Doesn't Recommend

Jables75

Joined 2 years ago

El Camino Fremont. Hadn't been here in a while so the GF & I decided to hit it up. Normally we do La Esperanza, Oaxaca or El Chupacabre. First and for most, the decor is cool, the service was outstanding. Unfortunately the food will not have us coming back along with the value...we got mugged. We did the shrimp quesadilla for our app & it was delicious, excited for our entrees only to left confused at what we were served for what we paid. This place needs to come back to reality. There are several very good Mexican Restaurants in Seattle for around $50/couple. So back to the entrees, my GF had the pulled pork tacos, they looked ok, but I could tell they were dry w/o even asking. I had the dish that normally is chicken with tomatillo cream sauce. I don't do chicken so I subbed it with the mahi mahi (for $5 extra). When mine came, the waiter had brought me 3 pcs of shrimp & a side of sour cream. My dish was basically a plate w/tortilla chips in the bottom with grn salsa poured over them accompanied by a pc of Mahi Mahi that had been killed twice & never seasoned. The fish was NOT fresh & where was the cream sauce? Oh was that supposed to be the side of sour cream? I had a happy hour marg (decent), my GF had a Sangria & I did a XX amber, w/tip it ran us $70!!! WTF. Live n learn from our mistake, don't waste your $$$, I suppose a happy hour could work here. For $10-$20 more we could have had a real quality meal elsewhere.

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theyogababy

Joined 3 years ago

A Rare find - Plantain Chips and Guacamole. El Camino is ALWAYS busy, like stand in line and wait, busy. People wait outside the door for the hour long happy hour, and every night its packed solid in the bar and restaurant. Fun people, gets loud, staff are friendly when you get a second of their time, which can be hard to come by. Get your bill early if you are in any sort of time crunch.

The food here is fabulous, I've had burritos, tacos, tostadas, and of course, the plantain chips and guacamole is a must have!!! (IMHO)

Get yer shoes on and run on over! Happy Hour, 5-6 pm. Don't be late. Or you'll miss it!

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honeyblade7

Joined 7 years ago

Save room for dessert!. Not only does the El Camino have great food, but their desserts are fabulous! I rate a restaurant by the quality of its desserts, and El Camino is now in my top 5. Their chocolate mousse is rich and smooth, and their lemon tart is so juicy it leaves your mouth watering for more!

My friends and I were so impressed we inquired as to where they buy their desserts, and it turns out one of the managers used to have his own bakery, and he still follows his passion and comes in early mornings/late nights to make everything fresh. The mousse is my favorite, but many change seasonally and all are delectable (FYI the flan and tres-leches are still ordered from vendors).

When you visit this local gem, make sure you leave room for dessert!

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SearchingforGreatSandwich

Joined 4 years ago

Great Mex Food & atmosphere!. El Camino had a simple, but strong menu. No mind-blowing options, but overall well flavored and balanced.

If you're looking for a simple Mex-Tex meal try them out. Try the fried plantains!

We went on a Saturday evening and it was crowded and loud. This is a great place to start the night over drinks, but not a quiet gathering place for family.

The waitstaff was friendly & courteous.

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kalea2005

Joined 7 years ago

Great food, good atmosphere, Did not need reservations!. I am from Portland and this place was a very nice local place. The food was hot and yummy! We had fish tacos, tacos, chicken and cheese enchiladas and tamales. All very good for decent price. Wait staff was great. I would say my fav. was the enchiladas.

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rmcmahon

Joined 11 years ago

Mediocre Mexican. Well I went here expecting a lot based on the reviews. I was sorely disappointed. First no chips and salsa - not a big deal but important to many. Second the fish tacos were over cooked and $20!!! Nothong like the amazing halibut tacos at Carte de Oxaca and ony $9!!! The margaritas were weak but tasty. Overall mediocre. Service on a Friday (early) was actually ok.

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nicki777

Joined 5 years ago

Super Good Mexican Food. I went to El Camino for the second time last night and overall was not disappointed. My boyfriend and I came a little after 9pm, and were seated in a nice corner of the main dining room by a window. Unfortunately, we could hear every word of our VERY LOUD and perhaps overly intoxicated neighbor table of six. We tuned them out as best we could and didn't let it destroy our dinner so it wasn't a huge deal.

We had the same server as the last time we came to El Camino, and he was very friendly and helpful - and only a little slow at times perhaps due to the late hour. He recommended wine for us, which we both thoroughly enjoyed. We started with the beet salad, which we had ordered the last time and is very delicious. I ordered the Mussels appetizer as an entree; it was served in a very tasty tomato based broth with a touch of cream, lots of flavorful garlic and some grilled bread for dipping - I loved it! My boyfriend ordered the Bistec and Cheese Enchilada entree which he enjoyed as well.

Only a couple of small things that could have been better:

1) We weren't offered pepper with our salad and had to wait a bit before our own server came by and we asked him for it (apparently it was the food runner's job to offer pepper)

2) Our salad came out, and then literally a minute and a half later our entrees came out when we had barely taken two bites of our salads - so timing was a bit off there.

Other than that we had a great dinner and will definitely be back!

Doesn't Recommend

fantasticjourney

Joined 5 years ago

If you care about service, don't come here. Can't argue with the food reviews, the food is delicious. However, if you care at all about customer service, don't do it. Each time I've been, the service is horrible - slow and snotty. I've kicked myself after each visit - "why did I come here when there are so many great places in Seattle?"

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Gregbarton

Joined 5 years ago

why did I miss this place for so long??. The best Margarias specially the bartenders one,the food is all organic and even that its more expensive than other mex rest its worth it.Try the Tacos de carne,Tacos de pescado or mejillones!!!

The crowd and the The atmosphere are beautiful and our server from Spain was very friendly,fast and attentive!!

Highly recommended!!!

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getfuzzygurl

Joined 7 years ago

You won't be disappointed!. The best attributes of El Camino are its courteous waitstaff, unique ambience and scrumptious margaritas. Since this place is very popular, however, you may have to wait for a table if you arrive after 6 pm. The plates are typically smaller and are sometimes pricey for the portion but are generally very good and add unique flavors to traditional mexican cuisine. I highly recommend the Bartender's Margarita and the Quesadillas! It is a good place whether you want to have casual conversation with friends on the back deck or people-watch at the bar. Try it and you'll love it!