Best Mexican Restaurants in Tacoma, Washington

Having grown up in Southern California where Mexican restaurants were plentiful, I grew up loving the taste of Mexican fare. Salsa, enchiladas, tacos, carne asada, tamales! Just thinking about these foods makes me salivate!

When I left California to join the military, I realized that Mexican food was not something that was as plentiful in certain areas of the country. I do not remember there being a Taco Bell in Biloxi, Mississippi! Everywhere I lived, and everywhere I traveled across the United States, I would try to find a good place to eat.

I received lessons, too, that all Mexican food is not the same. Tex-Mex fare in San Antonio, Texas is not the same food as what you will get in Albuquerque, New Mexico, or Tucson, Arizona. Throughout the 1970s and '80s, I ate Mexican food in my share of chain establishments, as well as many hole-in-the-wall establishments, usually owned and operated by local Mexican families and each offering me a taste of home, each with their own twist.

Since living in western Washington for the past 17 years, I've eaten in many Mexican restaurants in the area. There are four that I enjoy for different reasons, each with its own charm and good food.

La Fondita Mexican Restaurant at 2620 N. Proctor Street is in the heart of the Proctor District of Tacoma. It is one of those hole-in-the-wall restaurants, which doesn't look like much from the outside. I have eaten there three times, each time it was pretty busy. If you go on a Saturday afternoon, you may have to wait to be seated, as many visitors to the Farmers' Market stop in for a bite to eat.

The menu is very basic, and a bit limited in selection, but is generally pretty good. The prices are reasonable, and you can certainly find something to eat in the $9-12 range.

Reyna's Mexican Restaurant became a favorite spot when it opened up while I was attending Pacific Lutheran University, and I was living on campus. It's just down the street from the University, at 411 Garfield Street in Parkland, and is one of those quintessential family-owned spots. At the lunch hour it was usually packed, so I would go in after the lunch crowd was over, for an early dinner.

The salsa is homemade on-site, and is very tasty. My favorite things to eat at Reyna's are the tamales and enchiladas. They are served in a mole-type sauce and are delicious. The service is great. The prices are quite reasonable. I find this restaurant to be reminiscent of what I have found in Texas.

Tacos Guaymas is a chain establishment with 11 locations in Washington state, but is has some of the best Mexican food I've eaten. I typically eat at the Tacoma location at 2630 S. 38th Street, not far from the Tacoma Mall. I've eaten in two other Tacos Guaymas. I've had the same great food each time. I don't think you can go wrong with this one.

It reminds me a lot of the kind of food I grew up eating when Mexican food had not been as "Americanized" as I find in most restaurants today. I have also found that this is one Mexican restaurant where you will see many Hispanic families dining, or workers on their lunch breaks.

The portions are hearty, the food is authentic and good. You'll have choices of meats, such as: Beef steak, chicken, pork, tongue, Mexican sausage (chorizo), shrimp or fish. I have to admit that I am partial to their Tacos de Lengua (tongue).

They offer both "wet" and "dry" burritos, the wet being covered in a sauce. The regular burritos are filled with rice, beans, pico de gallo, salsa, and your choice of meat. The super burritos add sour cream, guacamole, and cheese. Either way you go, it's a meal all by itself for $6 to $7. When I am especially hungry, I like to order the Carne Asada plate, which is a full meal of marinated beef steak, rice, beans, and tortillas for under $12.

Vuelve a la Vida is my all-time favorite Mexican restaurant I've found in Tacoma, located at 5310 Pacific Avenue in the South End. As with many of the other establishments, it's decorated with brightly colored murals and piñatas, as you might find in a touristy border town restaurant. The jukebox plays catchy Mexican tunes.

The food at Vuelve a la Vida is fabulous! There isn't anything I have tried that I wouldn't eat again, and they have an extensive menu sure to satisfy most anyone. The meal portions are hearty, as well, and the prices are reasonable, most in the $7 to $12 range.

The tacos de lengua are tender and flavorful; the asada (steak) tacos are also very tasty. The tamales are dense and very good, and are larger than I've had in other restaurants. The chicken enchiladas are filled with big chunks of tender chicken. Their guacamole is to die for! My absolute favorite meal to eat at Vuelve is a toss-up between their Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice), and the Caldo 7 Mares (Seafood Soup), which are the best I've eaten anywhere.

Vuelve makes their own corn tortillas on site. They have terrific meal platters, which will satisfy the hungriest of diners. They have a good variety on their menu, including many seafood items.

If you are looking for one of those American-style restaurants serving drab food, salty, processed chips with jarred salsa, Vuelve is NOT the place for you! They do not serve chips and salsa.

What Vuelve does offer is the best-tasting, most authentic Mexican food I've found in the 17 years I've lived in the area. Viva Vuelve a la Vida!