Taste of Edmonton 2026: 122 Tickets, 32 Items, 21 Restaurants Booths! Let's go!

It's time for the biggest food event of the year in Edmonton!! This must-do festival is always at the top of my list and this year was my biggest Taste of Edmonton ever! Like last year, there were 52 restaurants and food trucks participating which means that there are endless amounts of options. Each vendor typically offers 3-4 dishes and as usual there was a good mixture of old standby plates combined with plenty of brand new things to try. There were a few surprising omissions this year (no Lingnan!!) but lots of great new booths as well. Creating a game plan in advance (with the help of Taste of Edmonton's useful website, complete with pictures of each dish) is helpful. I like to know how many tickets will be needed and which booths I plan to visit before I even set foot on the grounds of Sir Winston Churchill Square. Once my food plan was set I was ready to show up with a fistful of tickets (definitely take advantage of the early bird discount!) and an empty stomach! Running this year from July 16-26, you've got ten full days to eat it all! I believe in you! And now; the food.

Here is how I ranked what I ate: 32. Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas from Irie Foods (4 tickets)

A staple for me, Irie is always reliable for their delicious jerk. But this year something tasted off with the sauce - it was quite bitter! 31. Smashburger from Ribeye Butcher Shop (4 tickets)

This burger is a thing of legend IRL. The ToE version, not so much. The bun is the main problem because it's too bready and dry (not like the delicious squashy one at their shop). A shadow of the real thing. 30. Brie Cheese Balls from Pasta by Love Kitchen (4 tickets)

These are fun to pop into your mouth and easy to eat! I liked the gooey brie cheese on the inside but they could have used a dipping sauce or something. 29. Mysore Masala Dosa Wrap from CSK (4 tickets)

It was fun to get a golden, crispy dosa at the fest and they made it from scratch! However, the filling was a little bland for me. 28. Coconut Shrimp & Fries from Boualouang Laos & Thai Cuisine (4 tickets)

This dish seemed fun! I loved the idea of tossing some coconut shrimp onto some fries all casually. The fries weren't anything special but the sweet coconutty shrimp was very delicious! 27. Charcuterie Cup from La Catrina Wood Fire Pizza (3 tickets)

The idea for this was pretty cute. Who doesn't love some charcuts?! The items included were things that you can just buy at a grocery store but points for putting it all together in a fun way. 26. Beef Rendang from Satay Madura (4 tickets)

Tender meat, a tasty sauce with a hint of coconut, fluffy rice... A really good Indonesian dish that they pulled off well! 25. Tostada de Birria from PiKante (4 tickets)

There is no way to eat a tostada without making a huge mess! It's just part of it! I get this one every year (although it seemed smaller this year) and I always enjoy the heap of toppings and touch of heat. 24. Kani Sushi Bake from Takopo (4 tickets)

What a unique and completely different item! This very delicious baked mix included sushi rice and crab meat all mashed together and somehow it really worked! The nori on the side added a nice saltiness too. 23. Tequila Lime Chicken Taco with Amigo Rice from The 3 Amigos Authentic Mexican Cuisine (4 tickets)

This one almost achieved the exact same ranking last year! I always get this taco mostly because amigo rice is incredible. The portion seemed quite a lot smaller this year (it keeps getting smaller?) but I like their tasty chicken and added hot sauce. 22. Kikiam and Fish Ball Delight from Gentea (4 tickets)

Did somebody say "fish balls?" I'm there! This dish was very unique and full of big flavours! I liked the kikiam, a Chinese sausage. And like I said, yes to fish balls! 21. Yummy Paella from Yummi Mami (4 tickets)

A new booth this year, these guys were serving up some impressive stuff! This scoop of paella was full of flavour, came with two little shrimp, and truly was yummy. 20. Shumai from Takopo (4 tickets)

I ranked this dish really highly last year and it was still good but I feel like it had more going on last year. The dumplings were still juicy and a bit spicy but I wanted a bigger punch. 19. Prosciutto Crostini from Cafe Celeste Bistro (4 tickets)

A little bit small for 4 tickets but I did enjoy the flavour and execution a lot. A perfect fold of prosciutto on a bed of ricotta and sauced nicely. This felt elevated.

18. Pupusa from Paraiso Tropical (4 tickets)

Paraiso Tropical always crushes at ToE and this year was no exception. Their pupusas are excellent and you can choose from pork and cheese or just cheese. I always get pork and cheese! Stuffed beautifully and loaded with vinegary toppings. These are the best! 17. Mini Lobster Roll from Blowers & Grafton (5 tickets)

The most expensive item at the fest at 5 tickets! But I'd say that it's worth it. It was improved from last year and full of nice claw meat pieces. The bun is buttery and good. A very popular item and I can see why! ToE feels fancy when you eat this! 16. Dubai Pistachio Covered Strawberry from Choco N' Dip (4 tickets)

Very, very good and will bring you joy! Juicy ripe strawberries are drenched in chocolate, pistachio sauce, and shredded phyllo. Probably the best dessert at the whole fest! 15. Brothers Fried Pepperoni with Honey Mustard from Blowers & Grafton (3 tickets)

I get these every year and love them. Who doesn't love curls of pep-pep?? Dippable and satisfying, these are fun to eat and consistently damn good. 14. Salt Fish Fritters from Irie Foods (3 tickets)

A new item this year, I really enjoyed these pillowy fried fritters! I'm a huge fan of salt fish so these were delicious to me. 13. Nasi Goreng from Satay Madura (4 tickets)

Nasi goreng is one of my favourite dishes so I loved finding it at ToE! This version was very delicious and I thought that the addition of a perfectly cooked fried egg was ambitious! The crunchy veg added the exact right texture. Really good! 12. Ube Mango Roll from Flipside BBQ (3 tickets)

This might not have looked like much but it was a very tasty dessert. Inside the pastry was a warm pudding-like mango filling and the flavour of ube really came through too. The photo showed that his was supposed to be served with a prawn cracker (which it was not) however it was too good to be mad. 11. Banana Fritter from Satay Madura (4 tickets)

I take back anything that I said before - this was the best dessert at ToE! Crunchy batter, warm banana on the inside, an actual scoop of ice cream, plus a chocolate and pistachio drizzle. So well done and everything that you could want it to be! I'll take 10! 10. Fish Pakora from Curry N Hurry (4 tickets)

Another item that didn't look like much (the portion size was admittedly kinda small) however was huge on flavour. The tender pieces of fish were perfectly cooked and the batter on the outside was incredibly well-seasoned and bursting with flavour. Loved the dipping sauce too! 9. Sausage Mozza Corn Dog from Gangnam Street Food (4 tickets)

Gangnam nails it once again! This crunchy dog has everything that you want - a juicy sausage dog AND gooey cheese! It's got it all! I got creamy mayo and spicy mayo drizzled on top. What a satisfying treat on a stick!! 8. Bannock Taco from Kokom's Bannock Kitchen (4 tickets)

This was so good! The bannock itself was the total highlight because it was so light and warm and fluffy. Some of the best bannock that I've ever had! Then they throw some taco toppings on top and it's just a really good time! 7. Sushi Hotdog from Zycayah Roll (3 tickets)

I'm not exactly sure what makes this a "hotdog..." But none of that mattered because whatever this was, it was delicious. A fried sushi roll with a lot of saucy toppings along with crab meat and it tasted amazing. All of the umami that you could ever want in a unique way! 6. Flipside Bao from Flipside BBQ (4 tickets)

First of all; it's purple. But most of all; this bao was done really, really well. The meat was saucy and ultra flavourful while the pickled veg balanced each bite. Super fun to eat and looked so cute! Tasted even better! 5. Pastel de Queijo from Paraiso Tropical (3 tickets)

This one was my #1 pick last year! It was still just as good as ever but some of the other dishes really stepped up. TRUST ME when I say that you want this cheesy empanada. You can get plain cheese (amazing!) or cheese & guava (get that one!!). It's the best. Salty and sweet. Crispy and gooey. Packed full of filling. GET THIS NOW. 4. Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos from Ribeye Butcher Shop (3 tickets)

I may not have liked their burger but I LOVED their bacon wrapped jalapenos!! The jalapeno itself was lightly charred to perfection while the perfectly crispy bacon brought the whole dish on home. Plus there was a creamy cheese in there? Plus a zippy chipotle dipping sauce?? Amazing. Crushed on every level. 3. Yummy Brisket Arepa from Yummi Mami (4 tickets)

I have no idea where these guys came from but their food was excellent and this arepa was one of the very best items at the whole festival. This is the sort of thing that didn't look like a whole lot but after the very first bite I was saying "wow!" The flavours were so big and absolute perfection! I loved the savoury meat, the different spices, and the spicy sauce. A must-try, people!! This was the MOST yummy! 2. Flipdope Tots from Flipside BBQ (4 tickets)

Flipside BBQ is another booth that really dominated this year, serving up some really strong dishes. But these tots were something else. Who doesn't love a golden tot? I know I do! The best part was the deliciously caramelized pork on top, so savoury and good. But the other toppings brought it all home with the cheese and sauce. So, so good. I could've gone back for more! 1. Quesabirria from Paraiso Tropical (4 tickets)

My #1 pick for 2026! This dish landed at #10 last year and has risen to the top spot! The thing that took this item over the top is that they've added a tiny consommé to dip into (as it's supposed to have) and now this is an unstoppable ToE showstopper. Tender beef brisket, a perfectly fried cheesy tortilla, incredible on every level! Paraiso Tropical wins the fest every year and 2026 is no exception! Eat this birria immediately!! Another Taste of Edmonton is in the books! I loved all of the offerings this year and was impressed as always by the great selection and vast cultural representation. I can't wait to do all the eating once again next summer! See you then!