El Taquero Tacos & Tequila
Restaurant Review
I knew my first restaurant review would be of El Taquero Tacos & Tequila. This review starts waaaay back in 2015 when I lived in downtown Kelowna. It was a five-block walk to the lakefront. A radio ad caught my attention of a newly opened taco shop in downtown Kelowna on Ellis St. A local taco shop, not part of a chain, in my neighborhood, easy to say what I had planned for my next day off work. Walking down to the lakefront and stopping in for a bite of tacos on the way?!? ABSOLUTELY!
Since my first time in 2015, I have not stopped visiting this unique little gem.
El Taquero Tacos & Tequila is the creation of married couple Marnie and Izzy. The "Taquero" taco maker Izzy has soaked up knowledge and inspiration from Mexico City's food and his mother's home-style cooking. The logo of this restaurant also has an exceptional family significance - you can read about it on their menu. Right now I provide a reminder that you will not find the "North American" hard shell, u-shaped taco here. Instead, you get treated to the more traditional style taco you'd find on the streets of Mexico City. The taco menu has excellent selections divided into five sections - Beef, Pork, Chicken, Fish, and Vegetarian (all vegetarian taco options can be vegan). They have combo plates of 3, 4, or 5 tacos served on 4.5" soft corn tortillas (Gluten Free). These tacos became my gateway into falling in love with this place. Some of their tacos that are personal favorites are
Nopales - flame roasted cactus, tomato and habanero peppers, avocado. (Be careful, as this does have a bit of heat.)
Mole Verde - chicken, pumpkin green mole sauce, pumpkin seeds, with oregano crema
Al Pastor - achiote, guajillo chilli marinated pork, and pineapple pico
The wife and I would always start with their in-house made tortilla chips and scratch-made pico de gallo as our appetizer, just throwing out a suggestion.
An add-on that is easy to overlook is their Mexican red rice and refried beans. With an order of tacos, this is the perfect add-on. I'm completely in love with the seasoning of their red rice.
During one visit, I remember getting a great laugh at what Old El Paso has done to tacos in North America. A couple of young female tourists came and took a table near mine. It was their first visit to this place. As I'm munching on my delicious platter of tacos, I hear this table getting upset with the server. Now keep in mind that El Taquero offers an authentic Mexican culinary experience - they tone down the spiciness for the Canadian palette. But these ladies were upset they couldn't get their tacos in hardshell U-shaped tortillas instead of authentic soft corn tortillas. These ladies' anger was hilarious - "You're never gonna survive not offering that…." Yet, here I am writing a review eight years later - and there are still no hardshell U-shaped shells on the menu. Lol
Weekend Brunch was when this little restaurant gem cemented into my dining-out rotation. At least one Sunday a month, I will enjoy their brunch menu. Why Sunday? That is also the day there is a drink special on Paloma's! And theirs are thirst quenchingly unbelievable. They have drink specials for every day of the week listed on their menu. They also do margaritas that utilize their selection of over 20 different tequilas! A tasty Paloma on a sunny afternoon in downtown Kelowna on a patio? What's not to love?
My favorite go-to brunch item is their Heuvos Al Jardin (three corn tortillas topped with mushrooms, warm salsa roja, huevos, cilantro, avocado, and frijoles). Still, I then add crumbled chorizo to it 🤤. Yes, I ordered the vegetarian dish and added meat 😇. The wife loves having the Chillaques Con Pollo (tortillas topped with onions, cilantro, chicken, queso blanco, huevos, smothered in salsa verde, oregano cream, and avocado). The brunch menu is offered only on weekends (Sat & Sun) and runs from 10 am-1 pm. The brunch menu has nine delicious options - four are vegetarian that can be made vegan.
One thing I LOVED was their Salsa bar - an unfortunate causality of COVID. Pre-COVID, they used to have a changing selection of 5-7 house-made salsas. You could make your unique blend or get separate cups of each. It was glorious 🥰. I would create a mix for my chips and pico and add another to my brunch meal. There was also their house-made pickled veggies - self-serve! Thankfully, you can still get both of these on request. You will receive a "tray" of 4 ramekins of hot sauces and one ramekin of pickled veg upon delivery. I warn you against using the supplied hot sauce pre-set on the table. Nothing is wrong with that mass-produced high-volume hot sauce…..but the culinary team at El Taquero creates a more flavorful and fresh salsa for you to enjoy.
A funny thing that came from COVID was Izzy finally caving-in and putting nachos on his menu. For a long time, he was absolutely against having this. However, online ordering and delivery options open the floodgates for a plethora of feedback on this request making it very hard to ignore. The newest appy addition is Nachos Taqueros.
I hate to admit it, but I'm such a creature of habit with what I order. But that is because those dishes are soooo good.
One day I dared to experiment and chose to try something different on their menu. I decided to try a Plato Birria. Holy carp, is this amaze-ballz!! You get eight warm 4.5" soft corn tortillas, a cute lil Dutch oven housing delicious slow braised beef shank, and a rich and decadent consume for dipping your taco - like a beef dip. Sides of cilantro and onion, and salsa macha (salsa macha originates from Veracruz, Mexico and consists of a variety of dried peppers with peanuts and oil. Lil bit of heat, lil bit of tanginess, lil bit of nutty flavor). The flavors of this dish - spicy, rich, decadent, savory, tangy OMG, just a fantastic party of flavors in my mouth. I must remind myself to breathe because I get so carried away devouring it. This is now part of my small circle of choices from their menu. Any more, and it will become too difficult to make any decisions.
You'll find fantastic items on the rest of their menu - tostada, quesadilla, burrito, enchilada, soups, and desserts. There is something for everyone and much to enjoy.
Their beverage menu includes wine, beer, and some classic Mexican drinks - Horchatta and Mexican-style flavored water. They also carry a fantastic array of Jarritos, a Mexican soft drink in a glass bottle similar to old-school Coke. I love the flavor of the Jarritos Mexican Cola - different, like how Mexican chocolate is different from regular chocolate.
One thing I've respected from the COVID pandemic is the rapid advancement of take-out containers. Improvements that can allow you to enjoy El Taquero tacos in your home and still have quality match dining in the restaurant. Yes, El Taquero is also available on various delivery apps, and they are also available to cater for your party or event.
Celebrations and congratulations are in order for El Taquero. They won Best Mexican Restaurant in 2023, Best of Kelowna. They have consistently placed in the top three, generally in 2nd place. But this year, they finally got the gold. And then, on top of successfully winning gold, Izzy and Marnie announced that they are opening a second restaurant right on Bernard St in downtown Kelowna taking over a spot previously occupied by a restaurant. It will not be another El Taquero but something different.
With this, they will expose their guests
to other Mexican dishes. El Taquero is more of the home-style dishes Izzy grew up with Chilango by El Taquero will allow Izzy to present his Mexican cuisine with his spin.
As you can tell, I do love this establishment. Their food is fresh, made with care, and delicious. Izzy and Marnie are excellent restauranteurs who've navigated through COVID efficiently and know and welcome their regulars with a warm greeting every time. I've recommended this spot to friends when they visit Kelowna and ask for someplace to try. If you are looking for a place to satisfy your taco craving or want to try some great Mexican food, stop at El Taquero Tacos & Tequila.
Cheers 🥂
-BC Wine Nerd
Website: El Taquero
Instagram: @keltaquero
Address: 1443 Ellis St
Phone #: 236-420-4999
Dietaries: Very accommodating and can handle a wide variety of dietaries
Menu $: 💵 💵
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