El Cortez Tequila Bar and Kitchen
February 2, 2015
“The El Cortez is freedom. It is Expression. And it’s a great place to grab a taco.”
– elcortezcantina.com
I’ll have to admit, I was pretty skeptical on trying out El Cortez Tequila Bar and Kitchen but I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to try something new right? Everyone has different tastebuds anyways. Well, in the end I left the place feeling full but wish that I had been more satisfied.
El Cortez is located off Whyte where Suite 69 used to take place. I had never gone to Suite 69 before so I don’t know what it used to look like inside but El Cortez probably revamped the whole interior. I’ll give them props for having an awesome decor that can only be defined as a unique ghetto Mexican eatery. There’s Mexican signage and graffiti all around the place with the occasion neon sign telling you to find what you love and let it kill you (Charles Bukowski!!). The downstairs of the El Cortez turns into a bar on weekend nights and there’s this one area that’s set up to look like part of a church which I thought was pretty sweet. I think that El Cortez spent more money on the quality of their restaurant than their food though…
El Cortez has a very small menu that focuses on tacos, entrees, and appetizers. All their entrees have a Mexican twist on them. For dessert, they have one feature dessert ($8). Since they are a tequila bar, most of the drinks on their alcohol menu contain some grade of tequila in it.
The three of us decided to share tacos and an order of Carne Asada fries ($12). The fries were basically a Mexican poutine that consisted of beef, cheese, diced tomatoes, and onions. It was accompanied by a small side dish of sour cream, fresh guacamole, and fresh pico de gallo. The portion of the fries was huge for an appetizer and would be best for sharing between 2-4 people. There was a lot of beef on it but the beef came in larger chunks. If the beef was ground beef then it would’ve been tastier to eat. The fries were truffled with cheese and they were addicting to eat!
The (soft) tacos at El Cortez came in 2 per order for $9. Sadly, you can’t combine the types of tacos and you’re stuck with 2 of the same type to try. Each order of tacos also came with a small salad. The food was all brought out at the same time and came out surprisingly quick, for a Friday evening (less than 15 minutes).
Pork Adobo Tacos
The Pork Adobo tacos were a mixture of chopped pork, adobo sauce, mango and sweet pepper saute, and crispy onions. My favorite part about these tacos were the crispy onions because they were nicely battered and added a crispy touch to the soft tacos. The amount of chopped pork inside the tacos were reasonable but it could’ve used less of the adobo sauce. I felt that it was too “saucy”. If you’re wondering what adobo sauce, it is made from ground herbs, chilies, and vinegar, almost tasting like a lighter BBQ sauce. My friend did comment on how the pork adobo tasted like what he used to eat “back home in the Philippines” which was a good sign for the authenticity of the pork adobo.
Short-Rib Tacos
Short-rib or just a fancy word for pulled pork? I’d say it was the latter. A bit too much on the salty side, these tacos were nothing special compared to the pork adobo. The short rib was braised in adobo sauce and topped with fire roasted tomatoes, cheese, corn, and onions.
Chicken Pasilla Tacos
The chicken tacos were definitely the lighter dish out of the three. A mixture of lettuce, tomatoes, corn, and peppers were combined with grilled chicken and sour cream then topped with a piece of bacon. The bacon was a random addition but gave it more of a savoury taste.
Overall, I found El Cortez to be overpriced for the quality of food. Their tacos didn’t fill me up considering how much an order of 2 costed compared to other places that sell 3-4 tacos for the same price. The food just lacked something and the service could’ve been better as well. Good service always makes for a more enjoyable experience. The only thing that stood out for me was the decor of El Cortez, when it should’ve been the food.
Edit: El Cortez has messaged me to announce that they will be having a new chef, Lindsay Porter, who is a bronze Gold Medal Plate winner of 2014. Her menu will be launched on February 19. Maybe El Cortez is perhaps worth another visit…
Address: 8230 Gateway Blvd
Find what you love and let it kill you – that’s some catchphrase! Looking at those incredible Mexican food, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is what some foodie aficionados would say. Haha! Thanks for sharing, Stephanie!
Diane Baker @ Alejandra’s Restaurant
We went to El Cortez on Feb 28 and the food was fantastic! I'd give it another go – for sure!