Genuine Food & Travel Review

Hello everybody! Im sorry that I did not have a chance to write last week. I was busy with moving! However, do not worry, I am back! And I have had quite a few exciting restaurants to share with you all. Today, we are reviewing a Mexican restaurant in Midtown Toronto, Mariachi’s. The restaurant is only a few steps from the Yonge and Eglinton station and offers a fun and vibrant yet warm atmosphere. The restaurant has been around for quite a while, opened back in 1998. Let’s see what it has for us!
Website: https://www.mariachis.ca/

Food Faq

What are Fajitas? Fajitas are a tex mexican cuisine that is usually served with grilled meat or steak. The main ingredients include grilled strips of bell peppers and onions. It is commonly served on a hot plate.
Are fajitas Mexican? Fajitas is considered a tex-mex cuisine. It gained a lot of popularity in the 1930s in South Texas .
What are the spices for fajitas? Although there are many variations of Fajitas, the common ingredients in this dish include chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt and black pepper

Source: https://www.austinchronicle.com/food/2005-03-04/261130/

Vibe & Value

Vibe: Cozy vibe but still vibrant and colorful. I think this is great for a more laid-back date or a fun family/friends gathering.

Value: Not cheap. The majority of the food is $20+. However, given the portion, not bad. I would recommend eating it family style for most dishes.

Taste

I have had my fair share of Mexican food. But to be honest I haven’t had Mexican food that really WOW me in Toronto so I am excited to try this place.
We have ordered a few things so lets dive into it!

Well, we first started with the classic North American dish, nachos! As you can see, nothing fancy. However, it tastes pretty good! Compared to many places, I like that the salsa sauce or the tomato-based sauce is slightly stronger than usual in terms of sweet and sour. Overall great flavor, nothing fancy. Great starter to share with friends.

Next up is the steak fajitas! I personally quite like this one. It comes with a little more sauce compared to let’s say the Chipotle “fajitas”. However, the sauce went super well with the steak! The steak was really tender, well-cooked, and sit very nicely on top of the delicious sauce. I would recommend this dish for those who visit if you like steak and spices.

I dont think the picture here does it justice, sorry! But this dish, “Cancun”, I know the name is a bit gimmicky, was not bad. It is essentially a seafood burrito and enchiladas with green poblano sauce. I would say it is decent nothing too memorable but definitely not bad. The green poblano sauce is fairly mild so a nice comforting food for you. It was a great combination to pair it with the fajitas that has a bit more flavor.

Additional note: We did not have a chance to take the picture of it, but the hot sauce labelled spicy is VERY SPICY. I personally like spicy food but I would take extreme caution before putting it on your food. Give it a taste, maybe try it out a bit before adding it to your dish. I personally love it but just want to warn all of you out there 🙂

Overall the taste was nice. Not what I expected as I typically dont have high hopes for Mexican food in Toronto but it was pleasantly better than I thought. I wouldnt say it is the most refined Mexican or the best I have had, but I think it is a great option when you are craving a comforting decent portion Mexican food around midtown Toronto. I personally would come back!

Score

Atmosphere: 7.5/10. Great atmosphere. Vibrant decorations. Friendly staff.
Price: 7.5/10 (Not cheap but for the portion not bad. So bring friends!)
Taste: 7/10 (Overall great. I wouldn’t say it stands out too much, but nice comforting Mexican food)

Scale:
Would not recommend: Below 2
Need some improvement: 3-5
Average: 5
Decent: 6
Great: 7
Excellent: 8
Outstanding 9+