Awesome Mexican food! If you haven’t been here make sure to add it to your list. We have ordered different dishes including the flautas, burritos, and tacos. Portions are huge so you will with a full belly. Service is good and prices are fair.
Fantastic food and accommodating staff. Carne asada good choice and the beef barbacue tacos are reason why I will be back. Definitely worth the drive.
Super love this place and their food! We hope they can accommodate more people. Their food is just LOVE! I’ve been eating in a lot of mexican dining places but this one is on my #1. We will return here soon.
Delicious food! absolutely a favorite local restaurant. The portions are generous and are well priced, the live music on Friday nights makes it such a great environment.
Daniella Almeida (danyloal)
+5
Soooooooooooooooooo good!!! Food is just heavenly amazing. A must go for Brazilians to get food that tastes like home. Great latin vibe and music.
Absolutely amazing authentic Mexican food!
Had the tostadas this evening. Tender crunchy and fresh. Perfect balance of meat beans and toppings. And HUGE portions.
100% recommend this restaurant to everyone.
Had the choriquezo quesadilla. It was so filling and it was really packed with bold flavours and I love that as soon as you come in here, they immediately give you some chips with salsa to start with. This place gave an authentic feel of Mexican foods and it's definitely a must go!
Wendy and I have recently been on a bit of a quest to find the best restaurant in New Westminster. We tried some of the overly hyped restaurants at the River Market, but somehow this lesser-known gem slipped our mind. Taqueria Playa Tropical is an authentic Mexican restaurant on 6th St. that we have been frequenting for some time, and have had a review in the draft stages for a year now (!!). The pictures below are from a mix of visits during this time period, so please excuse the older, lower resolution ones.
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If you love Mexican food, you'll absolutely love this restaurant. Of all New West's food gems (and there are a lot!), Playa Tropical always stands out for me and has been a longtime favorite!
I'm not a vegetarian, but definitely not much of a carnivore either and often opt for veggie dishes in general. My personal favorite menu item is their vegetarian burrito, which is wrapped in an 11" flour tortilla and wow is it STUFFED. I couldn't believe that they hadn't mixed up my order and given me a Monster Burrito (upsize option) by mistake!
On top of that, the guacamole and pico de gallo are always on point, very fresh and so so delicious.
My girlfriend and I try to visit every time we get together in the area, they have a great dine-in atmosphere and are always busy, and I believe they also have live music some evenings which I can only imagine would be really fun considering it's a spacious, bustling and very lively restaurant to start with.
Awesome place to have dinner with friends or family, date night as well!
Very unique place. Good, authentic Mexican food with a good environment for a small restaurant. We went on a Saturday night and they had live music. Good idea to make a reservation if you REALLY want to get there on a busy night. At some point there were over 15 people on the waiting list.
Very busy, could maybe use an extra server or two but they still were able to manage. Tacos were delicious, prices are good, would certainly come back to try the Burritos or Enchiladas.
Best Mexican food in the suburbs?
The food was absolutely delicious and had an incredible depth of flavor. The prices were very reasonable. I was very interested to see such a large demographic of people there- babies to elderly people of multiple ethnicities all enjoying their meal. The interior could use some updates to make more eye appealing but otherwise was excellent
Love the food and we try something different every time. Current favorites are Carnitas Tacos and the Monster Burrito (which is a great value!). Staff are always friendly and food comes fairly quickly (depending on how busy it is). We enjoy the live music on Friday & Saturday nights as it creates an upbeat, fun atmosphere. Highly recommend this restaurant for casual dining!
i've ranted on other reviews on how chain restaurants put an emphasis on how the staff looks rather than the quality of food. this place has got a great balance. the food is great and the wait staff is easy on the eyes. great place
This is probably the restaurant I crave more than any other. Reliable, authentic Mexican food. Well priced, fresh, and SO GOOD!!!!!!! Have tried a good deal of the menu and yet to be disappointed. ..favourites are definitely the mushroom tacos and veggie burritos
I had the monster burrito. It was flavorful, authentic and very filling. The service, however, does need some work (had to wait a long time for the bill). All in all a solid joint.
This is where all the Mexican people go, so that's one hint that the food must be good. And it sure was! I ordered the ceviche and their fish tacos. The flavors were really good and everything tastes very fresh. My hubby ordered the steak fajitas. It was really good. Maybe even better than my tacos!
Overall, I like the food here. Last night was maybe my 5th or 6th time there. The bean soup is very good, as are the burrito's. Oh, the Margaritas are very good.
The one problem I have with this Mexican restaurant is the same problem I have with every other Mexican restaurant I've been to in Canada. Enchiladas is my favorite Mexican dish. The main problem is they don't use enchilada sauce. They use salsa. To quote the Mexican owner of a Mexican restaurant in Bellingham, "then they aren't enchiladas". I don't know what the problem is here. Why can't they use enchilada sauce? The other thing is that they use very little cheese. The top of the enchilada should be smothered in cheese.
The enchiladas were good for what they were. The rice was very good, as were the refried beans, which were made from black beans not pinto beans. I liked that.
The place looked kind of shady from the outside but as soon as my partner and I stepped in, we saw that there were a lot of people inside who looked to be in good spirits and enjoying their food. We got seated promptly and ordered pretty quick after that. I ordered four tacos- the champinones, camaron, carnitas and choriqueso. All of the tacos looked like what I was expecting for $2.50 per taco- except the camaron taco. It looked really disappointing- it appeared as just a small soft taco with TWO medium sized shrimp on it. Didn't look presentable at all. However, the flavour made up for it. Whatever sauce they had been in made up for how ugly it was. The other three tacos were flavourful and the value was good. The place was quickly suggested by a friend of my partner and I after hungrily looking for a place in the area to eat. We thanked him for suggesting TPT and we're likely to return in the future, as well as suggest it to others!
I had read good reviews about this place and happened to be in the neighbourhood when I had a craving for a burrito. Shortly after I was seated, I was given tortilla chips and 2 types of salsa: 1 red and green to munch on as i perused the menu. I ordered the Carne asado burrito. For a dollar more, rice and beans can be added. Since I'm trying to cut down on the carbs, I opted for without. I thought it interesting as the burrito was served without the ends wrapped inwards (I will take a pic next time; yes, there will definitely be a next time). On the plate there was guacamole which I found surprising as many places offer guacamole for an additional charge. Good prices, decent food and friendly waitstaff.
Very authentic and fresh food. The tacos has a wide variety of selection and the burritos are quite big. The staff are extremely hard working and sometimes over worked as they seem short staffed. This could be because this place is always busy. Get ready to wait for a table as this is one of the hottest restaurants in new west. Order the flan in advance as it's also a favourite
I've never experienced a local restaurant like this, it's the first restaurant that gave me chills with how amazing it tasted. WOW.
The tacos are smaller than your usual, but get around 3-4 to satisfy your hunger.
Highly recommended.
The food was very good!!! Restaurant was very busy but food came fast and was delicious. The prices were good too. This was my first visit, but I will defiantly be back soon.
They have improved since my last visit! We found the food much more flavourful, more satisfying, and in general the experience was more enjoyable! The server was attentive and the food was so tasty, hot, good amount of spice, and still a great price! We will be back many more times!
I never thought I would be wowed by mexican food but WOW! Amazing service, and even better food! We went to celebrate my friend's 20 year Liver transplant and the bill was like $400 for 8-10 of us (with plenty of booze)! Funny thing was that the waitress said that two other parties came there in the past 2 weeks celebrating for the same reason haha! One thing though, the lighting was a little harsh. The cover wasn't on the overhead bright lights so I looked like a weirdo wearing my sunglasses to keep the brightness off haha but no big deal. Sexy low lighting at night would be nice though :)
Whenever I see carnitas as an option, I have to order it and I am glad I did here because it was delicious. The pork was very tender, moist, and flavourful. The tacos were stuffed full of fillings and topped with fresh salsa and a scoop of guacamole, which was a nice touch. Side of Rice and Beans. Unfortunately the tacos don’t come with sides, so I ordered an extra side of rice and beans.
Don't let the appearance foul you, this place serves some pretty solid mexican food. The service though is lacking and the complimentary chips are a bit tasteless
Dinner for two tonight. The tacos were delicious, ordered 3 as they are 2.50 each. Also ordered guacamole with chips as an appetizer, although we had to remind our waitress that we had ordered it. Reading the reviews previous to coming here, I was sort of expecting the sub-par service .. If you are in a hurry, I could see it might bother someone. Unfortunately lived up to the reviews. Bottom line- food was delicious. We drank Paloma's which were also very delicious. I shall be returning to check out the live music!
Well I have finally had the chance to go and yes I can say it was worth the wait. Service could be improved but other then that it is a really good place and worth checking out. Try the enchiladas!
Truly Awesome. You know when a place comes recommended by your friend's Mexican wife that it has to be good! Playa Tropical does not disappoint! It really hits the spot when you just have to have Mexican food and can't drive south of the border. In my opinion, this should be on the must try lit for greater Vancouver. No Joke. Special mention to the Fish platter.
It's good to finally see food of this caliber in Canada.
Great prices, fast with huge portions. I see a lot of reviews complaining about the service but here, you get what you pay for. When you walk in, you can obviously tell that this is not fine dining. The prices are amazing, food is tasty and the portions are huge. We went Valentine's Day evening. It was really busy but we were seated in 5 mins and our orders came in under 10 mins. We enjoyed it. My husbands monster carne asada burrito ($12) was so large it resembled the size of a small newborn.
Place gets packed! Super cheap prices! Reminds me of Mexico. You wouldn't come for the ambiance as decor is pretty traditonal. Food tastes great!
Amazing!. Best mexican food outside of Mexico in my opinion! Always busy so expect to wait but the food is well worth it! Service could be faster but hey, they're always packed so it course they can't be perfect. Been coming here for years and the food never fails to impress!
Second time here; food was much better this time since the last time I went. Last time I went was before the expansion/renovations. Always a good sign when Mexican people are eating here.
Seriously so good. The nachos are to die for. Mmmmmmmm and they have Negra beer!!! Win!
Pastor Taco(Left) Pescado Taco (Right). Fantastic!
Decent Mexican food but sorta plain.
A great find. My friend and I tried Taqueria for the first time tonight. We were not disappointed. I had a chicken enchilada and a margarita. The enchilada and the sides were very flavourful. I've often found that the black bean side tends to be pasty and tasteless. Their black beans were delicious. My margarita hit the spot. My friend had the steak and it was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Though it became quite busy while we were there, the service was excellent and quite attentive. The only complaint is that they forgot my friend's margarita order.
Awesome place with great food, great prices and friendly service. The appies, tacos and enchiladas were all amazing!
Love it. Good food, a little slow but worth waiting for! Thanks for all the good laughs.
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They serve Pazole and that's all I needed to know.. I live in New West and I love Pazole. No more major expeditions for that soul restoring broth of the Gods. That's good, right? Yes, it was good, not stellar but for a guy way too long away from Cozumel it was heavenly. The pazole was rich and mild with tons of pork and hominy. The garnishes weren't what I was expecting. Normally there's be raw onion, radishes, cabbage and lime. Got the lime OK and then lettuce. I actually preferred that over cabbage, but the onion and radishes were AWOL. The crisp tortillas weren't; they were steamed. Not to worry, torn up and added to the broth they were fine. The house made Chorizqueso appetizer was delicious too. Downed with a couple of appropriately frosty Tecates and I was good to go. I'd probably be tougher on the place but now that I have found Pazole and Menudo close to home I'm too blissed out to be critical. Service was brisk and friendly on a busy Friday night. The musical duo was great too. All that was needed was a beach. 6/10
Yummers. I've been here 3 times and each time has been good. Waitresses were able to ensure that my meal was gluten-free which is important. If you are vegetarian like me, you might want to be careful. I assumed the rice was ok however last time the waitress told me it contains chicken in the seasoning. I would have avoided it had I known. The lime margaritas are delicious, as are the chips and hot sauces.
QUE RICO!!!! Been going t.... QUE RICO!!!!
Been going to the Playa Tropical on a regular basis for almost two years now. It's a great little (recently expanded) place for lunch or dinner. The food is always delicious and nicely plated, fresh and plentiful. If you're lucky and chef Victor was in the mood, the mole is the best! And occasionally they have the most wonderful Tres Leches cake. Sometimes the food is a bit slow to arrive but good things are worth waiting for. The staff is always warm and friendly and I'm always given a pleasant welcome. The prices are more than fair and I often have to take home a doggie bag.
Fridays and weekends there's live music, and if you're not there before 5:30pm be prepared for a lineup. Again, worth the wait.
If I have anything bad to say it's this: they don't have mole or Tres Leches on the menu often enough.
Newly renovated and expanded. They just expanded three weeks ago, taking over the space from the previous laundromat next door and opening up the wall. Seems brighter inside now.
This place has delicious food and drinks but the service is terrible! If that was my restraunt those servers would no longer have jobs.
5th time here and no complaints. Good varieties of basic Mexican food, well cooked and served. Tacos are authentic and tasty@ a toonie each
Great Experience. We really enjoyed our dining experience last night. Lovely down-to-earth little Mexican place with live music, tasty food, and happy upbeat staff. A little gem in New West.
I read the negative reviews after I had tried this restaurant. I live 2 blocks away and kept seeing it always busy so finally I tried it last night. Clean, small and there was a man playing Spanish music on his acoustic guitar. Waitress was very nice, explained some of the dishes I was inquiring about.
I ordered the burrito with red sauce which was on special for $11. It was so large and cooked well, tasted so good, more cilantro then others might not like but I love cilantro so I didn't mind. I didn't order any drinks, but when I saw others ordering margs they looked good.
It was full when I got there but the food came at a reasonable time. When I asked for the bill, they only have one portable debit machine but I didn't mind waiting as I was so stuffed from my meal.
Definitely will go back again. Not sure why so many negative experiences, but I still feel people shouldn't rely on those, just check it out, if you don't like then you can try something else.
Mmm delish! We had some michiladas margarita drinks we so good. I ate the pescada sealtadas and it was top notch fish. Definitely coming back
Very great Mexican food. Come early. The Cameron shrimp tacos are the best, along with Chicken quesadilla and beef burrito. Service is probably a seven depending on your server. But I always go back.
Excellent ceviche, tacos very tasty and service was great. Dont get what the previous reviewers were talking about service problems.
OLA!. Love, love, love this place. It's quaint, great service and the food is tasty. My favourites are the choriqueso taco, the salsa (try the shrimp cocktail), and the margueritas! Friday night we were there for three hours enjoying the food and the music. Our new favourite haunt! In fact, my husband is on his way there now to pick up a take out order!
This place is amazing! The wait to get in was a bit long, but it was well worth it! Our waiter was super friendly and very helpful for helping my friends and I pick the most delicious menu items. The food came out super quick and it was so good! I got the tacos and my friends had the monster burritos which were HUGE! Best bang for your buck! We also got 2 pitchers of margaritas and they had many flavours to choose from. I HIGHLY recommend going here! I will definitely be back!
They work hard to keep the flavors authentic. Cheap tacos ($3 each!), plenty of interior seating, and pretty good cocktails.
You get what you pay for: nothing fancy here/over the top presentation but flavors are solid. I would try the plate or monster burritos next. Service was adequate.
Minimal free spots in the back, pay parking on main street but if you’re willing to walk block there’s free residential parking around. Cash or card accepted.
Our new neighbourhood favourite! We always wanted to try this place and it was worth it. We shared a platter for dinner and churros for dessert, and it was more than enough food for two. Great proportions, delicious and tasty food - we will definitely keep coming back!
Just had lunch here & omgoodness! It's been on my list of places to try & I really wish I had come here sooner, but better late than never right?!
It's a bright spacious restaurant with well spaced out tables. The service is friendly & inviting.
We order 2 Pollo Asada Platters (one with a side of mole) & 2 Carne Asada Platters.
These platters easily make two meals for a small eater & one delicious feast for a big eater. Everything is well prepared & absolutely delicious. Their mole 🤯.
We capped off our meal with Tres Leches & Churros. They make their Churros fresh to order so it takes about 10 minutes, but trust me it's worth the wait! They are literally the best Churros I have ever had.
This place doesn't need any publicity as it was packed the entire time we were here. Do yourself a favour & check it out. This is a great little gem in New West!
If you love authentic Mexican food, you can’t go wrong here. We tried a bit of everything. We had the ‘appy trio’ which was delish. A nice way to sample the guacamole, ceviche and salsa. The main meal we had shrimp quesadilla, shrimp enchilada, Choriqueso (Mexican chorizo) quesadilla, & Steak. The original steak order came out as tough & hard to cut through the meat. They were willing to get it right by preparing another cut. If you order the steak, make sure you ask for the thin cut. Someone had the chicken and veggie soup which was a huge serving. They even have a kids menu which is a bonus!
The real deal is when they offer week day specials from Monday to Friday. On Fridays go for the full meal deal - MONSTER Burrito for $12. It was humungous, enough for at least 3 meals. If you’re into some Latin music, visit on a Friday or Saturday night from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm for live music. There are plenty of drink choices too! Be prepared to wait as it’s probably the best Mexican food around.
Food was amazing good quality and quantity. Staff was very nice and polite. You have to visit the place for these enormous margaritas my favourite “lime Margarita double shot”
Top notch Mexican restaurant. Great atmosphere, outstanding service and excellent food. It reminds us so much of the Mexican restaurants when we were in S. Texas & S. California. Every dish was prepared fresh with quality ingredients. This is a restaurant that we will visit often. Highly recommended.
One of my favourite Mexican restaurants. Their tacos are really good but I love their rice and beans plates. Their monster burrito is the best value meal. This place is always busy with 15-30 min waits.
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