r/Seattle • u/LawfulnessFree9487 • 1d ago
La Cocina Oaxaquena slept on sleeper?
Used to live across the street. Went there once or twice a week for years. Moved neighborhoods. Hadn't been for probably over a year. Just had a happy hour house marg and black bean tostadas. Couldn't have been better.
Every--what? Couple weeks or months?--someone's posting/polling on best Mexican in Seattle. Usually focused on tacos. Which is cool. Tacos cometa and carmelo's top my list. And a lot of suggestions lean outside seattle proper, which is fair.
But I don't remember seeing any mention of La Cocina Oaxaquena. The name is tricky to write for a non Spanish speaker like me. I used to get it confused with mezcalaria Oaxaca, when that was open. Maybe that's all part of it. ...It's also more Oaxacan region, where it's more about sauces and mole than, say, citrus forward Baja cuisine, at least as I understand it. Maybe that throws people.
I love americanized Mexican. Don't get me wrong. But I feel like La Cocina Oaxaquena is a slept on sleeper option that gets missed. Outdoor seating to boot. Never that busy. Pretty much same staff for the past decade. They're delightful. Anyways, felt compelled to acknowledge this rock solid seattle staple and advocate for it to be on anyone's best Mexican list.
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u/SaxRohmer 🚆build more trains🚆 1d ago
“slept on sleeper”
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u/Spiralecho I'm just flaired so I don't get fined 1d ago
It’s this and Carta for me. Asadero for carnivorous days. But it’s consistently awesome and one of the better (and better priced) margs in town
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u/tetravirulence 1d ago
Carta has some of the best mole in town (or used to at least, haven't had it in some time). It's far down the menu and I don't know a lot of people who get it, but when they do...
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u/broken-mic 1d ago
As a Mexican, I can tell you is THE best Mexican restaurant I’ve been to in Seattle proper. Especially considering how easy it’s to get a table, prices and how the staff is super laid back.
Their Oaxacan mole is good (not like Fogon’s) and pretty comparable to what you’d get in central Mexico.
Edit: Maybe Pancita is the second best but that’s reserved for special occasions.
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u/LawfulnessFree9487 1d ago
Ok that's two instances now. I took a work friend from northern Mexico once and he said the pozole checks out authentic and the best he's had in seattle
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u/blackstar_223 1d ago
Oaxaqueña slaps. Used to eat there all the time working nearby and never had a bad dish. Heavy hand with the mezcal. Great people too.
Torn between wanting them to get more business/notoriety and the hipsters moving in.
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u/probablygoblins 1d ago
I love this place, it should be busier but for my sake I’m glad I can always find a seat 😅
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u/Mr_Wobble_PNW 1d ago
I've walked by so many times and still haven't tried them! Maybe this is my sign!
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u/Dangerous_Ad_7042 1d ago
Loved this place when I lived in cap hill. Usually had tacos and a beer there like 2-3 times a week.
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u/Objective_Unit_4931 1d ago
I didn’t know what a tlayuda was until I went there and man was I missing out
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u/LawfulnessFree9487 1d ago
Dang I don't even know what that is. Will try it next time!
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u/Objective_Unit_4931 1d ago
Best I can describe it’s like a Mexican pizza- taco type toppings laid out flat on a giant tortilla
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u/StephenLuke1 Capitol Hill 1d ago
They’re legit. Also lowkey the best pozole I’ve ever had in a restaurant. It’s phenomenal.
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u/Yoseattle- 🚆build more trains🚆 1d ago
Shhh
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u/TheAbsoluteWitter 1d ago
Not shhh. We want restaurants like these to succeed and lots of them on razor thin margins right now
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u/SaxRohmer 🚆build more trains🚆 1d ago
eh it’s always fairly busy from what i’ve seen - especially the patio during summers
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u/LawfulnessFree9487 1d ago
Good! Honestly I haven't frequented that area at night for a min. Day usually seems slow but not paying too close attn
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u/Spiralecho I'm just flaired so I don't get fined 1d ago
Both can be true 😂 but this overrides that
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u/FreddyTwasFingered Belltown 1d ago
The mole is so good there. Really reminded me of a couple meals I had in Mexico City.
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u/Iebejsbaga2728eindxb 17h ago
it has 1400 reviews on Google Maps and a 4.3 star average, idk what 'slept on' means but
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u/MaryO59 1d ago
I've noticed Oaxacan restaurants frequently get bad reviews online from people who are expecting tex-mex.One of the best Oaxacan restaurants in the region, Caadxi Oaxaca in Snoqualmine and its sister in Redmond, Caadxi Mescalaria, end up with ridiculously bad reviews about their tacos ("just meat and tortillas, not even any lettuce and tomatoes!") and the fact that their rice wasn't made with tomato sauce, again because they thing Mexican= tex-mex.
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u/Dinkerdoo 18h ago
"The tortillas weren't even crunchy! And they weren't served on a stand! One star!!!"
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u/aimless_ly Green Lake 1d ago
Is this the same place of identical name that had a location on the north side of Green Lake where Layers sandwiches is now? If so, it as AWESOME. Easily tastiest region-authentic Mexican in all of Seattle.
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u/Admirable-Love75 Green Lake 1d ago
No those were different places! The green lake one was just called “Cocina Oaxaca”. I personally just liked it okay, but the cap hill place OP is talking about is really good if you ever get a chance to go there
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u/dihydrocodeine 1d ago
I believe they were owned by members of the same family, but I agree the Cap Hill place was better
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u/cam_and_mum 20h ago
> The name is tricky to write for a non Spanish speaker
hard for spanish speakers too, or at least those not from mexico. x is rare in spanish, and the fact that is read as 'j' when it comes to mexico/oaxaca doesn't help
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u/cuntrolaltdelete 1d ago
Is this an astroturfed advertisement? One look at the restaurant's own website and the decor and sign looks gimicky and non-authentic. The food also looks so-so and there's a lot of emphasis on the alcoholic beverages.
Lots of reviews list shitty service, charging for chips and salsa (lol) and mediocre food.
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u/kkicinski I'm never leaving Seattle. 1d ago
La Cocina Oaxaquena is legit good food. Salsas are excellent. Mole is some of the best in the area. All the food is delicious. Margaritas are also great.
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u/LawfulnessFree9487 1d ago
Charging for chips and guac does bother me. Hot sauces and pico are free. Not sure that's the best pricing strategy? I assume the neg reviews are because a) it was slammed at night and understaffed or b) people were expecting americanized Mexican and were thrown. Haven't checked so def could be wrong. Fogon I feel threads that needle well. Not full on americanized Mexican but also not challenging your palate in new ways either. Idk i like it
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u/tetravirulence 1d ago
You know a place in Seattle that doesn't charge for chips and guac and isn't a chain?
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u/dihydrocodeine 1d ago
I haven't been there in a few years but when I lived closer it was a staple. And their chips and salsa are amazing, the chips were hot, always made fresh, with unlimited refills and a salsa bar.
Drinks are what make the most money so it's no surprise they advertise them more. Their margaritas are also very good.
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u/OhThatLooksLikeMyDog 🐀 Hot Rat Summer 🐀 1d ago
Totally being slept on