Quick service, cold beer and sports monitors throughout the space. If you are itching to watch some tv sports in a large venue with cold drinks, good food and a crowd this is your space. Not really noisy w a lot of talking but it's a sports bar and not a place for a quiet date. We saw several couples come in, sit, look around and leave. If you aren't into sports this is not your space. Good vantage points to the monitors throughout the space and did I mention the beer? read more

J'aime beaucoup ce restaurant que j'ai tenté un soir où il ventait pas mal et pleuvait donc le restaurant n'était pas plein et les serveurs/serveuses juste pour nous. L'endroit est très joli situ sur la rue saint Denis. La terrasse agréable mais vu le temps je n'y suis resté que 10min. L'hygiène était au rendez vous. Leurs entrées furent délicieuses tout comme les tacos. Le toit accompagné d'un vin rosé et c'était parfait. Très très bon rapport qualité prix. A refaire! read more

Caifan Tacos Bar - Mexican Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Did you know that Chef Eduardo Acosta Blanco, discovered his passion for cooking after working as a teenager in a cafeteria at the company where his father worked at in Mexico... as punishment for getting into trouble during high school? Fast forward a few years, he joined the team at Montreal's Tapeo, where he worked for 7 years and decided to follow his dream and open his own restaurant, Caifan in 2016. The Mexican food and drinks served here is actually a beautiful blend of Mexico's huge heritage, history, culture but also influences from around the world. Of interest, you must try the amazing fish tacos, sous-vide grilled beef tacos, and pulled pork tacos... and don't forget the the on of the city's best hand-made margaritas with spicy chili-lime salt garnish! Come say Hi to Arturo, the master of Margaritas! read more

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I really really liked it here. The food was great and the staff was beyond friendly. I got the special of the day: Quesadillas de pastor and it was so good. All the flavours (guacamole, meat, and cheese) paired so well together. It was heaven in my mouth. The waitress was also kind enough to explain everything to me. The menu has a lot of delicacies I was not accustomed to. I always feel like I'm bothering the waitress when I ask too many questions about the menu but she didn't mind at all and made sure I was satisfied with my decision. I would definitely come back. It was great! Thanks to Aron for taking me there! read more

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I loved my experience at this place. Really felt like I was in Mexico and don't get me started on the food. Safe to say it was in my top 5 best diners of my life. The staff is so sweet and very present for their customers all throughout the night. Definitely recommend! read more

New biz alert! Sweet, super friendly new spot on Beaubien, right next to Cafe Odessa, opened two nights ago. We went down to check it out last night and it was already bumping but they grabbed us the last table for 4 in this tiny spot. Drinks: Paloma and Margarita were delicious and strong, loved the rim on the Paloma. The water of the day was a hibiscus infusion and my friend who hadn't liked hibiscus in the past was totally won over by it. The daily waters are super flavourful and refreshing and less sugary than a pop or juice - a big glass at $2, awesome idea. Eats: I loved the jalapeno pepper app stuffed with bacon and sausage and deep fried. It was too spicy for some at the table, but super delicious for meeee, like what a jalapeno popper dreams of being when it grows up. I also loved the cactus salad, bright and fresh with salty Mexican cheese and tomatoes, super good. Our mains all were well received - I had the tortas of the day which were piled with chicken, cheese and sour cream and a red sauce. The service is wonderful, so warm and funny and friendly and excited to share authentic Mexican food and culture. When they found out we were neighbours they brought us shots of tequila, a kindly gesture for sure, and effective in putting the goofy grins over the top. The room is already warm, tasteful, cool fun vibes, and I think it will continue to get better - I think the lighting could be a little less harsh and that would go a long way. All in all, so happy to have these sweet folks in the hood and I can't wait to eat there all the time! read more

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Literally found this place by walking by, and I'm reviewing in hopes more people will find it on Yelp because O.M.F.G... YOU want to find this place too. The chef's choice was incredible. Having no idea what would come, we got cactus soup, pork belly appetizer, barbacoa tacos, and carne asada tapas style dishes. The flavors and textures were mind blowing! The marinated onions on the side I could eat like rice... then the creme brûlée/flan dessert has a touch of cinnamon. Everything was creative and beautifully presented. The lighting made pics hard, but the others on Yelp are spot on! read more

By far the best Mexican restaurant in Montreal. Absolutely the entire menu is exquisite, the flavors of authentic Mexican cuisine. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Believe me, it was a unbeatable experience... Bravo Caifan!!! read more

The best Mexican restaurant by far. Chef Eduardo reflects his passion for cooking in every single dish. Ask for the day specials, you won't regret. Their selection of mezcal is such that it can make some bars in Mexico jealous. read more

I went to Caifan last night after reading Risa's review, and I had a wonderful time! Owner Leonardo explained that "Caifan" is a Spanglish term that originated from the phrase "me cae bien" turning into "me cae fine", and eventually becoming "me caifan", this meaning "I like him" (or similar). It now has a variety of meanings. Here's a tweet showing the progression, ""Caifanes" proviene del spanglish "cae fine" (él me cae bien=me cae fine=me caifán) #MeCaeQue no sabía! #FelizMartes" (https://twitter.com/alfredoestrella/status/600644157044985857). Caifan doesn't have a large variety of vegetarian offerings, but luckily I was able to find a few menu items that really hit the spot. I started my meal in reverse, to a degree, opening with a main - Mexican Mushroom Tacos, with a cup of mild hot sauce. I love mushrooms, so I enjoyed this dish. The tacos were tasty, and accurate, for lack of a better descriptor. I also tried the "eau du jour", a hibiscus flower and mint drink in a very tall glass (:D), which I found to be very tasty, and a nice blend of flavours. I was still hungry after the tacos, so I looked over the menu with Leonardo, and decided to try the Sope entrée - oh my god, it was delicious!!!!! I recently had a sope plate at another establishment, which unfortunately was very disappointing, so I was apprehensive about trying this here, but boy am I glad I did! The sope is a thick tortilla covered in black bean purée, queso blanco, sour cream, lettuce, coriander, a fried egg sunny side up, and chltepe pepper sauce. Wow! The first thing I noticed was that the dish was beautiful, I tried a few different photo angles to best capture it. Traditionally eaten by hand, I opted instead to use cutlery (because I'm just a mess otherwise). I was delighted to find that as well as visually pleasing, the dish was just amazingly delicious! The black bean purée was rich and creamy and tasty, the sour cream was just the right amount of sour, the chltepe pepper sauce gave a slight spicy tinge that enhanced the taste without masking it, the egg fried to perfection with a delicious runny yoke, and CHEESE!? It's like they entered my brain and came up with all kinds of things I love, then put together the disparate pieces in a way I had never thought of before! I know I'm gushing a bit here, but you really need to try this! It was so good I ordered a second one, and was tempted to get a third! I was invited to try the Mexican drink Mezcal, which I had never had before. Mezcal is Tequila's older brother, also made from agave, but NOT the blue agave which is exclusively for tequila. According to Wikipedia, "The word mezcal comes from Nahuatl "mexcalli", "metl", and "ixcalli", which means "oven-cooked agave"". Mezcal is made by oven cooking the heart of the agave plant, called the piña, which gives it a smoky flavour. Mezcal bottles often have a Mezcal worm inside, and the drink is traditionally sipped ("kissed"), after which one takes a bite of an orange slice dusted "with a mixture of ground fried larvae, ground chili peppers, and salt called "sal de gusano", which literally translates as "worm salt"." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezcal#Drinking) You know dessert is the most important part of my meal, so here it is: I started with the cheesecake, which was very fine in itself, but the standout aspect was the sauce. Made of blackberries and Chile de árbol (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile_de_%C3%A1rbol), it was sweet and not tart like I would expect a blackberry to be, and had hints of nutmeg and cloves - excellent! One is never enough, so I asked if there were any other dessert options. Leonardo offered up the Mexican flan, which he described as more subtle than regular flan, and with a vanlla taste. Flan is not usually my favourite thing, but this one really hit the spot. It reminded me of pudding, but still had a characteristic flan feel, with a smooth vanilla taste and hints of cinnamon and caramel. Not overstated at all, and just a really well made offering. Bonus points for a great selection of music, I got to hear a lot of Cypress Hill's "Los grandes éxitos en español", and for the kitchen staying open until midnight (and sometime past) on weeknights!!!! If you can't tell already, I really enjoyed my evening at Caifan, and I can't wait to go back, it's that good, and you should definitely try it! read more

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Came in at around 12:30 am right after arriving from the airport. Wasn't expecting much but we were blown away. Everything we had was excellent and the service very friendly. The recommendations he gave for our food hit the spot and then some! I don't usually like Mexican food but this place changed that. Give them a try and ask for the Lengua if they have it! It was the best I had! read more

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Everything I ate was incredible. The fish tacos were the best I've ever had (and I'm a big taco fan)! Also tried the flank steam tacos, the seasonal veggies tacos and the jalapeño pepper super taco plate. The only disappointing element was the Michelada which was somehow extremely sour. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this place. I will be back for the tacos (and will try other drinks) :) read more

By far the best Taco place in the city everything was to die for. Great service and nice ambiance...

The place is really nice and the food is good. But they have the music way too loud for a restaurant. I asked to turn it down but they didn't really do much. I'm not usually picky but it was like too much to even have a conversation without yelling. If I want to go clubbing I'll go to a club, won't go back for that unfortunately read more

I went with my friends and I love it! The service was perfect and food incredible. I love that Jalapeño entrance it was the best Jalapeño dish I had in my life! The beef tacos were delicious, I wanna come back and try the other ones, I'm curious now. I had an awesome Michelada :) the place is very cozy! Can't wait to come back! Thank you. read more

We just moved here from LA and are so happy to have found solid Mexican food nearby! We started with the Cochinita Pibil Taquitos which came as four super good tacos. We also had the Chorizo Alambre and fish tacos, both of which I highly recommend, especially the Alambre (a bacon, mushroom, chorizo, pepper mash of godliness served with fresh tortillas). Some of the dishes we've had have been less good, and the cocktails are just ok. The mezcal and tequila options are solid though. read more

This restaurant was lovely. Went this evening with a group for a birthday dinner. The service was excellent and our entire table loved the authentic well thought out menu. Food is delicious. Our server also took the time to explain each dish in detail, which we really appreciated. Also, the drinks were fantastic. Will return again and again. read more

Great food, very authentic! And the service was super friendly. it was packed on a Sunday night and they didn't expect it so it was a bit slow. To apologize, they offered us a beer! Go check them out, the tacos are totally worth it! read more

Best in town. Don't even think about it. Just come and grab a bite. Especially the pulled pork and Mezcal cocktail: I can die happy. read more