Pecado Bueno has been serving up Mexican fare in Seattle’s Fremont and Eastlake neighborhoods since 2011 — and now its adding new, citrusy flavors to the party.

The affordable, counter-service restaurant just debuted its ceviche bar with 17 rotating dishes influenced by tangy Peruvian-style ceviche + spicy Mexican-inspired shrimp ceviche.

For Pecado Bueno CEO and founder James Schmidt — who also co-founded Taco Del Mar — the menu addition is a personal venture that's been years in the making.

"I've been saying to my staff for five years that we were going to do this ceviche bar," says Schmidt. "I finally told the cooks that I'd come in here every night, make ceviches for 60 days, find what works, and then hand it off to them."

Schmidt spent the last several years building up his reservoir of ceviche recipes from cookbooks, online forums, and some of his staff's personal favorites.

Pecado Bueno founder James Schmidt is dusting off his fave ceviche recipes that he's been keeping in the reserves over the last decade. | Photo by SEAtoday staff

Here's what we tried:

Tuna Watermelon Ceviche | Fresh watermelon, cubed tuna, red onions, and cilantro are tossed in a succulent mixture of sambal oelek + yuzu, lemon, and lime juices. Schmidt makes his own sugared orange peels for the finishing garnish.
Silverio’s Camaron Ceviche | This dish's namesake is Pecado Bueno's own chef Silverio, who pitched his smokey Mexican ceviche recipe to Schmidt. Spoiler alert: it made the cut.

In addition to Pecado Bueno's take on simple, flavor-packed taqueria eats, the menu also offers Mexican-inspired craft cocktails like its Oaxacan Old Fashioned + $4 house margaritas.

Here are some deals to cash in on for your next visit:

Happy Hour | Monday-Saturday, 3-5 p.m. | Sip on $7 well cocktails and house wine while munching on a $7 quesadilla (chicken, pork, or squash) and $6 bottomless chips and salsa.
Taco Tuesday | Tuesday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Buy two tacos, get one free.
Lunch specials | Daily, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Choose your own combo from options including tacos, chips, burritos, taco soup, and half salads for only $13.

Chow down from the restaurant's year-round patio seating + stop by for recurring community events like karaoke, trivia, open mic nights, and live music. For Schmidt, the community aspects are just as pivotal as the food quality.

"That's what makes this place special," says Schmidt. "Making good tacos is important, but it's not hard — it's the other stuff, the little things that matter."

Looking for more local dining deals? Check out our happy hour guide + where to find meals for $15 or less in Seattle.