Mexican food in Toronto: tacos, al pastor and how to tell the real thing

How to spot real Mexican food in Toronto, what to order at a taqueria, and the kitchens worth going to. Every place with its own phone number.

Toronto took a while to get Mexican food right, and the tell of a real taqueria is still the same: corn tortillas made or pressed on site, a short list of fillings done well, and salsas that mean it. If the tortillas are flour and the menu runs to forty items, you are in a Tex-Mex room, which is a different meal.

How to order at a taqueria

  • Tacos come small and you order a few. Three or four across different fillings is the move, not one giant thing.
  • Al pastor is the one to test a place on: pork marinated in chilli and achiote, cooked on a vertical spit with pineapple, shaved to order. A place with a proper trompo is serious.
  • Know the meats: carnitas is slow-cooked pork, carne asada is grilled beef, barbacoa is slow-cooked and rich, lengua is beef tongue and better than it sounds.
  • The salsas are the signature. A good taqueria puts out a few, from mild to genuinely hot. Try before you drown the taco.
  • Al pastor and a quesadilla on a handmade tortilla beats a combo plate every time.

The kitchens

These are the Mexican spots in the directory.

  1. Antylia, mexican kitchen at 1059 Bloor Street West in Old Toronto, Toronto
    Antylia1059 Bloor Street West, Old Toronto
    +1 416-532-4919
  2. Birria Catrina, mexican kitchen at 214 Augusta Avenue in Old Toronto, Toronto
    Birria Catrina214 Augusta Avenue, Old Toronto
    +1 416-894-0856
  3. Carmelitas Restaurant, mexican kitchen at 2982 Dundas Street West in Old Toronto, Toronto
    Carmelitas Restaurant2982 Dundas Street West, Old Toronto
    +1 416-762-8111
  4. Casa Madera, mexican kitchen at 550 Wellington Street West in Old Toronto, Toronto
    Casa Madera550 Wellington Street West, Old Toronto
    +1 416-601-3593
  5. Casa Morales, mexican kitchen at 152 Augusta Avenue in Old Toronto, Toronto
    Casa Morales152 Augusta Avenue, Old Toronto
    +1 416-340-2336
  6. Comal y Canela, mexican kitchen at 1692B Jane Street in Etobicoke, Toronto
    Comal y Canela1692B Jane Street, Etobicoke
    +1 647-689-4694
  7. El Catrin Destileria, mexican kitchen at 18 Tank House Lane in Old Toronto, Toronto
    El Catrin Destileria18 Tank House Lane, Old Toronto
    +1 416-203-2121
  8. EL CHARRO DANFORTH, mexican kitchen at 493 Danforth Avenue in Old Toronto, Toronto
    EL CHARRO DANFORTH493 Danforth Avenue, Old Toronto
    +1 416-461-6616
  9. El Sazón de la Tía Flor, mexican kitchen at 1549 O'Connor Drive in East York, Toronto
    El Sazón de la Tía Flor1549 O'Connor Drive, East York
    +1 416-689-2450
  10. El Sol, mexican kitchen at 1448 Danforth Avenue in East York, Toronto
    El Sol1448 Danforth Avenue, East York
    +1 416-405-8074
  11. El Trompo, mexican kitchen at 277 Augusta Avenue in Old Toronto, Toronto
    El Trompo277 Augusta Avenue, Old Toronto
    +1 416-260-0097
  12. Esquina Salvadoreña Restaurant Mexican Food, mexican kitchen at 1738 Jane Street in Etobicoke, Toronto
    Esquina Salvadoreña Restaurant Mexican Food1738 Jane Street, Etobicoke
    +1 416-855-4826
All 38 mexican restaurants →

Before you go

Ring first if you are heading across town, because the small taquerias keep short hours and can sell out of the day's al pastor. The number on each page is the restaurant's own.

Written by See The Six · kept current from the directory, last checked 2026-08-24

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