The closure of La Taqueria in downtown Victoria earlier this year sent shockwaves through the foodie community.
That’s because the taco restaurant is so popular in Metro Vancouver, with multiple locations in Vancouver, plus one in Burnaby and another in North Vancouver.
“I thought it was shocking,” said Victoria taco lover Cole Thompson. “It had a great location on Fort Street and always seemed busy. I was sure it would work here.”
But as Victoria residents have seen so far in 2023, some of the best local restaurants have folded, including Agrius and Saveur, as well as Guido’s Italian eatery in Esquimalt. There are many others that have folded up this year, often due to rising rents as their leases expire or from lingering debts associated with closures during COVID-19. Other restaurant owners have cited trouble finding enough staff to stay open for enough hours to earn a profit.
La Taqueria is a well-known brand, but now it’s gone and will become a place specializing in pizzas and hoagie sandwiches.
So, taco lovers, where do you go when you’re jonesing for this legendary Latin dish?
The good news is that you still have plenty of good options to choose from.
For this list, we’re focusing on places that specialize in Latin food, as opposed to places that have taco options like Cactus Club or local pubs. And we’re going beyond chain restaurants like Taco Time and Quesada.
One favourite is Puerto Vallarta Amigos, which has locations that include on the Inner Harbour and Uptown mall. Their grilled prawn tacos with cabbage on corn tortillas and a spicy sauce are highly crave-able.
Tacofino on Pandora Avenue offers a dynamite taco bar with fillings that include steak, crispy chicken, ling cod, beans, tuna and more.
La Taquisa has locations downtown and in Vic West and Langford. The focus is on fresh and local ingredients that are antibiotic and hormone-free. You can even get vegan tacos.
Taco Justice is a colourful food truck on Cook Street that has some fun options like the Green Bastard that includes deep-fried avocado wedges and a charred tomato sauce. Or you can add masala-marinated chicken and fuji apple slaw to your taco.
One of the newest taco places on the block is Benjo’s near Beacon Hill Park that includes a special birria rice that is cooked in their signature consume that is spicy and delicious. They also have a honey lime slaw and scoops of street corn.
Other places you will want to try include Cafe Mexico, Santiago’s Cafe, Fuego Old Town Eatery, Mesa Familiar, La Fogata, Sonora, MaaiZ Nixtamal Tortilleria and Sabor Mix Latino.
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