Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda, the third location of the trendy taqueria
Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda, the third location of the trendy taqueria
Name: Playa Cabana Hacienda
Neighbourhood: The Annex
Contact Info: 14 Dupont St., 647-352-6030, www.playacabana.ca/
Owner/Executive Chef: Dave Sidhu, who also runs the original Playa Cabana down the street and Playa Cabana Cantina in the Junction
The Place: A two-story space crammed with Americana, including neon signs, classic movie posters and an old-school gas pump. The upstairs patio seats 85.
The Food: The menu is shorter and more snack-based than the other Playa locations, sticking to tacos, tostadas and small bites (“bocaitos”) like mahi-mahi ceviche and guacamole.
The Drinks: Tequila cocktails, including a house margarita with GTA-made Tromba Blanco, lime juice and Cointreau.
The Numbers:
• $500,000 to renovate the former Vittorio’s space
• $2,300 for the most expensive tequila on the menu, the Gran Patrón Reserva
• 55 different kinds of tequila
• 8 illuminated signs sourced from Boston, Detroit and Route 66
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- Owner and executive chef Dave Sidhu outside Playa Cabana Hacienda at Dupont and Avenue Road
- (Image: Cara Habayeb)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- (Image: Cara Habayeb)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- (Image: Cara Habayeb)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- Old-school neon signs and other miscellaneous Americana
- (Image: Cara Habayeb)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- Coloured marquee lights above the bar
- (Image: Cara Habayeb)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- An ancient gas pump doubles as decor
- (Image: Cara Habayeb)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- (Image: Cara Habayeb)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- Fun fact #1: some of the light fixtures were salvaged from a shipwreck
- (Image: Cara Habayeb)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- Fun fact #2: the tabletops used to be floorboards in Gordon Lightfoot’s cottage
- (Image: Cara Habayeb)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- (Image: Cara Habayeb)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- Flor de Calabaza con Queso: seared Oaxan cheese topped with zucchini blossom–corn sofrito ($6)
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- Longosta Asada: tostada with lobster roe guacamole, lobster-infused chimichurri, shredded lobster and a tempura-battered lobster claw ($9)
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- Pastor Ahumado: smoked pork taco with pineapple-radish salsa ($6)
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- Arrachera: steak with peanut salsa and prickly pear ($6)
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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- Fried horchata fritters in rompope, a Mexican version of eggnog with more rum than nog ($8)
- (Image: Caroline Aksich)
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
- Introducing: Playa Cabana Hacienda
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 like mahi-mahi ceviche and guacamole.
The Drinks: Tequila cocktails, including a house margarita with GTA-made Tromba Blanco, lime juice and Cointreau.
The Numbers:
• $500,000 to renovate the former Vittorio’s space
• $2,300 for the most expensive tequila on the menu, the Gran Patrón Reserva
• 55 different kinds of tequila
• 8 illuminated signs sourced from Boston, Detroit and Route 66
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