Camino Review – Casual Mexican Dining in Bloomfield

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Fast-Casual Mexican at Camino with a Reasonable Price

Camino has a bright, big bar space at the front of the restaurant and on our visit it was bustling- likely because of the happy hour drink specials.

On the cocktail menu are classics like a house margarita, sangria, and paloma, as well as more creative options emphasizing tequila and mezcal. We tried the Picosa (a spicy tamarind margarita), the Sugar and Smoke with mezcal and grapefruit, and the Just Lychee with tequila and yuzu.

Overall, the cocktails trended toward the sweeter side, especially the lychee one. Our favorite was the Portate Mal with whiskey, Aperol, elderflower, pineapple, lemon, and honey, which was more balanced with a nice floral sweetness contrasting with a slight Aperol bitterness.

Cocktails are definitely the focus here- beer options are somewhat limited with mostly bottled Mexican offerings and limited drafts with little to no local options. There are also a few mocktails on offer including a nonalcoholic version of the Picosa, and a nonalcoholic mojito and michelada.

We started with the flautas which were one of our favorite dishes. They were fried crispy, filled with well-seasoned chicken, and served with guacamole, salsa verde, sour cream, and queso fresco. The combination of contrasting flavors and textures was a great start to the meal.

Other appetizer options include standards like chips and salsa, nachos, quesadillas, and ceviche tostadas.

For entrees, there are burritos and bowls where you can pick your protein (veggies, pastor, carnitas, chicken chorizo, chicken, steak, or shrimp), as well as taco options with similar protein choices.

There are also build your own combo plates where you can choose from things like enchiladas, quesadillas, and burritos, and they all come with rice and beans. And if you're really hungry, larger plates like fajitas, carne asada, and cochinita pibil round out the offerings.

We tried the tacos al pastor which came two to an order with rice and beans. The pork was tender but had more of a cumin and pepper flavor rather than achiote, which we weren't expecting (although, that is perhaps on us because the menu doesn't mention achiote). The Mexican style rice and pinto beans on the side were cooked well but could have used a little more salt for our liking.

We also tried the build your own combo plate- we opted for the tamal and the chile relleno.

The tamal came out wrapped in its corn husk and was stuffed with pork and salsa roja. The flavor was good but we wish it would have come with some additional salsa or condiments on the side as it was a little dry. The chile relleno was probably our favorite entree option of the meal. With a light and crispy batter on the outside, it was stuffed with queso fresco and topped with a well-seasoned red salsa.

As for service, it was quite friendly, welcoming, and the food came out in record time- we honestly can't remember the last time we had a sit-down meal be delivered that quickly. We barely had time to order a second round of drinks, it came out that fast.

For a return trip, we probably will try some of the larger plates that we had to miss this time- the cochinita pibil sounds particularly good and is something not found on too many menus here in the city.

Overall, we appreciate the fast-casual nature of Camino, the build your own combo plates, and the extensive cocktail menu. It's a good spot for a neighborhood happy hour hang, and an easy choice for a group with abundant crowd-pleasing dishes.

Camino is located at 4428 Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield.