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Renton, WA 98056

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"So far I have had the carne asada and enchiladas." In 2 reviews

"BOMB salsa & chips all fresh." In 5 reviews

"BTW the combos are great and I love the super burrito ." In 2 reviews

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4/30/2012

Above-average family american-mexican diner. Had a nice lunch here on the weekend. Soccer on the tv's. Service was friendly. Had the super nacho appetizer. Decent amount of chicken, lots of cheese (thanks), and above average guacamole, too. No jalapenos, sadly, but it was tasty. The chips and toppings were all on top of a layer of refried beans. This was tasty but meant that it got soggy quickly and wouldn't make for good leftovers. So we dedicated ourselves to finishing the nachos at the restaurant and bringing more of our entrees home in "to go" containers, if necessary (and it was, because portions are sizeable). The beef dish my pal ordered was delicious. And they bring 4 tortillas as standard (many places just 3) which is nice. My pork enchiladas verde was average. The pork was okay but I wasn't a fan of their verde sauce (sad because it is generally my favorite). However, I was pretty filled up on nachos by this point, so it was okay. And the boyfriend enjoyed the leftovers the next day, so yeah.

They actually have jaimaca and horchata so points for yummy mexican drinks. Definitely better than Azteca or many of these types of places. Restaurant was clean, and so was the restroom. Parking lot was pretty full at 3pm on a Saturday, so that's always a good sign, too.

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3/31/2012

I've read the reviews, and frankly I feel misled.  Just who is writing those five star reviews anyway?

I've been there three times.  Every occasion was worse than the time before.

The first time was busy (about 7pm), people waiting at the door and food was only average but didn't seem denched in melted cheese, so we were willing to return.

The second time was less busy (about 6:30 pm) and was seriously disappointing.  

FIrst, the place was incredibly shockingly noisy.  It has tile floors and a slightly domed wooden ceiling.  It was like a megaphone in there.  There was a very loud table of adults and four tables with children.  Most of the children were fine, but one threw a fit and the facility itself made the noise much much much worse.  I know the restaurant cannot control the behavior of the customers, but a good restaurant would be designed to minimize this problem. They should carpet the floor (it IS being remodeled) but i'm not sure there is any way to remedy the domed wooden ceiling.  It used to be a fast food hamburger joint (a Herfy's) and those places were designed to shoo away the customers as soon as possible, i presume the noise amplification design problem was an intentional feature of the fast food joint.

The food was not good either.  My dinner mate had the two chicken enchilada combination, I ordered the chef salad, and we had the guacamole appetizer.  Well, the enchilada combination came with beans made with rancid lard.  My salad (which came with sauteed vegetables) had very large pieces of seriously undercooked green peppers (most of which i pulled out and did not eat).  The guacamole appetizer was a good concept, but seriously, it had so much lime on it that ONLY the lime could be tasted.  Why pay $5 for lumpy lime flavoring?

The third time was at lunch.  My luncheon guest had the chimichanga and was satisified, however, my chef's salad (the third time i had it) actually made me sick.  I am sensitive to sulfites, and my experience is that cheap ingredients use sulfites to "preserve" freshness.  I presume that the spices on the chicken were "preserved" with sulfites.  Every time I'd been there I had a stomach ache afterwards, but this third time i actually threw up the chicken when I got home..

So, I've been there three times and had increasingly negative experiences and certainly won't go back.

I would not recommend this place to anyone.

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8 friends

231 reviews

Kent, WA

Updated - 3/26/2012

Best Mex. Period. They are doing el construction - enlarging the place. Apparently you do read my reviews :)

I am mucho mas grande thanks to this place - I need to lay off of the al pastor burritos, but they're SO good.

4/10/2011

Five stars. Cinqo estrelas! Fabuloso. Magnifico.

Man, I hate having to rate this place, because it's… Read more »

3/23/2012

The food here its really tasty--a giant step up from Torrero's on 4th (which might be the worst eatery ever). The only reason I'm only giving 4 stars is because it was freezing and the service was slow. I'm pretty sure they were just understaffed, both waitresses that I spoke with were super nice, just really busy. My daughter loved her food, and this place seemed to be very accommodating for her type (you know, children).

They are currently renovating the place, so I am sure the heating issue will be fixed by then. I know this location has been the source of many many failed divey businesses, but this place seemed to be poppin' so I am hoping they can succeed where all the others failed!

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3/11/2012

Ended up here on a Saturday night por casualidad.  Boy am I glad we did.  They were very accommodating about my onion allergy.  They made the guacamole without onions for me.  It was delicious - heavy on the lime and cilantro.  The chile relleno was the best I've had since moving to the area.  Most other restaurants skimp on the cheese and go heavy on the egg wash.  Here the went heavy on the cheese and perfect on the egg wash.  The tamale was THICK with masa, too much for my taste.  It tasted perfectly fine, though.  

The salsa they serve with the chips was not delicious.  The horchata was good and the service was fantastic.  I will be returning...probably this week.  I heard great things about the carne asada.

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2/29/2012 1 Check-in Here

i had really high hopes coming in here, i'll be perfectly honest though.. i was somewhat disappointed. I was expecting some spectacular authentic mexican food based on all the reviews i saw on here.

the salsa was good.. the horchata was meh, the fried ice cream.... was also okay, i was expecting some bananas on the fried ice cream.. because usually there is...isnt there? well if there usually is, they need to put it in there! price isnt bad for what you're getting.

the service was "ok" we came in when their was a snow storm going on. I dont know who the server was, but he was probably mad that he still had to come into work, food came out pretty darn quick.  meh i'm not really a fan though.

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1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here

After reading rave reviews from other yelpers, my dad and I ran out to try Sante Fe Mexican Grill.

Let me start off by giving them five stars for service. The host/waiter/bartender/possible owner of the establishment was extremely friendly and everything was executed very efficiently.

As for the food, you don't need to go to Mexico to recognize that the food here tastes like any other Mexican restaurant in the area. I had beef enchiladas, and although they were good, I did not think it tasted that far off from something that I could get at Azteca. I also had a margarita and something tasted a bit off - maybe it was just really watery. I don't think that the food and the prices match up. Some of the dishes were almost twenty dollars for a plate. I could go to a chain restaurant and get something that tastes that same for half the price.

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3/3/2012 1 Check-in Here

I ordered the chili relleno, shredded beef enchilada and tamale combo. It's Mexican of heaps of melted cheddar cheese comfort food variety which I was in the mood for.  For what it was, it was quite good. Nothing special, but nothing to complain about either. Good pricing, enormous portions (I should have only eaten half of it). Staff very friendly and attentive. I'll go back when the craving hits me again.

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THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD IN THE SEATTLE/TACOMA AREA!

I'm from San Antonio. I'm very picky about Mexican food. After moving here the only thing I at at Mexican restaurants here in WA was refried beans. Cause, that was the only thing that could be done right. Until, taquerias started making a serious bid to give these local commercial places a good run for their money.

Eat the green salsa. If they made their red salsa the same what they make their green salsa.....basically, smooth and with less tomato paste and no black pepper. They would have had a dynamic duo. You'll feel like you are in New Mexico, in a red or green salsa debate. Insist they they make a green chicken enchiladas and put it on the menu. I bet it will be a hit and remind me how green enchiladas are made in good ole' San Antonio, Tejas!

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7/19/2011

This place is a hidden gem buried in the armpit of Renton's corner. I've actually passed by this place on numerous occasions without much thought.

Feeling daring to be seen eating out in a rather unkempt part of town...I didn't have high hopes and already set myself up for disappointment.

Holy Hell....impressive!!! The menu didn't have the boring cut and paste options that all generic Mexican places seem to have. Impressed so far.

They have a guacamole app that is a must try....the avocados are cut up in little pieces and served with fresh tomatoes, etc. It's not the mush that most places serve, where you question how long it's been fermenting in their fridge.

The carne asada tacos.....awesome. The tortillas were homemade and they were served up like authentic street style tacos. Best damn' taco's I've ever ordered!! The beef was well..actually beef...not some resemblance of it. It was perfectly seasoned and cooked just right.

The entire staff was super friendly and never left you with an empty glass of anything.

Only con: It can be a little sketchy dining there. The manic looking bum who kept walking past the windows took away from the ambiance. But that is completely irrelevant to the quality of food and the discovery of this place was worth it!

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Love the ambiance of the small chic place when we got out of the car I was like wow it's so cute haha! We were just trying some where new, Always passed this place & of course want to support small businesses around the area. Anywayssss...

Wednesday night had just started. Few ppl at first then a whole bunch of ppl rushing in for dinner! It was pretty live, love the scenery even though it's small who cares. BOMB salsa & chips all fresh! Chips were still warm.

I ordered Arroz con pollo while my friend had Arroz a la crema. BOMB! & The portions are huge I couldn't even finish half of it! You can just taste the authentic-ness of the food from the start. VERY fabulous service lady was so nice. Love it & Will be coming back hell yea!

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12/20/2011

We drove by this place the other night and thought it was worth giving a try.  Our family loves Mexican food and feel there is a shortage of good places in the Bellevue/Eastside area.  

We gave Santa Fe a try and were very impressed.  The place is very small and looks a bit like a hole in the wall -- it's easy to drive by and not give a second thought.  But it was a busy place and that is always a good sign.  The service was super friendly and prompt.  

We all tried something different and were very impressed.  I ordered a dish with steak & shrimp in a butter garlic sauce that was delicious!  The guacamole was the best I have had in this area.  The carne asada was also excellent.  My daughter loved her kids meal is well.  All in all, this is a great place and will be our go to Mexican joint.

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1/24/2011

Went here after picking my son up from nearby school. He ordered combo #3 and I ordered the Menudo. Oh wow... this place really give you generous portions. For the amount of food you get, the price is definitely reasonable. The food was excellent but my son and I couldn't finish our food. If you come here bring your empty stomach.....Like I say they give you huge portion.

Food - 4

Service - 5 Very friendly waiter and free chips and salsa

Decor - 4

12/10/2010

As the laminated one page lunch menu indicates, the name of the restaurant, Santa Fe, has nothing to do with Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Instead, Santa Fe is a neighborhood in the relatively ritzy Guadalajara suburb of Zapopan in Jalisco state.

This location used to be a Herfy's Burger joint.  Santa Fe has completely redone the interior in warm orange, gold and brown hues.   Besides me, there was just one other customer in the restaurant, another gabacho just like me.

Surprisingly, the lunch menu had maybe only five or six options - including a couple combo plates.  I went the Pollo con Crema (chicken with cream).  

The music being played was a combination of mariachi and ranchera.   Santa Fe might want to ponder why the kitchen staff is listening to a different Mexican music that bleeds out into the dining area, slightly clashing with the dining room music.

The complimentary chips and salsa were typical.  Quickly following on the heels of the chips came my pollo.  Besides chicken, the pollo cream sauce came with quartered mushrooms, onions and a smattering of bell pepper.  Served over a bed of decent Mexican rice.  As garnish, a little patch of lettuce and diced tomato sat to one side of the plate.  I was given the option of either corn of harina (flour) tortillas.  Per usual, I went with harina.

Though not home-run-hit-out-of-the-ballpark food, it is served in large quantities - and when combined with very good service and an inviting interior - Santa Fe merits four stars.

11/2/2011

This is a casual sit down mexican place.  I like the food combos that come with beans w/ cheese and mexican rice.  The price was right and the staff was helpful.  Overall it was a great experience, very casual place.  Its very nice they serve chips and salsa when you sit down.  The food wasn't amazing, but the low price made it taste better.

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12/22/2010

This place was heaven sent on that one day it started to snow in November. I was at the end of my 4 hour journey home that night and I really wanted a bowl of hot broth from Hot Pho nearby. I was disappointed to see that the pho place was closed. But then, I looked to my right and there was Santa Fe, open and ready for business after MONTHS of waiting for it to open. My roomie (who had been on the journey with me) and I stopped by for dinner and found out that they had only opened up just 2 hours prior to us getting there. What great timing they had!

The menu is really small but it makes it easier for me to decide on what to eat. So far I have had the carne asada and enchiladas. Both are solid options. Their portions are huge and can easily be split into two meals. The service is quick and the staff is really friendly.

I'm really glad there is another Mexican option in the Renton Highlands because this place is so much better than La Fuentes up the street.

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5/17/2011

12/4/2010

After waiting nearly 6 months for this place to open, we finally stopped in today for a mid-afternoon bite to check it out.

I ordered the pollo a la creama (creamy chicken) and my girlfriend had the chicken enchilada with green sauce.  Both were served quickly with typically large portion sizes.  Neither was spectacular but both were definitely good.

This place has a nice decor and the owner seems very friendly.  If you're in the Renton Highlands and in the mood for Mexican food, this place is a good choice.

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11/26/2010 1 Check-in Here

I was really excited for a New Mexican restaurant to be opening anywhere nearby. When we got there and saw the saguaros on the the sign, we were pretty sure it wouldn't be NM cuisine. The menu confirmed this on the cover, mentioning that it was named after a section of a city in Jalisco and not the city in NM.

The food was all ok, but nothing better than the other Jalisco restaurants in the area: Tapatio in Factoria or Tapatio in Newcastle (not a chain with the other one). Just go to whichever of the three you're closest too if you want Jalisco cuisine.

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4/25/2011 18 Check-ins Here

I really don't want to share this find, but in the spirit of Yelp....was a little bummed when Herfys closed, now I'm all Herfys who? Quick, inexpensive, and best of all they're building out door seating right now for the summer!!!

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5/9/2011

We were quite disappointed with Santa fe. The meal started out pretty good with nice hot chips and tasty salsa. The cheese in the enchiladas was cold seemingly straight out a Costco Mexican blend bag the chicken burrito was soggy with minimal flavor. The asada taco could have been passable had it been doused in fresh lime juice. The flavor of the asada was probably the best part of the meal aside from the beans and rice. The meal was tremendously improved with the addition of generous portions of tapatio. Sadly disappointed in Santa Fe Mexican Grill.

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2/26/2011

I love this place. Good food and very friendly people. The 5 dollar lunch specials are a steal. The margaritas are here and were worth the wait. Hooray!!! BTW the combos are great and I love the super burrito.

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9/26/2011

Man I love this place.  I stumbled across Santa Fe last spring and I have been there at least once or twice a month since then.  I usually get the number 1 lunch special tamale, chicken enchilada, rice and beans which is fantastic. The last time I went one of my co workers recomended the chicken fajitas.  They were great.  Can't say enough about the food or service.  All good.

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9/25/2011

Excellent service;  great food; very easy access, one (1) minute, from I-405 (exit 5 eastbound, Park Ave); reasonable prices.

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12/29/2010

I'm glad this place opened near our house. I ordered a Carne Asada Burrito. It was huge! On top of that I think it is one of the best tasting burritoes I've ever had. I usually like the traditional mom and pop mexican restaurants because of the taste of the food. Thankfully this has that taste but also provides a decent dining atmosphere. For the amount of food you get, the price is definitely reasonable.

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2/23/2011

I wasn't a happy camper this particular evening and wanted some Pho.  I started to go to Hot Pho but ended up at Santa Fe.  The waitress was really nice and pleasant and brought a decent Mango margarita to the table.  I ordered the chile relleno and enchilada combo with chicken as the entree (about $10) and the guacamole as the app (abouy $4).  My avocado was a little on the ripe side and needed some lime and salt but overall okay.  They definitely give you hefty portions of your entree and overall was decent.  The chicken was somewhat dry but okay.  I would go back if need be but would get some other combo that doesn't have the relleno.  it wasn't bad but the cheese was just too much for my liking.

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"I can't wait to go back and try their tacos."

 11 reviews

"A good seat and warm homemade chips and pico de gallo come..."

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