Plaza Latina

I love you forever Plaza Latina! I don’t care about how many nice restaurant’s I have been to, nothing will beat the food and atmosphere of plaza latina — EVER! Please do yourself a favour; get some Ecuadorian empanadas con azucar, some bandeja paisa, some ceviche peruana, sancocho and a cold Postobon and I promise you, you will not have to eat for the rest of the year. It is super busy — but even if you don’t enjoy crowds or yelling Latinos, the food makes it all worth it.

Saw Plaza Latina featured on this website
Decided to check it out. Great pupusas.

Food is not bad, not gross or anything but ive had better. A little overpriced for what you get. If you are latino or someone who knows latin american food very well you might be dissapointed. my hubby is mexican, lived in los angeles for many years and says this food is not as authentic or tasty as over there at all

Awesome food. Super authentic. Not sure if the health dept visits but clean and good. Somewhat of a sketchy neighborhood, shopping plaza and clientele.

I was looking for a Latin American experience. It was a disappointing experience. We couldn’t find a clean table, garbage on the floor, and sits are falling apart. The food was way overpriced. I hope I never have to set foot here again.

The Hustle and bustle of Plaza Latina reminds me of the ‘Mercados’ in Peru.
I can only speak for the Peruvian food in this food court as I have only tried the ‘El Sabroson” food stand.
I have to say the food here is pretty damn good and very close to what I would get back home in Lima. The portions are huge and the price is right.
Don’t expect a fine dining experience here. This place is fuss free and the service is very very lax.
If you venture to try Peruvian food I recommend the Jalea which is a dish made out of fried fish, seafood and Yuca (cassava). The ’ Papa a la Huancaina” is a great appetizer that consists of boiled potatoes covered in heavenly cheese and yellow pepper sauce. Try the Chicha it is a drink made out of purple corn, fruits and spices (non alcoholic)
You may need to brush up on your Spanish as most of the menus are written in Spanish only. =(

PROS: awesome food, great foreign film selection (high quality), and free public parking lot parking.
CONS: brush up on your spanish if you haven’t done so. cash + debit only.
when an american comes in and asks «can I pay with card», people will answer yes. but remember, gringo americans, in Canada, when people say they take care, they mean «debit» card, and not always credit card. (source: i learned the hard way and had to use the atm)
as someone who has lived/​worked/​visited various parts of Latin America for the majority of my post-​uni adult life, i can definitely say that this plaza was a savory & delicious experience.
i arrived around 11:30am on a weekday afternoon, with barely a soul in sight. the shops were slowly opening, cooking foods and firing up their stoves.
i took a quick browse, visited one of the DVD stores (selling a vast array of foreign and western films for a good price.)
when my body craved a hearty lunch, i ended up deciding upon the cuban restaurant based solely on the delicious smells that fragrantly escaped from their kitchen (if you can’t find the cuban restaurant, its the store that is a few steps off from the main dining area, in the vendor hallways leading back to the parking lot).
their menu was limited, with half words and half photos running up and down the wall of their humble little eatery.
i chose the «pierna de cerdo horneada». translated as «oven baked leg of pork», it was the PERFECT dish for lunch on a cold day’s. incredibly seasoned with salt + garlic (and other flavors), I received a generous portion of flavorly roasted pork, accompanied with rice + beans (cristianos y morros), fried flattened green plantains (patacones, mildly sweet with a pinch of salt), salad greens, and pickled onions. the pork was tender, juicy, savory, a tad fatty, and every bit more than i dreamed about for a good cuban lunch plate.
the food was definitely prepared beforehand (maybe the early morning hours?), because as soon as i placed my order, the food was served to me within 5 minutes time.
it was worth every penny. so much flavor, so filling, and definitely homemade by the two sweet ladies behind the counter.
definitely knowing spanish will help get yourself around in the plaza– whether it be food or DVDs, you should definitely brush up on your elementary school Spanish vocabulary.
if i could give the cuban restaurant more than 5 stars, I would do it in a heartbeat.

This place overall has a good variety. Need sofrito? Go to the mercado. Need tomatillas? They have it too. Different varieties of mole … yummm.
The food court — churros (dolce de leche and plain), the most delectable empanadas — chorizo, beef, chicken, queso and spinach …
The Mexican restaurant in the corner (Chilango Tacos) has amazing pozole soup. Love this place — always leave happy.

I was surprised when I saw this plaza having more than 1 star in reviews. Overpriced in all the food stands. I have had food from El Salvador, Mexico, Peru and Cuba… all of them are way over rated to say the least, tasteless or burnt, that was the average meal; and if you like to eat with flies all over then yes, this is the place to go.

The food court is overpriced, but has a great selection of Hispanic Cuisine. My boyfriend is from Peru so we had to eat the Peruvian food. We both ordered Lomo Saltado, which is a peruvian stir fry. We paid $ 12.00; it was served with a glass of chicha morada (corn juice).
We were surprisingly impressed. The Dish was cooked fresh and was one of the best Lomo we have ever eaten. A digs for 1 can feed 3 people!
Will definitely go back!

Came here looking for chiles de arbol and finally found a big bag for $ 3 on the bottom shelf of a tiny Latin grocery, but the highlight here has got to be the food court: little one– or two-​person stalls serving up Ecuadoran, Cuban, Mexican, Peruvian, and other food. There’s a fruteria (juice bar) and pupuseria, too, and doubtlessly some places I didn’t notice.
I finally decided on Chilango Tacos, which served up five small (traditional single-​tortilla) tacos de carnitas with bits of buche (pig’s stomach– tripas is the cow version) chopped in. Absolutely fresh and completely delicious for $ 12.50, plus a huge cup of fresh horchata for $ 5.
Prices seem a little high to me, but that may just be a Toronto thing.
The folks at the next table had a huge Ecuadoran meal with giant bowls of soup, white rice, fried plantains, and empanadas: looked even better than my tacos.
A word to Anglos or other Canadianos who’ve not been to places like this before: the whole mercado is pretty shopworn and some of the areas are downright grubby, but you can see into the food prep areas and every one I observed was spotless.
Also, the people are pleasant and courteous, although it was pretty crowded at midday on a Saturday and there was not una mas Guero to be seen in the place. A pair of older women asked with elaborate courtesy to share my table, which is usual in places like this, and since their English was about as good as my Spanish, we smiled and nodded and ate together in companiable silence.

A latina tour of food. From Salvadoran to Chileno. Anything good exist in this place. A bit foggy when its busy due to the cooking and you come out smelling like pure spanish food. But for the taste… il wear a gas mask and old clothes

A friend suggested this to me. So I went to this area of Toronto while in the area.
Upon arrival I must say that parking is very difficult. It was busy and the spots are quite tight. Finally after finding a spot and doing one of those 5 point manoeuvres I fit!
I entered the little mall and was so happy to see all the food that was offered. I didn’t know where to start or what to order. Everything looked so good and the aroma OMG.
This place offers, all kinds of food from Southern and Central America! I observed food from Cuba, Columbia, Peru, El Salvador and other places. I was not sure what to order it was over whelming.
Most of the menus are in Spanish (luckily I do speak the language) however if you don’t its not a problem.
So I finally decided to order from the El Salvador Kiosk. Not for any particular reason other than the lady looked friendly. I asked her what the best dish is that they had to offer at a reasonable price was… So she set us up with, grilled beef, grilled fish complete with rice, fried planktons and soup.
We found a spot to eat in the busy space and she brought our food. OMG IT was amazing!!! We ate grilled fish, grilled beef complete with huge salads and fresh cut avocado, tomato dressing on the side. Huge bowl of soup to start. OMG. TEN bucks each with drink included!
I was so pleased with my meal. I will be back to try more foods from our South American friends.
This is so what I LOVE about our City! We can get any food from anywhere in the world. I love that. Its authentic and the people, music and vibe is amazing!
I thanked the lady at the kiosk for her suggestions and making our meals. I am so going back.
The parking was tricky and the eating area is cramped. But hey… take in the culture and great food!
Also… bring cash as most places do not take debt. :)

I really like the fact that there are so many of the Latin American countries that I know here. The food varies so widely from country to country. The sweets of course are my favorite.
The people are so nice and welcoming and it really gives this place a Latin American feel to it. There is so much variety that it is actually hard to only chose one type of food, I tried Tamels from Central America, desserts from South America, and juice from Mexico. Everything was made fresh and it tasted homemade. The sweets were just like a remembered them!
If you have not been here I invite you to visit.

This hidden strip mall in the west end doesn’t look like much on the outside but once you go inside it’s almost like your transcended to another country.
Plaza Latina is a small strip mall that caters to the Hispanic community, it has a barbershop, hairdresser, travel agency, seamstress/​dry cleaner, video store, small food store and a food court filled with a slew of different food stalls representing Cuba, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and El Salvador which my review will be based on. The food court is a decent size with high ceilings and clean.
I got a chance to try the Cuban and Mexican food stall but I’m definitely going to go back when I’m in the area to try some of the other stalls. The people working the food stalls spoke mainly Spanish with minimal English but it’s understandable since 99% of the customers speak Spanish but don’t feel intimidated because the people are quite nice and do their best to understand your request and seem to really appreciate your business.
La Cubanita (⁴⁄₅ stars): Is the Cuban food stall which is easy identifiable by the Cuban flag, so I decided to order the Paella ($ 12 tax included) which is made to order which they bring to your table once it’s made. The Paella came with a salad and with a choice of green or fried plantain, I decided to go with the friend plantain. The paella was really good, the rice was moist, rich, flavourful and perfectly cooked. It had salmon, mussels, squid and shrimp with red/​green peppers and green peas in it. It was a really good authentic dish and keep in mind that find good paella is hard to find in Toronto, the only complaint I had about the dish is that they use tiny minuscule shrimps and mussels but that’s probably why the dish only costs $ 12 tax included.
Chilango Taco (³⁄₅ stars): Is the Mexican food stall, I ordered the pollo (chicken) tacos (5 for $ 12.50 tax included) and a mandarin orange flavoured jarrito which is a Mexican bottled soda pop ($ 2.00). The tacos were made to order and they give you a number on a metal stand and once the food is ready, they bring the food to your table complete with utensils and a bowl of green and red hot sauce. The tacos were average, the chicken was a little bit dry and could have used a little bit more seasoning but overall they weren’t bad.
If your in the area and looking for genuine Latin food, definitely try some of the food stalls in the food court, the food is delicious, genuine and reasonably priced. Don’t worry about of the lack of English spoken since the people are quite friendly. I’m surprised that more non speaking Spanish people don’t know about this hidden gem.

Don’t let the location fool you: This is the best place for a variety of latin american food from Ecuador, Chile, El Salvador, Peru, and Mexico to name a few.
Specifically I always visit the Ecuadoran restaurant because they are always open the latest and have to a variety of stuff to offer:
Humitas are made of corn and have cheese in the centre, I would get these if the Tamale de Pollo (chicken tamale with a burst of flavours) wasn’t availible.
Can’t forget the Empanadas de Queso (Cheese Empanadas) these are probably the best for munchies and you need to try them with suger on top or split it open and lightly sprinkle some inside (that’s how some people from Ecuador really enjoy it).
Not only that, but they offer various soups and dishes, and you can get the typical dish served with either chicken, fish fillet (which is the best by far) or meat with rice, beans and salad. That is a typical dish as Arroz con Minestra (rice with beans).

Amazing central American food. This is the real deal. There are a number of tasty stalls to choose from. It is a bit of wacky mall, but i don’t agree with a previous posting that this is a scary place, etc. These are nice hard working people here. English not so good. Unfortunately they don’t have tamales on weekends, but they are delicious here. Basically, if this place was downtown it would be overrun by hipsters.

I didn’t even know this mall had a name. Thanks to the previous reviewer for listing it!
You can find this mall on the corner of Finch West and Milvan, between Weston and Islington.
It is a grungy, half empty mall with Latin American businesses. On the main floor you can find a DVD shop, a barber shop and a travel agency. I don’t want to know what goes on, on the second floor.
There is a well stocked grocery with many imported foods from central and south america. You could even buy an authentic piñata if you had the need for one. The owners are not particularly helpful or friendly, though.
In one part of the mall there are 80s arcade games and a foosball table. It looks as though there might have been a banquet hall here once.
The food court at the back is impressive. If you don’t speak Spanish it might be hard to get served in some of the stalls. I have had luck ordering papusas, no luck with tamales.
My favorite place is the empanada bakery which is separated by glass doors from the rest of the food court. Their empanadas are great and they also sell sandwiches with guacamole, made with their homemade bread.

That first review kind of scared us a bit but there was no reason for it. It’s a decent place and on a Friday lunchtime was filled mainly with Latino males with the occasional female.
My brother and i were the only gringos but they treated us really well. All the menus are in Spanish but they spoke English to us and explained their choices — like the pork pupusas are the best and they were great.
We also had a mixed grill platter to share and it was deliciously cooked — grilled meat, pretty simple but tasty.
The washroom was fairly open but clean, so no reason not to go if you must.
We’re going back again this Friday as there are so many food stalls to try. You order from the counter, then when your food is ready, they serve it to you at your table, so quasi-​fast food. You do feel like you’re in a different country which is great and why Toronto is so wonderful to live in. ENJOY!

This is one wacky assed, effed up kind of food court, of which I’ve never quite see the likes of here in Toronto. It ain’t a place for the gringos after the sun goes down. It’s a dicey neighbourhood and there are some real sketchy looking amigos hanging out in this food hood. All of that aside if you are looking for a true, really authentic Latin cuisine and can handle some stink eye from the regulars who fill this place on a Saturday afternoon then I say go outside your safety zone and hit up this food court.
I first learned of Plaza Latina from my friend MaryLuz Mejia. So last Saturday my daughter and I went on a Latino food hunt. The food court is small, grungy, noisy and gringas are rare birds which explained all the stares. Each food booth displays their country flag and this was the latino united nations. Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay, Salvador, Peru, Brazil… it was all here.
I highly recommend the Pupusas & the Tacos. This is hardcore authentic and the corn mesa used was the best I’ve ever eaten in Toronto. There is a Chilean spot with a focus on Churassco sandwiches and empanadas. We bought a bag of empanadas to take home and my daughter texted me this morning asking when we could go back. The Chilean counter also had damn decent Churros filled with Dulce le Leche or Cajeta. I couldn’t resist buying a slab of Dulce le Leche cake and a couple of Alfajores (layered cookies filled with cajeta).
My recommendations on this spot would be never, ever go alone and the best time to hit up this food court is on a Saturday when it’s busy and the food is being turned over really quick. Oh yeah, this is not a hood for the night time visits and don’t ever use the washrooms. Just my own opinion.