For years, Con Mi Taco was considered to be one of Calgary’s best spots for great tacos — no small feat, especially for a pop-up restaurant. While the pop-up ended its run in 2023, Calgarians can now once again get a taste of those popular tacos at Masa Mama, a new brick-and-mortar restaurant by the team behind Con Mi Taco.
Opened in November 2024 by Con Mi Taco visionaries Andrew Ocasion and chef Mikko Tamarra (who is also the chef at Fortuna’s Row), Masa Mama is a modern Mexican street food restaurant serving a mixture of traditional Mexican cuisine and new fusion dishes with worldly flavours. All of this is wrapped up in a beautiful mid-century modern dining room designed by Mera Studio Architects.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Mexican street food without tacos — Masa Mama serves its tacos on fresh-pressed corn and flour tortillas with classic fillings like birria made with tender braised beef cheeks, al pastor with pineapple, and shrimp with stewed peppers and fried cheese. Some of the more innovative tacos include a Korean fish taco, a Peking tofu version with cucumber and sesame aioli, and the Mac Mama, a riff on the classic Big Mac flavours in taco form.
Masa Mama also has some to-die-for appies — the Mexican fries are a killer take on poutine with a chorizo picadillo and cheese curds — and a variety of house-made salsas to try. The dessert menu features churros with passionfruit cream and a tres leches doughnut with apple pie filling.
On top of the food, Masa Mama has a fun and varied cocktail menu. Along with five margarita options, the restaurant offers cocktails like the masa old fashioned, a passionfruit negroni and a michelada. Masa Mama also has a great list of premium agave spirits.
Keep an eye out for Masa Mama’s brunch menu coming in the future — if Fortuna’s Row’s popular brunch service is anything to go off of, it’s sure to be great.
3429 22 St. S.W., 403-971-3940, masamama.com