll probably do a few laps in the one-way-street labyrinth. Bring your game face or better yet, just Uber. Once inside, the place is a total vibe. Intricate ironwork decor is everywhere (apparently crafted by one of the owners himself), adding to the cool, rustic aesthetic, more so Spanish Spain Vibes than Mexican. Next time, we're snagging seats at the end of the bar near the door because there's a cozy little fireplace situation happening there. We landed right in that golden hour transition between late lunch, happy hour (which, by the way, has a killer menu), and dinner. Solid, solid Mexican food. My husband's Matador Quesadillas were next-level definitely an upgraded version of the classic. That garlic crema was absolutely unreal, they should put it on everything. My Matador Bowl with Chorizo was a hefty portion, super flavorful, and exactly what I was craving. The Margs? Fantastic. They know what they're doing here. My strawberry pomegranate margarita for Margarita Day was just delicious, not too sweet, slightly salty, and made with incredibly smooth tequila. Definitely the kind of drink that goes down a little too easily. The only slight buzzkill........We thought the chips and salsa were complimentary... until the bill arrived with a sneaky $2.50 charge. Not a dealbreaker, but a heads-up would've been nice. That said, we'd still pay for it again because the salsa is fantastic, it had this nice roasted fresh, homemade flavor. Definitely some of the best we've had. Guess it's just a sign of the times with inflation hitting everything, even the once-free chips and salsa aren't safe! Also, the 20% auto-grat with no option to adjust was a bit of a surprise, what if we want to tip more? Don't get me wrong, we're all for recognizing hardworking hospitality staff, so happy to pay for it. But it's always nice to have a choice. Service was a little stretched thin on this visit, our bartender was also running the door, and while our server greeted us promptly, placing our order took a bit longer than expected. Would we come back? Absolutely. There aren't a ton of spots the other side of the bridge in Seattle serving up Mexican food with this level of quality and freshness. Plus, that happy hour is worth the trip alone. Next time, we're coming in an Uber, sit by that fireplace, order more margs and extra garlic crema.

Beautiful summer day so we sat outside, took some time for someone to come take our drink orders. Drinks were yummo. We got a variety of dishes and they were all delicious. Guacamole, quesadillas/ chile releno was delicious and we tried beyond street taco ( def a surprise) will go back fur it. Ended with a mezcal flight.

The ambiance here is great and so is the staff!! The nachos are so tasty, and loaded up, there's a bunch of them! They also have a non alcoholic mint drink that was quite delicious as well. Really loved it here

A great Mexican restaurant to eat at! Heads up, parking can be terrible and expensive. There are some free 2 hour parking spots, but it's a bit of walking to the restaurant. I had their enchiladas divorciadas ($18.5), which was pretty good! Portioning was good and the pricing seemed reasonable. The sauce on the enchiladas was very tasty and the chicken was well cooked. They give chips and salsa on the house and it was good as well. I enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant. Very nice lightning and can be a place for a date, an occasion, or even just to hangout. There's plenty of seating here. The service was good. Server was attentive and helpful and the food didn't take long to make. If I'm around Ballard, I would definitely come back here!

The happy hour was a great deal from 4-6 pm. I enjoyed the carnitas and fish tacos. The guac, salsa, and chips were also worth. The nachos are a really big plate so I would only recommend getting them if they are being shared between a few people especially if other sides are being ordered. I also enjoyed the decor and overall dining experience. We were also served our food pretty quickly. I definitely want to go back and try their drinks next time.

Matador kills the happy hour game. For real. My friend and I have been going for the $7 nachos for years! Last night we tried the fish tacos and they were crisped to perfection with a really smoky chipotle aioli on top. Delicious. Also love that they put some guacamole on there as well. Never disappoints. Sorry for the dark photo, the lighting in there is the perfect date night ambiance. We got seated within 10 minutes of arriving and food was out in another 15. This might be the best Matador location honestly.

My friends and I love coming here for their happy hour! It's one of the best happy hour spots in Seattle just because their food is always solid. We always get nachos to share and I also enjoy their brussels sprouts, black bean dip, quesadilla, and their free chips and salsa! I would avoid their happy hour drinks because it's not cheaper than just ordering a regular drink. The place is always really clean and I love the dim lighting and decor of the restaurants. Their bathrooms are always clean too. We usually go with a big party and the servers are always attentive. We get seated pretty quickly too.

Pros: the food is really good, and I especially like the dip for the free(!) chips. Cons: it's very dark after the sun goes down :( I very much enjoyed our fajitas (the steak was a little hard to bite through) and our flight of sauces (the black beans were SO good!). There was plenty of food, though I think I've been to slightly cheaper Mexican restaurants. Overall, would generally enjoy coming here, but maybe for lighting. I don't love parking in this area at all :/

Four of us arrived for lunch along with an 8 week year old baby. We asked for an outdoor table on the sidewalk completely detached from the restaurant. We were told that we could not be served because the restaurant is for 21 and over. Our baby is nursing and had no intention of ordering food or cocktails. City ordinance or otherwise, stupido es stupido!

This place was poppin' even at around 9 or 10PM on a weeknight, and the ambiance is great. There's a bar area with plenty of sports playing, and the restaurant itself is pretty big. I tried their carnitas enchiladas, which I really enjoyed. Their passionfruit margarita was really tasty & refreshing. Our server was really nice, and actually put us in the separate back area where it was quieter for conversation. Really cool place to eat with quality food that opens late even on weekdays.

Downloaded Yelp just for you Cassie - stellar server, so friendly, so helpful, such a good attitude, and got us exactly the strange drink we wanted! She's a star, made the perfect moment even more perfect. Also the nachos here are so fire. So indulgent. Get them during happy hour, the value is insane.

Came on a Friday night around 8 PM and there was a 30 minute wait but were able to snag a seat at the bar. Quality of food is not exceptional, but cocktails and large portions were pretty good. Really loud and busy environment.

Review about the To-go service: I have ordered to go here a couple of times now and as the quality of food and the menu is fantastic, the consistency of the orders is sometimes faulty. One of my favorite things to get is the fried tacos. But in this to go order, they only put two fry tacos in the to go container when I have ordered previously there is usually 3 tacos included. Unfortunately, this time they only included 2. I do enjoy the food here, but the inconsistency is an issue.

The food is delicious. I ordered Dip Flight it is certainly worth every bite. All the three dips were well decorated and very tasty. Matador bowl is another tasty dish. It is more than enough i quantity. The interior is dark and a bit noisy. The staff is nice. The service was slow. But that gives you time to chat. There is a wait time and no reservations. (They lost a star for that)

Came here for dinner and had a great time! The vibes are cool and the service was excellent. I ordered the Baja fish tacos plate with the house margarita and it was delightful!

I decided to check out Matador after looking at picture after picture of delicious nachos. I have a weakness for nachos, especially when the chips are fresh and the toppings are on point. Matador also has a great selection of tequilas and mezcal. I couldn't finish the margarita or the nachos (so big!), but both were outstanding. Can't wait to come back!

Matador Ballard was a great experience. We got a table outside within minutes of arriving. The poor server seemed stretched thin... I didn't see anyone else helping them. They still had a great attitude and they were super helpful (fantastic earrings too)!!! I got the jalapeño cucumber margarita. It was flavorful and had just the right amount of spice. It was refreshing and cool. I was hoping to try out the sweet corn queso, but they were already sold out for the day. I got the Baja fish tacos... so good!!! The Serrano slaw and chipotle mayo brought this dish home! The bean and rice were delicious too! Great meal, great service!

Very pleasantly surprised coming here. We were looking for food after 10pm and saw they had nachos; absolutely did not disappoint. We got chicken nachos and a ginger tamarind margarita. Every single staff member we interacted with was incredibly affable, indicating a healthy working culture. When we got our nachos, my boyfriend asked for hot sauce, and our server asked "what kind?" Simultaneously, I said "cholula" while he said "tapatio." I quickly said "Oh, tapatio - tapatio is fine." But she still brought out both :') Really reasonable happy hour prices. Highly recommend. Will definitely be coming back for their other unique drinks and entrees.

My family and I didn't even make it past the front door. A blonde hostess denied my mother (who is visiting from out of town) entry because they required to see her ID--without offering any clear reason or explanation. When we asked for clarification, not even the manager could explain why this was necessary just to dine. We were left feeling nothing but discriminated against. It was an uncomfortable and humiliating experience. There are valid reasons why someone may not want to share private identification, especially when it's not related to payment or alcohol. But being turned away at the door for simply not handing over personal info--without any explanation--is unacceptable. This was not just inconvenient--it was offensive. Restaurants should be welcoming, not judgmental or invasive. We won't be returning, and I would caution others--especially families and visitors--about this establishment's disturbing policies and lack of accountability.

Came back to Matador for lunch on a Sunday. The weather was nice so we sat outside on the patio. We have to get the black bean dip every time we come! It's so good and the perfect starter. We also got the nachos with the chorizo. It was huge! Definitely good to get for sharing. The chorizo was so flavorful. I also got the mango shrimp salad which was a good light lunch. Our server was very attentive and checked in on us a few times which was nice.

Run in the mill Mexican place. They occupy some prime real estate so I'd wager that has more to do with the popularity of this place as opposed to the quality of the food. Overpriced for what they offer. Doubtful I'll be back.

Came here for Seattle Restaurant Week and got dinner for $35. For this set we choose the matador quesadilla w carnitas -- the meat was so tender and flavorful. Our entree was the mango steak tacos. These came with rice and beans and were super filling. The dessert was churros and unfortunately they were super crumbly, not really like a churro. We also tried the fish tacos outside of SRW and this delicious. The fish was super crispy and all the components worked really well together. The service was quick. The music was a bit loud but overall good vibes.

Wonderful atmosphere. Very cool decor. Friendly wait staff. Carne asada fajitas was a very large portion - definitely enough for two to share. What came in the skillet - steak peppers onions - was a bit too heavily seasoned and salted. Complimentary chips and salsa were outstanding!

Solid 4-star place. Stellar location, good vibes inside, decent drinks and food. I did not love the size of the street tacos, and they were presented weirdly. But they were tasty. Will be back for the margaritas.

The vibe was nice, and although we didn't have a reservation, we were seated quickly in the bar area. If you're a fan of Tex-Mex, this could be the place for you, but it wasn't really to my taste. I ordered pork enchiladas with beans and rice, but they got my order wrong, and I didn't realize until I was almost halfway through. Both the rice and beans were very dry. I usually hate wasting food, but unfortunately, I couldn't finish it. The meat lacked flavor, and it felt like the waiter was trying to rush us out as quickly as possible.

Hands down the best nachos in the entire area!! My wife and I try nachos all the time and rarely does anyone come close to the deliciousness of Matador nachos. Not to mention the best value and size for your money. Always fresh ingredients, crunchy tortillas and loaded with cheese and toppings. Not to mention their drinks are pretty darn tasty as well!

I love this place kind bartenders great food amazing ambiance in my fantastic little neighborhood cut

Happy hour was such a great deal for the price! The chicken quesadilla came with some guacamole and sour cream and the nachos were massive!

The food here is absolutely amazing. I have no idea how this only received 3.8 stars this is a five star upscale casual dining blend with fantastic flavor profiles. The ambience is great as well. Our server was helpful and provided great tips for places to see around town. We loved the chips, salsa, guacamole, fajitas, and tacos.

Update: If the truth about how people are treated makes you uncomfortable, direct your discomfort at the behavior--not the person exposing it! Tried calling multiple times to place a takeout order, but no one answered. I love the food here, but the lack of phone service makes it hard to support regularly. So I came in person to order. After waiting nearly an hour for a simple salad order--placed at 10:24 and promised within 10-15 minutes--I returned at the exact time it was supposed to be ready, only to find no receipt, no food at the table, and no communication from staff. I had already been seated for 20 minutes without being offered water or acknowledged. When I finally received the order, it was missing to-go silverware--basic essentials for a takeout meal. This experience reflects a complete lack of professionalism and courtesy, especially toward a solo diner who came in ready to be a regular customer. After a long day at work, I was really looking forward to my Chop Chop Salad. Unfortunately, when I got home and opened it, I realized there was not nearly enough dressing to cover the salad. As you can see from the photos, a large portion of it was left dry--even after using the entire container provided. I've enjoyed your food in the past, but this was a disappointing experience after a long day. I hope in the future more dressing can be included with to-go orders, especially with full-size salads like this one.

The happy menu at Matador is the best value for food that you can find in Seattle, and they have HH every day! The nachos are enough to feed a whole table, and every table we walked past had ordered them. The rest of HH menu is also quite varied and contains options from brussels sprouts to street tacos. Our server was also very nice even though they were quite busy handling 8 or so tables on their own.

Ballard is a notable, cute area. I liked this area the most out of the entire city for some reason. The weather was perfect, and walking around was nice. They have so many restaurant options here that it was hard to pick one, but we ended up in here. So glad I ordered the food. Shrimp salad in vinagrette--- 5/5 . It was SO good. I dunno what it was but it was light, refreshing, flavorful, and shrimp was also seasoned and cooked perfectly. Steak dish- 4/5 stars. Trio dip- 5/5 stars. It has bean dip and cheese dip that were very good. The place is nice and classy. A great date spot or cute to come with a group of girls.

Stopped into Matador for a quick drink while walking around the Ballard area. Since it was midday (around brunch) there were tables open, and we were able to get seated right away. The restaurant itself is quite dark, with a bunch of booths & wooden tables.. It doesn't really fit the brunch vibe. It looks like it's be a really cool vibe at night though. Our server was really sweet, but she was very busy. She mentioned that she was taking care of the entire restaurant and kept apologizing for the slow service. We were fine! We only had drinks since we had a full day of eating ahead of us. We did order chips & guac, and salsa came out as well. I ordered myself a blackberry habanero margarita - I liked it but wished it was spicier! I love my drinks spicy. Looking at these other reviews by fellow Yelpers, I think we missed out by not ordering any food! Hopefully we'll get to return to try them next.

I came here during their happy hour (4-6pm and 10pm-close daily) which includes food that is around the $6-7 price-point with add-ons for an additional price. There are multiple Matador locations across the greater Seattle area and they also have locations in Portland, Boise, and Charleston. We started off our meal with complimentary chips and salsa which were so addicting! The chips were salty with a good sprinkle of salt and the chips had the perfect level of spice. We ordered the quesadilla with chorizo ($6) and the grande nachos ($7) with marinated steak ($5). The quesadilla was nice and cheesy with a good portion of meat. The nachos were delicious! Like others have mentioned, the portion size was HUMONGOUS with tons of meat, cheese, and other toppings. We kept eating and it still felt like we weren't making a dent; we couldn't finish and had plenty to take home. For drinks I ordered the cadillac margarita ($12) which was really good. My only complaint is that they don't have any drinks on their happy hour menu. Other than that, this is one of the better happy hours in Seattle.

Ambled in here just after 10PM following a concert at the Sunset Tavern. The place looked like the only place open for the weeknight. It was a pretty cool atmosphere. It wasn't very busy, and the service was OK. We were pleased to find a late night HH menu full of $10-12 margs, and small plates between $6-20. I can't remember of the nachos were $7 or $10 and an additional $3 or so for meat, but turned out they were such a huge order! I'm not usually a chorizo nacho person but for some reason it sounded good and these nachos did not disappoint! There was a good amount of fairly evenly dispersed toppings. The mezcal margs were really good and pretty strong. This was a great place to wind down after the show, good deals, I definitely recommend!

Matador is THE happy hour place to go to. I truly have not had a negative experience and it's the perfect place for a date night or group of friends. We came around 10pm and it was already super busy so it took a bit to get seated but the staff were all really friendly. Once we ordered, we started off with complimentary chips and salsa and it was so good. We ordered the brussels sprouts ($6) and grande nachos with carnitas ($10) which were both on the happy hour menu. Let me start off by saying... the portions are HUGE. They truly are not joking when they say GRANDE nachos. The chips were piled on high and there was so much meat. The guac and pico de gallo also tasted really fresh. The brussels sprouts were also good as it had a good amount of balsamic on it. You truly cannot beat the atmosphere or prices of Matador. Even on a Monday night, you'd think it was a weekend with how busy it was. Highly recommend coming here for good food and a good time!

Great food, lovely atmosphere, fab drinks ... what's not to love?Wish they would open in Edmond's though...

I don't see how I couldn't go 5 stars as this place covers all the bases. The ambiance is quite classy and is bigger than their old location which was only a half block away. I was greeted very quickly in my last visit and the server explained to inhabitants on the menu that I had questions about. And as always the food was very high quality and well prepared. I simply got the 2 steak tacos lunch with beans and rice and loved every bite.

Their happy hour food prices are amazing and a friend and I stopped in to take share a plate of nachos and have a beer. Zane was our server and he was FABULOUS - extremely engaging and professional and we were well taken care of. We had a great experience - thank you!

We came here on Saturday 10/4 around 4pm for the 'everyday happy hour'. The hostess was less than friendly. Leading us outside, instead of holding the door open for us as would be standard, she opened it for herself and let it swing open for us to get hit with/push open. We had asked to sit outside, and there were not many occupants outside, yet she wanted to sit us back-to-back in a squeezed spot with the guests at the table behind us. I asked if we could move to an empty table (mind you, it's chilly in October so most of the outdoor seating was open) & she had a perceptible attitude and proceeded to count the tables on her fingers in front of us, THEN sat us at the table I asked for. We sat for about 15 minutes unattended by a server before we were able to place our drink and food order. (Some other server walked by us and was bussing a table and even dumped unused waters into the trees... leaving us feeling ignored). These initial touchpoints were lending to a highly disappointing experience & I wanted to leave, but admittedly the service did improve as we were eventually served our food and drinks by a separate server for our table, who was nice. A gentleman who I saw at the host stand was also very friendly in bringing us extra salsa & hot sauce. The fish tacos were really tasty, the nachos are huge. There is no 'happy hour' on the actual drinks, just the food, but the food is very good. The most disappointing aspect of our visit was the initial interaction with the hostess and some slow service, but overall we would consider visiting again if we want some cheap nachos and tacos.

Came in with my sister on a Friday night and we were sat outside within ten minutes of arriving. The service was pretty quick and our server was super friendly. Can't say this is the best Mexican I've ever had, but it's a fun vibe, the drinks are good, and it's in a great location. We weren't there for their happy hour this time but I've been before and it's a great deal, so definitely worth checking that out.

Looking for some nutriment following a wine tour Matador was in the area and hadn't been hit yet. About a 10-minute wait on a decent Saturday night wasn't bad. Even scored and outdoor seat. Matador is a miniature chain with several locations, including Oregon and Idaho. This Matador has a tavern look to it, there is a fair amount of indoor booth and counter seating as well as of course outdoor seating. It's right on the Ballard Ave. stretch making it a popular choice. Getting right to it, started with some chips and salsa which was pretty good and the Queso Con Chorizo. The creamy habanero sauce was very good. I even asked for a little bit more for my entree. So, I recommend this starter if you have no dairy restrictions. I don't have Steak often and it had been a while. I went with the Carne Asada chili seasoned Ribeye. It was very good. Juicy and well-seasoned. The Mexican black beans and Chile rice that accompanied it were good too. Waitstaff and hostesses were all pleasant. Unless you're very particular about your Mexi food, I'd recommend Matador.

Came here a bit late on a Saturday evening and it was quite crowded! However we were able to sit outside right away and luckily it was a warm evening in October. They started us off with some delicious chips and homemade salsa! I love getting free food! I had the Paloma for my cocktail and they definitely specialize in tequila here so it's great for margarita fans. I enjoyed the Paloma! For a starter my BF and I shared the cheese dip. It was quite good and comes with ground beef. For my entree I had the braised pork carnitas. It was huge! I couldn't even eat half of it but it was soo good. They also include your choice of corn or flour tortillas. The rice and sauces were excellent and the meat was very flavorful! Overall I had a good experience here and would definitely make a return trip to try more of their dishes.

Food was not that great for the price point, the rice was greasy and the beans were over salted. Service at the bar top was just fine. Not terrible but not great by any means. The bartender was nice but never once said thank you to me when I paid or as I left, which was pretty shocking to me because it's just standard politeness-especially in a hospitality setting. Drinks were good, and the character/ambiance of the restaurant is nice.