Taco con Chile
(778) 371-3508
Address: 1308 Burrard St (map)
Menu

Hannah Montana
a Quick Bite

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver writer

Have you ever had the feeling that things are just a little bit off? Nothing that was overtly wrong, just an alteration in some key details that made things just a tad disconcerting? Kind of like finding out your mom listens to hip hop music, or seeing a 40-year old guy eating alone at Chuck-E-Cheese. That feeling pretty much sums up my experience at Taco con Chile the other week.

I was taking the bus home when I spied a large Mexican flag in a storefront that certainly wasn’t there a few days ago. Intrigued, I jumped out of the bus at the next stop to scout out this new territory. And a strange new land it was. Housed in a small little space on Burrard is a homage to all things Mexican: the aforementioned flag, stacks and stacks of imported Mexican products, and Mexican music blaring from a boom box. Like the guy carrying around mistletoe at your office Christmas party, it was trying too hard. I proceeded to the counter to check out the menu, which is filled with all of the usual suspects: tacos ($1.75 each), burritos ($7), enchiladas (oddly described as 2 tacos for $8) and tortas ($5). I decided to go for the $6 dinner special including two tacos, rice and beans. After a bit of thought I opted for one pork taco and one al pastor, a notion that was quickly rebuffed by the cook who told me they are actually the same thing. Never mind that they are listed separately on the menu, this was my second major warning sign.

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Sunday, December 9th, 2007

The New Dona Cata is coming
a broken news story

by Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver writer

Following up on a recent story, I have some more details about the new Dona Cata. Unfortunately (for non-East Vancouverites) the new restaurant will be just two blocks from the original at 5076 Victoria Drive. But it will feature an expanded menu (sweet!) that includes many of the old favorites. Sounds like a winner to me, especially with the sometimes sizable wait for a table at the original.

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From the Eat Vancouver rumor mill comes this juicy tidbit:

Perceptive reader Lucy tells us that Dona Cata Mexican Foods, the place in Vancouver for authentic Mexican cuisine, is expanding. A new, bigger Dona Cata is on the way, and yes it will have a liquor license.

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Red Burrito
Locations downtown, Commercial,
and North Van, see Homepage

The Red Menace
a Quick Bite

By Jason
Eat Vancouver writer

Burritos have been a staple in the Southwest USA for at least two decades now. Coming in sizes as large as a human forearm and stuffed with ingredients like rice, beans, potatoes, fresh salsas, and several varieties of braised or grilled meats, a burrito can be a meal in itself. Portable, delicious and often more healthy than a burger, the trend has recently spread to the rest of the States with several big chains ensuring that stumbling across a decent burrito is about as easy running across a bad George Bush joke in an academic talk. McDonald’s commands the surprisingly not-as-bad-as-you’d-expect Chipotle chain and Wendy’s oversees the pretty-bad-if-not-for-the-salsa-bar Baja Fresh chain. There’s also Qdoba, which offers a fine burrito and a rewarding customer loyalty program, one outlet being found in the food court at the Seatac airport.

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The Mouse and Bean
(604) 633-1781
Address: 207-B West Hastings (map)
Homepage

Bean There, Done That
a Quick Bite

By Daniel Fishman and Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver writers

After a busy morning of exercising our commercial acting chops, the Chairman and I were ready for a nice big lunch, since nothing works up an appetite like pretending to use nasal spray. We had both passed by the Mouse & Bean a lot of times, and since we were in the area, decided to check it out.

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Chilo’s Taqueria is closed

Chilo’s Yaletown
Address: 1351 Richards, Yaletown (map)

Hours:
Current posted hours
Menu

Chilo’s 2.0

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver editor

Following a lead from egullet, the Fishman and I decided to try out Chilo’s new location in Yaletown. We were both a bit skeptical because Chilo seemed like an unlikely guy to expand his operation to swanky Yaletown. Part of the charm of the original Chilo’s, we thought, was that it was out of the beaten path, and a bit of a hole in the wall operation. That’s not to say that weren’t excited about idea of great tacos at a more central location.

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Dona Cata Mexican Foods
Address: 5438 Victoria Drive (map)
Phone: 604-436-2232
Menu

Quickbite: Dona Cata Mexican Foods

November 26th, 2006
By Jason Chin
Writer

Vancouver, it would appear, is beginning to emerge from a taco dark age. Establishments featuring this popular Mexican street food are popping up at rate that was unimaginable just a year ago. A good deal of this action is going on around Victoria Drive, to the extent that if a few more Mexican shops open around between 35th and 38th avenues, a little Mexico may be born. The newest Mexican restaurant in this area is Dona Cata.

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A Matter of Authenticity

+ a quick bite for El Taco
738 Davie Street (map)
(604) 806-0300

An essay by Jason Chin
Writer

After an unfortunate encounter with a taco at the newish El Taco on Davie Street (near Howe), I got to thinking about why this taco was so bad. My gut reaction was to say it wasn’t authentic; and, frankly, it wasn’t. The meat was okay, and the tortilla was fine, but what ruined the taco for me was salad mix thrown on top, looking as it if it has just come from an industrial sized bag. They didn’t even spare the requisite few strands of red cabbage. That’s not to mention the heap of pinto beans dumped on top of the salad. The watery lettuce didn’t add anything to the taco, besides making the entire thing soggy, and the beans lacked purpose as well. Even the green and red sauces provided did little to perk up this bland waste of $3.75. But was I more offended by the tastes and textures, or the fact that a restaurant advertising authentic Mexican cuisine was serving nothing of the such? And why is it that people are so concerned with tradition and authenticity (T&A anyone?), when in fact taste seems like it should be the primary goal?

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Chilo’s Taqueria y Mariscos is closed

Chilo’s Taqueria y Mariscos
Address: 5170 Victoria Drive
Tel: 604-321-0483

Hours:
Vary Seasonally

Filling in the Gaps (updated)

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver Editor
Tuesday May, 9th 2006 (updated Thursday August 24th 2006)

** 1/2 (of four stars)

It’s a common sentiment among lovers of Mexican food that Vancouver is plagued by a dearth of said cuisine. You can count the number of authentic Mexican joints on one hand, and the number of good ones on a few fingers. Unfortunately, places like Tacos Mexico Rico and La Casita, serviceable options for somewhat authentic Mexican, are losing the battle against uninspired Taco Bell rip-offs (names such as The Red Burrito and the horrid Casa de Amigos come to mind) and soulless food factories like Las Margaritas and Andale’s.

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The Taco Shack
Address: 1835 Cornwall Avenue (map)

The Taco Shack is a new endeveaor put together by Gerald Tritt, co-owner of Vera’s Burger Shack, and colleagues. The mission they have chosen is to recreate the California taco truck-style of taco, here in Vancouver. Although I certainly welcome any serious attempt at Mexican food in Vancouver, a town with sad dearth of said cuisine, I must admit my feelings were mixed. Would the man who once called Eat Vancouver columnist Dan Fishman a “half witted hack” really become my savior, bringing legitimate taco to a storefront not six blocks from where I reside? Having grown up with a taco truck on every corner, my yearnings for a real (read: edible) taco in Vancouver have only been sated by Chilo’s Taqueria, which is unfortunately quite a hike from where I live.

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