Dished Toronto teamed up with Los Compas Tacos to give away 100 free tacos last month, just a few weeks before the local Mexican spot celebrates its very first year in business.

The restaurant, near the corner of Richmond and Spadina, is a truly family-owned and operated establishment in every sense of the term.

Oscar Ramirez, his two daughters and son offer up their warm, courteous service — and their dishes evocative of their home in Tampico, Mexico — day in and day out to the loyal customer base they've already managed to build since opening last December.

And it's no wonder that their lunch crowd in the Fashion District keeps growing and coming back, because the Ramirezes have fulfilled their ultimate goal of offering some of the tastiest tacos in the city.

 

 

 

 

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"When I came to Toronto, I tried to eat Mexican, real Mexican food. But I didn't like any of the tacos here," Ramirez, who was a dentist back home before he moved himself and his family for safety reasons, told me during the big giveaway on September 19.

"There are a lot of places now that make good tacos, but at that time, no. When we tried some restaurants that make Mexican food, the people weren't from Mexico. So I had the idea to make a restaurant with traditional and authentic Mexican tacos."

After finally decided to turn their dream into a reality, the family took their time finding the perfect space in the ideal location.

And their ethos, hard work and attention to detail has definitely paid off: on the day of the giveaway, people had only good things to say about the eats and the vibes, with not a leftover crumb or frown in sight.

Whether they were first-timers or had been to Los Compas before — and the day saw a good mix of both — many told me that the food was "really, really good" and that they were glad they stopped by to fill up that afternoon.

Some had heard about the giveaway beforehand through the Dished Instagram or TikTok and came specifically for it, while others had simply been walking by and couldn't pass up a free taco from a new, independent taqueria.

The Los Compas team had been well-prepped and ready to go from the morning, all of them very excited to welcome 100 hungry people into their space within just a few hours' time.

Kitchen staff, led by chef Roberto, worked hard whipping up an array of pollo (grilled chicken), al pastor (marinated, slow-roasted pork) and nopales (cactus) tacos on their homemade corn and flour tortillas, complete with onion, cilantro, and all of the classic fixings.

People filed in over the early afternoon to eat the free lunch, all served with a smile from the owners themselves in the clean, charming space with its well-thought-out touches and trendy branding.

After securing their feast, everyone was eager to add sauces and toppings to their desired taste and spice levels at Los Compas's self-serve salsa bar and sit down to dig in.

On hand are radishes alongside pico de gallo, salsa roja and salsa verde, all homemade fresh multiple times a day.

You can find Los Compas Tacos and their tasty dishes — which includes not just four house types of tacos, but quesadillas, burritos, tortas, volcanes, bowls, sides like chips and guac, and drinks like horchata and hibiscus tea — at 140 Spadina Avenue. Entrance is on Richmond St.