RESTAURANT REVIEW: Asadero Ballard

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Recommendation: This one isn’t for my vegetarian friends! Asadero is a Mexican steakhouse. Service is good and the food is delicious. All in all, a must-try.

Food: We started with bread baked with cotija cheese topped with pico de gallo, which was a bit spicy. It was a delicious starter. After that I had the Ensalada De La Casa (spring mix, sliced tomatoes, shaved red onion with house made cilantro-citrus vinaigrette.)

It was sizable, perfectly dressed, and flavorful. For my main course, I had the Parilla Sonora (9 oz American Wagyu medallions served with grilled onion, Anaheim chile relleno and refried beans on a hot sizzling stone). It was perfectly seasoned, and while they bring you different condiments, it’s perfect just the way it is. However, enjoy it with the chimichurri sauce, just because they have perfected making chimichurri sauce scrumptious.

Also, do yourself a favor and order the potato. I wasn’t certain what to expect, so when this large baked potato showed up covered with cheesy goodness and bacon pieces, I wasn’t expecting it to be as delicious as it was! The potato could’ve been a meal all on its own, and it is more than shareable for two or three people. Especially if you’re ordering several sides to share.

Service: The service was good, although there were a couple of small hiccups that they quickly fixed once we brought it to their attention. The staff were friendly and attentive.

Atmosphere: I can’t speak much about the atmosphere since we took advantage of the outdoor seating which is offered by many restaurants in the Ballard business district via three-sided sheds in former parking spots. Asadero had several heaters in the space, so we were quite comfortable. The brief time that I was in the restaurant to check in, it seemed warm, cozy, and inviting.

Hot tip: My one caution is to expect the table to be very crowded. The wooden trays with the hot stone and other plates are large. Throw in a bottle of wine and several glasses, water glasses, water carafe, the condiments, and sides and you have a very full table!

Location:

Asadero Ballard
5405 Leary Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 659-4499

Image courtesy of Asadero Ballard.