Restaurants
Johny Banana
Johny Banana is a brightly coloured, pleasant little eatery on the corner of Queen and Bathurst. Decked out in lime green and orange, and covered in paintings of Mexican wrestlers and surfers, this bright little resto specializes in "burritos that taste authentically Mexican". But don't worry, Northerners, they'll also appeal to diners who favour the familiar comfort of Tex Mex flavours.
My friend and I met at Johnny Banana one day for lunch in their sun-drenched dining room, and I asked my server to recommend a burrito. He suggested pork or chicken, so I went for the standard chicken while my friend ordered the mole version. We both received our burritos quickly.
The first thing I noticed upon biting into my generous burrito was the absence of spice. According to my friend, I was supposed to ask for it: but my server didn't mention it, so I just figured that being a Mexican place, I'd get some. I figured wrong. I'm sure this all could've been remedied with a trip back to the serving counter, but I was too lazy and too hungry, and even without hot pepper sauce, my burrito provided sufficient flavour to keep me seated.
Dominated by the limey zest of lime-rice, my burrito's citrus top notes were piquant compliments to earthy beans, green vegetables and sweet, tender chicken. Although not as spicy as I'd have liked it, my burrito was definitely fresh and flavourful.
Trading bites with my dining companion, I expected to be driven to jealousy by his mole-drizzled version, but was sad to learn that his burrito was just like mine, only blander. I could see the mole sauce, but I couldn't taste it. We're both mole fans, and were saddened by our loss.
My meal at Johny Banana wasn't making me scream "Aye Curumba!", but it was tasty, fresh and reasonably priced. I won't go out of my way to grab a burrito here, but I will stop by when I'm in the neighbhourhood--and next time, I'll ask for hot sauce.
Large burritos: $6.95/each
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It all started off so much potential. We entered into a very funky space with a packed dining room, where the staff obligingly made room for our party. We quickly ordered "Tequitinis" (Tequila martinis), and an appetizer (guacamole), which all arrived rather quickly.<p>
From this point forward, everything went downhill.<p>
First, we received a medium-sized bowl of fresh guacamole, accompanied by approximately a dozen small crispy tortilla chips in a tiny dish--not what we had expected for nearly $10. We had to ask them to replenish the chips three times in order to get enough to use up the guacamole.<p>
Second, we waited for our mains for over an hour, with absolutely no acknowledgment from the staff. This just made us fume even more, and we eventually managed to flag down a passing server to ask about our meal. Instead of apologizing for the delay, or offering an explanation, we were told that it would "be right out". After about another 5-10 minute wait--and what seemed like a larger than normal flurry of activity in the kitchen--our food arrived.<p>
Our disappointment continued; all of the dishes we ordered were underwhelming. The lasagna maya that I ordered had the potential to be a unique take on the traditional dish, but lacked flavour and colour. The enchiladas were bland and cold. The burrito was more akin to a wrap proffered from <i>Fresh</i>, and the so-called "Mexican panzerotti" was more like a focaccia sandwich I could pick up from any deli for a fraction of the price. <p>
We finished our mains, and while the dessert menu looked tempting at first glance, we decided that we wanted to spend no more of our money at such a place.<p>
After finally flagging down staff to get our bill, they offered us an olive-branch in the form of a shared dessert--a biscuit-sized layered shortbread with <i>dolce de leche</i> in between. It was tasty, but didn't make up for the lack of service, and especially the lack of acknowledgment of a screw-up or delay on their part.<p>
I must give kudos, however, for the interior design -- I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect. <p>
In all other respects, however, this resto failed to impress. I will never be back and will definitely inform others.
I live around the corner and have been there many times. I've always loved the food, especially the steak burrito. I like my food spicy but a medium at Johnny Banana is good for me, they can really turn the heat up if you want, look out! My favourite thing about the burrito, aside from the heavenly taste, is the way it's rolled up and grilled. It doesn't fall apart. It's miraculous.
For desert, the hot chocolate azteca is bloody awesome. Chocolate, chili, and spice, inspired by the way the Aztecs used cocao long ago. It's an experience not to be missed, if you are a spice-lover. Forget Starbucks.
Oh, one other thing, it's a little up (north) the street from Queen and Bathurst. You won't miss the bright green sign if you look for it, but you have to look for it. Enjoy!
The food tastes good but as far as I'm concerned it is not worth my money to pay $6 for a mini burrito. You'll get better value, better taste and better customer service going to burrito bandito's, big fat burrito or mission burrito.