El Gato Gab Gab

I really wanted to like this place, given the credentials and being a part of the same group that brought you Published and Bar Susu, the expectations are high. Before I get to the food, let’s start with the service and atmosphere. Service is very strong, attentive, and quick. This goes for both drinks and food. The atmosphere is nice, it’s where Bar Susu once was after moving, before becoming El Gato Gab Gab. The interior is fun and vibrant, which matches the vibes they’re going for. The cocktails are tasty, and if you do go for happy hour, there’s decent options here as well. Now on to the food itself… the portions are very small, very, very small. You will need to order more than you usually would, at least that’s from our experience - we aren’t even big eaters. Secondly, everything is extra saucy. There’s nothing wrong with being saucy, but when everything starts tasting the same and it overpowers the dish, it becomes an issue. For the price you’re paying and the expectations going into this place, I did expect more. But if you’re looking to get some small bites and a couple of cocktails, then this place has a decent happy hour offering to suit your needs.

After talking to people about this restaurant I had heard some mixed reviews so I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I finally went myself. Overall, I think this is probably a great place to go for happy hour - the cocktails we had were delicious, and the food was good, but quite pricey. We had excellent service and our server was interested to hear our opinion on the food, as apparently they were rolling out a new menu. I was there with a small group at 7 PM on a Friday and for the first half hour it was loud but we could still talk normally. However, by 8 PM the music was really pumping and we had a large group beside us that meant we were basically yelling at each other. So I don’t think I would go back for a dinner, but wouldn’t hesitate to do a happy hour here.

Our server Curtis was personable and attentive, recommending what items to order and how many share plates would be perfect for three of us. The margaritas were fantastic as were the onion dish, squid and tuna dishes (read the menu for details). It was Taco Tuesday (more like quesadillas) and we loved both the meat and cauliflower option. The dessert (I think it was called Kitty ?) and was crazy good. Creamy, caramel. Omg I could eat it every day. It was slower on a midweek day but it shouldn’t be. Support this local gem!

Absolutely delicious tacos! Super fresh ingredients, great flavor, and friendly service. Perfect spot for a quick and satisfying meal. 🌮🔥

We walked in with my friends because the places we originally wanted to go to were either full or too noisy, so we decided to take a chance. The first thing we noticed was the menu — full of spelling and grammar mistakes. That should’ve been a sign that this wouldn’t be the best experience. As Latinas, we don’t expect the dishes or drinks to be 100% authentic, but if you’re going to run a business inspired by Mexican culture, at least make sure the menu is properly written. For example, if you're going to write “choose your fighter” in English, don’t use the double exclamation marks from Spanish punctuation. And please — it’s “Cervezas” with a Z, not an S. I ordered a lager beer with an extra $1 to “make it fuego” — which is another confusing mistake. That phrase doesn’t really make sense. If you meant “make it spicy” or “make it hot,” it would’ve been better to say “make it picante” or “make it caliente.” What I got was a canned beer with lime, salt, and hot sauce poured over the top. Honestly, it was all wrong. It’s extremely unhygienic (and this in a place that’s supposedly compliant with Serving It Right and Food Safe regulations). Not even the most humble, hole-in-the-wall spots in my hometown would serve beer like that. And for $7? On the bright side, the server was very kind and attentive. Lastly, we ordered some tortillas because we were hungry. I saw the measurements listed in inches, but I didn’t take the time to convert them — my mistake. Still, $13 for two tiny tortillas? Come on. They tasted good, at least, but they were ridiculously small. We were waiting for other friends to join us, but we ended up paying and leaving to go somewhere else. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend this place. I’m only writing this review in the hope that they’ll at least fix the menu with the help of a native Spanish speaker — and seriously rethink how they present canned beer.

What a nice surprise! This place is a hidden gem, a little piece of Mexico flavour exactly where you need it, on Main alongside other bars which get more hype, which this place absolutely deserves! Go enjoy, you won't be disappointed...!

We came for the new year pre fix menu. Upon arrival, we were told we could no longer do it, the kitchen can't handle it, and we would be refunded. FOOD. The corn dish is terrible. It's not an elote or street corn. it's a cornbread. And our was not cooked or something with was like a mushy creamy. It was terrible and extremely overpriced. Flautas were good, a little burnt but decent and adequately priced. The mains are a share style with side tortillas served. Sadly, not house made tortillas pre made bag kind. The beef short rib was great. Yes, it's expensive but it's good quality meat prepared well. 50$ is high but was executed well. The Birria was a similar price cooked well. Broth was a bit bland and could have done more garnish. Again, tortillas served. We needed more tortillas, and they charged us 1$ per tortilla for a store bought tortillas is crazy. Drinks were decent. Service was terrible. I had to ask for water 5 times, and our server let us know they were half cut from shots and apologized. Not great atmosphere. We left before 12. Wouldn't return or recommend. Allot better mexican options at better pricing.

A fun new creation from Boxset Collective (known for Published and Bar Susu) with a focus on inventive Mexican food! I came here with my friends about a week after it opened and had a good time. We were seated quickly and were able to order soon after. Our server explained the menu to us and gave us recommendations for food and drinks. We ordered a variety of dishes and everything was absolutely delicious, but a bit pricey (as expected from Boxset Collective projects). I particularly liked the Flautas Ahogadas and Chicken Skin Chilaquiles! The Lamb Shank Birria tacos were good too, but a little pricy and we had to assemble them ourselves. The drinks were great, and I especially enjoyed one with Ube ice cream. It doesn't seem to be on the menu anymore but they might make it if you ask for it! A nice, but somewhat expensive addition to the Main St area!

Parking situation is a bit tricky but once you find your way in, you'll find a nice vibing Mexican eatery where you can imagine coming every week to hang out with friends or coworkers. However, we came here for the prix fixe NYE menu and it didn't disappoint. What a great value and amazing food. Didn't care so much for the starters but the rest of it was great. Since we had a party of 3, we were able to sample everything on the menu. Our service was top notch with a gorgeous server that had a smile that could melt your tamales. But back to the food where everything was unique and just oozing with flavours everywhere. There was just so much joy for your mouth to sample that I'd highly recommend.

Came here for snacks and drinks with coworkers. I had never been before and was impressed. Drinks, I tried their Gato-rita margarita. Small glass, so stronger taste which I prefer. They have a hand crank shaved iced machine which is neat. The ice does seem to clump up - a straw might be nice just to stir it. Food, we shared a few apples and tacos. Highlight was the beef rib barbacoa. It's $53 but a good sized chunk of meat, well cooked so it just falls off the bone. Comes with 6 heirloom corn tortillas. We ended up ordering extra tortillas because there was so much meat left. Large inside and spacious - you won't be sitting super close to other tables. It has a cantina vibe, a little terra cotta.

We were here for happy hour. The happy hour drinks only had a 15% discount. The appetizer menu 20%, but only a handful of choice's. Overall food and cocktails were pretty good. Really liked the cauliflower dish. Don't think we saved much with the happy hour pricing but would come back again.

creative drinks that pack flavor and stand out with their uniqueness. will definitely come back to have the bar small plates with japanese influenced flavors

Their dine out menu is $65! It's a bit shocking considering Elem is the same price but way better quality and portions for money. $65 is fine dining and this wasn't it. Our party left feeling a bit hungry and short changed. The food was good but it wasn't fine dining and nothing special that I would go back for. Tacofino is still best bang for buck when you're looking for Mexican. If you're looking for fine dining, this isn't it. But for a quick happy hour, might be worth a try.

Great food and service! We really enjoyed our drinks and looooooved the lamb! Great experience, fun place to spend an evening!

I accidentally deleted all my photos of what I had but let me tell you this place is fire. Their appies: fried intestine the lamb shank Birria, rainbow trout and their steak tacos are to die for and worth every $$$ . Highly recommend and will return.