Koko's (restaurant)

Koko's
Exterior of the restaurant in Seattle in 2024
Restaurant information
Food type	Latin American Mexican Salvadoran
State	Washington
Country	United States
Website	kokos-restaurant.com

Koko's Restaurant & Tequila Bar, or simply Koko's, is a small chain of restaurants in the U.S. state of Washington. The business has operated in the Pacific City / Seabrook area, as well as Olympia and Seattle. Koko's serves Latin American, Mexican, and Salvadoran cuisine such as burritos, enchiladas, fried plantains, guacamole, tacos, and tortilla soup, and has garnered a positive reception.

Description

Koko's is a small chain of restaurants in the U.S. state of Washington: the original restaurant, which has also been described as a tequila bar,[1] operates in the Pacific City / Seabrook area, and the business has also operated in Olympia and Seattle. According to Fodor's, the original restaurant has high ceilings and reclaimed wood.[2]

Menu

Koko's serves modern Latin American,[3] Mexican,[4][5] and Salvadoran cuisine.[6] The menu includes burritos and tostadas,[7] steak tacos, poblano-cashew enchiladas, fried plantains,[8] and cocktails,[4] including mojitos[7] as well as spicy[9] and strawberry margaritas.[10][11][12] The restaurant has also served a "Mexican poke bowl" with yellowfin tuna, mango, and edamame, as well as carne asada and chicken flautas,[13] tortilla soup,[1] guacamole, and a cucumber-cilantro margarita.[11] The Morati is a martini with mezcal, muddled blueberries, lime juice, and organic agave nectar.[7] Mexican hot chocolate is among drink options on the brunch menu.[8]

History

Interior of the Seattle location, 2024

Koko's is owned by partners Gibran Moreno Ventura and Alexi Torres.[8] Moreno and Torres opened Koko's Lounge on Fourth Avenue East in Olympia in 2020, serving Mexican and Salvadoran cuisine.[6]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Koko's pledged to donate thousands of burritos to support food programs in the area, in collaboration with the Seabrook Community Foundation.[14][15][16]

Reception

In Moon Olympic Peninsula, Jeff Burlingame said the coast location "offers great food in a fun setting" and called the menu "both fresh and a little different".[13] Koko's was included in Seattle Metropolitan's 2023 list of Washington's best restaurants.[17] In a similar 2024 list, the magazine's Allison Williams and Allecia Vermillion said Koko's has the "ability to wield American influence (kale salad, a chorizo burger) without dumbing things down".[8] In 2024, Tim Davis of WestSound Magazine said Koko's was among three "proper" sit-down eateries in Seabrook, writing: "The restaurant with a buzz was Koko's. Both friends who had stayed here and locals we spoke with sang praises to this modern Latin restaurant, and Koko’s didn't disappoint. While the other restaurants were decidedly quiet on our midweek September visit, Koko's was full up and lively, with many waiting for a table."[18]

• 
  Breakfast Burrito
• 
  Carnitas Benedict
• 
  Chilaquiles
• 
  Koko's Breakfast

See also

• List of Mexican restaurants

References

1. "Girlfriends' Getaway". 425magazine.com. 2021-07-21. Archived from the original on 2021-11-26. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
2. Fodor's Pacific Northwest: Portland, Seattle, Vancouver & the Best of Oregon and Washington. Fodor's Travel. 2023-09-19. ISBN 978-1-64097-627-6. Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
3. Ausley, Christina (2020-06-05). "Washington's Seabrook reopens, sets example for local travel". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on 2024-05-26. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
4. Neidigh, Kate (2024-03-16). "5 PNW family-friendly getaways to book now for spring and summer". Seattle Refined. Archived from the original on 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
5. "Central Washington coast: Seabrook and beyond | Provided by Western Washington Toyota Dealers". The Seattle Times. 2022-04-27. Archived from the original on 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
6. Boone, Rolf (2020-07-24). "Koko's Lounge Opens, Waterside Cafe closes for 2 weeks and Scotty B's calls it quits". The Olympian. Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
7. "Eat, Drink, Play in Seabrook". Sip Magazine. 2022-06-28. Archived from the original on 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
8. "The Best Restaurants in Washington State". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
9. Sinks, James (2022-03-24). "Stunning Seabrook". 1859 Oregon's Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
10. Hanson, Kelly (2024-01-24). "A guide to Seabrook, WA! PLUS a giveaway!🌊☀️ | Local Lens Seattle". king5.com. Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
11. Whiting, Corinne (2022-04-07). "Two trips to the Olympic Peninsula that promise adventure and connection". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
12. Sayler, Zoe (2024-02-20). "Property Watch: The Seabrook Founders' Original Home". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
13. Moon Publications:
    • Burlingame, Jeff (2021-05-18). Moon Olympic Peninsula: Coastal Getaways, Rainforests & Waterfalls, Hiking & Camping. Avalon Publishing. ISBN 978-1-64049-441-1. Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
    • Burlingame, Jeff (2024-02-06). Moon Olympic Peninsula: With Olympic National Park: Coastal Getaways, Rainforests & Waterfalls, Hiking & Camping. Avalon Publishing. ISBN 978-1-64049-999-7. Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
14. Hammock, Dan (2020-03-31). "Seabrook Foundation buys ventilators, teams with eateries to feed the North Beach". The Daily World. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
15. Ausley, Christina (2020-04-28). "How one Washington beach town is making a big difference, and surviving, in wake of COVID-19". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on 2022-06-25. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
16. Norvell, Kelsey (2020-05-15). "Koko's Restaurant Teams up with Seabrook Community Foundation to Feed Families on the North Beach During COVID-19". GraysHarborTalk. Archived from the original on 2023-01-29. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
17. "Local restaurants featured among "Best Restaurants in Washington"". KXRO News Radio. 2023-02-08. Archived from the original on 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
18. Davis, Tim (2024-02-02). "WSMAG.NET | Seabrook — A Bucolic Destination on the Washington Coast | Featured, People & Places | February 2, 2024". WestSound Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-05-26.

External links

• Official website