Attention local taco experts: Tacos Cometa now burning brightly on Broadway

Like most legends, there are some apocryphal stories about Broadway’s Tacos Cometa — and more than a few local taco experts looking to bring the legend down. The tacos definitely will put up a fight.

Some might tell you there’s only one choice of meat. They are correct, though “only” isn’t quite the best way to put it. The Tacos Cometa carne asada isn’t “only” anything. It’s the star of Cometa. If you are into “choice,” you can choose the format: tacos, quesadillas, or the sauced vampiros.

Your local taco expert also might be missing out on a doubling of the Tacos Cometa universe. Cometa’s grilled oyster mushroom tacos, quesadilla, and vampiros might shine even brighter.

If you are in luck, you can also grab a sweet treat like the brown butter chocolate chip cookies or Corn-Cacao chocolate pudding.

The new taqueria debuted this month at Broadway and Pine just around the corner from where brothers Rey and Osiel Gastelum grew a devoted following over the last year on the edge of Cal Anderson Park as part of the neighborhood’s wild — and delicious — nightlife street food scene.

A community-backed plan helped raise the funding they needed to grow the concept into a full taqueria. The buildout converted the former Old Street Malatang space into a bright taco joint with counter service and plenty of booths where you can grab a Mexican beer or a Jarritos and hang out a while.

The tacos weigh in at $5.95 a pop.

Tacos Cometa’s neighbors across from Seattle Central include FOB Poke Bar, the Venezuelan deliciousness of Paparepas, and Shawarma Shack. Meanwhile, the backside of the building is home to the famed omakase of Ltd Edition Sushi.

Judging by the response to Cometa, their plans to do more than sell tacos in Seattle might come sooner than later.

The original plan for the Gastelum brothers was to make their name in Seattle’s street food scene with outstanding tacos while gathering resources and shaping a fine dining venture that would celebrate their Sinaloan culture and the seafood of their new Pacific Northwest home.

“Maybe we will have a fine dining restaurant here some day,” Rey Gastelum told CHS earlier this year. “The taco stand just happened. Things have shifted a little bit.”

For now, the Tacos Cometa legend is growing on Broadway taking on one local taco expert at a time.

Visit Tacos Cometa at 1620 Broadway. Learn more at tacoscometa.com.

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