Canadians BBQ in the winter, we enjoy (well, some of us) spending time outdoors with the temperature drops and for the very brave, eating outdoors is no big deal.
Mississauga’s popular and authentic Mexican restaurant, El Mariachi Tacos and Churros, has struck a cozy balance by being the city’s first and only restaurant to offer “igloo dining.”

Inspired by last year’s “Dinner With A View” beneath the Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway, owners Monica and Mike wanted to find a creative way to enable patrons to enjoy their offerings, regardless of the season.
They’ve experienced consistent growth over recent years and really dislike having to turn guests away or tell them that there are long wait times.

Here’s a quick point form list of all the information you need before embarking on your igloo dining experience!

1. Yes, the igloo is heated. When I went, there were two space heaters set at 28 Celsius and no, it wasn’t 28 degrees in the igloo. With a tiny bit of the outdoor weather seeping in, coupled with the thick plastic shell, there’s a smidgen of the cool air that slides in the igloo.
It was a comfortable 21 Celsius during my dinner. Bring a layer or two in case you get too warm and you can always put your jacket on if you get too cold.
Or take the easy option to ask staff to add a couple of degrees to the heater.

2. Yes, the entire menu is available in the igloo.
(Pictures below courtesy of the remarkable Dave Roberts)

3. Seating maxes out at eight people. Depending on the size of reservations, you could have one table of eight, two tables of four, one table of six, two tables of three…six is the minimum amount though.

4. The radius of the igloo is nearly 12 feet, so you can easily stand up and there’s enough room for eight people without aggressive elbow bumping.

5. The menu prices are the same however, there is an 18% gratuity applied to the bill.

6. Getting in and out of the igloo is very easy, thanks to an over sized zipper tab on the inside and outside.

7. There are currently two igloos available on their patio for you and your pals to enjoy.
Will there be a third? Definitely maybe…it’s simply a matter of available patio space.

8. Yes, children are welcome in the igloo.

9. No, the food doesn’t get cold faster in the igloo…someone actually asked me that so I should address it here. Refer to point one for clarification.

10. Before you go, you must make reservations. Their contact info is at the bottom of this article.

11. Technically, you can make a reservation for two…however, it hinges on if there are four or six other people already dining in the igloo. Remember, the magic numbers are six, seven and eight.
Last weekend, they had two different groups of people in one igloo and it turned out quite nicely. Both parties played nice and shared a meal.

12. The igloos will stay up until we’re sure the weather will stay warm, so there’s no official “closing” date for the igloos this winter season.

13. Yes, I will be going again…care to join me?

To book your experience: elmariachitacos.ca