Why Did I Wait So Long to Visit Tacos Faenas?

Let me start by saying that I am absolutely embarrassed for having slept on Tacos Faenas for too long. It’s by Silver Lake and not very convenient to home, but we are in the area enough that I have no real excuse. Friends have told me it is good. Someone even commented on a previous Live in Everett post asking why we hadn’t covered Tacos Faenas yet. Finally, I woke up, and I was sad it took me this long.

Yep, this spot at the corner of 112th and 19th in Silver Lake // Rachel Weatherholt

Their menu is pretty large and the boyfriend and I were both overwhelmed at first. What I knew for sure, was that I wanted to take home some of the Churro Cheesecake on their specials board. Normally I order pork carnitas as an introduction to a new Mexican restaurant, but I was drawn to the Carne Asada plate. The boyfriend ordered the Steak Picado, which is a dish that is new to both of us. We also ordered one al pastor taco and one carne asada taco because, well, tacos. They have fountain soda and a large cooler of beverages, including beer. Modelo was our beverage of choice.

We ordered and paid at the counter and picked a table to sit at. Freshly fried chips and a mild yet flavorful salsa were ushered out. Within the first few chips, the boyfriend says, “I can already tell we will be back.” Our food arrived within minutes, and the plates were enormous and sizzling hot! Pro-tip: if dining in, sit at a table, not a banquette. You’ll have more room.

Let’s start with the boyfriend’s Steak Picado. He piled a corn tortilla high and groaned as he took his first bite. His eyes rolled back in his head and as he swallowed, he asked his taco where it had been all his life. Large chunks of braised steak and slices of green peppers and onion were swimming in a beautiful tomato sauce.

My Carne Asada was a large slab of flank steak grilled to perfection and covered in grilled onions. The meat had a decent thickness, allowing it to be evenly cooked (not overdone!), and it had incredible flavor. I tasted a piece dipped in the boyfriend’s picado sauce, and it immediately caused MY eyeballs to roll back in my head - I could absolutely see why he was being so dramatic. The flour tortillas I chose were the perfect vessel for delivering that succulent meat to my mouth.

Now: the tacos.

The Tacos.

We will be back just for The Tacos. For a whole platter of The Tacos. I can’t even describe the individual details to you; they were just good. The carne taco came topped with an incredible pico de gallo, and the al pastor came topped with white onion and cilantro. There was a sauce on the al pastor, possibly the same salsa as the table. But honestly, it didn’t matter; it was gone in seconds. The flavors were groan-worthy.

Groan-worthy tacos // Rachel Weatherholt

Before we left, we ordered Churro Cheesecake to go. The pieces were large, and we accepted the offered whipping cream topping. It was the perfect cheesecake texture and wasn’t overly sweet like cheesecake can be. I saved some of my portion to have with coffee the next morning.

Yum, Churro Cheesecake // Rachel Weatherholt

I cannot recommend Tacos Faenas enough. It was a perfect dining experience from start to finish. They have a drive-thru, and you can also call ahead and order for pick up, either inside or at the drive-thru window. I do suggest dining in for multiple reasons, one of them being the family is incredibly sweet, and it is worth visiting them. Also noteworthy is that they have a vegetarian section of their menu, and they offer kids meals.

You have to go. Just go. Don’t ask anyone if they want to go, just take them. Run, don’t walk. And don’t be silly and sleep on it as long as I did. Please.