Cielito Lindo

Went with a girlfriend of mine a few nights ago and I was reminded once again why this pace is one of my favourite places to go. Of course we had the Chorinachos and for once I decided to have the Camarones with the Borrachos sauce (wine and garlic sauce). Only down part is that there were only about 5 pcs of shrimp, however they were cooked to perfection.
My friend, who was a first time visitor to the restaurant, had ordered the Basa Fish which I had a piece of and it was perfection. The large fish filet was lightly battered and perfectly fried. It was covered with the most amazing tasting sauce which was also accompanied by a generous amount of shrimp. What was very impressive was how crispy the fish was even with all the sauce. This is probably the best fish dish I’ve ever had in town (GTA). The next best fish dish I’ve had and will never forget is Red Snapper at Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita in Mexico so that says a lot! This particular dish is part of their special menu but great news; it will be part of their new menu very soon. Definitely ⁵⁄₅.

Their take-​out system is a joke. On the many times I’ve ordered takeout, they just start making it 15−20mins after ordering, when I arrive in the restaurant, leaving me to wait 15−20minutes in the restaurant every time.

Popped by for a quick dinner yesterday.
Ordered a glass of red wine sangria which was good.
The guacamole was very good! It tasted very fresh.
I got the appetizer portion of the shrimp in garlic and wine sauce. I got it with bread instead of rice. It was good too.
I live in the west end of the city and am rarely in Pickering but I highly recommend this place!

Found this little gem about 3 years a go and been going ever since. The Décor is very simple some tacky decorations and Spanish music witch is a nice touch. But don’t let the decorations fool you this a awesome little restaurant. I usually start with a shrimp appetizer witch comes with toasted bread for dipping. Next I get a shrimp burrito witch comes with beans rice and a salad. Have also that their guacamole is to die for. Prices are decent great little place if your hankering for some authentic Mexican food

Great atmosphere and food was good. Nice fresh chips and salsa. I had the steak, nice spicy touch and the price was fair. Will be returning

It’s a small spot, but great food.

Based on the positive reviews I thought I would try this place. The food was okay but nothing special. The salsa was really bland — ranks as probably the worst salsa I’ve had. The flavor of the enchilada and burrito I ordered was okay but lacked something. Nothing to do with the food but they were playing Puerto Rican music videos on TV’s and some were borderline inappropriate (entire screen filled with barely clothed women’s backside shaking). Not something I want to see while eating (nor my kids if they were with me. I was eating with a Mexican friend who told me they were Puerto Rican videos. With other Mexican food options in the area I will not be back to this place.

Great mom and pop shop. Bets to go during a busy meal time, food is fresher. The family owns a chain of these restaurants. i think 5 of them. this locations is one of the better ones.

So I found this place years ago while coming back from fishing trip and I was surprised of the authenticity that is provided both in culture and food. Being a traveler to Mexico I know what the real deal is when it comes to food so I can honestly say that this place always bring me back to Mexico and the good times and good food. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for good authentic Mexican food… It doesn’t get any better than this especially in Canada.

I only recently found this place despite living so close. I’m so glad I did, though: I’m definitely going to become a repeat customer.
Cielito Lindo’s is in a rather non-​descript plaza, with (as others have mentioned) less than stylish interior décor, but that doesn’t take anything away from the food. The staff are kind and this is very much a family-​run place: I think I actually saw the owner’s young daughters sitting quietly at a table, playing on their iPad.
I recently ordered the Tabasco combo, which includes one beef burrito with a spicy red sauce and one chicken enchilada with green tomatillo sauce. You also get a portion of rice, refried beans, and simple salad. Before your entrée, you also get a healthy complimentary appetizer of tortilla chips and two sauces (a mild salsa, and that spicy red sauce — definitely keep some water on hand for that.)
It’s a good amount of food — I was stuffed before even finishing either my burrito or enchilada. I preferred the enchilada over the burrito (liked chicken better than beef), but both were delicious. I don’t know what they do with that tomatillo sauce but it’s SO GOOD. I just wanted to dip everything in it and then lick my fingers afterwards.
My meal was about 12 bucks; totally worth it.
The only downside to this place is that it is tiny. I would love to come here with a group of girlfriends, but I don’t think we’d all be able to fit (assuming other customers are there — and there are ALWAYS customers there.)
I would love to see this restaurant grow into a huge success, offering the owners an opportunity to upgrade and maybe move into a bigger space. With their food, I’m certain they could fill a place three times the size easily with hungry customers.

The ‘atmosphere’ is pretty much non-​existent, but the food is great and the prices are reasonable, too.

Excellente!!! Absolutely delicious food. Fresh, hot, perfectly seasoned. Clean, friendly and authentic. We’ll be back!

If you want fine-​dining, this place isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for a home cooked taste and feel, you’ll love this place.
The owner is a sweetheart and the food is very delicious. Restaurant reminds me of the old authentic Mexican Restaurants we used to have in Toronto (Bloor & Bathurst) before the big chains opened up.
We enjoyed it!

We tend to get the same thing every time: Guacamole (with nacho chips) and chicken burritos.
The quality and taste if these are consistently great each time.
I wish they would enlarge the height of the pickup window and update the décor.

— good mexican food for the heart of pickering
— very simple place with tacky décor
— always go for the specials. had the pollo pablano today… really nice chipotle sauce
— i’d come back
— i do wish they had more types of tacos like al pastor

So I’m on the phone with my insurance company complaining about… I mean… «enquiring» as to why my insurance has gone up when the girl on the other line asks where I live. When I tell her, Pickering, I didn’t quite get the response I expected.
«Hey, have you ever been to Cielito Lindo?»
I had not and of course, if this is the first thing she thinks of when she thinks of Pickering, I clearly needed to find out more about this place.
We had a nice chat. The long and short of it is… there were more accidents in Pickering this past year… oh, and I need to go to this restaurant.
Now I’m new to Mexican food… I haven’t even had as much as a burrito. I pleaded ignorance to our server and she was more than happy to walk us through the menu and help us make our selections.
My husband opted for the Tabasco from the ‘Create-​A-​Combo’ section ($ 11.95) and I went with the Pollo con Mole ($ 14.95)… I’m sorry, did you say chocolate? Sign me up! Both dishes were served with rice, salad and re-​fried beans.
We were first presented with a complimentary platter of what appeared to be, homemade tortilla chips accompanied by a red dipping sauce. Absolutely delicious, and a nice way to start the meal.
The Tabasco came with one beef burrito with red sauce and one chicken enchilada with green tomatillo sauce. Simply a plate of comfort food. Each bite was fantastic and with just the right amount of heat.
My Mole was outstanding… even though I don’t really have anything to compare it to. I know what I like… and this is it! The chicken strips were tender little pieces of happiness coated in a wonderful spicy… chocolaty… heavenly sauce which I couldn’t get enough of. Holy Mole!
Did this delicious experience soften the blow of my insurance going up? Not really, but I know I will definitely be back!

love this little restaurant, really fresh and tasty food, just one down fall is don’t go there when its busy or expect a loooong wait for your food

This place is the typical don’t judge a book by its cover. The décor and the upkeep of this place is not the greatest, however the food is pretty great! They have beer and some mixed drinks. You get complimentary nachos and salsa while waiting for your food, which was hot and the green and red sauces were tasty. I ordered a Chimichanga which was huge and stuffed with meat, served with side of rice and guacamole. My partner ordered the chicken fajitas, also served with rice, this was also very tasty. Portions were great for the price, we couldn’t even finish my meal. They do have dessert but we were too stuffed to try it. We will definitely be visiting again! Delish!

While the décor is not much more than a lot of stereotypical Mexican souvenirs, it’s alright because all the attention is focused on the most important thing, the FOOD!
I’ve had a number of items from their menu and my recommendations are the nachos with Chorizo, and the Chicken in a poblano cream sauce.
The nachos are made with handmade tortilla chips, in-​house made chorizo, beans and cheese. The presentation doesn’t do it much justice but once you put one of these chips in your mouth, you experience the spiced pork goodness. I brought a friend with me to have these and she wanted another order after we finished. As her entrée.
The chicken in poblano cream sauce is a house speciality creation, not the most authentic Mexican dish but the chicken breast simmered in this flavourful sauce is tender and so delicious, that when I order take out, I try to save the extra sauce for later just to dip bread in — or pour over anything I can think of.
On the menu you’ll also find enchiladas, chimichangas, camerones (Shrimp) and rice. All dishes are served with a small salad, and beans topped with queso fresco on the same plate. (Even the beans are really good.) They make their Guacamole fresh to order, sometime table side if it’s not busy.
Nothing is terribly spicy, but everything is very flavourful and you can tell spices were carefully selected to draw out certain flavours. If you want something made spicy, just ask!
If dining in, the staff — it’s a family run establishment — are very nice and very accommodating. They have a few Mexican beers such as Modelo, Dos Equis, and of course Coronas. Their margaritas are really good too.
The food is amazing. I eat here often. I dine in, and order takeout. If I go without my husband, he gets upset. The menu is of a good size, and everything is authentic. If you order anything with chorizo, or the poblano cream sauce, you will make it a point to make a return visit.
The family and their extended family own restaurants all over the Toronto and Durham region, having visited a few others, this is the best one.
Oh I forgot to mention, the food besides being amazing, is also very reasonably priced, a couple can dine for $ 50 with an appetizer, 2 entrees and a drink each!

Visited their Pickering location last week and ordered camarones nopalitos and a acapulco combo. While we were waiting, they served us some house made tortilla chips with their very well balanced red sauce for dipping. Soon after arrived 6 large shrimps cooked perfectly in a slightly tangy and spicy green cactus sauce in my very reasonably priced appetizer with a side of garlicky bread. The beef burrito and chicken enchilada were both very flavourful in a mild red sauce (tasted similar to the sauce they served with their tortilla chips earlier) with moist meat inside. They are now licensed and we enjoyed bottled tecate with our meal. The meal was very satisfying and we will definitely return to try their steak.