It’s not easy to find an authentic Mexican restaurant north of California. But if you’re ever in the Pacific Northwest (or just in the vicinity of Seattle or Vancouver), La Gloria Restaurant is definitely worth the trip if you’re craving authentic (and cheap) Mexican food. It’s a tiny, well-kept, working class kind-of-joint, run by extremely friendly Mexicans, many who don’t speak English (the menu only recently changed to English), and filled with local Latino clientele. Once you enter, you’ll quickly realize that this place is no Taco Bell, and the food here is the real deal. Everything at La Gloria’s is homemade, from their thick and perfectly salted tortilla chips to fresh corn tortillas and tamale.
Highlights include antojitos, or Mexican street food, including tacos, tostadas, and of course, the pambazo, a soft sandwich bread dipped in red guajillo pepper sauce and filled with your choice of meat, potatoes with chorizo, refried beans, lettuce, salsa, and cotija cheese – in summary, it’s a sandwich you’ll want to stuff extras in your pocket for later.
Attached to the restaurant is a Mexican grocery store, La Gloria Market, where you can buy fresh tortillas, meats, breads, and other Mexican goodies, even south of the border cowboy boots and pinatas. La Gloria’s is one of those local joints run by immigrant families showcasing the best of their homemade, native cuisine and who you want to see do well (and support by happily eating everything on their menu!).
La Gloria Restaurant
Address: #100 – 4140 Meridian Street, Bellingham, Washington 98226, USA
Phone: 1-360-733-9102
Website