Was able to visit again after a long time away. I'm glad to report that the food here is just as good as I remember. The food is amazing! Eric, the owner, has done an amazing job running this place, and his customer service is amazing as well. I HIGHLY recommend this place. It's one of my favourite spots in Ottawa. read more

I had the pulled pork burrito and it was excellent. The pork had amazing flavor on its own. It got even better with all the fresh ingredients added to the mix. Refried beans, guacamole, lettuce, salsa, cheese and all the different hot sauces. Very delicious and I highly recommend if you're in the area. read more

Corazon De Maiz - Loaded pork burrito - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Absolutely the best spot for a quick lunch in the market . Everything is homemade Chicken burrito was best I've ever had Authentic food must try the homemade sauces especially the garlic jalapeño read more

Corazon De Maiz - Outside view - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I wasn't expecting this place to taste as good as it was. For the first time ever, we found a place that has nachos with more toppings than chips. Amazing! Tacos were great too. Very limited seating in this place. I wouldn't say the menu is kid friendly. read more

Corazon De Maiz - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

My wife took us here as a replacement for the Mexico Pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot because we weren't able to go one year and I must say for a tiny little restaurant tucked away in the market building, it definitely filled the role. The food is amazing, I discovered a new favourite brand of soda, and there is an amazing Luchador Last Supper mural that I want up on my own kitchen wall. read more

Corazon De Maiz - I need this on my wall! - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

We got the nachos with chicken and then 3 tacos. The price was a bit high in my opinion, but the portions were pretty large. 3 of us ate on the nachos and couldn't finish them all. The pork taco was really tasty. We ate in, but we had to sit at the bar as there was only 1 table that could seat 2 and one table that could seat 4. Very very cramped space. read more

Corazon De Maiz - Chicken nachos and 3 tacos (pork, chicken, and veggie). - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

If you like Quesadillas this place makes quality fantastic tasting ones! They were very flavorful and very generous on the ingredients. Would recommend! read more

Ermagawd - tortilla soup! My first time trying it, but I know a savoury, spicy, tangy broth replete with crunchy tortilla strips, sour cream and other delicious yumminess when I try it! An absolute must-try! At $5.xx a bowl, you can't go wrong! A friend and I stopped in to eat at Corazon de Maiz on a snowy evening as we were exploring Byward Market. In the "Market" building itself, this local gem is a cross between a stall and a super casual sit-down restaurant (only about small 4-5 tables). I assume many people get their food to go, but we sat down and had a fairly quiet (wonderful) meal, where we ordered at the counter but were served at our table. We each had a soup and shared a small nachos... we had been warned that the nachos would be too much food for 1 person, but it proved too much for 2! Expect them to be fully loaded, and do be sure to try all the homemade salsas (=sauces = not chunky) at the serve-yourself station! They rate them by spiciness - the one with 6 Xs (xxxxxx) is certainly worthy of a dare! And it's tasty! Our favourite was the salsa verde (the green one!) The guy at the counter was super helpful and friendly in explaining the menu items upon ordering too - all around a friendly and welcoming experience in Ottawa! read more

Very good food Great service Friendly staff highly recommend Mexican food in the market read more

Corazon De Maiz - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I've read somewhere that Mexican food in Canada should not be tried and doesn't taste authentic. If you think so too, you stop by this little family owned restaurant in the Byward Market. Great portions, amazing flavor and friendly staff. Highly recommend! read more

Corazon De Maiz - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I had the quesadilla (beef) spose had one of each taco's. We both enjoyed them alot. I loved the flavour of the meat and fresh cooked but still crunchie veggies inside. I recommend this place for quick and really tasty food. read more

Excellent, authentic, tasty, juicy tacos! Located in the Byward Market, this place makes really really good tacos. They only have 3 meats: beef, chick, and pork, and I rate them in that order. 3 soft tacos cost $10.50 The beef tacos are simply outstanding, rich with flavour and super tender and juicy. I had to order 3 more after the first bite! The chicken is moist and the pork I find is just so so... However its all about the beef, which just blew away my taste buds! The prices are very reasonable and they don't skimp on the meat. The beef taco gives this an automatic 5 stars, I recommend this far and away over the other options. Note: They do not put cheese on their tacos, but do give you guacamole. You can get cheese if you so desire for 50 cents read more

This place gets me going. It's the place to go if you're craving authentic Mexican soft tacos. When I visit them, I always take 3 pork tacos to go. For just under $9, it's a very good deal, and a tasty one. The tacos all come with a laddle of black beans, pico de gallo and guacamole. For a little extra (¢50), you can get crema (sour cream) and queso fresco (fresh cheese) so make sure you read the blackboard and take a look at the toppings section before whining they don't put nothing in their tacos. Besides the pork, which is actually cochinita pibil (I overheard the person behind the counter explain that in Spanish to some Mexicans that were behind me) the other offerings are chicken, beef and grilled vegetable. You can also get lots of other things there like burritos, tostadas and quesadillas; I have yet to try all that. They also have a choice of soups (überdelicious tortilla soup and another one that changes daily). After you order and pay, and before you complain that their food is bland, make sure you get some of the house-made salsas!!! They have chipotle (spicy), moritas (medium spicy), habanera (deadly spicy!), salsa verde (mild) and my favourite: garlic & jalapeno (a little spicy). The other thing I like is they serve their tacos on corn tortillas which are a lot tastier than flour tortillas. It is a pitty however that they don't make the soft corn tortillas (and regular flour tortillas) on premises (they use commercial ones, I think). If they did that, I'd gladly give them 5 stars! I also don't think it would make the wait longer since they have to preheat the corn tortillas on the grill anyway. read more

Having been MIA from the Market (and the Rideau Center) for almost 4 months, I could not pass up the opportunity of eating again at a place where I know I'd get a fresh, hearty Mexican meal, for the same price, if not less, than if I had stayed to eat at the mall. My partner in crime didn't seem too excited when I made the suggestion (he's lived in the area in the past but doesn't know about this place...) but quickly changed his mind when we started eating. I believe he said, and I quote: "This is surprisingly very fresh..." "I should have gotten that Mexican soda that you got. That tastes surprisingly good." "That was surprisingly very filling! Good call on not eating at the food court..." I got the chicken burrito and the mango Mexican soda and he had the quesadilla (w chicken) and coke. As previously said, everything was fresh, prepared quickly, and consumed easily too, since it was so good! Service is friendly and more importantly guacamole is no extra charge (definite winner in my books). Seating is limited, so there's a good chance you might have to take your food somewhere else. But for 25$ for our entire order, there's very little to complain about, really. If you're at the mall and want a quick lunch or dinner but don't want to be stuck with the food court/fast food options or maybe if you don't have the time to sit in at an actual restaurant.. think about Corazon de maiz. Prepare to be surprised! read more

The burritos are absolutely delicious and the homemade flavour is fantastic. The service is excellent and makes you want to be a regular! There's limited seating (3 tables and a few seats around a bar-type area). I've been recommending this place to everyone and can't wait to go back for some delicious eats! read more

I love this place - the tacos are tasty, but make sure to hit up the salsa bar for the full flavour experience! I think they make all of their own sauces. If i'm honest, the people that run Corazon de Maiz (it's been the same three people since it opened, I'm pretty sure) are 60% of it's appeal - they are super friendly and always greet everyone and thank them for repeat business. It's nice to find such fresh and reasonably priced Mexican food in a neighborhood often beset with touristy schlock. If I had one complaint, on one visit the steak was super salty - I think it was a one time thing though. Try it! I will be back, and I will bring friends. read more

I decided I am dead sick of winter and I am now in denial it is not summer yet. Therefore I decided to grab some tacos and Menchies tonight. I've been dying to try this place for a while now as El Camino was a pretty huge disappointment for me. Corazon De Maiz is small, and easy to miss amongst all the different restaurants on Byward Market Square. Despite that it was completely packed. Awesome! I was greeted with a "hola!" by a very friendly lady, who appears to be named Marianna. This lady is the real deal. She was speaking Spanglish to all her customers and seemed to put love into her food. I was extremely hungry so I ordered 3 veggie tacos and a tortilla soup. I found out the tortilla soup has chicken in it after I ordered it, duh. But the veggie tacos were fantastic. The ingredients were really fresh and the salsas that you could use were awesome. I can't remember which I used, a green one and a red one but whew, my mouth was on fire. The 3 tacos, tortilla soup and jarrito came to $16, and it was a lot of food!! I can't wait to some back! Tomorrow maybe.. read more

Everything you'd expect from a Mexican place. Great everything, good prices and very friendly staff. I recommend the guacamole with chips read more

Corazon De Maiz - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

Stopped by for a quick lunch on Friday. Split two orders of soft tacos, 2 times chicken, pork and beef which came with a helping of avocado on the side. We enjoyed these dining in and paid once done. While there is limited seating, we arrived between 1-2 Pm and found a spot to scarf these bad boys down. My boyfriend enjoyed the hot sauce with four X's - some have a higher spice tolerance than me I'll say. Great value for the price and friendly service. We'd return in a heartbeat. read more

Very disappointing. I got the soft shell tacos. Very bland. Veggies not fresh. Just not much flavor

Absolutely delicious and filling . Staff is really friendly. Wonderful gem in the heart of the byward market.

Amazing Burritos... I don't know what else to say! Had lunch to go from here and simply amazing! I had the pork burrito. It was loaded with rice, beans, vegies, guac, salsa... and then you pick your own hot sauce from a choice of 7. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for a tatsy lunch on the go! read more

DAMN DOS BURRITOS DOE - That sweet chipotle sauce is straight fire (not 2 spicy tho) - Staff is all chill no cray - Panch is 2 lit and knows his shit (give him a fkin raiz alreadi) - Whenever i ask they always hold the beans, no questions asked, no judgements given - MUSIC IS SOMETIMES LIT, but sometimes nah - Prices need to chill out tho, but i get it - straight honesty here: i crave that chicken burrito on tha daily, finna get 1 2morrow FINAL THOTS: TREAT YOSELF read more

One of the best place to get Mexican food in Ottawa. Very friendly staff and a very good atmosphere in the restaurant. read more

Corazon De Maiz - Chicken, beef and veggie tacos - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

This is a cute little Mexican fast food spot inside Byward Market. It's mostly for takeout, but there are a couple small tables for 2 as well as some counter seating. Service is friendly and fast, and there are several hot sauce choices too! I had a vegetable quesadilla. It was good, nothing to write home about and a bit too much cheese. The meat tacos looked better (they have chicken, beef, and pork). They have Mexican sodas in interesting flavours like tamarind. It gets busy at lunch hour with people working in the area! A solid option for a quite bite - decent food and good prices, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come back. read more

Came here because of all the rave reviews on Yelp and wanted tacos while on vacation. I found it to be just meh~ What to expect -It's right in the heart of Byward Market and is only opened until 6p.m so plan accordingly. -Really busy and not enough tables, it's like winning a lottery if you have a table. -Family business where you order then take a seat. -Food was quite filling. What I ate -Had the soft shell tacos, one chicken, one beef and one pork. Chicken was really bland, I could taste a little lime flavour but it was not strong enough. Beef was also quite bland, tasted like it was boiled with a couple of spices. Pork was my favourite one, reminded me of pulled pork but also was a little under seasoned. -Beef burrito according to my parents were under seasoned and not worth the price. -Salsa/pico de gallo needs more lime, cilantro and the tomatoes weren't sweet/juicy. -Guacamole was pretty good, I would've added more salt and a dash of cumin though. -They have mexican coke, which apparently tastes better than the regular coke we have, but I didn't try it. Overall, I feel badly for Ottawa for not having a more authentic Mexican restaurant that isn't afraid to season liberally. This is made for people who have yet to try Mexican food. read more

3.5 rounded up. Salsas were very good. Actual food was not comparable with other similarly hyped taco joints.

Loved this place. Chicken tortilla soup was the perfect balance of flavors. Burritos are also delicious! ! read more

Corazon De Maiz - Best chicken tortilla soup!!! - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Stopped by this place with friends and ordered a large burrito bowl(~$13) with chicken. The staff was great and the portions were good. It tasted amazing. After living in California for 7 years and tasting authentic mexican food, I would say that the place is very close to being authentic. I think the owner is mexican and will explain anything to you if needed. The seating is very limited so might have to wait but its worth the wait. read more

I liked this place pretty well. Service and seating are appropriate for the Byward Market vibe (i.e. not all that comfortable). The food was the best part, though. It was fresh and flavourful, and reasonably priced, too. I got a burrito, and I was thinking about how good it was the next day. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area. I ended up sitting kind of awkwardly in a spot they had to clear, though, so if I go back it will only be for takeout. Still -- if I am in the area again I am very likely to do just that. Get takeout! read more

This is one of my favourite places to grab lunch in the Byward Market. The stand is in the market itself and is staffed by some of the most friendly people you'll encounter. Growing up a few kilometers from the US border, I've become used to the fact that Canadian restaurants generally just don't do Mexican as well as restaurants in the States - so funny, since so much of the clientele in Detroit's Mexicantown was always Canadian! Given this caveat, Corazón De Maíz is one of the best Mexican restaurants I've come across in Canada. This stand serves fresh, simple and delicious tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos along with a few soups. The meat is seasoned for mass appeal, so there's no need to worry that you'll be blown away by the spices just because it's a Mexican restaurant - but they make up for the mild taste with a nice range of hot sauces. I like mixing the garlic jalapeno with the extra hot and applying liberally. I've had bites of burritos here and they were good, but I just love the tacos too much to change my ways. Both the pork and the chicken are yummy (I know I should try the beef, but the mood hasn't struck me.) It's just so hard to find a place with nice, soft corn tortillas like the ones used here. I see standard, store-bought tortilla packaging, but they do something to them to make them great. And I love it. In the hit-and-miss world of Byward Market eating, this should definitely be on your "to-try" list. read more

This place is da bomb! I almost missed it as I was walking about with so many food options to choose from. And not to mention all of the delicious aromas in the air. The nose was definitely guiding me around. But I am glad I ended up choosing Corazon De Maiz. I ordered a beef burrito - it was big and juicy and tasty and wrapped perfectly. I hate it when the burrito is wrapped poorly and falls apart on you. Not this time, it was very well put together and stayed together until the very last bite. My mom ended up getting three tacos - the chicken, beef, and pork. She only finished two and was stuff. She thought they were very tasty. I ended up getting the chicken one and agree, it was quite good. I also had a delicious lime green soda drink from Mexico or somewhere. It was fizzy and sugary and great. Thumbs up! read more

Best Mexican food I've had in Canada, hands down. Ordered tostadas, 2 pork 1 beef. Meats were wonderfully seasoned and moist. Great selection of sauces...my favorite was the chipotle. read more

I freakin love this place. As close to Mexico as you'll find in Ottawa. The food is fresh, tasty, authentic and they've got an awesome range of salsas. Plus the staff are great and the price is right. read more

Fantastic Mexican food. The young people running this business are great. The food is authentic and delicious. Best burritos in Ottawa!!!!

If you are craving Mexican food, this is a place to try. Ask for recommendations from the staff. Great selection of yummy sauces from sweet to super hot. read more

Corazon De Maiz - We enjoyed eating here. - Mexican Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Not impressed, the reviews were great but the burrito was pretty average. Staff seemed pissed off and were unable to answer our questions, like what some of the prices are and the wifi password. You can have lunch for cheaper in the same building, so you should try one of the Asian food joints. Not sure if it's related, but me and my friend had some "tummy issues" after eating here, so beware. read more

Sorry Ahora, there is a new Mexican in town and he has won mi corazon. I am super picky when it comes to tacos. They must me made with fresh tortillas, fresh fillings, and homemade salsas and Spanish must be spoken on premises. So far, only Ahora made the grade but Heart of Corn is even better. It is a cosy little corner of the Byward Market. Owners are super friendly and the house made salsas are terrific. In addition to the fresh salsas (pico de gallo, salsa cruda, quacamole), they have a big selection of homemade prepared salsas: habanero, chipotle, and garlic jalapeno among them. The latter is extremely good -- spicy and favourful. Three soft veggie tacos cost less than 8 bucks. Although I don't drink them myself, I love the fact that they have authentic (super-sweet) Mexican sodas for sale. read more

Authentic Mexican food. Amazing flavours, great service, and decent prices. This place was recommended to me by a local as the best Mexican restaurant in Ottawa. read more

Beef tacos were good, but I felt a bit more herbs could be nicer, eg coriander or something. nachos was good. friendly street stall in Byward market, a nice stop after the parliament tour. read more