Back on the Edmonton Mexican train! (And let's face it, it's a pretty fun train to take a ride on!)…read moreThis time I was excited to try Calle Mexico (which means Mexico Street), which began back in 2015 as a food truck (that still operates). They've had a couple of different restaurant locations around the city over the years but are now comfortably situated in Queen Alexandra near Whyte Avenue. You'll probably remember their place as the old Atlantic Trap & Gill Pub which closed its doors in 2018. Trading fishing nets for brightly-coloured piñatas, the space now feels like a portal to a city somewhere in Mexico. EDify Magazine named Calle Mexico Best Mexican Restaurant 2024 and I never say "no" to a delicious taco. Neither should you.
Stopping in on a snowy Saturday evening (like I did) is highly advisable, because who doesn't want to pretend that they've left on a Mexican vacation for a little while? The inside of the restaurant is quite spacious and the decor feels authentically Mexican without going too far. From the gorgeous aforementioned many-pointed piñatas adorning the ceiling to the beautiful black and white photography on the walls, the dining area feels vibrant in a grounded way. As if this is real Mexican and not just a show.
The friendly (and very Spanish-speaking) staff handed us some menus upon our entry and told us to sit anywhere we wanted. We were also instructed to order our food at the counter (hostess desk?) once we were ready. One thing that I appreciated right away is that the menu isn't humongous. Lots of restaurants have insanely sprawling menus, and while choice is nice, I almost prefer a concise menu of really dialed-in plates. Quality over quantity. Once our banquete plan was made we placed our order and awaited our food (which came out so quickly!) to the sounds of energetic Mexican music.
While there are cocktails and beer on the drink menu, I always favour a Horchata ($3.50) and will continue to drink these all around town. A traditional Mexican beverage made up of white rice soaked in water and then flavoured with cinnamon, the Calle Mexico version is really good! I liked how smooth and well-strained theirs is because this drink can sometimes be quite gritty in other restaurants. It's sweet, nutty, and milky but also drinkable and refreshing. Plus they served a really big cup of it! I liked this horchata a whole lot.
Next, we felt that it was prudent to order some Chips and Salsa (Delicious homemade salsa & chips - $8.50) because these are just a good time to have on the table. All good Mexican restaurants make their own tortilla chips in-house and Calle Mexico is no exception. It makes a massive difference in quality and taste! Frankly, I wouldn't trust a "Mexican restaurant" that doesn't make their own chips. These ones were very good! Nicely crispy and salted, they tasted very fresh. The big bowl of salsa was also impossibly fresh but mild in flavour - no spice. However, if you are looking for some heat Calle Mexico has got you! There's an entire salsa bar that customers are free to visit at their leisure! With four types to choose from; Guacamole (mild), Salsa Verde (medium), Roasted Peppers (medium), and Roasted Habanero (very spicy), we grabbed samples of each one! My favourite was probably the roasted peppers one, which had great flavour and a decent amount of heat. The roasted habanero one was very spicy as promised!! You could really taste that it was made with real concentrated dried and roasted peppers.
High on our list of things to try was The Famous "Calle Mexico" Tostadas (Crispy tortillas topped with beans, chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, radish, sour cream, feta cheese and avocado - $16.00). They're famous! I can see why these are famous because they were the best thing that we ate! Crispy crunchy tortillas topped with a mountain of fresh ingredients, there was nothing not to love! (Except for the fact that tostadas are notoriously difficult to eat. Do they explode into pieces after the first bite for everyone? Just me?) The chicken was especially tender and delicious and I liked the nice, perfectly ripe slices of avocado on top. So much freshness and so much flavour! These tostadas truly represent what Calle Mexico is all about.
There are eight different tacos to choose from on the menu and it seemed that picking one to try was an important part of our dining experience. Sure, they've got chicken, pork, beef, and even fish. But I'm always more curious about the unique options. Beef Tongue (Lengua) Tacos (Tender shredded beef tongue topped with cilantro and onion - $18.00) fit the bill! This is what we're talking about when we say "nose to tail" cuisine, isn't it? The pieces of meat were very tender and not at all offensive (in case that's what you were expecting). Although overall, these tacos didn't have a whole lot else going on. They were very simple. The addition of spicy salsa from the salsa bar totally helped to kick things up. On one hand, I liked that th
