You know Wilbur Mexicana is serving something good from the
constant line that forms at its doorway – having passed by the eatery on
numerous occasions, I’ve never seen it clear. So, when a casual meal was
required, after an event in the King West area, this bustling restaurant came
to mind. Part of the growing quick-service industry, the concept is simple:
grab a menu, order, sit down anywhere with your sign on display and they’ll
bring the food to you.
Not realizing that every meal already comes with crispy warm
non-greasy tortilla chips, we started with the guacamole and chips ($5), which
came shortly after settling down at one of the large communal tables. For the
price, Wilbur provides a relatively large cup of the rich creamy dip, a simple
combination of avocado, cilantro and lime juice.
For those who can’t decide between seafood or meat, the
S&T burrito ($12) solves your dilemma since it contains both brisket and
shrimp. What a hefty burrito, its grilled tortilla brimming with rice, beans,
peppers, onions, jalapeno, cheese, sour cream salsa and lettuce. All the
ingredients were fresh and delicious: a good portion of the soft shredded beef,
the hot shrimp just barely cooked through and even the rice retaining its
individual grains and giving off a fragrant aroma.
The bulgogi taco ($4.25) was stingy with the beef, although
what was on there was well marinated and tasty, but did contain plenty of
crunchy red cabbage and pear slaw. Not remembering the taco contained sriracha,
the blast of spice was unexpected but contrasted nicely with the otherwise
sweeter elements.
In a way, it’s such a shame that the burrito and taco were
already so flavourful, really not requiring additional salsa or hot sauce,
since Wilbur Mexicana has such a great selection of both. The salsas range from
a mild pico de gallo (which was delicious with the chips) or sweet pineapple to
more lethal pureed sauces that hide devilish chilies such as ghost peppers.
Even the middle-of-the-range asada, made from smoky chipotles, already had
enough of the burn quotient for me. With the jalapeno in the burrito and sriracha
in the taco, I didn’t even bother venturing to the hot sauce shelf.
I rather enjoyed the laid back brightly lit environment at
Wilbur. You wouldn’t necessarily go there for a long meal filled with meaningful
conversations. But, for a quick bite or a re-fueling while doing a King Street
bar crawl, I can’t think of a better place.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 552 King Street West
Address: 552 King Street West
Website: http://wilburmexicana.com/
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Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
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