Top 5 tacos in Toronto
Published July 25, 2024 at 3:00 pm
Tacos are plentiful in Toronto, and a lot of them go way beyond the average fast food Tex Mex. Fillings range from classic to unconventional, and of course there are lots of vegetarian options.
An ideal quick, fun meal, tacos are just as good eaten standing up in the street or seated on a patio while lingering over spicy tequila cocktails. Accompanying them with house hot sauces, ideally ladled from communal bowls, is mandatory.
The most important question, though, is…one or two tortillas?
5 – Gus Tacos
This simple taco spot has grown to a full-fledged empire with multiple locations around the city where tacos are $5 across the board.
Classics like al pastor, carnitas and barbacoa are juicy, and a great vegetarian option is piled with creamy avocado and fresh cheese.
All the tacos are excellent, but they really shine with the addition of any of three hot sauces from Gus in different heat levels. The hottest zings with a full-bodied pepper flavour that lights up your entire mouth.
4 – Seven Lives
Located in bustling Kensington Market, this standup-only affair has a clubby feel with loud music blasting and staff calling out order numbers.
The best thing about their tacos is they’re absolutely humongous. They’re not quite as cheap as, say, Gus, but one of these tacos is easily worth two at many other places, and they’re still more affordable than some smaller tacos in the city.
They’re especially known for their fish taco, which is super crispy and crunchy with a mound of refreshing slaw on top. Seven Lives is also known as the home of the Gobernador, a taco that’s loaded with both fish and shrimp as well as cheese.
Tasty hot sauces in giant molcajetes are free for the taking, and don’t forget to grab some wet wipes to supplement the rolls of paper towel at each standing table.
3 – El Rey
You could take an entire taco tour of Kensington Market, but it would have to include this spot, especially if you were looking for a cold drink and a place to rest your feet at the end of it.
The same team behind Bar Isabel and Bar Raval tackles Mexican food at this restaurant that offers tacos that are a little outside the box.
One of the stars of their tight taco menu is a crispy squid taco that brings in Asian flavours, with tamarind, toasted coconut, Maggi mayo and slaw. The squid is chewy with a kick and tanginess due to the tamarind, while the toasted coconut brings a sweet crunch.
2 – Campechano
With locations on Adelaide and College, this taqueria snagged Michelin Bib Gourmand status for their tacos made using Mexican heirloom corn and humanely raised meats.
They make fresh masa every morning and fresh tortillas all day to provide the base for their tacos, and exclusively source their meats from small, sustainable, ethical farms, using the whole animal whenever possible.
Their pescado taco is a favourite and one of the best fish tacos in the city, made using crispy beer-battered haddock complemented by crunchy red cabbage and a nicely mild chipotle mayo.
1 – Itacate
Blink and you might miss this little taqueria on St. Clair West, but it would be a shame if you did as they definitely make some of the best tacos in Toronto, hands down.
The restaurant apparently shares space with a butcher shop, but tacos are what everyone is ordering at the counter. They have a formidable lineup of options with lots of styles of tacos to choose from, and while they certainly do the classics justice, this place is great for giving some rarer options a try.
The lengua is a must, with incredibly rich slabs of meat that look thick but melt in your mouth. Other great options are the suadero, camarones (shrimp) and an ooey-gooey steak, onion and cheese variety. The tacos they’re all double-wrapped in are velvety but sturdy at the same time. The cherry on top is a fiery green hot sauce that’s full of freshness and spice.
Take care to note, Itacate is cash-only, but this is one of the only places in Toronto where you can pay for tacos with an e-transfer. Also, the big flavours here come with a significant wait time of around half an hour or more, but it’s genuinely worth it. Order ahead, or place your order and take a stroll around the neighbourhood.
