Homies On Donkeys in Waltham Forest

This place used to be a very convenient and popular Chinese buffet, with mountains of good food for cheap, before Brexit and Covid forced it to close. Since then, we have seen several incarnations, all carrying the same furniture, lifted from a disused kindergarten by the sight of it. And the sight of it it is, because during daytime this is a dead spot, adding nothing useful to our high street. What it adds is a bunch of uncohering, garish colors, in an awkward bid to replicate the hip bits of Hackney. Geometric wall painting (straight lines in aqua and orange — that was easy, huh?) clashes with "old-school graffiti art" on the board and shutter, about as fancy as sleeping rough by the train tracks. A perfectly nauseating mix with the aforementioned furniture. As for the service, I don't know. I wouldn't want to go in and sit on a kid's chair, and play "assemble your hip food" on an ashtray sized table if they paid me.

A restaurant where you can enjoy very good tacos. The atmosphere is nice and the staff attentive to your requests is pleasant. Remember to make a reservation if you want to eat there because this restaurant is very popular.

Excellent freshly cooked food! The service was second to none and the cocktail list superb!

food was unreal, best tacos ive ever had, all amazing flavours all stuffed full of fillings

Full of flavour. Been 3 times always tasty. Can’t wait to visit again 😋😋

Quirky restaurant with good service. Meat eaters enjoyed their tacos but the veg versions were disappointing. The mushroom taco had whole mushrooms (why not slice them?!) which were tricky to eat and just not very enjoyable. The broccoli taco was better but still broccoli in a taco 😆Also, where’s the protein?! Tofu or soya alongside veg would be a suggestion. I’d return but would love to see some changes to the veg menu

The food is mostly good, but the "side order" of frijoles was so tiny as to be both insulting and comical (see photo). London prices, but it's London!

The food was delicious, after I removed the coriander that I’m allergic to from the dish. Usually I would lose my ISH over this. I had to remove it with my fingers because no cutlery is allowed… I like the no cutlery thing but at the same time I like to have a utensil to organise my food with, so that was a little annoying. Didn’t love the pulling of the fat off the chicken with my fingers either. Seat was extremely uncomfortable. People were very nice. A little on the expensive side but delicious still.

Disappointing and Overrated We visited this hip Mexican restaurant with high hopes, given all the rave reviews, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the hype. Pros: • The non-alcoholic margarita was refreshing, and the baked jalapeños were enjoyable. • Nice decor and a cool ambiance. Cons: • The guacamole was watery, lacking the fresh texture and flavor we expected. • The mushroom tacos were a major letdown – the taste was off, and they had an unpleasant smell. Tacos should be easy to get right, but these were so bad we couldn’t even finish them. • My friend’s cheese quesadilla was soaked in oil. Despite using multiple napkins to blot it, it was still too greasy to enjoy. In the end, we left half the meal untouched and paid £45. We felt like this place is just catering to the “hipster” vibe without delivering on authentic Mexican flavors. If you’re after real Mexican food, I’d suggest looking elsewhere.

First visit to the restaurant but certainly not the last, we visited on a Sunday (when they are normally closed) for their "Dia de los Muertos" celebrations. Fantastic atmosphere, with exceptionally friendly and knowledgable service. The taco's are superb, very generous portions, great value for money, the special Tamales were exceptional. Highly recommend.

Amazing meal here on a Friday night. The tuna taco was one of the best things I've eaten this year and the broccoli was a close second. Drink options were on point, the pear and vanilla tart was the cherry on top. Our host David was great and we felt well looked after. Will 1000% be back

THIS IS FOOD!!! Wow, the best meal I’ve had in ages - menu is thoughtful and unique with exciting flavour combos. Me n my partner went for our anniversary celebration and had a dreamy time in taco heaven. David was a brilliant host and guided us through the experience with care and confidence - they recommended the Tunita Pibil - SO TASTY. It was a braised tuna with pineapple habanero, the perfect balance of spicy n sweet. 10/10 drinks selection, they had jarritos cola which is the best cola and can be hard to find. Plenty of non alcoholic options too - I’m sober and their non alcoholic margarita made with home made ‘tea-quips’ was super fun. Finished the meal with a pear n vanilla tarte tatin with mascarpone. Fluffy pastry n bangin flavours All the team were attentive n knowledgeable. Playlist was vibey too, enjoyed the ska/halloween vibes into 90s rnb!! Must must must visit 💜

loved the food and service at this place in the past, but unfortunately, the standards seem to have slipped. Speaking as an American with a solid background in Mexican cuisine: Pros: • Great location, friendly service, and stylish decor. Cons: 1. Margaritas: I’ve yet to find a place in Europe that serves a truly good margarita, and my visit to Hommies on Donkeys yesterday didn’t end my search. 2. Food Quality: The ingredients, like the steak and chicken, were generally solid. However, the prawns seemed frozen, and the food was overly salted, overwhelming the actual flavors. The red sauce, which covered the food, didn’t add much besides more salt. The carnitas, in particular, were so salty that I could barely taste anything else. I forced myself to finish them since they cost £10. 3. Value for Money: It’s a bit pricey for what you get—£10 for two very small but nicely stuffed tacos. That’s tolerable, but charging £5 for just a few small thimbles of hot sauce seems excessive, especially for a taco-focused place where sauces should come standard. Also, the added service charge felt unnecessary given the high prices. Leaving the place, I felt disappointed and as though I didn’t get my money’s worth. Three people, three small plates each, and three margaritas came to a total of £150—for salty food and three salty customers. Note to the chef: please taste the food before serving.

Get the carnitas! Some of the best tacos in London, certainly worth the trek out to leytonstone :)

So damn good! The food is ridiculous. I had the two vegan options and my friend had a beef and a pork, I think. We were both blown away. Lovely staff and a fantastic soundtrack of Hieroglyphics and other excellent mid/late 90s hip hop. Also, dogs are welcome, which is always hugely appreciated. Highest recommendation.

Great flavours and nice atmosphere!

Excellent food, everything was delicious. Would 100% go back. Would pre book though as it was very packed.

The food was absolutely amazing! But the manager Rhiannon was so warm and welcoming and made the experience of dining in so much better. She was amazing from start to finish! She made sure we was okay from when we stepped in! Don’t lose this girl! She made the whole experience worthwhile and we will be back!

Homies on Donkeys I’ve been to an amount I cannot count. It’s amazing authentic Mexican food, I’d highly recommend the salsa tasting platter to go alongside whatever tacos you get! If you’ve not been here, you really have to come and try it. It’s one of the only taco places in London I’ve been to that actually gives you a good amount of filling in the taco, rather than it being more tortilla than filling! They are dog friendly too which is always a major plus for us.

Had a birthday dinner for 12 people here and it was amazing - delicious food and plenty of it, great service and good vibes.

We were really happy with the portion sizes - not stingy with the tortilla chips and the tacos were filled generously. Everything tasted amazing as expected - I was quite surprised by how good the tuna was. Fantastic service from Dom - Thank you

Very tasty indeed, lovely staff, and halfway through the meal I realised a People Under The Stairs quote was painted on the wall in front of me, which made me very happy!

A great addition to Leytonstone - really good Mexican tacos 🌮 and more, with lots of space, very funky designs, and some really good booths for groups to sit in. We ordered three sets of tacos between two of us - tacos come in sets of two, so six tacos in total. The food was delicious and arrived quickly. Maybe the tuna could have been better presented - we expected slabs, but the meat was actually broken into fibres, like the pork ones. This is a minor quibble though - looking forward to going again!

Delicious tacos and great vibes. Reasonably priced too.

A lovely local place with some tasty dishes

Perfect. Fantastic tacos. 10/10

My favourite taco place in London! The staff are SO friendly, the food is impecable and reasonably priced, and the portion sizes are perfect. I’ve been three times without booking and luckily they’ve always managed to seat us without too much of a wait. Couldn’t recommend Homies On Donkeys enough.

Definitely the best mexican restaurant in London

Great Mexican restaurant in the middle of Leytonstone High Road. The special Tuna was the star of the show. Very generously filled tacos and tasty cocktails. Staff were attentive and gave good advice on the food. Vibe was fun, but the restaurant was a little loud for my taste. Would absolutely recommend it.

Delicious food and drinks. Friendly service with excellent value for money!

Great tacos But unfortunately service could’ve been much much better. Had to wait for ages to simply get water, wine we finished out water we couldn’t get anyone’s attention to refill it. When asked for the bill we had to wait another 15min to pay for the bill. Very unusual as it wasn’t even a busy day. Made out experience not as pleasurable

Food is delicious but the portions are insanely small for their price; we should have ordered at least 3 times the amount to feel full. The place is cool, maybe a little childish interiors with all the graffiti but that’s personal taste. Also when we were there they only played rap music which I find very annoying, mostly while I’m trying to eat.

The food and drink lives up to the great reviews. If you can handle spicy I would highly recommend the roasted jalapeños. Everyone enjoyed their tacos- so much flavour and choice (good for veggies and vegan too)- the salsa tasting platter is a must. Margarita and drinks menu is extensive and tasty (recommend the spicy margarita or mezcalita). The atmosphere is cool but we were in a booth and it was probably a bit small for the whole party. Service- we had one 11/10 server who was attentive and friendly and helpful considering some of the party were late, however another server- not so much so… I would 100% return as there is so much to try!

Really tasty food. Loved the corn ribs and the king prawn taco. Everything was fresh. Cocktails looked great too although I only had their draught lager. Can’t wait to go again!

Surprisingly busy for a Thursday lunchtime. We were first in but the restaurant soon filled up. Service was bit slow with only one waitress covering the entire restaurant. The Bavette Steak taco was ok; the steak was lovely medium rare but it needed a bit more spice/seasoning. The Bone Marrow and Braised Chuck was excellent and definitely worth going back to get this again. The Tunita Pibil was actually very flavoursome but the cooked tuna texture wasn’t my liking but that’s a personal preference and it still tasted great. Portions size were deceptive and enough to fill us up with just one main (2 tacos each). Wanted to eat more but had no room left. Need to go back again perhaps in the evening when I can imagine the atmosphere would be more lively.

Some of the best tacos I’ve ever had in London. Really authentic flavours, great range of salsas, excellent cocktails and just a great vibe all round

Fine. Ok. Didn’t meet high expectation having heard great things. Have been to Mexico several times and cooked our Mexican food quite often. This wasn’t better. I want to like this place so we may well revisit.

Service and atmosphere were nice. Beef and Chicken Taco were fine but nothing special. Quesadilla had an artificial tasting cheese on it. Guacamole like a smoothie consistency but the tortilla chips were great.

We came to Homies on donkeys for an evening meal with friends it is located in the middle of Leytonstone and had a very cool atmosphere. The staff were friendly and attentive, with them taking our food and drinks orders promptly. The tacos were very tasty with a generous amount of fillings in each taco the pulled pork filling and prawn tacos, both tasting particularly good! Negatives are that although the margaritas tasted amazing, the old fashion was quite watered down, and the menu I felt that the menu lacked additional options for food outside of the Tacos.Would recommend this to anyone in the area who is a fan of mexcian food but in particular Tacos.

Nice enough spot with cute decor and ok food but the service was sub par, staff didn't ask us for any drinks orders after the first round, were clearing the restaurant around us whilst we were still eating, including putting chairs on top of tables, at 9:30pm, felt like they couldn't wait for us to leave, despite the restaurant closing at 10pm. Think it's lost it's Wood Street charm,

Was here yesterday. Booked a table of 3. 2 of us got there 20 minutes early, and as it was quiet at the time (18:10 on a Tuesday) the assistant happily allowed us to be seated and wait. We ordered a couple of drinks while waiting. The food was Amazing (so amazing, we ordered Extras) and the Service was second to none. Had a good time dining here, and would definitely be returning at some point :)

Great cocktails. Great service. Great food. Great atmosphere. Really enjoyed it.

Everything was really good. Our Waitress Ayesha was so professional that we were astonished she had never waited on tables before. The only criticism I have was about the gender neutral toilets. As with all places that have these, there was "wet" on the floors from bad aiming and they smelt. I would prefer there to be men and women with a separate gender neutral toilet in ALL restaurants. Otherwise top marks.

A bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. I say that the prices are fair because they make the best tacos in London hands down. Authentic, real Mexican food in London. I wouldn't have believed it if you told me. I live in the NW, and I still make the 3 hour roundtrip to eat here. If you like actual spicy, their habanero sauce is on point.

All I can say is: 1000% worth the hype! Veggie options superb!

Very nice tacos and brilliant service, would have liked a bit more food for the price but what we had was delicious!

Thank you to our waitress Ayesha, she was so friendly and helpful. Food was amazing. My boyfriend said the tacos were better than the ones he had in Mexico. Will defo be coming back!

Overall the margarita was over limey (too much lime) food was good carnitas was terrible along with the re-fried beans, bavette steak and birria 10/10 wait time not very good 35-40mins for 3 tacos dirty water bottle served to us server changed it quickly but overall service was mediocre 👎🏽

Delicious tacos and lovely service. Loves that it was dog friendly too

Friends suggested this place given the reviews and hype. The tacos were actually incredible- and I wasn’t convinced i could be so moved by them but I was. Service great. Restaurant is noisy even when not too busy.

Simply the best tacos in London. There is no competition. The bone marrow taco is something you will always remember and comes with 4 corn tacos. I will be back!

Heard such good things about this place and it definitely didn’t disappoint. We have been to countless Mexican/taco restaurants/food trucks all over the country and these are some of the best we’ve ever tried. So much filling, full of flavour and good option of non alcoholic drinks including a very different (but amazing) spicy sour cherry, almond and vanilla slush that comes in a cocktail glass 🌶️🍸

Food was pretty good but it was a bit of an awkward service. One dish came out almost too quickly and on its own. It felt like the dish was sitting there waiting to go. I wouldn’t go here for a dinner where you want to sit and talk, I would go here if I needed a quick bite. Not sure I’d go again

The best mexican restaurant I've ever been to. I keep coming back despite living over an hour away in Kent! Love these guys. Great food, great staff, great atmosphere.

I've been frequenting HoD for a number of years and absolutely LOVE the new restaurant. Chef Smokey is simply a genius. With his Innovative tacos as well as homemade drinks. And yes of course the brilliant reviews it receives is well deserved. My particular favourites are the bone marrow ans steak tacos, as well as their vegan Soy al pastor. And the refried beans!! They are just sublime. The atmosphere is brilliant with the LA decor vibes and the music is hopping. Bravo! May you long prosper

Tacos are cocktails were amazing. Would definitely go back.

All tacos are of a decent size, but their star dish is the beef platter with bone marrow, if nothing else, get this! It's sumptuous and moreish! An extra star for this alone! Service was good too.

Honestly everything tasted the same. A thick greasy red sauce dominated every dish and completely ruined the probably good ingredients (ie the bavette). Really disappointing. And the guacamole was like something out of a jar. Not a single fresh taste on anything.

Genuinely the tastiest tacos I’ve tasted in London. Walked in without a booking on a busy Saturday evening, and luckily was still able to be seated. We ordered a mixture of the small plates (guac and the roast potatoes) and then a selection of meat and seafood tacos. Everything tasted stunning, and am already thinking about my next visit *drools*.

Impressed with this place and shall be back! Highly recommended. Fantastic cocktails. My first mescal mojito! The food was amazing.

Cheerful management, helpful servers, open kitchen, juicy tacos and nice beer. What more does one need?

Really good good. A bit of the pricy side but I guess that is modern day cost of living. Drinks are cheaper before 7 so definetly a good idea to arrive before that time. Good atmosphere.

Great as always, super tasty food, great drinks

Always the best service, food and drinks. The staff are attentive the food, well what an I say the best tacos I've ever eaten.

Quirky location with... experimental tacos! Carnitas was the most authentic taco we had. Tuna tostada was very nice. Bavette was original, grilled perfectly - I highly recommend you try it. Birria tasted like barbecue sauce which didn't sit quite right. Chicken barbacoa came as big chunks instead of being shredded. Generally tasty, big portions (thankfully) which justify the prices. Beware, most tacos are spicy.

Very expensive. The best things were the veg options. Sweet potato taco was divine! And the drinks were great. But very expensive for a dish with 2 small tacos.

Was sooo excited to try this place and the server was great and got us seated as walk ins very quickly. Unfortunately the food wasn’t great (chicken tacos was bland, broccoli taco was the worst and mushroom taco just okay) Won’t be back sadly!

Great food, lots of choices (loved the specials!) and great cocktails. 4 stars because the food arrived at odd times when we ordered guac as a starter and received the potatoes before it (?) feels like the team (lovely service btw!) may have missed some of the order at the beginning but overall we had a great time!

Awesome lunch this afternoon! The prawn and mushroom tacos were brilliant. A lot of flavour and good kick to it. The refried beans dip was genius as well.

Enjoyed this. The asparagus was particularly excellent. Tacos good but there was a certain sameyness about the flavours of the chicken, the mushrooms and the chuck steak. Service perky.

Beautiful, vibrant atmosphere. Food to die for, truly incredible flavours.

Tacos and food in general were sympa. Drinks were not good. The old fashioned was horrible. Service was ok, with room for improvement.

Haven’t left a restaurant review in a minute but man this place was a disappointment. I made a reservation to get a bite before an event down the street. The server was kind at first, the drink arrived quickly. Because it was happy hour the restaurant was empty, but for some reason they sat a couple directly next to me. I was about 1.5 feet away and could hear every word of their convo like they were speaking directly to me. I don’t mind a noisy restaurant generally, but having to listen to one loud conversation without any other chatter to drown it out can be pretty irritating (especially if you have some sensory issues like I admittedly do). About 80% of the tables in the place were empty so I eventually asked if I could move to another. The server asked another employee and gave me a new table across the way (which did make a big difference for me). But apparently my request annoyed the server and so I was ignored for the rest of my meal. I waited 10 mins after finishing my food for her to take my plate away, and another 10 -15 to get the check which I eventually had to ask for. In addition to sort of feeling punished for what I think was a pretty modest request, the food wasn’t very good. The refried beans tasted overwhelmingly like bouillon cubes, and the carnitas tacos were too salty and tasted like butter (which is overkill since that cut of meat is usually super high fat). The drink was nice, but the food was def a British take on Mexican flavors.

The best tacos in London. If you haven't been then you are missing out on something special.

I can’t say enough good things about Homies, honestly. It’s definitely a place you have to try. The vibe is always incredible. The staff are so friendly and accommodating. The food is 100/10. We love that it comes whenever it’s ready, something is always coming to the table which is definitely the best way to do it! There’s a few staples on the menu that we love, but there’s always something new to try so you can mix it up. Will always recommend the hard horchata & potatoes with chorizo! They’re dog friendly, which ours is a big fan of cause it means she can get in on some of the taco action too!

The bavette steak and broccoli dishes tasted charred. We think it's because the griddle may not be cleaned enough.

This place is an absolute gem for tacos! We tried a variety of the ones on the menu, and they all had a great taste, bursting with flavour, and were substantial enough given the price being charged. My personal favourite was the king prawn one, which had such a satisfying flavour! The staff are welcoming and friendly too. Will definitely be returning here at some point 😋

Place was fine, but as a Mexican, these tacos (Birria and Carnitas) aren't it..

You’ll need to book here as it’s been super busy both times we’ve been. Great good, fantastic prices

I’ve been meaning to try Homies on Donkeys for over a year now, and I’m so glad I finally did! the food is delicious and the cocktails are great. Will definitely be going back.

Most authentic Mexican in London. Banging music. Lovely cocktails. Great service.

Delicious Mexican food, very authentic.

Came as a walk-in on a weeknight for dinner - staff were super helpful in finding us a table and the food was delicious! Best Mexican food in london hands down - all the tacos were all delicious and the specials were great too. Awesome value for the quality of the food - will be back soon :)

Visited on a Tuesday evening at about 6pm and there were a few tables filled but still empty enough for us to walk in without reservation. We ordered the the potatoes, guacamole (so good), we also ordered 4 mains, bavette steak, pulled pork, bone marrow and their special sea bass aguachille. My fav was the cured sea bass, sooo good! We ordered a bit too much so were super full by the end of it but will def be back.

The food is so good it's offensive to other restaurants. This place was great when it was in that tiny space in Walthamstow, but the food is a whole level up from that now. Mind blown.

Simply great Mexican food. Authentic with a twist.

If you don’t order the refried beans you don’t deserve to eat at this restaurant.

Excellent food, excellent drinks and service. However, of the three all gender bathrooms available, only one had toilet paper, or even the facilities (a toilet roll holder) for toilet paper. This does not accommodate people who require toilet paper for bathroom visits and therefore your all-gender bathrooms are mislabelled as such. If your bathroom does not provide the service for every gender it cannot be labelled an all-gender bathroom.

This place is amazing. Absolute taste sensation all the food was top notch. Out of this world vegan options. Outstanding drink options. Decor is gorgeous, staff are informed and attentive. Believe the hype. Believe the adverts. Go now! Support this place!

Food was nice if little... which was ok if you don't want a large lunch. The service was superb; thank you Fran 🙂

Food was goodish, nice enough but wouldn’t go back in a hurry

This is not a place if you don't like chillies. Everything has them. Saying that the food was good. We wouldn't have called the tacos we had tacos. We had the chicken tacos. They were tiny. Everything was falling out. It would have been better with just one larger one. It was also small for a main course so we ordered a guacamole. That had chillies in the salsa. It really took any pleasure of the avocados away from us. I guess it is "a la mode" for people for now. I really hope it is a short-lived style. The music was very loud. It was difficult to hold a conversation. Fran was brilliant. Very friendly and attentive.

Homies is what good food should be about. Unpretentious, delicious, and leaves you thinking about it days after. Do yourself a favour and get the broccoli. No, I’m serious.

Great food & service, and dog friendly too!

Dining at Homies On Donkeys was a great pleasure. The atmosphere within the restaurant was dynamic with high energy, influenced by people really enjoying their dinners. The service was fantastic, but the food itself was beyond expectations. If anyone is looking for the best and most authentic Mexican cuisine, look no further as Homies on Donkeys holds the top position in London.

Incredible tacos. Sooooo delicious and bursting with flavour. If you're looking for tacos you won't find anywhere in London, check out homies. Won't be disappointed

We had a great first-time experience dining at Homies. The place is buzzing with a great atmosphere and funky music and the food is excellent. We had the guacamole, patatas, jalapeños, octopus, steak and carnitas tacos. Everything was delicious and the drinks too! It was well worth the trip up from south London and we'll be coming back soon :)

Fantastic food, really great spicy margarita and good service

I know this will be a isolated bad review but oh well here it goes. I was legitimately excited to try this place being from mexico and having it so close to where I live, especially because it advertised itself as a taqueria that served northern west coast style tacos ( baja region tacos if you know mexican food). Unfortunately the style was rather a mix of all over which I am not against, I understand it can be difficult to focus on a single region, especially when trying to get specific ingredients. However, although the assortment is a decent representation of taco types from around mexico the actual taste of these are quite far from from what I expected. Most of them tasted sweet, which in the case of barbacoa I may understand but a sweeter birria?! Unfortunately, it does not end with the food, while I had two margaritas which were decent and to kill it off with a michelada ( which is not the lime salt version) that was flat and with barely any spice to it, really missed the mark in tying it together. Also to charge for the salsas just seems bit too much for me. Nevertheless, All’s not bad though staff is incredibly friendly and helpful and the place has a new age vibe to it which is not too over the top. To not overextend this review, I think it’s sufficient to say that I will not be coming back.

Can’t quite put my finger on why but atmosphere is somehow lacking something, music a bit too quiet to hear, no real buzz despite being full most of the time we were there. However, the food…the food is insanely good. Don't worry about the atmosphere, bring your mates, bring your loved ones and eat allll of the food. Asparagus from the specials deserves a standalone mention but honestly everything we had really had great depth of flavour and the tacos are packed full. Can’t wait to come back!