Forget the sombreros. Grand Electric on Queen Street in west-end Parkdale is not that kind of taqueria. There was nothing Mexican about its matte-black exterior that didn’t even feature a name sign, the red-painted picnic table that seated my party of six, the chalkboard menus, or the bare midriffed waitress. And the loud funk-fused-with-rap beats blasting from the speaker not two metres overhead had no mariachi in them. 

But, hombre, consensus around the picnic table was that whoever was in the cocina knew what they were doing. Beef, chicken, pork, fish or cauliflower, the tacos were excellent. As were the stinging tequila, lime, jalapeño cocktails. If you’re going to do a Toronto-edgy-hipster version of Mexico, you’d better be sure the food is great. Grand Electric succeeded.