Pollito machete - Wouldn’t do it again. Very bland and dry.

Machete Mexican Ancestral Food

17 ratings
$$ • Mexican Restaurant
Reported to have a gluten-free menu
Safety Rating
17 ratings

As rated by the community

1007 Main St
Vancouver, BC V6A 4L4, Canada

Most Recent Reviews


Symptomatic Celiac
2 weeks ago

Ugh… I hate to leave this review, but it needs said. Let me preface it by saying I’m glad that it’s almost an entirely gluten free establishment. Kudos for that, but sadly, it ends there. This was hands down some of the worst Mexican food we’ve ever had, and I would definitely consider myself a connoisseur. I’m an Angelino. Mexican food is life! You can’t wander more than a couple blocks without finding a delicious mom and pop shop or a hole in the wall that will blow your mind. My stepfather is from Zacatecas and much of his family live in Guanajuato. I grew up surrounded by delicious Mexican food, each city, each family a different flair, flavor, seasoning, spice level. We’ve traveled to 64 countries and we love to hunt down one Mexican restaurant in each country (this can be incredibly difficult) to try. A fun tradition we have while traveling…yes we take it THIS seriously!! The best so far have been Denmark, London, Singapore, Nice, Mali Maldives, Cambodia all amazing and their own little twist! By far the worst was Prague Czech Republic. In Prague our burrito was covered in Ketchup, our “quesadilla” was more like Ethiopian injera, it came with some sort of grated cheese (goat?), boiled peas, and some grated carrot… it was saaaaad. The reviews for Machete had us so stoked! When it said “ancestral” we figured it would be amazing, home cooked style. Every single dish we got was disappointing. The queso fundido was reminiscent of alpo dog food covered with some dry melted cheese and about 12 corn chips. The machete Pollito, was dry, flavorless and unimpressive. The pastor Huaraches was terrible, the diced pineapple was the best part. The meat all tasted like it was a small step up from pet food. Old bits of dry meat that had been sitting on a hot plate for hours or days. We each tried a hot chocolate. The regular and the lavender. My friends own a lavender farm in Utah and I’m obsessed with all things lavender. Again, such a basic, bland, old/stale flavor. The flowers had almost no vibrant color left and such a mild lavender flavor. It wasn’t an infusion.. We didn’t finish any of the dishes or drinks and couldn’t get out of there fast enough. If you’re a fan of Yucatán, Mexico City style, SoCal Mexican or Tex Mex Mexican food, this ISN’T it. Congrats to those who enjoy it, but it wasn’t like anything I grew up with or have tried anywhere in the world. I know we’re not alone as there were three other tables around us and everyone there was also having the same experience! Their faces and full plates said it all. We wanted so badly to enjoy this and we didn’t at all. The bright side of this sad review is: The setup was cute and the lone man working all the tables was absolutely wonderful and very kind…the food was just bad.

Safety
Taste
Variety
GF Menu Items
  • — Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Fries, Dessert & more
Is there a gluten-free menu?
  • — Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu
Safety Features
  • — Dedicated fryer
Other
  • — Good for keto
Pollito machete - Wouldn’t do it again. Very bland and dry.
Queso notsofundido. Bland, very dry, no stretch in the cheese. We hoped for a delicious Queso Fundido like Casa Machado in San Diego or Sol Y Luna in Woodland Hills, CA. But nada…I wouldn’t even call this Queso Fundido. :-(
1 month ago

Menu is basically 100% gluten free. Dairy free options and subs with vegan cheese!

Safety
Taste
Variety
Safety Features
  • — Dedicated fryer
Other
  • — Good for dairy-free
Celiac
2 months ago

This place is a hidden gem! The food is absolutely delicious, especially the yuca fries and the Machete Champion dish. The handmade hot chocolate with lavender and coconut milk is a must-try. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I had no reactions.

Safety
Taste
Variety
GF Menu Items
  • — Tacos, Fries, Burritos, Dessert & more
Safety Features
  • — Dedicated fryer

Important

This establishment is NOT a dedicated gluten-free facility and may not be safe for those with celiac disease. Please contact the establishment directly to inquire about safety precautions.
Information contained in this listing is based on reports by the community. Please verify all information directly with the establishment.

Reported safety features

Other

Collections
In 3 Public Collections

Photos


Pollito machete - Wouldn’t do it again. Very bland and dry.
Queso notsofundido. Bland, very dry, no stretch in the cheese. We hoped for a delicious Queso Fundido like Casa Machado in San Diego or Sol Y Luna in Woodland Hills, CA. But nada…I wouldn’t even call this Queso Fundido. :-(
Machete Mexican Ancestral Food gluten-free menu
Machete Mexican Ancestral Food gluten-free menu
Machete Mexican Ancestral Food gluten-free menu
Machete Mexican Ancestral Food gluten-free menu
Machete
Add a photo View all photos

More Reviews


Celiac
2 months ago

Wonderful, beautiful experience with my celiac kids. So many choices they didn’t know what to do 😍 And the GF banana bread for dessert 😋 yum!!!

Safety
Taste
Variety
GF Menu Items
  • — Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Dessert, Enchiladas & more
Is there a gluten-free menu?
  • — Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu
Safety Features
  • — Dedicated fryer
Celiac
3 months ago

great food, all but 1 thing on the menu was gluten free. friendly service, will be back!

Safety
Taste
Variety
GF Menu Items
  • — Tacos
Is there a gluten-free menu?
  • — Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu
Safety Features
  • — Knowledgeable staff
Other
  • — Dinner
  • — Vegetarian options
  • — Good for wheat-free
  • — Healthy options
Symptomatic Celiac
3 months ago

Sweet space and lovely staff as well as being 99% gluten free.

Safety
Taste
Variety
Machete Mexican Ancestral Food gluten-free menu
Machete Mexican Ancestral Food gluten-free menu
Machete Mexican Ancestral Food gluten-free menu
Machete Mexican Ancestral Food gluten-free menu
Celiac
3 months ago

Get the QuesaBirrira!!! I still daydream about it

Safety
Taste
Variety
GF Menu Items
  • — Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Burritos, Enchiladas
Is there a gluten-free menu?
  • — Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu
Safety Features
  • — Dedicated kitchen space
  • — Other dedicated equipment
  • — Knowledgeable staff
Other
  • — Dinner
  • — Vegetarian options
Symptomatic Celiac
4 months ago

We are visiting Vancouver and saw this place on Find Me Gluten Free- it was so good!! My husband got the cheese enchiladas and I got a Rojas machete. Nearly everything on their menu is GF and the staff were very friendly. Highly recommended!!

Safety
Taste
Variety
GF Menu Items
  • — Tacos, Enchiladas
Other
  • — Good for dairy-free
Celiac
4 months ago

This is a go-to takeout place for us now!! Great food, we love the yuca bites and machetes

Safety
Taste
Variety
GF Menu Items
  • — Tacos
Symptomatic Celiac
6 months ago

Staff are friendly and considerate. Had no issues and no symptoms, food was good. Will be back!

Safety
Taste
Variety
GF Menu Items
  • — Tacos
Celiac
7 months ago

The whole menu is GF and can also be adapted to be DF. Owner was very knowledgeable.

dedicated gluten-free badge Dedicated GF
Safety
Taste
Variety
GF Menu Items
  • — Tacos
Other
  • — Good for dairy-free
Symptomatic Celiac
7 months ago

Found this restaurant using the find me gf app. Delicious carne asada tacos. It’s nice to have celiac safe options while traveling.

Safety
Taste
Variety
GF Menu Items
  • — Tacos
Is there a gluten-free menu?
  • — Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu
Symptomatic Celiac
9 months ago

Amazing. Only 1 item on menu not gf so there is soo much choice. Best mexican i have ever had ((:

Safety
Taste
Variety
10 months ago

Wow! My soul feels nourished. This is a true gem. Whole family enjoy sharing all the dishes and healthy elixirs. The whole menu is gf except one dish—the owner is gf. I enjoyed watching everyone at the other tables savoring too. You don’t want to rush this experience.

Safety
Taste
Variety
Is there a gluten-free menu?
  • — Separate gluten-free menu
Safety Features
  • — Dedicated kitchen space
  • — Other dedicated equipment
  • — Dedicated fryer
  • — Knowledgeable staff
Other
  • — Good for dairy-free
  • — Dinner
  • — Vegetarian options
  • — Good for keto
Celiac
11 months ago

This is the second time we have ordered and the food is always delicious and I haven't gotten sick. I called and they said they were 100% gluten free, but their cheese bread sticks say they contain wheat on uber eats. I've only ordered for delivery and it could be hotter. But it is definitely delicious! Planning to tey in person soon.

dedicated gluten-free badge Dedicated GF
Safety
Taste
Variety
Celiac
1 year ago

Small, kind of hole in the wall, but sooo good. Almost everything is gluten free. The food is unique. Bonus, is it's a good place for dairy free too.

Safety
Taste
Variety
Is there a gluten-free menu?
  • — No gluten-free information on the menu
Celiac
1 year ago

This restaurant is run by someone with a gluten allergy! Most if not all of their food is gluten free, good understanding of gluten and cross contamination. Also, probably the best actual Mexican food in the city.

Safety
Taste
Variety
Is there a gluten-free menu?
  • — Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu
Safety Features
  • — Dedicated kitchen space
  • — Other dedicated equipment
  • — Dedicated fryer
  • — Knowledgeable staff

More Info