After facing numerous obstacles over a year and a half, Pos Bueno Mexican Restaurant opened in downtown Brampton in November 2018 and has already garnered high reviews across the internet.
Pos Bueno is the only authentic Mexican restaurant in Brampton, with many ingredients being imported directly from the country. The vibrant, colourful location is staffed with friendly faces and has lots of happy patrons and, as some readers have already told us, is perfect for date night.
On Friday nights, the kitchen closes at 10 p.m. for bachata and merengue dancing. On Saturdays, restaurant-goers are serenaded by a mariachi band between 9 PM and 10:30 PM, who merrily perform table to table, involve the audience and brings an experience that is unlike any other in the city.
Every table is served duros, addictively-crunchy fried wagon wheels made with puffed wheat. It is served alongside a variety of sauces including a jalapeño with tomatillo puree, a jalapeño puree with garlic, and hot chile de árbol in oil.
The rajas con crema polarized our team, either loving it or questioning its flavour. The savoury, chunky appetizer appeals to the slightly sweeter palate from the poblano peppers sautéed with onions, corn, sour cream and melted cheese. This shareable arrives with warm corn tortillas.
The queso chorizo is reminiscent of a fajita skillet filled with a melted cheese similar to mozzarella and covered with ample crumbled spicy chorizo (pork sausage). Think of the skillet as a meat-and-cheese-lovers’ paradise. On the lighter side, the sopa Azteca brown broth is thin but hearty and tangy from the pasilla chiles. It is satisfyingly packed with crispy julienned corn tortilla strips and topped with queso fresco.
Three to a plate, the pastor tacos are two flat, soft, corn tortillas, topped with onions, coriander, lime and the pastor: a spicy pork. If you’re not into the heat we recommend having the chicken tinga or the cochinita pibil (pulled pork slow cooked in achiote sauce) as a taco filling.
The chicken tinga is delicious. Onion heavy, the chicken is simmered in a tomato and chipotle sauce and shredded. Chipotle is a smoked jalapeño pepper. When added to the tomato base and the onions, the chicken takes on a smokey and aromatic flavour, and works perfectly with the side of rice, which should not be missed. Cooked in garlic, onion and carrots or potatoes, the Mexican white rice can sufficiently stand alone.
The enchiladas suizas and enchiladas verdes are two of their most popular items on the menu. Three fried tortillas are stuffed with chicken, and topped with the green jalapeño house sauce (suizas) or a green tomatillo sauce (verdes). Both are then drizzled with cream and cheese, and plated with a side of rice.
In both cases, the sauces make the dish. As with any enchilada, the sauce seeps into the corn tortilla, which changes the consistency and texture. However, the enchilada filling is simple, as the chicken is cooked directly on pan and pulled. For additional flavour and moisture, we used the variety of sauces served originally with our duros.
Not as sweet as a Canadian hot chocolate, the delightful Mexican rendition is slightly thicker and grainy from the Mexican table chocolate, frothy on top, and spicy from the cinnamon.
Although we were too full to try, we have been also recommended the pozole (rich Mexican broth with pork, guajillo peppers and hominy), cafe de olla (Mexican coffee with cinnamon and slight caramel sweetness) and the churros.
Brampton is incredibly lucky to have a place like Pos Bueno in the city. We recommend visiting Pos Bueno, especially on a Friday and Saturday night for a vibrant, local experience.
