Advertisement
Food & Drink

What’s on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria’s new Little Italy location

By Liza Agrba| Photography by Daniel Neuhaus
What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location

More New Restaurants

What's on the menu at Gia, Trinity Bellwoods' new spot for plant-forward Italian
Food & Drink

What’s on the menu at Gia, Trinity Bellwoods’ new spot for plant-forward Italian

Name: Campechano Contact: 460 College St., campechano.ca, @campechano_to
Neighbourhood: Little Italy Owners: Raena Fisher, Daniel Roe (Campechano, Good Hombres) Chef: Daniel Roe Seating: 50 indoors, 35 outdoors Covid-19 safety measures: Frequent sanitization, indoor mask policy, physically distanced tables, dividers between booths, contact tracing Accessibility: Not accessible

The food

The popular taqueria’s second location is bigger than the original Adelaide St. spot, but the culinary through line remains the same: for Roe, everything rests on the quality of the tortillas. The restaurant imports heirloom corn from Mexico—which is less sweet than most North American varieties—and nixtamalizes it (a process that enhances its flavour and nutritional value) on site.

Tortillas are made fresh throughout the day, and never reheated; if you order three tacos, you’ll get them one at a time to ensure they’re hot when they hit your palate. Toppings are thoughtful and restrained—typically just a few good ingredients treated with care, like house chorizo made from local pork, tender beer-battered haddock, or a simple, balanced avocado salsa. The menu always features ceviche, too. Right now, it’s made of super-fresh sea bass.

What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
Sea bass is steeped in lime and dressed with a pico de gallo of tomatoes, onions and cilantro. It’s served with chips made from the restaurant’s house-made tortillas. Bright and briny, this deceptively simple combination brings out the best in the fish. $19.

 

What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
More ceviche and house-made chips, comin’ up

 

What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
Poblano peppers are roasted, skinned and stewed with fresh corn kernels and a bit of cream. These verdant beauties are destined for the rajas taco.

 

Advertisement
What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
And here it is. The rajas taco pairs cotija cheese with roasted poblano peppers stewed with corn and cream. Poblanos—low on the Scoville scale but bright with bold, earthy flavours—make a worthy main event for a veggie taco. $8.

 

What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
Here we have the vegan hongos taco. Mushrooms are sautéed to meaty perfection with guajillo chiles and garlic, and topped with avocado and morita salsa. $8.

 

What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
For the coliflor, gorgeously browned cauliflower is tossed with a cascabel chili salsa mache and topped with avocado salsa, jalapeño salsa, cilantro and onions. $8.
What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
For the sweet and spicy pollo al pastor, chicken thighs are marinated in red adobo made with guajillo peppers, grilled on the flat top, and topped with pineapple, avocado salsa and macha (basically a Mexican chili oil).

 

What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
The costilla is a triumph of smoky, juicy grilled ribeye, guacamole, onion, cilantro, avocado salsa and macha. This is one of Campechano’s most popular tacos. $10.

 

What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
A summery spread

 

What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
Fisher and Roe, snacking on the sunny patio.
The drinks

Tequila and mezcal get top billing on the cocktail menu. The drinks are unfussy and approachable—think margaritas and mojitos—but with fun flourishes, like a piña mojito made with pineapple and coconut rum. There’s a tight beer selection, including rotating local and Mexican varieties. Soft drinks include Topo Chico (if you know you know), Squirt and Mexican Coke.

Advertisement
What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
The spicy margarita is a bold but approachable knockout. It’s made with jalapeño-infused tequila, cucumber, lime, Triple Sec, and a zingy salt and chili rim. $12, or $55 for a pitcher.

 

What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
The piña mojito features a punchy duo of dark and coconut rum alongside mint and pineapple juice. If a mojito was already beachy and festive, this cocktail sends those qualities into overdrive. $12.
The space

Soft light warms the dining room, which is lined by booth seating. The vibes are chill and homey, with a few fun industrial elements mixed in, like green enamel-coated lights that (fun fact) are made from the same material as the plates. There’s a wooden plank depicting the Virgin Mary, and knick-knacks—a model VW Beetle car, bottles of Mexican Coke—lining the windows. Outside, a street-facing patio and some CafeTO tables make summer nights count.

What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location
What's on the menu at Campechano, the Toronto taqueria's new Little Italy location

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for Table Talk, our free newsletter with essential food and drink stories.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

More Food and Drink