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Tacos El Asador

3.8 (347 reviews)
InexpensiveMexican, Latin American
Closed 2:00 pm - 9:00 PM

Order Tacos El Asador Takeout or Delivery

Tacos El Asador Photos

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TACOS EL ASADOR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Tacos El Asador

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Birria tacos
Reh L.

After coming here expecting authentic Salvadoran food, I was pretty disappointed. We started with the chips and guac - the guac was not fresh and needed salt and lime. The chips were on the border of stale and needed a lot of salt. We ordered the birria taco as that one was apparently super popular, but again the seasoning was just not there and the birria stew was severely lacking in flavor. This was some of the blandest latin food I've ever had, and I'd recommend to skip this spot.

a tacos el asador restaurant
Tanveer K.

We had the chicken, fish, birria, carne asada, the tacos were okay not really worth the price maybe cuz I had so many tacos and tacos in Mexico my standard has risen, the fish one and asada u would say was the best one meat was tender, and I though the birria taco comes with consume, I guess not, the service was good they were nice and polite but unfortunately the tacos weren't a wow factor and the price wasn't worth it, i think Gus tacos and Wilbur are 50 times better than this

Thanuja V.

I have been meaning to try birria tacos with all the hype lately but was having trouble finding alternatives to beef. Happy to stumble upon Tacos El Asador. I love the enthusiasm of the staff and happy to check this off my food list. It is definitely something worth trying and I know I'll be craving it again. I'll be back, next time hoping to try it with hard tacos.

Tacos
Bojan P.

Came here with my girlfriend on a Sunday evening. Pros: + good quality of food + tasty + friendly service Cons: - cash only - decently expensive ($29 for 2 people without drinks) - smaller portions Food: (3.5 stars) The food is pretty good but on the smaller size. We ordered the guacamole (4 stars): likely the best thing on the menu. Pretty expensive $9 for the size. Usually taco restaurants would charge around $6 for this type of food. The burrito (pulled pork) (3.5 stars) was tasty but again quite a bit smaller than expected. ($9 for it) Tacos: We got a pulled pork (3 stars), and a fish taco (3.5 stars). I thought the pulled pork was missing something extra, maybe some cilantro, maybe something else to add to the contrast of the pork. The fish was a bit better, the onions made it a nice crunch to it. $4 each. Atmosphere: (3.5 stars) The place is pretty small and gets busy quickly, but it has a cozy feeling to it. The tables and chairs are clean. The washrooms are in the basement, with pretty low ceilings. Service: (4 stars) They got table service, but paying at the front.

Diana C.

This was a great gem, worth the drive if you crave some authentic tacos! I was a bit surprised to find this well run taco joint amongst all Korean restaurants but it really works! Lots of bench style seating easily fits 4, but gets squishy as this place fills up at lunch time. The service is quick, the food came fast and hot and for tacos, quesadilla, burrito type foods, but our pupusa came after tacos, maybe cuz of table room? Cuz they certainly not a dessert dish. The warm corn wraps were so so good, guacamole was fresh and the perfect green and texture. I had to try one fish and one shrimp taco with a squash pupusa(pan fried puffy corn tortilla pancake like thing? served with a pickled cabbage slaw and hot sauce salsa) and was ok full but ordered another shrimp taco just in case Easily you can start lunch less than $4, but really takes 3-4 tacos for a good lunch which run closer to $15, they have good combos for certain days which is nice and take out was very popular while we were here. My girlfriends all agreed the fish was best of the tacos, and would easily come back tomorrow after our seminar.

Dinner
Nicholas L.

I searched up taco restaurants nearby and this popped up as one of the highest and most reviewed places. Walking in, it was kind of hard to determine what to do. The server was behind the counter which wasn't visible to the front door. I guess everyone knows to go up to him to order. We were sat down and told to feel comfortable, menus are qr codes. We ordered 4 tacos and a drink. All of which came out fairly fast. The drink was very artificial which we couldn't finish, but we told this to the server and he generously said he'd take it off the bill for us. The tacos were mediocre, the meat was so dry. It felt like its been sitting under a heat lamp for the whole day. If you come here for the food and drinks, I don't recommend. But the service here is very friendly!

Pastor and Carnitas Tacos
Cody L.

So I'm from San Diego. It is VERY hard for me to find anything even close in taste and quality. This place has high ratings on here, so we decide to take a shot. I regret that decision. I ordered three tacos (beef, pastor, carnitas.) The beef tasted like beef jerky, the pastor was super dry and bland, the carnitas tasted like cat food. Also you can't just order a small side of chips. It's $10 nachos or $11 guacamole (does it come with chips? Who knows?!) Super disappointed. Literally had to get boba tea immediately after to cleanse the pallet.

Trisha M.

WOW! I ate there lastnight and wish I could return tonight! Two of us ordered Specials with steak and salad. Mine came with refried bean, guacamole, soft corn tortilla, caramelized onions etc.! It was so flavourful and delicious. Highly recommend eating here. Our server (long time server) and kitchen staff were lovely. Cozy environment; perfect for our special date.

Tostada, soft tacos and the chicken salad bowl
Emma S.

I've been coming to Tacos El Asador for almost a decade. It's my go to lunch place, inexpensive and so tasty. Whenever I go to higher end taco joints I usually leave disappointed because they're not as good as TEA's and more expensive! The TEA staff are friendly and kind. I'm glad they opened up the new location (which is hardly new at this point) and that more people can enjoy eating in. Tip: the tostadas are their hidden secret. Happy eating!

Roses are red, these flowers are pink, asador is awesome, don't you think?
Fox E.

If one door is blocked, use the Asador. I mean the other door. If they're too busy, go somewhere else, it's not like it's some big disasador. Amiright? Thanxxx to Lambert for telling me to eat here. He was right. And he's like, the only person in the world (I never exaggerate, 1,000% of the time I do not exaggerate) who seems to get that it's Salvadoran, not Mexican (cough, cough, Yelp tag). He's related to Paul Lambert, Christopher Lambert, Adam Lambert, Miranda Lambert, and Adam Levine... oh wait... but yeah, so he's usually right. What to get: Pupusas, absolutely. Ignore anyone telling you differently. What else: Their Horchata is unusually amazing for a Salvadoran place. What do you mean Salvadoran?: This place is Salvadoran, not Mexican. Ignore anyone telling you differently. Permanently ignore. (I have to say "ignore anyone telling you differently" on Yelp quite a lot. Lately more than ever. Big problem is the wait time. It is endless when they're not so busy. But they're usually packed out the door, and then it's endless times twelve. If you have some time to wait and want to rub shoulders with, well, everyone, but especially the hipsters pretending they know what authentic tacos are, then come in here and wait. You'll have the smirky grin of someone who knows they are one of very few people in line that are there to order what the place is actually good at, and actually makes authentically. Pupusas. If you're coming in here looking for "real authentic Mexican" then get your "Ass-out-the-door" of Asador, because it's not. As much as I love Torontonianical people, they generally don't know a taco from a pizza slice from a chicken wing. Now if we're talking Portuguese bakeries and dumplings and donuts and Greek food... they got some perfect ones. And if we're talking Body, then I agree with what Tove Lo said about Toronto girls. (Swoon) What they do have here is fantastic Salvadoran food mixed with some questionably not-quite-Mexican Mexican food that is made in somewhat Salvadoran style and also somewhat homogenized, anglicized, Hipster-ized, gentrified for the masses, since the masses in Toronto are generally neither Mexican, nor Salvadoran. The tamale (which is usually a Salvadoran specialty, and so much better than the Mexican versions), is just okay. However, the Horchata (which often isn't as good in Salvador as Mexico) is an absolute winner. It's one of the better ones I've had anywhere, and goes straight into my top ten list. That's a rice drink that's popular all over Mexico and Central America, by the way. Made differently in each region, to some degree. However the star of the show here is the Pupusa. Pupusas are fried and delicious and dirt cheap. Discs of corn filled with cheese and/or beans and/or pork. Get it with whatever sounds good, pay next to nothing (although more than you would in most Salvadoran places that aren't quite so popular or trendy), and enjoy the absolute heaven as you combine it with pickles and the infectious red sauce and slip away to bad-for-you food heaven. Ignore what all the locals order... most of them don't know the cuisine. They come here for tacos. The tacos are decent, but you don't go to Salvador for tacos. They're the sideshow. Pupusas are the star. Horchata is perfect to wash it down. Go. Try. See what you think.

View.
Alex M.

It is Valentine's Day, I was so happy my boyfriend came from the Netherlands to visit and we had the best day exploring the city, afterwards we were too tired to go out so opted to order in some good Mexican food! We consider ourselves taco connoisseurs, and often indulge in a tasty tactac. We were VERY excited to have so many taco options so we ordered 3 soft shells and 3 crispy shells (as other Mexican enthusiasts may know, is not as common as people may think to have both shells) To provide more context you didn't ask for ... this was the first MUCH anticipated spot on our taco tour of Toronto. We have a methodical and detailed evaluation system in place for reviewing and ranking our tacsperiences - the system ranks the following on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the best) ; flavour and freshness (1) Moisture (0) Mouth feel (1) Crunch (0) Contents to Shell ratio (0) Cheese Quality (0 - cheese unaccounted for, still looking for it) Smell (2) Overall (4/35) This may seem bitter, however, we are AS unbiased as they come. Furthermore, we are highly liberal individuals. Our disappointment is immeasurable yet our day is not ruined, because we still have each other, and our view is lovely (will include pic) We hope this is a one off, and the in person experience is better than delivery.

Plates with holes in it.. not really practical. You could end up eating paper if you're not careful.
Mario B.

Cash only.. it's 2019 Plates with holes in it.. it's 2019 Food is decent, but get the basics right

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5 days ago

The food here is amazing! The chicken soup in particular, it's the best I've ever had!

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5 years ago

Don't waist your time here - try Como en Casa at Yonge and Wellesley - they will keep you safe and food is much better!!!!!

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Tacos El Asador Reviews in Other Languages

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Playa Cabana - Baja fis tacos, Gauc & chips and Pollo tinga

Playa Cabana

3.9(503 reviews)
1.9 kmThe Annex
$$

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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Playa Cabana - Inside of restaurant

Inside of restaurant

Playa Cabana
Playa Cabana

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Quetzal - Empanada oaxaqueña

Quetzal

4.3(146 reviews)
1.1 kmKensington Market
$$$$

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
Quetzal - Bone marrow & wild Argentinian shrimp

Bone marrow & wild Argentinian shrimp

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La Carnita - Mexican street corn. Was lukewarm

La Carnita

3.3(497 reviews)
2.8 kmEntertainment District, Downtown Core
$$

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
La Carnita - Nachos with guacamole, corn, and tomatillo salsa

Nachos with guacamole, corn, and tomatillo salsa

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Hacienda las Américas

Hacienda las Américas

4.0(74 reviews)
1.1 km
$$

Some might this this is crazy, but these tacos are better than Seven Lives. Calm down, I wasn't…read moresure if it would live up to the hype either, but this place exceeded every expectation that I could have. Hacienda is located on College Street, very close to Sneaky Dees, in a bit of a tucked away, inconspicuous location. The interior is fantastic and the atmosphere is authentic. There are a lot of reviews that knock this place for service, but that's not really the point of this restaurant. It's a family run place where the focus is food and soccer (when it's on) if you need something, you may need to call the serve over yourself, but that's no big deal cocerning the food. The tacos are the best I've had in the City. At three tacos for $12, it's hard to go wrong. After reading some of the previous reviews, the beef tongue was an obvious choice. I'm not too big in beef personallty, but the meat was so tender and almost melted. Next was the chorizo taco. It was fantastic. The chorizo wasn't overly salty like in a lot of other Mexican restaurants, which made a huge difference. The flavor was deep and rich, and paired perfectly with the salsa. Lastly was the carnitas. It's hard to make carnitas as good as Seven Lives, but wow, these were something else. The carnitas were tender, juicy, and perfectly crispy. The corn tortillas were also made in-house and were fresh and delocious. The servers also bring two sauces to the table - one salsa verde (green salsa) and one hot sauce. Both were great but be careful with the hot sauce, it's a heavy hitter! Pro tip: get a Mexican Coke, it's amazing! Hacienda is the best taco place is the City. Seven Lives is a close second, but Hacienda has them beat in terms of authenticity and flavor. Put this place on your go-to list, it will it dissapoint. 5/5

The tacos were really good and the people who I assume were the owners were so nice to us. The…read moreplace itself was kind of small, but the waitress helped us move the tables together so that we could all sit together. I got two orders of the pork tacos and one order of the steak taco. Everyone in our party ordered different things from the soup, to nachos, to chimichangas. I also tried the tamarind drink and the mango drink which were interesting as I don't normally order sugary drinks.

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Gus Tacos - Tacos birra, fried fish, al pastor and barbacoa

Gus Tacos

4.0(106 reviews)
1.6 kmKensington Market

Small little store front in Kensington market with a nice quiet shaded patio in the back. You have…read moreto go through the store go up few steps up behind the order counter all the way to the back Hidden spot. Ordering was quick and you can see the cooks in the back making the food. The tacos were fresh and delicious meat filled to the brim with mild and spicy sauce of your choice and wedges lime to enhance the flavor. Chips were deliciously fried. Quick delicious affordable meal can't go wrong. So many choices of fillings. Can't wait to go back to try the fish, shrimp, mushrooms tacos.

Date of Visit: May 18th around 1 pm Location: Lakeshore and…read morebrowns line Order: Veggie and beef burrito with guac and chips Dear Gus Tacos Management, I am writing to express my severe disappointment and distress regarding an incident that occurred with my recent order. I am a strict vegetarian due to deeply held religious reasons, and I specifically ordered the veggie option. Unfortunately, my order was either switched or completely mislabelled by your staff. Because the packaging indicated it was the vegetarian item I ordered, I ate the food, only to realize too late that I had been given beef. This error is not just a minor order mix-up; it is a serious violation of my religious dietary restrictions that has caused me significant personal distress. As a food establishment, accurate labelling and order verification are critical responsibilities, especially when customers trust your menu to align with their religious and dietary needs.I request that management investigates how this cross-contamination or mislabelling occurred to ensure it does not happen to anyone else. I expect a prompt response regarding how you plan to handle this error and prevent it from recurring. I am utterly surprised as I have been ordering and been there so frequently and it is one of my fav spots. I have no words. Sincerely, Dolly Chandriani

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Gus Tacos - Inside

Inside

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Birria Broth

Tacos El Asador - mexican - Updated May 2026

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