La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop

I love the tacos. Very good fillings, great tasting and the ambiance is nice. Very reasonable prices for a bunch of tacos. I really enjoy getting the unique sodas.

AH MAH GAWD! MEXICAN RESTAURANT OF MY DREAMS! Coming from Hawaii where our Mexican fare can only be described as passable, coming to this hip little joint was a delicious breath of ethnic cuisine!
Horchata! cha cha cha, so good! Infused with cinnamon and a nice rice milk consistency!
Tacos! Mama, I cry! The tortilla was everything I’d wanted… served warm, right thickness and soft texture as your teeth sunk in…
The beef cheek is where it’s at! Tender, flavorful, meaty, with just the right amount of fatty umami mia! My fingers dance on the keyboard to write this review!
They take card! Food is served hot and fresh and fast! I wish I came here every day when I was in Canada!

While most places have taco specials on Tuesdays, this taco shop has them on Wednesdays. So yeah, if you didn’t get your taco fix on Tuesday, fear no more you can come here the next day. The deal is you pay for 4 at regular price and get 2 free. So 6 taco’s in total. It is conveniently located right across from Broadway City hall skytrain station. Service is quick and I was lucky enough to make it before dinner time because after me and two others, a huge line was forming. It’s a sit and go or take out kind of place.
To be honest, of all the taco shops I’ve tried so far this is one that did not impressed me at all. None of the taco’s stood out to me and sadly I won’t go be coming back.
Taco’s that I’ve tried in the order of tastiness: Tinga de Pollo, Carnitas, Asada, De lengua, De cachete, and pollo con mole. I couldn’t tell the difference between the ‘de cachete’ and ‘de lengua’.

I’ve only been to a handful of «real» Mexican places over the past few years and ironically, none of them have been in Vancouver, let alone Canada haha. This was one of my first forays into the more authentic ones around town. I ordered the 2 meat and 2 veggie tacos for 10.00 special and got the beef cheek and beef tongue ones for meat, and the kale/​mushroom one and zucchini/​corn one for veggie. I found that for both the beef ones, they’re quite juicy but a bit on the bland side when it comes to flavours outside of the cilantro and lime. The kale one was definitely tasty as it had a strong pickled flavouring with a hint of spiciness while the zucchini one had a nice roasted sweet corn flavour mixed in with some saltiness from the cheese. Overall, the zucchini/​corn one was probably my favourite taco. Long story short, it seems their veggie/​vegan tacos are tastier than their meat ones.

You know, I really like the food here. It’s fantastic and tastes great.
What impresses me not is that they don’t give you the deal the advertise *UNLESS YOU ASK*. It’s Tuesday Horcheta day where you order 4 tacos and you get a free Horcheta as the sign said outside the door.
I ordered 4 tacos. In the moment of being distracted, I forgot that I was could have gotten a free Horcheta until I walked out the door and saw the sign again.
It really ended what would have been concluded as a happy experience with a bit of a sour taste of a lack of a good customer experience. They really don’t take care of you at all. Maybe that’s what a real authentic Mexican experience is like.

This review is specifically for the vegetarian tacos. They have four varieties of vegetarian tacos, which I was initially excited by. Unfortunately, while the available options sounded interesting (e.g. roasted poblano peppers with creamed corn), the execution was poor and I found the tacos kinda gross, an opinion shared but my 2 dining companions. I’m sure the meat tacos are delicious, but if you’re vegetarian skip this place.

I was so happy when I found this place years ago, and happier that they have expanded to newer locations besides the one on Hastings.
I’m sad that Vancouver and its surrounding cities don’t have taquerias like this. This is pretty much authentic, as much as it gets. I live 40 mins away from most of their locations, but the cambie one is the closest. I usually head south of the border for good tacos, and its always treat when I’m the area to go here.
My favourite is their al pastor with a pairing of Mexican coke. I’m glad they have vegetarian choices as well. Their horchata is soooo good, not too sweet or too much cinnamon, and not watery at all. Their salsas are delicious and spicy, just how I like it.
The price is a bit high, but I guess I’m spoiled for visiting too many taco trucks down south. Talking Vancouver standards in price, its not bad giving the locations they are in.

While Vancouver is not really known for its authentic tacos, but La Taqueria Pinche can hit the spot if you are craving some tacos. Right across the street from the Canada Line Broadway station, its convenient while looking for a quick bite to eat.
Weekday lunchtime is notoriously known for lineups, with limited seating. The décor is clean, with bright colors jumping off the walls, goes with a hipster vibe which they do a fine job.
And of course the tacos. I usually go for 4 meat tacos but today I tried the 2 Veggie x 2 Meat which runs at around $ 10. Excuse my Spanish if I mispronounce: De Cachete, Asada, Calabacitas, & Hongos con Kale.
The tiny colorful taco plates are also a joy are reminiscent of those plates at kids’ parties.
There is a wide selection of tacos, and none ever disappoint me.
I do have another favourite taco place I will review when I get a chance, but not as convenient for train commuters to get to, and I usually order the burritos so I cant really compare.
All in all, La Taqueria is La Terrifque!

Being Of Mexican decent I am always looking for some decent Mexican food. One thing I had come to a conclusion about a few years back was that the farther north you go from Mexico the worse the quality of the Mexican food. Maybe not quality, but the essence of Mexico would slowly be replaced by things like cheddar and tarter tots… things not found in Mexican cuisine.
It’s as if the farther north you went the more distorted the vision of Mexican food was.
I’m originally from Southern California so I grew up visiting towns just south of the border. Since my younger years I always noticed the change in flavor the moment you crossed the border. The first time I came to BC was 8 years ago and I would always try out different Mexican restaurants only to be disappointed.
Continually I’ve been disappointed in the Mexican food in the Vancouver area… so much that me and some friends had come to the agreement that Canadians had no clue what Mexican food was… honestly every Mexican meal I’ve had over the last 10 years in BC has been a mistake.
Then last week I finally stopped at Pinche Tacos. I had driven by it quite a few times now… I come to Vancouver once a month for work, but It had been calling me for a few months now. It was the name… for anyone who doesn’t knows Spanish it means nothing, but in Spanish the name literally means «Fucking Tacos». I figured only someone who knew something about Mexican food would even take a chance naming their place that… it’s like code for Mexicans.
I ordered tacos de lengua (cow tounge), al pastor (rotisserie juicy pork) and calabasitas.
The lenguita meat was some of the most tender lengua I’ve ever had. The al pastor were delicious and juicy.
The unexpected winner was the calabasitas tacos.
This took me back to my childhood… a flavor I had forgotten and not one common to people when they think about Mexican food. The flavor was like going bank to my moms kitchen and eating something she made. As Mexican as it could be… and well made.
Over all this place had a lot of thought put into its menu. It’s simple yet, rich in flavor, true to the most basic elements of Mexicans cuisine while maintaining a fresh and clean approach.
Right now this might be in the best Mexicans food in all Vancouver… trust me… I’ve been looking for 8 years.

Ugh so delicious ! Only downfall is how busy it gets… But nothing bad to say about the menu !! Good prices too. I come here all the time :) cute little space to hang out and dine in too (if you can ever get a seat !)

The food here was a mess!
This place is always so busy and I have no idea why. Its located in front of a bus stop. I always see people lining up so I thought okay I’ll give is a whirl. The staff were friendly. So props to the staff! The food was sloppy and hard to eat, and falling out of the taco all over the place. Napkins anyone? Some food even fell on my babies head.

Fantastic tacos, good pricing, quick service and awesome location. The al pastor, carnitas, frijoles and atun are some of my favourites. The Hastings and Cambie locations are small, so try not to go in large groups. I do get takeout sometimes but keep in mind that you’re going to want munch on these asap and they can be quite messy!

Oh holy mole, what have I been doing with my life before this moment? WASTING IT, that’s what.
My friend suggested lunch here and I was excited to try such a legendary Vancouver spot. As we all know, finding good Mexican in Vancouver can be challenging, so I was really hoping this would live up to the hype. Spoiler alert: it exceeded the hype.
The interior is cute and simple — functional for sure. The line up at 12pm was already quite long and we didn’t see it diminish much in the hour we were there. There were so many delicious sounding things on the menu that it took me quite a while to decide, but I eventually landed on an Al Pastor Quesadilla, and a Tinga de Pollo taco. I was a bit confused over pricing, as it looked like the quesadilla was $ 6, and it turned out to be $ 12 — it’s because the basic is $ 6 and adding meat or veggies then adds that $ amount.
Regardless, the quesadilla was worth every single penny. The taco was pretty good too — it felt more complete with a splash of salsa verde and some pickled cabbage though. The quesadilla, though. Oh man… I’ve never had one so delicious! The cheese was generous, and stringy (in a good way!) and the al pastor was a delicious addition. The filling was just the right amount, and I loved that it came with sour cream although again it was improved by salsa — the habanero this time!
At $ 17 this wasn’t a cheap lunch, but I also at my face off, so… you know, worth it! It was also easily the most authentic Mexican I’ve had in Vancouver, and the most delicious meal I’ve had in a while so again, well worth it!

OMG holy crap what the heck. Who knew tacos could so easily become my favorite thing ever? I have dreams about this place. I’ve tried all of their meats (veggie tacos are for vegetarians, I am an unashamed omnivore) and have to say that the pork with the cheese (ish) topping so far is my absolute must-​have.
The flavours here are very strong, so if you’re on a date I’d recommend having some mints near by if you’re at all interested in making out after… man. Hours later and I could still taste them.
This location is a bit awkward on account of how busy it gets and how little room there is to move around, but somehow they make it work, and the staff are always really eager to help. There are no lazy people working at Taqueria.
I’m trying to convince my friend to go with me again next week!

Always a solid option for tacos in Vancouver. They come out with different tacos once in awhile. This location is always super busy during lunch hours, but you can always grab them to go.
The tortillas are a bit on the flour-​y side though, so if you don’t like that you might not like this place as much

I ventured out here with my friend during the holidays to try this place out. I was honestly pretty impressed with this place. The tacos were honestly on point. They were so delicious with just the perfect amount of flavour. If you were missing any spices they have bottles with different flavours for your convenience to add to your tacos. The TINGA DE POLLO is amazing!
chicken with chorizo in a chipotle tomato sauce, topped with Mexican cheese and sour cream. What more could I ask for!!! The AH TUN was also very delicious. It’s a cute trendy place so make sure you go there during their off times otherwise it can get extremely busy. One piece of advice, don’t get beer from there. A 207 ml bottle is 7 $ defiantly not worth it (price point) other than that I was pretty impressed and have given ⁴⁄₅ stars.

I’ve been here before and will continually come back!
This place is always busy. Having said that, people are in and out. Every time I’ve been, I’ve been able to get a seat. You can also order to go, and the tacos come in an easy to transport container.
On this visit I ordered 2 veg, 2 meat for $ 9.50 (you can also pick 4 veg for 8.50 or 4 meat for 10.50). I also added one tuna for $ 5, which was larger than the other tacos and equally delicious. I like that they are licensed and sell beer from 33 acres. I had a beer, but they also offer popular Spanish sodas.
I like the condiment station, with pickled onions, carrots, jalapeños. They have 4 yummy salsas varying in degrees of spice.
The service here is always great! I like the bright setting and the Mexican music they play.

I came here with my fiancé while visiting Vancouver. We were in the mood for something Mexican after walking around Granville Island for the morning.
After doing a Unilocal search, this place came up with decent reviews and wasn’t too far of a drive.
There was just one other LARGE table in the restaurant when we arrived, with about 16 people or so eating. All Spanish speaking which is a good sign.
I wasn’t super hungry so I ordered the tortilla soup. My fiancé ordered the tacos el pastor which he quite enjoyed.
The tortilla soup on the other hand, was super disappointing. It was literally a bowl of SUPER SALTY chicken broth, with too many slices of tortilla strips and some cheese drizzled on top plus pieces of avocado. THAT’S IT. If the soup wasn’t soooooo salty I could’ve finished it but it was unbearable, even my fiancé agreed.
Staff never asked how the food was. Nor did they say anything when the dish was cleared and the bowl of soup still full.
Oh well! I would not recommend this place for the poor customer service.

I loved everything about this place.
Came in on a Wednesday night when they have a 6 for 4 taco deal. Despite my lack of confidence in my stomach capacity, I managed to eat all 6 tacos (yes, all 6) by myself before my stomach had realised what I’d done. Each one was more delicious than the last. Al Pastor was the highlight for me, and the sauces (chipotle and verde) were tasty.
Flavours were authentic, dishes were colourful and fresh, and the staff were friendly. The joint was as colourful as the dishes, and they have a decent amount of seating, so it’s suitable for coming with a friend — although tacos are probably not a first-​date kind of food (you will be covered in sauce).

La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop is a quick and easy but still very delicious eat-​in or takeout meal option in the bustling Cambie meets West Broadway neighbourhood. Always friendly and full of Mexican spirit, La Taqueria is already on its third location (four if you count La Mezcaleria on Commercial Drive) for good reason. As the name suggests, it’s all about tacos with a healthy dose of variety while maintaining a no-​nonsense appeal.
I’ve had all the carnivore taco options many times over. My favourites include:
De cachete: braised beef cheeks
De lengua: braised beef tongue
Al pastor: pork marinated in achiote chili and pineapple
Pescado: Zarandeado fish with chipotle mayo, radish, and pepitas
I’m particularly enamoured with the beef tongue for its basic yet fulfilling meaty taste and texture. The pork and fish tacos are solid staples as well with all the garnishes and flavours.
I take my tacos with a healthy dose of jalapeños in combination with their four different hot sauces. I also highly recommend enjoying them with a horchata drink – it’s like liquid cinnamon and vanilla in a cup – for a full experience.

Best place to eat real mexican tacos out of Mexico, the best ones for me are cachete lengua and pastor and a Jarrito to drink, really the best place of tacos in Vancity.