El versátil Lupe's Situ Tacos es el restaurante más relajado de la avenida Ballard

After a few years running a buzzy pop-up, drummer and chef Lupe Flores opened Lupe’s Situ Tacos, a colorful, playfully dive-y taco shop in the heart of Ballard in 2024. Since then, it’s become a hangout spot for service industry folks as well as an exceptional lunch option (with an Eater Award to prove it).

What to order

• The fried tacos are what this place is famous for, and justifiably so. Carnivores will be drawn to the Lebanese brown butter beef, but the vegetarian tacos are really special. The crispy, crunchy shells are a great vehicle for the creamy, garlicky potatoes, and the cauliflower has an intriguing cumin-y bite to it. Newcomers should take advantage of the three-taco-plus-slaw combo meal and sample all three flavors.
• Order the soup of the day. Last time we were here it was a spicy, earthy pumpkin curry topped with bacon for a bit of texture and protein. But the soup rotates so often, and Flores draws from so many different inspirations, it’s hard to know what you’ll get. Just trust her.
• This is a fun spot to start a night out on Ballard Ave, grab a margarita, a watermelon-y “Mexican Candy Shot” or a “Sad Girl Shot” which is tequila with a chunk of cheese as a chaser.

The vibe

It’s a narrow little dining space (with additional sidewalk seating), but it pops with color from the floral-decorated tables and the many signs and tchotches scattered around. Flores is here more often than not, saying hi and being an inviting presence in the kitchen. It’s the kind of place where if you aren’t a regular, you wish you were.

Insider tips

• The back room, dubbed Tilda’s lounge, hosts Seahawks games, movie nights, and other events. That space, plus a mezcal- and tequila-centric cocktail menu, makes Lupe’s a great happy hour spot.
• One sign says, “Don’t eat the fucking toothpicks” which is good advice, the tacos are held together with toothpicks for frying, and you will forget about them and bite into them.