Heard about this place on Chowhound and so far it didn't get any bad reviews so far, so I had to try it out for myself on a rare lunchtime I was actually downtown. The place is quite nice inside but I'd bet when the weather warms up, the big windows open up to the patio, it'll be much better and livelier. I hope they get more servers for when it gets busy, there was only one server during the quiet lunch but she managed alright although there were only three tables occupied. It was a good sign to hear Mexican patrons at the next table. They have some interesting dishes on the menu and since I'm no expert at Mexican food I couldn't tell if they were some regional dish or just something made up. But since I've had decent tacos at Mi Tierra and Los Tortillas to compare with I decided to order Chillitos's tacos. It's three tacos with what ever meat and salsa combo you want for $13. I had the pastor, chicken and chorizo, with chipotle and pico salsa, (rice and beans were included too). Overall the tacos were decently flavored but pretty sparse in the fillings, or maybe I was extra hungry.... Salsa's were alright but could have used a bit more spice. Rice was a little undercooked and slightly crunchy. Refried beans were very well done and tasty though. Considering there's very little options right now for good Mexican, Los Chillitos does fit the bill in a busy traffic area for now. read more

Quick review. We popped in for dinner around 7:30. The outdoor seating was hopping, so we sat inside. I ordered the enmoladas (chicken mole enchiladas), and my wife had the burrito mexicana. Her dish arrived at room temperature, and we sent of back to get nuked. Mine was warm enough to eat, but not hot. The flavour of the mole was nice - lightly sweet and a bit spicy. The chicken was dry and bland, not even as good as Taco Time. Really. My wife's burrito (after heating) was quite good. Not a huge portion, but okay. We also had Margaritas, and they were decent, if a bit sweet. Okay food, nothing to write home about. Prices were high for what we got. Still nowhere near as good as anything I've had while visiting the US. I'll hit happy hour on a sunny day and check out the appetizers. read more

Jajaja, yo amo Los Chilitos! What an excellent Taco & Tequila House! I have been dying to visit this place for the longest time! My friend and I came on a Thursday evening during "el happy hour" and we ordered ourselves a nice refreshing pitcher of sangria and a full plate of delicious nachos with meat. The patio was in full swing, the sun was shining and we just enjoyed the activity along 17th ave. Our server was excellent. She was kind, bubbly and came to check on us every so often to see if we needed drink refills or anything else. We had a great time and I can't wait to return soon. 4 stars from this yelper! read more

A group of us went for dinner on Sunday night. Atmosphere is great on patio but service was terrible. Three of us had to send our good. ack as it was not prepared as required. After which o e of our group was given food so hot:/sipicy it was inedible! The waitress refused to do anything about it, did. oy offer another dish or discount the food. You should not have to leave hungry on any occasion. read more

Los Chilitos Taco and Tequila House was a nice little find on 17th ave. It was warm and cozy inside! I love guacamole, and I have to say their guac was pretty good!! The margaritas were a little dissapointing you could tell that they used the fake lime juice to make them, and I have definitley had better, but they make up for it with their BEERGARITA! This is something that has to be experienced! Overall the food was very traditional Mexican fare that was pretty good! read more

This place continues to be a solid 4 stars. We shared nachos with chorizo, mmmmmm. I had pastel Azteca which is layered with chicken, cheese​, tortillas, peppers and onions. Topped with some habanero sauce, perfect. Enchiladas at the table had good reviews also. read more

Chilitos Taberna - Pastel Azteca. Looks messy but so good - Mexican Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

BEST. MEXICAN. IN. CALGARY. It's a converted house. Super cute, and SUPER SMALL! Be prepared to wait. Even with reservations we waited for 15 minutes to be seated. Once inside we waited and waited to order drinks, then waited and waited and waited to order food...then waited some more before it came. But the food is worth it! Definately on the high side in terms of price, but delicious hand made Mexican food is worth it! It's NOT greasy and not too spicy or bland. I would say it's perfect. The ONLY time I've ever had better Mexican food was at a little cantina run by a Mexican Grandma in Osaka Japan! Can't wait to go back! read more

We were starving and drove down 17th till something caught our eye. The bright colours and house-building probably made us stop. O.. and that it said "Tacos and Tequila" (I'm easily sold). Cute place, had a huge patio.. but since we live in Calgary and only get 10 days of sun.. today was not a day the patio was open. It had a really cozy feeling inside! I have really mixed reviews and have been trying to figure out if I would go back or not. I would go back for the salsas.. they taste soo good. We also had an guacamole appetizer which was really good! Their chips seems to be a little extra crispy here which i liked. I wish I had gotten the chicken borrito because it tasted excellent, and so did the chicken tacos.. (if I go back i'm sticking with the chicken). It's really flavourful and not dry. The steak on the other hand.. i'll pass.. it made my whole taco experience horrible. I love flavours, and the steak just didnt have it. Oo.. and I was not a big fan of the beans. I almost felt as thought I could go to Taco del Mar and get something on par to this... maybe even more flavourful steak. Found their menu to be a little limited.. but eh, that might just be me. read more

First, "JS," Calgary gets something like 200 days of "sunshine" per year. One of the sunniest cities in Canada. And even in this wet cold summer we've been having, Los Chillitos; patio has been open since May. In a year with a normal summer they'll get close to five months' use out of it- great patio. The food is superb, close to the best REAL Mex I've had in Canada (best is at Las Tortillas by Marlborough Mall). I always get the carnitas tacos- Los Chillitos absolutely knows how to do pork! Don't bother with the beef, which is the coward's choice for tacos anyway. Pork ro chicken, or fish when they have it. The beans are absolutely amazing- that authentic, almost soupy refried bean puree that you get in real taquerias all over the US. Best refritos I've had in this country. read more

Pretty decent mexican fare, the real pull here is the patio and the drinks! I love the mexican bulldogs (also called a beer-garita) where they let you pick both the margarita flavour and the type of beer you want with it- great! The food is really good, but i find a little high priced. Worth it though to have some authentic tacos el pastor. The patio is great great great in the summer- but super busy. During patio season expect to wait an hour for a spot. The servers are usually helpful and will try their best to accommodate- she let us move tables three times one evening in the summer as slowly better tables freed up- even saved us a great patio spot! Typical of mexican places in calgary- you do have to flag the server if you want something, but once you get their attention your request is fulfilled in reasonable time. Really like this place, mostly for the drinks (it is a tequila house after all) but the food is decent too! read more

As the stars say, yay! I'm a fan. I enjoyed their atmosphere, it represents the mexican culture. The guacamole was absolutely delicious! I'll be back! read more

Mediocre Mexican food. We tried the shrimp tacos and a mole chicken dish. Neither was particularly good. The chicken was dry and the tacos were topped with a supermarket quality thousand island dressing. On the bright side, the service was good and the place has a nice vibe. Plenty of outdoor seating. read more

We ordered tacos, street corn and margaritas. The margaritas tasted like a bottled mix, I think the corn was microwaved and then blow-torched. It was bland, chewy, and just weird. The tortillas were stale and rubbery and clearly came from a frozen package. The meat was bland. The toppings on many full of mayonnaise. Even the salsa (the two thimbles provided) was bland. The service was good, but not good enough to go back. read more

I've said before that Los Chilitos is a great place for tequila - that's still true (and Mojitos ps), and the patio is great; but I'd stick to Los Chilitos for the drinks and the sun. Overall, the food was fine, and if you're dang hungry, Los Chilitos can fill you up - but I found it to be a bit overpriced for the quality and slightly lacking in the 'YEAH! That's spicy Mexican food' flavor department. Like I said, stick to this spot for the drinks, especially if you like tequila. They have a tequila selection that varies from a $5 to a $24 ounce, a good variety of mixed drinks from Mojitos to Margaritas and everything in between. I'd recommend Los Chilitos for a late-night, a pre-party or an afternoon-in-the-sun drink with friends/family but not for lunch or dinner. Cheers! T. read more

I have never been disappointed at this place, great location and a taste of Mexico right on 17th Ave. read more

Chilitos Taberna - Mexican Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

The restaurant itself is quite small the service was a little on the slow side (which is the only reason for 4 rather than 5 stars), but the food itself was excellent - barely a crumb was left on any of our plates. The appetizer of Flautas was not only particularly crisp and delicious, it satisfied the vegetarian in our group as well. I had arguably the best fish tacos I've ever tasted and the two who had sampler platters of the 5 meats loved their meals as well. read more

Yes this is authentic Mexican food, with authentic (if not kitschy) decor. The mole was very nice with the proper amount and types of spice, and the five taco sampler was exactly as I remember from the Nayarit region. This is also one of the few places I have been able to get a cold Negra Modelo. Space is very tight in the restaurant as it was too cold for the patio, and so you're almost always in a traffic route. Make sure you get a reservation, and if you can ask for the corner booth or something near the front. I'll be back to try out the brunch, especially the chilaquiles, also knows as Mexican Kryptonite. read more

Ordered 2 nights in a row through #skipthedishes. Delicious. Real Mexican food. read more

Ohmygoodness. So delicious. Amazing food. Amazing tequila. Our waitress wasn't the best, but the food was so good I didn't even care. The ONLY downside to this place is how busy it is. read more

Very friendly staff!! Pretty small place though. Nice tacos but for $14 for 4 tacos is a bit steep..make sure you try all different kinds!! The chicken enchiladas were okay. Asked for the hotter sauce on the topping but it certainly wasn't hot! read more

Chilitos Taberna - Chicken enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

See all

I live around the corner from here and thought me and my daughter would give this place another try as our first visit wasn't so great.. Turns out the second visit wasn't much better. I will say the patio is what got me to go there. The service is disorganized and slow. I ordered the nachos with cheese and salsa. Adding guacamole and sour cream is a add on (3.00) and adding meat is 4.00. We also ordered calamari. Nachos came before the drinks and were served with all the ads ons ( that I didn't order ). The drinks came and they were great ! Then came the calamari which was deep fried to a crisp. My daughter who loves calamari actually gagged on her first bite. The salt was intense. We waited another 20 minutes before a server came back and told her I would like the bill and I would pay for my drinks, she said sorry brought me the bill without the food on it. I don't usually dictate what I'll pay, however I wasn't paying for that food. Unless I was simply going for the patio I would never chose to eat here. read more

I know Los Chilitos has been panned in the past. "prices are too high, it's not as good as Mexican food in the US, we don't get free chips and salsa, blah ....blah ..........blah However, we decided we had to use our groupon the other day before it expired, and I was dreading it; I had purchased it before reading all the reviews. What we didn't anticipate was being shockingly surprised. In a good way. Our server was very knowledgeable, friendly, professional, efficient and welcoming. Yeah, sure there was no salsa and chips slammed down in front of you, but we found the servings huge and there was no need for salsa and chips. I had the Tacos al Pastor. Luscious, tender pork in a complex chile sauce (so much better than the pastor tacos at Tu Tierra where the chile sauce was extremely harsh and raw tasting and not cooked down properly), accompanied by a tasty cilantro rice and refried beans. Hubby decided on getting chorizo quesidillas, which were huge and satisfied his hungry-man appetite. He also had some very fresh pico de gallo, salsas, beans and cilantro rice on the side as well. Overall, the food was muy delicioso. What struck me was the depth of flavour in the chorizo (made in house btw), pork, cilantro rice, beans and -- you could tell everything was carefully prepared and by someone experienced in Mexican cuisine. Decor-wise, sure it was a bit cheesy, but having spent time in many parts of Mexico, it wasn't too far off from places that are actually in Mexico and off the tourist path. We found the prices slightly high, but what place can you get good food for cheap in Calgary these days unless it's a hot dog stand or something like that? We are very picky about food and have travelled extensively in Mexico, trust me this is great food. For all those nay sayers out there -- oh well, more for us . read more

I love this place! Each and every time I have eaten here the food has been awesome. Quesadillas are my favorite, chicken or pork. If you like homemade salsa, ask for more...so good. Service is kind and quick! A good selection at the bar and they'll make it the way you want! Dos cervezas por favor! read more

The best nachos I've had in Calgary. Not your typical bar/pub crappy nachos either. I think these are SERIOUSLY the best nachos in town and I think about them often. Which is kinda ridiculous since I should probably be thinking of other things. Like World Peace, chewing gum while walking, or bullets with butterfly wings. On the other hand, the margharita drinks were nothing special (and more than a bit over-priced). But the beer (again, nothing special but it pairs well with the eats) and nachos? NO BRAINER. read more

Awesome authentic (to me) Mexican food and probably the best nachos I've ever had. ¡Muy Bueno! read more

See all

This is probably my favourite Mexican Restaurant in town, they serve authentic tacos, served on soft corn tortillas, meat, cilantro and onions, just like in Mexico, non of that hard shell, lettuce, tomatoes non sense. The best part is the patio located on 17th, great for tanning and people watching, they also have a DJ sometimes and live Mariachi band. Prices are reasonable and the service is on point every time. I've been coming here for years and I'll keep coming back, I definitely r read more

Easily the best Mexican fare I've had so far in Calgary. Excellent staff and great ambience lend to it's friendly atmosphere. Ive had the mexicana burrito, and the tortilla soup along with some appies. Cant wait to go back! read more

Chilitos Taberna - Mexican Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

We came here for beerguritas as part of our stampeding adventures. We were walking by when our friend insisted we all stop and that drinks were on him! Well, twist my arm why dontcha! The drinks were delicious and easy to put down. I loved that we got chips and salsa, even though we were only there for drinks. They have a very reasonably sized patio, that's slightly recessed from the street, which is an extra special treat on 17th. Fun server, who knew his drink menu to rattle off and put up with us needing to hear our beer in margarita options more than once. read more

My wife and i visited Los Chilitos on the weekend in the cold "slushy" weather, and the warm tequila warmed me up with our quesidilla. The food was great, especially with the cold weather outside. My only "knock" on Los Chilitos is that there isn't too much space, but the pail also wasn't available. I would love to come back on a hot summer day to give a new rating for this establishment! -SM read more

Had a very good experience here. Next to great. A small quaint restaurant with maybe 12 tables. The food was outstanding and the young lady that served us was great. The only thing I would have liked mote was a bit more variety perhaps... and the only reason I could use more variety was because the food is so good I'd like to come back for more, but to eat something different. Most of the entrees on the menu contain familiars such as quesadilla, burrito, fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, and a few more classic Mexican entrees. All in all, great place, really good food and a very traditional feel. Would highly recommend it. read more

Had a great day on the Patio for cinco de mayo. Have beergaritas. The service was great and so was the food The staff is amazing and does such a great job with service. Best patio on 17th. Always read more

Best fish tacos I've ever had. I'd eat here every day if I could! Paired with a cold Sol, it doesn't get better. My boyfriend took me here on one of our first dates and I was sold on the tacos AND him for having such amazing taste. Patio is great and so is the inside! I count down the days until I can go back every time! read more

Terrible excuse for a Mexican restaurant. My $20 tacos came as 3 tortillas with strips of beef in them. That's literally it and it wasn't spicy. Then I got to build myself my taco with the portion cups of salsa, guac, beans. No limes. Waitress didn't show up until the end to check in. Margarita had no lime and a few pieces of ice. Atmosphere was really nice however. But save your money, come after 9 for drinks and make terrible tacos at home. read more

Good authentic food, excellent service, great drinks, and great deals. No complaints here.

We just had a fantastic afternoon on their patio! the food was great. We have been to Mexico a couple of times and I have to say that his feels just like going back! Great quality ingredients and authentic cooking. Please keep it up guys!! read more

Really good! Had chicken enchiladas. Just wish the rice had more flavour added to it! read more

Chilitos Taberna - Chicken enchiladas. Soooo good. - Mexican Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

I've recently ordered twice from here. The food was amazing. I even called in to compliment the kitchen. The prices are a little high, but the quality was superb both times! Thank you Chilitos! read more

I often go to the Farmer's Market on the weekends to pick up a few things. I always like to experiment with the different foods. The last time I came with my daughter we noticed the man sitting next to us was eating Tacos of some sort. It looked delicious. So I decided on my next visit to the Farmers Market I would be trying the tacos at Los Chilitos! It was a 3 Taco Chilito Sampler topped with onion & cilantro. Alot of food came on my plate and I barely finished 2 of the 3 tacos. It was very yummy. I will definitely eat here again and try their restaurant!! read more

This is a great authentic Mexican restaurant. We had a plate of taco chips with guacamole $7, we added a sampler salsa with 4 distinct and amazing salsa's for $3, we then needed more chips to finish our salsa and guacamole $2, so just the starter which did not fill you in any way shape or form cost $12. A better option, and one my husband went with was the soup Pozole, just a small was $5 and it was HUGE- so my advice skip the chips and dip, hit the meaty soup instead. I have no idea why I ordered red wine, do not do this they are not known for their wine. Instead opt for my second bevy the mojito- it was amazing. There was no alcohol taste, or overwhelming sweetness. It was just a mild refreshing mint drink that was very enjoyable. Our main dishes were amazing. I had the taco's; 3 taco's of your choice with beans and rice $13. Its funny because the smells are just as good as the taste, just smelling the food had me drooling! My husband had the burrito's again your choice of filling $13. To finish we had the flan $5, it really was the most tasteless flan I have ever had, but in saying that many people like it that way to clean the palate. All in all the food is amazing quality, cost with drinks for 2 people $76, not too shabby for 17th ave but it could be better. I won't be going back until the summer though, it has a ridiculous entrance that makes you feel like you are in everyone's way- very very uncomfortable. read more

First... I'm Mexican. I know how Mexican delicious food tastes. The Enchiladas I tried here are good. If you come here you should try them. However, my experience was not good. They didn't have everything in the menu... Then why would you advertise it?! They didn't have mole de olla, and ither dishes. Also they didn't have white chicken for enchiladas! That's huge mistake. Commonly enchiladas have white chicken. Also my girlfriend couldn't handle habanero and valentina sauces, so she asked for green sauce, the one in my enchiladas. They charged for that! This is the first place where they ask money for a sauce. That's so mediocre! They crave money. The prices are so expensive for an average quality and their kindness is in the floor when they ask money for sauce, and 15 for three tacos. In Toronto I can get around 5 or 6 tacos for the same price, with free nachos and many sauces. Here it is a joke! Come here if you want to spend your money for average stuff (average Mexican food in Canada, it is below average in Mexico). read more