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El Barrio Restaurante Latino
Categories: Restaurants Mexican Restaurants Latin American Mexican, Latin American [Edit]
2270 Hasting St EVancouver, BC V5L 1V4
Neighbourhood: Grandview-Woodlands
(604) 569-2220
- Hours:
Tue-Wed 4 pm - 10 pm
Thu-Fri 4 pm - 11 pm
Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
Sun 12 pm - 9 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
26 reviews for El Barrio Restaurante Latino
Review Highlights
"They had live music- a great duo of Spanish guitar and some..."
(in 4 reviews)
"It was open mic night, which was very cool if a little loud."
(in 3 reviews)
"...home made chorizo, and finished with fresh pico de gallo."
(in 3 reviews)
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26 reviews in English
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Review from Ella B.
Vancouver, BC
7/31/2011
I have eaten here a few times as a sit down as well as takeout. This place is warm and inviting and the staff are awesome.
They make your guacamole to order so it is tasty and fresh and give you a mound of hot, fresh corn chips. The portions are great (there is almost always some leftovers) and the ingredients delicious and fresh. I have tried something different each time and they are so good I cant really pick a favourite.
They have a stage and do live shows some nights. Sadly they are closed mondays. -
Review from Angela L.
12/1/2011
Seriously disappointed.
El Barrio had been on my radar for a while, and I finally got the opportunity to drop in recently. It had been a long day at work, and so I was talked into ordering a pitcher of Sangria, and it was unpalatable at best. It tasted extremely tinny, and when I stirred it around a bit to investigate, the scant, minuscule pieces of fruit were deeply stained as if they had been sitting around for a while. It was the kind of drink you take a sip of, cringe, then follow with a sip of water. When we probed a bit with the server, he said that they pre-soak their fruit, but couldn't really explain the tinny flavour.
Margaritas were a slight improvement. The food, however, was equally as bad. I wasn't really eating, but tried bites here and there and was extremely unimpressed. The salsa that accompanied the quesadilla had a strange flavour that I couldn't identify, and basically just consisted of a bunch of mealy, diced tomato pieces. The burrito was on special with the purchase of a drink, and was advertised as coming with rice and beans on the side. The rice and beans that accompanied the burrito amounted to like, two tablespoons of each side, but perhaps that was best, as the rice tasted like some kind of Uncle Ben's instant bistro mix, and the beans were way too salty. I did not try the burrito itself.
It was obvious that we were unsatisfied with our experience, but no reparations were offered - not as though they were expected, but it might have helped to take the bad taste (literally, bad taste) out of my mouth. Prices seem on the high side, and though the menu is interesting, I fear that the execution fails, though your mileage may vary. On the bright side, the room is kind of fun. -
Review from Michael C.
Vancouver, BC
6/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not a memorable experience.
I came here a while back with a few friends to try this place out (thank you Groupons!). At the end of our meal, we all felt the same about the food and came to an unanimous decision... yeah, either we don't like Mexican/Latin American food or we just didn't like the food here.
We ordered a couple of things to share, Guacamole, Chorizo Tacos, and Chicken Enchiladas.
The Guacamole: Gotta try this!! Best I've ever had!
Chorizo Tacos: The taco was alright, but the homemade sausage seemed to lack a bit of flavour and impact. You could barely notice it there. Probably should have ordered beef instead?
Chicken Enchiladas: This dish was not impressive to us. Every component seemed to lack seasoning and just fell flat. Also, the dish was baked with cheese of course, but they layered a huge pile of cheese on top which cooled down when it got to the table. It was like eat enchiladas with chucks of cheese (.5-1 cm layer).
The service was great however. Not many places with servers that are so knowledgeable about the menu.
I believe they have live music on certain nights which is pretty cool (at least they did when I was in, Tuesday night).
It's a pretty cool restaurant, but too bad the food wasn't as promising.Listed in: Hastings Chow Down,
You came highly recommended through Yelp, so I came. The results = Expectation…">Yelp, why me? -
Review from Roanna Z.
Something funky goin' on Yelp. My last update *gone*?
Our latest visit to El B.R.L included a plate of the muscles which our friend proclaimed "maybe the best broth I've ever had" -served with bread to soak up every drop.
Myself I had the Tostadas topped with the best refried black beans and with pulled pork! Yeah, I'm still on a run with my pulled pork, and this was some of the tastiest food I've eaten at El Barrio. The memory is lingering and my tummy is rumbling.
The Nacho's are a pyramid of warm chips, salsa, black bean and cheddar cheese which proved enough for 3.
El Barrio serves up good food, in a fun atmosphere and with welcoming warmth, the experience always leaves you hankering for more.Listed in: Gluten Free/ Dairy free eats., Come on over to the East…
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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6/15/2010
El Barrio! We heart you.
We were there for the two year anniversary and they were serving some… Read more »
Comment from luis m. of El Barrio Restaurante Latino 6/19/2010
Thank You very much! VIVA Honduras!!!!!!!!!!! More » -
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Review from Rachel G.
Vancouver, BC
12/23/2010
Love the food at this great little Mexican restaurant which I can best sum up with three little adjectives: authentic, contemporary, and to-die-for!
This is where I learned of the existence of Mexican corn truffles, which El Barrio prepares in scrumptious rolled up flautas. Everthing is served with a side of mole, and you get to choose from four varieties of freshly prepared salsa.
The plates are always beautifully prepared and served - this is not your sloppy burrtio and side of rice kind of place.The service, without exception, has always been excellent, every time I've visited.
There's always some kind of live entertainment booked, either a lcoal band, a drag show or amateur night at the mike, which can be fun but can also be intrusive if you just want to have a quiet meal with friends. I recommend going early in the evening if you want to skip the entertainment.
I love the food so much I chose to have my birthday meal there this year, and it was both satisfying and memorable. -
Review from Jessica O.
Vancouver, BC
9/5/2010 2 Check-ins Here
The boyfriend and i are doing a vegan month, and we were more than satisfied tonight at El Barrio. We were with a large birthday party, and everyone seemed extremely happy with their food, helped along by the outrageously tasty pitchers of lime margaritas - yum!
We split the Patatas with chipotle (spicy, smokey and crispy) and the flautas filled with corn and spinach and enjoyed every bite - the only fail was the 'Tiras" - the menu intuited that this was a salad, and it turned out to be veggie and fruit sticks served with salt and hot sauce. I actually enjoyed the result, but was expecting a salad, and was a bit let down.
The service was great, and the staff went out of their way to ensure that the birthday boy was well taken care of (shots of tequila, complimentary dessert) - A+ for the staff.
We will return when this vegan month is over to sample the cheese-laden delights on the rest of the menu! -
Review from Malloreigh M.
Vancouver, BC
2/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have no complaints about El Barrio, because I have yet to have an experience at this place that is negative in any way. The food is authentic (as near as I can tell) and delicious, prepared with care and sass. Staff is friendly and really wants you to enjoy yourself. They are willing to bend over backwards to make sure you have something to eat, even if you have dietary restrictions.
Also, the margaritas are killer.Listed in: Vegan Vancouver, Just One Drink
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Review from Kathleen L.
Vancouver, BC
6/10/2011
I love El Barrio. I keep going back and back. The people are really what make the joint such a great place. The servers and owners are outstandingly friendly. The food I've had has always been super tasty. The mole sauce for the beef burrito is extremely delicious. I love the weekday pitcher specials. $12 for a pitcher of pale ale is fine by me! everything foodwise is beautifully presented. overall, always a happy experience.
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Review from Shannon M.
North Vancouver, BC
6/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
I ended up coming here the first time when the boyfriend and I were having a hankering for some Mexican food and wanted to try someplace we'd never been before. Good choice! It happened to be a Friday night, so we got to enjoy some open mic entertainment while being treated like old friends by staff and checking out all the art on the walls by local Vancouver artists.
The food is incredible and not your typical heavy North American style Mexican/Latin food. Definitely more authentic than the usual fare found around here. My personal recommendations? The Sopa Azteca (awesome tomato based soup) and the garlic/lime/butter/tequila prawns, both off the appetizer menu. And I want to try basically everything else at some point.
My only complaint is that it was a bit hard to see the first time we went there, especially since we weren't sure exactly what we were looking for. The outdoor signage is all all red and black and not illuminated, so we nearly drove right past it trying to find the restaurant at night.
Definitely going back. -
Review from jocelyn t.
Vancouver, BC
6/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Oh, El Barrio, how am I disappointed with thee? Let me itemize the ways:
- the bathrooms are not wheelchair accessible, which I'm fairly sure is a violation of a city by-law.
- The menu looks absolutely delicious, if a bit more expensive than you would expect for the generally shabby decor and area. When the food came, we found that it was pretty greasy, more like greasy hangover food. The guacamole was really good, but was REALLY REALLY spicy, though we'd ordered "medium." The server acknowledged that sometimes it was hard to judge how spicy individual jalepenos are, so they offered us some white sauce to help tone it down... which they charged us another $1.75 for.
- the servers were cheery and friendly, but not knowledgable, and really scattered when it came to the bathrooms, the drinks and the bill.
- My friend ordered the Royale cocktail and was really disappointed.
- The decor is weird but for this neighbourhood, eclectic is not that unusual. Just don't expect something thoughtful, well put-together, or, you know, attractive. There was above our table, what appeared to be three colour illustrations of a dominatrix. Interesting subject matter.
Overall, my friend and I were disappointed - this restaurant has always appeared to be a happening, full and popular place in our little neighbourhood, and we were already planning other visits, realizing there was more on the menu that we wanted to try, but we walked out in agreement that it wasn't worth another visit. But hey, there's a Yelp coupon for tapas, don't forget to use it! -
Review from Bev H.
Vancouver, BC
7/29/2011
I haved lived in this neighbourhood a couple of years, and only recently ventured inside. The decor is modern, interesting (!) art on the walls, seating plentiful. We sat a high pub counter table near the window, and there is plenty of regular seating at the back, near the stage~ live music some nights!
We got the drink special Sol beer for $5 and ordered the nachos for an appetizer. They were huge, with excellent fresh cut salsa and we got some cream on the side. They were covered with cheese, with tons of beans, lots of toppings on top, and under the pile of chips, which was nice. I loved these nachos, though my friends didn't care for all the beans, and thought there could have been more cheese, instead.
Also ordered the chicken enchilada which was incredible! Perfectly cooked, accompanied by rice we had a great meal, the nachos being so large. Dessert list looked wonderful but we were too full to indulge. Service was attentive, knowledgeable and friendly, will be back! -
Review from Maya M.
North Vancouver, BC
8/14/2010
I found El Barrio on Yelp! after searching for good Mexican food in East Vancouver. When I went to highschool in the neighborhood of El Barrio in the 90's the population of Latin Americans was quite large so I knew that I'd find some good Latin American food in this neighborhood.
The guacamole, albeit expensive (at $7.50 with 4 toritillas) was delicious. Often when you order guacamole or salsa and chips at Mexican restaurants it's not very good but here the taste was very flavorful.
We had enchiladas which were pretty good and chorizo tacos which were amazing. It's not very often that I don't have to add salt to food at restaurants but this was one of those times.
The service was extremely friendly.
The only complaints I have were that for the quality of food, I would expect excellent sangria but I would say it was decent but not something I would order every time. The guacamole was too expensive.
All in all, it was a great experience and I look forward to going back and trying other dishes at El Barrio. -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
7/25/2009
* Right idea - but not firing on all cylinders *
I was happy to see a variety of a la plancha offered on the menu. I was even happier when the very friendly server asked how I would like my carne a la plancha cooked. +1
The steak arrived on a sizzling skillet on top of peppers and onions. It came with a side of diced tomato salsa, guacamole, and corn tortillas wrapped in a towel. This all seemed really promising. +1
The corn tortillas were nicely grilled so that the "bubbles" had broken and browned. I think they may still be store bought tortillas but the extra grilling really helped them along nicely. +1
The guacamole had nice big fresh chunks of avocado and was nice. +1
The tomato salsa lacked spice entirely unfortunately. So it was more like a tomato salad almost. -1
The peppers and onions were unfortunately swimming in oil and not caramelized like I like them in an a la plancha. They took on an almost steamed quality as they had that much oil. Too bad. -1
The steak, which I had ordered rare, was definitely not rare at all getting much closer to medium well. Even though the menu promised it would be marinated in achiote and pineapple juice, it had almost no taste of seasoning sadly. Disappointing. -1
I asked if they had anything to spice things up a bit and the server was worried that I thought it was too spicy!!!!! Um, no.....When we clarified that he brought over a bottled green habañero sauce. It was disappointing that the only way to spice things up was a bottled sauce. -1
Pricing was high for what they offered with the a la plancha running $17.95 at lunchtime. -1
Overall there were some signs of hope. Considering all of their other positive reviews, perhaps they are not their strongest at lunchtime and I should return to try them at dinner when they are firing on all cylinders?Listed in: Vancouver Latin and Caribbean…
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Review from Garry C.
Whistler, BC
7/18/2009
I came here with a friend on his recommendation. He's usually on and he wasn't off on this one. The restaurant is a bit out of the way on East Hastings but any place worthy of the food is worth the journey.
The staff were friendly and attentive. The also had some great recommendations. We started with the spicy potatoes as an appetizer. They were fantastic! We polished off the generous plate in minutes.
I ordered a burrito that came with rice, pico de gallo, salsa verde and some black beans on the side. Inside, the burrito included some greens and as a pleasant surprise, cactus - which I love!
The servings was huge but not excessive - my friends didn't think I would finish it all (but I did)!
There's only a few items for vegetarians, but everything that was ordered looked delicious - even to me the vegetarian!
The only thing that I was disappointed by was the lack of (free) chips and salsa at the start of the meal, but the ample portion sizes made up for that.
If you're hungry and looking for some great Mexican/Latin food, give El Barrio a try!Listed in: Vancouver Eats, Burrito Feast
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Review from Megan S.
6/19/2009
El Barrio is such a wonderful gem. A friend who lives in the neighborhood, er the barrio, suggested this place when we were getting a group of about 20 together. (The space works well for groups.) That first time I was there I enjoyed a margarita and queso fundido. The queso was awesome- a skillet of Oaxacan cheese with peppers and onions, served with hot corn tortillas. Amazing. The mojitos that others ordered were a big size. I had the chance to sample some potato dish that was excellent.
Last night I went again to El Barrio. I was proud to show off this place to other friends. They had live music- a great duo of Spanish guitar and some awesome vocals. (Two thumbs up for the atmosphere- also love the colourful paintings!)
This time I got the vegetarian enchiladas. They were good. However, they were not what I expected. I expected cheese- but really it was ONION, lots and lots of onion, perhaps sprinkled with some cheese? It was a great flavor- but I don't love onions that much, so next time I'll try beef or chicken. I tried the Sangria... it's good, but nothing I would rave about. Before our meal, we had a variation on the classic chips and salsa. It was a very small bowl of red salsa with thin strips of corn chips sticking out. Unusual- but nice presentation. The sauce I liked, the chips tasted a little bit like Fritos.
Despite not being thrilled with my onion enchiladas, I like this place a lot, and will keep returning to sample new things on the menu. -
Review from Kimli W.
6/16/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Late night good times!
My friends convinced me to join them for a late night snack, and we ended up at El Barrio for the first time. It was open mic night, which was very cool if a little loud. The food, however, was fantastic - I hadn't planned on ordering more than drinks, but I was swayed by the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. We'll definitely be back - any place with good salsa is tops in my book, and EB's pico de gallo was *incredible*. -
Review from Blair S.
Vancouver, BC
6/20/2010
What a team! Front and back of house have it together here. Kelly is a wonderfully honest and gracious host. The kitchen turns out flavours that are actually delicious, not assaulting. All of the staff were attentive to all of the patrons, and it won't be long before we return with friends.
You can't eat the decor, thankfully. Basics great, needs more art that stands up to the assault of black yellows and red.
Looking forward to cabbing it home next time after "staying for another". -
Review from Craig H.
Surrey, BC
1/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's tough to find good Mexican food in lower mainland. This place had some. I was there for a birthday party so we didn't have regular meals. The was a variety of items from the menu put out and we all tried a little of all of them. I'd like to go back and try a proper meal there since everything we tried was pretty good. If you've got an itch for Mexican, this is one of the few places in the lower mainland to scratch it.
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Review from Richard G.
5/9/2011
Awful. Expensive. Not Authentic Mexican Food. Lots of dry weird caserole type dishes here. Server was friendly enough but the food and drinks here are not very good. More like Old El Paso for $20 bucks an entree. And the funny thing is this is a hole in the wall place in a working class neighborhood - usually a sure fire bet for good Mexican food. Guess you can't judge a book by its cover.
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Review from Bimal P.
Burnaby, BC
11/11/2010
I took my family of five here for dinner on a saturday night. They accomodated us even though they were preppring for a large party of 20 - who hadn't even arrived by the time we left! Having lived in California for a number of years and gotten spoiled by all the great Mexican food there, I'm always a little disappointed with the level of Mexican food in Vancouver. I'm happy to say El Barrio was a great surprise. The food was really good! My kids are pretty picky about their food but they really enjoyed it. The server was very friendly and helpful it somewhat inattentive. There weren't enough chips to finish off our guacamole and fundido so we ordered more. The chips didn't arrive until midway through the entree by which time the queso was cold and hard. While we enjoyed the guitarist, we were sitting right next to him and it made having a conversation impossible.
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Review from Reena M.
9/7/2009
The owner of this restaurant was really accommodating when it came to hosting a potentially large party here. My party didn't end up being as large as I expected it to but I was impressed with the Luis' (the owner) enthusiasm of having us.
The food was pretty good, especially on quality. I ordered a chicken burrito and tried the chicken enchiladas with red salsa and the layered tortilla thing with spinach. I found the sauces to be a little on the sweeter side than what I prefer my Mexican food to be. But if you ask for a side of habanero hot sauce, it does the trick. The rice quality is way better than Las Margaritas because you can see the whole grain of the rice. The beans were good, and wholesome, but I would have liked more salt and maybe some onion or garlic in their for more flavour.
I would totally go back there. The sangria was delicious, but really expensive $22.50 for a pitcher! You can get about 5 small glasses out of that.Listed in: Hola! Bienvenidos a Vancouver!
Comment from luis m. of El Barrio Restaurante Latino 9/20/2009
Thank you for Booking with us! you guys were a pleasure,… More » -
Review from Jordan H.
8/29/2009
Good stuff. A friend and I stopped in for drinks and tacos with house- made chorizo. Delicious. I'll be back to try a full dinner.
EDIT (Oct 7 2009): I've been eating tacos at Dona Cata and La Taqueria... This review has to change to a 3. I'm not really a fan anymore, but it is decent. -
Review from Denni P.
Vancouver, BC
1/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
One of my favorite neighbourhoods in Vancouver, the east side. gritty and at it's prime back in the 60's-70's. El Barrio's Mexican fare was fantastic, the live music was an added bonus. It's more of a pub feeling than restaurant feeling. Happy to have stumbled across this place, appears to have a lotta locals frequent the place. Would go back for sure.
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Review from Kelley R.
Vancouver, BC
6/15/2009 ROTD 10/8/2009
El Barrio is my go-to for delicious and interesting Latin food! I fancy myself a bit of an expert on the stuff as its my favorite to eat and cook at home.
El Barrio is just a hop skip and a jump away from my job on the Drive and its the perfect place to get together for after work drinks and appys (free tapas with a pitcher of the best Sangria I've tasted in town!) or for a long Sunday lunch with my hubby. We both love the food - full of all the rich, spicy, and complex flavors I love in Latin cuisine. My "must have" dish is the Totopos Con Queso with added Chorizo. These are not the usual cheese drenched, soggy nachos you'd get elsewhere. House-made chips topped with just the right amount of cheese and sprinkled generously with Luis' home made chorizo, and finished with fresh pico de gallo. Not to mention the smoothest, creamiest re-fried black beans you'll ever taste. I'll order it to start if i have a few friends to share or as my entree if I'm feeling naughty! A new favorite is the Pollo Con Chipotle. My chicken Breast was grilled perfectly and draped in the best chipotle sauce I've ever had. Sitting atop Spanish rice and sauteed vegetables and crowned with warm and crispy tortilla chips, this entree was a feast for the eyes as well as my stomach.
I liked the place so much that I suggested it for a company holiday party and we threw our best fiesta yet! With the help of the talented Chef, Luis Montalvo, and his ever smiling partner in Crime, Kelly James, we threw a shindig for the record books.
The staff is always accommodating and knowledgeable and gives just the right level of service.
El Barrio is tops in my book. -
Review from Jennifer D.
Vancouver, BC
4/28/2010
I've been wanting to go to this place for awhile and finally went tonight for dinner. Was blown away by the quality of the food. Very flavourful. I had the chichken torta and my partner has the beef enchiladas. Both dishes actually tasted different from one another, which i find is a problem in latino restaurants in this city - everything on the menu usualy tastes the same. The decor is maybe a touch bland, but I don't go to restaurants for my eyes. It's all about my belly! The portion to cost ration is spot on.
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Review from Emily S.
Vancouver, BC
9/19/2009
I only come here for drinks, to get my Sangria fix. I believe Drag night is every 3rd Sunday, and there's certain nights for Salsa dancing! I also happened to walk in during an open mic night, and was pleasantly surprised.
