I recently attended the opening party for the latest eatery from the Tacofino group in the Mount Pleasant/Olympic Village neighborhood. Each of their locations usually has a different name to give each a slightly different identity. This one is no exception, dubbed as their new flagship eatery,

It is one of the largest eateries in this local chain, 2,800 square feet of space in a refurbished art-deco heritage building and offers a 100-seat dining room and expansive horseshoe-shaped bar for dine-in guests with a take-out counter soon to open for those looking for quick-service, grab-and-go options.

Media guests were treated to a selection of drinks including Margaritas. On the food side of things we had a chance to try much of the menu during the evening starting off with platters of their chips and dips, followed my many different tacos

Reinforcing Tacofino’s long-standing tradition of offering menus unique to each location, Ocho features a lineup of fire-grilled, char-roasted meat and vegetable dishes developed by Sussman and Tacofino’s Michelin-starred Chef Stefan Hartmann. Beyond an assortment of tacos such as grilled skirt steak, crispy cod, rapini, squid and sweet potato and leek varieties, Ocho also offers new share-plate options such as whole grilled rockfish, half chicken, grilled pork belly and top sirloin as well as starters like grilled romaine salad, queso fundido, empanadas and pozole.

At the Ocho bar, guests can enjoy a pint of rotating local beer selections on tap from such local craft breweries as Strange Fellows, Brassneck, Strathcona and Superflux as well as import beers and an array of house-made tequila-based cocktails like the paloma, classic lime or jalapeño-infused margaritas and Caesars as well as sangria available by the glass and pitcher.

Taking a sneak peak into the kitchen you can see chefs at work, the kitchen is open for all to have a view.

Tacofino Ocho is located at 8 E 5th Ave in Vancouver; you can find them on instagram @TacofinoVAN

By: Richard Wolak