Playa Cabana Esquina - Toronto

I paid $27 for a burrito, including tip. To my surprise, it was a wet burrito, and it tasted fantastic. However, the price is far too steep for what you get. If it were more reasonably priced, I would have given it a 5-star rating.

We had to request the remaining sides for my plate three times before they arrived. The corn, which used to be delicious, didn't taste the same; something has clearly changed. The staff appeared disinterested in providing good service and often seemed confused about the menu items and what each dish consisted of. Additionally, the recent changes to the tables have made them slightly less comfortable. While the prices were never exceptional, with the decline in food quality, it feels even less justifiable to pay for it now.

Regarding kid-friendliness: Perhaps it was just a one-time occurrence, but we were not pleased with the cigarette smell inside the restaurant, nor did we appreciate having to navigate through food delivery people vaping and hanging out outside.

Playa Cabana is situated at the northeast corner of Yonge and Eglinton, inside the E-Condo building. Finding the restaurant was a bit tricky since it's on the second floor. We had a stroller with us, and we were trying to use the elevator. One of the two elevators is designated for accessing the second floor, but whenever we called for it, the other elevator would show up. After a few attempts, we finally managed to catch the right elevator and made our way to the second floor. The ambiance in the restaurant was cozy, perfectly capturing the cabana vibe. Interestingly, it was quite empty for a Thursday evening, with only one other group dining, though there were plenty of takeout orders being prepared. I noticed that there was only one staff member visible on the floor, but she was very attentive and friendly. The food was fantastic and truly hit the spot. One of the tacos of the day featured pork belly, so we ordered four of those, along with four fish tacos, four pulled beef tacos, and four braised pork tacos. Each taco was loaded with ingredients and flavor, ensuring not a single drop was wasted. We also tasted the guacamole with chips and the elote corn. Both were delicious, but the elote really stood out to me. The prices were a bit on the higher side, but we left feeling completely satisfied, so it was worth it. I'd definitely return if I'm in the area again.

The experience was underwhelming and not worth the price! Several items had ingredients that differed from what was listed on the menu, the tacos were quite small for the cost, and there were a few other service-related issues. It didn't meet the standards of their other locations. There are much better Mexican restaurants in the area—two of them are just a five-minute walk away!