The Smash with Brie is amazing! Ambiance is very nice especially in the summer on the patio... Service was also really good read more

The EL - Tapas Bars Near Me - Cobourg, Ontario

Beautiful restaurant in Couberg. Wall to ceiling art covers this restaurant. Wonderful place to eat at. The server was really nice and patient with us. Food was delicious! I had the Chris-py chicken. This was a chicken sandwich with bacon and goat cheese. Yum!!! I also tried the burger and it was pretty good. I enjoyed the cherry and apple cider as well. The menu is pretty interesting as well so will definitely drop by again when I am in the area. read more

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Love this place. Super friendly, great service, good food, all good!! as there aren't really any good restaurants in Cobourg, this and the one by the waterfront are standouts-the rest, well.......perhaps a drive to Toronto might be a better option! read more

Guac and chips were okay, found the presentation great for take-out (patio was too full for the peppers!). Burger patty itself was very impressive, however, saw a misfire on the topping selection/preparation. High potential for sure. read more

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Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Food was very good and reasonably priced. Chairs are not great for the gravitationally challenged, they did their best to accommodate but if you have a big butt you are doomed to an uncomfortable meal. My only service complaint was around the veggie burger. I chose it over the tacos because we were told it was an Impossible patty (delicious treat) and instead it was a smooshy bland bean patty which was . However the veggie burger garnish stood up well as a veggie sandwich. The two meat eaters in the family loved their burgers. read more

I've only had the tacos because they're delicious, I automatically order them and a spicy margarita from Taps & Corks!

Outstanding service, fun menu, amazing chef, great vibe. A top favourite in Cobourg. Try the Chris-py chicken sandwich; you'll thank me.

On an accidental Cobourg bar crawl, my super squad of two popped in to El Camino for some margaritas. Don't let their humble street-side patio fool you, there is a garden oasis behind their Tulum-inspired interior. Beyond their well-balanced margs, we also indulged in a Spanish (warm) shrimp cocktail. It was delicious, and I wish we could have stayed for tacos... but there were bad cover bands to be seen. read more

The EL - Back patio - Tapas Bars Near Me - Cobourg, Ontario

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Over priced and not worth it in taste or portion. The environment was nice looking but very hot, no AC and no windows. The food was average and very expensive. We got a chicken burrito bowl and it was such a small portion, barley a whole chicken bread and a cup of unflavoured rice. Over all very bland and expensive for $18. I got a steak chimmichuri and it was good but the veggies it came with were nothing special. Their menu is not laid out very well. There are no descriptions on the menu so you just gotta either ask the waiter what everything is or just take a chance. read more

The food was magnificent! The service was great as well. This is a hidden gem but a must visit while in the area!

From the moment I walked in I was mellowed by the calming decor. dim lighting, warm and cozy booths and relatively private tables considering the space size. However, bathrooms could use some attention. Our server was prompt, super friendly and genuine. She seemed to show up at exactly the right time, whenever we were ready for her. We were a group of four "youngish" women and we chose a variety of dishes including the stuffed portobellos and shrimp appetizers(both gluten free), curried chicken wontons, the Mahi tacos, blackened chicken sandwich and I had their Singapore noodle dish with smoked duck. We loved our entrees, they were flavourful, with relatively generous helpings. The wine selection was great! They were priced very reasonably. Two of us ordered the aromatic apple cinnamon cocktail, which was festive and nicely balanced in sweetness and alcohol. The reason I didn't give a 5 star is because there was no dessert for this gluten-free foodie. I was in the mood for something delicious that matched their apps and mains and was disappointed to be offered a bowl of ice cream. No thank you, I'll go home and eat brownies read more

The EL - Smoked duck Singapore noodles - Tapas Bars Near Me - Cobourg, Ontario

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El Camino was a 10 mins walk away from the beautiful beaches in Coburg. Very friendly service but food was srsly bleh. It's definitely a tapas tapas and tapas kind of place. Most of the dishes came in 3s, so going in group of 3s sounds more logical. The chicken kebab was bomb-except it wasnt the usual bomb, this was a literal bomb. It was so dry that the meat surpassed a floss-like texture. 13$ for 3? Everthything else was just alright. The paella came plated and was definitely a "tapas" portion. Ordered 6 dishes, bill was 100$ ish. Not worth it. read more

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Beautiful setting, fantastic food, lovely experience. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal here. When the last table on the front patio was seated we thought we would just have to make do but we were pleasantly surprised to be seated in the private back patio. The service was prompt and accommodating. The food was fantastic. We loved all of our small plates. The taco salad was a hit at our table and we ordered a second plate of the vegetable wantons. read more

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Pretty great. We live in California and eat Mexican and Mexican-fusion food quite frequently. This is definitely not Spanish tapas but rather fusion-y small plates.The awesome number of interesting and creative dishes here would challenge pretty much any San Francisco restaurant. Had the duck confit tacos and pork belly tacos. Very tasty though a little oily for both. Crab cakes are small bites but really really enjoyable. Paella was quite satisfying if little too salty. Sangria and margaritas were spot on. We would definitely come back. PS giving a place one star because of some nonsense about only one cheque per table is a low blow and uncalled for. read more

The soft tacos are great, even the kids loved them. A little on the pricey side for the size but understandable since it tastes good. However, the floor manager/receptionist's attitude towards us when we showed up without any reservations was not a pleasant one. She did put us outside in the patio by sticking 2 unmatched tables together eventhough there were plenty of room to put 2 that actually match. We are thankful, nonetheless. The same person served us our margaritas and she spilled some of my drink while serving. No apologies were given and she didn't bother wiping the side of the glass where the drink spilled. At least our main waitress was more friendly and engaging. It helped our dining experience a little better. I'd gladly recommend this place for food alone but with a warning that service might not be great. Which is really too bad, especially for out-of-towners like us. read more

We are local and this is one of our fave spots. Hours are a bit unpredictable but the service and food and ambience are always great and the prices are excellent. We frequent this restaurant more than any other in the area. Highly recommend! read more

Excellent food and service. From New York, found the service outstanding and so friendly. Highly recommend to all looking for an outstanding meal!!! read more

We went here after the Waterfront festival in Cobourg and won't be back. We have tried many restaurants in the area and until tonight had never found one that we couldn't rerecommend to people. We have 2 kids 7 and 8 who and while we knew that this was not a kids restaurant we had no idea that it never really even considered that adults may bring their kids out for a meal at meal. We found a out that the only option for kids (duck Confit or spicy Mahi Mahi didn't appeal to them) was noodles with butter and a light sprinkle of parm. No veg. So be it the seemed to like it. It is a tapas and taco restaurant, we thought great we love both and were excited to try them out. We ordered crab cakes (tapas) along Mahi Mahi and shrimp tacos. While they all tasted very good the value for the money was a little shy. The 4" tacos had a small (.5" cube) of Mahi Mahi and 5 very small pieces of mango. There were 3 tacos and the price of $13. On top of this the service was horrible. The place was only half full at best, about 12 tables had patrons. We waited over 30 mins between our appetizer and the tacos because, as we were told many times by our grumpy waiter, the kitchen was busy. With 4 front end staff standing around most of the time maybe management should look at how to make the back of the house a whole lot more effective. Also having the owner stand at bar staring out over the room while making drinks was a little weird. They are definitely more into themselves at El Camino than they are into good service and attention customers. The best part of the evening came when the bill arrived. Those bowls of noodles and butter cost $10 each! What a rip off. We will never be back and will be spreading the word that while the food tastes good El Camino should be avoided. *hint for great tacos done right the owners should take some pointers from Taco Farm in Waterloo On. read more

Last night was our first time at El Camino and it was amazing! We had the Best Chicken & Corn Tacos ever and the wine selection was great! We actually had about 8 different dishes and they were all as good as the last. Would highly recommend this gem in Cobourg!!!! read more

Great little place in Cobourg. Huge pitchers of cocktails for very little. We ordered 1 chicken and two fish tacos not knowing that they only came in three of each. So the waitress thought we were ordering 3 orders (9 tacos total) and brought out three fish then one chicken before we clarified we wanted three total. They comped us all but three tacos. Very amazing service. Good patio. read more

Pretty good for Cobourg. I am from the area but don't live here anymore. I was curious when I noticed this restaurant because it seemed pretty cool and hip for the area. Overall experience was good. Tacos were good, service was friendly and the cocktail was pretty tasty too. Had the Korean BBQ tacos with cabbage and pork belly tacos. I really liked the pork belly and my girlfriend preferred the Korean BBQ. Both tasted good with complimenting aioli and cabbage on both. Would recommend the restaurant or the sister bar 'El Poco Camino' around the corner if you want something cozier and more fun. One criticism is that this place is a mirror image of a restaurant in Ottawa. They aren't the same owners or anything and the Ottawa el Camino blows this place out of the water but I had to do a double take when I saw this restaurant and its menu. read more

My husband and I stopped at El Camino early in the evening. Even though they were not quite open, Steven, the owner, greeted us warmly and set us up with drinks at the bar. Shortly after we got there, Steven's wife, Kay, came in to work for the evening. The two of them were perfect hosts keeping us amused with funny stories. We ordered a number of tapas items from the menu and every one of them was very tasty! This is a wonderful way to be able to try a number of different items without walking away thinking you have over eaten. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at El Camino! We are looking forward to seeing what Steven and Kay open up next! El Camino gets 2 thumbs up! I would recommend it highly to anyone looking for quality food in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Saskia W read more

We made a reservation for 5 people for 5:30pm on the Saturday night of Victoria Day weekend. We were greeted politely when we arrived. We were seated at a booth meant for 4 with a chair tacked on the end which made it a little cramped. The decor is pleasant and the music was just the right volume. We were very happy with the food; the stand-out was the calamari made with Pernod, very unique and tasty. The shrimp tacos with guacamole, and the crab cakes were also noteworthy. The paella was nicely plated, but too salty. The waitress didn't know much about the food but she didn't mind getting another person to come and explain every time we had a question. The menu is written on chalk boards on the walls, and the dishes have no descriptions which is why we had so many questions.The woman's washroom was quite tiny but perfectly clean and properly stocked. They write the cheques out by hand, so I suppose that is why they don't want to split the bills, I imagine it would be rather time-consuming during busy times. It wasn't an issue for us but people used to more modern POS systems might find it a bit of a challenge. Everything was reasonably priced and our party enjoyed the meal very much. read more

We live this place. The white wine mussels are a must have. Every taco is amazing. The only problem is that you can't eat the whole menu every time. The best date night in Cobourg read more

The EL - Tapas Bars Near Me - Cobourg, Ontario

My husband and I went here for a date night and it was a huge disappointment. The whole night our waitress treated us as an afterthought and inconvenience. People who came in after us got waited on and drinks before anyone came to us. There was a very large and mostly loud and drunk table who also got additional drink orders and drinks before anyone came to us. Lamb meatballs were tiny, tasteless and dry. Crab cakes were horrible...tasted like frozen fish cakes and had a very fishy taste. There was no sweetness or richness that real crab gives crab cakes. As there was some sort of red flakes in there I had to conclude it was imitation crab. If it was not it has to be very old canned crab. I lived in Louisiana a long time and I know what real , fresh crab cakes taste like and this is NOT it. Crab cakes were also tiny. For what they charge vs the portion size, it is not worth it. Consistently during the night we could not get out waitress..nor her attention. She was often too busy talking to the large drinking party. Will not ever return based on the terrible service and the portion size vs price which I thought it was nervy of them to charge so much for small portions of food I could make better at home myself. read more

The meal was tasty and the service was quick and friendly. The prices are about average but you can spend a lot if you try a lot of the different tapas. Would go back again. read more

My favourite restaurant in Cobourg. It's not cheap, but the food is delicious so what did you expect? Also, don't whine about the no separate bills policy. It makes sense if you consider how many $5 dishes of food could be ordered by even just a table of 4 people. It's just not reasonable to expect a server to remember who had what when you're talking 10 to 20 separate dishes per table. read more

We didn't notice until halfway through our order that the board said "One cheque per table". We assumed this meant we had to pay as one (otherwise why no separate cheques). The waitress said no, that wasn't their policy. My friend asked if she could ask the manager for us (as she'd been there before). As she walked away, she said "Yes I can, but I don't think it'll get you anywhere". Then he came out and my friend asked him. He again said it wasn't their policy, so my friend pushed the issue. He told her - fine, they would do it if it was going to be a big deal for us (I can't remember his exact words, but this is the idea). I was surprised enough at the snotty remark from the waitress, but was seriously flabbergasted that the owner would speak to customers that way. We realized later that people were all paying separate so we told the waitress that we had misunderstood the sign. She said because the bills are handwritten, it took too much time to write separate bills compared to one. Really?? I don't get how it could take any more than a couple seconds longer to write information on three separate bills instead of just one. And really, isn't it about making the customer happy? I liked the food, but I won't be back because of something stupid and little like that. Oh and to top it off, the margarita's I had (while yummy) were $9 each in a small glass - gah!! read more

We have enjoyed many a dinner at El Camino. Special occasions with friends and family as well as quiet dinners for two. It never disappoints! My husband has a much more adventurous palate where I am considered rather picky. There are a number of fabulous plates for my limited tastes and my husband has sampled, and loved, almost every item on the menu. The margaritas are fantastic and all of the recommended wines have been terrific! We find the prices very reasonable. The ambiance and service are always warm and welcoming. A great addition to Cobourg!! read more

The worst chicken tacos I ever had. Was hard to find the chicken in a pile of some corn kernels( from a can) a lot of cabbage, some black beans ( from a can?). the tortillas were not warm enough, The only great thing of the place was the waitress and the beer. Very disappointed. read more

One of those rare finds in small town Ontario. This Cobourg restaurant dishes up delicious and inventive tacos that are a delight to the senses. What more could you ask for: tapas, tacos and a terrific selection of tequilas and wine. Christina our server made a recommendation for the smoked chicken tacos and they did not disappoint. Yummy! We will be back to sample more. read more

Don't think of eating any where else in Cobourg! This restaurant is one of the best places I have ever eaten for tapas! The food is outstanding and so well presented. Lots of choices with creative combinations that reflect the skill of an outstanding chef! Hard to list all the great bites we chose but not one disappointed. Some mains are offered and the two pastas we had that night - brisket and lemon shrimp pasta were amazing - still thinking about them! The staff were friendly and accommodating, clearly a strong team. Great tunes set the whole evening off! Can't recommend this spot highly enough!! read more

I see a common theme when it comes to this restaurant, The owners can be very rude. I too had issues with the woman owner Kay and after posting a review I was attacked and insulted by her. Someone read her comments and contacted me to tell me of their recent experience. They were a family of 2 adults and 3 children. They were told there was no seating available inside if they didn't have a reservation. They asked about seating outside and were told no. Some people were about to leave and offered their table to them. The owner snapped and said "no definitely not". She was so rude to them that the mother left in tears. They feel they were not welcomed at their restaurant because they had children. Seems like a very "clicky" restaurant and you have to fit their look or desired customer profile. Terrible. read more

soft tacos excellent...brisket, porkbelly and mahi mahi...all great; and loved black bean dip with guac; ...and better music from their ipod than most satellite stations; pleasant, casual ambiance read more