Ghost Taco, a fast-growing Ontario-based taco chain, is getting ready to open two new locations—one in Toronto at 151 East Liberty Street and another in Barrie at 90 Park Place Boulevard.
The Toronto outpost is set to open inside craft brewery Something in the Water on September 27. Co-founder and CEO Samantha Buckley tells What Now Toronto that the Liberty Village location will be franchise-operated, while the upcoming Barrie spot will be corporately owned. Guests at the Toronto launch can expect a collaborative tacos-and-beer concept, with the first 100 visitors on opening day receiving a free taco.
Buckley tells What Now Toronto that the Barrie location is expected to open by December 1, which would mark the two-year anniversary of Ghost Taco’s original storefront in Newmarket. With both new openings, the company will have seven locations across Ontario in just two years.
Ghost Taco launched in Newmarket as a pandemic pop-up after its founders’ events business was forced to shut down. Originally intended to be temporary—hence the name—the concept quickly gained traction and has since expanded across Ontario. Existing locations include Vaughan, Peterborough, Kingston, Newmarket, and Whitby, with additional sites planned.
The menu includes a range of signature tacos, such as the Birria Quesa, Baja Fish, Chicken Tinga, and Charred Brussels. Popular specialty items include the Vampire taco, made with fried cheese, braised pork, and sriracha aioli, and the Alabama Chicken, featuring fried chicken, corn salsa, and house-made’ Bama sauce. The Hot Honey Chicken taco deserves an honorable mention, as the company placed in the top 5 at Taco Fest Toronto with this taco last month.
Ghost Taco also offers combo meals, bowls, and sides like ancho fries, churros, and birria queso fries. Beverage options include Jarritos, Cutwater canned cocktails, and Ghost Cerveza, making the brewery setting a natural fit for the brand’s next evolution.
