New Tacofino Ocho Locations Opens in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant

Iconic West Coast Brand Brings Fresh Spin on Signature Baja-Inspired Fare to New Neighbourhood in Licensed Restaurant with Seating for 100

The newest member of Tacofino’s growing family of restaurants, Ocho, officially opens its doors in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood tonight at 5 p.m. at 8 East 5th Avenue.

The sixth brick-and-mortar location for Tacofino, Ocho occupies 2,800 square feet of space in a refurbished art-deco heritage building and offers a 100-seat dining room and expansive horseshoe-shaped bar for dine-in guests with a take-out counter soon to open for those looking for quick-service, grab-and-go options.

Ocho is the latest addition to a beloved West Coast brand that was launched in 2009 when cofounders Jason Sussman and Kaeli Robinsong opened the original Tacofino Cantina in Tofino, BC and quickly gained a following thanks to their signature quality, fresh and affordable fare prepared with an environmental and nutritional conscience.

Reinforcing Tacofino’s long-standing tradition of offering menus unique to each location, Ocho features a lineup of fire-grilled, char-roasted meat and vegetable dishes developed by Sussman and Tacofino’s Michelin-starred Chef Stefan Hartmann. Beyond an assortment of tacos such as grilled skirt steak, crispy cod, rapini, squid and sweet potato and leek varieties, Ocho also offers new share-plate options such as whole grilled rockfish, half chicken, grilled pork belly and top sirloin as well as starters like grilled romaine salad, queso fundido, empanadas and pozole.

At the Ocho bar, guests can enjoy a pint of rotating local beer selections on tap from such local craft breweries as Strange Fellows, Brassneck, Strathcona and Superflux as well as import beers and an array of house-made tequila-based cocktails like the paloma, classic lime or jalapeño-infused margaritas and Caesars as well as sangria available by the glass and pitcher.

In envisioning Ocho’s décor, Vancouver’s Shiloh Sukkau — who also blueprinted the design of Tacofino’s Gastown, Yaletown and Oasis locations — found her inspiration in the folk-art flower motif adopted as a sign of peace by the counterculture movements of the 1960s. At Ocho, she uses it as a template for the corrugated-concrete bar and planter that serve as centerpieces and in the design of the interlocking tables and graphics for signage and menus. She also contrasts the motif and highlights the industrial origins of the building — originally home to a manufacturer of electrical components for the allied war effort in 1942 — by incorporating unfinished materials such as concrete, wood and steel into the space.

“Mount Pleasant is such a vibrant and exciting place and exactly the sort of neighbourhood we like to call home,” says Sussman. “Ocho has given us the opportunity to share some fresh menu ideas more closely related to the things we like to cook for our friends and family.”

For more information on Tacofino, go to tacofino.com, become a fan of /TacofinoVAN on Facebook or follow @TacofinoVAN on Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT TACOFINO OCHO | Located in Vancouver’s burgeoning Mount Pleasant neighbourhood at 8 East 5th Avenue, Tacofino Ocho is the latest addition to a growing family of restaurants that was launched by Jason Sussman and Kaeli Robinsong in Tofino, BC in 2009. Situated in a refurbished heritage art-deco building at the corner of Ontario Street and East 5th Avenue, Tacofino Mount Pleasant offers dine-in guests Tacofino’s celebrated surf-centric atmosphere and Baja-by-way-of-West-Coast fare in a fully-licenced restaurant featuring a 100-seat dining room, expansive horseshoe-shaped bar and new menu of fire-grilled meat and vegetable share plates, starters and tacos.

8 E 5th Ave, Vancouver BC V5T 1G8 | Sunday – Wednesday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Thursday – Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight | tacofino.com

Facebook: /TacofinoVAN | Instagram: @TacofinoVAN | Twitter: @TacofinoVAN