The Matador (restaurant)
The Matador is an American chain of Mexican restaurants based in Seattle. It was started in 2004 by Nate Opper and Zak Melang.
The chain has had locations in Seattle and Portland, Oregon, as well as Boise and Meridian, Idaho, and Denver. By 2016, there were also spots in Redmond and Tacoma, Washington.
Boise opened in 2010, and Denver’s Highland neighborhood location opened in 2013, offering more than 100 tequilas. The Ballard location in Seattle briefly closed in 2016 because of an E. coli outbreak. The Denver restaurant closed permanently in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Redmond’s Matador serves lunch and dinner with a strong tequila focus. The brand is known for decorative ironwork and bull skulls designed by Zak Melang, who also creates the bars and tabletops.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:51 (CET).