Tropicos Breeze

I tried the popusas which were not that great. The worst is that I am sick from them now, most likely will not return here because of this experience.

I have been here a few times now and absolutely love their authenticity! The first time I went though, I wasn’t as impressed as my boyfriend was. It wasn’t until we went back again when I truly fell in love with the food. Now having been there 5+ times, I can give an accurate recommendation of what is best. The Carne Asada Special, Rice Queso Pupusa, and Rice/​Beans are by far the best. They also have this delicious Passion Fruit Mojitio type of drink… not sure on the actual name of it, but ask for it! Food is top notch!

If you order a side of fried bananas, you will be happy for days to come. No, seriously, it’s a HUGE plate! The tortillas are home made and AMAZING! Basically, everything is delicious.

How I heard of this place: A few of my mom friends decided that we should leave our children at home with their dad’s, and enjoy a distraction-​free meal together. This place was the recommendation of our good friend, a voracious meats-​eater.
Type of cuisine: «Tropicos Breeze is a south-​of-​the-​border comfort-​food operation that seems determined to satisfy your every craving. Have a hankering for Salvadorean pupusas or Mexican molcajete? They’ve got you covered. How about Honduran baleada or Colombian bandeja paisa? Coming right up. There are soups, salads, tortas and tacos. And that’s just the first two pages of the menu.
The North Seattle eatery has been serving generous portions of traditional dishes to a mostly Latino clientele for eight years. Its menu is so packed with choices that it’s hard to know where to start. Talk to your friendly server for suggestions.»
Ambiance: Very casual, family friendly, colorful and vibrant. Latino families abound in this eatery, everyone immune, it seems, to the sounds of children talking, laughing, screaming for more, or just being kids. It’s a perfect place to indulge in a large portion of food while knowing that your children will be fully welcome, with much color to distract and awe each one. A space of wonderment, dreaming of tropical climes and indulging in a delicious meal.
«Casual family dining in a colorful retro space. Outdoor seating is available when the weather’s nice.»
What I ordered: At the high recommendation of our dining companion, three of us at the table selected the Molcajete, a traditional Mexican dish with nopal (cactus), chorizo (sausage), fresh cheese, avocado, green onion and special homemade tomato sauce, served in volcanic stone (molcajete) with a side of rice, beans and corn or flour tortillas. I selected the Carne Asada Molcajete ($ 18.99), the other two chose Pollo ($ 16.99). The fourth among us chose the Carne Asada Especial ($ 16.99), a traditional carne aside with chorizo (sausage), fresh cheese, green onions, avocado, served with rice, beans, pico de gallo, lettuce salad and corn or flour tortillas.
Knowing we had to sample the Pupusas, I ordered one Cheese & Jalapeño ($ 2.95 each) a typical dish from El Salvador of tortilla’s made corn or rice with various fillings. One of our dining companions chose two: Queso con Frijol and Queso con Chicharron.
Beverages included an Orchata de Morro ($ 3.25) for me: Morro’s horchata with evaporated milk and vanilla, and an Iced Tea ($ 3.25) for one of my dining companions.
What I loved: Loved the Queso con Frijol Pupusa! More pupusa next time, for sure! The chicken in the Molcajete perfectly seasoned and cooked with a delicious char. The carne asada well-​seasoned and flattened to perfection. Fresh cheese is a new must with every dish. And the grilled flavor of the whole jalapeño, the green onions and the layer of cactus a true treat in our dish.
Why I loved it: What is not to love about an abundant serving of glorious food, cooked to order (it takes time), great friends, and an environment where everyone is welcome and comfortable? No one is rushed, no child is hushed, and the servers are friendly, accommodating and sweeter than any. Go. Now.
Cost: Average to high ($ 16 — $ 20 per specialty entrée)

I’ve found the error of my ways. I’ve been back several times since my first visit years ago, and I really enjoy this place. They are constantly playing bachata, their meats are well seasoned, and their seating area has expanded. The servers are friendly, and this is a gem for the north end.

I have been driving by this place for a while now so I guess it was time to try it.
Looks like a cute family run establishment and my guess is that momma is in the back cooking to her hearts desire and loving every minute of it.
Service was pretty good and attentive but the star of the show is the food.
I ordered the Latin style fried chicken. It came with beans and rice, salad, and fried plantains (which were delicious) and a quarter chicken. I’m not sure what they did to that bird but it was flattened pretty good. It kinda reminded me how the Asian restaurants do chicken– delicious but the pieces are unrecognizable.
They offered some sauces and I tried them both, liked them both, but lacked any heat.
I will certainly be returning soon since I now live right up the street.

Came here because my coworker suggested it when I said I wanted papusas.
I ordered a tamale and three papusas. The papusas were a little soggy, but still good. They’re the best papusas I’ve been able to find in Seattle and so far the closest to El Salvadorian style I’ve been able to find.
The tamale was more Honduran than El Salvadorian — the masa texture is more like it was boiled than steamed, if that makes sense. Not bad, just different if you’re used to the dry texture of Mexican-​style tamales. The pork was tender and well seasoned.
Their hot sauces were great. They aren’t very spicy, but very flavorful.

Yummy! Highlights were… crema, the beans, housemade cheese, vinegar salad, and yucca con chicharron (fried root & dried fried pork).
So according to my Salvadoran friend this is a Honduran take of Latin cuisine. They are similar and often confused.
Pupusas — so I grew up in San Francisco with a Salv-​born best friend. We have a high standard for pupusas. Pupusas here is good, but different. Less stretchy cheesy flavor, but more filling.
BTW «lorroco» is a Salvadoran vegetable that is specific to Latin America. Balida is Honduran, kinda like a breakfast omelette burrito.
The chicharron & yucca fritas here is better than what I had in San Francisco tho. The pork was fried but enough fat to retain the flavor. Bad chicharron to me are lean cuts of pork because it just taste like tough overcooked meat.
The vinegar salad that comes pupusas are also better. It compliments the heavy foods very well. The beans in lard are amazing and addicting. My husband liked his appetizer sampler plate + huge serving size. Molcajete is good. Meat freshly grilled open fire, has that authentic chard taste. I think it’s a bit overpriced for $ 18.99 but that’s because the volcanic stone is so cool to eat out of :) it also comes with rice and beans.
We both loved the traditional breakfast.yummmm. Everything was cooked perfectly. Eggs, chorizo, plantains etc. I told the waiter the crema is… seriously… I can bathe in it is soooo good… so the waiter gave me extras to take home.
Best service ever! They were attentive throughout & our discount was noted without issues. I called ahead and someone picked up on the first ring. I was so surprised and I’ll definitely return!

I actually came across Tropicos via Unilocal while on the hunt for a dinner reservation for an out-​of-​town guest. It had me at Mexican and Pupusas. Walked in and I immediately fell in love with the lively crowd of couples, families and friends. It seems it has something for everyone and is as authentic as they come. Horchata? They got it. Molcajete? They got it. Keeping it simple with quesadillas? They got it. And it was all done well. This menu is massive but if there is a girl to explore its far reaches it can be me. :)

The pupusa’s are amazing. They’re like cheesey pancakes with the filling of your choice. I tried the pork and the zuchinni and both hit the spot.
The empanada’s were good (but not memorable) and came with a side of pickled slaw. I think the pupusa’s trump the empanadas.
The lengua tacos (beef tongue) was delicious. I would have said that it was the best lengua tacos i’ve ever had– but this place is not consistent. The first time, the lengua was chunky, very tender, and juicy. Sadly, the second time i came to this place, the pieces different sizes and it was a little dry. I was a heartbroken. Like, I just saw you two weeks ago and you’ve changed so much. I will not be coming back for the lengua tacos but the pupusa’s are worth trying especially if you like cheese. Also, the soups are very good and flavorful.

This place was a very pleasant surprise. The food and the service were great. The space itself is a little weird, but you’re probably not coming here for the atmosphere.
The papusas in particular are amazing. We only got one each, but I would have been happy if my meal was just a plate of them. Yum!

What a disgusting place!!! Instead of taking responsibility & trying to improve their customer service they did the ‘well the problem was we charged you for double what you asked for so now you have to pay it.’ Side note… WHO pays $ 8 for a sorry excuse of a chicken breast add on???
The only reason this place appealed to me was because it was across the street from my gym and after a workout my training partner and I were hungry. Aka anything should taste amazing/​very easily please-​able.
The server was impatient and his manager was argumentative…
The food was an embarrassment to Mexican food. I’ve had much better drunken Mexican food (aka only should taste good when drunk) while I’m sober than what they made here. I haven’t had drinks there before nor will I have the courage to ever go back with stunts like this being pulled.
I see no reason to ever come back. Cheaper food at a fraction of the cost far outweighs the quality of the garbage service here. If you want to roll the dice with food poisoning, by all means this is the place for you to come check it out as soon as you can!!!
I wouldn’t even call it subpar service. Apparently someone forgot to take Business 101 and Customer Service 201 as I got the impression that this was not the first time that he has done the tough luck routine with a patron. Very disappointed.

Customer Service is pretty slow, we were waiting long time for someone to bring us menu, and the for the food we wait a lot, the bathrooms are so dirty!
The pupusas are «ok».

¡ sabrosa!
Order the desayuno especial. Get a glass of nance. I am so impressed, I have never eaten Salvadoran food before but now I am hooked. Huge portions of quality food, family friendly, easy and free parking.
Seattle, my emerald Queen City, you never fail to surprise me with you secrets… This is most defiantly one of her best kept secrets.
Casa de pupusas is also here. Pupusas are delicious and you should go and order some with no hesitation. Venga!

I’ve passed this place several times because I always thought it was closed. One night, my friend and I decided to duck in here and give it a shot. I had a fierce pupusa craving and it needed to be stomped out… and stomp it out this place did.
We split dishes (shrimp con crema and carne asada) and drinks. I had the bean and cheese pupusa… yes! I don’t have to go to the other pupusa place now. I found that I liked the masa and filling better here than at the other establishment.
Service was so friendly and patient with us while we pondered the menu.
I can’t wait to go back.

Tried this restaurant last night with some friends after watching the new Star War movie. Delicious, delicious, delicious. Their portions are very generous. We order the carne Asada dinner that included home made corn tortillas which were so tasty, avocado salad with lettuce cakes etc. refried black beans and rice. The beef was sliced very thin but seasoned very well. $ 16.99. The other dish ordered was pollo guisado that was so flavorful (chicken stew (half a chicken breast and drum stick) with potatoes, carrots, coyote) black beans, rice and tortillas — I ordered the flour ones which were also homemade but the corn ones were better.
For an appetizer we tried the potato empanadas (3) which were recommended by our server. Who was so nice, helpful and attentive. The empanadas were served with a very tart pickled cabbage slaw. We also ordered 2 Tecate beers and a mango smoothie. The restaurant was very big and can seat a lot of patrons. There is a parking area behind the restaurant and you can also park on the street. Enjoyable Latin music played throughout our stay.
I really enjoyed this restaurant experience. Great food great service and friendly atmosphere. We will definitely stop in again when we are in the area.

My friends went here on Friday night & fell in LOVE. On Sunday night, they took us. I think they’re going back on Wednesday too.
Not incredibly vegetarian friendly but they said the rice & beans were vegetarian. They were pretty tasty as were the pupusas. The pupusas were a little flat and had less masa than I’ve had in the past but lots of filling. The pupusas were $ 2.80 each.
Homemade chips & salsa were not free but very good.
Boyfriend got the sampler plate (as did my friends) and LOVED it. I think it was $ 17. There was some kind of fried pork that he thought was divine. Also the plantains — yum! My friends got the tamales and said they were good but not as good as her moms (who is Salvadoran).
PS — did I mention STIFF drinks? Holy cow! (About $ 10 for drinks)
Really good food & something different (although kind of a sketchy parking lot). Will return.

Not bad, the service was fast and consistently checking up on our table.
I had the corn pupusa and it was good but I wasn’t sure what it was suppose to taste like because it was my first time. The corn one had a very soft almost mushy texture and the filling was similar to what you would see in a quesadilla.
We also had the tacos which came with your choice of meat and a lot of it!
The pollo (chicken) entrée was ok, the beans were better then ones I’ve had at other Mexican restaurants though and it came with a good amount of side veggies and rice.
This place had a lot of new things to try but is also a bit more spendy then I thought it would be.
Still good food overall!

This is one of those places that makes you pat yourself on the back for going in past a grubby-​looking exterior in search of the super-​rad food inside.
Stop patting yourself on the back for that, by the way. This place is great all around, and everyone should just eat here whenever they get the chance.
Not sure if it’s cool to park at the cheeba mart next door, but they were just about to close and there were tons of extra spots. So it’s not something I expect to get away with all the time. You will almost certainly see the signs for the commercial ganja before you see the sign for Tropicos, but that’s alright. There’s a little wooden deck out front, and they probably seat people out here during nice weather. Which will probably make it easier to find at those times.
Inside, there’s a gauntlet of booths leading away from a small bar, and toward a medium-​sized dining room. Probably seats 50 – 60 total. The dining room has the paint colors and light fixtures to make you feel like you’re sitting in a rustic beach cabana.
The menu is pretty extensive. Lots of pupusas, tamales, appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, and desserts. Every stage of the menu has a bunch of different interesting choices.
We had the molcajete, a pupusa, and a tamale. They wrap the tamales in banana leaves, rather than corn husks, which gives them a very interesting slight taste of earthiness. The dough is incredibly airy, easily the lightest tamale I have ever tried. So different from other tamales that it almost seems to be from a different food group.
The pupusa has a great chew and nuttiness to the dough, very appealing. Incredible bright jalapaneo flavors and perfect pull-​apart cheese. All goodness.
The mixto molcajete looked gigantic in the huge earthenware-​esque footed bowl, and was probably more food than two people needed, especially with the rice, beans, and tortillas alongside. Nothing was extravagantly seasoned or overly complex – just nice marinades, seasonings, and grill scoring for the cactus, prawns, whitefish, chicken, and carne asada. An awesome assortment of delights for $ 19. The black beans had fantastic flavors, with more character than beans ever have, and the white rice was pleasantly light and dry. The tortillas were clearly handmade from dough that was clearly scratch made. You don’t see this too many places. The waiter beamed under our compliments, and bragged that they don’t make the tortillas until they’re ordered. I definitely believe that.
The bar happily substituted rum for tequila in a margarita order, which came out with tart fruity salts on the rim, and big old tamarind pods floating on the ice cubes. Very tart and flavorful drink. I had a couple Pacificos, which are the cleanest and most dependable of the Mexican beers. Ended up being a meal that could easily make you feel as though you’re on vacation.

The restaurant was easy to find but parking in the back was hard to find late at night. Look for the transmission shop and turn into the street before that to find parking in the back.
It’s generally difficult to find good tamales that are moist and pupusas stuffed with fillings. Tropicos Breeze offers both. The sampler plate, consisting of choice of pupusas, choice of tamale, fried pork, fried plantain, 3 empanadas, and Yucca fries, is a good value but we weren’t too fond of the fried pork, yucca fries or fried plantain. The pork was dry and the plantain and yucca were bland.
We also ordered the Pollo Guisado, the entrée consisted of one white meat and one dark meat, potatoes, carrots and squash. The sauce was a bit on the salty side but went well with the rice. The dark meat was fall off the bone good but the white meat had bits of dry areas. Having the sauce helped.
What really impressed me was that everything seemed to be made fresh in the back. The corn tortillas were made fresh, the tamale was steamed in a banana leaf which helps retain the moisture of the masa to keep the masa moist. The empanadas were stuffed with beef and crispy on the outside. The pupusas were filled with gooey cheese and meat. The refried beans were homemade. Even the horchata was freshly made earlier in the day from rice and cinnamon and not the usual white looking made from powder.
Next time I’m in town I’d order just the appetizer items and tacos. Service is friendly and attentive, price is good for the homemade food and portion sizes are large.

La comida en este lugar es excelente. He venido muchas veces a este lugar y siempre me atienden muy bien.
Esta vez ordene unas pupusas, están recién hechas y el sabor inigualable, auténtico del Salvador. Recomiendo este lugar a todos los que quieran una pequeña probada en su paladar del Salvador !!