Since opening in 2013 El Camino at 380 Elgin Street has established itself as a terrific place to get tacos in Ottawa. Now the popular taco restaurant has opened a second larger location at 81 Clarence Street in the Byward Market in the now-closed Stella Osteria.
While the new Clarence Street location does not currently have a take out window like the Elgin Street location, it does offer a much larger restaurant with plenty of seating. With two patios, both on the main floor and on the rooftop, El Camino on Clarence Street is the perfect place to enjoy the warm weather over a cocktail and some tacos.
For those looking to get tacos on Mondays or for lunch, you can now rejoice as the new location is open daily from 11:30 am till “late” (compared to the Elgin Street location which is opened Tuesday-Sunday from 5:30 pm and Tuesday-Friday noon to 2:30 pm at the window).
Chef Carmichael’s menu at the Clarence location offers chips and salsa for a starter, 10 type of tacos, several side dishes (such as Mexican corn, crispy pawn betel leaf, and chicken taquitos) and some churros for dessert. Tacos range in price between $6-10.50, with other dishes and desserts being between $6-16. For a dinner, it is suggested to order 2-3 tacos plus a shared plate.
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The dishes are served family style, with all the tacos being served in a large tray. While visiting I tried the Cochinita roasted pig head taco, taco del Norte, and chorizo crispy taco, and crispy fish taco. As I’ve come to expect from my years of eating El Camino’s tacos, they were all outstanding and full of flavor.