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First Look Inside Tacofino’s New Taco Bar – Opens Friday In Gastown’s Blood Alley

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Chef Jason Sussman and Kaeli Robinsong of Tacofino have come a long way since their food truck days in Tofino. Having partnered with Vancouverite Ryan Spong, they’ve since expanded with brick and mortar locations in Hastings-Sunrise and in downtown Victoria, plus a mobile operation in the Okanagan. Their highly anticipated Blood Alley adventure – aka “Taco Bar” – is their biggest yet (8o seats with a 15 seat patio), and it’s set to open to the public tomorrow night (Friday, January 9th) after a couple of successful dry-runs.

We were present at the first of these, and we took a bunch of photos, which you’ll find below. We won’t comment on the food (we were only charged for drinks) except to say that we have no reason to doubt the kitchen’s readiness. We do, however, highly recommend that you check it out for yourselves.

Also, holy shit do they ever make refreshing margaritas!

We’ve been big fans since Tacofino’s start so it’s a wonderful thing to see them finding so much success. And it’s awesome to have them so much closer to home now. If the daily line-ups at their recently opened take-out Burrito Bar are any indication (located at back of the space with frontage at 15 West Cordova), these guys are going to do very well in these parts.

And lo, if the city (and the neighbours) grant their wish for a rooftop patio, there are greater hoorays to come.

  • Blood Alley entrance
  • Entrance
  • Taco Bar!
  • Shishito peppers with tamarind salt
  • Demystifying the POS
  • Mmm, margarita...
  • High tops
  • Salsas
  • Booths
  • Staff all set
  • Oaxacan corn fritters
  • First orders coming in
  • Kitchen peepshow
  • Bar
  • Familiar faces
  • Set up
  • Stocking the pass
  • Kitchen
  • Pass
  • The line-up
  • POS gathering
  • IMG_9810
  • Glazed beef rib with chilaquiles
  • The pass
  • The hall with kitchen swing doors
  • Crispy chicken taco
  • Bar area
  • Service
  • Walking taco of chorizo, bean dip, cheese sauce
  • Dry run
  • Fish taco
  • Plating corn fritters
  • Pass gathering
  • High top
  • Churro bites
  • Churro bites
  • Taco Bar entrance in Blood Alley
  • Burrito Bar

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