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Home / Insider Blogs / Food & Hidden Gems / Bellingham’s Black Sheep Delivers Delicious Tacos

Bellingham’s Black Sheep Delivers Delicious Tacos

By Lauren Kramer / December 30, 2019

Business at Black Sheep, Downtown Bellingham’s premier taco and cocktail bar, is booming. The adult restaurant and bar on Holly street became so popular that owners Charlie Pasquire and Chas Kubis had no choice but to move a couple doors down and double their seating capacity six months ago. “We wanted to create the kind of place where we ourselves would want to come,” said Kubis of the rationale for opening in November 2017.


  • Black Sheep Old Location 1 1
  • Black Sheep Old Location 3

The two have seen some radical changes to their corner of downtown since they first opened Goat Mountain Pizza in August 2012 (now closed). Back then neighboring businesses included a video rental store and a comic shop.

Today, the upscale Camber Coffee is a neighbor and the northwest quadrant of downtown Bellingham is home to an increasing selection of new, adult-oriented restaurants and bars, including Saltine and Bantam46.

Part of Black Sheep’s success is the atmosphere created by General Manager Brendan O’Neil, said Kubis.

“Brendan creates an atmosphere people love at Black Sheep, with good drinks and great tacos. Our customer service is a point of pride for us and we have a culture that emphasizes being proactive, being analytical and getting service right.”


  • Black Sheep Downtown Bellingham2
  • Black Sheep Downtown Bellingham Restaurant (4)

Equally important is the food emerging from the kitchen under the watchful eyes of Chef Natalie McCammon. The tacos are inexpensive at $3-$4 each and three tacos constitutes a substantial meal. We tried the seared rockfish ($4), the carne asada ($4) and the roasted sweet potato & cauliflower taco ($3). Each one had its own distinct flavors. The rockfish was served with jalapeno-lime cream, cilantro and guacamole, while the carne asada, the restaurant’s top seller, comes with pico de gallo, a great complement to the seared flank steak. The veggie taco with cotija, onion and sweet corn salsa was also a hit. Washed down with one of Black Sheep’s classic cocktails or margaritas and the tacos make a great, light lunch or dinner. They come with three house-made salsas and diners can add a bowl of house-made chips for $2.


  • Black Sheep Downtown Bellingham Restaurant (3)
  • Black Sheep Downtown Bellingham Restaurant 1 1
  • Black Sheep Downtown Bellingham Restaurant (8)

I watched with envy as the ahi tuna tostada emerged from the kitchen, vowing to order that one on my next visit. The $10 taco is on special right now and constitutes a large serving of coriander slaw with avocado, radish, cilantro and lime. It looked amazing.

“Our customers know which tacos they love and they tend to order the same thing consistently,” says Kubis. “That makes it harder for us when we introduce something new – we really have to market it hard to get people to try it!”

Walk inside Black Sheep and you’re immediately taken by its funky, fun atmosphere and décor. There are outdoor lights suspended over the rectangular restaurant and large pieces of art by daytime bartender Jared Wartman adorning the brick wall. Kubis and Pasquire hired their friend Chris Lett to build a 30-foot gleaming wooden bar and decorated it with silver backing. Hanging plants drop long, decorative fronds down the walls and the vibe is friendly, casual and firmly adult-oriented.

This is a great place to relax, eat and watch the world go by, and you only have to spend a few minutes inside to understand why.

  • Address: 211 W. Holly St., Bellingham
  • Phone: (360) 526-2109
  • Website: blacksheepbellingham.com

Black Sheep Downtown Bellingham

Wanna dig in the local food scene some more?

  • Bellingham’s Makeworth Market a Welcoming Place to Chill
  • Ferndale’s Leader Block Delivers a Taste of Italy
  • Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and a Fresh Oyster Experience in Blaine
  • Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant in Bellingham: Serving food from around “The Boot”
  • Walking Guide to 4 Bellingham Breweries from Baker to the Bay

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Filed Under: Food & Hidden Gems, Insider Blogs Tagged With: black sheep restaurant, local food in Bellingham, Tacos in Bellingham, things to do in Bellingham WA, where to eat in Bellingham, where to eat in downtown Bellingham

About Lauren Kramer

With one foot in Richmond, BC and the other planted firmly in Bellingham, WA Lauren Kramer is an award-winning writer and mother with a passion for the Pacific Northwest's unique offerings.

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Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism
Visitor Center Located at I-5 Exit 253
904 Potter Street, Bellingham, WA 98229

Hours: Due to COVID-19, the Visitor Center is open limited hours: Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10am-3pm. Masks required.

Phone: 360-671-3990
Email: tourism@bellingham.org

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