Homies On Donkeys

Stepping off Leytonstone High Road and into Homies On Donkeys is like slipping into a warm serotonin bath of excellent tacos, friendly service, and mood-boosting artwork. The taqueria is equal parts joyful and relaxing, and mainlining tacos here is our idea of self-care. 

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

The cheeriness starts when you step from the grey, main road into a space that's straight out of Mattel-land. Walls are Barbie-pink and Lego-yellow, and there’s a wraparound mural that makes us smile openly in a way that previously only petting puppies has. The good-time energy is kept alive by upbeat staff, who provide icy glasses of horchata when you arrive in a pool of sweat, and encourage you to kick things off with the salsa platter. Buggies are bumped into and a plate of tacos takes a while to arrive. But like a parent trying to tell off their favourite child, Homies is too likeable to get mad at—even when it’s a little chaotic. Instead you laugh and tut and order another round of drinks. 

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Every night feels like a Friday night, with a loud hip hop soundtrack and groups lingering in the booths towards the back, finding any excuse to order another round of lime Jarritos. No one is immune to the feel-good power of chicken thigh barbacoa dripping down your wrist—there’s a no cutlery policy—or the slightly earthy, bitter enmoladas de huitlacoche. But even flying solo you can have a great time: perched on a stool, elbows resting on the thick countertop as you contemplate the standout dish—a roasted broccoli taco with nutty salsa macha and a sprinkling of sweet, crispy onions.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Potatoes

A simple one-word description that belies the beauty of these crispy, blistered, fluffy-on-the-inside snacks. They come with a generous dusting of salt and are only improved by adding chorizo and dunking in a salsa platter.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Salsa Tasting Platter

Shimmering jewel-toned salsas that feel like tiny treasures. One jade-green and citrusy, another ruby-red and sweet, and a spicy pot that’s amber-orange—the Doritos dip could never. Like dip roulette, but one where you’ll never lose. These are a fun way to start the meal if you’re rolling with a group.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Chicken Barbacoa Tacos

If this taco was entering a pageant, it’d win Miss Congeniality. Equal parts pretty—with a bundle of pink pickled onions and glistening, tender chicken—and likeable—with plenty of roasted tomato salsa and smoky guajillo chile. This gets our vote.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Roasted Broccoli Tacos

The must-order at Homies On Donkeys. There’s the satisfying crunch of sweet onions and charred, slightly garlicky broccoli; a generous schmear of salsa macha; and standout refried beans which are smooth and creamy.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Enmoladas De Huitlacoche

Complex, rich, and spicy—what we look for in a partner and a mole. The one in this dish coats soft tortillas and builds in heat. The huitlacoche stuffing (a fungus that tastes like truffle and mushroom) inside the tortillas is earthy and smoky, with the coriander bringing some much-needed freshness.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Horchata

A glass of cold milk for grown-ups, the horchata here is creamy and refreshing. Big cubes of ice rattle around the glass and there’s a warming hit of cinnamon. Ideal for sipping after eating a plate of enmoladas with creeping heat levels.