We got a tip tonight on the stealthiest restaurant opening on Capitol Hill ever. The premise of the tip was so audacious that we couldn’t print it until verifying with our own eyes and camera lens. The setting: an abandoned fast food restaurant, Pike/Pine. Take it away neighbor Pete:
Today I was walking up pine to value village and I saw the old kfc had a neon “open” sign in their window. The sign on the door said rancho bravo tacos. After leaving vv, I went back and had lunch there. The menu reminded me of a taco truck’s, and that’s because ranco bravo also operates the taco truck next to the dick’s in the u-district. I had 4 tacos (2 beef, 2 taco) and a jarritos for $9.25; it was good (especially the chicken), but not as good as tacos gringos’. Apparently they had just opened last night and haven’t really put the word out.
Unbelievable until I stopped by for the pics and saw for myself. Outside, the sign is a taco bus style vinyl banner. Inside, they’ve ripped out most of the Tricon Global industrial kitchen, or, really, are in the process of ripping it out. The fast-food style tables and chairs are intact and ready to be repurposed for your hipster jeans wearing rear ends. A woman fills plastic to-go salsa tubs at the counter. Unfortunately, this neighborhood blogger had already eaten but this undoubtedly will be my new favorite restaurant. Here’s the menu:
I also failed to gather one extremely important set of data — anybody know what time they close? Thanks gosh this site is community driven so somebody else can add valuable info like that.
Not to be a dick, but the Taco Truck is in Wallingford, not the U-District. Sorry, but c’mon, thats like giving First Hill credit for Linda’s or something.
hard to keep it all straight when dealing with such an exciting development. i sympathize.
That was a direct quote from me, not jseattle’s fault. I had a friend who used to live in the u-district and he referred to that dick’s as belonging to it, so I took his word for it. The neighborhood borders a very nebulous to me when I wander outside of cap hill.
– About the closing time: their myspace page mentions a 2:30 am closing time, but is most likely referring to their
u-districtwallingford location. I hope it’s late, otherwise tacos gringos will have another check in their column.– You printed my typo: that should be “2 beef, 2 chicken” in the description of my lunch. Damn my excitement. BTW, after mentioning to a friend that rancho bravo had set up shop 6 blocks from my apartment he insisted on going to dinner there, and my impression of the beef tacos improved after I had a couple beers in me.
:) Wallingford sometimes just doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It may not be Capitol Hill but they have some pretty slick little bars and restaurants, and did you hear, they have two word of the days!
I found it today, too. I had the rancho burrito–it was good, and cheap. I just hope they stay open late so I can go there after dancing. They were very vegetarian friendly, but they should post what they told me—the black beans are the only vegetarian ones, and the rice has chicken stock in it. They were happy to leave it off, but the manager had to translate for me….So if you’re a vegetarian, order it: Vegetariano, frijoles negros, NO arroz (rice) And if your vegan, add NO queso (cheese), NO crema (sour cream)
I can’t wait to eat there again.
l.o.l. :p
went to try it out today over lunch and was pleased that it is the same menu as the truck except with the added benefit of being indoors. only thing that was missing was the doughnut from winchells that I usually had for dessert.
what is nice about this place is it is no frills, run by honest people who make tasty food for decent prices. support this local business!
I can’t find it anywhere online. Do they have one?
I just ate there. Surprisingly, the carnitas were bland and the pollo was much better! The tacos are much bigger than those at el Asadero. Two tortillas each!
good food, erratic service, but awesomeness. the owner told me it’ll be open till 3 am on fri and sat and maybe on thurs. support this place!
a good dingy yummy taqueria. in seattle. feels like home. good carne asada and great red and green salsas. if this place can stay open, and actually stay open late, and survive the eventual victim-of-their-own-success when a fight among knuckleheads breaks out in the line at 3 a.m. — this is a great add to the neighborhood and potentially a license to print money. good for the owners.
and what is more seattle than taking a little joint and making noise about not having a vegan menu or “letting me know my choices?” go pay $8 for a raw potato somewhere else.
El Asadero (the gold standard, in my opinion) doubles up their tortillas on all their tacos, contrary to what Andrea wrote.
Thanks for the info! I love Mexican food, but always worry about chicken stock in seemingly veggie-friendly ingredients. (I know, a very Seattle concern.) Can’t wait to go there!