Ola Cocina

Have come back a few times now and wish it were a bit more consistent… Some times the tortillas were like warm, or the beans dried out and a bit crusty… But I still have hope for the times where I’ve truly enjoyed my meal here.

This is a great place to eat if you are a fan of tacos. You can get regular fare to interesting takes on the dish such as Tandoori Chicken and Smoked Meat. We’ve eaten there a lot and enjoy our meal every time. The only bad thing is the restaurant is small so it can fill up pretty quick, but the take out option is very good too and comes with everything you expect from the in house meal.

Great place for an interesting twist on Mexican food. Their taco selection is large and in addition to the classics, there are some interesting combinations. In-​house sauces are delicious.

When I first ate their food, it was my brother who had gotten me a take out lunch (soft shell tacos) and told myself, I have to go there!
I eventually did sometime over the summer with my SO for brunch and I had brought my two dogs with me, only having the intention to pick up and bring home, turns out they have outdoor dog friendly seating! The food was excellent and came to us quickly after ordering, I only gave 4 stars because we never go out water (took over 20mins) and another 30 minutes just to get our bill. Otherwise, The food is great, the people are very friendly, but need to pay attention to their clients a bit more :)

Wow wow wow! The flavours are just out of this world!!! And they have chicken, pulled pork, smoked meat, veggie, pulled beef, chorizo, al pastor, chicken tandoori, grilled shrimp, cod fish, duck confit, octopus, skirt steak, calamari and pork belly!!! Enough said, 5 stars.

This place is great. It has lovely outdoor seating, delicious tacos, and the people are so nice! I wish it were open past 8pm because I would go there right now.

This place is AMAZING.
The food is incredible and authentic, the atmosphere is warm, eclectic, and casual, there’s really nothing not to like!
Seriously, go here.
And get the churros.

My first time here, I didn’t know what to expect. I came in with a group of four on a Sunday afternoon and it was completely packed so we had to squeeze in along the window. The atmosphere was lively, but incredibly hot and stuffy. It did make you feel like you were in Mexico.
On the weekends, they only serve brunch. Mexican food and breakfast isn’t my favourite combination, but I tried the Ola Huevos Benedicto (poached egg, chorizo corn biscuit, chipotle hollandaise, avocado with salad). On first bite, I didn’t like the dry texture of the corn biscuit. Even though there was a lot of sauce, the overall meal was a little tasteless. Although the portion did not seem that small, it was a light brunch and left you feeling very hungry after.
I am willing to give this place another chance and visit on a weekday so that I could try some of their tacos. As for the brunch menu, I don’t recommend it if you’re not a fan of Mexican breakfasts.

Charming small mexican restaurant. Well priced tacos packed with various delicious toppings. The restaurant also offers a variety of house made hot sauces.

Love this place! It’s a little gem on a mostly residential street with an absolutely lovely staff.
Seating is limited inside, and I noticed most people who came in while we were eating were taking their tacos and other yummies to go. So take-​out seems to be a great option.
We sat down to eat and it was an awesome escape from Ottawa’s cold winter. Bright and happy inside with a bit of spice. They make some of their own hot sauces, which are fun to taste. Loved all the options for tacos, loved the rice, loved the beans, loved the handmade tortillas. Portions were just right too. Plating was surprisingly eye catching – it was simple and made me want to devour the entire plate.
Staff was awesome. Super friendly and knowledgeable about their food, helpful and laid-​back at the same time.
We finished up with some churros, because how can you not have a churro? They were crispy and just the right amount of sweet – highly recommend sharing an order with a friend!

So my question is: Why isn’t there a line out the door? Is it because it’s on a quiet residential corner off the main drag? Is it because it’s Monday night? Is it because of this god forsaken endless Ottawa winter? I ask because damn these are good tacos! There SHOULD be a line out the door!
I’m visiting from California and I have tried every type of street and nouveau taco that you can think of. This, my friends, is how fusion tacos are done.
Duck confit. YUM. Pork Pibil. YUM. I didn’t mind the octopus, it wasn’t fishy or rubbery but also not as tasty in comparison to the other two. But handmade corn tortillas with lovely toppings like pickled beet slivers, micro greens and jalapeño crema… whaaaat? Get out of here! YUM! The beans and rice could use a little more help (rice was a little underdone and beans were too salty) but honestly you don’t come to this place for the rice or beans. You come for the TACOS.
I’m telling you, if this little joint was in a food truck in Los Angeles or San Francisco, you’d have people stalking it on Twitter and lines around the block.

Some of the best tacos in the city. Much less crowded in contrast to its likely comparable, El Camino. The prices are reasonable, and food is quite a bit better Don’t get me wrong, I love El Camino as well, and would recommend it, but when push comes to shove between the two, Ola Cocina.

Delicious tacos. Love this place. Fresh, interesting ingredients. Pulled pork, cod, even calamari.
Friendly, little place. Just off Beechwood.

To start, the serving sizes are not what us North Americans are used too… a bit smaller, but actually that’s a good thing. You get enough food but don’t end up stuffed. The pricing reflects this.
The rice is moist… not dry and nearly crunchy like most Mexican places. I talked to the owner and she said that’s because they steam the rice with tomatoes… (It think she said «steam») and more importantly they use real tomatoes, not canned tomatoes. The rice stands on it’s own, with all the flavourful bits in it.
The beans are incredibly flavourful… And the sprinkling of feta cheese is something I have not seen before, but really liked.
The enchiladas themselves were wrapped in tortillas that actually had flavour, again, not what I am used to around here (Ottawa). The texture of the tortillas lead me to believe they are made in-​house.
The chicken enchilada was as I was hoping (this is a good thing). Moist without being «wet», and had good flavour. The beef though, well, that really surprised me. I am used to beef enchiladas having a hint of beef flavour… this one had a great beef flavour. It’s a pulled beef, with a great texture, and is not overcooked. The owner recommended I try the skirt steak next time… made with 8 spices on the meat alone.
Presentation is simple, not pretentious, but pleasing, i.e., it’s not just slopped on the plate.
The menu, like many non-​chain restaurants, has some variation. There’s the standards, but based on ingredient availability, they will have some surprises from time to time. They do a Sunday Brunch from 10:00 — 15:00, which I would like to check out.
The staff is friendly, and the owner could be a Newfoundlander… she’s so easy to connect with. I hope this place does very well, because I would like for it to be around for a *LONG* time.

I had wanted to check out Ol Cocina for a while as I frequently drive by the cute little restaurant. When I finally did, I was greeted by 3 beautiful ladies who informed me of the many different taco options; all gluten free.
I was overwhelmed in the best way possible. How do you decide just 3 tacos out of all these options? I decided to let their expertise do the choosing for me and off they went to create my platter. When I got home the smells from the Ol Cocina bag were so enticing that I couldn’t wait for my boyfriend to come home. Half way through my third taco he walked in and gave me a look of disapproval while I innocently turned and looked at him, taco half hanging out of my mouth. The disapproval was soon clarified when he had a taste for himself and the shoe was on the other foot.
I had just found the best kept secret in Vanier!
With a wide selection of gluten free options, Ol Cocina will make you crave tacos. Try the Calamari taco, or the Chorizo taco! Did I mention they make their own assortment of hot sauces?
You have got to check out what these ladies are cooking up!

The El Camino of beechwood ave. Amazing tacos with great in-​house hot sauces to boot. Love this place.

Very good food. It’s tight, can’t hardly take more than 10 but good on a winters day.
The enchiladas were delicious and filling.
Churros with ice cream was a nice finish.
Seating is communal.

This is a little gem of a place.
Went today for the first time. Was craving a Torta! And did this cute place deliver. They made an amazing Chorizo torta that was delightful. They have a wall of about 30 – 40 hot sauces you can try on your snack also. And a few items for sale. I purchased some hard to find Mexican hot sauce and drinking chocolate.
I’ll definitely be going back. This time I’ll get some ginger beer on tap.
Price is perfect. Free parking across street.