Añejo Restaurant and Tequila Bar ★★★★☆Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines. So when I saw that a there was a Mexican restaurant on the northside of Capitol Hill where my favorite dessert bar used to be, I knew I had to stop in. Añejo—aˈɲexo—opened in 2018 where Dilettante Chocolates had once been. (If you have trouble pronouncing it, here’s a helpful website that’ll sound it out for you: https://forvo.com/word/añejo/.)
I had fond memories at that Broadway location when I first moved to Seattle with a group of college friends. I was heartbroken to learn that they were closing. And now … there’s a Mexican restaurant. I had all of these thoughts going through my mind:
All of these thoughts compelled me to try Añejo to see if what they had to offer. I don’t always go to the north part of Broadway Ave on Capitol Hill. The Pine and Pike Corridor has the majority of restaurants, clubs, and stores to try out. When you get to this part of Broadway, it’s a lot quieter and less active. In addition to the deep, rich colors depicting a classical Mexican restaurant, the first thing I noticed was how big the space was and how few people they had. There were less than a handful of people scattered throughout the dining area, bar space, and outdoor patio. |
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I came in to a beaming employee. He seemed really excited to see me, greeted me with enthusiasm, and asked me where I’d like to sit. The sun was out and in Seattle when the sun is out, I want to be out. Seattle definitely rivals any hot-spot destination when the weather is good. So I decided on the empty patio area.
I looked through the menu—so far, so good. It had all of the classical dishes available: nachos (my favorite), burritos, street tacos, enchiladas, etc. I also noticed that they had the white cheese sauce on their menu. Being a mid-westerner, the white cheese sauce is a staple with any Hispanic food. I rarely see this on menus in the Pacific Northwest.
Their tequila/margarita menu was impressive. Not only did they have the classical margaritas, they had come out with their own blends. “What would you recommend to drink?” I asked my server. He pointed to their Ruby Red Margarita with Cucumber Infused Milagro, strawberry shrub, agave, chia seeds, orange and lime juices.
Done!
“What would you recommend for an entrée?” I asked. “I love nachos, but the enchiladas look really tasty too.”
As he began to describe and sell me on the enchiladas. I instantly thought to myself, if the service is any indicator of whether this place will be successful or not, THIS PLACE IS GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL. Not only was he extremely friendly, he also knew his product and was willing to recommend something on the spot.
(Don’t get me started on how I think every server should have a go-to recommendation list for their guests.)
The drink was wonderfully whimsical with a rim of sugar infused with different fruits and spices. SO GOOD! Definitely worth the recommendation.
Shortly afterwards, the food came out: a verde enchilada with Mexican rice and refried beans. Everything seems pretty standard, except for the refried beans. “Hmmm,” I thought to myself, “why is this made from black beans?” It seemed like an odd twist on a classical dish. Changing classics can be scary. Some people want to make a point and change things just to change things. In my experience, when this happens with food, it can either be really, REALLY bad or be just as good as the original. In that case, why alter anything for the same if not worse results?
I’m the kind of person who will eat the worst foods first and then end on the tastiest food. Growing up where I had to finish everything on my plate, this is the only way I could clear my plate and get up from the table.
I forced my fork over to the black-refried beans. Moment of truth … I tried them and to my utter amazement, they were the best refried beans I’ve EVER tasted. **P.S. Hyperbole is one of my favorite figures of speech, but this is no exaggeration.** This one bite was filled with so much flavor. It had a depth to it that normal refried beans lack. Normally, I use the refried beans as a glue to bring the rice and enchiladas together. This time, they were the star of the dish. The verde enchiladas were pretty tasty, but pretty standard. The beans put the dish over the top.
Halfway through the dish, the server/manager came over to see how everything was. “These beans are phenomenal!” I exclaimed and began asking him about the restaurant. We had a long conversation about Añejo’s short existence. It was started in 2018. He’s a cousin of the owners who also own a series of other Mexican food restaurants. A couple owned the original store, after separating, the woman owned one of restaurants and the man owner the other. Later their kids wanted to get involved and opened a couple others, Añejo being one of them.
Tony was easy to talk to as I got to know more about him and his family. I found out that their family is from a region in Mexico close to a sister-city of Kent, WA. Yet another connection point that Tony and I talked about.
Dear Añejo,
I wish you the best! I’m excited to see how you evolve over the next few years.
Matter of fact, I’m even thinking about how I can throw my next birthday party at your place.
If I have to single-handedly bring in every single customer, I will—JUST FOR THOSE BLACK-REFRIED BEANS.
Much Love,
Emerald City Reviewer
If you want to check it out, here is a bit of their info:
Añejo Restaurant and Tequila Bar
538 Broadway East
Seattle, WA, 98102
https://www.anejoseattle.com
(206) 420-8512
Hours:
Mon-Fri12pm-Midnight
Sat10am–Midnight
Sun10am–11pm
I looked through the menu—so far, so good. It had all of the classical dishes available: nachos (my favorite), burritos, street tacos, enchiladas, etc. I also noticed that they had the white cheese sauce on their menu. Being a mid-westerner, the white cheese sauce is a staple with any Hispanic food. I rarely see this on menus in the Pacific Northwest.
Their tequila/margarita menu was impressive. Not only did they have the classical margaritas, they had come out with their own blends. “What would you recommend to drink?” I asked my server. He pointed to their Ruby Red Margarita with Cucumber Infused Milagro, strawberry shrub, agave, chia seeds, orange and lime juices.
Done!
“What would you recommend for an entrée?” I asked. “I love nachos, but the enchiladas look really tasty too.”
As he began to describe and sell me on the enchiladas. I instantly thought to myself, if the service is any indicator of whether this place will be successful or not, THIS PLACE IS GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL. Not only was he extremely friendly, he also knew his product and was willing to recommend something on the spot.
(Don’t get me started on how I think every server should have a go-to recommendation list for their guests.)
The drink was wonderfully whimsical with a rim of sugar infused with different fruits and spices. SO GOOD! Definitely worth the recommendation.
Shortly afterwards, the food came out: a verde enchilada with Mexican rice and refried beans. Everything seems pretty standard, except for the refried beans. “Hmmm,” I thought to myself, “why is this made from black beans?” It seemed like an odd twist on a classical dish. Changing classics can be scary. Some people want to make a point and change things just to change things. In my experience, when this happens with food, it can either be really, REALLY bad or be just as good as the original. In that case, why alter anything for the same if not worse results?
I’m the kind of person who will eat the worst foods first and then end on the tastiest food. Growing up where I had to finish everything on my plate, this is the only way I could clear my plate and get up from the table.
I forced my fork over to the black-refried beans. Moment of truth … I tried them and to my utter amazement, they were the best refried beans I’ve EVER tasted. **P.S. Hyperbole is one of my favorite figures of speech, but this is no exaggeration.** This one bite was filled with so much flavor. It had a depth to it that normal refried beans lack. Normally, I use the refried beans as a glue to bring the rice and enchiladas together. This time, they were the star of the dish. The verde enchiladas were pretty tasty, but pretty standard. The beans put the dish over the top.
Halfway through the dish, the server/manager came over to see how everything was. “These beans are phenomenal!” I exclaimed and began asking him about the restaurant. We had a long conversation about Añejo’s short existence. It was started in 2018. He’s a cousin of the owners who also own a series of other Mexican food restaurants. A couple owned the original store, after separating, the woman owned one of restaurants and the man owner the other. Later their kids wanted to get involved and opened a couple others, Añejo being one of them.
Tony was easy to talk to as I got to know more about him and his family. I found out that their family is from a region in Mexico close to a sister-city of Kent, WA. Yet another connection point that Tony and I talked about.
Dear Añejo,
I wish you the best! I’m excited to see how you evolve over the next few years.
Matter of fact, I’m even thinking about how I can throw my next birthday party at your place.
If I have to single-handedly bring in every single customer, I will—JUST FOR THOSE BLACK-REFRIED BEANS.
Much Love,
Emerald City Reviewer
If you want to check it out, here is a bit of their info:
Añejo Restaurant and Tequila Bar
538 Broadway East
Seattle, WA, 98102
https://www.anejoseattle.com
(206) 420-8512
Hours:
Mon-Fri12pm-Midnight
Sat10am–Midnight
Sun10am–11pm
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