It's a pretty good feeling when you find yourself dreaming of
last night's dinner. That pretty much sums up how I feel about
Bandida's Taqueria, a relatively new
vegetarian/vegan Mexican diner on Commercial Drive
in Vancouver.
I've already been there a few times for dinner
and now that they serve a daily brunch from 10am,
I think another visit is order. Tomorrow a
Mexican-inspired breakfast sounds pretty lovely.
What I like about this place is that it's
comfortable. It's hip without being pretentious. The large windows
makes for nice lighting and the interior feels homey with a large
wooden bar and a clock made from an old hub cap. Fresh flowers and
pretty vinyl tablecloths adorn every table. The wait staff is
friendly and they go beyond the call of duty. When I wanted to
split a draft pint of local wheat beer with my husband, instead of
bringing just the pint I had ordered, the waitress split it into 2
smaller glasses with 2 slices of lemon. It was a nice
touch.
But really, décor aside, what makes this place wonderful is the
food. It's fresh, it's healthy and it just tastes really, really
good. So far, I've just stuck with the
burritos. The "Estelle" ($7) comes loaded with roasted
pineapple, black beans, rice, fresh salsa and sour cream. It's not
super spicy but it is super flavourful. And hey, if you want hot,
you can always choose their hot salsa or just load on the hot
sauce. The "Leona Gail" ($8) is chock full of chipotle tofu and
pinto beans and is also very delicious. Once, my husband ordered
the tacos on house-made corn
tortillas and he was pretty happy with his choice
since he always chooses corn tortillas over flour ones any day. If
you are vegan, you can easily substitute their house-made soy sour
cream and vegan gourmet cheese for the dairy stuff.
Luckily, Bandida's is licensed so they serve
lots of tasty local beers on tap and in the
bottle. I haven't tried their sangria, but their
lime margaritas are perfect... not too sweet and
super refreshing (and strong!). If you aren't in a boozy frame of
mind, they also have some pretty wonderful homemade drinks, like
lemonade or a fresh cranberry soda.
The food and drinks are all affordable and a quick look at their
website shows that they support a sustainable
community. Their company vehicle is a bike and cargo
trailer, they have re-used equipment, building materials and
furniture and try to buy locally when possible. They even have a
blog so that you can keep up to date with their news and read about
the struggles and joys of running a restaurant.
So, all told, I am very happy to spend my hard-earned cash at
Bandida's Taqueria where in return I know I will be getting
quality, quantity and deliciousness. I think it's a fair trade.
View Larger Map
Bandida's Taqueria
2781 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC
(604) 568-8224
Jeannette Ordas is a Vancouver-based Web Designer andFood Bloggerwho is probably right now thinking
about what she'll make for dinner.
Bazaar's Restaurantsposts are featured every
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Posted:
Fri, May 08 2009 by
Guest Blogger