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El Sol Mexican Art Cafe
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
1448 Danforth AveToronto, ON M4J 1N4
Neighbourhood: The Danforth
(416) 405-8074
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 3 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
14 reviews for El Sol Mexican Art Cafe
14 reviews in English
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Review from Phillip Jessie j.
Toronto, ON
3/6/2012
More like el slow
The portions here are pretty big and the dishes are very tasty, homemade kind of feeling to them. The drinks are also very well made, I got a pina coloda and was almost scared to drink it because it was so pretty and delicious.
The service is terribly slow and the servers didn't seem all too enthusiastic (not to say they're jerks though) but despite the very slow service, your food is hot and your drinks will be cold.
The decor is pretty self explanatory if you look at the pictures.
If you want to have some great (authentic?) mexican food with a friend you really like (otherwise the long wait time would be awkward) then this is a good place to try, I haven't seen many restaurants where the food tastes homemade. -
Review from Peter L.
Toronto, ON
12/6/2011
Great Mexican food. Yes, it is true, the service is slower than most other places even when the restaurant is empty, but the wait is worth it - you are rewarded with an excellent, made from scratch meal straight out of Mexico. Where many Mexican places tone down on flavors and spice to cater to the Canadian tastes, El Sol does not hold back, but still offers a mild option for those who aren't all in favor of eating spicy food. The place is tastefully decorated and the art is available for purchase in the store inside of the restaurant.
The price is slightly higher at El Sol but you receive a great quantity of food and bottomless Nachos and Salsa. The bar offers a fine selection of beers and cocktails, but nothing compliments Mexican food like a Dos Equis.
An excellent restaurant that I have been returning to for over a decade. If you turn a blind eye to the service, you will be rewarded with an outstanding experience. -
Review from Eric L.
8/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Showed up on a Saturday night, 7pm with a friend. The place wasn't busy at all. Maybe 3 other tables had people.
The menu is kind of small, and the prices are above average.
We both ordered the beef tacos with rice and beans. This entree was about 16$ before tax.
An hour later our food finally arrive. We were surprised it took at long considering how the place wasn't busy at all, and the simplicity of a taco, rice and bean dish should be to make.
The quality wasn't very good. It was alright, but not restaurant good. I've made better tacos at home many a time.
The interior is kind of interesting, it is covered with thousands of clay sun masks and has a very mexican feel to it, however I felt it might have been a "tourist" mexican look. -
Review from Lisa K.
Toronto, ON
7/11/2011
Yes, the service is slow. They cook to order and the wait staff and cooks seem to move at a speed which is probably normal in Mexico... but in Toronto, too many people expect instant service. Sometimes good food is worth the wait.
The Platter for 2 combo is a great deal with a lot of food... love the soft tacos with the spicy fillings, and the hard tacos with the cool crisp salad veggies is a great way to cool the palate. Oh! The rice and beans are really good! I could make a meal out of them alone.
The salsa is heavy on the cilantro, so if you are like me, and not a fan of cilantro, skip the salsa and get the yummy guacamole for the fresh house made tortilla chips.
The art on the walls is a nice touch, and available for purchase. -
Review from Crandall C.
East York, ON
7/6/2011
Had a very disappointing meal there about a year ago - so we decided to return and give it another shot. Definitely will not go back! 1. Restaurant is open to the small patio in front - therefore no A/C inside...... 2. Service was non-existant AND there were only 4 tables occupied. Waiter provided the menus and disappeared to a phone call. If I'm going to pay $50.00 for a meal for 2 people - I want service. If I wanted a meal with lousy service I'd pay $6.00 at MacDonald's!
We left and will not return. -
Review from Kat F.
7/31/2009 2 photos
The decor in El Sol is amusing and very fitting - no fewer than 2500** clay suns of all sizes and designs adorn the walls from floor to ceiling, and they all appeared to be one of a kind. I ordered the "Tacos Albañil" - two soft tacos stuffed with refried beans and cheese, rice and salad on the side. Very pricey at $14, especially considering the absence of meat. I know cheese is expensive, but rice, beans and iceberg lettuce cost pennies each.
Now here's the part that made my face burn up like the clay suns on the wall - my food took FORTY FIVE minutes. Why does it take so long to make tacos? They weren't even baked or complex in any way. It was literally a simple assembly. There were only three other tables of people in the restaurant so it was hardly busy. Thank god for Bejewelled on the iPhone.
The food was tasty but certainly not worth $14 or waiting 45 minutes. If you have any food allergies I'd highly recommend asking for a complete rundown of the ingredients because I found many items in my tacos, rice and salad that were not advertised - peppers, onions, radishes, and I can't quite be certain that there wasn't meat in them even though I ordered them veg. I tasted chipotle too, even though that wasn't advertised. I asked for medium spice and there was no heat to speak of. Also, when I asked for sour cream they told me they didn't offer it. (??)
I'm torn between a one and a two after reading over what I just wrote. I honestly left here not knowing whether to grunt "meh" or shriek "eek". Had the food not been so different from what I ordered, $14 and taken so long, it might have been a four. If the service was this slow when the place was nearly empty, I'm afraid to see how long it'd take at peak times...
If someone can name me a place in Toronto that uses cotija cheese, I'll buy you dinner. Seriously - where's the cotija at?
AS AN ASIDE: Three of the most terribly behaved children I have ever witnessed in my life stormed into the place mid-meal. Their parents were not only smug and incredibly self-absorbed, but also lax about preventing their little hellions from chasing each other around the restaurant - it was actually an appalling display of non-parenting. Had these lucifers been in the restaurant when I arrived I would have spun on my heels and walked right out.
**an estimateListed in: Overhyped Restaurants In…
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Review from Josh A.
Toronto, ON
4/4/2010
My Favourite Mexican Restaurant in Toronto hands down. One warning though, the service is absolutely slow. So if you go in with patience on your mind you will not be let down. That's how I do it. Wish their drinks were alittle cheaper as I would be drinking alot more of their rum conga's. The Guacamole is to die for and I always go for the platter for two.
If anyone can suggest something as good Mexican wise I'm up for the challenge but at this point its El Sol for life. -
Review from Thom H.
6/12/2010
Eat before you get here. That's the best way to enjoy this place.
Your dinner isn't going to be ready anytime soon. And when it does arrive, you're going to realize that what you've got is yet another all-too-commonly-found, Ontario interpretation of Mexican food. Every dish is basically a matter of deciding in which order the beans, starch, meat and shredded lettuce will be stacked.
You will swear that your order was phoned over to some other Mexican restaurant in the west end and delivered on a moped. However, if you'd just like to enjoy some margaritas and don't really care if, when or what you are having for dinner, you'll love the place. -
Review from Sandy L.
Toronto, ON
6/27/2011
I must say...my friend and I had a great experience here! First of all there aren't too many authentic Mexican restaurants around and I of course yelped and took into consideration all that was mentioned about the wait time in this place. The food was delicious and on time. The complaint I have is it took too long to get served a beer! Once it got busy we were ignored...we really needed our beer! I even offered to serve myself! haha Come on! We're talking Mexican beer! It goes down like water and we ordered our food med to hot! We also tipped more than 20% and were practically ignored when we left. Oh well...I will go back. I just won't tip as much. Also great atmosphere and music.
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Review from Bill C.
East York, ON
11/7/2011
This is authentic flavorful mexican food that can't be beat. However, it's true that the service is a bit slow, and i agree that the margaritas and drinks are priced too high. My suggestion is opt for takeout and give it an extra 15 minutes. This not a restaurant for type-a personalities
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Review from Kat T.
6/1/2009
Great selection of vegetarian items. If you order in advance, you can even get the Chile Relleno, but who knows that far in advance if you are going out on the Danforth? This place is worth a trip, for sure. Even though it's been a while since we made the trek across town. The food is pretty authentic and some things I've loved are the veggie tacos. They Taco Bell style crispy fried things, but filled with lovely beans, napole (cactus), and a little sprinkle of that mexican cheese. Guacamole is an extra $6 for huge tub of it. Margaritas with massive salt rims to die for!
Listed in: Burrito Magic
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Review from Jerry J.
North York, ON
11/16/2009
I gave it a shot after reading the previous two reviews just because it was the closest Mexican restaurant to my place. My experience was OK, but not more then that... The food was average, the music was... hmm.. how should I say it... Interesting.... I am still trying to figure out how the opening themes of the TV shows "ALF", "All in the Family", "Murder she wrote" & "Bonanza" are related to a Mexican food but I don't think I will ever be able to understand it.. So yeah.. the music was funky, The cart they are using to deliver food looks a bit awkward and makes a lot of noise but other then that, the food wasn't bad and the price was reasonable..
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Review from James K.
Toronto, ON
5/2/2010
Seriously great Mexican food. I'd venture to say you'd enjoy this more than El Trompo (Kensington.) The guacamole was the best I've ever had, and the platter for 2 was HUGE, delicious and I'd totally reccomend it. We had to take half of it home, and had it for dinner. We heated up the meat/potaoto filled tortillas in the Forman. The margaritas were a rip off, and despite the Mexican owner, the Mexican art & the Mexican food, this was an American margarita (crushed ice...I suppose I should have specified.) Pricey, for a small drink. We switched to XX. Oh, and yeah, it is a bit of a wait but having read the NOW iPhone app, I was ready for it.
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Review from Stephen B.
Toronto, ON
4/7/2010
Great food if you're prepared to wait a loooooong time to get it.
