El Camino (Elgin)

I came here for drinks while visiting my family in Ottawa and I ordered the piña colada and my cousin got the paloma. both drinks came very well presented in tall cups and not too much ice! they were tasty. but the star of the night were the chips & salsa. the in-house made salsa was so delicious. it had the nicest sweet taste with a solid kick of spice all blended so perfectly together. the portion was huge, but we cleaned the bowl!! I would go back for this salsa, they need to sell these by the jar!

This is a go to spot on Elgin St to get amazing tacos. It gets busy and fils up quickly so get here early or you will be waiting a while. There is a take out window that is open pretty late. Lots of taco options and some great vegetarian one. Get here asap.

My #1 best taco place in Ottawa. Ingredients are very fresh. Pork belly taco and beef taco were our favorite. Crispy fish taco tasted a bit bland for me and it comes with jalapeno so it's a bit spicy.

Everything was great! I love the location and the vibe of the restaurant! All the servers were super helpful and very friendly and nice! The food was delicious and the drinks were great!

Came to Ottawa on a work trip and this was within walking distance to where I was and I was very impressed. The tacos were great. They were a bit busy so I felt like they took a bit longer to arrive but it was worth the wait. The drinks were also good but again it was busy so they did forget one of my drinks in the middle of my dinner. I believe my favourite one was the pig head taco. Amazing. If you see it on the menu - get it. Quite pleased overall with the restaurant as a first timer in the city and was worried that there wouldn’t be great spots but this is a good hidden gem.

I like the food here for the most part, I feel a bit bad posting this review. Basically the overall vibe from the staff isn’t good. One individual in particular who looks to be mid 20’s, overweight, wearing a hat that says forever .. I don’t think he could smile if his life depended on it. Terrible customer service -if I owned any type of establishment I would keep this guy as far away from paying customers as possible. My 2nd time here, Initially I was raving to my friends, now I’ll tell them to go to Hugo Taco down the street. People are the essence of your business. Not coming back. Picture of the guy attached

Went to El Camino for dinner to celebrate my best friend's birthday, and honestly, it was a good vibe on a Tuesday. We kicked things off with chips and guac, then ordered crispy fish taco and cauliflower taco—both beautifully plated and tasted good. The virgin mojito was fresh and minty (perfect for the birthday girl), and my beer came with a salted rim (too much salt for my liking) and lime. We wrapped it all up with warm churros, coated in cinnamon sugar and served with caramel. Presentation was okay—everything is as expected. The ambiance? Cozy. I loved the carved wall art of horse warriors—so unique and totally photo-worthy. Prices are reasonable for downtown Ottawa: tacos are around $8.50–$9 each, churros at $9, and chips and guac at $16.25. A huge shoutout to our server, Alex—she was quick, attentive, and gave just the right amount of conversation without ever hovering. It wasn’t too loud, the lighting was moody but still okay for photos, and the place had a good energy. Just a heads-up: the chairs are tall, so if you're fun-sized like me, go for a booth.

Another little hidden gem in the City. It had a fabulous reputation of being the best Tacos in the city. I was not disappointed. We had a mix of fish and chicken. The guacamole was fabulous and offset the green chili sauce. We didn't venture near the habanero sauce as the green packed a lovely punch. Averaging 9 bucks a Taco, it was a great experience. Servers were very welcoming and responsive. Highly recommended.

Seven years ago, I visited El Camino, and it left a lasting impression--their chicken tinga tacos were the best I've ever had. When I returned to Canada, I knew I had to go back. Though I was disappointed to find they no longer make those tacos, I tried the barbacoa, and it was amazing--one of the best tacos ever! The chicken asado was good, but the barbacoa was truly outstanding. I also ordered a drink called the El Camino, not realizing it was very spicy due to Serrano peppers. When I mentioned it, the waitress was incredibly understanding and swapped my drink without making a fuss or charging me. Five stars for the delicious food and exceptional service!

Came here as a recommendation for dinner on my first trip to Ottawa. We overall liked the restaurant, staff was friendly & the food was good. On a Sunday night, it was not super busy but there were enough people that it didn't feel empty inside. A bit pricy but we also got drinks, and most trendy Mexican restaurants are like this these days. To start, I shared guac & chips - no complaints, we enjoyed and it was very fresh. The added tomatoes were nice. I ordered 3 tacos - the beef barbacoa was fine but the portion of dipping jus was tiny for 3 beef tacos. The best taco for me was the tuna tartare crispy taco. Loved the flavours and the fish was just delicious! My friends had the chicken tacos and said they were spicy but they liked them a lot. However, I did not enjoy the ox tongue taco and didn't finish it. I ordered it because all the reviews about it were so positive, but I didn't like how they just put two huge pieces of meat in a taco. It tasted very gamey and I didn't like the spongy texture either. The piña colada cocktail was yummy - I could taste fresh pineapple and it was very creamy.

Noticed my original review was old and out of date, so here goes for a refresh. This location of this business is one of my favorite eat in and take out joints in Ottawa. First of all, the food is reliably delicious. I am partial to their fish tacos, pig head tacos, and ox tongue tacos. All are all standouts. But you really can't go wrong with any tacos on the menu. Service is typically good. Be forewarned though, it's not fast-food. If you order take out at the window plan on a good 10 min wait. Pop around the next corner south and you'll end up on their patio. Order from the truck. Grab a beer and a table. Eating inside also good, but can get loud, hard to have a conversation at times. The space is interesting and easy to enjoy. If you're into it, try one of their cocktails. Great place to go with friends.

Where do I even begin to describe our first experience dinning at El Camino for what us as a group of 6 people were enjoying a birthday celebration. We wanted to try something new, and we all craved tacos. Out of the 6 people who ordered (each two beef tacos) only two of us ate only one of the two ordered. The other four first time dinners wouldn't even attempt to bite into their taco as the appearance was pitiful and clearly not up to dining standards. However us two that did eat our one taco, both suffered food poisoning promptly following the next day. This is unacceptable worst first time experience to say the least. In addition considering the price of the food, it does not uphold to the quality of food we were served. Don't even get me started on the $16 dollar alcohol beverage that came that was probably better off served in a shot glass as my little petite woman sized hand was bigger than the glass. The quality of the beverage mine as well be described to be equivalent to licking the dirty sidewalk on Elgin Street. Before I end this review I want to call out the restaurant manager an say this one last thing. Get your sh!t together by starting with the quality of food you serve well paying customers. As for anyone who thinks they want to try this place for the first time, I suggest going to Banditos on Bank Street as their food is by far more appetizing as is the service.

This is my favorite mexican place in the city. It is really enjoyable that there are two locations right beside each other. There is an area that is more of a food truck area with picnic tables you can pay at the food truck and it comes out of the restaurant kitchen. Great option if you want to spend time with a chill vibe outside. It is a better choice if you have something planned or in a rush since the turn over time is better. The inside is similar to Toronto style restaurants and bars such as El Carnita if you have been there. Both locations have the same menu. Every single item is remarkable and has a great selection of meats, flavors, and styles of tacos. The only downside is that the tacos do not list all the ingredients, it is only listed by meat type and that can make it difficult to choose the flavors you enjoy

Got tacos at their take out window. It was a bit of a wait for the m to make but it was super fresh. The soft tacos were delicious. The ox tongue taco was my favorite. We also got the chorizo taco but it came in a crispy shell so I felt like I was eating from taco bell

Honestly the best place for tacos in Ottawa. I normally go to the Elgin St location and get consistently good tacos. They're a little pricy but worth it for a nice night out. I normally get three tacos - the pig head ($7), Japanese eggplant ($6.50) and the ox tongue ($7). The tequila sours ($14.50) are amazing.

Not the place if you're really hungry and looking to get a whole meal but def a nice place to grab some apps or try diff flavour combos. Some interesting taco types like crispy pig head and eggplant (they were my fave). Salty and some flavours were more overpowering. It is priced around $8-9 for 1 taco. Not as satisfying or filling as I had hoped. Churros were crunchy on the outside but very soft in the inside. Not a fan. Service was amazing.

Pretty much ordered their entire taco menu x2. A mixed bag of hits and misses but we were very satiated regardless. Fave tacos were the El Norte: something about the sweet and savory combo happening here was perfect for this, the tongue was braised to an excellent super tenderness, fish tacos were lightly battered and fried beautifully, the eggplant was soft but not mushy, the pig head had crunchy bits of perfectly rendered chicharron mixed into it and made you wanting more. A great place to people watch during the day and nurse some of their tasty coctail concoctions too. Staff was super nice and helpful as well. Will definitely be back when I'm back in town.

So last day before our 3rd lock down we decided to grab a quick bite here. There was a lineup but they take your number and text you when your table is ready so we conveniently waited in our car . Everyone was very friendly from the hostess to the waitress. Food is always fresh, fast and super yummy! It was our first time we try the papaya salad.. super crunchy and lots of flavour. We also tried the tempura shrimp.. it was ok but a bit salty. Tacos are amazing as usual! I also ordered a virgin mojito which was very refreshing and full of flavour. Wishing those businesses the best of luck in these difficult times!

This is the sister restaurant to Datsun, and serves Mexican food. The ambiance is very fun and hip, it seems to perfectly mirror Datsun. I had tried two types of tacos: fish and crispy pork belly. Both were very good. I liked how they provided us with some hot sauces to add ourselves. I went with two friends and we each ordered two tacos each. I found it a bit strange that they didn't plate the tacos we had ordered on plates for each of it. Instead, they served whatever was ready on a sharing plate. This would've been fine, but I received both my tacos last after my friends had finished eating. In the future, it would be better for them to serve each person what they had ordered on their own plate. We also shared the churros which were fresh and hot. Very tasty!

The food is always great. One of the best Ottawa fish tacos I have had. When guests come to town it's a great place to take them, the byward market location has a great roof top patio. Lovely! The staff is ok. Very hit or miss. Some were very nice and some seemed unhappy with their job. We actually ended up going down the street to get sushi because my friends visiting weren't loving the waitress. The drinks are expensive. Delicious but you wonder what is so special about this 15$ small margarita? And the menu items are ambiguous so you have to ask to get more info about what is 'Barbacoa or Quesabirria' & no description on the menu. Over all, great food and location. For me it's a once and a while thing when I want to treat myself.

The food is good, and tasty. $8-$9 for tacos is just ludicrously expensive, and they're the same size as street tacos.

Service 5/5 Cleanliness 5/5 Food 5/5 Drinks 5/5 Ambiance is amazing , check in and menus are touch free and done on your phone! Super friendly and helpful staffs- I've been here twice and both times the service was amazing. They're very attentive and know when I need a refill. The tacos are honestly the best tacos I've ever had- don't be intimidated by the word pig head it I was the best one. Meats aren't dry, plain or too salty just perfect. I don't know what to say honestly you have to try this place out I've been here twice in a row and maybe a third time soon..

So I have mixed feelings about this one. Although the menu and fish tacos, margaritas are good I can't say the same about the seating environment provided by the el Camino franchise. It's just okay for that reason, but for the food it's good. Something to think about.

Still my favourite tacos in the world-- and I have been to Mexico, LA, New York, and Seattle. We went for the first time after the pandemic, and the food and ambiance were exactly what I remembered about this restaurant I have loved since they opened. We had the ox tongue, crispy fish and barbacoa tacos. They were dynamite. My margarita was perfect and the churros were scrumptious. An excellent way to spend a Friday.

Hands down best tacos in Ottawa (Can you tell I'm a big fan?). I was first introduced to El Camino nearly 5 years ago; and I come back time and time again for their Crispy Fish Tacos. It's what dreams are made of (my dreams - at least). Nothing compares to the crunchy exterior of the fish alongside the texture of the jalapeños, radish and cilantro. Extra lime on the side highly recommended. Definitely on my list of Must Try's!

Excellent tacos and drinks, fun Atmosphere, I will certainly be back next time I'm in Ottawa! We waited 45 min on a Tuesday night, so call ahead ! It was worth the wait though, we ordered the guacamole and I found it to be a generous portion for the price. We ordered 2 tacos each but I could have eaten another one. I'd suggest ordered 3-4 per person. My favorite taco was the ox tongue, it was perfectly cooked and seasoned. We couldn't resist ordering churros for dessert, they came with this tasty caramel sauce, would definitely order again !

Excellent tacos. Great music, but a wee bit loud. It may take a little bit to get your first tacos, but once you've been served it seems as though the tacos dont take as long.

This place is great !!! First time in ottawa from LA for business and I'm stingy about my tacos lol. This place more than delivered. The chorizo taco is insane. Guac is the tell tale sign of good Mexican food and they're guac is 8/10 but the tacos make up for it. I had the chorizo and the pollo asado . Drinks are great as well. Megan and Margaret were very helpful. I would definitely come back here and probably will on my trip. Out of towners come here !!!

Was incredible. But now the flavours and consistency are just not the same. I would still go here as a solid dinner option, but I won't take anyone here too wore them.

by far one of the BEST Mexican restaurants I have been too, and I live in the city of Toronto!!! We were seated at the bar until a table was ready for us, but decided to stay at the bar because of how great the service was and how friendly people were. Every single item we got was delicious, that my mouth is watering as I think about it as i write this review. The salsa was a little spicy for me, but it didn't stop me from eating it. My favourite taco was the lamb one, followed by the pork one. as we were leaving i didnt realize i had dropped my wallet after paying the bill, and i had quite a bit of money in there. I freaked out and checked everywhere outside and inside the restaurant and then finally asked the bartender if anything had been returned. to my surprise my wallet was returned to the bartender, untouched with every last penny inside - i wanted to buy a drink for the individual who returned it but they had already left after me! Super thankful for good people that are still out there!

Where to begin with this dump of a place.... A girlfriend and I arrived at 6:30 on a Tuesday evening, we were meeting another friend there. Upon arrival we were greeted by a male host at the door. As it was a sunny evening we requested either patio and were told there was nothing available and that we should "walk around for a while and come back...." We asked if we could wait in line, sit inside and order a drink or go upstairs and order a drink - all of these requests were refused. My friend and I moved to the sidewalk to awkwardly wait until we could see people leave. In the meantime, our other friend arrived. She suggested that she would go in and inquire about seating; she was immediately accommodated and told there was room for 3 on the patio upstairs. HUH? WHAT? The only thing we could surmise was that he thought she looked more "the part".... which is pretty offensive. Whatever, we went to sit because we were starving. You'd hope that we might have a delightful experience from there...NOPE. The food was cold when it arrived at our table 50 minutes after it was ordered, by the way we ordered 6 tacos... DON'T GO HERE...terrible service and the food is sub-par!

Perfect place for hanging out with friends or grabbing a bite to eat alone. The staff is super friendly and not overly attentive which is great Very causal relaxed atmosphere. I had the cripsy fish tacos, Mexican street corn and the El Fuego to drink. First of all those tacos!!! Wow!! I am from the states and these fish tacos are out of this world and they are not your standard street taco these are legit tacos no small pieces of fish you get a real piece of fish which was cooked to perfection!! The street corn was absolutely perfect just needed a bit more spice for my taste buds but my drink El Fuego took yo for that lol that drink was spicy as hell lol but was good but too spicy for me. I would definitely go back if ever in Canada again

This place has the most fire tacos ever, i don't think I've ever had better and all the ones that did compete are now gone, so these are literally the best now

El Camino is my favourite taco restaurant ever - both in Ottawa and Toronto. I LOVE this place (though, I love the Elgin location, not the Market location). I don't love EVERY taco - I have my favourites that I get every time, which are: EGGPLANT TACO - I'm a big meat-eater, so it's still a surprise to me that a vegetarian taco is my ultimate favourite. It's just SO GOOD. The eggplant texture is (almost always) the perfect texture (somehow it is firm yet soft). It is deep fried in a yummy batter and served on their soft shells. TUNA TARTAR TACO - This used to be my number one, but it's slipping down the ranks because the price keeps going up and the tuna quality keeps going down. It's still on my top 3 list though because it is so unique. The cheese on top adds a really nice flavour to it as well. FISH TACO - this one is hit and miss as well, but when they get it right it is SO RIGHT. I think what sets it apart from the fish tacos at other Mexican restaurants is that it is never a soggy taco. The fish is always fried to perfection and the sauce they put on the taco is fantastic! The rotation specials are almost always really good too - in my photo I have the SHRIMP TOSTADA and it was amazing. Didn't look super appetizing, but the shrimp were sooooo tasty! I also really like the BETEL LEAF SHRIMP - super tasty and nice and crispy.

This isn't a place I'd normally come, but it's great for late night food. They have seating indoors and outdoors. We were able to snag an outdoor table, but be careful of the mosquitoes! I got bit so much throughout the night. We shared the chicken taquitos, crispy squid, and we each got our own tacos. Our favorite was the crispy squid. The batter was so light. The downside was the plate was very small, so the five of us finished the plate too quickly and had to order another. The chicken taquitos do a better job of filling you up. It comes as two large taquitos, so it's a bit harder to share. For myself, I ordered the ox tongue taco, which was meatier and less rubbery than I wanted. They have this cocktail called The Way that was really refreshing. I like how they stuck a grilled pineapple in it. Overall, 3.5 stars for the great late-night vibe and very friendly staff.

Best tacos i've had. It's not your ordinary tacos. Enjoyed the food and ambiance. Price is a bit expensive but it's ok.

Had a craving for tacos while driving through downtown and popped in to pick up some of the infamous eggplant tacos! They made it with the vegan sauce and my family gobbled it up in 2 min flat. So delicious and the crispyness from the eggplant was incredible. Just wish the prices weren't so high for one taco, as it gets pricey with a family of 4. But for a treat yourself kind of meal this is great. Looking forward to being able to eat at the restaurant once COVID is over.

Went to the El Camino on Elgin street. Good service though I wish there were more servers so we didn't have to wait so long. Amazing tacos, great ambiance. Definitely will go again :)

Came here on a Saturday night (during Winterlude) and the wait time was 1.5 hours for 3. (eeeeks!). Luckily they'll call you when your table is ready and there are quite a few pubs nearby to kill time if you have it. We actually didn't have to wait that long. First impression - good menu. There are some options even if you don't want tacos. Tried the ox tongue, pork and fried fish. They were good sized and a couple will fill you up. Try their hot sauce for a nice kick. I tried their margarita - wasn't my favorite, but still pretty good with the tacos. Cool vibe - really liked the bar seating. Totally worth the wait.

It is a busy place even when we came at 9:30pm. Proven it is a popular place with really good food. Not cheap, but really really good! we started with tuna tartare taco, ox tongue, pig head and Japanese eggplant tacos, then we ordered again crispy fish taco and prawn betel leaf. I give all tacos 5/5! And the prawn betel leaf as well, it packs tons of flavours! They are so are real good!!! 5 out of 5!!! Updated from second visit: the kitchen is inconsistent, most dishes including these we ordered before were way too salty and spicy. In my opinion any good food does not need over salty and spicy to cover its flavour. Only bad food or cheap food need that to cover its emptiness of poor cooking skills, very disappointed. They need to train their kitchen staff better. Down grade to 3 stars.

I have to say, I'm not usually a huge fan of tacos, but this place can make a taco lover out of everyone! Favourite by far was the ox tongue taco which when hearing the name, at first, did kind of scare me away but it came much recommended and did not disappoint! The chips & guac as a starter was also delicious. Recommend 3 tacos as a main course to feel full! Very cool atmosphere inside as well! A must visit in Ottawa for sure!

Great taco place, you get a medium sized taco for about 7$ each. They were very flavourful and filling. The amount of spices they put was just right. I'd suggest ordering 2-3. I thought the fried fish taco was delicious, along with the pig head one I want to come back to try their other taco fillings.

I love el Camino. I've been here a bunch of times and recommend it to everyone who comes to Ottawa for a visit. The restaurant is always busy and don't take reservations so you have to come in and test your luck. The tacos are amazing and have a great mix of flavours. My favourite are the ox tongue, lamb, fish and egg plant. The guac is also great! My absolute favourite is the Mexican street corn, sooo good. They have deserts as well which are great. And have mAny interesting cocktails to chose from. The atmosphere is fun and I always have a great time here. I have also been to the take out window for tacos. Again there's generally a line up and the tacos take a while, but when you get them life is great!!!! Yum.

Amazing customer service. Staff were very nice and knowledgeable of the menu and drinks. The Beef Taco was very delicious!!

Probably the best tacos in Ottawa. It's pretty busy so expect to wait 30 mins or maybe longer for a group with no reso on a weekend. My favourites are the crispy fish taco and ox tongue taco! My friends love the fried eggplant and crispy pig head too. Pretty much, you can't go wrong!

One my favourite restaurants in Ottawa. I've been here around 5-6 times, and I don't think I've ever had a mediocre dish. Every one of their dishes is absolutely outstanding. Highlights include the tuna tartare taco, ox tongue taco, and fish tacos. The side dishes and appetizers and amazing too! The restaurant is very busy, so arrive early. Despite that, I've never felt ignored by the servers or that they were too busy to serve me. Thanks for all the great news!

I used to live in Ottawa when El Camino first opened and it was our social circles go to late night spot for many years during university. Since then, I make it a point to frequent the Elgin street location every chance I get when I visit my family in Ottawa. El Camino is perfectly situated in a basement location in a very social artery of the city and as such it is good alternative to late night post-pub dinner food. The option to order from the take out counter that is separate from the main restaurant helps is a great alternative for larger groups. The food is fantastic and a refreshing take on tex-mex culinary styles. I highly recommend all their tacos, but my favorite is the ox-tongue and the Japanese eggplant. However, don't leave without trying the handmade churro.

Came in on a Thursday night and the music was just too loud. The food was good, a bit overpriced for smaller portions. Staff seemed to only care about their regulars at the bar.

Their tacos were amazing! You should definitely try this place when you are in town. It's a very popular place, but the servers were trying their best. Maybe a little slow.

Meh. Read so many raving reviews about their tacos. So we decided to give them a shot. Ordered the beef, crispy fish, chicken, and beans taco. We paid close to $30 for the four tacos. When we got them, we couldn't believe how little food we got for $30. The fish taco had a good kick to it, but the beef was so incredibly dry. The other tacos we're unmemorable .. we ended up ordering a large pizza from Domino's after .

We came here for lunch around 1pm and it was busy but we didnt have to wait for a seat. It is located in the byward market. We ordered the squid and 5 tacos. The tacos were pretty expensive starting at $6.50 - $11. The crispy fish was the best of the three tacos I tried. The pork head was a little too oily for me. Flavour: 3/5 fresh but no wow factor. Better tacos in toronto. Atmosphere:4.5/5 the rooftop patio had a nice view and was refreshing. Service: our service was nice but the bartender working was just a little too much with the women is was serving.

Recommended by many native Ottawa residents to try and this did not disappoint! I had the vegetarian and crispy fish tacos and they were very good! An interesting combination of flavours I had not had before, and it tasted so fresh too. I only got take-out, but the dine-in area is a open-concept area that you could bring a group of friends with. It is louder than most places. I would definitely stop by for another taco when I find myself in the area.

2nd time being here....absolutely hands down amazing!!!! Although it is super busy here all the time, this time we learned to put our names down then go back to our air BnB. The wait took about 1.5 hours but it was worth the wait. I found this place last year though urbanspoon, talk of the town top 10 restaurants in Ottawa....ironically it is still in the top 10 talk of the town list. My boyfrlend and I brought another couple here for dinner this time. We all ordered drinks, Sapporo, margarita (3oz. of tequila), pina colada, and the way (2.5oz. of tequila). The margarita was kind of strong for my friend but I thought the drinks tasted great. I ordered a tequila sour later on the night and it never seems to disappoint. Basically anything on the menu is good. The best tacos from their menu would be the ox tongue taco, the fried fish tacos and the tuna tartare. The sauce on the ox tongue is bomb and the fish taco has the best batter around it...fresh out of the frier with the fish being crispy & crunchy. I didn't take a bite out of the tuna tartare but my friend and boyfriend gave it a 10/10, which says a lot. We also ordered, chips and cheese dip, along with some raw scallops. The cheesy dip was also really great with their two sauces that they left on your table. The raw scallops were seasoned to perfection. It came with a lot of pieces of raw scallops which was a great sharing dish among our group of four. Great atmosphere, great design of the place. I wish the space could take more people. But they also do have a take out window. The only thing is...the don't serve the whole menu at the take out menu, so you don't get to taste a lot of the great delights offered. Would I ever come back???? AWW HELL YESS!! If you haven't been here.....you are missing out.

Came here from Toronto, I was recommended to come here by a few people and their tacos did not disappointed! Got nearly every taco and had a tough time deciding which one I liked the most, they were all very unique and delicious. The one that jumped out the most to me is their ox tongue taco, it's got a smoky flavour to it and great texture. Ordered take out and went across the street to eat at the park, great offerings and location overall!

Oh my gosh we're these tacos good! Full of flavor. I wouldn't spend the money for margaritas again. The amount you get for $20 isn't worth it. Otherwise I would easily go back!

Before coming into to Ottawa, I did a little outreach to my friends and chosen fam. Nearly everyone told me that I needed to eat at El Camino, so I made it a point to come here. From the outside, I was getting some pretty serious La Carnita vibes (aka kinda douchey bro vibes) which made me wonder if the food would live up to the hype. Well, guess what? It totally did. When we arrived on Saturday, my three pals and I were immediately seated at a table for four. No, wait, no fuss. We all stuck to drinking water (with no judgments from our server) and ordered the chips and gauc ($14), the salt and pepper squid ($13) and chilaquiles with pork shoulder, queso and sunny side up egg ($15). Then we each ordered some tacos (2-3 each) which ranged between $6.50 and $7 each. I ended up getting the cauliflower and Pollo Asada. When the tacos arrived, I was surprised at just how big they were. Very well sized and filled with lots of toppings. Plus, there are two hot sauces you can load em up with to make the tacos extra spicy. But tbh, I'm not sure if I needed them because both had a bit of a kick to them. For our apps (which we all shared) the chips were refilled for free and had a nice lime taste to them. The guac always was chunky yet smooth, which was A+ in my books. I could not, however, get over the chilaquiles. Typically seen as a Mexican peasants dish, these flavors (of the yolk and queso) married together so beautifully. I wanted to just lick the plate. Prices weren't too bad - with tax/tip, I think my bill was $38? For a great meal with friends, I was super satisfied.

Wow, its been a while since i've been here! Came here with the in laws to celebrate a birthday. Got in line at 5:15 on a Sunday behind one other person, (restaurant opens at 5:30); shortly after the line grew to the end of the street. CRAZY EH!?! Doors opened right at 5:30, and we were seated right away. Excellent service, our waiter was awesome!!! We started off with some tequila shots, and I ordered a bourbon sour, (soooooo good, and great to sip on during the evening). We started with the special of the evening, which was a queso dip..with cheese curds, one word: HEAVEN! I'll attach a photo. We also ordered the papaya salad, which is a staple. The star of the show though was the eggplant tacos. Perfectly fried in delicious batter, I think they may have trumped the fish taco in my opinion. We ended the evening with of course the churros. Delicious, especially with a drizzle of lime on them. WOW! Great evening out, awesome service and amazing food!