Restaurants
Refried Beans A Winner at Mexitaco
This is part 1 in a series where I attempt to discover Toronto's best burritos.
Mexitaco occupies an awkward spot in Toronto's burrito landscape. The taqueria, located on a corner lot at Shaw and Bloor, is oozing Mexicana. It's one of the few joints in the city that reminds me of my visits to dusty Mexican towns. There is a TV in one corner playing a Mexican version of the country music channel, basic wooden tables, sombreros on the walls and red, white and green sprinkled throughout. Warm days offer a pleasant patio.
But for all of its authentic, no-frills taqueria vibe, filling your stomach with one of their three varieties of burritos (chicken, beef and veggie) costs upwards of $8.99 plus tax which is definitely at the more expensive end of Toronto's options.
The problem is that Mexitaco only offers a burrito plate (see top photo) which means a small-ish burrito is teamed with a side salad, refried beans and a helping of yellow rice. For a little extra punch, there are a couple of salsa options, some marinated onion and freshly cut lime wedges. The restaurant definitely needs to offer a cheaper version (without the sides) to go.
On my most recent visit I order the veggie burrito. A moist lime-scented flour tortilla is filled with rice, beans, mushrooms, peas, corn and probably a few other vegetables that escaped my attention. Plated, this is definitely a knife and fork situation which works just fine but takes a bit of the romance out of the experience.
Overall, the taste was pretty good with the refried beans definitely among the best I've ever had. The burrito should have come with guacamole. I had to put in a special request to layer some in, and it would be nice if there were soy or dairy-free substitutes for the cheese and sour creme.
Also on the menu are a huge range of other Mexican dishes, all of which have photos plastered on Mexitaco's front window (and on their web site).
Discussion
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"soy or dairy-free substitutes for the cheese and sour creme"
I'm reminded of a bitchy and self-indulgent NOW recap of the absolute horrors of trying to get a vegan meal at La Palette. You're at an authentic Mexican restaurant, not at a restaurant that specializes in its vegan/vegetarian menu.
Don't hold it against a (totally awesome) establishment.
The authentic, no-frill taqueria vibe is meant as high praise. That's one of the best things about Mexitaco. I wish there were more places in Toronto like this.
However, I do think that even the most traditional taqueria should be "progressive" and offer soy/dairy-free alternatives. There are certainly other burrito places in the city that do, and if you go to mission-style authentic taqueria joints in San Franciso you'll find some of these options.
Ultimately, if you're going to put burritos on the menu, you better be prepared to have them judged.
Overall I think this place was a great Mexican restaurant.
The service was friendly, our waitress was polite and smiled frequently but she did forget to bring the appetizer of which we decided to not bother with anyway. We ordered a couple of margaritas. I had Lime and my fiance had mango. The Lime margarita is probably the best I've tasted anywhere and if I wasn't driving that day, I would have surely ordered a couple more.
We both got the Burrito meal and while the Burrito itself was decent, the side portions weren't plentiful or all that impressive. The salad was a tiny portion of shredded lettuce and the rice was basically the same rice found in the burrito.
All in all, the food was decent and the drinks were great but the menu prices are simply too high for what Mexitaco has to offer. If I go back, I will perhaps simply stick to a small appetizer and several Margaritas. Don't make this your first choice for Mexican dinner choice.