Snook's Ottawa Taco Reviews

Si Señor

2026-07-27T00:00:00Z

Si Señor sits on the south side of Carling near Woodroffe, making it a bit awkward to get into. Your maps app of choice should get you there—although I missed the sign and turned into the vet parking lot instead. Once inside, the location was quiet but the owner was very friendly and gave me the explanation of what happened to Que Pasa that was there before: he's consolidating the brands of the restaurant and the food truck under the new name.

I ordered the birria beef and the pastor pork tacos. The birria meat was tender and flavourful and the consomé for dipping was exactly what I was expecting. The pork was also tasty but not as tender. The meat appeared to be cut instead of shaved and the pineapple and salsa are recommended to really give it some oomph. Both tacos are light on garnish.

Ordered some chips and guac to go. The guac comes with no surprises. Chunks of tomatoes and onions and avocado. The chips could use a bit more salt, but they’re solid and hold well.

They have quesabirria on the menu, which I missed, since it's under a different section of the menu and I was only looking at the tacos section. I'll have to go back at some point to give those a try.

Rating: 3/5
Location: 2280 Carling Ave
Website

El Camino

2026-08-01T00:00:00Z

El Camino has two locations. I've been to their Elgin location a number of times but this is my first time to their more recently opened location in the Byward Market. It's a sizeable place including a rooftop patio, perfect for those summer days.

I ordered their pork belly taco which they call al pastor but like many other places calling their pork tacos al pastor, I'm almost positive these aren't being made on a trompo. With that said, the pork belly was fatty and flavourful. Good spice with sliced habanero. Definitely worth it.

I also ordered the crispy fish taco and it was...okay. Kinda fishy. Saucy. Mild spice. Still tasty, as most deep fried things are but I was disappointed. This used to be my go-to order when I'd hit up the old Elgin take-out window.

Ordered the churros for dessert and they were very crispy. Perhaps a little too crispy. The sugar and cinnamon overwhelmed any taste of the cooked batter. Caramel was good, though.

The higher rating is definitely due to the pork belly.

Rating: 4/5
Location: 81A Clarence St
Website

El Taco de Oro

2026-08-05T00:00:00Z

The restaurant sits on what I would consider just outside the northen edge of the Byward Market, east of Dalhousie, making it a quieter spot with room both in the restaurant and on their backyard patio.

Starting with my least favourite, the barbacoa lacked flavour and even adding some red salsa didn't save it. The chicken taco and the al pastor both were decent, middle of the road tacos: moist, tender, and with some flavour. The standout was definitely the chorizo and cheese taco.

The churros come with condensed milk instead of caramel and were definitely worth it.

They have an extensive menu beyond just tacos which I'd like to try.

Rating: 4/5
Location: 303 St. Patrick

Toro

2026-08-07T00:00:00Z

This place is just a couple short blocks away from my place in the heart of downtown. Which means that it's catering to the increasingly-ordered-back-to-the-office downtown workers with the hours to show for it: they're closed evenings and weekends. It's got more of a fast food vibe perhaps more akin to a Chipotle or Mucho Burrito.

The chicken was tender but bland. The carnitas was marinated and flavourful. They have a decent selection of toppings including queso fresco, which was nice. They also served up a good sized portion of meat.

Honestly, I was impressed because my expectations were low. If I'm in the area and just need a quick bite to eat, this would be worth it. But for the best taco in Ottawa, the search is elsewhere.

Rating: 2/5
Location: 150 Slater Street, suite 104
Website

Mi Amor

2026-08-19T00:00:00Z

Mi Amor sits in a shipping container just off Parkdale, a block south of Scott St. Plenty of parking. The service was very friendly with who I assume was the owner.

I started with my usual, the taco al pastor, which was decent but seems to fall victim to the same experience as all the other places that say they do al pastor: they're not doing it on a trompo. It's marinated pork with fresh pineapple. The cut of pork also wasn't the greatest, coming across as gristly.

The beef brisket, on the other hand, seems to be their specialty. It's at the top of the menu and for good reason. It's tender and flavourful and well worth the order.

Other quick notes:

I like that they double up on the shells.
Use the salsa fresca liberally if you want to get any of the flavour coming through. I do like that they had a salsa fresca, which most places don't.
The red salsa is okay and not overly spicy. It has a slow build to the heat.

Rating: 3/5
Location: 9 Bullman St
Website