Stopped here for an after dinner snack and ended up sharing and app and a couple tacos with friends. Not much to say since we were here for a short time, but the food was definitely tasty! read more

La Carnita - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I made a dinner reservation for my family and another family. However, once my family and I arrived, I was told 75% of the party had to be there before they can seat anyone, which is rather annoying because Winter is not the season to make your guests stand outside in the cold. After asking to be seated 3 times, they finally seated us and the other family soon arrived after. We ordered sangria for drinks which was really good, a bit low on the booze, but good nonetheless. For appetizers, the Mexican Street Corn is absolutely delicious and so is the Avocado Mango Salad - would highly recommend! For mains, we had a mixture of the cod, chicken, tuna, and pork tacos. Out of the four, the tuna and the cod were the front runners amongst the group. We expected a lot more from the Pollo Frito, but weren't too impressed with the chicken. There is definitely a cool vibe to the place, but it is REALLY loud. Overall, yummy food! read more

La Carnita - Lightbulb Lights. - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

food tasted like ass but it's good for instagram pics, the food tasted like alcohol and was not filling and over priced

To paraphrase a line from Pulp Fiction, La Carnita makes a pretty good taco, I dunno if they're worth $5, but they're pretty effing good. I checked out La Carnita last night after running the Indy track for the YMCA run, so my hunger from my intense physical activity may have enhanced my dining experience. I started off with the gordita, it had a nice crunch to it at first, but the meat was saucy and eventually made the tostada a bit soggy. The pickled onion added a nice balance to the dish. The arctic char served on a tostada with corn was up next. Nicely seasoned and the corn matched well with the fish. A bit difficult to eat, I think serving this as a taco would have been a better choice. The chorizo taco is your quintessential good taco. It's the flavours, smell, & texture that instantly bring me back to my time eating tacos in Mexico. At first I was offended by the use of Voltron in the naming of a fish taco sauce, leave my childhood alone! But then I tasted it and that's where the magic happens. The fish was nicely seasoned and evenly fried with just the right amount of batter. The addition of the tartness of pickled cabbage with a sweet crunchiness of the apple and the background heat from the sauce ignites all areas of your tastebuds in a fantastic way. The ingredients combine to become more than the sum of their parts, just like Voltron, so you get a pass on this one La Carnita! I'm going to return to answer the question what $8 corn on the cob tastes like. read more

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This was one of the most disappointing experiences in Toronto. Fellow yelpers let me down as I expected great food based on the reviews. On the plus side, we were seated quickly without reservations on a busy Saturday night - I think that's all I have for the plus side. We ordered the three dips and chips (photo), a variety of tacos, salad, sangria and a margarita. The tacos were decent, nothing to rave about... I am compelled to write this review because the guacamole was basura. The guac had the texture of a vitamix recipe with no evidence of avocado chunks or flavor. It wouldn't bother me if guacamole were terrible anywhere else but this place is clearly Mexican inspired and needs to be renamed if they are going to serve such terrible guac. The drinks were great so if you do go I'd recommend the bar but make plans for dinner elsewhere. read more

La Carnita - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

AMAZING!!! best street tacos I've ever tried. Great, friendly service. Super fun atmosphere but as hipster as hispter gets; 90's and 2000's hip hop playing; pretty loud for conversations though. Worth the wait (no reservations) but avoid the weekends- I don't understand how anyone gets in. Order everything- sample all the tacos; they're all incredibly put together and fresh. read more

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This spot is just flat out cool. Visited Toronto for the first time and wanted to find some cool places downtown. Stumbled upon this place and was really surprised. The vibes inside are incredible, with a dim lit atmosphere and great music. The tacos were slightly overpriced for the size of them, but they tasted absolutely delicious. Also, the margaritas were pleasantly different with a certain spice to them. If you don't mind spending a little more for a cool Mexican spot, definitely stop by La Carnita. read more

La Carnita - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Dropped by La Carnita on a Wednesday night at about 8:30pm. Place was pretty full but thankfully we were seated right away! I've been wanting to try this place since they're known for their delicious tacos and I definitely enjoyed them! Their open faced tacos were well dressed and full of flavour (although one of them was a bit too spicy for me). This place has daily specials ranging from tacos to ribs. We had "In cod we trust", a classic fish taco which was quite good, "pollo frito" a yummy crispy chicken thigh taco, and "carnita" pork confit taco. My favorite would be the pork carnita taco! It was quite flavourful, a bit spicy and I guess I just really liked the guacamole and mango salsa combined with the soft pork confit. It kinda reminded me of pulled pork but not really lol. Two tacos each plus guacamole with chips starter was quite filling and regular. Other tables had mexican street corn which just looked like some pretty yummy seasoned & grilled corn on the cob, but I wasn't really feeling it. Atmosphere is quite dark with loud music. I felt like I was yelling at my friend every time we talked to each other. Maybe I was sitting beside the speakers :P All in all, the tacos are pretty good, decent sized as expected and I'd probably go again to try some of their other tacos (like beef cheek?), but maybe sit outside on the patio (when its warm and) where the music is not as loud :) read more

One of many of these style of Mexican restaurants that have popped up in Toronto. For the most part I like the concept of Mexican tapas where you order individual tacos and accompaniments. The tacos here are packed with flavour. The mexican corn is amazing - but beware it's really spicy! Prices aren't too bad and service is phenomenal. Maybe I'm just getting old, but does the music have to be SO loud? I don't mind music being played, but it would be nice not to have to scream at the person sitting next to me. It's unfortunately b/c this is a great place for a date, girls night or a gathering of friends that you want to share good food and good tequila with. read more

Lo-lo-love La-La-La Carnita! This little gem is (of course) right around College & Bathurst. But even with a lot of similar cuisine in the area this place is definitely a standout! The corn is simply amazing. Charred & served with some crema & ancho peppers - it sounds simple but trust me, worth a try! The tacos are about 4.50 a pop, and while small, they are packed full of delicious and fresh ingredients. I want to come back here and try Every. Single. One. Mmm mm! Rave reviews all around the table for these bad boys! The Tres Leche Cake isn't a traditional tres leche, but it's still quite yummy! Super moist cake and nice & runny deliciousness from the condensed milk. 3 of them came to our table and were devoured within a matter of minutes. I had: half an app, a taco, a dessert, and a margarita for just over $30 including taxes and tip and I was super satisfied. My only complaint about this place is they definitely try to rush you out of there as fast as you can. There is a 2 hour table limit but we were rushed much faster than that. Not the type of place to go if you want to relax, eat slowly, and chat with your pals for a bit. All in all worth a try and I know I'll be back to sample more of these delish tacos!! read more

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My best friend was coming to town so I wanted to take her to a good Mexican restaurant. After reviewing multiple places on Yelp, La Carnita seemed like the best choice. I do not regret it at all because this place had fantastic food and drinks. If you're coming for dinner, make reservations! This place gets busy and you may have to wait if you want to get a seat. I love how the restaurant was more narrow than long, but it does have a good amount of seating. The restaurant itself had a great vibe because of the wall decorations, the open bar, and the loud sound level. To start, we ordered the Tortilla Chips and the Mexican Meatballs. I highly recommend the chips because they give huge amounts! This was my first time really eating at a Mexican restaurant, so do not be like me and order 5 tacos....I was full after two but greedy me felt that I needed to eat more. The portion of each taco was large so I was able to understand why it was on the pricey side. If you order two tacos and a drink, it should cost less than $20. These tacos were so delicious and tasted extremely fresh. I loved the soft shells and how all the ingredients blended so well together. I ordered the: 1. In Cod We Trust: Best fish taco hands down. 2. Pollo Frito: This is amazing, you must get this! The chicken was so moist and had incredible flavour. 3. Crispy Cotija: Deep fried cheese, what more can you ask for? This had a really nice texture to it because the cheese itself was very crispy. 4. Carnita: Shredded pork. This was really good as well. We ordered two drinks, sorry I don't remember the names but they were delicious and creative! read more

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An automatic disappointment when the first thing you have to say to me is no separate bills. Being a waitress myself, I understand the whole annoying-ness that comes with a separate bill but seriously???? You would rather pay the waitress to stand at the table while everyone figures out what they had and how much they owe (on a $522 bill may I add!!!). Food okay...nothing healthy and definitely nothing to write home about. Over-priced. Mediocre. Will not return. In fact, shame on you!!!!!! Want to say so much more but I'll just save my breath like I wish I would have saved my time and money! read more

I came here for a friend's birthday and my first impression of the place was small, hole in the wall, insanely loud, and insanely delicious. We started off with the empanadas, their special, and it was absolutely delicious. The outer pastry/bread layer was crisp and the inside was juicy. We then tried a couple tacos and we had the following: 1) Beef cheek - I actually don't know what the hype is about this taco. Their beef cheek was definitely tender and it was no doubt, delicious. I felt that it was good but it wasn't anything too too special. 2) Carnita - I felt that the pork again was very tender. However, I felt that this taco was the least flavourful amongst all the ones that I tried. It was served as a soft taco so maybe the flavour was absorbed into the taco. 3) In Cod We Trust - One of my absolute favourites. The cod was fried to perfection and the picked red cabbage made the taco pop! This one is a must try. 4) Tostada de Ceviche - MY FAVOURITE. Words cannot describe how delicious this taco was. This taco was a hard taco and the ceviche was indescribably good. Thinking about it makes me salivate. Definitely an absolute must try!!! My friends & I then had dessert. We tried - Tres de Leche - I was much to full to actually be evaluating dessert properly but the inner part (so the cake & cream) were delicious. What really ruined it for me was the peanut. The peanuts really just...overpowered the flavour of EVERYTHING. It wasn't too enjoyable. - Churros - delicious. I think the reason why I found them so enjoyable was that they had the sweet taste of cinnamon and sugar on a fried cake-like texture stick. You cannot go wrong with butter + sugar + cinnamon + cake thrown together and deep fried. read more

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I ate at the bar and really enjoyed the margaritas and tacos. For a place called Carnita, I was pleasantly surprised with the vegetarian options. They also were very accommodating of my gluten-free diet. read more

La Carnita - Pineapple margarita. - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Went here with a few of my girlfriends on a Friday night. Of course the wait was 1.5 hours but we were able to snag a spot at the bar and order a pitcher of margarita (definitely not the best I've had) and order some chips and guac. The guacamole is really good. We ended up being seated at a nice booth in the back. It's super loud in there, so be prepared to scream to hear one another. We each ordered 4 tacos - a bit much as I couldn't finish my 4th one. I ordered the cod which two of us agreed was the best. My friend thought the oxtail was the best (special of the night). I did not like the beef cheek as I thought the beef had a weird flavour. I liked the fried cheese one, but felt the beans overpowered the saltiness of the cheese so made it kind of bland. The churros I thought were great, especially because of the caramel sauce that comes with it. Super glad I finally got to check this place out as it's been on my list for a while. But I don't think it's worth a 1.5 hour wait (maybe try a week night if you're going to go) and I probably won't be back. read more

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Will not be returning. I came with a group of my girlfriends on a Sunday evening for her birthday and let me tell you what a disappointment this establishment is. Upon making the reservation for our table they informed us there would be a gratuity included with the bill no problem.. However, I felt because they new they would be charging us 18% of the bill, we were totally snaked from any real "service" at all. Not once did our waitress ask if we were doing ok, not once did she ask if we wanted refills on our drinks, instead we had to remind her of them twice. Mind you, the place was NOT busy so I don't know what the deal was... Our churros were stale, my food drenched in condiments rather than any shrimp at all and our bill came to a hefty 350$ with a generous 50$ gratuity charge.. LOL Over priced... service sucks read more

Last night I went and was seated within 3 minutes of entering. I'd never been seated that fast at La Carnita and I have to admit the long waits for tables were the only thing i'd ever considered to be a negative at this fantastic restaurant. We had a grilled shrimp with BBQ Chipotle sauce, served with purple potato chips and grilled pineapple. The combination of smoky, sweet, tangy, crunchy and savory was impeccable. We followed these with a few tacos: the Ceviche, the Chorizo, the Carnita, the Dill Pickerel. All delicious, different and bursting with incredible flavors. To wash it all down, we had a bourbon cocktail the Who Shot Ya and the Now is the Thyme; a Jameson and Tequila concoction with egg whites and lemon. The latter was my favorite this time around. The only reason I'm not giving this review 4/5 is directly related to two instances. One has to do with asking for cutlery from a nearby employee who happened to be a hostess and the blatant miscalculation of restrooms to capacity ratio. After asking for cutlery, the hostess smiled and went to fetch them. She returned with one knife and two forks. As a pair of buds having dinner, we were a little shocked and confused at the idea of sharing a knife. What's more, she didn't place them on our table. Instead, she tossed them onto our table as she passed by. Later on in the evening after a few libations, I joined a queue of six other people in a crowded low ceiling hallway in the basement. We all waited in anticipation to use the three communal washrooms. I'm fairly certain there were close to one hundred patrons during my time at La Carnita; I fail to understand the formula which yielded a ratio of three washrooms for about one hundred patrons. The total time spent away from the table :18 minutes. Thats about 11 minutes too long in my books. Had I been on a date; I think she might not have appreciated such an extended absence from the table. read more

La Carnita - Ceviche Taco - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This place is happening on Thusday night. Quite busy so service is kinda lacking but atmosphere is good. We could only eat at the sides so we didnt get a table. Pros -high quality tacos and corn -must try ice cream, c&c is worth it cons -$$ for what you get read more

So I finally got a chance to try out La Carnita and it lived up to the hype that it receives. All those posted IG pics and rave reviews from friends really got me excited to try this place out. First Impression: I really got a hipster vibe from this place and it was dark, cramped, loud music and people with good fashion sense. I enjoyed the setup as they had a bar right at the front so you could get a drink while you waited Food Impressions: 1. Sweet Corn with Spicy Sauce - great starter but was ¼ burnt. Sauce was spicy 2. Tortilla Chips with Gucamole - chips were good with pepper and lime dressing, gucamole was meh 3. In Cod We trust - Really good size code, overall delicious 4. Beef Cheek - thought it would be better, tasted kind of bland 5. Carnita - My favorite of them all, great flavor overall and has a nice aftertaste. 6. Popsicles - They were all great! Service Impression: We had 4 people missing from our party and they still gave us the biggest table in the restaurant. They brought over the wrong drink and we were told to just keep it, same thing with one of our taco orders. They brought over a dessert and a candle melted to a wooden board (crafty and creative) for our friend's bday. Overall Impression: You cannot go to a Mexican place and not get tequila which we did and I believe my experience at La Carnita was great but I don't remember one tequila too many but I will say this, La Carnita not bad *insert impressed meme* read more

La Carnita - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

A very warm and welcoming atmosphere especially if you can get the tables tucked away in the back. Food is great and everyone enjoyed what they ordered. The portions are small so if you enjoy eating make sure to order a good amount. read more

Came here with a group of friends the other day and had a good experience. The restaurant has a cool vibe: spacious, long tables that are great for groups and/or devouring tacos, a large patio to enjoy the nice weather, fun decorations on the walls. It can get a bit loud but not to the point where it interferes with dinner conversation. We split the "Queso fundito" as a starter, which was a cheese dish with red pepper, chilies, scallions and chorizo, served with warm tortilla chips. On Tuesdays, they've got "Hardshell Taco Tuesday" which is 8 chorizo tacos with fixings (enough for 2 people to share) for $14. The tacos and sides were great and there was a good amount of meat to fill the tacos with. Really worth it at that price! Overall, a good experience; I'll definitely be back to try some of the other tacos! read more

La Carnita - "Hardshell Taco Tuesday" platter w/ all the fixings and a side of (partially eaten) queso fundito - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My sister and I came here during March break. We loved it honestly. Good food, damn good music, chill vibes, great service. I'm one of those people that likes to ask what's good, and their food and drink recommendations were spot on. We loved it so much we even came back again on our trip! Servers were cool as hell and made us feel very welcome! read more

This was the worst service ever AND they automatically charge a gratuity on larger parties. We had a party of 7 and came for lunch on Friday. The drinks arrived with the meal and the apps arrived after the main. One of our orders was completely missed. I would not recommend this place again. Update to this: when the bill was presented they offered a decent discount to accommodate for the various inconveniences. That said, I doubt I'll return to this location. read more

This place is amazing!!! Went here in September for my roommates birthday, we sat inside at a high top table. The ambiance of this place is great, interior decorating top notch too. Christine the bartender was our server (special shout-out Christine SHE IS THE BEST) and as someone who works in the restaurant industry myself, this place is no joke. Food is of the best quality, serving is attentive and speedy, overall our meal was one of the best I'd had in a while-- so much so that I came back to write about it on yelp months later!!! Will be back soon for sure, if you go to this location I highly suggest you ask for Christine!! Cheers!! read more

Where do I start with this place? I was shopping around Queen St. this past weekend with my gf. After shopping around we asked some locals where to get some good eats and they immediately pointed us to La Carnita. What do ya know? Four blocks later and a little searching we found a random brick building oddly out of place in the city with a sugar skull sign attached to it. I think at that point we already knew we were in for a local treat. We sat at the bar. Got served served immediately by the bartender. She legit served me the best cocktail I've had all year. The "Get Rich of Rye Tryin'" I suggest it, I was tempted to get a third haha. We got the street corn, which was seriously out of this freaking world. Along with chips and corn salsa, chicken and steak tacos; and to finish it off churros that I got not a single bite because the girlfriend decided they were to let anyone taste beside herself lol. The drinks were the most expensive thing on the check and they were worth every penny. The food was extremely reasonable and still great quality. I recommend this place anytime you go to Toronto. Incredible experience! read more

Had a reservation for 6 on a Friday evening. Upon our arrival, we had a hard time flagging down a staff member in order to get seated which was slightly exasperating. The music is also obnoxiously loud so you'll definitely need to shout across the table if you're with a group. I ordered the "In Cod We Trust" tacos which were subpar at best and slightly cold. I've also had better white wine sangria. My main gripe was the server who seemed irritated and inattentive and their inability to offer separate bills. The street corn was the saving grace; along with the sweet hostess AJ who was accommodating and pleasant. Overall, I wouldn't return to this location. There are far better Mexican restaurants in Toronto that offer superior dining experiences. read more

The noise level in this place is high, very high. The seating is rustic, some stools without backs and benches. The service is very friendly and efficient. We had their margarita on the rocks, which was fine; a good proportion of alcohol to liquid. We followed this by the Cava from Penendes which was also fine at about $50 the bottle. The other wines were all from Prince Edward County. We started with the Mexican Street corn, which was spicy, messy, but well done, and tasty. We also had the tortilla chips with spicy bean and queso dip. Plenty of chips, home-made, crisp, and dusted in ancho chilli powder. The dip was rich and peanut like. A good choice. The pollo frito taco was excellent. Very full, plenty of crisp chicken. The fried cod and red cabbage taco was also good, not too greasy and slightly soft. The meatballs were beautifully spiced and rich, plenty of them. The carne assada was also excellent. Overall we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food. The noise level was a distraction, so much so, that it lost two stars on this count. Total bill $130 for two read more

La Carnita has shown up on a number of lists as one of the best mexican places in Toronto so I was stoked to try it out. The atmosphere is nice- relaxed and cosy but still with that touch of 'fancy' that makes going out to eat feel special. I started with a habanero watermelon cocktail made with tequila that was both beautiful and delicious. The habanero lended a heat to the drink but not spiciness, and really offset the sweetness of the watermelon mix. My friend and I split the mexican street corn, which was bomb cuz who doesn't like mexican street corn? Unfortunately though, that was the highlight of the meal for me. I ordered a chorizo taco and the ceviche. The taco was very simple, and the ceviche had much less lime in it than I'd expected. For both of them I found the spice level overpowered rather than complimented the dishes. My friend and I also split a tres leches dessert, which was a very basic strawberry shortcake-like parfait. It tasted like something I could get at a grocery store. The total cost of the meal felt overpriced for the size of the meal. This may have been a case of too much hype. read more

They always seem to be low on tequila. They should remove the 1/2 price promo from their menu since they never seem to honor it.

Simply not good food... Tasted like the salad came directly out of the fridge and my taco was just spicy - no flavour. Didn't feel like any love was put into the food. read more

I was at La Carnita this past weekend. The food was amazing! had the fish (cod), and steak tacos, and the nachos with all three dips. Everything was amazing. SOO delicious. Yes the fish tacos are as good as everyone says - I would def recommend them. The guacamole was REALLY yummy! They also dust the tortilla chips with some spicy taco mix so they can get a bit spicy for some, however my whole table really enjoyed them. The place gets really packed and there didn't seem to be enough servers to go around, so service was not fantastic, but the actual waiter was very very nice and friendly. It also gets really loud in here which makes it hard to hear people near you - but aside from those two, I'd say this place is pretty great! Looking forward to becoming a regular here! read more

Everything they make is absolutely delicious. Their taco bowls have been a real god send during the pandemic. Affordable, healthy and delicious. I'm sort of addicted to the shrimp taco bell. Just had their good fortune burgers and confirm the chefs at this restaurant can do pretty much anything. Service is warm and adds the human touch to the take out experience. read more

I am too old for this place; La Carnita is a Mexican-inspired modern/fusion restaurant. I have no idea if the bathroom is accessible because I couldn't reach it. Full disclosure; I went on a Saturday night with my BFF. I don't normally go out to "popular" places on a Saturday because I hate busy places. And THIS PLACE WAS SO BUSY! The food was delicious but NOT vegan friendly. There are LOTS of vegetarian options, but I wouldn't bring a vegan because most of the non-meat dishes are covered in cheese. My BFF and I ordered the nachos with salsa, cheese and guacamole. It was VERY good! In fact, everything we ordered was delicious. I would have ordered more if I had had room in my belly. My ideal for this place would be if I could order food to go. I can't deal with being squashed next to the person next to me, able to hear all of their conversation. I like space and quiet. This place has neither. I would return here if La Carnita didn't have such problematic issues with social media. For those of you unaware, please find articles about it here: 1. http://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2016/10/la_carnita_apology_fails_to_quiet_its_critics/ 2. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/la-carnita-apology-trump-1.3801103 I know that La Carnita has addressed the issue, but I'm not comfortable returning. read more

La Carnita remains one of my go-to spots for tacos in Toronto. I love the food here. The only thing I dislike is the wait. There have been times when the wait wasn't very long but it is normally quite long. My favorites are: Mexican Street Corn - The corn is smothered in sauce and it is just so tasty. I highly recommend this item as an appetizer. I get this almost every time I am here. In Cod We Trust taco - This remains my favorite. The cod is lightly battered and the vegetables on it go well with it. Overall I think La Carnita is a solid spot for Mexican food! read more

This is my favorite La Carnita in the GTA. It is as authentic as needs to be, it is cozy and it fulfills the Mexican experience you would imagine. Probably your best bet for Mexican food in Toronto if you don't mind slightly over priced items on the menu. read more

This place is a must visit if you're going to visit Toronto. The portions are huge and the flavor is spot on. My favorite was hands down the street corn. There are always lines out the door (especially since they don't take reservations) so I highly recommend you coming by right when they open to avoid a long wait. I came here with a party of four and waited about 10 minutes when I came shortly after they opened. The taco thirst is real, guys. The taco thirst is REAL. read more

I was up in Toronto on vacation and ate at this restaurant and was totally let down. I am from Southern California and we have fantastic Mexican food so I feel qualified enough to judge their food. I'm not a newbie to authentic Mexican food by any means. This restaurant had bad service, high prices, and the food was nothing to write home about. The tortilla was soggy and flavorless and the meat was very gritty and seemed to be very cheap quality. I wouldn't not recommend this restaurant due to the prices paired with the quality of food. I would search elsewhere if you are looking for quality Mexican food. read more

The only reason I wanted to write this is because I feel like their attitude towards "not changing the menu" needs to improve. Do not come to this restaurant if you do not like cilantro. They do not alter their menu to omit a particular thing you detest. Seriously, I hate cilantro, I wish I could love it because I do love Mexican food, but I can't. I get it, customizing orders is a pain and you believe the food tastes better the way that you make it. But let me tell you, not everyone likes what you like. And I don't think it's that hard to tell me what foods on your menu do not have cilantro, or what foods you can omit cilantro from? Instead of telling me "we don't change the menu, unless you have an allergy" I guess I should have said I was allergic. And like "just pick it off" well I would rather you just NOT put it on there in the first place? That being said, even though I did not eat any dinner because I was promised "there's so little cilantro you won't be able to taste it" which I did. Thank you for that... The churros were delicious, the atmosphere was nice, and everyone in the party I was with (who have no problem with cilantro) REALLY enjoyed their food. Honestly, the service was great and I'm sure you guys are about a 5 star to everyone else in my group, but I just couldn't judge because I couldn't eat. And I'm really sad about that. I really wanted to eat those beautiful looking tacos. read more

In my opinion...I believe this restaurant is far too hyped up and over-priced for what you actually receive. I went there for a friend's birthday and we were told that we wouldn't be seated unless everyone was there. We were still seated even though the entire party wasn't there on time - so thank you for causing some people stress for no reason at all. The service was puuussshy. I am not a fan of people constantly yammering on about what we should have/have to try/etc etc. It's very obvious that she was trying to up sell which made me uncomfortable. Our waitress suggested pitchers of margaritas which we agreed to thinking it was the cheaper way for a bigger group of people. They ended up being $50 each and were bitter at best. One person at the table asked for cilantro to be omitted from his tacos. Understandable, not everyone likes the taste! The waitress told us that the restaurant "Doesn't change the menu at all" but that we could "pick it out if we wanted". Yes, because picking out cilantro from a taco is that easy to do. Tacos were small, and I wasn't really wowed by the flavour. I couldn't taste the tuna in my tuna taco (it was overwhelmed by avocados) and the crunchy avocado taco was bland. The best taco of the bunch was the crispy chicken. The desserts are rather delicious and I would not mind trying one of their popsicles (cookies and cream, waffles and syrup, key lime pie flavours). The worst was that the entire meal felt rushed as the waitress was constantly in our faces taking plates away. She took our appetizer away which still had nachos and dips on it, and then asked "Oh would anyone like the last chips?" How about you ASK if we're finished BEFORE taking it away. And of course, we were kicked out at the end saying "The next guests are here"...thank you for making me feel welcomed. Overall, I spent far too much money and still left the restaurant STARVING. I will most likely never return here again. read more

In the epic showdown between Grand Electric (GE) and La Carnita, I must say that they aren't really even comparable. Even though they both are taquerias, and have some similar items, they do completely different takes on them. VIBE: nice, dark interior- large and deep room that fits a lot of people and is very group friendly. La Carnita wins over Grand Electric on interior but GE has a new back outdoor patio that is really nice and spacious while La Carnita only has a few tables on the front patio. Unlike GE- the music wasn't overbearingly loud. SERVICE: Both were very nice but Grand Electric was definitely better and more attentive. Took forever to get out bill at La Carnita. At the same time La Carnita seems like there weren't any line ups and it was rather easy to get a table quickly (due to the larger interior and group-friendly atmosphere- so if you want to take your time La Carnita would be better. Even though service is attentive, quick (yet gracious) at GE- you will feel the pressure to move out and give the next person in line your space. FOOD: As I said, the food is not really comparable. If I were to describe the difference... La Carnita is a Winter Taco, red wine or dark beer and GE is a Summer taco, white wine and light beer. What the hell does that mean? Well La Carnita has a LOT going on in the taco..a lot of more stewed flavours, a lot more saucy, creamy saucy and cooked. Grand Electric has fresher flavours, zested with fresh citrus and less cooked/stewed flavours. Both are good.. but I ordered some comparable items to compare (even though I don't think it is totally appropriate to compare). CHIPS and Guac: GE will come with deep fried corn chips, regular creamy guac with chicharron garnish (crispy pig skin). Nothing too special except for presentation. La Carnita had same chips but they had a delicious seasoning on them. The Guac was regular but had similar seasoning and some cheese on top. La Carnita wins CEVICHE: GE comes with a heaping pile of fresh tuna. with avocado- so good. BUT La carnita, while good, seems like a smaller portion...mixed with tomato and cucumber and comes with chips. While good, Grand Electric's ceviche 100% wins, no doubt. COD taco: saucier than GE, more meaty for sure than GE. BUT- the deep fried piece of fish was not crispy. The outer batter was a soggy fail. And it wasn't because we waited too long to eat it.. Grand Electric wins on the COD LENGUA tostada: GE doesn't really have an equivalent to this- the lengua was so tender. so good. A MUST order! La Carnita WIN Other tacos at the table: CHICKEN- looked like fried chicken- spicy- definitely a big portion and was tasty BEAN- the only veggie option on the menu. Heard it was good. it was a good meat substitute looking taco and the bean was formed into a sausage form instead of a spread. Beef- apparently was just good. COST: GE 3.50/taco vs La Carnita 5/taco. People say that La Carnita's tacos are bigger, but really, only a select few are actually bigger. The Lengua and Chicken are probably worth the extra cost but the rest of the items were the same sized PORTION with just a larger tortilla. So there is a definite price win on GE's side. For La Carnita you can get a satisfying meal with 3 tacos. Or definitely full on 4. With Grand Electric I would say the same thing. Overall, I would come back to try the other tacos and definitely the Lengua again. But overall, I would go out of my way to go back to Grand Electric over La Carnita (that is, IF we were to compare : p ) read more