Reviews show that Tacos Tin Tan serves tasty tacos with standout birria and fresh ingredients, and the overall vibe is welcoming with friendly staff and a lively colorful setting. Many diners praise the birria tacos as among the best in Montreal and note solid drinks and occasional brunch options. Some readers express disappointment with portion sizes for the price and with changes to the recipe, such as pico de gallo toppings replacing the previous grilled peppers and onions, which affected the flavor for some. Service experiences vary, from quick attentive visits to longer waits or uneven service, and a few drinks or cocktails are described as underwhelming. Nevertheless, regulars often return for flavorful meat, the vibrant atmosphere, and Tin Tan's consistency that keeps it a popular spot for Mexican food lovers.
For years it's been one of those places I pass almost daily heading to & from the gym, always glancing inside with curiosity, but somehow the timing never lined up.
Finally, on an absolutely glorious spring afternoon around 3 PM, the moment arrived.
My wife & I were wandering back from Mile End while St-Denis was closed off for a comic art festival. The terraces at Taco Tin Tan were absolutely bopping with energy & people enjoying the weather. The whole place felt alive.
That was enough for me.
I finally said:
'Today's the day.'
What I Liked:
The atmosphere immediately pulls you in.
They have two separate terraces:
* one directly on the street,
* & another attached to the front of the building.
Both looked fantastic, but we opted to sit inside where it was quieter & where my wife's aggressively pale complexion could avoid turning into a rotisserie chicken under the afternoon sun.
Honestly, it may have been the best guacamole either of us has had. Fresh, bright, perfectly textured, topped with tomato, onion, & radish, served alongside excellent house-made tortilla chips.
We demolished it.
Completely.
Unfortunately… we also managed to finish the entire guacamole before our drinks even arrived, which kind of summarizes the service experience overall.
The tacos themselves were fresh & enjoyable. Not life-changing'best taco of my existence' territory, but definitely solid & satisfying.
Atmosphere & Vibe:
This place absolutely nails the visual vibe.
Inside, it feels warm, lively, & authentically inspired without crossing into over-designed'theme restaurant' territory. The music, colours, energy, & open-front layout all work together really well.
& on a sunny day with St-Denis buzzing outside?
The whole experience feels very Montréal summer.
Exactly the kind of energy you want from a casual taco spot.
Now unfortunately… this is where the service issue becomes impossible to ignore.
After being seated, we waited roughly:
* 15 minutes before anyone returned,
* no drink order,
* no water,
* no acknowledgment.
I was personally ready to leave after about 10 minutes, but my wife convinced me to give it a little longer.
Right as I was preparing to stand up & walk out, the server finally arrived & apologized before taking our order.
The frustrating part wasn't that anyone was rude.
They weren't.
Everyone was friendly enough.
The issue was simply inattentiveness & pacing throughout the meal:
* long waits for drinks,
* long waits between courses,
* long waits for the bill.
At multiple points it felt like we had simply disappeared from the restaurant's awareness.
Closing:
Overall, I'm glad I finally stopped into Taco Tin Tan.
The food was good.
The guacamole was exceptional.
The atmosphere was fantastic.
But the service unfortunately held the experience back quite a bit.
That said, I'd still absolutely give it another shot because there's enough good here to make me want to come back. I'm hoping this visit was more of an'overwhelmed busy day' situation rather than the norm.
Because if the service matched the quality of the atmosphere & food?
This place could easily become one of my regular Montréal stops.
This was probably really good years ago but it's fallen off since.. every single item had dry meat making them hard to chew & swallow & even the limes were dry.
I got the all pastor & pollo tacos.
On the bright side, they don't skimp on the meat & they have decent drinks. You won't be leaving this place hungry.
I go there once a week at least since it's close to where I live & I love the place. The waitress all remember my usual order by now so I don't even need to ask. Highly recommend fro great tacos, my favorite being the carnitas, drink wise I always take a spritz but their spicy margaritas seem really popular & I found it good as well.
What a great surprise this taco spot in Montreal was! The tacos were delicious, made with super fresh ingredients. The drinks were perfect for summer. Plus, the service was excellent - super friendly & attentive.
Good taste 7/10 but terrible value. Paid 27$ taxes in for 1 order of birria & a sugary sweet drink
Only 3 tacos & they added 3 tortillas chips to the side. Portions are way too small for the price & you finish them in 1-2 minutes max. Had really high expectations & was referred here, made long drive through traffic & struggled to find parking for a disappointment.
Yes it tastes not bad but there's not enough to actually enjoy it….
Tasty… but birria tacos too small… I wish there was 4 not 3 & bigger portion… & yes I am comparing to other spots just does not hit the mark. But drinks legit pretty good!
I would give this place 12 stars if I could. Perfect portions, amazing flavours, great drinks! Highly recommend the birria tacos & the Al pastor tacos. Great ambiance, music, & overall vibes. Would come back in a heart beat.
Ma taqueria préférée de Montréal! Nourriture délicieuse & authentique mexicaine, avec tortillas de maïs & drinks à la tequila ou mezcal. La terrasse & super & bien décorée, le staff sympathique & la nourriture servie rapidement. Je reccomande!
The staff were really nice, but they were completely absent most of the time. It took 35 minutes to take our order after we were seated. Even then, we wanted to order extra drinks, ask for napkins, etc, but they were nowhere around. This would have been acceptable if the food was good, but that was not the case. Unfortunately the food was below average - the tortillas tasted stale, all the meats in the tacos we ordered were dry, overcooked & under seasoned. We spent a total of 1.5 hours there, most of the time trying to get the attention of the waitress to get basic service. Hope they can improve in the future.
Food is good not great but good. Service is horrible. I order 1 lunch special for take out, I was standing there for 30 minutes... if it was busy i would have understood but beside me there was 1 table of 2 & that's all. I don't understand why it took so long & they don't even apologies for it. on top of it, they didn't provide à spoon for the soup & napkins. I had to take the soup like a drink.
This is a must try when you visit Montreal! It's my go-to for classic tacos whenever I'm in town because they are consistently delicious. The great service puts you at ease; service is quick & friendly. On the busiest nights there will be a bit of a wait, but it's worth it. They also have a variety of Mexican drinks, & the decor is charming. Try it once & you'll become a loyal customer, too!
