El Chupacabra Reviews

The best way to think about El Chupacabra is as a dive bar with a Mexican place attached. This is very much a local spot that is popular on weekends, but busiest in the summer when the whole of Seattle descends on Alki Beach for the closest thing Seattleites have to a "day at the beach" experience. And it's location on the main drag along Alki Ave, and across the street from the water, insures a steady stream of people coming and going. El Chupacabra is eclectic. An old building awaiting gentrification, with an old school, wooden bar, packed with a very diverse crowd; young and old, couples and groups, single bar flies, frat bros, ladies nighters, party kids, beach bums, hipsters, families, and upscale West Seattlites. They're all here and make for some serious people watching. The bar game is solid. Well crafted cocktails and scratch margaritas. The menu is Baja, Cal-Mex, but well done and tasty. Simple. Nothing to advanced. Mostly tacos and burritos, chips and salsas. And their guacamole is on $3.50, which is awesome and surprising. No, it's not authentic. And no, it isn't the best Mexican food you've ever had. But the food is good and it's a fun place to hang. So there really isn't anything to complain about. Just go and have fun.

This is a really great place for some drinks or a casual meal. If the weather permits, you may want to enjoy your Margaritas in their ample outdoor seating area. The interior of the restaurant features fun art on the walls and heavy metal music. I had their tasty taco salad, made with black beans instead of the usual refried beans.

Great salsas, friendly wait staff and huge portions. What more could you ask for. Oh yes, great cocktails. Will be coming back. The rice and beans were good.

On a cold, rainy night on Alki Beach, we discovered El Chupacabra. It was a little chilly inside, but after a Mexican coffee (Yummy tummy warmer!). The Service was great, very tentative, lots of chips to keep everyone happy. Food was the best Mexican my family has had in a long while. Who would expect good Mexican food at a reasonable price on the beach in West Seattle! Good vegetarian options! They offer a vegetarian meat substitute but it is soy based. Only change I would suggest would be to find a non-soy substitute. Appreciate the effort for all the vegan/vegetarian options!

Stopped in for a beer after spending the afternoon at the beach. Bartenders were great. Prices were average. We didn't eat, so I can't comment on the food. The restaurant itself is cute with a really nice patio area.

Had the house margarita and soft shell corn tacos with chicken verde. All of it was amazing. Even the chips and salsa was memorable. Sat outside watching the beach. Service was great. Definitive treasure here.

Servers were very nice and friendly, great patio but the steak tacos tasted like hamburger meat and as much as I love margaritas, they were nothing to write home about. The salsa tastes more like tomato soup than chunky salsa that I’m used to. I’d skip this place if I were you.

After spending a lovely half day at Alki beach, we wondered into El Chupacabra. It was a delightful find. We sat outside overlooking the beach. The food was quite good especially the shrimp tacos and the Mission burrito. Beach fun!

I found the place in TripAdvisor, I read the comments (not too good), but I decided to go anyway. 25 minutes walk from where I'm staying. Love the music, love the food, love the service. They were families with kids but the environment is more to hangout with friends, couple or by your self.

We had a good lunch here. Being from Dallas we always look for a Mexican fix. This place has good chips, salsa and cold beer. Our tacos were good as well. And the view...beautiful!

Great food,great drinks and amazing service! They have really good happy hour specials. Trevor our server was really helpful and friendly. Will definitely be back!

We visited this Mexican restaurant for a bride's bachlorette party when we visited Seattle. The food was good and the drinks were excellent. The bathrooms were a little dirty, but the ambiance was wonderful. We ended up staying about four hours before we left. The drive out of the city and back in was scenic and I would definitely do it again if I had the chance. The restaurant is not one I would go out of my way to visit, but could go back if the opportunity presented itself.

I consider El Chupacabra to be a dive bar/restaurant--but that is a compliment! It is super-casual with an incredibly diverse clientele, very laid-back, lotsa food on the plate, and can get crazy loud when it's busy. A totally unassuming non-scene for good food and drinks, if you like that kind of a hang.

Went there for lunch with family (8 of us, 4 Adults, 2 Teens, 1 Toddler, 1 Infant). We were promptly seated, especially great when toting kids along. Its not a very large place, so they limited options to handle a party of 8, so call ahead. We were lucky and were there right as they opened so no issues. Chips & salsa & waters brought to us right away. Orders were all correct. Everyone's food was delicious. We were all stuffed upon leaving. The meals are large. We would come back!

This place has such good Mexican food. We go here almost every week to satisfy our craving. The red sauce chicken burrito is hard to beat!

Upstairs has a great view of Akli Beach and Puget Sound. Wonderful chips, salsa & Guacamole plus have Rainier Beer on Draft.

Our second time at the restaurant and will return. We had lunch on the deck with our friends and the food is great, service was amazing and the deck was warm and sunny. Great tacos!!

Go on a day where outdoor dining is available. The people watching is great. Inside is good too and the big factor is the food which is great. Staff friendly as well

It was very busy the night of my visit, and clearly a popular destination in W Seattle. However, my party got sat promptly, and served relatively quickly for how busy our server was. The menu offered many options for vegans, and could have been the easiest dining experience with my dietary preferences.

This is a great little restaurant on Alki. Drinks are delicious, food is very good and prices are reasonable. The patio is little, but right off the beach with a great view. This has become one of our Alki go-tos.

The restaurant was very welcoming. The fact that it was situated by the sea was very helpful to add to its attractiveness. The two girls who served us were very nice, friendly and helpful. The ambiance was very nice, better compared to many mexican restaurants we have been in Oregon and Washington. the chips and salsa were only US$1 which was great. However, the food was just average, a bit less tasty than many other more obscure Mexican restaurants. This was a great pity considering that this restaurant was truly attractive and the service great. We ordered tacos, vegetarian and chicken-filled stuffs but less than thrilled with the taste. Still we will come back if we pass by. The place was very nice just to sit with good friends

We had been looking forward to visiting El Chupacabra during our Seattle visit. What a giant mistake. We waited almost an hour for our table for four and ended up seated at a two top being the only table available. Before we even got our food no less than three four tops came available and the only folks waiting for each were couples. As one of the hostesses began to move us to a larger table we were stopped and advised that it would not be possible. According to the waiter "The Manager" said once food is ordered tables cannot be moved. I asked to speak with the manager but was told they already went home. How did they make that decision? I cancelled my meal and was berated by the waiter that I would be waisting food already ordered. He offered to take 20% off my meal because it was going to come out of his pocket anyway. After determining that was not really the case he said he was going to put it in from of me anyway. At that point I was in no mood to "accommodate" the management that was so unaccommodating to us to begin with. This restaurant my be a a local favorite but we will never go back. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Stopped quit a few places along the water and this one by far was the best. Great service at the bar and the food was great. Highly recommend

Great little outside spot, good service, good food. Beer selection was poor so we didn’t wind up staying for drinks

I went to El Chipacabra pretty hungry. We started with chips and guac (amazing guac) and also did brunch. The omelette was filling and delicious. If in West Seattle and craving brunch, go for it! For improvements, I think service (wait staff) could improve their frequency of attention to water glasses and chip volume.

First meal in Seattle while visiting. Nice view of the beach and scenery. Margaritas were really good here as well.

Mostly bar like atmosphere but good chips and salsa and some decent tex/mex flavor. Burritos come in small and large. Large is only a dollar more for a few more extra bites.

Enjoyed the casual atmosphere and great views. Food was good, portions decent. Not the most remarkable posole. Nice margarita. Cool art.

Went to lunch here and enjoyed the location and friendly staff. They also had our favorite Mexican beers on tap, which is a plus. The services was good, the portions were huge, but the food was just okay. Nothing bad, but didn't knock our socks off! Overall we enjoyed our lunch and would return.

It is better than some Mexican food in Seattle, but also not the absolute best. The three tacos for $9 was a better deal than a lot of Seattle Mexican restaurants, and it tasted pretty good. The drinks were not very strong though, which was disappointing. We also shared a fried ice cream, which was only OK. I have definitely had better. The fried part was not very crispy but instead really chewy, almost gummy. It seemed like they didn't quite have the technique down compared to other places I've been. I wouldn't recommend going out of the way for this place, but if you end up out on Alki and want Mexican food, it is an OK place to go.

The fish tacos here are amazing, and the guac was very good. I didn't try the burrito, but husband said it was quite good. The real draw here is the location. We were able to eat outside, and the views are incredible. The service was excellent, as were the margaritas. It's not fine dining by any means, but we really enjoyed our dinner here and I'd definitely go back if I were in the area.

This is our go-to brunch and lunch Mexican restaurant - with a twist. It looks like a biker bar from outside, which was oddly intimidating at first, and which becomes amusing once you take a look at all the vegan and vegetarian options alongside the meat choices. Sitting on Alki Blvd across from the water, the deck tables are the perfect place to chill on warmer days. Inside is quirky and kitschy with day-of-the-dead style skeletons, masks and wall art; this is a fun, casual place to drop in, have a beer and a plate of tacos. We go for brunch often on the weekends, chilaquiles is my thing: crispy flour tortilla chips topped with carne asada, smothered in gravy, and drizzled with cheese and cilantro alongside eggs and fried potatoes. I wish I could say that the quality was uniform, but it is usually quite good (hence our many, many return visits). The cost is also very reasonable - definitely a packed-with-personality cheap eats place. For me, when I want some clean, no-fuss Mexican-inspired cheap eats, this is where I go.

My friend & I went there to celebrate her birthday tonight. It was our first time there. We read reviews prior to selecting the place and thought that we take a chance and try it out ourselves. We arrived at about 4:30ish, and greeted by waitstaff and told us we could pick any table to sit at since they were all open. The decor is kitchy and decorated in alot of Day of the Dead pictures. A unique place for sure with 2 stories and outdoor eating area. There were about 6 people at the bar. We were served water quickly and were offered tortilla chips to us. I think the gal should've said that the chips and sides were $4.99 but it was reasonable considering the size of the bowl of the refried beans and a cup size serving of salsa. We liked the refried beans because it was really creamy and flavorful but it was served at room temperature. I thought the beans would've been served piping hot but it was fine because it was very tasty. We asked questions about the menu and responses were quick and accurate. I ordered the pork chimichanga and the special of the day, chile relleno to share. My friend ordered the happy hour two tacos. I was surprised that she was able to order them from the table. The entrees arrived hot but we were careful not to burn our tongues. Ohmigod, the chimi was so flavorful and delicious. Nothing was overly hot and spicy but had enough spice to taste really good. My friend said she bit into some jalapeno but she enjoyed the tacos. Since we were both full from chips and the refried beans, we couldn't finish our dinner entrees but we were able to take home leftovers to enjoy another day. We told the waitstaff that we liked our first experience so much that we would return to try other stuff on the menu. The total for all of our food was around $38 which was so reasonable!!! We had forgotten to take pictures of the food but my friend asked her to take a picture of us to remember our great experience there.

Maybe this is more of a bar and I was wrong for expecting food, but I hated this place. Other's have raved about it, so good for them. I've been here twice (anyone can have an off day) and both times were horrible. This is a popular hangout for troublemakers at night, as well. Anyway, the food was awful (the nachos were cold and soggy) and the service was even worse. We asked to speak to a manager, and the manager "wasn't available." The place is usually packed when I walk by, so, maybe it's just me, but I won't go back. Plenty of other good Mexican places in the area.

Great place for a lunch at the beach. My friend and I split the beer battered cod burrito, and it was the perfect size and amazing. We also had the tater-tots, and combined with the great service, it was a great lunch.

Located on the beach front at Marine Ave, Seattle, this Mexican Restaurant offers eat all you can Nachos and Salsa sauce for only $1!! I believe it now! The main dishes were good price too! We had a ball there. The restaurant was decorated with lanterns with pictures of skulls. I was told their all souls day was usually a couple of days after Halloween- which falls on 31st March each year.

Good food and when I ordered to-go I could tell they care about you and provided us with plenty of sauces, napkins, and utensils. This was not expected as for most places, those things are an after thought. The food was great, quick, and hot and tasty. The server was on top of everything too.

Happy hour from 4 to 6 daily! Must catch cheap eats and delicious. The pineapple habanero salsa and the salsa roja are great and are on the table when you get there. Service is a little difficult to deal with but nothing to make it not worth stopping by. The faux red and green "chicken" are great. Sub vegan cheese on the nachos!

El Chupacabra is a casual Mexican restaurant with a great location. It doesn’t have a “typical” Mexican restaurant appearance; the exterior almost looks like a biker bar and the interior is Day of the Dead themed. It’s quirky but works on Alki. When the weather is nice it’s possible to sit outside on the patio and people watch or enjoy the great view. There is also quite a bit of seating inside. The servers are friendly and attentive. They don’t do reservations but we’ve only had to wait for a table once (we do tend to eat during slightly ‘off peak rush’ hours though). Our name was put on a list and it was a short wait until the table was ready. It gets busier on warm summer days when the crowds descend on Alki. The menu is pretty typical for a Mexican restaurant. Prices are reasonable for Seattle and the portion size is large. The quality of the food is good, and it is fresh. We come here regularly when we’re spending time on Alki, and sometimes drop by when we’re not. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve tried off the menu, especially the chimichanga, as have the others I’ve come with. El Chupacabra tries to accommodate different dietary restrictions (vegan, gluten free, nut allergies) so a variety of my friends have been able to eat here. They also offer a brunch menu, but I haven’t tried it yet.

Excellent view and top notch meals. We had tacos, posole, totchos, enchiladas, and a burrito. We also had several drinks and enjoyed them all. We will definitely return. I enjoyed our server, she was spunky and very attentive.

Most people don't think of a dark bar as a good place for mexican-style food, let alone dietary restrictions. Well in both cases they'd be pleasantly surprised here. The menu is great for those that are gluten-free and even vegan. Oh and the homemade sauces are delicious! A nice option for those visiting Alki Beach with dietary restrictions.

Although the atmosphere was fun and quirky, the food was mediocre Mexican. Prices were pretty inexpensive, but everything was pretty bland.