Guadalajara
9214 45th Ave SW, 935-8595
Mon-Wed 11 am-9 pm; Thu-Sat 11 am-10 pm; Sun 4-9 pm.
We found Guadalajara, a cozy Mexican restaurant just up the hill from West Seattle’s Faunteleroy ferry dock, by pure accident. (This Guadalajara is not to be confused with Guadalajara Hacienda, also in West Seattle, on California Avenue [and on Queen Anne]. That spot is more Mexican Denny’s than authentic restaurante, and a recent meal–from the chips to the shredded-lettuce coated enchilada–tasted, sadly, like soap. But the place seemed popular with West Seattle suburban-types looking for a margarita fix.)
My cohort–who’s Mexican–was starving, and claimed she wouldn’t last the short drive back to our own neighborhood. Thankfully, Guadalajara appeared before us, and a neon sign in the window proclaimed the presence of cold cerveza. Jackpot.
Placated by chilled beer, fresh tortilla chips, and house-made salsa, we pored over the extensive menu. Guadalajara has all the standard fare like quesadillas, enchiladas and tacos, and plus token American favorites, like steak and grilled cheese. Our waiter and the manager, respectively, wandered over to check on us–though less in a “you ready to order?” sort of way, and more in a “Yankees or Red Sox?” fashion, gesturing to the dusty television over our heads. It was a slow Monday night in this family-run place, but we felt right at home.
Our food–a veggie burrito ($7.95) the size of my head, and shredded beef tacos ($2.50 each)–arrived quickly, and disappeared even faster. The manager popped over again, this time to inquire–in Spanish!–if we enjoyed our meals. After conversing a moment, en español, with the Mexican at the table, the focus turned awkwardly to me–the white girl who hasn’t spoken Spanish fluently since high school. “Muy bueno,” I squeaked out. Laughing, the manager left this gringa alone to finish her burrito.
