My favourite place. Order the gluten free beer battered fish tacos and thank me later.
Tracey Eve Winton
Excellent quality food and attentive service. But very pricey for little portions. Always packed and everyone looks happy. Entire menu is gluten free including dessert so it’s a perfect place to bring your celiac date, gluten-sensitive BFF, or millionaire uncle.
Alex Smith
One of the best Mexican restaurants in Toronto. Simple but high quality ingredients used very well. Their cocktails are also some of the best in the city. Don't skip on dessert either.
stephen bodiam
My beer was served to me with a glass warm from the dishwasher. My chips and guac & salsa were delicious. A very small portion for $14.50. I think twice the guacamole would be reasonable. I also had the fish tacos. So delicious and fresh. With a tip a $50 lunch is pricey for what it is. I wasn't there even 45 minutes. That said, everything was delicious. The menu lacking variety but what it does, it does well.
Tanvir Duggal
During a recent visit to a much-talked-about Mexican-inspired eatery, I found myself both intrigued and, admittedly, underwhelmed. The restaurant certainly wins points for its vibrant ambiance—a lively, artfully designed space that immediately sets high expectations. Unfortunately, the food and service struggled to keep pace with the setting.
Our table ordered a selection of dishes, starting with the “Calabaza y Mole”, followed by an assortment of tacos: “Tacos de Carne Asada” (steak tacos), “Tacos de Pescado” (fish tacos), and “Tacos Pollo al Pastor” (chicken tacos). To accompany the meal, we opted for a few house cocktails, which, while well-presented, leaned more toward average than memorable.
The Calabaza y Mole, while billed as a shareable dish, arrived in a portion that felt more suited to one person rather than a table. The flavors were pleasant enough—rich, earthy mole complemented the sweetness of the squash—but the serving size left much to be desired.
As for the tacos, they delivered mixed results. The steak tacos were, unfortunately, a miss—the meat was overly chewy and lacked the tenderness one would expect from a dish carrying such a premium price tag. The fish tacos, too, leaned heavily on the batter, overpowering the delicate fish and leaving behind a greasy aftertaste that made it difficult to truly enjoy the dish. The chicken tacos, while decent, failed to stand out, offering a flavor profile that felt uninspired and easily forgettable.
Adding to the disappointment was the service experience, which was noticeably slow and lacked the warmth and attentiveness that could have balanced out some of the culinary missteps. For a restaurant with such an impressive facade and pricing that reflects a high-end dining expectation, the overall experience fell short.
Final thoughts: While the restaurant offers an undeniably inviting atmosphere, the food quality and service do not justify the premium prices. There are certainly more authentic, satisfying, and friendlier options available elsewhere—especially for taco lovers who value both flavor and experience over ambiance alone.
mona m
Tasty food and a charming atmosphere! The fish taco, grilled corn, chorizo, and octopus were delicious, though the dessert chorizo was a letdown. Service was friendly but somewhat forgetful. The restaurant is small but cute and cozy. Overall, we enjoyed the experience and would return.
Kim McKelvey
I am celiacs with a tapioca allergy they were very accommodating and the food was excellent. Beware the dark staircase to the bathroom! We sat outside, it was very nice.
Steph C
Got the tacos de barbacoa, a Paloma cocktail and horchata on a Wednesday early evening. Food was absolutely delicious, service was excellent, patio was open. I can't wait to come back!
Oat Wongsajjathiti
This review #1000 is so well deserved. We got a sharing menu and had an amazing dinner with 3 apps, 3 tacos and desert for 2 people. Thanks Giselle for being a great host and waitress ☺️
Mitchell Geis
It doesn't even make sense how good the food is here. 100% gluten free kitchen is a bonus for the celiac community!
I adore the food at El Pocho, and I think the fact it’s entirely gluten free - yet delicious - is wonderful. However, the past two visits, I was very underwhelmed with the service.
Yesterday in particular, my friend and I ordered churros, tacos, and a fried chicken appetizer. Our food took nearly 30-35 minutes to come out! While I understand the kitchen could’ve been busy, the two tables that sat and ordered after us were served first. The waitress came to say it was last call before we got our original order, and was really rude when I said I wasn’t sure because we hadn’t even had our first dishes yet.
Sadly great food marred by mediocre service.
Katherine
Great quality food and drinks at the small and bustling restaurant. It is a bit of a tight squeeze so be ready to get intimate with your party and others. My partner is celiac and ate here without issue which is a huge plus! Good place to order a bunch of share plates! Loooved the battered fish taco!
Sena AD
The Best churosss 😌🤎
Mikael Muria-Courchesne
Honestly this place is a hidden gem. One of the best fish taco spots in the city. Rivals seven lives & the prices are great for this economy. I really enjoyed dining here and will be back! The elote was great as well, but the fish tacos were *chef's kiss*
Shalu Pal
The food is very tasty. This is one of my favourite places to come. It’s safe for me to eat as a Vegetarian Celiac. Almost every visit has been great! I do not recommend for larger groups but it’s great for up to 4 people. Reservations recommended - it’s packed and busy most nights.
My favourite place. Order the gluten free beer battered fish tacos and thank me later.
Excellent quality food and attentive service. But very pricey for little portions. Always packed and everyone looks happy. Entire menu is gluten free including dessert so it’s a perfect place to bring your celiac date, gluten-sensitive BFF, or millionaire uncle.
One of the best Mexican restaurants in Toronto. Simple but high quality ingredients used very well. Their cocktails are also some of the best in the city. Don't skip on dessert either.
My beer was served to me with a glass warm from the dishwasher. My chips and guac & salsa were delicious. A very small portion for $14.50. I think twice the guacamole would be reasonable. I also had the fish tacos. So delicious and fresh. With a tip a $50 lunch is pricey for what it is. I wasn't there even 45 minutes. That said, everything was delicious. The menu lacking variety but what it does, it does well.
During a recent visit to a much-talked-about Mexican-inspired eatery, I found myself both intrigued and, admittedly, underwhelmed. The restaurant certainly wins points for its vibrant ambiance—a lively, artfully designed space that immediately sets high expectations. Unfortunately, the food and service struggled to keep pace with the setting.
Our table ordered a selection of dishes, starting with the “Calabaza y Mole”, followed by an assortment of tacos: “Tacos de Carne Asada” (steak tacos), “Tacos de Pescado” (fish tacos), and “Tacos Pollo al Pastor” (chicken tacos). To accompany the meal, we opted for a few house cocktails, which, while well-presented, leaned more toward average than memorable.
The Calabaza y Mole, while billed as a shareable dish, arrived in a portion that felt more suited to one person rather than a table. The flavors were pleasant enough—rich, earthy mole complemented the sweetness of the squash—but the serving size left much to be desired.
As for the tacos, they delivered mixed results. The steak tacos were, unfortunately, a miss—the meat was overly chewy and lacked the tenderness one would expect from a dish carrying such a premium price tag. The fish tacos, too, leaned heavily on the batter, overpowering the delicate fish and leaving behind a greasy aftertaste that made it difficult to truly enjoy the dish. The chicken tacos, while decent, failed to stand out, offering a flavor profile that felt uninspired and easily forgettable.
Adding to the disappointment was the service experience, which was noticeably slow and lacked the warmth and attentiveness that could have balanced out some of the culinary missteps. For a restaurant with such an impressive facade and pricing that reflects a high-end dining expectation, the overall experience fell short.
Final thoughts: While the restaurant offers an undeniably inviting atmosphere, the food quality and service do not justify the premium prices. There are certainly more authentic, satisfying, and friendlier options available elsewhere—especially for taco lovers who value both flavor and experience over ambiance alone.
Tasty food and a charming atmosphere! The fish taco, grilled corn, chorizo, and octopus were delicious, though the dessert chorizo was a letdown. Service was friendly but somewhat forgetful. The restaurant is small but cute and cozy. Overall, we enjoyed the experience and would return.
I am celiacs with a tapioca allergy they were very accommodating and the food was excellent. Beware the dark staircase to the bathroom! We sat outside, it was very nice.
Got the tacos de barbacoa, a Paloma cocktail and horchata on a Wednesday early evening. Food was absolutely delicious, service was excellent, patio was open. I can't wait to come back!
This review #1000 is so well deserved. We got a sharing menu and had an amazing dinner with 3 apps, 3 tacos and desert for 2 people. Thanks Giselle for being a great host and waitress ☺️
It doesn't even make sense how good the food is here. 100% gluten free kitchen is a bonus for the celiac community!
Restaurantji Recommends
I adore the food at El Pocho, and I think the fact it’s entirely gluten free - yet delicious - is wonderful. However, the past two visits, I was very underwhelmed with the service.
Yesterday in particular, my friend and I ordered churros, tacos, and a fried chicken appetizer. Our food took nearly 30-35 minutes to come out! While I understand the kitchen could’ve been busy, the two tables that sat and ordered after us were served first. The waitress came to say it was last call before we got our original order, and was really rude when I said I wasn’t sure because we hadn’t even had our first dishes yet.
Sadly great food marred by mediocre service.
Great quality food and drinks at the small and bustling restaurant. It is a bit of a tight squeeze so be ready to get intimate with your party and others. My partner is celiac and ate here without issue which is a huge plus! Good place to order a bunch of share plates!
Loooved the battered fish taco!
The Best churosss 😌🤎
Honestly this place is a hidden gem. One of the best fish taco spots in the city. Rivals seven lives & the prices are great for this economy. I really enjoyed dining here and will be back! The elote was great as well, but the fish tacos were *chef's kiss*
The food is very tasty. This is one of my favourite places to come. It’s safe for me to eat as a Vegetarian Celiac. Almost every visit has been great! I do not recommend for larger groups but it’s great for up to 4 people. Reservations recommended - it’s packed and busy most nights.
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