Restaurants

Chancho Has Arrived on the Drive, And It’s Glorious

In its new Commercial Drive location, Chancho continues to serve up some of Vancouver's best tacos.

By Stacey McLachlan /

Commercial Drive, how did you get so lucky?

When Chancho moved out of its Yaletown digs a few months back, it launched a brief dream for all taco-loving Vancouverites that the award-winning Mexican joint would set up shop in their neighbourhood next.

But for us poor saps on the Westside, the dream is over. Commercial Drive won. Chancho is open for business, slinging handmade corn tortillas and delectable by-the-pound fillings to lucky East Van foodies in the former Cafe Deux Soleil location.

Happy hour (3 til 6) is a very good excuse to go eat some very good guac and sip a very good margarita, but come dinner time, it’s all about the tacos. (Tacos that delighted our Restaurant Awards Judges—Chancho is nominated for two awards in our 2023 competition.)

Tortillas are crafted using traditional techniques from small-batch corn producers in a variety of Mexican towns—buy a pack to bring home if you want to be a hero. Order up a casual-cool tray of maciza (pork shoulder) or Panza (pork belly); tiny dishes of pickled cabbage, pinto beans, limes and salsa accompany the feast to further customize your taco experience. Veggie fillings and tortas are knockouts, too.

The new spot is bigger and brighter than the old Yaletown room, but the effortlessly cool vibe (and top-tier tacos) remain. In other words: wherever you live, it’s absolutely worth the trek.

Chancho
2096 Commercial Drive
Open daily

Stacey McLachlan

Stacey McLachlan

Stacey is the editor-in-chief of Vancouver magazine, and a senior editor for our sister mag, Western Living. She's also the author of Vanmag's monthly Know It All column—if you've got a question or wildly unsubstantiated rumour about our city, she wants to get to the bottom of it: [email protected]