Emilianos Authentic Mexican Food — Restaurant in Port Alberni

We were on our way back to Vancouver from a two-day visit to Tofino and were getting pretty hungry after a long, slow commute to Port Alberni. The whole two days there we ate nothing but North-American inspired food and my wife’d had enough.

As we approached Port Alberni, she found this restaurant online, described as the “best Mexican food in town” so, she put the coordinates into google maps and we headed toward it…or so we thought. See, Google maps has this fantastic food truck on the opposite side of the road so be prepared to go on a round trip to nowhere if you happen to rely on Google Maps. The restaurant is actually a very nice food trailer, placed in the parking area of the Clutesi Boat ramp/launch. Conveniently, there is plenty of parking and there is also dessert near by.

The restaurant has several outdoor picnic tables (shared) on which to sit. We were lucky and the weather was warm enough and the scenery, pretty enough to be enjoyable. This space is pet-friendly as well.

The hostess/Chef, Liliana hails from Mexico and cooks delicious food! I too am Mexican and so, have experienced authentic Mexican food on par with Liliana’s.

My wife ordered the Tortilla soup. Its taste was as authentic as the one my Mum used to make. Lots of tortilla in it. It did not come, however, with the usual condiments for Tortilla soup (diced onion, a bit of cilantro and some lime). I may have been able to ask for some but didn’t explore the option as we were hungry! I do have to say, that the size of the soup, left a bit of a bitter taste in my wallet. We expected something larger for the price.

I ordered a chicken chimichanga and it too was delicious! A chimichanga is basically a deep-fried burrito; and, as we all know, just about everything tastes better deep-fried! This chimichanga is no different. It was perfectly fried. The tortilla was a golden brown, with crispy edges but soft underbelly, making it easy to pick up and chew. Flavours were on point. The lettuce was still cool and crispy, dare I say even refreshing? A nice little morsel of freshness in a deliciously oily dish.

Lastly, and in my opinion, the best of the things we ordered, were the Tostadas. We ordered a chicken and a beef tostada. The tortillas were a golden brown and tasted fresh, the beans and meats also very flavourful and fresh. The condiments, lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese…deliciously fresh and scrumptious! I have not had better tostadas in Canada. The only place that approximates Liliana’s tostada wizardry is Tacos Tecalitlán in Burlington, WA. Even then, she actually makes hers with two beautifully toasted tortillas, upping the game just that much.

We did consider getting tacos as they looked great (others ordered before us) however, to me +$8/taco is just too much.

Enough money talk though, we’re here to talk about the food! Yes, everything we ordered was worth it.

I’ll leave it up to you to decide how much your meal is worth. We…will go back to Emiliano’s on our next trip to Tofino - for sure!

Hope you get to enjoy Liliana’s food on your trip...

Today I landed on the island from Alberta to have a vacation with my sister. As we drove to Ucluelet, we passed thru Port Alberni. I was hungry but didn't see anything appealing until Emilianos caught my eye. It's not always easy vegan food on the road. Not only was I able to have a vegan burrito, it was the best burrito I've ever had! The salsa Verde was amazing and the homemade hot sauce. The rice and beans seemed to have an almost bbq flavor. Whatever it was, it was delicious! I was the only customer at the time and had a lovely chat with the owner. I'm afraid nothing else will measure up to this burrito!

Update* A year has gone by and again, I find myself on the coast with my sister. I knew that Emilianos was going to be my food stop on the way to Ucluelet. I used to facilitate workshops on customer service, so I am always impressed when I experience excellent customer service. It's as important to me as the food is. When we got to the truck, Lilliana remembered me from last year!! She even remembered what I ordered! What a lovely and gracious lady, and it made it even sweeter to order this most delicious food, and chat again. The food is top notch and the service too. I'm not sure if I get to come back next year, but if I do, this will be my first taste...

No option for zero stars, which I would give. Have allergies? Skip this spot. I ordered fish tacos, they unknowingly came with pineapple, which I am allergic to. I take them back, and the lady was super unaccommodating and told me it was my fault for not noting in advance. It was not included on the menu and they didn't ask, I didn't think to tell in this case. I take my share of responsibility, but the owner did not handle this well and was rude. They wouldn't remake or offer an alternative. So I had to leave my ridiculously expensive untouched tacos at the counter. Hopefully my $16 mistake will save you yours in the future. An unfortunate situation that could have been way better handled by the owner. We...