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El Barrio serves Latin American cusine with a strong focus on regional Mexican dishes; with local art and music events. Reflecting the diversity of the east side BARRIO. (neighborhood) Music, Art, Drag and Food.
A group of 4 of us came here the other night for dinner. The good? We liked the queso fundido, and the azteca soup wa good too. The chile relleno was OK. The bad? Basically everything else. The veggie burrito, guacamole, my beef main (something ropa) was bad. My beef tasted more like celery than anythign else -- certainly not good. The margaritas were horrible and from a mix. Service was OK, atmosphere was not that great except for the front of the restaurant (we did not sit there). At $180 for the four of us, not a cheap dinner either! We will not return.
I bought a groupon deal and took the girlfriend for dinner.
Azteca soup was fantastic, so were the tacos. First time trying mole, it was very savoury.
Our waitress was very friendly, attentive, I couldnt ask for more. Wine list is very limited but the sangrias were great (made in house)
It was all peachy until, we got the bill...
We were charged $2.50 + $.50 for extra chipotle sauce and torittas WTF?
I dont like being nickled and dimed, I feel bit cheated.
Regardles, overall it was a satisfying experience. I will be going back.
Add more wines to the wine list!!!!
A great neighbourhood restaurant with consistently good food. This isn't a high class establishment by any means but it doesn't claim to be and the food is always great. Good comfort food & good value. The enchiladas are wonderful, very genuine. The place has a good sense of community as well always with a few locals there and always feels comfortable and lively. No pretense, no posers.
We came in on an unusual night, I think an event had just finished at PNE so they were unexpectedly swamped shortly after we were seated. It was also open mic night, and at first I was wondering why they were singing country music in a Mexican restaurant. There were people there who seemed like regulars, and they were enjoying the music. I found it way too loud and kind of jarring. But we were hungry and it was pretty late, so we decided to stay.
Fortunately, the food was excellent. We had salsa, fish tacos, soup, burritos, some skillet dishes and dessert. My favourite was the burritos. The kitchen had this habit of overly charring the food, I don’t know if it was intentional or a mistake, but I wasn’t crazy about the burnt flavour on the tortillas and on the edges of the chicken. But other than that, everything was delicious, fresh and well-prepared. It wasn't an inexpensive meal, but I thought it was good value for the quality of the food.
The servers were also excellent. Even though they seemed slammed by several large tables walking in, they never forgot about our table. They checked in regularly to make sure everything was ok, and were just generally great, efficient and professional. It might have just been our luck that one night to have such great servers and a wonderful hostess at the door, but after reading the other reviews here, it seems like their service is consistently excellent.
It was hard to see what the restaurant looked like because it was so dimly lit, it felt kind of old and worn down, but it was hard to tell. However, the food came out on great looking plates and everything was gorgeously presented. I think we’ll back on a night without the live music.
Decided to check this place out after reading a review in the Vancouver Sun.
There was only 1 other table being occupied when we walked in (Sunday afternoon). We were promptly seated & drink orders were taken.
Ordered the tacos to start, which came with about 6 mini soft tortilla shells stuffed with fresh pieces of marinated steak. Great tasting.
We both had the enchilladas for main dishes (chicken & beef). Both tasted excellent with the right amount of spices. Both came with refried beans and rice. Once again, great taste.
Had the cake for dessert. Not sure of the name, but it was the cake soaked in 3 different types of milk I believe? This was also worth the $8 price tag.
Overall, this place was great. Great food, and more importantly, excellent service. Both our waiter & the bartender made sure our glasses were full and checked on us a few times.
Overall cost : 2 imported beers, 1 appetizer, 2 main dishes, 1 dessert = $72 including tax & tip.
Would definitely go to this place again to try different dishes.
We spent New Year's Eve at El Barrio! We dined there one night during the week before the New Year's Eve party.
What a great place this is!!! The food is incredible and reasonably priced for the large portions they serve. The service was fantastic as well. To start, we had the sopa azteca and patatas bravas. My husband claims this is the best aztec soup he has ever had (even in all of our travels around Mexico). The patatas, which were potatoes tossed in a garlic mayo and served with a chipoltle dip on the side were as equally delicious.
Then for the main course I had the beef burrito and my husband the beef enchiladas. Both were generous portions and presented with house-made beans and rice!
The chef (who is latin) came from the kitchen to see how everything was for us. As for the servers, they all seemed pleasant and prompt when we needed service. As for the last comment on no Spanish servers or latin feel--we don't expect Italian servers in an Italian restaurant or-- a Greek server at a Thai restaurant is fine with me, as long as the food is high quality and represents the culture--I'm happy!! The great thing about Canada is that we're one big melting pot! I'm happy to say that the food and service at El Barrio was excellent!!
As for New Year's Eve, it was a great night! The place was packed, but seemed to run smoothly, our food orders taken promptly and never waited too long for a drink refill. Cheers to the staff, because it was a BUSY night!! It was a set menu with an appetizer platter, 4 entrees to choose from, and dessert! All for $35--talk about Mexican prices!!!!
Once again, food was great, drinks good too. Even a complimentary shot of Tequila at midnight to ring in 2010. Also a pinata party after midnight.
All in all, we will definitely return to El Barrio for some excellent latin food, and ambiance!!!
The service here is the best I've seen locally. They are friendly without being in your face. The food is authentic and rivals our last trip to Mexico. The guacamole is to die for! The salsa great! My favorite is the Sopa Azteca - the best tortilla soup I've ever had! We have always been seated right away, drink order or water brought as soon as we are seated. I have yet to go on an open mike or live music night but during the day, it's peaceful and quiet.
My girlfriend wanted to try something new on her birthday so we headed down to Hastings with a few notes taken from this website. El Barrio was on the list, a quick perusal of their menu at the door, a peak inside and we decided to give it a try.
Service was perfect although we were the only ones in the restaurant so anything less and I'd have been scratching my head. She ordered the chicken with chocolate sauce and I tried the stuffed chicken. Mine was far milder than I'd have liked, but was still good. She loved the chocolate chicken but after one bite, I'm still not convinced they go together.
As for Wednesday, that's live music night which I was quite happy about. At least until the guy started to play. Far, far, far too loud. Loud enough that we were inches away from each other and shouting to be heard. I'd brought a candle with me intending to order desert and sing happy birthday but neither of us wanted to stay. I wound up putting it in a cup of ice cream that we shared later.
Except for the loud music, ambiance is actually nice, maybe a 3.5 on other nights.
Being a young professional, I tend to not cook at home and am always looking for a nice, comfortable place that I am welcomed at and has great food. My boyfriend and I decided to try this restaurant last Friday (Aug 29, 2008) and although we had never been to this restuarant before, we felt right at home as everyone that worked there made us feel welcome and catered to our needs right away. Drinks were great and the food is not only tasty, but comes in good-size portions. So much so, we could not finish it all!
It was also great when the owner, Luis came out to greet us and sat with us for a bit to see how our evening was. You can tell this man values hospitality and I would definitely recommend this place to anyone.
Terrible spelling notwithstanding , the previous review has a major flaw . El Barrio is a Salvadoran or maybe even pan-hispanic restaurant , NOT a mexican restaurant . And if you ever had been to central America you'd realize that spicy food is a mexican thing , not salvadoran , not panamanian , not costa rican , etc...
The prices are a bit high for this part of town but the food is excellent and the wine list small but good . I'm sure they will adjust , the place has only been open for a month .
This is also the only place I know here that uses Huitlacoche .
Our family enjoyed an authentic Mexican meal last night and the food was just as good as how the other reviews have indicated. We loved how the salsa was hand-cut versus shredded in a food processor, and the flavors were still distinct. Our appetizer was the tostadas and were a good indicator the the coming entrees. Pastel Azteca was wonderful "Mexican lasagna", and nicely complemented by silky black beans and a tomato-based rice dish. The same side dishes accompanied the enchiladas that the others had, with chunks of shredded beef or shredded chicken and a deeply flavored enchilada sauce. Dessert was the tre leche cake, made with 3 different types of milk, and served with a generous portion of fresh berries. We shared two orders between the 4 of us and it was more than enough. The ambiance of the restaurant was a detractor as it was very dark, even in the late afternoon, and the music was far too loud to the point that we had to shout to talk to each other and could not hear the waiter. Staff were very helpful by lowering the volume and by getting candles.
I was there with a fairly large party on open mic night and having never been there or even heard of it, I was pretty impressed. I loved the atmosphere and service.
My veggie quesadila was pretty good, I mean how amazing can Mexican food be. I thought the margarita's were great and you can't go wrong on the prices, for meals and alcohol for the whole night for four people our bill was not much more than $100, and we drank a lot.
What impressed me the most was our server, (tall, thin guy with glasses and earrings), I didn't catch his name. Our table had over ten people and two kids, and we were consantly asking for things, he never messed up once or forgot anything. It was the best service I've had in a long time.
I will be going there again, especially for open mic night!
Went on a Friday night with a group for a birthday. Booked ahead to reserve a table.
We arrived early and started with a pitcher of margharitas (lime, strawberry, mango; blended or iced). Excellent and came with salted rimmed glasses. Tried the strawberry later with sugar rims, a little on the sweet side though. Also had the sangria which was tasty, but unusual with cranberries, a nice seasonal touch!
The appies we tried were excellent: spicy, fried potatoes with dip and garlic fried prawns. The mains came and everyone was thrilled. We had enough to take home.
At the end of the meal, the owner even brought a caramel flan dessert out for the birthday girl.
Service was friendly and non-intrusive.
It was on the pricier side ($15-20/entree), but worth it. The only flaw was the two vegetarian entrees were on the cool side as they had clearly been waiting for the other entrees to be ready before they were brought out. Otherwise, I would highly reccommend the restaurant.
We went to El Barrio to experience some Latin American fun; maybe some music, language, food,etc.
The hostess who took my reservation did not speak Spanish; I had to spell my last name for her (it's Spanish).
When we got there, they were playing blues music and it went on and on with this harmonica...brutal. Where is the Spanish music?
Our server was also Canadian, and did not speak Spanish.
The first appies were a little odd; the quesadillas had cinnamon in them and were hardly bearable. The patatas needed a lot salt for flavour as well.
The chicken enchiladas were ok, but not exceptional. The other meal which should have had chicken inside was filled with beans and we had to order an extra side of chicken to make up for it.
Not a lot of people in besides us, and the service was not reflecting that.
All in all, not a very latin american experience; I was very disappointed.
Food was ok, ambiance was less than desireable.
The service in this place is really exceptional, from the woman at the front door, to guy behind the bar to the server. They all seem really happy to be there. We went on the open mic night and despite it being a bit loud at times (but what to you expect at an open mic night!) the atmosphere is really great. We were really impressed with our food and while the prices are a bit high for that area, the food is totally worth it and the place is clearly on a higher level then everything else near by. Try the soup it's great!
I used dinehere to find a place close to the PNE for a dinner with a group of 10.
Saw the great reviews and decided this was the place, but was a little nervous as my Mexican wife is picky about Mexican/Latino food.
From the street, you can tell the place is a cut above the other places on the block.
Food is reasonably priced, there aren't a lot of items on the menu, but each has a chicken, beef, shrimp, veggie option so there is actually lots to choose from.
We were there when it was slow (early evening) so the service was AMAZING, but we would have been a little shocked had it not been.
The food was very good, in our party of 8 (each person had never been before) everyone loved their dish.
Portions aren't huge, aren't small, but are just right...if you are really hungry you may want an appy to start
There is live music which we missed because we were there so early, but the ambiance is very nice, not posh but a step above your average cantina.
Will be going back soon
I've had Saturday brunch a couple of time at El Barrio and enjoyed the experience a lot. The kitchen cooks with a lot of heart. The flavours are bright and well developed, the presentations are clean and uncluttered. Their fried plantain is terrific as is their wonderful tres leches cake. Service has been unfailingly gracious and attentive. The liberal use of red in the decor brightens up a rainy day for sure.
It's a great neighbourhood joint.
We came here tonight with a group for a birthday party and my girl as the guest of honor. We brought our own cake and stuff for after the dinner.
I originally wanted the Pastel Azteca, but they ran out, so I settled for the Ropa Vieja, which was like a pulled beef dish served with the usual mexican trimmings (refried beans, rice and tortillas). My gf ordered the chicken enchiladas, which were just scrumptious and full of flavour. My meal was pretty tasty too, but I regretted not having the Azteca :(.
We did, however, wait quite some time for our meals to come out (~45 mins), so the waitress actually comp'd the birthday girl's meal without provocation. Now that was a marvelous gesture. Bravo.
They served our cake with a smile and a song (even interrupting the live musician in the middle of his set!) as a way to cap off the night. Truly a great experience in an unexpected place.
my girl friend and I, we went for bruch on sunday and she order the desilachada, that plate is really good specially all the complement in that dish, sauces very good , bean good flavor, very nice. and I order the divorciada, good looking dish and two different sauces , green and red but the sauces , very tasty, presentation excelent. the chef really put a lot of care about every dish he present, look's like he cares about food.. I'll come back for sure! tasty food..
El Barrio is definitely one of the best Mexican restaurants that I have eaten at in Vancouver (and I have tried more than half a dozen). Still fairly new to the culinary scene (having opened this past summer), this new East Vancouver gem is ready to takeover. The 2 owners both local to the area have been in hospitality industry for years and have realized their dream of owning their own place.
The passion of these two can be experienced throughout the meal. Service was excellent, and both times visited we were served by one of the owners. Incredibly friendly and prompt to get you anything that you need. The food was fantastic, our first visit was on a Thursday where they have a Burrito & Beer combo for $15, but dont expect ground beef, because what you will get is tender Mexican-style braised beef...But of course you have your choice of filling (and most things on the menu have a vegetarian option!). But I can say that my taste buds were won the moment the homemade Frijoles Voltedados (refried beans) touched my tongue...the beans were like satin...Bar-none the best I have ever tried! We were later told that they were Chef's (also one of the owners) mother's recipe. Also the house-made Habanero hot sauce is a must try if you like your food spicy!
So if you want to find a new favorite check this place out. They front end is more like a bar-like setting with high tables and stools, or sit at the back at a regular table. Wednesday's they have a local artist playing live acoustic music, and the vibe is geared to be hip rather than stereotyped. I think they just started serving brunch on Sat-Sunday's too...cant wait to try it!
I will be back again...and again...Don't think they wont notice, as on our way out the door both owners thanked us for our returned visit.
| 1. | Moccia Italian Meat Market (10 m) |  |
| 2. | Schokolade Cafe (31 m) |  |
| 3. | Panda Pearl Tea House (32 m) |  |
| 4. | Le Do Vietnamese Restaurant (43 m) | |
| 5. | Red Wagon, The (44 m) | |
| 6. | King's Cafe (48 m) | |
| 7. | Campagnolo Roma (55 m) | |
| 8. | Church's Chicken (57 m) | |
| 9. | Tsolias Taverna (60 m) | |
| 10. | Hastings Pizza Factory (81 m) |
