Honestly some of the best fish tacos I've ever had in Montreal. The tortillas were perfectly crispy, fish was battered perfectly & the hot sauce given on the side was super flavourful. My partner got the Birria tacos & was equally as impressed. Terrace is also dog friendly which is a huge plus! Highly recommend 😁
Overall Impression:
I've walked by Taco Tin Tan thousands of times.
Seriously.
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.
The food itself was genuinely good.
We ordered:
* guacamole to start,
* mushroom & pineapple tacos,
* & pollo tacos.
The guacamole absolutely stole the show.
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.
The crowd was a mix of:
* couples,
* friends hanging out,
* festival foot traffic,
* & neighbourhood locals.
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.
