La Carta de Oaxaca

06/16/2008 Posted by foodlvr84

I had heard so many people recommend this restaurant, and finally tried it this weekend....was very pleased with the choice. Had the Mole and it was amazing. Portion sizes are on the small side compared with other mexican restaurants (ie. chicken mole for lunch had 1 chicken thigh, some rice, and two corn tortillas for $9)....but it's definitely quality over quantity!

04/19/2008 Posted by hoyr

this place is located in ballard, and is really super busy during the dinner hour. it can be hard to snag a table sometimes, but is definitely worth the wait for the great, authentic mexican food. you serve yourself when it comes to the salsa bar, but you order as you would at a normal restruant. the fish tacos and mole dishes are fabulous choices!

Pros: great flavor, great food

Cons: very busy and sometimes a long wait for a table

01/19/2008 Posted by sallyjpa

I came to La Carta de Oaxaca as a gluten-free diner and had a fabulous experience. My husband and I ate a late lunch and were seated right away, but I think we just got lucky--the restaurant was still packed and filled up again as people left while we ate. My pork mole tamale was sweet and richly flavored; my husband's tacos enchiladas (a lunch special) had a red sauce that stood in contrast to my mole but was just as delicious. Service was busy but fine. The photos from normal life in Oaxaca that cover the walls are interesting to check out. I highly recommend the restaurant.

12/23/2007 Posted by lysh

The person who wrote the review below must be greatly mistaken... as Fantasy Island is no where near Oaxaca. Perhaps they are not aware that the people of Mexico happen to be a bit shorter than other Americans, and that they sound extremely inappropriate refferring to a person of ethnicity by comparing them to a little person of fictional character. Perhaps they also have never been to a busy restraurant where you do, indeed have to have a complete party in attendance before being seated.... or that in these circumstances, when a business is exceptionally busy, they have seating policies for a reason. You are not the only person waiting to be seated.... That being said, the people that work at Carte de Oaxaca are extremely nice, and accomodating in many ways, even under the pressure of running such a busy restraurant. Not to mention, they serve the best and most authentic mexican food in the most comfortable environment I've ever had a Mexican meal in Seattle. The chili relleno is the best I've ever had!! the quesadilla is crispy, and filled with just the right amount of queso fresca... and the salsa bar features tons of tasty delights that you can take as much of as you want. Try everything!!! I have yet to see a friend order something they didn't enjoy and rave about throughout the meal. If you are worried about a wait, just walk across the street to Thai Ku, they have a cozy bar with lots of yummy drinks. Unless, of course, you have a problem with the height of their servers as well...

Pros: the food!!! the tequilla bar!!! the ambiance!

Cons: there's a bit of a wait.

11/20/2007 Posted by geoduck121

I was very excited to go to La Carta de Oaxaca. I have passed it several times and it has always been packed. I was invited to a birthday party being held there. Our party consisted of 10 people. La Carta de Oaxaca does not take reservations so there was a long wait of almost an hour. Once the table was ready, 8 of the 10 people had arrived and the host, who I can only describe as tattoo from Fantasy Island with a pretentious attitude, refused to seat us as not all 10 people had showed up. We had to plead with this annoying troll to get a seat. French waiters could seriously get rudeness lessons from "este pinche enano" Now to be fair, the food is quite authentic. I had the Mole Oaxacano, which I found to be quite authentic. The quesadillas were interesting and the tortillas tasted like they were straight out of a vendor’s cart in small town México. I suppose that is really something to Seattleites who haven’t had anything but Azteca but the food served here is not Mexican Haute Cuisine by any stretch. This is the kind of food you would find at any Oaxaceños house. Despite tattoo, I would recommend the restaurant.

Pros: Very authentic home style food

Cons: Tatoo the host is a conchatumadre

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

11/09/2007 Posted by rmcmahon

This is the real deal. Hand made tortillas, freshly made sauces. Like travelling to Mexico for dinner. Very busy (because it is so good). Long lines. Try lunch - much easier to get in. Everything is good. Small portions/a la carte menu is a refreshing change from more is better approach of the americanized mexican joints. Chips are freshly made for each order! I can say enough good things about this place. If you are used to americanized mexican you may be disappointed, however if you want authentic this is one of the few places in town to go. Best halibut tacos anywhere!

Pros: Food, Food, Margarita, Food, maybe another Margarita

Cons: Very busy

06/15/2007 Posted by ms_goomba

La Carta De Oaxaca is one of my favorite places to eat in Seattle. Yes, lines can be long but the wait is worth it. So far all the items that I've tried have been really tasty. My favorite is the "house specialty" Mole Negro Oaxaqueno. The sauce, the sauce! I could rhapsodize about the mole sauce all day and night. Other items worth mentioning: The fish soup (not sure of the name) is spicy and soothing, the guacamole is smooth and perfectly paired with the freshly made chips, and the carne asada tacos are little bites of heaven. The appeal is that they use fresh and simple ingredients with knock-out flavor. Can it get any better? Yes. Yes it can. The price is also very reasonable. And last but not least, you don't leave feeling like a big tub of refried beans. Enjoy!

Pros: Delicious food

Cons: The wait, but that's due to the aforementioned "Pro".

06/10/2007 Posted by ballarddining

A neighborhood gem! My family eats here weekly. The food is authentic and so tasty. The service is warm & you can get in and out fairly fast. Prices are reasonable. The mole is divine! The picaditas, the carne asada, the flan, the guacamole. Everything is fabulous!

04/28/2007 Posted by seattle_snob

My Second Review... After hearing so much hype about this restaurant I obviously had to try it out for myself. WIth much scepticism (you know how it is when a movie is hyped up so much you're already looking to hate it) my friend and I traveled over to Ballard to check out the scene. Of course the wait was 45 mins, but what else could have been expected? After sitting down, staring at all the emaculate artwork, mix of new and old architchture lines, there was a buzz in the air that this place was going to live up to its expectations. Although the place was packed, we immediately got a couple of waters and were asked if we wanted chips, which, if you choose, comes with a huge glob of guacamole for a couple of extra bucks... worth it. While waiting for our food I must make this comment... opposed to some of the older patrons, I wouldn't refer to the atmoshphere as "loud," I would describe it as energetic... I thrive off of that energy. When the food arrived there were two things that we noticed... 1. the food looked rediculously amazing and 2. the portions were a bit small for our rumbling apetite. Looking past the small portions I dug into my lamb birria served with rice and beans, which had some sort of delicious sauces laying over the rice. My friend who had the "entomatadas," thinly sliced beef with a green sauce and tortillas, had just gotten back from Mexico and was sitting their raving about how great the food was and how it definitely compares to the food that he was eating just a week ago. Overall, although the line may be long... wait. Great service, great ambience, and of course, delicious food.

Pros: Food, ambience, service, salsa bar, neighborhood

Cons: parking, waiting in line

04/11/2007 Posted by stevesanders

On a recent 4 day trip to Seattle, our lunch here was the most memorable of all our meals. The al pastor tacos were sensational. The tostadas, much different than your big salad in a bowl shaped shell, were also terrific. I'm sad that I may never get up to Seattle to eat there again.