Yasmen De Leon brings us recipes passed down from her mother to bring homey eats like tacos dorados and birria. Displaced from Mexico, she eventually settled in Toronto with her family and, lucky for us, decided to set up shop on Jane Street in 2017.

St. Clair’s most popular taqueria fronts the butcher shop where they get all the meats for their quesadillas and tacos. The star of the show is easily the lengua: tacos made with beef  tongue on a double layer of soft tortillas. 

You can always depend on this Mexican food chain to satisfy the masses. There are four locations of La Carnita in Toronto to get your fix of guac and chips, burritos, and DIY taco kits.

One of several Mexican restaurants under the Mas Playas family, this Dupont Street restaurant is the spot to go for bocaditos like ceviche, flautas and guac. Orders of tacos come in trios while house specials include beer-battered chile rellenos and tostadas. 

Walk the Distillery District’s cobblestone streets to find this massive dining experience where pitchers of ice-cold margaritas overflow next to raging hot fire pits. Summer days look like patios with molcajetes of guac.

Kensington’s destination for evolving lineups of mezcal and cocktails. Meals here are essential, considering how much liquor you’re bound to consume. Try crispy squid tacos or go through their list of molotes. 

Toronto’s first restaurant to focus exclusively on Mexican birria is a tiny stall in Kensington’s Latin American food corridor at 214 Augusta. The menu’s all about delicious stewed beef made Jalisco-style, with obligatory bowls of consomme on the side.