The Emerald’s Guide to Burien’s Latino Food Scene

Just because National Hispanic Heritage Month is over doesn’t mean you can’t and shouldn’t continue to celebrate Latino culture. In fact, I’d argue the best way to continue celebrating Latinos is by supporting Latinos. This brings me to none other than Burien, a town with a proud Latino history and community where dozens of Latino-owned restaurants coexist within a 5-mile radius surrounding the downtown core.

Everything from traditional pupusas, tacos, tamales, and tortas to contemporary Mexican American and new-age concoctions, like Mexican sushi, are easily available. But where should one start? Who has the best taco? And what even is Mexican sushi? 

This is in no way a complete review of all Latino-owned restaurants in Burien. It would take a long time to try to eat your way through Burien’s Latino-owned restaurants on your own. Luckily for you, I’ve lived in proximity to Burien my whole life and can guide you through Burien’s Latino culinary scene (which leans Mexican, but has some good Central and South American food as well). So without further ado, if you’re in the mood for some great Latino cuisine, look no further. Read on or check out the map.

 Centro Neighborhood Kitchen 

643 SW 152nd St., Suite A, Burien, WA 98166

Owned by husband and wife duo Enrique and Trisha Arias, Centro Neighborhood Kitchen opened during the midst of the 2020 lockdown, and its ability to survive and thrive speaks volumes about the quality of its food. The meals at Centro are clearly inspired by Mexican cuisine, but bring a unique Pacific Northwest twist to them — their wild salmon tostadas, for example. They also offer a vegan menu for meat-free customers. My personal favorite? Their house-made churros and Mexican wine list. 

Kikey’s Café 

15607 1st Ave. S., #102, Burien, WA 98168

When I’m missing Ciudad de México garnacha (aka comfort food), I like to visit Kikey’s Cafe on 1st Avenue. This café serves things like chocolate abuelita with pan dulce, but its menu also includes rarely seen menu items, like guajolotas. What’s that, you ask? An excess pleasure of carbs. It’s a torta stuffed with a tamal. At first, it doesn’t sound like the best combination, but trust me, once you try a torta de tamal, you dream of it in your deepest slumber. 

La Esquina 

653 SW 153rd St., Burien, WA 98166

This style of sushi was born in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, where it’s known as “suchi monchoso,” a Spanglish evolution of the word “munchies.” The sushi is typically lightly seared, and more courageous restaurants will make sushi with carne asada and melted cheese. At La Esquina, these lightly seared rolls aren’t too excessive, but will be garnished with freshly sliced jalapeños and lots of avocado. 

Berta’s Salvadoran Kitchen

127 SW 153rd St., Burien, WA 98166

For authentic Salvadoran pupusas, I visit Berta’s. Opened in 2016 by Berta Arteaga-Martinez, the menu offers two types of pupusas made from corn or rice flour with nine different kinds of fillings. Personally, I prefer the corn flour pupusas filled with either the jalapeños and cheese filling or the mixed filling. Don’t forget to get a side of fried plantain with sour cream and beans. I’m a big fan.

Tortas Locas 

14912 Ambaum Boulevard SW, Burien, WA 98166

Tortas Locas is a classic on the south side. This is where you can get a pambazo, a very specific Mexican torta filled with potato and chorizo and dunked in a smokey sauce, then pan-fried to perfection. But Tortas Locas also serves up another Mexican classic, albeit the name may not suggest that: La Cubana torta. Then, there’s one of its own ingenuities — a giant four-person torta called “La Tóxica.” 

El Cabrito

14631 Ambaum Boulevard SW, Burien, WA 98166

 No Burien food guide would be complete without El Cabrito. The Seattle Times called its mole “perfect,” and I couldn’t agree more. This small establishment on Ambaum is owned by Leticia Sánchez and Artemio Diaz. Sánchez grew up in Oaxaca, where she started cooking from a young age. Aside from their mole, their pozole, when on the menu, is delicious with a silky broth and perfectly seasoned with oregano and garnished with turnips. 

El Pique 

14445 Ambaum Boulevard SW, Burien WA 98166

El Pique’s Peruvian food is as good as the cumbia it serves up on weekend nights. Its menu includes Mexican food, but its focus is on seafood. Its Peruvian menu is especially exciting, as Peruvian food is not represented enough in the area. Find ceviches, jalea, arroz, and parihuela, a spicy Peruvian seafood soup that includes fish, octopus, mussels, and shrimp. 

Taqueria Casa Mixteca

452 SW 153rd St., Burien, WA 98166

I absolutely love Taqueria Casa Mixteca’s enfrijoladas. Like El Cabrito, Taqueria Casa Mixteca focuses on Southern Mexico from Oaxaca and Puebla. Here, you can find toasted grasshopper tacos, big tlayudas, and my other Mixteca favorite: Oaxaqueño Tamales, distinguished by its banana leaf wrap in place of a corn husk wrap.

Tacos Al Carbon El Diablo

14816 1st Ave. S., Burien, WA 98168

There are so many taco stands to choose from in Burien, it can get overwhelming to narrow down which one to visit. Tacos Al Carbon El Diablo offers tacos brimming with your choice of meats cooked over mesquite coals (and all the fixings), which sets it apart from other taco stands and taco trucks. But, heads up — this spot is only open Friday through Sunday, so expect a wait that’s totally worth it. 

Birrieria Tijuana 

12803 Ambaum Boulevard SW, #2, Burien, WA 98146

A little ways out from Olde Burien, Birrieria Tijuana is still a great place to go for Birria, a tender beef taco that’s crunchy on the outside and pure bliss on the inside. Dip it in some birria caldo and call it complete. Birrieria Tijuana also recently started serving tacos de tetuano, which I don’t often see on menus. Tacos de tetuano are a taco that is filled with spongy bone marrow, a Mexican delicacy. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could also try Birria Ramen, a surprisingly delicious pairing.