This week marks Cinco de Mayo, a celebration that, while rooted in Mexican history, has increasingly become a reflection of Toronto's evolving food culture. In 1980, you could count the number of Mexican restaurants in the city on one hand, with places like Chi-Chi's and Hernando's Hideaway defining the category. Today, that number has exploded, with well over 100 establishments across the GTA. Over the same period, Toronto's Mexican-origin population has grown steadily; from a very small base in the 1980s to roughly 60,000 today, helping to support demand for more authentic and diverse cuisine. These figures are estimates compiled from a variety of online sources, historical references, and census-based approximations, but the trend is clear: Mexican food in Toronto has moved from novelty to a firmly established and rapidly growing part of the city's restaurant landscape.
