Category Archives: Mexican

Tequila Cocina

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This is the most authentic Mexican food I’ve found in the West End area. The tacos are served traditional style, with a choice of traditional filling such as pastor, pibil, and carne asada. The carnitas were the best, succulent and juicy.

The Mole don Pollo was excellent, a bit more chocolatey than traditional, but nicely complex with spices.

The complementary chips are excellent, apparently fried twice to get them to puff up a bit, and the accompanying salsa verde was spot on.

Service was pleasant and efficient, all seemingly done by one person who was also tending bar. Speaking of which, the margaritas (lime, on the rocks, of course) were excellent.

On a second visit we had chicken tostadas and the “Gringas Quesadilla with Pastor”. Both were excellent. I think I would have the quesadilla again, but perhaps with carnitas or the chicken that was on the tostadas. The tostadas would be good with some cilantro and a side of red sauce.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/tequila-cocina-vancouver

The Mexican Antojitos Y CantinaThe Mexican

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Since I’m originally from Los Angeles, I’m used to being able to get great authentic Mexican food almost anywhere. But it’s been a long search for authentic Mexican food anywhere in the West End. Well, this is only marginally in the West End, but it’s sure better than anywhere else west of here!

This restaurant is located in a particularly seedy stretch of Granville, but it’s nice once you get inside.

The traditional Margarita was excellent. One of the best in town.

Nachos we just so-so. They did use melted cheese, but needed more, and needed jalapenos instead of a meager few dried serranos.

The chicken tostada was a home run. The crisp tortilla base seemed homemade, and the ingredients were plentiful and flavorful, including a nice spicy green sauce.

The pastor taco was also very good: fairly succulent pastor on two corn tortillas, with a generous side of cilantro and onions.

Service was pleasant, although the Mexican version of Bollywood on the TV can get old after a dozen similar numbers.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-mexican-antojitos-y-cantina-vancouver

Gringo

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Put this review through the “Mexcian food in Vancouver” filter, because it’s a different scale than, say, Mexican food in Los Angeles.

I like the fun ambiance here, with bright colors and neon. The chairs are more comfortable than they look. It’s nice that they have table service, not just counter service.

Tasty, but smaller than it looks!

The BTO (better than okay) margarita was quite good.

Nachos were also good, factoring in that the cheese is movie theater nacho squirt cheese, not actually melted cheese. But the pickled jalapenos were real, and the addition of pickled red onions was a tasty innovation.

Those pickled onions came on the Wilbur pork butt taco, too, although I would have liked more cilantro, too. That taco was probably the most authentic Mexican food I’ve had in Vancouver. It was served on two traditional small corn tortillas.

Service was friendly and prep was very quick, due to the fact that we were alone on a Friday at lunchtime.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/gringo-vancouver-4

Los Chavos Mexican Restaurant & Cantina

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Los Chavos is probably the best Mexican restaurant in the West End, but that’s a low bar. The tacos are authentic, although my Pastor was hardly the rich succulent marinated pork from the most authentic places. The quesadilla is non-traditional, but tasty, with its sautéed vegetables. Guacamole was excellent, chips okay. The highlight was the Classic Lime Margarita, which was expertly made, and about as good as it gets. Kudos to the bartender, who was also our server.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/los-chavos-mexican-restaurant-and-cantina-vancouver-3

Holy Guacamole Mexican Grill

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There’s nothing terrible about Holy Guacamole, but there’s also nothing great. It’s not really Mexican food, but more like someone read a description of TexMex and tried to make it without any first hand experience. Cheese sauce on Nachos is an example. It’s a shame, because Vancouver really lacks Mexican restaurants, especially in the West End. But with ordering at the counter rather than the table, this isn’t really a restaurant, either.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/holy-guacamole-mexican-grill-vancouver