El Camino

Came to this place after hearing great reviews from friends. Because of this, my expectations were high.
We were told to wait approx 45 min for our table, I appreciated the use of text to let us know when our table was ready and we were able to go for drinks somewhere else.
When we got to our table, my boyfriend and I shared the guacamole. It came with large pieces of avocado, not at all cut up or mashed. It was difficult to eat as a dip. We also ordered a variety of tacos, (especially the fish taco as we had heard so much about it) but we were quite disappointed. I felt that they were spicy but lacked flavour. It felt as though I was eating a bland meat with no seasoning, simply spice added to give it flavour.
I would recommend better taco places in Ottawa.

Visiting from Toronto and wow! Really impressed by these tacos!
Took the lamb, fish and ox tongue for takeout. The wait was not too long and the prices were reasonable.
FANTASTIC product. Each meat was treated with skill and care to bring out exactly the flavours you’d expect. The servings were generous as well.
Oh. Canadian ginger beer. Awesome.
Definitly going to look for an excuse to hit them up again before heading home.

My coworkers and I were in Ottawa last week for a conference and El Camino was highly recommended by the locals — so we had to go and we weren’t disappointed.
The place was busy and the atmosphere was great. The wait for a table was longer than we anticipated so we ended up ordering from the window. The options in the window were limited, no Mexican Street corn and some other signature items, but I was most disappointed they didn’t have the Churro Ice Cream sandwich. I tried my luck and asked the hostess, Angela, if we could order one and without hesitation she said of course! She put in order, handed us some much needed napkins and the chewy, crunchy, sweet yet somehow savory dessert made our night.
Go for the food but leave with a great experience. Well done, El Camino. and Thanks Angela, you made us raving fans!

First off I have to say that this restaurant has the best tacos I’ve ever had and I definitely recommend this place! Their drinks are also very good! We had the Fuego (tequila reposado/​lemon/​lime/​agave nectar/​pineapple/​chillies/​bitters) and the Way (tequila/​triple sec/​lime/​agave nectar/​grilled pineapple/​cilantro/​chillies/​bitters). I preferred the Fuego but alternating between the two drinks was a perfect mix. I also had the piña colada which was creamy and garnished with a piece of coconut. We started with the pork belly which was a slightly overcooked… unfortunately it was dry so the sauce helped. Then we ordered the pork taco, the lamb taco, the fish taco, the ox tongue taco and the tuna tartare taco. The tuna tartare was the only hard shell taco while all the others were soft shell. My favorites were the tuna tartare taco, the fish taco and the Japanese eggplant taco, in that order. They were SO GOOOOD!!! So juicy and tasty! I was surprised at how good the Japanese eggplant taco was despite having my doubts about ordering a vegetarian taco. I read the reviews on Unilocal and everyone was raving about it so I had to try it and I am glad I did. For dessert we had the churros with salted caramel. The churros were more on crunchy than soft & doughy. It was the first time I had them like that. I’m not big on dessert but it was still good.
If I ever go back to Ottawa I would totally go back for the tacos and I would want to try the other items on the menu.

Best Tacos. Getting a table could take hours but if you have the time to kill you’ll thank yourself.

Great place to go with friends with affordable 6 dollar tacos, making it about 12 to 18 for a meal. I really enjoy picking tacos individually so i try a couple or even share all of them with friends. The tacos are bit over hyped in my opinion but they do have a good variety including the ox tongue tacos which is fairly unique in Ottawa.
They have a take out window which is great if you just want to pick up a taco after work or the bar. The physical restaurant is fairly busy at peak hours (two times I decided to go somewhere else as the wait time was about 45 minutes) so I have learned to go a bit later in the night. I also would suggest trying their drinks! I honestly think their drinks are more of a reason to go there.

We tried the ox tongue, crispy fish and crispy chorizo tacos through their lunchtime window. The tacos are tasty but they are overpriced at $ 6/​taco. You will need at least 2 to be satisfied, if not 3. So for $ 12 to $ 18 per person for lunch, I think it is worth trying at least once but not something I would seek out regularly.
Also, the set-​up of the lunchtime windows are not efficient. There is only window for taking orders AND for handing out food to the customers — it is also the same employee responsible for both.

Food was great, eggplant and crispy fish tacos were the best. I would order two each. Although, the service was TERRIBLE. No one sat us, as we waited at the door. Many staff (dressed just like customers) walked by and didn’t say a thing. We had to ask to be seated. Server did not even offer drinks, she only took the order and brought the food. Also did not try to have any sort of conversation with us. Luckily El Camino has a takeout side. Next time I would simply order from the takeout window and grab my tacos to go.

I know everyone goes gaga for the tacos, but I dunno. I didn’t like the meat, it tasted like bland gummy stewing beef. Couldn’t even eat it.

I really hope Matt Carmichael and his string of crappy restaurants closes down because that’s the most he should deserve. This place is overrated, overpriced and anyone who has had tacos outside of Ottawa will know this. Don’t waste your time or money. Go somewhere else.

I went here on a Wednesday night by myself and was told that is have to wait 45 min. That’s ok, I heard that this place is amazing.
There was no waiting space and I had to wait outside. I walked around a bit for half an hour but it was getting cold and dark so I went back after 40 minutes thinking I’d have a spot soon. I had to wait for another HOUR basically standing in the doorway because there’s no area to sit while you wait.
So a total wait time of 1 hour and 40 min for 1 person… That’s just crazy. I’ve never had to wait this long for food anywhere else.
The food was pretty good, but not worth the long wait. It’s general hipster tacos. I love hipster things and I love tacos but the food didn’t stand out.
The place was also quite loud, I’d like to be able to hear the bar tender. Ordering anything was like a game of charades at times.
The location is good but there’s lots of room for improvement for service. I guess maybe this place just became too popular too quick?

So, I did not expect to have good fish tacos in Ottawa, Canada. But El Caminos delivered!
I kept hearing about how this spot had good mexican food, and was curious to try. This restaurant was in the middle of what seemed like Hipster central of Ottawa. Elkin street is a good time, and this spot added to the vibe.
First, we had the chips w/​guac salsa which was really good, made the old chips and salsa appetizer a bit more exciting. I also ordered the ox tongue tacos which were delicious! The meat was so tender and flavorful, a must try. The fish tacos, were beautifully done. I usually hate fried fish tacos, but they did a good job of maintaining the essence of a fish taste and retained a lot of flavor without being overpowered by the batter.
Finished the meal w/​churros, which you really can’t mess up!
Overall, definitely recommended.

I’ve been here twice now with my mom and we both enjoyed it. The ambiance is loud, fun and cozy. The high chairs aren’t the most comfortable but I forgot all about that when I ate the delicious food and drank «The Way», an awesome tequila/​grilled pineapple/​hot pepper/​cilantro cocktail.
The green papaya salad and chorizo tacos were the highlight of our meal. Service is prompt and friendly, though sometimes a little too serious, perhaps. Overall, a great spot for reasonably-​priced food & cocktails in Ottawa!

Delish tacos. Decent sizes. Nice ambiance. But $ 6 for just chips and salsa… A little overpriced knowing that other resto gives chips as a complementary appetizer. And the fact that there is nowhere to put your winter coats can get pretty irritating while you’re sitting on the bar stools. Perhaps get more coat racks?
Overall, the food is amazing though.

We went here a few weeks ago. We were in the area and were looking for a place to eat. Decided we’d try it out after reading the Unilocal reviews. The food was very good even if the server got part of our order wrong (got a fish taco rather than a pulled pork taco — was nevertheless very good). The place has a nice vibe and staff are polite and attentive.
I would have scored this place higher except for one thing: our clothing WREAKED of the smell of fried fish after leaving, so much so that we put all of it to wash as soon as we got home. You don’t notice the odour while at the restaurant, but good lawd, you do when you leave. Blech! They must be having some kind of ventilation issue where the fryer vapours aren’t sufficiently vented outside.
It also seems that the quality of the fish tacos is hit or miss. Ours was very tasty. A friend Reported that hers was inedible the following week. Something’s weird there.
I’d go again if they address their ventilation issue or I may just use their take out window and have my tacos outside :)

There are some awesome tacos to be found here. Although this may not be the MOST authentic Mexican food, overall this is one of my favorite restaurants in Ottawa. I came with a bunch of coworkers on a Wednesday night and it was definitely super busy. Luckily my coworkers are a lot more punctual than I am and arrived early to grab a table for 7. We tried almost their entire menu:
Appetizers:
–Chips & Guacamole: Yum– the guac is made fresh here and nice and chunky. Recommended.
–Crispy Prawn Betel Leaf ($ 9): Just ok for me– I wasn’t a fan of the prawn mixture inside.
–Salt & Pepper Squid ($ 10): Pretty good, and flavorful, although I just had one piece.
–Chilaquiles w/​Pork Shoulder, Fresh Curry Leaves, Queso, Egg ($ 12): This dish sounded delicious, but was just ok. I wouldn’t get this again.
–Chili Lime Caramel Pork Belly w/​Green Mango, Young Coconut, Peanuts, Thai Basil ($ 15): Yum, the pork belly was super tender, and the ingredients worked really well together. Recommended.
–Wild Salmon Tartare Tostada w/​Avocado, Funky Chili & Pickled Ginger ($ 14): This was my favorite out of all the appetizers, and we ended up getting another order. The salmon was super fresh, and the tostada was delicious– highly recommended!
Tacos:
–Pork ($ 5): Just ok, I thought the pork was too stringy and I didn’t like the seasoning much. Skip.
–Beef ($ 5.50): Not my favorite since the beef was on the dry side– skip.
–Japanese Eggplant ($ 4.5): Yum, I loved the light and crispy breading on the eggplant, and the flavors went together really well– highly recommended!
–Lamb Taco ($ 6): Just ok since the lamb was a bit too game-​y tasting for my preference.
–Crispy Fish Taco ($ 6): Yum– one of the favorite tacos I had. I loved the aioli on this– highly recommended!
–Ox Tongue ($ 6): Pretty good, this would be my fourth choice for tacos. My piece of ox tongue was pretty thin, so it had a good sear but was a little dry.
–Tuna Tartare Crispy Taco w/​Queso, Iceberg Lettuce ($ 10): Delicious– also one of my top 3 tacos. The tuna was super fresh, and it was a nice change having a crispy taco shell.
Desserts:
–Churros w/​Salted Caramel ($ 6): Yum, so good! The churros were nice and crispy, and I loved the cinnamon sugar. The salted caramel dipping sauce was really good too.
–Tequilime Pie ($ 6): I could taste the tequila, so this wasn’t my favorite. The custard was very smooth though, and I liked the crust.
I would definitely come back for the salmon tostada, pork belly, and Japanese eggplant, crispy fish, and tuna tartare tacos. We had to flag down our server a couple of times since she was really busy (and they forgot my beer initially, boohoo), but she was really friendly. The food comes out fast, which is nice. My only complaint is that you (and your clothes) will smell like fish tacos after you leave, so you’ll have to throw everything in the laundry right after. Parking is also tough in this area since there is limited street parking.

I’ve only ever had the opportunity to order from their cash-​only window during lunch, but the tacos I’ve had have been fantastic. I’ve tried them all, my favorites being the ox tongue, crispy fish, and crispy Japanese eggplant. The ox tongue has an amazing charred flavor, and really that’s more of the focus than the texture, which didn’t bother me anyway. The fish and eggplant tacos really are crispy, breaded and golden fried, best eaten when freshly picked up at the window. I hear the tuna tartare taco is amazing but they don’t serve it at the window and you’ll have to go inside and sit down for dinner to order it. In my experience, all tacos are served with jalapeño slices on top, unless otherwise stated. What I’ve found to be inconsistent is the slice (s) of avocado — sometimes they give you a couple, just one, or none, even though you’ve ordered the same thing in the past or as someone else. There are hot sauces and a bottle of salsa verde beside the window as well.
I’ve also tried the crispy prawn betel leaves, though unfortunately they were quite greasy and got soggy by the time I got to where I was going. Okay in flavor, a bit saltier than I typically like. I shared an order of the churros, which are smaller than other I’ve seen, not filled and rolled in a lot of sugar, and served with a salted caramel dip. They were delicious, but definitely not so friendly for those watching their sugar intake.
I find the prices to be a bit high for a small taco at about $ 5 – 6 a piece, and you definitely won’t be full if you only order one. I could easily eat three without batting an eye. Although they’re smaller portions than some others from different restaurants in the area, the tacos from here are much tastier and are worth the occasional visit. I haven’t been to Sidedoor to compare, but El Camino is the first place I think of when craving a good taco. They’re one of the more popular, newish restaurants around, so I would absolutely recommend giving them a try, if you haven’t already. Beware of the wait times — especially in the summer months, because of its popularity, the lines can be long, both to place and to receive your order.

I had the great pleasure of going to this establishment last night with a friend for dinner. The wait can be a bit long (they will text you when your seat is ready, so you don’t have to stand around like a doofus), and the seating is more public/​bar-​like than a more traditional sit-​down restaurant, which is the only reason why this rating is missing a star. Make sure you go down the correct stairwell behind the bus stop; the other one will take you to an entirely different restaurant.
We had the fish tacos, the crispy prawn betel leaves, the salt & pepper squid, and the churros for dessert. Every single item ordered ended up being absolutely wonderful. Portions are small (if you order a taco, it is one small sized taco, for example), but the quality is far more important than quantity.
They also have a good beer selection– I tend to judge my restaurants based upon whether they bother to stock a wheat beer, and they happened to suggest it to me as their first choice.
the service was fast, professional, and friendly. The blonde lady serving us at the bar seating was hilarious and genuine. She almost knew what we’d order before we even ordered it.
I’d recommend this place to anyone. I actually plan on going back very soon. Again, this would get a five star rating for me, but I have a personal desire for places with more private seating.

It’s worth the wait and that’s saying something because the wait is long! Andre G. and I arrived at 4:50 for dinner with a couple of friends and were the second group in line. The smells coming out of the window were so appetizing! By the time the doors opened at 5:30, there were enough people in line to fill the restaurant. It was busy, but the service was excellent — fast and friendly. The guacamole was incredible, the pork and beef tacos are nicely done with slow cooked meat and Andre had their corn and had rave reviews. All of the party were happy with everything. The décor is cool and urban. Even though it was busy we could still comfortably have a conversation. I was really looking forward to trying El Camino and it met and exceeded expectations!

I never thought I would walk out of a place having enjoyed the best Mexican food of my life yet feeling thoroughly disgruntled. So first off, I must state:
–Legit the best tacos I have ever had. And I eat Mexican 1 – 3 times per week.
–Churros are incred and the salty caramel sauce accompanying them needs to be licked off otherwise you simply are not providing it with due respect.
–Shrimp dumpling appetizer is the best dumplings I have had yet (if you don’t include Asian dumplings).
BUT:
–The resto is noisy to the point you can’t hold a convo.
–They seated us then moved us to accommodate a bigger party. Didn’t apologize or offer a comp app for our trouble.
–Never asked whether we liked any of our courses.
–Took over FORTY MINUTES for tacos to arrive at the table.
–When they realized how long it had been for our food, they didn’t apologize or offer a comp dessert.
So like, on one hand: one of the best Mexican experiences of my life. But on the other, due to the terrible dining experience, I will never taste this food ever again.