Hands down my favourite Mexican resto in the city! Great value, excellent food, and terrific staff make this an experience not to be missed. The food is always fresh, and it's an excellent gluten free option for anyone who is a celiac. From lunch meetings to date night, El Pocho is a perfect spot to grab a margarita and some tacos with a side of ceviche - you'll be glad you did! read more

El Pocho Antojitos Bar - Indoor / outdoor patio dining - Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I noticed this mexi spot while driving on Bathurst and had to check it out for me and my daughter's tradition of Mexican food for Father's Day. The service was top notch and the place is well staffed with skilled people. In a different neighbourhood this could easily be a dive with cheap tacos, but at this location a place like this needs to be more upscale and El Pocho delivers with everything living up to a quality experience, yet having a neighbourhood casual atmosphere. Decor is rustic yet clean and nice! Food was impressive with good portions and bar was capable and well stocked. Great experience and can recommend! read more

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Beautiful space, good food, and strong drinks! Came on a Friday evening without a reso and was about to get a small table after a short wait. Each taco comes in 2 and averages around $6-8 per taco. Drinks are around $16-20 which is standard in Toronto - worth it to me as they were pretty tasty and strong. Overall had a great time and would come back. There was an issue with billing where they accidentally double charged us but after investigating, they refunded us the difference. Always check the bill! read more

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Came on a weekday evening as a walk in for a party of 6. Got seated promptly and noticed they have a covered patio section and street seating by the sidewalk that was super vibey (peak summer vibes). Their washroom is in the basement with low ceilings and has two separate stalls, but it's a tight squeeze. Now before I get into the food, we did have an encounter with our server which was super odd and left the rest of the dining experience feeling tense and awkward. One of my friends had asked for some water but didn't say "please" at the end of his sentence. Which our server responded with "how about please?". How awkward and uncomfortable that was and left the rest of the night with the same server feeling very tense. Both parties could have articulated their words better and in a more professional manner, it was just not a great experience for the rest of the night. Our server then continued to say "it's not that deep" to us a couple minutes later - YIKES! Now onto the food which was pretty good: Tortillas Y Salsa 4/5 - Fresh and great starter Ceviche 4/5 - Refreshing and came with a pile of tortilla chips that were freshly fried Elotes 3/5 - Skip. Messy and was okay in taste. Birria Poutine 3/5 - Another great sharing app. Tasty and hearty. Tacos De Pescado 4/5 - Can't say no to fried fish tacos. So good! Tacos De Barbacoa 5/5 - Best thing of the night. These were amazing and wish I got more of this. Churros 4/5 - Gotta end on a sweet note. Definitely get the churros. Overall the food was okay. The service was odd. Not sure if I'd come back to experience the awkward service we received. read more

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Food was delicious Drinks were flavourful Only note is that in winter on a cold night...restaurant is not very warm. read more

I wish I could give this restaurant ten stars! Some of the best Mexican cuisine we've had. The atmosphere and service are top notch as well. We had the chips/guac/mild salsa, the elotes (I forgot to ask for it off the cob but it was still awesome), and we split the poblano with pickled onion tacos. The tacos were sneaky spicy (in a great way) so beware! And the star of the show: the gluten free churros with dulce de leche sauce. Wowie, so amazing! It was worth the trip just for that dessert. read more

El Pocho Antojitos Bar - Gluten free churros with dulce de leche dipping sauce - Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I had a very negative experience there tonight. I'm not a Karen or a Chad either. Me and my wifey poo went there to dine. We've been there plenty of times and the service and food has always been excellent. However this time the manager Ernesto just treated us with blatant disrespect and disregard. Here's how it all went down. We walk in and we're all hi can we get a table please? Then Ernesto was all oh do you have a reservation? We said no. He then motioned to all the empty tables of which they were plenty and said these tables are all reserved. Maybe there is a table outside and there was. We wanted to dine inside but we said fine ok. But as we're going ok outside there was two girls in line behind us. He asked if they had reservations and they said no too, but then Ernesto says oh you just got our last table. I couldn't believe my ears. We sat at the table outside and we just said oh no not up in here! So we called an Uber to take us to another restaurant. On the way out we approached Ernesto and calmly stated that we were leaving and why (because of him disrespecting us). He lied about it too right to our faces before dismissing us rudely and saying whatever. Anyway we left and we're not going back until it's Ernesto free. Too bad because my partner loves their gluten free churros. read more

Craving some Mexican food and found this place. Pretty decent spot for tacos and drinks if you are in the area. Food: 3.5/5 - Recommend Pocho Sour Cocktail and Taco de Pescado - battered fish tacos. La Passion was also good and has a little fire in the little fruit cup but can't see in the light. Service: 4/5 - Server was nice and didn't rush me. Made some nice recommendations. Notes: Interior is pretty casual, I would only go for patio. Resos are recommended. Good for casual lunch/dinner with friends or dates but not for coworkers. Please note washroom is downstairs if mobility is an issue. read more

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Cousins introduced us to this place and it was quite delicious! Amazing selection of appetizers/ sides and fantastic tacos. Tacos come 2 to an order so we got to split and try a few. Fish tacos were great, and my cousins are loyal to the carnitas. I really enjoyed the steak tacos. Perfectly cooked steak with a delicious array of flavours and textures. The fried chicken was also fantastic, and I quite enjoyed the guac and chips. I gotta say, I wasn't a fan of the elote. The flavours were a bit flat and just missing something. And every piece of lime was so dry. The churros are also a must have. So delicious and comes hot and fresh to the table. Another great thing is they offer a gluten free menu so our celiac friends can come to enjoy!! Delicious experience, super fast and friendly service. They also expanded their patio seating so there's more room/ tables now. It's not the most comfortable seating, but good enough for a quick meal with friends. read more

Adorable little restaurant with a beautiful outdoor seating area. We got there around 6:30 and it was already packed, but luckily we snagged a couple spots at the outdoor bar. The bartender was super friendly and knowledgeable and puts a lot of thought into the cocktails he was creating. The chips from the chips and salsa were so very fresh and came out piping hot. The food and drinks came out quickly. We so enjoyed dining here. There are so many options in the area, and El Pocho deserves your business! read more

El Pocho Antojitos Bar - Oaxacan Old Fashioned - Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Food was beyond good. It is worth driving across the city to go to a genuine gluten free fair. Service was excellent and the ambiance. The chef shows his love for food by the small acts of grilling the lime. read more

I love this place so much!!! Firstly the patio is great and on a secluded street so not too loud/busy like a lot of places in Toronto. All the waitstaff are super friendly and helpful with recommendations. But the main takeaway is the incredible food and drinks. The pina colada and raspberry mojito were delicious. Every dish we ordered was fantastic - the corn, mushrooms, tacos and churros!!! Cannot recommend enough. And very reasonably priced too. read more

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Celiacs celebrate: 100% gluten free kitchen! I saw other 5-star reviews on Find Me Gluten Free but I still didn't expect it to be SO GOOD. The pollo frito (fried chicken) was incredible, the mixed mushroom starter was yummy, and the poblano tacos and black bean tacos - delicious. Even gluten free churros omg. There were only the two vegetarian taco options but honestly you don't need more (my husband is the chicken-eater). Lovely patio, if a bit crowded. Service is a bit slow because the kitchen is tiny, but not slow enough to complain. Will definitely be back! read more

El Pocho Antojitos Bar was absolutely not on my radar, but I'm always interested in checking out a new place, so I jumped at the chance to give the place a shot on a recent Sunday morning. We arrived at around 11:30 and the place was already pretty full. It was a sunny day but a little cool, so the covered patio was just about perfect. I had looked at the menu online and figured I'd order some tacos, but I discovered that they had a bunch of brunch options, including a dish called something like Carne Asada Breakfast Fries. (The brunch menu is bizarrely nowhere to be found online, so I can't tell you exactly what it was called or what was in it.) The dish arrived about 15 or 20 minutes after I ordered it and it sure looked picture perfect. It's a mound of french fries topped with carne asada meat, caramelized onions, a spicy aioli of some kind, and two sunnyside up eggs. This is one hell of a delicious concoction. Everything works ridiculously well together and the various components are just about perfect in terms of execution and presentation. The carne asada is super tender and irresistibly smoky, while the other elements are equally delicious and well thought-out. I honestly can't remember a brunch dish I've enjoyed more. The service was great, too. I'll absolutely be returning in the future, though it'll be difficult not to just order this every single time. read more

We loved this place! We stumbled upon it when we were visiting the area. It's a tiny bar/restaurant but we were off-hours so it wasn't busy. Menu has tacos and they're the usual street-food versions - small but tasty. We all loved what we got but because they were so small we got deserts too. Churros and flan and I loved them both. This place is a nice gem in the area and I highly recommend it! read more

I usually love small hidden neighborhood spots so was really hoping El Pocho would be good. It was... ok. It was pretty good but not a must-try / must-go-back type of place. My wife and I went there for dinner and we had: - Tortilla chips with guacamole and salsa verde: The chips were really good (crispy without being burnt, just the right amount of saltiness), the guac was pretty standard, while the salsa was outstanding (great flavour, not watered down). - Elotes: The corn was drip-from-your-hands juicy, though overpriced for the amount/size. - Tacos Gringos: There's a lot of praise for this taco which we don't really get. The beef was a bit tough and "stringy". - Tacos de Pescado: The fish was good, but the ratio of batter-to-fish was way off (too much batter). - Tostada de Pollo: The chicken was pretty good, the standout was really the adobo sauce (authentic flavour). TLDR: The sauces at El Pocho are awesome while the actual food itself is ok but doesn't really stand out. read more

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My Partner is a fan of non-hipster Mexican places and holds all new Mexican places we try to a very high (strip mall in California or Florida) standard. We came here for a pre drink and snack before dinner at Nord up the street. El Pocho is one of the few Mexican places we have tried that has succeeded expectations. I had a spiced tequilla hot toddy which was delicious and helped my sore throat. We also tried some of the Veg Tacos! Really really great salsa, crema, fresco, you name it! We will be back to try more! Recommended read more

El Pocho Antojitos Bar - Pre dinner snacks - Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Such a cute neighbourhood gem, located just north of Bathurst station on a quiet residential street! The fish tacos are great, and I would definitely recommend. Pro tip: if you order the ceviche, you'll get a whole basket of warm, fresh, crispy tortilla chips! And because I'm writing this in COVID times, please note that their outdoor dining situation is great! It's got clear plastic walls, but it's not enclosed at the uppermost parts or at the door, so you get a nice flow of fresh air. There's also a heater on the ceiling that spans the patio, so it's nice and toasty. And they have hot cocktails on the menu! read more

Food, Service and Ambiance this place has it all!!! It's very quant and intimate which is also a plus. This place should be on a list of the must go place in Canada!!! read more

El Pocho Antojitos Bar - Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

FOOD - We got the Tingo, Pescado, and Carnitas. The overall flavour was good but the Carnitas was slightly over cooked and tough. The Pescado was really tasty but had too much batter. The Tingo was the best of the 3 but only comes in a hard shell. SERVICE - Good service, nothing to complain or rave about! read more

Gud Gluten-Free menu- but a bit pricey and the vibes are way too gringo for my latinx ass. Maybe I don't want to horf down some fish tacos, while this preppy uoft couple talks about moot getting published. Where's my bumpin reggaeton? Or the cheap beer at? Anyway, if you have money and need gluten free mexican: come here. read more

I popped in for a quick lunch. Everyone needs a legacy. I could die happily if mine were thus: hooks. Attention restaurateurs - women need hooks. (Smart) women take their handbags to the loo. You need to provide a place for them to put them!!! Think of it - are we meant to hold our purses for the duration? It's a small menu, but it hits the right notes. My choices are always by my allergies limited at Latin places. I opted for the fish tacos ($9.60). They are listed as being accompanied by cabbage slaw, but it's merely sliced cabbage which is better for me. Speaking of small, this resto has 20 seats. Edison lights on strings. Fun music. Bottles of beer are $7. Cider is $8.85. The server worked with me to find something that I could eat. Would be fun to return with a small group. read more

We came here randomly and yes it's that good. It wasn't on my radar which surprised me the most. Had the veg tacos, veg fries and the soy tacos. Both the veg items were outstanding. I recommend reservations as there isn't much seating. On my restaurant collection list! read more

El Pocho Antojitos Bar - Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I came here for a friend's birthday dinner. I'll list the food that I had and write a review for each of them. Tortillas Y Salsas One of the best tortilla chips I had. It was fresh, and the guacamole went well with it. The only issue I had was that some of the chips were not crispy because the oil wasn't cut enough Elotes The jalapeno aioli went pretty well with the corn. I liked it. Chorizo y Nopales The chorizo was nice, but the tortillas was mediocre and there was too much pickled cactus compared to the chorizo. Beef Barbacoa Pocho Fries The beef was amazing but the fries to beef ratio was really high. Tacos de Pollo Escabeche I don't really like chicken tacos but these were amazing! So tender and juicy. Tacos de Aguacate Fried avocado tacos. It tastes exactly how you would imagine it to be. They put in a good chunk of avocado, but I feel like they can season the avocado or the batter to make it more flavorful. Tacos de Pescado This and the chicken tacos were my favorites. Churros Their churros weren't the typical hard(ish) ones. They were soft and it felt like beignets! I really enjoyed it. Service was nice and attentive but REALLY slow. Like really slow. I would come back again. read more

What a cutie patootie! This perfect little bar is the best date spot, tucked away just off Bathurst, north of Bloor. I've come in a few times with buddies and it's always been a great experience. I also came with a large group once and it was like we had the place to ourselves. When the music started turning down up the music and turning the lights down (apropos for a Saturday Night), it was perfect for our vibe. THE FOOD. Everything is basically gluten free, really tasty and handmade, down to the tortillas. There's a super generous tasting menu for large groups - don't miss it. And the cocktails are really something to explore. Start with a classic margarita to taste the difference and go from there. read more

The staff are very friendly and helpful. The food is fantastic. I can't wait to come again. Also, my cousin has celiac and I didn't know that there is a such a thing as a 100% gluten-free restaurant needed for people with allergies to gluten in the parts per million... so I am so grateful they were a good match- and also accommodated my keto preferences, and had a nice heated patio. Great tacos. And great selection of tequila and mezcal, too. Was a wonderful meal. read more

Super delicious and excellent customer service! Our server was very attentive and checked in on us after every serving. We were trying to find a restaurant to eat after casa loma and felt like tacos. We had the fish tacos (as recommended by a few yelpers) and the poncho fries. The poncho fries were good but I felt like the fish tacos were the star! We ordered the churros for dessert which was an excellent finish to our meal. read more

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Excellent, low-key neighbourhood Mexican spot. We had two appetizers which were both creative and well executed: jicama salad and roasted squash with mole. We followed this with pollo tinga, carnitas, and pescado tacos, all of which were perfectly balanced and full of great aromatics / supporting ingredients. Outdoor patio was enclosed in late November and more than warm enough. Interior was charming. Service was fast and attentive. I don't live in the area but I'd certainly recommend it to others. I'd love to return. read more

Great food, drinks, and service. Patio is heated and covered which works well for this rainy summer we are having. Pork tacos were very spicy, but still delicious. Seating slightly uncomfortable (hard picnic style wooden seating), a cushion would have been welcome! Bathrooms not really Covid updated - a small table with hand sanitizer at the bottom of the stairs probably wise. If you don't like cilantro, they will make the modifications for you without attitude. read more

Wonderful patio, drinks, and service! I wasn't really into the loaded veggie fries we got - IMO there was too much topping for the amount of fries, and also pureed guacamole is just not my thing. But will be back again to try other foods (and then hopefully upgrade to 5 stars!) read more

This small tucked away resto-bar is a hidden gem and a must try if you love Mexican food. While you may be hard pressed to find legit Mexican food, El Pocho Antojitos offers food that is as close as you can get. I stopped by for brunch on the weekend. I was impressed by the cute ambiance, friendly staff and great selection of dishes. We ended up ordering the Chilaquilles and Huevos Rancheros, with cappuccinos to drink. The portions are quite large, served with lots of beans and side of delicious freshly made salsa. The dishes were topped with fresh herbs and tasted great, reminded me of some of the food I had while in Mexico. The waitress recommended ordering the churros afterwards and was not disappointed, really delicious with homemade de leche dip. During the rest of the day, they offer a selection of tacos, cant wait to come back to try. Highly recommend!! read more

El Pocho Antojitos Bar - Churros - Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Be warned. We booked an outside table for two yesterday at 6 p.m., really looking forward to eating at a restaurant after 18 months of basically nothing. El Pocho was the first local place we visited after moving to the area two years ago and we wanted to mark the occasion. The patio was so crowded with people sitting inches apart. Worse, they gave us a table right by the entrance where all diners and staff would squeeze right next to the table. We had to politely say sorry, we can't stay. We ate right next door at Grapefruit Moon which was really well spaced and friendly too. I'm okay with this. But El Pocho reported us to Open Table as not having shown up. This was untruthful. I can prove we were there. I understand restaurants are pressured but I was really taken aback by the dishonesty. And of course it makes it hard to reserve for any other restaurant now. read more

Delicious gluten free food! (Literally, everything on the menu is Gluten Free.) You would never realize it either. Everything was absolutely delicious! Carnitas Tacos were cooked perfectly, the Elotes were a yummy corn appetizer, and those churros with caramel sauce as dessert... YUM! So glad I found this place! read more

Loved this place. The tacos come out hot and fresh because it's so tiny that they cannot keep them in the kitchen. I had the chicken, steak and fish tacos. The chicken and steak were amazing, the fish was ok. For the price and the quality I would definitely go back. Expect slower service, but friendly staff. read more

Food *** Service **** Ambience *** (brunch review and rating, based on the other reviews here I am going to come back for dinner!) Stumbled across this restaurant when a neighbouring restaurant didn't have space for us. Food and tastes were great however all of our meals were a little bit too oily, leaving it sitting a bit heavy in our stomach. Our server was attentive and on the ball. read more

El Pocho Antojitos Bar - Chorizo and potato - Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Great spot for delicious tacos. QR code menus. Plexiglass divided between tables on the covered outdoor patio. Friendly & efficient service. Will be back soon! read more

El Pocho Antojitos Bar - Fish Tacos (L) and Chicken Tacos (R) - Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Talk about an unexpected and delightful discovery! We were headed to an Indian fast-food place nearby when we realized it was closed, so we just looked around and, luckily for our taste buds, spotted El Pocho Antojitos tucked away in a side street. The atmosphere was delightful - warm, cozy, with beautiful contemporary Mexican feel. The waitress was very welcoming and understanding of our dietary preferences - vegetarian and no eggs. We got three dishes - tostadas, tacos and a salad - and each one was so delicious. My personal favorite were the tostadas. Often Mexican dishes all taste the same despite of the shape and here this wasn't the case at all. Each item had its distinctive flavor and feel, and we loved them all. We chatted with the lovely waitress after our meal and learned that the owner is from California - that explained it all! Thanks so much for bringing good Mexican food to Toronto. It's a rarity ;-). We will be back! read more

My husband and I came to El Pocho for some drinks and a snack while visiting Toronto. It was raining and muggy but we opted to sit outside under umbrellas as the interior was small and quite warm and stuffy. Later it seemed there were people coming from another part of the restaurant so maybe there is more seating but we weren't told this upon arrival. We found a dry, covered table though so all was well. We shared Chips with Salsa Verde and Guacamole and each got two cocktails to try. Everything was tasty but we felt the drinks were a bit weak for the price. We ended up ordering an extra shot of tequila to pour into our margaritas and I preferred it much more - despite a judgy look from our waiter. If we lived in the neighborhood I can see us including El Pocho on our list of places to go, but we ended up spending much more than anticipated on chips and cocktails when all was said and done. read more

Absolutely delicious! We were visiting a friend over the weekend that had nothing but wonderful things to say about this place, and now we know why. Their food (specifically their tacos) were amazing. I'd like to give a shout out to Kevin D. for always being the first to recommend to share food/split meal options so that we have the opportunity of trying more on the menu. I personally had their fish and chicken tacos and loved them both. But my favorite was most definitely the fish. Soooo good. They also offered steak, pork and fried avocado tacos. Their cocktail list was super extensive and everything looked worthy of trying. We stuck with the mojito and tequila old fashioned. As for the restaurant itself, it really didn't seat a ton of people and we lucked out getting a seat outside because it was such a beautiful night out. It appears to still be a hidden gem in Toronto - and I'd definitely enjoying going back! read more

I love the concept - it really is a snack bar. There's no entrees or main courses, but instead a lot of appetizer or snack dishes like nachos or tacos. The food was good, but it didn't blow me away. I'd definitely recommend the nachos as the chips were amazing. We tried the chicken tacos and deep fried avocado tacos which again, were good but we wouldn't come back for. Drinks were really good, I got the Caesar's Caesar and a couple shots from their $3 daily rail bar. Space was pretty small, but once we were seated we didn't notice it. I think it'll make a big difference in summer when they can open the patio so we can spread out. Would definitely recommend the place, it looks like a lot of people love it. We dropped in for a few quick drinks before catching a show at Tarragon Theatre which is just around the corner read more

El Pocho Antojitos Bar - Nachos! - Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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