FARMacy Café serves up an interesting take on organic Mexican fusion right at the base of the Downtown Mall.
Tucked into the courtyard of the CODE Building, the café operates both a storefront and a roaming food truck used for pop-ups and catering. On their website, they highlight their commitment to high-quality, organic meals, placing special emphasis on their fusion of Mexican cuisines with various other global fares. Their bestselling item, the “Super Naan Taco,” is a fusion of South Asian and Mexican cuisines, combining garlic naan with traditional Mexican toppings like guacamole, cilantro and sour cream. For me, unfortunately, the fusion fell a little flat, lacking balance between its flavours.
The fusion-forward café has an intriguing backstory. It began as a food truck in 2018, run by husband and wife duo Jessica and Gabino Lino. In January 2022, they officially opened their storefront in the CODE Building.
Jessica and Gabino Lino each bring their own unique background to the menu. Jessica graduated from a holistic nutrition school and brings a passion for clean eating to FARMacy, while Gabino grew up in a small town in Mexico and draws on his extensive knowledge about Mexican cuisine in his role as executive chef. Together, they market the café as an organic Mexican fusion, often experimenting with seasonal and cross-cultural offerings, such as Mexican-Irish specials for St. Patrick’s Day.
The Café is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and until 2 p.m. Friday. Because they also run pop-up food trucks at events like football games and Greek-life functions, their hours are often subject to change, but they keep customers updated on their social media.
After hearing about FARMacy’s Mexican fusions months ago, my friend and I finally made our way to test it out. Though the CODE Building was industrial in appearance, the space felt open and calm, and the sound of a nearby waterfall provided an ambient backdrop.
When we stepped inside, the ordering area was small but inviting, adorned with hanging plants and a bright green wall that emphasized the organic, natural vibe. The woman at the counter was very friendly and patient, answering all of our questions with a smile. They offer $1 refillable cups of “mineralized water,” though I wished they sold drinks beyond Poppi — generic prebiotic sodas — and water. After browsing the menu, my friend and I placed our orders at the counter — their famous “Super Naan Taco” for me and chicken empanadas, a special, for her.
When I first found out about FARMacy, their famous “Super Naan Taco” immediately caught my eye. Being Pakistani, naan is a staple food in my culture — an accompaniment to almost every Pakistani meal and one of my favorite foods. I am also a big fan of fusion cuisine, so I was excited to see how they’d experiment with it. But when my friend and I arrived, I was dismayed to learn that the taco was served with pork, which I can not eat since it’s not halal. It felt a little ironic that naan, a staple in many Muslim countries, was being served with pork. Thankfully, the woman at the counter was super friendly and told me I could swap it for chicken, which I did.
The naan taco cost $17, while the chicken empanadas was $15.50. We both noted that the prices were on the higher side, so we were especially eager to try the food and see if it was worth the cost. The naan taco, made with garlic naan bread, was stuffed with chicken — originally al pastor pork — nutrient-dense “super” guacamole, lettuce, minced kale, cilantro, onion, feta and sour cream. My friend’s chicken empanadas were filled with pepper-jack cheese and chicken, and were accompanied by a side of pickled red onions, jalapeños, lettuce, sour cream and salsa.
After a 15-minute wait, our food was brought over and my hopes were high. The naan arrived open-faced, topped with chicken slathered in guacamole and sour cream, and sprinkled with diced feta. In terms of taste, the naan itself lived up to expectations — it was thick, warm and rich. But beyond that, the “fusion” felt half-baked. Rather than the dish blending into a cohesive whole, the ingredients remained distinct, failing to complement or uplift one another. The guacamole and sour cream were overpowering, the chicken was barely seasoned and although the meal was filling, my taste buds felt unsatisfied.
Normally, when I eat naan, it’s alongside butter chicken or paneer tikka masala — dishes full of spice and depth, but that balance was missing here. The only South Asian component of this dish was the naan, as none of the traditional spices or warmth of the cuisine made an appearance. While the use of the naan was crafty and creative, I felt the concept was a little poorly researched. To me, it came across like naan was used as a profit-grab, and the similarities to South Asian cuisine ended there. Fusion food works best when both cuisines respect and elevate each other, and it requires research and experimentation to see what clicks and what doesn’t. I didn’t quite see that here — it more or less felt like a bunch of random ingredients thrown together. Ultimately, it was filling, but unsatisfying and one-dimensional.
My friend had similar thoughts about her dish of chicken empanadas. The empanadas arrived golden and crisp, with a satisfying cheese pull, but the chicken inside lacked flavor and tasted sort of oily. She described the empanadas as good but generic, nothing special. We wondered if a sauce might have elevated the flavor, perhaps something sweet and sour to tie it all together. We both agreed it would make great post-night-out food, if it were less pricey — filling enough for when one’s senses are dulled, but not something we’d go out of our way to try.
Fresh, experimental and organic, FARMacy Café certainly has its strengths. However, I did feel that their fusion needed more research, spice and a stronger balance between cuisines. Picking a fusion because of its popularity can work if it's well executed with careful intent, and I didn’t quite see that. I left wishing they’d either fully leaned into the fusion idea or just embraced their strength in clean, health-focused Mexican food. While I don’t see myself going back, you should check it out and make a judgment for yourself.
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