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The Best Al Pastor Tacos in Vancouver? Taqueria Chicatana Review

✨ At a Glance: Quick Facts

📍 Location: Taqueria Chicatana (Pop-up at Hunnybee Bruncheonette patio)
⏰ Hours: Monday & Tuesday only, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
🌮 Menu: Al Pastor (Pork), Carne Asada (Beef), Celeriac (Vegetarian)
⭐ Smooch Verdict: While the corn tortillas leave a little to be desired, the al pastor meat itself is spectacular. Plus, the sidewalk-grilling setup nails the authentic, vibrant feel of a real Mexican street taqueria.

I know that most Mexicans don't actually celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but for me, it remains the ultimate excuse to go out and indulge in some incredible Mexican food!

In the past, our celebration routine was pretty predictable: we would visit our staple local spots and order the exact same classic dishes year after year. However, ever since our trip to Mexico City last year, our entire outlook has shifted. This year, we decided to change things up completely and chase the flavours we fell in love with in CDMX: authentic tacos al pastor.

According to a Mexican friend of mine, Taqueria Chicatana serves up the absolute best al pastor in Vancouver. They operate a unique little setup, only opening their doors on Mondays and Tuesdays from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM because they temporarily occupy the outdoor patio space at Hunnybee Bruncheonette.

Taqueria Chicatana Menu Review: Our First Impressions

Their menu is beautifully simple and focused, offering just three types of tacos: al pastor (pork), carne asada (beef), and celeriac (their vegetarian option). Naturally, I had to order two of each right off the bat so we could sample everything on the menu!


Two pairs of tacos served on a metal tray: the top tacos feature seasoned, shredded vegetarian celeriac root, and the bottom ones display classic marinated pork al pastor topped with onions, cilantro, and pineapple.
First round line-up: Celeriac tacos on top, and classic Al Pastor on the bottom.

The celeriac taco is made from celery root and serves as their plant-based alternative. They prepare it with the exact same seasonings and vibrant toppings as the pork version to mimic the experience. While it's a very clever and admirable attempt at a vegetarian taco, I am a meat-eater at heart, so I'll be sticking to the real deal next time!

The carne asada, on the other hand, was quite excellent. I absolutely loved the deeply caramelized onions scattered on top, and the beef itself was incredibly tender and packed with rich, savory flavor.


Two carne asada beef tacos on corn tortillas, generously piled with perfectly tender grilled meat, sweet caramelized onions, fresh cilantro, and a wedge of lime on the side.
The Carne Asada tacos—tender, grilled beef balanced beautifully by sweet caramelized onions.

But of course, the undisputed crown of the night belonged to the al pastor. While it doesn't quite dethrone my absolute all-time favourite spot back in Mexico City, it easily stands out as one of the best iterations I have ever tasted here in Vancouver. It was so addictive that the second we finished our initial round, we immediately went back up and ordered four more al pastor tacos (two more for each of us) just to keep the feast going.


Four freshly made tacos al pastor stacked together on a plate, showing off bright red marinated pork, finely chopped white onions, fresh cilantro leaves, and juicy chunks of pineapple.
Round two! We simply couldn't resist going back for four more of these spectacular al pastor tacos.

For me, a flawless taco always starts from the ground up with a high-quality corn tortilla, and to be perfectly blunt, I don't feel like the ones they use here quite hit the mark. My favourite vendor over at Club Kitchen, El Compadre, still uses a superior corn tortilla, meaning they firmly hold onto their title for my personal best al pastor taco in Vancouver.

However, where Taqueria Chicatana completely wins out is the overall atmosphere. Having the meat sizzling away right there on the sidewalk grill on the open patio gives you that wonderful, unmistakable energy of a street-side taqueria you only ever expect to find when traveling through Mexico.


An outdoor scene on a city patio at dusk showing a chef actively cooking and slicing seasoned meats over a hot outdoor grill, capturing an authentic Mexican street food market atmosphere.
The magic happens outside! Meat grilling right on the sidewalk patio of Hunnybee Bruncheonette.

🇲🇽 Our Annual Cinco de Mayo Culinary Archives

For those curious about our past celebrations and looking to map out your own Mexican food crawl around the city, check out our annual adventures below:

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