With trips to Mexico coming up in the next month, Mikey and I decided some Mexican fare was in order tonight and headed over to Las Margaritas. 6:30 pm on a Friday night – so we knew we were in for a wait but not the hour the hostess quoted us. In desperate need of a a chicken burrito we decided to forego the obvious destinations – Topanga Cafe or Burrito Bros. – and walked two blocks to Pepitas at Burrard.
As a second floor restaurant, Pepitas is burdened with a unwelcoming cold tile stairwell that doesn’t exactly instill confidence in the taste buds. During the climb, we kept reminding ourselves that a restaurant must being doing something right if they’ve been serving tacos since 1975. I don’t like to be too negative regarding our Kitsilano brethren, so I’ll safely claim that Pepitas is the 4th Best Mexican Restaurant in Kits.
We kept the Mexican holiday theme going as we slipped into Blue Crush just up the block. The store shone like a beacon at 7:55pm on a Friday night as the only store open on the street. If you find yourself in need of some holiday beachwear during the winter months, be sure to drop in. Ten minutes in this store and you’ll have a new bathing suit and enough UV exposure to build a solid base for your trip.
Last modified: February 17, 2006
Unfortunately it is really hard to find a good Mexican restaurant in Vancouver. Most of the time menus have dishes that look promising, but once you order you get something that has nothing to do with what the real dish is supposed to be.
The only really good Mexican place we’ve found near Vancouver is in Vernon, across the border.
It’s worth checking out the Mouse & Bean (corner of Cambie & Hastings so doesn’t count as Kits by any stretch of the imagination.) The food isn’t very fancy, but it is nice. I pointed a mexican friend of mine there – he had much the same complaint about mex. food in Vancouver – and he tells me that it’s about as authentic as it gets.
La Casista on Abbott and Cordova is the best Mexican I have had in a long time. I know its not Kits, but your little Gastown cousin needs to weigh in.
I was under the impression that Pepita’s is more of a Spanish restaurant than a Mexican one, but it’s been a long time since I ate there, and there’s every chance that my memory was impaired by one too many Coronas.
For my money, EL Pulgarcito on Vancouver’s East Side at 2522 East Hastings Street is just about as authentic as it gets when it comes Latin American cuisine in our city … and the prices are great, too. You’ve got to try to the “small” burrito, for only $4.50; easily a meal in itself.
You want good Mexican and you want it in Kits? Andale’s! I’ve only been there once but the food was sooo good and sooo Mexican I’m set on it as being one of the best choices in Vancouver. There’s another on Davie street.
And btw, I know my latino food very well as most of my mum’s friends are Central American.
Barf! Pepitas? Topango? Andale’s? Your’ve got to be kidding me… Try these if you want authentic Mexican/Latin American in Vancouver: http://www.davidgrant.ca/map_of_authentic_mexican_latin_american_food_in_vancouver
BTW, I’m not deriving any benefit from linking to my site (my site is ad-free), other that the satisfaction of people enjoying authentic Mexican food.