Balam Toronto — Restaurant in Toronto

I was actually quite disappointed with my visit today. Its not the first time I’ve been here, and we are mexican so we know real authentic food and this definitely hits the spot. Its a cute restaurant and the food is great, however today i went with my husband and newborn baby. We both ordered chilaquiles with asada on top and a order of birria tacos. In the middle of our meal my baby started getting fussy, so to not disturb others we asked for to go boxes to pack up and leave. As i was packing up my red chilaquiles, i noticed a black short hair on the corner of my plate. I was obviously very disturbed but the cashier was all the way at the back and we wanted to leave asap due to my crying baby. So I just took a quick picture for reference and left. Shortly after, i messages the restaurant on whatsapp with what had happened. Basically, they didn’t take responsibility for the hair, and they said it wouldn’t have been from theyre cooks because they all wear hairnets (only the woman cook was wearing a hairnet, the male cook with ear length hair was not). I made it clear to this person that one of the cooks was not wearing a hairnet, and they ended up just saying “we’ll make sure they’re wearing it” and ignored the rest of my messages.

Its a shame because the food is great, but clearly they dont take responsibility for situations like these. I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for 10 years (Recipe Corporate, formally known as Cara) and this is definitely not how we would have handled this situation.

EDIT**. The owner got back to me after reading my review. He said im being UNFAIR :/ and said he still doesn’t understand whats going on even though i explained everything in spanish so they’d get it. And still hasn’t tried to fix the...

A group of us stopped in here after going to Halo Brewery around the corner. We saw the reviews looked good, it was close, and our friend is gluten free so we thought this place was a good option. The food here was really solid! When we sat down our server told us the items they were currently sold out of which I always appreciate staff doing. Not every place does this or the staff are not always aware of what they are out of until you order and they check with the kitchen. So I really liked that she let us know up front. I chose the Pastor Tacos and thought maybe it wouldn’t be enough food to be filling as it was just 3 tacos, but the tacos are very generously filled. There was a lot of meat on them. And the meat was well seasoned and not dried out. Everything was very flavourful and very filling. I really enjoyed our meal here, and the prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get. If you are in the area and you like Mexican, you should definitely stop in. Thank you for...

Balam might not look like much from the outside, but don’t let appearances fool you — this little spot is serving up some of the most authentic Mexican food you’ll find in Toronto. It’s one of those true hole-in-the-wall gems where the focus is entirely on flavor, and it shows in every dish. The tacos are packed with fresh, vibrant ingredients, the kind of simple yet bold flavors that transport you straight to Mexico. Their salsas have just the right kick, and you can tell everything is made with real care.

The atmosphere is casual and unpretentious... no frills, just really good food. The portions are generous, the pricing is fair, and the quality is outstanding. It’s the kind of place where you sit down thinking you’ll just try a couple of things, and before you know it you’re planning what you’ll come back for next time. If you love Mexican food and want the real deal, Balam...