Toronto's best vegan tacos — Taqueria Vegana makes fully plant-based Mexican street tacos on house-pressed corn tortillas with fillings that are genuinely satisfying: al pastor (jackfruit, achiote, pineapple), suadero (mushroom, slow-cooked and fatty), and rotating specials that draw on Mexican culinary traditions without using any animal products.
Neighbourhood: Kensington Market · Address: 259 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2L8 · Hours: Tue–Sun 11am–9pm | Closed Monday
Why Visit
Taqueria Vegana nails the texture and flavour of classic Mexican street tacos without a scrap of animal product. The tortillas are made fresh in-house and fillings like jackfruit al pastor genuinely impress even non-vegans.
What Makes It Unique
Instead of leaning on generic veggie tacos, they recreate complex Mexican flavours—like slow-cooked mushroom suadero and pineapple-jackfruit al pastor—on proper corn tortillas. Their rotating specials go beyond tacos, regularly featuring inventive, hard-to-find vegan takes on regional Mexican dishes.
Taqueria Vegana opened in Kensington Market and quickly established itself as the definitive answer to the question of what vegan Mexican street food looks like when made with real technique and serious ingredients. The foundation of the operation is the tortilla: corn tortillas pressed in-house from masa, cooked on a comal to order, warm and slightly charred and tasting like actual corn. The quality of the tortilla is the thing that most North American Mexican restaurants get wrong and that most taco lovers immediately recognize when it is right.
The al pastor filling is the menu's centrepiece and the most technically accomplished vegan preparation: jackfruit marinated in achiote paste, dried chilies (guajillo, ancho), orange juice, and spices, then slow-cooked until it achieves the fibrous, slightly caramelized texture that makes al pastor satisfying as a filling rather than as a curiosity. The pineapple component — raw pineapple added fresh, not cooked into sweetness — provides the acid and brightness that the traditional al pastor achieves with the same ingredient. The result is a taco that functions as al pastor rather than approximating it.
The suadero — slow-cooked mushrooms braised until they achieve a fatty, deeply savoury character reminiscent of the beef brisket suadero of Mexico City tacos — is the second essential order. Rotating weekly specials pull from regional Mexican traditions: mole preparations, regional chili sauces, chayote and other Mexican vegetables that most Toronto Mexican restaurants don't stock. The pricing ($4–6 per taco) makes a three-taco lunch one of the best Kensington Market midday options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Taqueria Vegana Toronto fully vegan?
Yes — Taqueria Vegana is 100% plant-based with no animal products in any preparation. The tortillas are made from masa (corn only), the fillings are entirely plant-based (jackfruit al pastor, mushroom suadero, seasonal vegetables), and all salsas, condiments, and garnishes are vegan. It is one of the few fully plant-based Mexican restaurants in Toronto.
What makes Taqueria Vegana tacos different from other vegan tacos?
Taqueria Vegana presses its corn tortillas in-house from masa — the single biggest quality differentiator in Mexican street food. The fillings (jackfruit al pastor with achiote and chilies, slow-braised mushroom suadero) are made with technique borrowed from traditional Mexican cooking rather than simple substitutions. The result is tacos that function as real tacos, not vegan approximations.
How much do tacos cost at Taqueria Vegana?
Tacos at Taqueria Vegana are approximately $4–6 each. A three-taco lunch runs approximately $14–18 including a drink — among the best value lunch options in Kensington Market. The pricing is comparable to or lower than non-vegan taco shops in the neighbourhood.
Where is Taqueria Vegana in Toronto?
Taqueria Vegana is at 259 Augusta Avenue in Kensington Market, a 5-minute walk from Spadina Station (Line 2). Open Tuesday through Sunday from 11am; closed Monday. The restaurant is in the heart of the Augusta Avenue pedestrian zone.