Asada Mexican Grill

Every couple of weeks or so, Steph and I meet up for a dinner date during which we make it our goal to try a restaurant we've never been to. Steph usually looks up several restaurants of different cuisines that are highly rated and then gives me a list to choose from. So with that, and a realization that I was craving Mexican food, we decided to try out Asada Mexican Grill:
Platter of soft tacos
We didn't realize until we got there that it was a Mexican fast food-style joint rather than a typical sit-down restaurant with waiters and proper china, but we digressed because it looked intriguing and there was a good amount of seating space. (It's been described as "slow food served fast.") You go up to the counter and give your order to the server. Everything is made from scratch — from the soft tortillas to the meat fillings (which are grilled, fried, or slow-cooked), to a plethora of fresh toppings from which you can build a burrito, taco, torta, or "Asada box." Any option for $8.95. I decided to go with three soft tacos:
Chorizo with Mexican rice, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, and salsa
Pulled pork with Mexican rice, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, and salsa
Baja fish (deep-fried) with cabbage, pico de gallo, and Baja sauce
Amazing, amazing, amazing — easily the best tacos I've ever had in my life. The pulled pork was super-tender, the chorizo had the perfect marriage of spicy and smoky, the tortillas are thin and soft but still substantial enough to hold the mound of toppings, and all the ingredients are both fresh and freshly prepared (the meats are cooked to order). Despite the deliciousness of all three, the clear winner of the night was the Baja fish ($3.00 extra). Thinly battered and deep-fried to a golden crisp, the fish is super soft and fleshy but perfectly flaky. The cabbage adds a beautiful crunch to the mix, the pico de gallo contrasts with a zesty tartness, and the creamy Baja sauce adds a nice kick and brings all the flavours together. If you're going to order one thing here, make it the Baja fish.
Sweet Nachos
And let's not forget dessert! Steph and I shared an order of the sweet nachos ($4.95), which are deep-fried tortilla shells and coated with cinnamon sugar, made fresh to order. Think of those cinnamon twists at Taco Bell, but in a dense chip form with a crispy outer shell and a softer, chewer innard. They're so damn addictive, I literally could not stop eating until the bag was empty. And the portion is huge — both of us were about ready to burst out of our pants, and I was all, "Okay, just one more chip, and then no more!" until I ate a good like, 28 of those sugary oil-soaked demons. I rounded out my meal with a can of mango nectar, but there are a ton of other options including a myriad of Mexican beers, Mexican sodas, freshly made unsweetened iced tea and lemonade, and housemade Horchata. The place itself is bright, modern, almost industrial, but also clean and vibrant. Basically, it doesn't look like a place where you'd expect to get some of the best tacos in the city. But there's plenty of dining space, it's casual and inviting, and the servers are super nice, super perky, super patient, and super informative. Definite multiple returns in my near future.

Asada Mexican Grill 809 St. Clair Avenue West Toronto, ON M6C 1B9 (416) 654-9488