La Isla

This is my new favorite restaurant in Port Townsend. We came in with four adults and a toddler with a stroller. We sat in the front by the bar cause we didn't realize they had a back dining room. We ate chips and salsa and then asked to move to the back and they didn't mind but I felt bad for dirtying two tables. The back dining room by the patio was so cozy and had lots of space for the stroller. The decor is pretty and the view is great. The chips, salsa, and pico was delicious. Our food was amazing. I got a taco salad and it was the best I've ever had. They don't add beans and rice so it wasn't soggy on the bottom. Just lettuce, tomato, guac, sour cream, and carne asada which was perfectly charred and fatty. Also they give you a ton of guacamole. My husband got a burrito with carne asada and it was amazing they have great quality meat and they know how to cook it. They staff was so friendly and kind too.

If you want substandard, way overpriced Mexican food,,, this is your place! The margaritas are weak and again, way overpriced. The food is inconsistent and also way overpriced. I've been there 3 times really craving some good Mexican food, but the third time wasn't a charm. The food is meh and the service, just depends on the time of day and who you get for a server but never more than okay. Having spent many years in the industry I can look at the people working there and see they just really could care less. They have a captive audience and that's how they run their business. So from now on I'll take the extra couple of minutes and drive up Sims Way and they have excellent Mexican food and killer margaritas!

The service was really friendly and fast. The interior cleanliness and food were just ok in my opinion, but I give them 4 stars just for the service and location. The food was a mixed bag for me. Some things being really good like the enchiladas, but the nachos where just kind if a hot mess. Does have a nice authentic feel to it, but just ok food.

Port Townsend is a cool place to hang out. For me, there is nothing better than a walk around a marina. For my girlfriend, there is a used building materials store. For an adventure, there is the scariest ferry in Washington. But, Port Townsend is far from a food mecca. There are plenty of restaurants with a wide variety of food, but there is nothing that makes you go, “Wow!” Prove me wrong. I have to be up there a lot these days and would love a great recommendation. La Isla is typical of what I have found up there. The restaurant is reasonably clean, the staff wears masks and claims to make customers do the same, the decor is just what you expect from a casual Mexican lunch place. I went in there the other day after a frustrating morning of working on my sailboat. I was tired and a bit grumpy, so maybe that is why things didn’t quite measure up to what I wanted. I ordered the taquitos. I’ve had millions of these from the frozen food aisle at Trader Joe’s. I was intrigued to see what freshly made ones would be like. The waitress brought out a bowl of chips and salsa. I can’t resist chips and salsa. Bring me three chips - I’ll eat them. Bring me a hundred chips - I eat every one of them. I’m not too picky, but I have been noticing a trend recently. The chips have been getting thinner. In the case of La Isla, so has the salsa. I admit that I ate them all, but they could have been better. My lunch came out, carried by a gruff guy who looked like he had just come out of the kitchen after cleaning the grease traps. He gave the usual warning about the hot plate and plopped down my food. There were three taquitos beside a tiny pool of refried beans and a bit of rice. I love refried beans and rice. These tasted fine, but I would have liked more. Lots more. There was also a scoop of sour cream on the plate. I like my Mexican food spicy and I use the sour cream to recover from the bite of a good chili. Alas, this plate did not need the sour cream on it. The taquitos were much better than the frozen ones, but not very exciting. The carnitas didn’t have much flavor and there were none of the crispy bits that make carnitas so special. As for spice - well there wasn’t any. If you like your Mexican food safe, you might enjoy these. The waitress came back in time to clear my plate (Yes, it was empty - more because I was hungry than because it was irresistible). She was pleasant enough. Hopefully, she will stay around so they can keep the other guy out of sight.