Situ Tacos

If you laugh in the face of soft tacos, Situ is your new personal Disneyland. The menu at this Mexican-Lebanese counter spot focuses on deep-fried, corn tortilla-wrapped stuff—and the result is not just a symphony of crunches, it’s an asset to Ballard Ave’s dinner scene. There are perfectly crisp, almost-burnt chips with Seattle’s contender for best guacamole, nachos topped with beans that could stop time, and exceptional carnitas rolled up into taquitos. But the fried tacos held together by toothpicks deserve praise, too. They’re filled with the likes of nutty Lebanese brown butter beef, garlicky potato puree, or spicy roasted cauliflower with chickpea mash (our favorite). Come and go as you please either at the front counter or by the disco ball-lit back bar, where gin-spiked frozen rosé flows like water. Just remember—and if you don’t, posted signs will remind you—“Don’t eat the f*cking toothpicks.”