Campechano Taquería

PROS:
— tacos were like a meal. Big portions.
— service was friendly and kind
CONS
— everything has cilantro in it.
— drinks were TERRIBLE. I would never drink there again; I’d just eat and run across to Spirithouse for real alcohol. Pre-​mixed margarita that was like two sips and way too sweet.
— SPICY AF. Only one tacos had the word «spicy» next to it, so I just didn’t order that one. I THOUGHT I WOULD DIE and my tolerance is medium. OMG.
— way too loud. Loudest restaurant of all time.
— hot, no a/​c?
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I didn’t use the restroom so I can’t comment on that like I normally like to :)
So even though there are way more cons than pros, the concept was interesting enough that I’d try again. Still prefer La Carnita, which I get isn’t as «authentic» but I do love their tacos, what can I say… but better food than Macho.

Campechano Taquería makes their tortillas from scratch and tops them with a variety of moist, flavourful, mouth-​watering meat options that are good enough to satisfy my tastebuds. There’s a cool, intimate vibe in here during the lunch and dinner hours that I personally find very inviting. They’ve got a decent selection of beverages to wash your meal down with, including beer. Be prepared to stuff your face.
Must-​try items:
Guacamole
Tacos: Tinga de pollo (chicken breast), Barbacoa (braised lamb leg), Bistec (sirloin)
The tacos range from about $ 4 to $ 7, but come in generous portions that are well worth the price. On an empty stomach, just 2 or 3 tacos might leave you stuffed. The staff here are friendly and attentive, and the food comes out rather quickly. I’d put this spot on my list of top 5 places to get tacos in the downtown area, for sure.

Legit taco place. Went there for lunch, the crowd wasn’t big, tacos are on point.
4 stars, if they are just doing tacos, I feel like they could do more with their tacos menu.

I came here with a friend on a Saturday night and it was a great experience. It was busy so they took our name and number down to text us when our table was ready. They said it would be a 40+ minute wait and it turned out to be much sooner than that.
Their taco shells are gluten free and are very tasty. Between the two of us we had basically everything on the menu and I would recommend all of it. I had a margarita and it was very good, my friend loved her sangria. The prices are great and the servers were very friendly. I’ll definitely be coming back.

New fave place — made reservations weeks ago for a Thursday lunch for 4. Received a reconfirmation text day before. Arrived and had the sweetest waitress and she was accommodating to one of our friends «cilantro aversion» without judgment. Had the guac and ceviche apps, then each of us had 2 tacos — varying between shrimp, beef, chorizo, fish and chicken. Everything was amazing and well proportioned. And at the end our waitress asked how we would like the bill — for King Street regulars this is essential for work lunches and so appreciated. Can’t wait to return and work our way through the rest of the menu.

This taqueria offers extremely palatable food and drinks, obviously fresh and expertly prepared by Roe and his staff. I felt energetic and light afterwards, unlike with some other restaurant foods that can leave you feeling tired and bloated. This is especially great if you’re there for lunch and have to go back to work, or, like me, you work into the evening/​late night.
All in all, this was a great experience, and I would highly recommend Campechano Taqueria to anyone looking for a fantastic and healthy dining choice in downtown Toronto. I will definitely be back soon.
Read more here:

3.5
Everything was very hit or miss. We arrived and were promptly seated in the back at a communal table, which was fine. Ordered the first of a few margaritas and some chips and guac off the bat. Guac had pomegranate seeds, which was a nice twist, but not sure I loved it. Ceviche was ok. I prefer a little more fish to avocado, but it was tasty.
I think our server was new, or the kitchen screwed up the orders a couple of times. He was friendly, but we had a couple of small issues; My boyfriend ordered 2 tacos but got three (two of the rib eye and one of the pulled pork). Ribeye was good, but not as spicy as they advertise (at least not for me, anyway.) The ribeye taco that I ordered was curiously over salted. I rarely complain about things being too salty, but the first bite I took tasted like they’d dumped a salt shaker in the end of the taco and scraped it off.
I also asked the waiter if they had some hot sauce because I like things really spicy. He offered some of the sauce they put on the rib eye taco, but he didn’t bring it at any point. Would have been happy to pay extra, but nope.
I ordered a fish taco, shrimp and rib eye. I got the rib eye first and then the fish, which was made with branzino and out of this world incredible!!! The fish had amazing flavour on its own and was perfectly cooked. Crunchy cabbage adorned the top. Truly and epic taco.
For my last taco, the server brought another fish taco, but I had ordered the shrimp and really wanted to try it. I called him over and he came back a few minutes later with the shrimp taco. I didn’t love the sauce on it. Shrimp were ok. I wouldn’t get this one again.
Tortillas were fresh and delicious. You could tell they were made in house and the thickness was perfect to hold the taco fillings.
Our bill was over $ 100. The five margaritas were half the bill. Tasty, but very small, they were.
I would come back to Campechano. But I would drink a pitcher of margaritas at home first and then order three fish tacos and one rib eye. That ought to put me at about $ 21 + tax and tip. I could handle that. The fish tacos really were something else!

Loved! Loved! Loved this place!
Being on a constant quest to find great Tacos to satisfy my tastebuds, Mr. H and I landed here thanks to Unilocal.
It’s a small place and was packed on the friday night and hence we were happy to sit at the bar. Since we sat there, our service was very quick and efficient.
The menu here isn’t very long for drinks or food and hence it’s easy to try almost everything on the menu. I ordered the margarita and I have to say it was one of the best I’d had, really well made. This was had along with an amazing plate of ceviche!
Mr. H and I had 7 of tacos and all were absolutely amazing!!! I loved the Chicken Tinga, a spicy one with beef and chorizo one as well. I don’t recall their names but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with anything.
Would definitely return!

Not good for vegetarians, they only had one option on the menu (which isn’t posted anywhere). It was pretty good, I like the texture of the taco, could have used more flavor. Asked for hot sauce and the server looked at us like we were crazy.
Service was slow and rude. We made a reservation and they told us at the time that we’d have 2 hours. Our server came up to us when we still had 45 min left and told us we’d need to clear out in 15 minutes. Which we didn’t do.
Ambiance was ok, a bit too dim.
With so many great Mexican places in the city, no reason to come back here.

I regret not taking a photo of the menu as it is different from the one posted here in photos. Note that they do not take credit, but debit is accepted.
Ceviche — 4.5÷5. White fish and shrimp ceviche was the special for that night. Mmmm, it sure was tasty. Note that the ceviche comes with a serving of guac on top of it. I was surprised to see the guac when the plate came to the table as our server didn’t mention it when describing the dish.
I have an avocado sensitivity so I avoid avocado when possible. I asked for all the tacos to be made without any avocado or their avocado crema. I ended up pushing off the guac that came on top of our ceviche.
We tried a variety of tacos including the chorizo, lamb, bistek, chicken, and carne asada. Our server recommended 2 – 3 tacos per person.
Top picks — lamb and the bistek tacos were delicious. So flavourful and moist. ⁴⁄₅ to 4.5÷5
Disappointing — carne asada. I found it lacked flavour (maybe because I asked for no avocado?). 2.5÷5
Dessert — flan. ³⁄₅. This was a very dense flan with dulce de leche on top. If you enjoy creamy and very sweet desserts, this would be right up your alley. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to my taste.
Service — ⁴⁄₅. Servers were all very nice and accommodating.
Ambiance — 3.5÷5. Maybe it was because we were in the back room, but it was pretty cold and half way through our meal our server came by to set up a space heater to help warm up the room.
Overall, I really enjoyed the food, even without avocado! :) That is sometimes a challenge when eating Mexican. I really encourage you to drop by this place if you haven’t already!

The tacos here are exellent — doesn’t matter which one you get it will all be good. It is well priced as well. I would recommend making a reservation for this place as seating is very limited. We were also pleased with the service.

My friend brought me here as he recommended that I try it out with him. He is a lunch regular during the work week as his office is just around the corner. He did warn me that it could get busy given the amazing food and small space. I was concerned when we walked in as all the tables were taken in the front. But to my surprise, they had some tables in the back area and we were quickly shown our table.
Table for 2s were quite small when ordering a few tacos, drinks and some appetizers. I’m not the spicy adventurer so my buddy had the exotic stuff like spicy lamb taco which was the special for the day. The guacamole in the beginning was very addictive. I had two tacos which were the combo and the beef which were the safe choice for my palette. They also have juice, wine and a unique selection of bottle beers that I have not seen before.
Despite opening for a few weeks, they have their process down pat with excellent service. I would return to try the rest of their menu and the daily specials. It’s on the way home but having more people join for the meal makes it better.

Absolutely wonderful, tasty and authentic tacos. Their food is fresh and delicious. I love their guacamole and ceviche — you can ask for extra nachos if you run out.
Prices are reasonable. They have some awesome quesadillas as well to try.
Stop by for a quick lunch or dinner. There is ample seating in the back. :)

A few notices:
— cash and Canadian debit only (should not really impact too many people)
— no reservations
Food (4.5 stars):
+ very high quality tacos.
— expensive. Tacos range from 4.50 to 6.50 Each portions comes with a single taco.
I ended up ordering european fish taco (4.5 star) and a shrimp taco. The shrimp taco (3 stars) was super spicy but tasty. The fish taco was good. I also ended up ordering and splitting guacamole (5 stars) as well. The bill came to $ 15 before the tip.
Atmosphere (4 stars):
The atmosphere is very simple and cosy, the front room with the open kitchen has seating for around 20 people. There is also a backroom is a bit more spacious with 3 tables for 6, and one table for 2.
This is not a great place for large groups, but a good place to go with a few people for lunch.
Service (5 stars):
The waitress got us right away water with 2 bottles on the side so we can refill it ourselves.
After we ordered, she gave the appetizers first, then the first taco to everyone, then once we finished the second taco. Due to the table not being super large this helped the dining experience.

An unpretentious taqueria that chooses focus on food authenticity rather than hipsterdom.
The sirloin tip taco was incredible, the spicy shrimp, and the ceviche were both great. The ceviche at first was a little disappointing because of the small portion size, but it totally worth it after I tasted it.
The renovation from Sadie’s went very well — it’s now cozy, lit with candles, and clean.

An unpretentious taqueria that chooses focus on food authenticity rather than hipsterdom.
The sirloin tip taco was incredible, the spicy shrimp, and the ceviche were both great. The ceviche at first glance was a little disappointing because of the small portion size, but it totally worth it after I tasted it.
The renovation from Sadie’s went very well — it’s now cozy, lit with candles, and clean.

A tiny ceviche
A hybrid quesadilla
A crunchy taco
A great décor
Ay ay ay… Campechano…
I went with high hopes and walked out satisfied on an average level.
I will help you guys out with some solid advise
1. The ceviche portion was tiny and when I mean tiny it was ridiculous I wanted to laugh. $ 9 dollars really? I am going to say it in Spanish so the owner gets my point «no mame compa» lol…
2.- The quesadilla. Soggy. You need to leave the tortilla chilling on the flat top a bit more so it gets a bit hard. Texture. Also is this a quesadilla or a taco? Quesadillas have one tortilla on the bottom and one on the top. Simple
3 You can do better with the barbacoa. Keep working on it.
Keep it simple keep it real keep it your way…
Best
HP

Ordered a guacamole to share, a couple tacos each, and a couple horchatas to wash them down.
The guacamole was small, and according to the waitress, one whole avocado is used to make it, which is why it fits in a ramekin w/​room to spare. Since avocados are on sale at Metro, 5 for $ 3, I’m assuming the huge markup is to pay for the huge amount of time and effort needed to make guacamole. After all, if it was so easy and quick to make, they’d make it fresh right at your table, right? /​sarcasm Taste was about as good as you’d make at home.
Campechano taco: basically the everything taco, tastes good, but make sure you specify a spice level since the default is about medium which could be spicier than you’d like as my SO learned.
Braised lamb taco: better than the campechano IMO, it was the daily special. It was also pretty drippy and could’ve benefitted from an extra tortilla.
Horchata: needs more cinnamon and a bigger serving would be nice. It’s rice water after all.
Tl;dr: pricey Canadian influenced tacos in a painfully hip interior served by organic, locally grown servers. No al pastor, carnitas, cecina de res or fish tacos. $ 6 guacamole. For my taco fixes, I’d probably go elsewhere, or I’d just stick to the tacos and maybe a Mexican Coke.

Uncomplicated and delicious.
Came here for an early dinner on a Tuesday.
I ordered the guac and chips, the campechano taco (everything taco) and the camarones taco (shrimp). Tacos are $ 4.5 each
The Campechano taco was definitely the star of the night, but watch out for the spicy sauce, it is quite spicy and will leave your mouth on fire.
I also tried their feature cocktail with hibiscus tea? it was just meh.
Upbeat latin music plays in the background. Enjoy!

A new taqueria always draws my attention and when I read on A local blog that their current menu is gluten free I knew I had to go. Now.
We arrived early (6pm on a Friday night) and managed to score a table for two in the back before two groups of seven came in. We ordered one of each of the tacos and the cheese quesadilla. The tortillas were fresh, warm and flavourful. The grilled Oaxaca cheese on the quesadilla was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed all of the tacos and the house made chorizo was tasty. Our only complaint (from two people who enjoy a bit of heat) was that a few of the tacos had so much heat that it over powered the otherwise amazing flavour layers of the tacos. I also found the margarita small for $ 9 and far too sweet for my taste.
We will definitely be back to check it out again!

Toronto is known for not having good Mexican food which is echoed many times by residents and visitors alike. Campechano Taqueria is working hard to change that impression. With the lowly taco no less. Not easy…
Early on a Saturday evening the doorway to this Adelaide hot spot was jammed with people keen on trying the taco of the day. Wait times were around an hour.
With the two of us, it was less of a wait, with plenty of time to analyze the mural in an area of downtown known for street art and with Graffiti Alley around the corner. Why was she dreaming of Coca-​Cola?, hmmmmm…
This became an important topic which paired well with a Cuba Libra and its hint of lime. The menu suggested a chorizo, shrimp, and steak tacos and another wait was in store for us while we watched the chef in the open kitchen work like a mad alchemist combining and flipping savouries around like a game of shells with frying pans slid and flung through the air as the flames shot up high in the air occasionally waking us out of our reverie. Flanked by a couple young prep chefs she worked like someone possessed.
The shrimp taco screamed out for a salty limey Margarita which was perfect with their fresh-​squeezed lime juice and generously salted glass. Nice!
The artistry came through in our tacos as we devoured them calling out for seconds, but another time, another time…

I live in LA, born and raised in Southern California, so without meaning to I get a little condescending about Mexican food in other parts of the country. And then I stumble on this place! Oh man, this is a must if you’re looking for amazing Mexican flavors. Start w the chicken taco and then go from there. If that doesn’t change ur life, I’m not sure what to make of u. I’ll be back here every time I’m in TO!

It was a Friday night and they were clearly understaffed. We did make a reservation but did inconvenience them by adding an extra few people. They let us know that food would come out slower because we were a bigger group.
I ordered the chicken and steak taco. The chicken was decent and a good portion size, but nothing special. I didn’t get a chance to try the steak as it never ended up coming out. A few other dishes for other friends didn’t end up on our table either.
It took over an hour to receive our bills, and when the bills finally came, the items on each receipt were completely mixed up and we were still charged for the dishes that never came. When we asked for the bills to be corrected, one of the servers said that we were wrong and all the items ordered had come out of the kitchen.
We waited another 15 minutes for corrected bills that never showed and had to go up to the front to pay.
Overall, the food was average, but I can’t give a good review for a restaurant that wasted 3 hours of my evening for just 1 taco.

Classic taqueria, no fuss.
The other day I experienced a perfect, quick lunch cooked in front of me:
I tried two tacos, the tinga de pollo (morita chicken) and camarones enchipotle (chipotle shrimp) taco.
Holy. Who says we’re bored of tacos here in Toronto? As long as they are this good that won’t be happening.
They make their tortillas fresh in house (roasting Mexican corn to make the masa, etc.) and you will definitely notice it. So delicious. Like the rest of Toronto, I love me some Seven Lives, but dare I say that I found these tacos even tastier?!
For drinks, I had a house-​made agua fresca, Jamaica, which is basically a cold hibiscus flower tea. Not too sweet; fragrant and refreshing.
Simple menu, fine prices and a bright atmosphere. They are already popular which isn’t that surprising.

yes! made to order corn tortillas, oaxaca cheese in their quesadillas. been here twice and recommend the camarones taco and the campechano taco (sooooo good, great flavours and texture). friendly staff. almost over attentive service at times. the only things preventing a 5 star are i found the guacamole slightly bland, and the horchata a bit too sweet (the one at tacos 101 was better). love the décor as well. wish i lived closer to go more often!

Great addition to the Portland Street strip. Replacing the fading Sadie’s, Campechano delivers a great fresh product at a reasonable price point. For about the same price as the higher turnover Mexican inspired restaurants in the area, you can stop here and get a great fresh taco lunch for ~$ 10 – 15. I tried the signature Campechano and Crema tacos, both were excellent and delivered to the table as soon as they were ready. The flavours remained relatively simple and crisp; and dishes are offered without extraneous salsas or sauces, as it should be. Service was great and incredibly friendly. Will be back for sure.

This taco restaurant recently opened just up the street/​around the corner from Valdez, Gusto 101, and other popping King Street favourites, on the quieter corner of Adelaide and Portland. It’s a small, cozy establishment that is bursting with personality — bright murals on the wall, and the entire time my friends and I were there, they were playing the most fantastic reggaeton jams, so good times abounded.
Their menu is pretty small right now (about 6 different tacos and maybe 4 different quesadillas), so if you come with a medium to large sized group, you can try pretty much everything. With two other friends, I tried the following:
Apps: guacamole and ceviche — These both came as decently sized portions, lots of nacho chips on the side, and were good for sharing. In the end we even requested for a refill of chips, which they gladly obliged for free. The guac was very fresh (although could have used a bit more seasoning), while the ceviche was a little heavy on the vinegar or lemon juice or whatever they put in there, as there was a bit more sourness than I was expecting. It wasn’t bad though, and the fish, which I think was halibut, seemed decently fresh. The nacho chips might have also been made in-​house, because they were very crispy and fresh, although had a bit too much salt on them.
We ordered a whole bunch of tacos and one quesadilla. In the end I tried two tacos: one with pineapple, shrimp and chipotle sauce, and the other one was the vegetarian taco with corn, mushrooms and peppers, which I got on the recommendation from the restaurant owner. I enjoyed both of them — both were delicious and flavourful, and tasted very fresh. I really do think the vegetarian taco was the most unique I’ve ever had… it almost felt/​tasted like I was eating cream of mushroom soup wrapped in a taco shell. Very interesting, I will say that, but it tasted good. The taco shells used were AMAZING though, they were thick and doughy and not dry at all… apparently they make them by hand here, starting by grinding the corn themselves and everything. SO GOOD.
We saved enough room for dessert just so we could try the two they had on the menu — flan, and a lemon cake of some sort. I really really enjoyed both of them! The flan was a bit unique, because as the owner explained to us, it was a bit denser than a normal flan and kind of a cross between a flan and panna cotta… like almost like a mousse cake. But it really worked for me, because I don’t like it when the texture is too runny or custard-​y, so this really hit the spot, and it was also not TOO sweet. The lemon cake was very zesty and refreshing, had almost like a meringue or pavlova-​like texture (which I normally don’t like), but it had enough cake-​iness to it that I was able to enjoy it.
Overall, I REALLY enjoyed my meal here. Everyone working here was super friendly and very attentive, and as other Unilocalers mentioned, the vibe is just chill and totally unpretentious, which was very refreshing. Since the place is fairly new, they are still working out some kinks and are very open to suggestions — we suggested that they either put sauce on the side or offer different levels of spiciness, because most of us found the sauces they used to be too spicy. I absolutely would come back here again though, as there are plenty of other tacos and quesadillas which I want to try! Also prices are very reasonable, as tacos are between $ 4 – 6 max each. I ended up paying around $ 20 for two tacos, splitting the apps with my friends, a juice/​agua, and splitting desserts. All in all, a pretty good deal!

Slightly tucked away from the busyness of King Street, I would likely not have ventured up to Adelaide. And even if I did, probably would have just walked by this joint without giving it another eye as the outside isn’t as eye-​catching. Glad I gave it a try because the food is definitely worth checking out, and would recommend others to come by!
My friends and I split the apps (guac and ceviche) — these were great! The halibut ceviche was very fresh. We also ordered one of each tacos, and a quesadilla as well. MMMM. Their tortillas are home-​made, and are so soft and so good. The fillings were plentiful and very tasty as well — the pork belly one (Campechano) is my favourite. The only thing though was the tacos were slightly too spicy for me… However since the business was new, the server noted that they were thinking of implementing a spicy level customization (hope to see that soon). Reasonably priced tacos at $ 4 – 5 each. You’d probably need 2 – 4 to be full.
We also split the two desserts offered at $ 4 each — the coffee flan and this frozen-​ish cake (I cannot recall the name unfortunately). I’m not a flan person, but this flan was done very well. Loved the cake as well.
Seven Lives Tacos Y Mariscos was one of my top places for tacos, but now I’m adding Campechano to the list, if not even higher. Those tortilla shells!

I am addicted to this place! This is exactly what Toronto needs; a non pretentious and fair priced taco joint. Since I first set foot into this place, I went back with multiple groups of friends 3 more times in the same week. It’s that good!
Service is excellent too! They ran out of tortillas this one time when I went really late and tried to make different things to satisfy my group’s cravings.
Keep up the excellent work!
Ps. I was a little hesitant writing this review because I love this place and want to keep it a secret: P It’s definitely going to be crazy packed soon.

Tasty tacos, homemade tortillas, non-​hipster atmosphere and reasonable prices.
Reminds me of Empellon in NYC more than any other Mexican place here. The set-​up is equally conducive to dinner with friends or dropping in late night at the bar (once they get their license).
I hope it does well so I’m giving 5 stars.

Had a really nice dinner here. We had the guac to start, followed with the shrimp/​chipotle and mushroom tacos and a quesadilla. All were well presented, well cooked, fresh and tasty. The hibiscus tea was refreshing. The servers were prompt and pleasant. The ambience fit well with a dinner date. The bill was reasonable.
I’m bummed about Sadie’s being gone, but Campechano is a great replacement and I hope they do well. I’ll be back.

Goodbye Sadie’s Diner and Juice Bar, where a meat-eater’s dreams went to die, and ola Campechano! Even though it’s still waiting on a liquor license and tacos al pastor are yet to appear on the menu, Campechano is a fantastic addition to the neighbourhood.
The menu is focused on tacos, their larger, cheesier cousins, quesadillas and a few smaller plates — it’s easy to try the whole menu if you’re splitting amongst friends. Tried the ceviche, guacamole, a few tacos and a quesadilla. The horchata was good, but could benefit from a bit more spice. The tortillas and chips are obviously made onsite and were exceptional.
A local Diego Rivera has left his/​her mark, with vibrant murals wrapping around the space, and the candlelight makes for a casual, intimate setting. The figure painted closest to the front windows of the restaurant looks uncannily like Nicki Minaj — pro or con? At any rate, I will be returning, and wish nothing but the best for this shiny new establishment.

I heard from a friend that a new taco place recently opened at the corner of Adelaide and Portland, so decided to go try it out for dinner. No alcohol license or tacos al pastor yet. We tried most of their tacos, all of which were exquisitely spiced and simply delicious. The ceviche (sea bass) was fresh and served with lots of chips and generous helpings of avocado. I also recommend trying the agua de Jamaica (hibiscus tea), very refreshing!
Prices were very reasonable and the service was impeccable. The seating is cozy and the large pastel coloured wall murals added to the comfortable ambiance, could a nice place for a date.