Taqueria El Sabor - Shoreline

Whenever we visit a new place, we make it a point to try out a Mexican restaurant. Taqueria El Sabor caught our eye as it was conveniently located near our hotel. We found out that they also have two other locations in Kent and Tacoma. On a Saturday night around 8:30, we decided to give it a try. The restaurant was bustling with Mexican families, which is always a positive sign. It was interesting to learn that the restaurant used to be an old Taco Bell. The interior is cozy, with around 10 tables/booths available for seating.

The Carnitas are the standout dish at Taqueria El Sabor for pork lovers, but the entire menu is top-notch with the exception of the cooking salad. The Carnitas can be best described as meat hashbrowns, with crispy pork on the outside and tender strands of pork shoulder and onion on the inside. It's a dish that easily tops the list of "must-have" non-vegan foods, alongside chicken wings and Mac and cheese. The Combo Carnitas is a great option for those looking to fully experience the pure porkiness of the dish, served with rice, beans, and a side salad with Cheddar cheese and ranch dressing. Other menu items like adobada and asada are also delicious, and I've never been disappointed with anything I've tried, from nachos to Quesadillas. The service at El Sabor is always friendly, the Salsa Bar offers classic options, and the horchata is cold and refreshing with free refills. Overall, El Sabor is a consistent favorite, always welcoming, and never gets old.

Good. I tried this place for the first time yesterday. Didn't know that it was built like Nando, where you order at the counter and bring you the food. The staff was friendly and the food was good. Will return if I'm ever in the area.

Garish good. I like to drive around new cities and find individual places to eat. Taqueria el Sabor is just such a place. I turned around a gritty part of Kent, tried to walk my steps back to the highway after visiting an event in the nearby hockey auditorium when I noticed a taco series of Mexican restaurants in Central. El Sabor had most vehicles close to Saturday night, always a good sign. The front sign was advertising pozole (I didn't even know what that was a soup with Hominy, but I didn't see it on most other Mexican menus, so I knew it had to be special. They also have Menudo I know, and even if I didn't eat it, except starving, I'll give them credit for trying. Finally, there were more hispanic people inside than gringos like me, also a positive indicator. I had the pozole tasteful, not excessively spicy, some fat and naughty chicken in it, but I expect that at low cost Mexican food. The Spanferkel-Pork-Burrito was also fleshy, not excessively spicy (too bad, but they have salsas for it and served quickly. There were other items on the menu that you don't see at most Mexican fast food eating like seafood. I wish I had lived in Kent so I could try more of them. Only that would bring LIVING IN KENT, so I'll go. Anyway, if you want something that is not Taco Hell, Taqueria el Sabor is a great place for fast, cheap mex.

The bright orange yellow paint job makes this place easy to spot! I absolutely adore El Sabor - I would say it's similar to La Rinconcita in the south, but the food is not as greasy. Despite being geared towards Mexicans, El Sabor is very welcoming to non-Spanish speakers. The kids menu is the most American thing on the menu, which makes it easy to please both adults and picky young eaters.