In the chilly winter months, some tasty tacos are exactly what you need. Something flavourful with a bit of spice to keep your toes warm. In Ottawa, there is a wide variety of authentic Mexican cuisine to choose from. Tacos are great for any occasion, whether it be a celebration or if you are just hungry and looking for something good to eat.
Either way, to help you plan your next taco crawl, here is a list of three restaurants serving some of the best tacos in the city.
Ahora
307 Dalhousie Street
Ahora is an authentic Mexican restaurant located in the ByWard Market. This restaurant has been deemed one of the best businesses in Canada by the Canadian Business Review Board. Ahora has something for everything, offering great gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options. Ahora has committed to offering a variety of Mexican dishes adapted to today’s taste. They serve two to three hearty tacos packed with toppings. All options are amazing, but the shrimp tacos are hard to beat. If you cannot decide, order the Taco and Quesadilla dish, where you get the best of both worlds. Their cocktails are all under $10, so you can pair your tacos with something sweet, sour, or salty, depending on what you are looking for.
Photo: Ahora
El Camino
380 Elgin Street & 81 Clarence Street
This trendy restaurant is an Ottawa favourite. El Camino has two locations, one on Elgin Street and the other in the ByWard Market, and both serve the same great flavour. Both locations are hip and unique in their own ways. When moving to the Elgin or ByWard area, you are almost always asked, “have you been to El Camino yet?” Their specialty is tacos, with beef, pork, eggplant, fish, and more bases to choose from. Their tacos are flavourful and savoury. They offer a variety of tequila-based cocktails to pair, which will complete your meal.
The menu is very affordable, with the most expensive taco being only $7. The ByWard location offers happy hour every day from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. with tacos for as little as $5. The menu often changes due to the season, but you can always expect tasty, wholesome flavour from El Camino.
Photo: El Camino
Sí Señor Mexican Street Food
506 Rideau Street & 354A Preston Street
Sí Señor takes tacos very seriously. This restaurant is passionate about Mexican street food and wants to bring the best to Ottawa. Since 2019, the people of Ottawa have been indulging in Sí Señor’s homemade tacos. Hugo Crespo’s lifelong dream was to open a restaurant and share the foods he grew up loving. Food is Crespo’s passion, and it shows in his menu. Sí Señor allows you to build your taco, so you are the artist behind your tasty masterpiece. This restaurant will, without a doubt, settle all your taco cravings.
Photo: Sí Señor
If you love Mexican food, especially tacos, you cannot go wrong with these local restaurants. These locations all have a fun atmosphere, with kind staff and delicious food. However, there are so many tacos hot spots in Ottawa, and this list just scrapes the surface. Do your own research, get tasting and find out which taco speaks to you.
Header photo: iStock
