Our History

A Kitchen With Two Homes

At Poquitos we serve Mexican cuisine built from the best of both worlds. Our meats and produce come from outstanding Pacific Northwest growers and ranchers. The ingredients essential to honoring the culinary traditions of Mexico we source directly, from the people who make them. Our menu travels rather than settling in one region: fresh guacamole, coastal ceviche, pork carnitas, seasonal margaritas, and a tequila and mezcal list built for exploring.

The Sign

Our name came from the sign. The original neon was salvaged in South Seattle, where it had hung outside a Mexican restaurant on Greenwood Avenue until the early 1980s. The proprietor pictured on it was known for strolling the dining room with his guitar, serenading guests table by table. That sign still glows above our door on East Pike, and the spirit of the man on it is the standard we hold ourselves to.

The Room

Poquitos opened in 2011 in a space that took years to assemble. Founders James Weimann and Deming Maclise began collecting light fixtures and design elements well before the doors opened, then traveled to Puebla and Mexico City in search of more, keeping the Spanish colonial influence on Mexican design in mind. Among what they brought back were the more than 15,000 handmade Talavera tiles that line our walls and kitchen. Combined with the metalwork, the woodwork, and the original construction, the result is a room unlike any other in Seattle. Fifteen years later, it still stops people at the door.

The Next Chapter

In 2026, Poquitos came under new local ownership. Saulo Cruz, a Seattle restaurateur, leads the restaurant day to day, with his business partner Taisa Gheller. Between them they bring years of building and running businesses in this city, and a shared conviction that Poquitos is worth protecting.

Poquitos remains what it has always been. A neighborhood restaurant where the tequila is taken seriously, the welcome is warm, and there is a seat for everyone.