One thing I have always said is that Ottawa lacks a bustling street food scene. Fortunately, Sí Señor has filled part of this void at 506 Rideau Street and has done so quite successfully, to say the least. Opened up in 2019, this restaurant has carried on a cooking culture essential to the family that began Sí Señor. Owning restaurants is not new to this cooking family, as the owner’s mother is said to have owned multiple successful eateries in the past. In an attempt to carry on this tradition and bring parts of Mexico to Ottawa, Sí Señor was born on March 23rd, 2019. The restaurant specializes in Mexican street food from all over the country, bringing in cochinita from the Yucatán Peninsula to asada from the north of Mexico.

The main area offers a very cozy intimate environment to eat in. Combining the best of both worlds in a successful attempt to make it feel like eating street food at home. The bright colors, paintings, photos, and varieties of masks hanging around the seating area gives you a little escape to a traditional Mexican bubble. In addition to this, the multiple Spanish-speaking customers that gathered just added that much more to the ambiance. Combining warm comfortable spots and delicious food in the teeth-chattering winters of Ottawa means that this place fills up quickly. Luckily for us, in a not so Game of Thrones fashion, summer is coming and Sí Señor offers an awesome patio to enjoy meals at too.

I went to Sí Señor for one thing and one thing only; Birria Tacos. After the likes of Buzzfeed and Vice teased these treasures in New York food trucks, I knew there had to be someone that offered them somewhere in Ottawa too. At a relatively fair price of $20, I got offered 3 full beef tacos with a side of their delicious onion topped Consomé. It was perfectly filling and especially delicious on a cold day! If there were to be something to improve on, it would definitely be the spice. As much as I loved the dish as it was, a little rise in the number of Scoville units would have been much appreciated, but nothing a few peppers can’t handle.

In my opinion, stepping through those doors at Sí Señor will give you an amazing taste of traditional Mexican cuisine while still staying close to home. With welcoming staff and a casual dining area, you will always be in your comfort zone. Adding a little more spice to my next order, I will most definitely be back for more. Will you?

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