Happiness is...Malena's Taco Shop

Malena's Taco Shop, in Ballard, is pretty popular in my repertoire of places I dine.  I would say I eat there, at the very least, once every two weeks and more often if I have to be in the neighborhood.  Thank goodness I have friends who live in the area, but I would still travel out of my way, way out of my way, to eat there.

The interior is nothing fancy, actually it is pretty plain, but it is always clean.  There is no table service, you order at the counter, but they do bring the food out to you.  There is a self-service soda fountain with good ice and free refills.  You've got Tapatio hot sauce on every table, most of the time the only music you will hear is coming from the radio in the kitchen, and if you eat there you get a basket of store bought chips and a pot of pretty decent salsa.

What keeps me coming back is the delicious Hard Chicken Tacos! 

Chicken Tacos is all I ever get.  Forget the beans.  Forget the rice.  All I want is a paper plate with three of the most delicious Chicken Hard Tacos. 

There is not much to them, just a perfectly fried corn tortilla stuffed full with lightly seasoned shredded chicken and topped off with a hearty amount of crisp iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and a sprinkling of grated white cheese (could be cotija, could be parmesan, it doesn't matter because it's good).  That's it.

The tacos aren't spicy (that's what the Tapatio is for), there is no onion, no cilantro, no peppers.  Just plain and simple, fresh and good. 

I just love them.  I would like them now.  Maybe tomorrow.

I hear that the Carnitas Tacos are really good, as well as the Carne Asada Tacos, but I may never know.

Malena's Taco Shop - urbanspoon