This urban icon started as a hippie food truck housed in a surf shop parking lot on Vancouver Island. It has since blossomed into three restaurants, two burrito bars, a taco joint, and two food trucks, located everywhere from Hastings-Sunrise and Yaletown to Gastown and the Financial District. Chef Stefan Hartmann, who once ran a Michelin-starred restaurant in Berlin, now captains these elevated spots along with founder Jason Sussman. Expect nuanced options like chorizo-kale, pork al pastor with pineapple, and chicken with pickled vegetables, all on soft wheat tortillas for six to seven dollars. Also noteworthy are the meat-free dishes like “vegetable scrapple”—a delicious fritter of squash and chickpeas, topped with herbed tomatoes. And don’t overlook the octopus tostada—Tacofino not only sources seafood sustainably but also participates in Vancouver’s Climate Smart program and is working toward being a zero-waste business.
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Super Sustainable Fish Tacos
I can’t help myself. I head to the Tacofino truck downtown with all kinds of good intentions to try something new, but as soon as I arrive at the window, out it comes: “Hi, fish taco, please!” It’s just too good, and at $6 I think it’s the best bang for your buck in the city. But beyond the Ocean Wise sustainable local ling cod taco (just writing that makes me want one!) you can dive into all kinds of other delights. Friends adore their pork al pastor gringa and crispy chicken karaage tacos, loaded up with avocado, radish, green onion, cilantro and black chile oil. See you down there, and yes, mine’s a fish taco!
