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Tacos 101

4.5 (21 reviews)
Open 12:00 pm - 7:00 PM

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TACOS 101 ATMOSPHERE

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Recommended Reviews - Tacos 101

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Birrias
Diana A.

I popped in here after having tried a number of taco stands in Kensington Market. I hadn't heard of the place but really appreciated that there wasn't a huge line up or unfortunate music blaring. The place has a really chill vibe, very low key and extremely friendly. I had the tacos birrias and a Guava Jarrito. Overall the food was extremely tasty and the consommé satisfying. Perhaps a tad too much salt but nothing to really complain about. The tacos were filling, cheesy and also stacked with very mild onions. I would love to know there they source them because they were really mild and impressive. Overall a really solid spot that I would return to. There are no tables, so it's stand up or high stool.

Lisa B.

I'm so glad that Tacos 101 reopened. I used to go to their location on Dundas East before it closed. They had the best baja fish tacos I've ever had. I finally had a chance to try their new location, and they did not disappoint. Their menu is even a bit bigger now and they have birria tacos. The portions are a bit small than they used to be down on Dundas, but understandable with rising food prices. Still a good price, and very authentic tasting.

Kai-Wen L.

Although it's a small store, it has nice tacos and nice decorations. I also think it's a good deal compared to other Toronto Taco stores.

Horchata
Riley D.

Walked in to an empty Taco 101, early yesterday (Tuesday). I had a concert to go to and wanted tacos badly before I went. The dude working was super nice and recommended the carnitas, the chicken and the birria. I don't really eat pork, so I went with the other two. Honestly? Really really good. I've had tacos out in California and my wife's family is Mexican, so my standards are pretty high. These passed my test, and I really recommend them. Horchata was good too.

the outside of a restaurant
Owen R.

I haven't tried them all... But definitely a TOP taco spot for Toronto. Some places are charging $9+ for a single taco!?! 101 has them about $6... still a lot for a single, but that's 2022; nuthin cheap! Chicken (pollo), excellent! And carnitas

Carnitas tacos
Lorenzo L.

Tacos 101 has some of the best tacos in Toronto even though it's surrounded by other Taco places in Kensington Market. I have tried most of their tacos: Carnitas, Al Pastor, Pollo Adobado and Pescado. I still need to try their Birria tacos and Nopal tacos though. I love their Carnitas and Al Pastor tacos. It's a very small space in Kensington that they share with their sister store, Fruta Libre. I suggest you try one of their drinks. This place is highly recommended!

Chicken tacos
Chandni P.

Their chicken tacos was flavorful and meat was tender, their hot sauce is really hot so try a little first before you put a generous amount in. Must try if your in the Kensington street area.

Jacob L.

Service was good nice and friendly and we got our food fast. Atmosphere was good the music was nice and the vibes were good. The food was amazing I got the Al Pastor and Carnitas tacos and it was great. The home hot sauce was delicious and I'm not a huge spice fan. Overall great spot would recommend.

Street view. Closed at 7 today.
Martin S.

Great new taco spot adding to the nearly half dozen scattered around the market, Tacos 101 makes me happy to have all this choice. No need to wait in a line at 7 lives, with 101 within a stones throw! I went last Friday after this place being open only a couple weeks and with limited hours I was lucky to get in before they closed at 7pm. The Pescado (fish) taco I had was fantastic! A bit pricy at $7 but was on the heavy side for the fish content, and turned out to be all I needed to eat at that point. They recommend two tacos if you need a meal, but one of these is substantial. The rest of the tacos are $6. The next night again they were closing at 7pm, so we rushed down and tried another selection right before closing. This time I tried the Al Pastor, which is the roast pork taco, garnished with a slice of pineapple, which was divine! My daughter had the chicken, which she loved, saying it was better than Good Hombres (sadly closed, at least for now), whew! what an endorsement right there. With the colourful interior, great atmosphere, friendly staff, and partner making some fantastic Mexi drinks, I can see myself becoming a regular here. Bravo, for the brave new after-world here in Kensington!

Birria

Had the birria taco. It was good, not great. Also, pricey. Beef wasn't really seasoned well. Consome was very good though. Overall good and I would try different kinds next time.

mango with chamoy and tajin
Aisha F.

Came across this local restaurant, and decided to get a small snack. The mango with chamoy was something I've never tried before, but I would definitely get again. P.S - not for picky eaters!!

Tacos El Pastor (Pork), Chicken Taco, Beef Birria Taco
John K.

My wife and I brought our daughter to Kensington market for our taco adventure. We started our adventure here and it did not disappoint. We tried a taco Al pastor, a chicken taco, and a Birria taco and they were all amazing packed with meat and the taco fillings. They were very generous with their taco meat and other toppings. Coming to Tacos 101 was the highlight of our taco adventure. The gentleman preparing the tacos was very friendly and recommended the Al pastor and Birria tacos. I also noticed some Mexican local snacks nearby where you place your order. There is a seating area. Not only did the gentleman recommend the Birria tacos but in addition he did mention that they specialize in the Birria taco, surely enough it was the best taco I had during my entire Kensington market taco tour. I'm definitely coming back here on my next visit to the Kensington area! I highly recommend you come here and try their food.

Carnitas

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Playa Cabana

Playa Cabana

3.9
(502 reviews)
2.4 km
$$

Visited this spot as its close to the museum and Casa Loma. The strong reviews looked promising so…read moreI decided to book a reservation here. The place is a bit small so it can be a bit tight so I would highly recommend having reservations if you have a large group. Tacos: The soft and the crispy tacos were both delicious. The tinga chicken and the beef barbacoa were juicy and full of flavour. The portions was fair, the quality was a standout and tasted quite authentic. Overall, I really had a great experience at Playa Cabana, totally would come here again to try out their other dishes.

A great experience here for my friend's birthday. We made a reservation, which is likely necessary…read moregiven the small size of the restaurant. Parking was a challenge, but there is a Green P that is about 5-8 minutes away that isn't too bad if the weather is good. The atmosphere is quite intimate and I did find myself bumping into other people / staff when going to and from the washroom, etc. The food was pretty good - the tacos were full of flavour and I got to try a variety by sharing with the group. I think my favourite was the beef barbacoa. The prices are definitely a bit up there for a Mexican restaurant, I believe the tacos were around $7 each. The quality made it worth it, but there's definitely other places in Toronto that serve up a great taco for nearly half the price. We also tried a couple of appetizers, including the nachos, guac and ceviche. The nachos were something special - it was a bit of a nacho pizza. I didn't expect that from Playa Cabana, given everything else was very authentic. The taste was good, but it was a bit of a challenge to share! The highlight of the night was definitely the desserts - we ordered the tres leches cake, and the churros. Definitely the best churro I've ever had.

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Inside of restaurant
Inside of restaurant
Playa Cabana
Playa Cabana

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Quetzal

Quetzal

4.3
(148 reviews)
0.5 km
$$$$

I've been wanting to try Quetzal for years because my brother has raved about it nonstop, and it…read moreabsolutely lived up to the hype. We got lucky and they were able to squeeze us into seats at the bar area, which ended up being the best possible spot because we had a front-row view of the live fire cooking the entire night. The ambiance was lively and hip, with a great energy that made the whole experience feel exciting. This was my first time watching each main courses get cooked over live fire in real time, which added to our amazement given that all the dishes came out cooked to the right doneness. Every bite of meat and seafood was perfectly kissed with flame -- the char, the subtle smoke, the texture. Beyond the fire element, you can really taste how fresh everything is. Nothing felt heavy or muddled. Each dish was well thought out with balanced flavors, but the ingredients and that fire/smoke magic were always the main event. Service was also superb. All the staff were attentive and high-energy. Different servers checked up on us throughout the meal, our water was always kept full, and dishes were cleared in a timely manner. Only drawback: the heat. Sitting by the fire is incredible for the show, but it definitely started to feel like a sauna at times. Still, I'd do it again and choose to sit at the bar without hesitation. If you're in Toronto and you love a tasting menu, this is a must. Just make sure you book at least a month in advance - it's popular for a reason.

Pricy but totally worth it. $145/person curated menu, but you can request certain items from the…read moremenu if you'd like it included. Quetzal was recommend by our server when we were dining at a Vancouver Michelin restaurant (Barbara), as our server was originally from Ontario. So of course we saved it on our list for when we visited Toronto. Very very accommodating staff and attentive. All the tables next to us seemed to really enjoy their meals as well. Every dish was amazingly flavoured and presentation was on point. Atmosphere was lovely too, laid back but chic. Comfortable yet elevated. Highlight was the scallops, we asked for it to be included on our set menu, and they delivered. Can't wait to go back!

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Quetzal
Bone marrow & wild Argentinian shrimp
Bone marrow & wild Argentinian shrimp
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La Carnita

La Carnita

3.3
(497 reviews)
1.2 km
$$

I came here for a last min dinner on a Thursday and it exceeded my expectations…read more There were a few empty seats when we got there at around 6:30 but it started to fill up shortly after. The inside was nice, it was dark with ambient lighting and decorated with a modern and Mexican theme. The waitress was super nice, and the staff were fairly attentive. We got the chips and guac to start. I do wish they gave a little bit more walk because it came in this really small cup so we had to go light on the guac to chip ratio. But overall the guac was yummy and the chips were very crunchy with a nice seasoning. They have a special every day of the week and Thursdays are there crunch tacos, which are hard shell tacos, wrapped in a soft shell taco with some sauce in between, and you can choose between their chorizo or chicken. We got one of each. I liked the chicken more but my partner liked the Chorizo. And all the toppings the perfect Fixin's. They only had three washroom stalls, which were gender neutral, and I thought they were relatively clean.

I've been checking out Mexican restaurants lately and I feel like La Carnita is the best that I've…read morehad in downtown Toronto! First, La Carnita isn't perfect. You enter the restaurant from a set of stairs outside and the restaurant doesn't look too appealing from outside. Also, the restaurant always seems busy and/or small, so it's always loud and service is slow. With the negatives out of the way, let me explain why I love La Carnita! The food is amazing! Their tacos are on point, and with so many to choose from I can go back multiple times can never get bored. Each of their tacos has something different to offer and each has relatively good balance to them. The balance of freshness and savory (and sometimes sweet) toppings is well done, making me come back for more. The one item that pushes La Carnita over the top is their nachos! Homemade nacho chips with gooey cheese and a generous amount of toppings makes them my favorite nachos in Toronto! One last observation is that the service is always friendly. They may be (very) slow at times but they seem like they always try their best and are always quite pleasant. Overall, I love La Carnita and when I get a craving for tacos and nachos, I'm heading straight here!

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La Carnita
Nachos with guacamole, corn, and tomatillo salsa
Nachos with guacamole, corn, and tomatillo salsa
Daily Specials Menu | August 2022

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Daily Specials Menu | August 2022

Tacos 101 - mexican - Updated June 2026

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