Viva Matador!! All Bull no S**T. Clearly a win for the Matador guys. I kinda like the "put the tort in tortilla" tagline!

This thing is pretty silly, IMO. Honestly the majority of the folks that'll go to Pesos will never go to Matador (and vice versa) just based on the fact that one's in QA and one's in Ballard.

Mexico should sue Pesos for stealing their ideas.

Condo. Condo. Condo.

Oh boy, you've gone done it now aptgal!

Very funny comments! What a refreshing change. And not one mention of "condos". Yay!

Greetings my fellow "MyBallardians" please join me at my new bar that I'm calling Pescador!!
8^)

Does anyone own a L-shaped couch? Cuz if so, I'm suing you.

I think Peso's looks awful from the outside. I've never been inside and probably never will. I like Matador and think Peso's is being petty. Neither place is that original looking.

Peso's is a wretched, wretched place. I lived in Queen Anne for about a year, and visited twice in my tenure in the neighborhood. Both times, we were served by the most vapid L.A.-Paris Hilton-wannabe girls. Not only did it take 35 minutes to get a cup of guacemole and chips, but everytime the waitress came to our table, we caught her checking herself out in the reflection of the window rather than listening to us (like when we were placing our order). I'm sure that's the reason the clientele is what it is, all the waitress had one certain physical aspect in common... and I'm pretty sure you could guess what it is. Just a shitty little bar / restaurant, and I could really care less about this whole lawsuit, as I would never go to either establishment anyway.

Coke and Pepsi, blah blah blah.

Neighbor - speaking for Old Ballard, yes it is our duty to rip on anyone who is richer, smarter or fancier than ourselves, the only true Ballardites.

Not only that, we also cheer the collapse of the economy with millions of working class folks being thrown out of work, condos going unsold, town homes not being built, people going into bankruptcy. We cheer this on simply because it confirms our own, sad world view.

Good point, Neighbor.

I, personally, will continue to support Matador, but will also continue my non-support of Peso's based on their clientele and general atmosphere.

I have no idea which side to side with here, but I find it shameful to rip on local businesses at a time when any business with a consumer presence is struggling just to keep its doors open. Should we cheer the downfall of Matador so a Claim Jumper can move into its location quicker?

That is great. The owners of the Matador treat their employees horribly, and they lack originality. Hopefully the empire they are trying to create starts to unravel rapidly.

$285,000 is equal to 3.68 Million Pesos... which sounds way better.

Pesos was freaking awesome until all the loudmouth yuppie frat boys showed up. Now, I stay at least a mile away from there.

I lived in lower Queen Anne in the 90s when Peso's first opened and I loved it. ($2 tacos!! No TVs in the bar!) Then the frat boys started showing up and it was no longer the hip bar it once was.

When I moved to Ballard in 2002 and Matador opened a few years later, I thought, "Wow! This looks a lot like Pesos! I wonder what the story is?" I indeed found out the Matador guy had ripped off the Peso's look (and by the way, a bartender at Peso's told me Peso's margarita recipe was ripped off from Red Robin when the owner worked there years ago, so "borrowing" must be a theme here)... anyway, I thought it was odd that it was such a blatant design and food concept rip-off.

What's sad now is that Peso's waited until Matador became successful with five locations before he went looking for money. He should've done it when Matador first opened and then he wouldn't look as bad as he does now, IMO.

Meh I agree! Any place we can't afford to eat in is clearly overpriced!

remember the 2 parties decided to settle out of court...it was their decision and they both seem ok about it, so lets just drink and be merry

from article"

But before the judge could rule on the case, the two parties decided to settle. Hutmacher's attorney, Daniel Woo, says the agreement is still being finalized, but so far Opper and his partners have agreed to change the look of the walls, tabletops, and bar and some of the decorations at the Ballard location—the one which most closely resembles Peso's. Additionally, the names of some menu items will be changed, and no new Matadors will open in most of Seattle or Bellevue for the next three years. On top of those changes, the parties are moving toward agreement on a cash settlement that should range from $250,000 to $285,000, with the money going to Peso's.

Lieberworth says he's happy with the outcome. Meanwhile, says Woo, "When we started the lawsuit, really money wasn't the main point. It was for changes

In his initial statement Hutmacher claimed that Matador had used the same metal work artists as Peso's and that Opper's initial menu was nearly identical to Peso's.

So rather than make the Matador rip out the metalwork along with the menu changes, they negotiated other decor changes and a cash payment? I'm just trying to make some sense of this because Peso's can't possibly think they "created" this style.

I'm craving a bartender's margarita and nachos.

Readers of myballard knew the story behind the lawsuit. It was posted a while ago. Should the owner of the Matador used better judgment? Yes. Should have had changed recipes/decor? Maybe But what does Peco's need with 100,000?

I imagine Matador agreed to it because lawyer fees and such would have been a lot of money. I imagine Peco's had a good case against them.

Still, I have an urge to visit Matador more.

sounds like whether we like it or not, it has been settled, not knowing the details we will just have to go with it. I love the Matador, great happy hour, and I am sure they will recover well, they are quite popular. The Italian place that was there, became the SeaBreeze, which is now Hamburger Harry's and I belive they opened a new Italian place on 65th and 8th. Can't remembr the name, but never cared for the food, staff or atmosphere, but if you miss it, now you can find it!

I really miss the Italian place that used to be at that spot.

Sounds like Pesos is having a rough time and looking for anyway to make a buck or 100,000 of em.

I always try to walk in other people's shoes, if I can. Please read the Ballard News Tribune article first... I read it several weeks ago... it gives way more detail than what is written here.
The Matador guy worked with and for the owner of Pesos. He decided to leave and create a new restaurant which at the time was not going to be anything like what Matador is today. Then... he, sort of last minute, decided to change a lot of the details and made Matador look VERY similar and taste similar to Pesos.
If you created a "brand" of shoes with a partner, that partner left, created a "brand" of shoes, but changed the color and name, then sold it to the public in same city... wouldn't you be a bit pissed?!?!? I would. ... It's called stealing...
I like Matador, I've been there many times, and I'll be disappointed to see the proposed changes. I'll still go there. But it's only good business to make these proposed changes. If every business partner that left, created the same business with MINOR changes, then we'd live in a pretty boring world, with a lot of pissed off business people.

Matador is overpriced and their wait staff is rude. Not surprised to see this at all.

Votive candles? How are those unique to Peso's?

doesn't settlement infer that the owner of Matador in fact settled and agreed to the terms?

Pesoso has claim to "Day of the Dead" decor? Are they kidding?

Pesos is just mad because the Matador took a concept and ran with it. Before this lawsuit I never heard of Pesos, and I sure won't be going now.

BTW, only been to Matador once, but I'll be going again soon to support them...

Seriously... how is this a WIN for Pesos? Are the people that go to the Matador going to look around and be pissed that there is no Day of the Dead decor and missing sconces and hoof it over to Queen Anne to go to Pesos for their fix? Lame.

in other news: Mexico sues all U.S. Mexican restaurants; Italy said to be next

What's next? Little red and white checkered table cloths at Italian joints??? Petty...

Banning Day of the Dead decor? Someone tell Mexico before Pesos sues.

Pesos officially sucks.

Wow, they made it stick! But in the end, both places are totally stupid so who really gives a crap?

This is absurd. I expect Azteca to file suit against Pesos next.

That is insane. Remind me not to go to Peco's.

I for one expect all my decor to be unique, new and fresh.

Thank goodness that we are all being protected from their knock-off decor.

moneyhungrymuch.

wow...that is really lame!

That's potentially a lot of money for a lot of tacky!
I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. ;-)