El Camino

81A Clarence St., Ottawa
(613) 422-5918

Recent Reviews

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Chaz z

Some of the best tacos in the city, the pig head taco is a must try, and a great spot for a summertime rooftop drink with awesome Byward Market views! 🍹🌮

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Murat Cecen

Best taco in Ottawa!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Benjamin Looby

Fantastic food, friendly service!

Someone recommended this restaurant to me and it did not disappoint.
I had the guac and chips (delicious, creamy guac and the chips were nice and salty), the Pork Belly Pastor taco, and the grilled chicken taco.

My server, Cass, was very friendly and helpful. I would definitely come back here again.

I'll just add a note that it was pretty loud in there with all the people and music, so just take that into consideration if that is an issue for you.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I Man

Fun place for great Mexican fare - tacos, burittos, ice cold beer - and the best array of tequila I've ever seen! They have at least 20 varieties of tequila to choose from. From top line to The Usual Suspects.

Pork, beef, chicken and fish tacos are outstanding. Served on street facing patio, its a great place to spend a summer/fall evening or afternoon!

Service is good enough to also make it appropriate for a quick meal.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Nick Tokio

Food was great! The Ox tongue was a favorite, the mocktails were spot on and the service and ambiance was excellent. First visit to El Camino, looking forward to returning. Fish tacos were also great, love the in house made habanero sauce. My friend liked the beef taco the most. Can't wait to return and enjoy some excellent tacos and mocktails. Cheers friends!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

ZareckReviews

Amazing spot in the market, I recommend sitting on the roof on a nice sunny day and enjoy some tacos! The food was really good, service was quite nice everytime I went, and the restaurant inside is very beautiful as well. My only complaint is they charge a little too much for tacos wish they did a deal for a handful of tacos for a good price!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

monica avila ramirez

$10 for a SINGLE taco feels quite expensive. The flavor was okay, but it's more American-style than authentic Mexican food.

Blaino M

Stopped by here for something to eat late. Tacos was what was decided, and El Camino was the pick. I had the pork belly, beef Barbados and fish tacos. The beef was excellent, the pork belly was ok, and for me the fish was not my favorite as it lacked the taste, and packed flavors of the others.

The restaurant was pretty cool with a pretty sweet wall!

The waitress was friendly, and was quick with her service, prices were fair. I would probably say the music was slightly too loud for my taste, but maybe I am a grumpy old man at heart lol.

Overall, nice lil stop with a good friend of mine, id stop by again if looking for tacos in the Byward.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 3

Tamy Lynn

We had a reservation for 6 people & were seated almost immediately. The place was packed when we went both times, hence why I called in to reserve. I don’t understand, maybe because it was at the height of the tourist season of July & August. The food was not fantastic, it arrived cold, all the tacos on the same plate (fish mixed in with other tacos). The server(s) were bringing and taking stuff off the table… it wasn’t clear to us which one of them was in charge of serving us. We had to flag any one of them to get another drink. Our chips & salsa didn’t show up until we asked again. Overall it was a mess. This review is based on 2 visits, both were the same. Our family of 6 will not be returning.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 2

Carolyn C

Good tacos. TERRIBLE service. I have eaten at this establishment three times. Each time the food has been very good. But the staff has been neglectful and rude. The first time they messed up the order for a staff lunch. No explanation or apologies. On the second visit, it took 20 minutes just to place an order for drinks and we never received our food order. Couldn’t complain because it took too long to find our server. The third time we asked to be seated on the upstairs patio. The hostess immediately said that the patio just closed. A few moments later she seated a party of three upstairs. A few minutes after that, the same hostess guided another couple upstairs. When we asked why she told us the patio was closed, she giggled and said that the bartender changed her mind and kept it open. No apologies, even after seeing my partner was upset and offended. There are a lot of great bars in Byward - even better authentic Mexican restaurants in Ottawa.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 4

Service: 1

Jai

Fantastic food, beer, servers and ambience. Tacos in order of preference: Pollo > Chorizo > Eggplant.. never disappoints

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

M G

Loved the fried fish tacos and the salsa and chips.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Crispy Fish Taco, Salsa, Pork Belly Tacos Al Pastor

Renee Hardie

Disappointing experience. We waited 10 minutes before our server came and introduced herself and take our initial drink order, another 15 for the drinks to arrive, and 25 more for the food—only three of the four tacos showed up. After finishing the first 3, we waited yet another 10 minutes for the missing taco, which had been ordered at the same time as the rest. Oh and the first 3 tacos came on one plate even though they were 2 different orders.

The servers were hard to track down, making the delays even more frustrating. The tequila sour was excellent, and the tacos were decent—but at $13 each, they felt overpriced. If you’re happy to pay premium prices for average tacos while being ignored most of the night, this might be the place for you.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 1

Mitchell Silva

El Camino is the kind of place that makes you want to come back, great tacos, even better people.

My wife, my dog Murphy, and I had dinner here last night on the patio and the experience was nothing short of amazing.

From the moment we sat down, the staff were warm, welcoming, and genuinely kind. They treated Murphy just like any other guest, bringing him a water bowl and even a grilled ox tongue, which he absolutely loved.

The service was excellent. They frequently checked on our table, made sure our drinks were always full, and kept us updated on our food. One taco took a little longer to come out, but they let us know and made sure we were comfortable while waiting.

The tacos were fresh and full of flavor. We tried the grilled chicken, grilled steak, cauliflower, and beef barbacoa. Each one had its own unique taste, but the barbacoa really stood out for me, tender, rich, and easily my favorite of the night. The chicken and steak were both perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the cauliflower was surprisingly satisfying with a nice depth of spicy flavor. You could tell everything was made with care, and nothing felt rushed or bland.

The staff clearly love what they do, and it shows in the way they interact with guests. The environment was clean, the vibe was relaxed, and the food was absolutely delicious.

It is the kind of place that reminds you a great meal is about more than food, it is about how you are treated while you are there.

We left already talking about when we would be back, and I am grateful for spots like this that turn a simple dinner into a memorable evening.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Vasilios Makris

Wow, the best tacos in a while. Nice patio, and service was decent.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

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