Lupe’s Situ Tacos (5239 Ballard Ave NW) will soon be featured in an episode of Guy Fieri’s TV show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
Situ Tacos, which Esquire named one of the country’s best new restaurants in 2025, will be in the Friday, Sept. 11 episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” airing at 9 p.m. PST.
“What ensued was a wild, hilarious, and altogether unexpectedly strange day that needed to end in us closing for a mandatory staff party to debrief in a margarita-filled pool,” owner Lupe Flores shared on Instagram.
The filming happened in early August, when Fieri’s red 1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible was spotted in both Ballard and Fremont. Along with Situ Tacos, Fieri was seen outside of Local Tide, a Fremont restaurant owned by Victor Steinbrueck (who will soon open his new spot on Ballard Ave called GoodMart).
“It was definitely a last-minute unexpected thing, which is kind of the MO for our business the entire time,” Flores told My Ballard, saying they had to close for a day and a half and ended up inviting friends to act as patrons for the shoot.
“All of the miniature successes we’ve had along the way have just caused us to adapt to ensure we maintain the quality of our food and culture,” Flores added, at the same time acknowledging that more exposure is a mixed bag. “It seems the more attention we get, the more people try and take us down. But I’m getting a thicker skin in the process,” she said.
“More than all of the haters, we have a bunch of folks from the community coming out to support and congratulate us,” Flores added, which she said she’s grateful for.
Flores says they’ll be throwing a watch party in their back bar on Sept. 11 if you want to join them.
Photo: Situ Tacos