MEXITACO Cantina — Restaurant in Toronto

This place used to be a bar, for years. Now, they serve Mexican food and it's a cool experience, especially if you get there on a Friday or Saturday night, by 8pm. The place itself at the MEXITACO CANTINA location on Birchmount (Scarborough) is not special as far as decorations and ambiance go... However, that 2 hour show made the night for us. The music was authentic, the dancers were amazing and entertaining! The costume changes were beautiful and we appreciated the full experience. (TOTALLY FREEEEE!) The second act started at about 10pm but we were leaving, just as he started singing. He was wearing regular clothing and it just wasn't the same, even though he was having a lot of fun on the stage singing his heart out! I suggest you go for the 8pm, especially if you like a Mexican experience with dancing and loud music! It truly made our night!!!! I believe the guy on the mic was saying, people can get up to dance but during this evening that we attended, people were more interested in socializing and eating. We haven't been to the other locations yet so I can only comment on this one, so far. The food was pricey but considering you get the show, it works. Speaking of the show, it's only at certain times and on certain dates so check out their website for details. Consider the fact that it adds up when you're eating with multiple people and their sizing is on the smaller side, except for their sides. Fries were served on a huge plate and so were the nachos. 4 of us (females) were sharing them. (They were like the Costco ones with that coating.) Pretty good! Same goes with Churros. You get 2 each and 2 small dipping sauces (caramel and chocolate) on the side. I've been fortunate to travel to Mexico and if you've had them fresh from there, I'd say you will think these were ok but nothing like the cream filled ones they serve there. These were smaller and just made to dip in sauce. Overall, the food wasn't hot when it was served; It was on the warm side and it gets cold pretty fast so enjoy it right away. Flavours were definitely there and fish was breaded yet light and flaky. Overall, we were all very happy with the whole experience! Servers were on point and constantly around to replenish or take away our plates, etc. Washrooms were ok and you can tell the place needs updating and a deep clean from the previous owners. In case you were wondering, the first door on the left is the women's washroom (It shoes a dancer with an orange dress) ... Hard to tell if you're not paying attention. The second door is a man with a guitar (green colours) but again, the way they swirled the paints, it's hard to differentiate. As for parking, the lot is very small and tight. It's shared with a few of the different establishments, attached to the building so it's not very convenient but it is free, if you can find a spot. We will be going again and definitely for more of those weekend shows. Rated them a 5 because of excellent service and the Mariachi band with dancers. Lovedddddddd it!!!! (Can't...

I want to start by saying I have been to Mexitaco many times and consider myself to be a regular. I have been to all 3 locations and enjoy the food and appreciate the staff. The food is authenic and the prices are reasonable. Recently many locations have been offering entertainment such as Karaoke. I am a huge fan of such entertainment and have met great hosts...Gus and Richard for example whom offer an excellent show on Thursday's on Birchmount and Saturday's on Victoria Park, both locations in Scarborough. I participate regularly, have brought many friends and many of the staff know me by name. I have had many issues around billing and being over charged. Most recently this evening I waa over charged when they had an ongoing promotion. I asked to speak with the manager whom was sitting at the bar (and knows who I am) but he ignored me. Eventually the staff corrected my bill, but not before I had to advocate for myself. I will NEVER return and I want to be clear...I frequented ALL locations. I also want to acknowledge that the washrooms at the Cantina location are absolutely disgusting and a person would rather utilize a dark alley. I would now like to take the time to acknowledge the staff whom to no fault of there own have been just doing their job and are very kind. My apologies, as I cannot remember all of your names...Emilio, Julian, Maurizio, Enrico to name a few. Unfortunately, I will not be returning to either of the three venues. I highly advise you to use your discretion when deciding to venture on visitinf any Mexitaco locations. Manager owns all three locations and clearly doesn't care about his customers. Take care and please experience the many other Karaoke locations offered in...

So I have to start off this review and say that I rate the food a 5 out of 5 at Mexitaco. Where they fall down slightly (I can't do half points) is on service and atmosphere).

This is the spot you go to when you want to have mouth watering, authentic (outside of Mexico) birria tacos with the side stew hands down. The chef has perfected the beef stewing process and flavour profile that goes on to hit all the right foodie feels. Think side of the road freshly made birria tacos (my mouths officially watering now). Their chorizo tacos have the right amount of heat and make you want to go back for more, not to mention their grilled fish tacos that are fresh and simple so that you enjoy the true taste of the fish.

They also make horchata and himika which makes the food experience even more authentic and awesome. They have a solid selection of tequilas and I think they need to make a bigger deal about this for sure and make those drinks a little more stronger please. The location works well for folks with gluten sensitivities and make sure to speak to your server about any substitutions.

Service is friendly and always encouraging but can be a bit inattentive at times. The restaurant was definitely something else before and has a very pub/bar feel that I think can be worked on to make it feel a bit more mexican authentic without going overboard. Seating is a bit basic and looks a bit worn out but maybe it just adds to the who atmosphere but could be off putting to some. Parking can be a challenge at times given the smaller parking lot but still worth the visit.

Go experience the food and margaritas for yourself and let me know if I missed the mark on anything....