Casco Antiguo

Loved the décor, the friendly service, and most of all the flavorful food. Every bit was fresh and delicious, from the chips with salsa and guacamole to the carne asada. Generous portions mean a delicious lunch the following day. My partner ordered the chicken mole enchiladas — deep, rich mole and a crispy tortilla. Can’t wait to return.

What a hidden gem! The Cantina in the back is adorable, a pretty large space with a bar, and a ton of tables throughout. First off, the habanero salsa is no joke! So spicy, but so good that you can’t get enough. I ordered the carnitas enchiladas sub– corn for rice. Should’ve gone with the corn because I could tell how delicious that pairing would’ve been when I got my food, but the rice and beans were delicious too. I ate up the entire plate, I’ve never had enchiladas that good before. whatever that sauce was. it’s amaze!!!

Great food, everything we had was amazing! Scratch margarita’s were delicious! Super cool cantina in the back! We will be back!

Fun environment. This place was a pleasant surprise as I have typically avoided the homeless laden Pioneer Square for some time. You get two pretty good sized tacos. I mistakenly thought they would be itty-​bitty things so I ordered the tacos (you get two) and a gordita. Whoops! Too much food, which was a pleasant surprise. They were very tasty. My coworkers had to help me out. The drinks were tasty, but WAY over priced. Only a dollar off from the regular menu, and my sangria basically came in what looked like a tallish shot glass. No thanks. Music was up way too high, we had to shout at each other across the table. Service was poor but polite when it came. I think there were only two servers/​tenders in the cantina on a Wed night. Street parking available.

When I have a mediocre experience at a restaurant, it doesn’t seem helpful to write a passive aggressive rant. I try to write a review that would help me improve the place if I owned it.
Positive comments first: the ambiance is very cool, and the back-​alley entrance is unique. They smartly have a sign on the main street, which was how we discovered this restaurant as we were walking by.
We ordered the chips and queso as an appetizer. The thick-​cut chips were a good idea since the queso is thick and would break normal chips. The queso was bland though, and would be improved with some salt or spices.
I ordered the fish tacos. The fish fillets were too thick, and overpowered the flavor of the other parts of the taco. I also ordered the duck tacitos, and they were a bit too greasy.
The service was decent, not good or bad. I hope this review is helpful.

We Unilocaled this place before heading back to Portland on the train. We are glad we did! This place has the best fish tacos we both have tasted to date! Fresh mahi mahi tacos, perfectly grilled, with mango salsa and placed on the perfect slotted taco dish. Perfecto!!! We took some to go on the train back with us. The chips and guacamole were awesome too! Love great guacamole! Great service and recommendations! We will definitely be back when up here!

This place is so good! They make their mole in house and it’s the best I’ve ever tasted.
I’m visiting from Los Angeles where I’m spoiled with some of the best authentic Mexican cuisine in the US and this restaurant is hands down my new favorite spot. I also have to mention how knowledgeable they are about Mezcal. They have a delicious stock of smokey Mezcal’s and the bartenders really know their stuff when it comes to crafting a beautiful cocktail. Do yourself a favor and check this restaurant out the next time you’re in Seattle.

Came for dinner on a Tuesday night. And I liked the service and the atmosphere but I think the food is overpriced for what you get.
Started with the chips, salsa and guac ($ 8) just why? Why $ 8? Like yes I get it, your guac IS good! The salsa was nice, it’s creamier and zesty which is great. But not $ 8 great.
Tried the tinga tacos ($ 9) you get two nicely marinated shredded beef brisket tacos topped with diced onions and a chipotle sauce on the side. Tasty, and had a lot of meat which I appreciated but $ 9 for 2 tacos is pretty steep.
For dinner we got the carne asada plate ($ 16?) and chicken and mole enchilada ($ 14). The prices for our actual dinner isn’t bad but I just wished I was happier with the execution of the dishes. The carne asada was good! Nice medium rare, and I loved the corn mash served along side it. Probably my favorite part about the meal! But the cilantro lime dipping sauce we could do without. My chicken mole enchilada tasted cool, like not warm at all but also over done. Like somehow the chicken had dried out :(
Maybe I’ll come back for lunch or happy hour and give it another shot. The guac and corn mash were good! :)

Love this place for lunch or HH. The food is always top notch and the service is very good. I recommend the margaritas and the tacos.
also the churros… unreal!
enjoy,

Casco Antiguo is an a$$hole of a restaurant. Why can’t they go away like every other restaurant in this space.
$ 5 Chips and Salsa, salsa in dish too small to dip the chips in.
$ 8 if you add a (small) side of guacamole .
WAY overpriced food. $ 8-​$ 9 for 2 small (SMALL) street tacos that should be no more then $ 2 each.
$ 14 if you want something that will actually represent a soft and limp meal.
A decent house margarita, actually the alcohol made the food taste better.
Fish tacos so smelly they had to be sent back.
$ 30 lunch (each) with 1 adult drink and tip. For F’in Mexican food!]
This all has to be one giant joke on the white people of Seattle. I’m willing to bet the owners (of the actually really amazing Altstadt) sat around one evening drunk and said «I bet $ 1 dollar we can open a restaurant, way over-​charge for some sub-​par Mexican food in Pioneer Square, and all of these white hipster/​tech office workers will LOVE IT!!!». Well since somehow this place is still open, someone is $ 1 richer (In the name of transparency I am one of these hipster tech office workers).
Seriously, go to one of the food trucks in Occidental Park instead, or go to Grand Central, or Gaba Sushi, Doner Kebab, Salumi, Taylor Shellfish, RAIN CITY MEATS, or go back to Rain City Meats, Tat’s, Delicatus, Altstadt, J&M café, Main St. Gyros, and if any of these aren’t open, go to Joe’s in the ID, you will get a much better bang for you buck with their microwave meals. If Casco is the only place open. well. then… starve.
(The extra star is for the alcohol)

Had lunch here a couple of days ago with coworkers & have to say I was impressed. I had the Chicken Mole and it was excellent. It was a large portion with rice & beans. The chips & guacamole were also generous portions. The guacamole was tasty & the salsa was also good. What I had was a little pricey but enjoyable. I’ll have to try the Happy Hour menu sometime.

A group of us happened upon this unique spot a little after dinner hour. They did an excellent job seating 13 of us within no time and took our orders very quickly. Service was genuine and super friendly.
The food was great minus a couple annoyances.
I ordered the Pescado tacos (Mahi mahi, cabbage, pickled onions and mango salsa).
I was told they only serve corn tortillas, no flour whatsoever but to their credit the corn tortillas was made in house. This was an eh slightly because I prefer the texture of flour but went with my only choice. I also requested no onions and was told they were mixed inside with cabbage, it wasn’t what I was thinking so I went with the recommendation.
We also found out that you couldn’t switch tacos, you had to place 2 separate orders. This doesn’t really make sense for anyone and only irking for a patron.
The fish tacos were incredible! I tried with the onions, which were on top not mixed in btw, and it wasn’t for me so I picked them off. The corn tortillas were the best corn tortillas I’ve ever had but honestly would have loved the taco more on a homemade flour. The fish tasted amazing with all the flavors of the mango salsa and definitely worth the little more $$. If you love corn tortillas then this is the place to try. The service here is truly amazing!

We stopped in for dinner tonight after wandering around trying to find somewhere to eat. The atmosphere was simple, but nice and the service was friendly at the beginning… but, that is where all of the positive runs out. The food was just ok — a lingering spice that wasn’t my favorite on the food.
They seated us at the table at the front and we had to witness all of the homeless and drunk people constantly walk by. One of them came in with an open beer can, touched a customer and had to be escorted out. He continued to walk by the restaurant and finally fell outside the front door. There was blood all over the sidewalk and they were cleaning it up when we got the heck out of there. I can’t believe they made us pay for our meal after witnessing all of that! This dining experience left much to be desired and the staff didn’t seem to care that our evening was ruined… beware!

Casco Antiguo maintains its 4 star rating with me.
They easily earn top 3 places as far as staff alone in the DT Seattle area. They treat their customers like humans should treat humans instead of churning through the numbers. A breath of fresh air!
Know that when you walk in here, there is an entire bar area in the back — you must walk in and head to the left side to walk down the hallway into the bar.
Their chips & guacamole is great (served with three other small side dips), as were their veggie enchiladas. And it seems they won the hearts of the boys beside me that ordered tacos.
No worries about this putting a huge dent in your earnings either!

I really enjoyed the ambiance of this restaurant. When you sit inside and look outside, you feel like you have been transported to Europe. Casco means helmet and antiguo means old in Spanish; but together the phrase means an old quarter (part of town). Given that this place is in Pioneer Square, the oldest part of Seattle, I thought the name is clever.
The tacos were served on these custom boards that have folds and came with a different salsa depending on the protein and a slice of lime. You get some cuts of meat that I haven’t seen in other Mexican restaurants. The waitress recommended Barbacoa de Borrego (Oaxacan style lamb in dried ancho & pasilla chilies) and Cochinita Pibil (Pulled pork in annatto-​seed paste & orange). Both delicious but my friend and I both thought barbacoa de borrego was more flavorful.
We also got the chips and salsa with guocamole. Three salsa came with the order. I especially like the mango salsa which has a nice sweet beginning but a smokey spicy finish. Other than a stain on the waitress’s dress which was less than professional, i thought the service was warm. The food was really above par of a typical Mexican restaurant in Seattle.

I had the nachos and guacamole to start. Generous portion for only $ 8. Two carne Asada tacos were ok, though I found the tortilla a little too thick, and the steak a little chewy, for me. It ended up cold after about 2 minutes.
The highlight was WITHOUT DOUBT the corn mash. Get it. I was eating spoonfuls straight out the bowl — delicious.
I would only go back for that corn mash!

Pros: the place itself is trendy and atmospheric, with exposed brick, an open kitchen, and a hidden bar in the back. Great selection of Mezcals. Decent happy hour (including weekends) that starts at 3! I very much enjoyed the «gordita» — nothing like what you get at Taco Bell!
Cons: The Spicy Margarita was a disappointment — there was no detectable spice, and it basically just tasted like limeade.

I was on a jaunt in downtown Seattle today and wound up in Pioneer Square and this place sounded very good to me. It was very convenient because I popped in around Happy Hour so I got a few things to eat and cocktail.
I ordered the chips and 3 kinds of salsas and guacamole and then I ordered pork tacos.
The chips and all the dips were very tasty as well as the tacos.
My cocktail was a Hot Pepper Margarita which had a great heated bite to it. It was very tempting to get another one but I restrained myself so I wouldn’t get loaded since I am a lightweight drinker. The place was fun and I look forward to going back!

My fiancé and I came here for lunch around 1:30pm on a Sunday and the cocina was completely empty :/ (see photos). Pretty restaurant space though, I loved the colorful potted cacti on each table :) We decided to get pulled pork tacos and the pork enchilada to share. I know, double pork, but I made sure they were prepared differently. Warning, the food is spicy! I didn’t’ mind it because I appreciate spice, but it definitely wasn’t mild or expected. There’s salsa on the side too, if you want even more heat.
The pork tacos were good, but on the pricey side. $ 8 for two simple, medium tacos. They were tasty, with some pineapple in it too, but not sure I’d recommend getting the tacos in general. I think even if I ate both, it wouldn’t have been substantial enough for me. It’d be better if it was three tacos for $ 9 or something, haha. Anyway, I’d just go to a taco truck if I’m looking for a taco fix. they’re just as tasty if not even tastier.
The pork enchilada was better portioned, but for $ 14, it’s expected. This was pretty good, and would’ve been too much food for me to eat on my own. The enchiladas were rich, topped with cheese, and full of heat, so the rice and beans on the side were much appreciated to help neutralize my palette. I wouldn’t be against eating this again.
I’m torn between three and four stars, my fiancé and I enjoyed our meal but maybe more so than normal since we had the entire cute restaurant to ourselves. Also, the food took a long time! Not sure how it’d be when there’s other actually other people too. I’d say I wouldn’t be against coming back, but I’d definitely want to try out other dishes to see if there’s anything I love. just not more tacos.
TIP: When they ask if you want to start off with some chips and salsa as they seat you, say no unless you want to pay $ 5.50 for them.

I would give this place 3.5 stars overall but I am rounding down because I didn’t get those «can’t wait to come back here» butterflies about the food. That said, it was pretty good and I was not disappointed by my $ 14 tab.
The menu is «big enough» for a «nice Mexican» restaurant — maybe 10 taco options, a few entrée plates (like brisket), and 6ish appetizer options. We came for dinner around 6 o’clock on a Tuesday and it was empty. Nice ambiance and good service.
No happy hour yet as they just opened, but I’m told it should be sorted out within the week. Cocktails are $ 8-​$ 11 if I remember correctly, though I did not order one this time.
I got the Carne Asada tacos (2 for $ 9) and my friend got the fish tacos. Mine had a lot of meat on them, but could have used a little more crunch. We also split the chips and salsa/​guac sampler ($ 8). Guacamole is pretty satisfying, and a really fair portion. They had a really nice citrus salsa (in addition to the more traditional salsa verde and salsa rojo), but no free refills on tortilla chips which I personally think should be the standard for all Mexican restaurants ;) We were the perfect amount of full after the meal, but I can’t imagine a hungry dude would feel the same.
Anyway, think I will be back at some point, because my friend lives really close and I am interested to see what their happy hour menu ends up being.