We used to come to the downtown location all the time but after seeing the prices of these, I'm not sure if it's worth it anymore for what you get. The portions were pretty snack size for the price of a meal for 2 in other restaurants. The taco was $8.50 and had 3-4 small pieces of shrimp. The sauce from what I remembered used to be the bomb but flavour and topping wise, felt short for what we paid for, it was also really small. The wings were the star of the night but nothing extraordinary, still on the pricey side of $19 for this portion. The taquito special on Wednesday is pretty good though! $12.50 for two decently sized and well flavoured beef taquitos with 2 sauces. The other thing that didn't impress us was the quite slow service that we had. It took us about 15 minutes to get our water and order in which was not ideal as we were on our way to a concert nearby. read more

La Carnita - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I think this is the worst food I've had in Toronto. The carne asada burrito was not as described and was missing so many ingredients. Not to mention it was the most flavourless thing I have ever tasted. My partner's vegan burrito was so bland and the lettuce was dry and clearly not fresh but from a packet. If I was starving for 40 days and 40 nights I still would not choose to eat here again. read more

The service was great! Our server was very attentive with our large group. The tacos are stacked, however they were overpowered by the fillings. I wasn't really able to taste the flavours of the shrimps and fish in my tacos until I pulled them out at had them individually, which they tasted great. read more

La Carnita - a man sitting at a table with a plate of food - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Food was outstanding and made as requsted (no cilantro or hot sauces) Jamie was our waitress, she was attentive, made suggestions, and engaging. Ambiance was nice I would recommend the resturant. read more

We arrived for our 11:00am reservation, and the person who ended up being our server was on the street, as well, just putting the key in the door. She was surprised there was somebody there already. And it seems that having customers at that time is uncommon as, during our hour there, there was only one other table. It was Mother's Day, and we expected to see more activity. Unfortunately the coffee machine was broken so I went out and got a coffee from somewhere else down the street. As for the food, there were three of us at the table who ordered huevos rancheros. While the eggs were hot, everything underneath had clearly been prepared in advance and still held the chill from the refrigerator. Another detail: the huevos rancheros - which is eaten using a fork and knife - was served on paper and then on a plastic feta of some sort. The paper easily tore and became quite wet over the course of the meal, while using my kid-sized utensils. The staff are friendly. The food - other than temperature noted above - was okay. Some good flavours. Not feeling like we will rush back for another visit any time soon. There are lots of great Mexican options, even within blocks. The more we think about our experience, the more it becomes clear that it was quite disappointing. read more

I ordered from Uber eats, and let us say very disappointed. I order extra shrimp in my Cali style bowls. Not a single shrimp in either or order! Very skimpy on the double portion of steak as well. read more

La Carnita - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I most likely will not be going back. The restaurant wasn't busy but service was kind of slow.. the staff didn't seem to care and were not very attentive. He kind of just brushed us off and would mostly walk by us without a word. The food was okay, nothing special. In some spots the taco was soggy and disintegrated. read more

So this is a late review but must say, I visited La Carnita two Saturday's ago and was happy to find this place! The atmosphere was very welcoming, I enjoyed the upstairs bar very much. The food was delightful especially their mushroom tostada, the margarita, the dip (kudos to the people who made it!). Also thank you Cheety(?) (I don't know if I am spelling his name right but apologies!), he made sure I was well and it was very impressive how he made all those drinks super fast! Hope to come back again! read more

If you can get in before Summerlicious ends tomorrow, go. My friend and I went yesterday as part of the Summerlicious menu program. It was delicious. We had booked for 12:30 lunch but tables were available when we got there early. I didin't realize they also have outdoor dining. Our server/mgr, Jamie, knows the menu in full detail. My friend has to watch the spice and coriander but all was good. Anything too spicy was left off her choices. Jamie also said some people had said the salad dressing had a kick so it was put on the side, but it was fine. My friend had iced tea and I had the carnita margarita to start, which I was advised had 2 oz. of liquor in it. Ended up with a 2nd one and was reminded it had 2 oz. of liquor. That was okay as I was on the TTC (just because of TO flood, events, construction everywhere), but I thought it was good having a reminder of the content. The menu had really good choices for chips with 3 choices of dips, appetizers, choice of 2 tacos, and choice of 3 desserts. I had the guac, street corn on the cob, tuna ceviche on a crisp taco, shrimp on a soft tact, and churros with caramel dipping sauce. My friend had the corn dip (?), cali salad, shrimp taco, fish taco, and ice cream with berry compote. Everything was so fresh and tasty. And you know, when you get great service, you always remember that. I will definitely be back again and will probably TTC it because it was actually less BS than driving and then I can have 2 margaritas, if I choose. I came from Scarborough East, and it was quite quick. I also won't wait til Summerlicious/Winterlicious is on again. Yummy and enjoyed it all! read more

We came here on a Saturday for dinner. Reservations are recommended; we did not have one, but the staff were able to secure a table for us. Along Queen East, there are a lot of shops nearby for pre or post coffee, drinks, killing time until a table is available etc. It's also a nice walk along Queen Street if the weather permits. We ordered the 'street corn' and three dips as a starter. The latter is a big portion; you have been warned. They were all really tasty though. As mains, we ordered a number of items to share - cod taco, steak taco, and grilled fish tostada. They were all tasty with unique toppings that went well with the protein. Service was great ... as was the food! The only con would be that the restaurant was super loud. Good for: Mexican, tacos read more

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La Carnita has always had a special place in my heart, no matter which location I go to! The menu items are same across the board and it's always super tasty. I was here dining back when we could still be chilling on patios. I miss these days so much! We were served right away once we sat down at a table on the sidewalk patio. Our server was very lovely and asked for our drink orders. I was still recovering from the previous night so I declined a drink but my friend's beer came pretty quickly. We ordered 2 pcs. of Mexican Street Corn & two tacos - In Cod We Trust & Baja Shrimp. Everything was so good! The corn was perfectly grilled and was super saucy, lots of crema and queso añejo. I've had the tacos before and was never disappointed. This time was no different! The cod & shrimp were hot and worked well with the toppings each taco had. We got distracted by eating the tacos that I forgot to take a picture :( Definitely recommend ordering takeout from this spot (bc ya know, stay-at-home order), they never disappoint! read more

La Carnita - The sauciest Mexican Street Corn - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Absolutely love the Pollo taco, it's my go to at any location. It's chicken with hot sauce, salsa and green cabbage which is so good! I decided to try the "In cod we trust" taco and it was also very delicious, the fish was battered and crispy. Highly recommend these two tacos! read more

La Carnita - Pollo Frito & In Cod We Trust - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

If I could give this place 0 stars, I would. We came here on a whim for a quick dinner. We've been to other locations before and had high expectations and knew what to expect. I've never had such a horrible experience in both service AND food. Apparently it was taken over by new management and the first day that new management operated was today. Okay, that is fine. But, the waitresses and owners weren't familiar with their menu. We asked how many corn came with one order and they didnt know and had to go and ask the chef in the kitchen. Their menu had daily specials and we asked about that. Again, they didn't know and had to go ask the kitchen. They came back to say that the Thursday special wasn't available today. So why did they give us the Daily Specials Menu? It took us well over 15 minutes to get our order in because the staff had to go back and forth to the kitchen when we had questions about their menu. We were told that the staff team were new, but the kitchen was the old team. We ordered 3 cod, 3 shrimp, 1 rockfish, 1 steak, and 1 chicken tacos, nachos to share, and corn. We were served chips and dip instead of nachos. We waved the waitress down to confirm what was brought out to us. You can OBVIOUSLY tell it's chips and avocado dip but once again, she went to the kitchen to ask the chef. The chef or assistant came out, glanced at the plate and knew it was wrong and went back in. Our tacos started coming out. Presentation looked decent but the taste was bad. The cod was cold and tasteless which I thought was weird since it's supposed to be fried in HOT oil. The shrimp tacos had 3 tiny shrimps that were stale and 99% crumbs. And of course the shrimp, which was "fried" was also COLD. I couldn't finish it at all. The corn came out and it was BURNT. We didn't take a picture but it was pretty much unappetizingand unedible. It surprised me that the kitchen AND staffs, boththought it was passable to serve even when it was covered in black soot. We wanted to just leave it but we're paying $12 for overpriced and small corn so we told them and they made us new ones. The corns were smaller than average but tasted decent compared to the tacos. Overall, the only thing that was even okay to eat here were the nachos and chips and dip that was complimentary. You really can't go wrong with thst since it's basically store bought chips... The quality control here was beyond poor and I don't think management has ever tried their own food and would suggest that they should before opening their doors and serving customers. read more

La Carnita - The shrimp taco had 3 pieces of shrimp. It was cold and rubbery. Didn't bother with it. - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Had a lovely time here with two friends, there was a DJ so the music and ambiance was louder and fun. We had tacos and drinks and overall I love these tacos much better than other places, super flavourful. The service was quick and they did a great job. read more

Amazingggg tacos! I think the tacos at La Carnita are the best in the city. You really can't go wrong with any option because everything you try is just amazing. I do wish they were bigger but you can always by more than one. I forgot the exact name of the tacos I got but it was a pork one which was delicious Needless to say, I'll definitely be back! read more

La Carnita - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I came in with my friend on a Friday night at 8 PM. We already had reservations so we were seated right away. I ordered the Blue Morpho drink (delicious, slightly sweet, and changes colour!) and she got the Strawberry 22 (which she loved). Our server was especially kind and tentative (more on that later). We ordered a bunch of tacos, and here are my ranking for them: 1) Shrimp taco: absolutely delicious! 10/10! Sweet and crunchy and light with a perfect sauce and topping. I wish I ordered 10 more. 2) Chorizo: savoury and perfectly spiced, with very generous portions of chorizo crumble. Had pineapple with it, which was a perfect touch to compliment the flavour profile. 3) Steak: A little disappointing because although the steak was so tender and perfectly cooked (& there was so much of it!), it was kind of bland. Not much to write home about. 4) Chicken: could not eat. Had one bite and I was going to die from the heat. It's my fault because I assumed the cactus sign on the menu meant spicy, so I thought I was safe ordering menu items with no cactus (cactus means vegetarian). However, our server was kind enough to come to my rescue right away, and he went to the kitchen and got me non dairy milk, which saved my life! And he was nice enough to take it off the menu (without even having to be asked). Truly wonderful service. Overall 10/10 for tacos!! Get the shrimp taco for sure! read more

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Yum!! This place is just so so good. We got there early. So early I'm pretty sure they weren't even open but welcomed us in regardless. My mom and I started with guac, salsa Fresca and chips. Loved it. I'm usually not a fan of the smooth quac, I like it chunkier, but this was pretty tasty. Salsa Fresca was excellent. Then we ordered 3 tacos. In cod we trust was seriously perfect. Just the right amount of light batter. Chicken has the perfect amount of spice and crunch and the shrimp...oh that shrimp. Oh, we started off with wine. Not a huge selection but the merlot and Pinot Grigio hit the spot. Looking forward to many more visits. read more

Rude service, which is enough to keep me from ever going back. I hate to post a poor review in a time when in person dining just reopened however if management is reading this, I would highly recommend they improve their hiring or training practices. The staff lacked service basics of acknowledging a customer as they entered, no one seemed to be designated at the door. The one person that did take the time to look into seating us snapped at me and said "I can't understand you" when I was asking a simple question about wait time (we were both wearing masks as per protocol and I do speak perfect English). I understand it's a frustrating time for those in hospitality but this type of service will lead me to spend my money elsewhere to be treated with basic courtesy. read more

We came here on a stop in Leslieville, and got some highly rated appetizers from Yelp and OpenTable. We tried the Eight Spice Tiger Shrimp in the garlic butter cream sauce that comes with toasted tortillas on the side and it was mouth-wateringly delicious! The mexican sweet corn was also cheesy, sweet and yummy! We tried five tacos which were fine (Carne asada, Pollo frito, Achiote Chicken, Baja Shrimp, & Sweet Potato). We really enjoyed the Baja shrimp and sweet potato one! The fried chicken in the Pollo frito taco was a bit dry, and the flavours of the Achiote wasn't that great to us! the service was amazing! The person working there on Saturday, March 12th around 12:30pm was definitely passionate about the business and providing great service. The ambience and music was great! read more

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This is super close to where I live but honestly the signage is so discreet (a skull) that I walk pass it all the time and didn't know there's a la carnitas right near me! I came here at 6pm on a Friday and it wasn't too busy as there was still a couple of empty tables. The lights are very dim and the music was gradually getting louder. As a result, people spoke louder to compete in a continuous cycle. We finished and left before it reached to a point where we had to yell. Besides the less than desirable environment to have a girls night catchup, the food was just amazing. One of the best Mexican joints in Toronto. I like that they don't shy away from adding the spice in their tacos. Ordered: Mexican Corn - it was yummy but for $4.25 a corn I think I might just order another taco next time Beef cheek - It has a nice spicy kick to it. It was perfect for me but I think that it may be too spicy for some others who aren't used to this spice as a default level. Ceviche - This is simply the best and it's on a crunchy tortilla. All the flavours are melt in your mouth goodness. This one is also spicy but in a good way! Will definitely come back to try the other tacos and order the ceviche again. read more

La Carnita - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

La Garbage is more like it. Horrible food I've never had fattier and cheeper cuts of meat. I took one bight of a taco and spit it out waitress said she wounding charge me but when we got the bill she did but offered to get me something else. Why would I want more horrible food?! Spent $97 dollars somehow for food and drinks that should have cost 30-40 max!!! read more

My girlfriend and I decided to stop into La Carnita for a quick bite to eat before an event we had. We were seated right away and approached by our server promptly. Our serve gave us great recommendations. FOOD: My friend had the mushroom taco and the chicken taco, I had the sausage taco and the cod taco. My friend says the Mushroom taco is her Go To! And of course I went for the Cod because I love fish tacos! Now, they do use the soft shell but I think it's the corn wrap perhaps?... I'm not the biggest fan of the taste and texture of the wrap they chose to use but the rest of the taco was mouth watering delish! DRINKS: My friend had the margarita and I had the "who shot ya" to drink. I tried her Margarita it was yummy and sour like it's supposed to be! Size was small for the price we paid. The "who shot ya" was also really yummy it is a bourbon (see photos of red drink). Again super pricey for the alcohol, decent size but not big enough for what you are paying. AMBIENCE: there was a musty kind of smell when we walked into the restaurant at the front, as you walked towards the back the smell dissipated. The vibe is cool, interesting art work on the walls it's definitely neat. Wait staff was super nice and kind. DATE WORTHY?: It wouldn't be the first place I would suggest to go on a first date but absolutely for a date night with a friend or significant other. Yummy tacos, yummy drinks. What more do ya need? Overall, I would give la carnita 7/10 food is good, I would go again, just the drinks were pretty pricey. read more

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SO disappointed, I love all the college st. and john st. la carnita locations, so i was really excited when this one opened up. Came here for brunch on a Sunday morning around noon, it was really empty with only one other table. It was very dark in there, but the decor was nice. and the waitress was very friendly. They only had their brunch menu available. We got the Eggs Benny Empanada, it was extremely small for $20! I could have eaten it in 4 bites, definitely not a main at all, almost snack sized. It wasn't a traditional one, it was circlular with a thinner crunchy crust. The filling was excellent and had a great spice, but the hollandaise crema was completely cold! We also got a few breakfast tacos, the steak (add an egg for extra $) and the chorizo. For the empanada, and 3 tacos, with 1 extra egg it costed $50, we were both not full at all and left hungry still. read more

La Carnita - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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For what it is, La Carnita serves up some decent tacos and drinks in a loud bar type atmosphere. I just expected a little more from the food side. We just came here for merely a snack and got the fish and veggie (cheese) tacos. Size was on the smaller size but it still was an acceptable size for a taco. The taco was definitely fresh as the fish was piping hot. I was really taken back by the acidity of the taco (not including the lime). It's a really strong and almost overwhelming kick, combined with the salt, didn't make this my favorite despite liking the fish a lot. I enjoyed the cotija cheese taco more. The pinto beans here gave a nice sweetness and texture that brought together the taco better. I'll definitely return to try their other tacos. Service was extremely friendly, made us feel welcome and we were checked on frequently. As many others have said, the music is quite loud in here so having a conversation might be difficult. But otherwise, I really like the atmosphere here. There's a lot of character here and it shows. read more

La Carnita - 2 fish and 1 veggie taco - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We ordered tortilla chips with 3 dipping sauces. The chips were really good something I have never had before. It was also quite plentiful for 2 people. We also ordered the street corn on a stick and some tacos. Food was great and our waiter was attentive and quick. On the downside, I have to stress that this is a very busy and loud venue, so I would not recommend coming here if you're hoping to have a nice conversation or a date. Good place for a quick bite or a large party. read more

Service and overall atmosphere were great. The food however, was below mediocre. Granted I haven't gone out for tacos very many times but even so, I could tell the ones we had were far from authentic. Not sure if it was because we came on a busy night and food had been sitting out for awhile before arriving at the table. Similar to many others' experiences, the tacos were cold and rather lacking in flavour, not to mention soggy. Sauce to meat ratio was also off. May return to explore the rest of the food items and drinks, but will unfortunately not be ordering the tacos again. read more

Came here tonight with a larger group. I've been to the other locations before, but this was my first time at the Leslieville location. The store name is not obvious, it's on a small paper sign at the door. Those who recognize the symbol though, will have hotm problems finding it. Upon opening the door you see a black curtain, you push it aside and are greeted with friendly hostesses. The wait staff was very attentive and polite. I felt a little rushed though and thought it was because there were tons of people waiting for a seat, but when we left there was no one at the door. Overall, great service. Food is ok, the prices are rather high for what you get. Presentation is great, while taste is ok. I got three tacos: ceviche (my favourite one), chicken thigh (in a yummy peanut sauce) and the chorizo (way too salty). My husband got four. We washed it down with horchata's, not great, tasted like expensive 1% milk with cinnamon. The total bill was just over 70$ for the two of us, and we were still pretty hungry. Couldn't justify spending 100$ on tacos. This is one of the places people pre-eat for. Yea, that's a thing. Pricey, but a good atmosphere. I wouldn't come here regularly, but I'd definitely come for a special night out. read more

La Carnita - Horchata from La Carnita - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I always have a good time here, the food is consistent, delicious and at the end when I get my bill I'm usually surprised as to how it ends up so high- but that's drinks & tacos in Toronto. I usually have a shared app, 3 tacos, and 2 (TINY) drinks. Notable: street corn (I suggest having it shaved) read more

I would like my star back. This place doesn't deserve even one star. I called last night around 9:30 to make a reservation for this weekend. The person who answered the phone said, "hang on a minute" and put the receiver on the counter. They didn't hang up, or put me on hold, they simply put the receiver down on the counter. Basically, put me on "forget". I could hear glasses clinking and subtle voices. I overheard two staff discussing having to cover a shift and a few orders being placed. After a minute I started saying, "hello?, helloooo??" into the phone. No response. So I put them on speaker and went about my business. I hung up after being on hold for almost TEN MINUTES. I really want to support restaurants which have suffered for the last few years, but, I will not tolerate poor customer service. Especially BEFORE I get to the restaurant. I can only imagine how horrendous the service would have been. I probably dodged a bullet! read more

They seem to be more concerned with looking cool then actually being cool. Stopped by for a few beers, maybe it was a shift change but whatever the reason they seem to careless about customers or making them feel happy. Ordered a beer had to wait around finally tracked down the number of servers. Anyways good luck and will not be returning. read more

Came here with my siblings and enjoyed all the food we ordered. Got guac and chips, carnitas taco, cod taco, mango salad and their corn. The code taco is a must order. It's the bomb. Also had a sangria to drink. A little dark in the restaurant but other than that the food was delish. read more

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I've been to another location of La Carnita, they follow the same kind of atmosphere with the same loud music. I still think the food is great, consistent quality between the two locations I have visited. I ordered the carnita, short rib and their daily special which was a bass/fish taco. I love their carnita taco, very flavourful and a good balance of savoury and sweet. The short rib taco also had good flavour but not as good as the carnita. The fish taco was yummy and fresh. The fish was fried nicely, crispy batter and tender interior. We experienced ok service. The waitress was here and there. The waitress explained there was a large party before us so our tacos came very late (~40mins). She apologized for the long wait and we received churros on the house! Service isn't amazing and the dark atmosphere with loud music makes it hard to talk to your friends. It's about $5 a taco, and myself can eat about 3; I would say tacos are more on the expensive meal side. Even so, I'd come back because they have great tacos. read more

Literally soooo good. It's just so hard to book a reservation?? Why don't they answer emails or calls?? I would definitely come back again though, the chicken nachos were AMAZING. I unfortunately got no pics of the tacos. Shared the nachos with three others and we still couldn't finish it LOL. A bit pricey though, I'll try to be more aware of what I'm ordering next time. Would've been 5 stars if they allowed reservations. read more

La Carnita - Tortilla Chips - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

La Carnita in leslieville has a deep cool space. It has a nice atmosphere to it, and would be a decent place to go with groups I think. The menu has similar fare you find at other taco/mexican restaurants. A lot of things we ordered we've had at Playa Cabana, who also has several locations in Toronto. Playa Cabana I felt had better 'street corn' as it had a lot more zing there. There was a lot more lime and heat in that one. The corns here are yummy, but its mostly from the char of the cook and the cheese it's covered in. The other thing I felt was better at Playa Cabana was the tres leche cake. The one here was yummy, but the cake itself here didn't have the same soak and absorption than the one at Playa Cabana. Now where La Carnita really hit the mark was their tacos. The tacos were from what I remember better than Playa Cabana's. I tried a few different kinds. The fish (In Cod We Trust), the chicken (Pollo Frito) and Mexican Chorizo and I would get all of them again. I also liked how they each had their own thing going on. Out of the three I'd say the chicken one was the most unique to me. All three tacos had a good acidity to them which was key. I'd totally go back to La Carnita, and would be interested to try the homemade popsicles next time! read more

La Carnita - Tacos, Street Corn and Tres Leche Cake - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Was walking by and saw a cute little neon sign that called me in La Carnita. Stopped in for a bite and Sangria. Super delicious and full of amazing multilevel flavours. Had the chorizo taco and cod taco. Ordered more, hard to decide which one to get because both were amazing !!! read more

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First time at this location. We were stopping by for a snack so we decided to order a few tacos. We got In Cod We Trust, Carne Asada (grilled beef steak), Pollo Frito (Crispy chicken thigh) and Mexican Chorizo. They were all very good and very flavourful. I think our favourite was the beef which we liked the combination of the lime avocado, crispy shallots with a nicely cooked steak. Another one we would re order is thr cod one. Service was good and a nice place for a casual night out. read more

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Awesome restaurant, lovely staff! Love the live DJ on the weekends. Highly recommend the sweet potato taco, so good ! read more

We were a table of 5 who arrived loudly (granted) and a guest in our party accidentally knocked a glass of water off the table - and this resulted in us being cut off! The server did not share this info and instead there was an awkward convo when we tried to order drinks. This was cuckoo and something I have never experienced. As a result I would not return to this restaurant. read more

Ambiance is so nice. A good place to hang out with your friends. Wish they have nachos with queso though read more

La Carnita - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Very enjoyable mexican restaurant. I've been to both the college location and the queen street location and both had very friendly service. Must orders are their baja fish tacos and their corn appetizer! Delish. Their tuna tartar taco is also really good! Very refreshing to have after all the other tacos. Though, my only small complain is that they use only one tortilla rather than 2 on their tacos, and we find that the tacos easily fall apart since the grip on one tortilla is not supportive enough. Very similar to grand electric tacos as well! read more