LILA Wood-Fired Taqueria

Name: LILA Wood-Fired Taqueria
Address: 786 Jumeira St, Jumeirah, Dubai, AE
Telephone: +97142820005

Jumeirah

Mexican restaurant Closed 04 282 0005

LILA Wood-Fired Taqueria is a small Mexican restaurant in Jumeirah with a cosy, homegrown feel and wood-fired cooking. Reviews point visitors towards the lamb tacos and tuna tostadas, while house-made tortillas and seasonal dishes add interest—though portions and prices divide opinion.

Reputation Score

4.5

★★★★★

644 ratings

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The Good Stuff

Showing 2 of 7

Tuna tostadas

Raw tuna with a light citrus marinade lets the freshness come through without overpowering it.

House tortillas

The taco shells are made in-house, giving the menu a more distinctive, handmade feel.

Let's go!

What to Eat at LILA Wood-Fired Taqueria

These items at LILA Wood-Fired Taqueria got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!

Food 5

Churros Net +9

“One of my favourite places in Dubai. The food was delicious and the service to its standard. The only thing I'd say, if I have to find one, is the chocolate sauce for the churros which had an acidic lactic taste. I'm a chocolate lover and I like the simple deep chocolate taste. They have kindly exchanged it for a caramel sauce.”
Queso fundido Net +3

“For the finale, we tried their Queso Fundido that was really good! The portion was big enough to use all the tortillas (6), and still be left with some cheese. Next time we'll add Lamb Chorizo to improve it.”
Shrimp tacos Net +3

“The guac and churros were nice, the shrimp taco was good.”
Grilled fish pescado a ña talla Net +2

“I really liked the grilled fish (pescado a ña talla) and their guac is just perfect.”
Tuna tostadas Net +2

“As for the Tuna Tostadas, as other restaurants in Dubai, the tuna is raw. In this case it had a light citrus seasoning/marinade, so subtle that you're able to taste the freshness and quality of the tuna. It's cut small enough to take many pieces of tuna in one bite, but big enough to not absorb a lot of the marinade and overcome the tuna flavor. Chipotle mayo is also a common ingredient for most of the other tuna tostadas out there, which matches well.”

Honorable mentions (42)

Al pastor taco Net +1

“🍖 The Al Pastor, a mouthwatering spit-roasted lamb taco available only from 3pm until it’s sold out, was like a culinary unicorn - rare, magical, and totally enchanting! 🦄✨”
Baja fish tacos Net +1

“But all the other items were priced well and the taste was good. The baja fish tacos were fresh, the dry age rib eye tacos were hearty too and the chips and salsa had a very rustic feel to it, it's not the generic chips you get everywhere else, which was a nice touch.”
Beef tacos Net +1

“The beef tacos were the only thing that we liked.”
Cabbage tacos Net +1

“their cabbage tacos were delicious and healthy.”
Cheesy lamb gringo Net +1

“For mains we had crab and shrimp tacos (mouthwatering and held the perfect crunch). Followed that with the chicken (not too good) and the cheesy lamb gringo (food coma by this stage).”
Chicken taco Net +1

“food service took 25 minutes to get the tacos and when they arrived all the tortillas were cold. the shrimp taco was bland with no flavor, the crust taco was good but the tortilla was cold again, the chicken taco was good it was the only one.”
Chipotle-honey grilled shrimp Net +1

“🐟🍤 Every bite was a blissful journey: Baja-Style Crunchy Fish, Chipotle-Honey Grilled Shrimp, and the exquisite Gringa de Camarón - each one showcasing the skillful craftsmanship of the chefs! The flavors were a symphony of ecstasy for the palate. 🎵🎉”
Chips + guacamole Net +1

“We started with the chips + guacamole along with the coconut cream drink and date cola. Spot on to get your appetite going+ the salsa has the right amount of zing.”
Citrus-marinated chicken Net +1

“Citrus-marinated chicken were decent. 7/10”
Crab and shrimp tacos Net +1

“For mains we had crab and shrimp tacos (mouthwatering and held the perfect crunch). Followed that with the chicken (not too good) and the cheesy lamb gringo (food coma by this stage).”
Crab tostada Net +1

“We had the crab tostada which was a pleasant surprise of sweet peach combined with the smokey crab meat.”
Crispy duck Net +1

“Food was really good and well executed. The guacamole and chips, queso fundido and the crispy duck was my favorite.”
Crust taco Net +1

“food service took 25 minutes to get the tacos and when they arrived all the tortillas were cold. the shrimp taco was bland with no flavor, the crust taco was good but the tortilla was cold again, the chicken taco was good it was the only one.”
Dry age rib eye tacos Net +1

“But all the other items were priced well and the taste was good. The baja fish tacos were fresh, the dry age rib eye tacos were hearty too and the chips and salsa had a very rustic feel to it, it's not the generic chips you get everywhere else, which was a nice touch.”
Duck quesadillas Net +1

“The duck quesadillas is a must-try and the oysters were so flavorful.”
Fish taco Net +1

“The food here was amazing - we got the lamb tacos al pastor, skirt steak tacos, a fish taco and a special fish tostada that I can’t remember the name of now - all incredible.”
Fish tacos Net +1

“These tacos are delicious!!! Super authentic. The short rib and the fish tacos were the best I tried the first time. We will be back for sure.”
Grilled shrimps Net +1

“The food is delicious, unfortunately I did not take photo for the smoky crab tacos with peaches , those were outstanding, but I recommend also the grilled shrimps (1/2) portion and the shrimps tacos either pineapple”
Gringa de camarón Net +1

“🐟🍤 Every bite was a blissful journey: Baja-Style Crunchy Fish, Chipotle-Honey Grilled Shrimp, and the exquisite Gringa de Camarón - each one showcasing the skillful craftsmanship of the chefs! The flavors were a symphony of ecstasy for the palate. 🎵🎉”
Guacamole and chips Net +1

“Food was really good and well executed. The guacamole and chips, queso fundido and the crispy duck was my favorite.”
Jarritos lime Net +1

“I liked Jarritos lime . 🍋‍🟩 and service was good.”
Lamb pastor tacos Net +1

“Highly recommended: Queso fundido 🤌🏽😚 (awesome!!) Lamb Pastor tacos 🤤 Tuna tostada 🤤”
Lamb tacos al pastor Net +1

“The food here was amazing - we got the lamb tacos al pastor, skirt steak tacos, a fish taco and a special fish tostada that I can’t remember the name of now - all incredible.”
Lamb tacos with cheese Net +1

“The lamb tacos with cheese were also really filling and nice.”
Masa-battered crispy shrimp tostadas Net +1

“Their special, the Masa-battered Crispy Shrimp Tostadas were personally my favorite. Solid combination of ingredients and a unique twist on the "coating" of the shrimp. You could feel the spicyness of the salsa macha, but well balanced with the avocado, cream and lime. However my friend, had a good point of view, it was his least favorite because he couldn't feel the shrimp flavor, it was overcome by the rest.”
Oysters Net +1

“The duck quesadillas is a must-try and the oysters were so flavorful.”
Paloma Net +1

“Had the paloma and watermelon basil agua fresca, both of which were nice.”
Roasted lamb Net +1

“the roasted lamb was spicier, juicy, and slightly sweet with the pieces of pineapple.”
Smoked crab tostadas with honey-glazed stone fruit salsa Net +1

“💥 But the real showstoppers were the Smoked Crab Tostadas with Honey-Glazed Stone Fruit Salsa! 🦀🍅 The burst of flavors and the refreshing, light sensation left me craving for more. They are undoubtedly a taste sensation that dances on the tongue! 😋💃”
Smoked oysters Net +1

“But overall the dishes we tried were good; especially the shrimp tacos and the smoked oysters!!”
Smoky crab tacos with peaches Net +1

“The food is delicious, unfortunately I did not take photo for the smoky crab tacos with peaches , those were outstanding, but I recommend also the grilled shrimps (1/2) portion and the shrimps tacos either pineapple”
Smoky sweet potato tostadas Net +1

“I was the most intrigued about the Smoky Sweet Potato Tostadas. They were sweet, so soft and moist, warm and well balanced. The flavor of the sweet potatoes was very pure. I just wished it had more "salsa negra" as I barely felt any "smokyness". The mind and yogurt also adds lots of freshness.”
Soy glazed short rib tacos Net +1

“The real showstopper was the soy glazed short rib tacos which were amazing.”
Special fish tostada Net +1

“The food here was amazing - we got the lamb tacos al pastor, skirt steak tacos, a fish taco and a special fish tostada that I can’t remember the name of now - all incredible.”
Steak costra style Net +1

“Steak costra style are my favorite 🤩”
Steak tacos Net +1

“I had the steak tacos which again was suuper yummy.”
Sweet potato tostitada Net +1

“must try is the sweet potato tostitada.”
Tostada Net +1

“We ordered tostada, tacos, churros along with cold drinks. Everything we ordered was freshly made, authentic, flavorful and oh-so delicious.”
Tostada's Net +1

“For this last visit, it was focused solely on their Tostada's, which are great, and from time to time, depending on the season and available ingredients, they might change.”
Tostadas Net +1

“Their tacos and tostadas are like the ones I had in Mexico and everything we ordered was really delicious.”
Watermelon basil agua fresca Net +1

“Had the paloma and watermelon basil agua fresca, both of which were nice.”
Wood-smoked dibba bay oyster with the delightful green chimichurri Net +1

“I relished the wood-smoked Dibba Bay oyster with the delightful green chimichurri, setting the perfect tone for an unforgettable meal. 🦪🔥”

Drinks 1

Homemade cola drink Net +1

“The homemade cola drink was so refreshing!”

What to Avoid (9)

Food 8

Steak Net −1

“Good food, great vibes, it was a good experience. The only downside was the steak because it used to be the my fav dish in this place, but after the supplier change, it was noticeably chewier than before.”
Chicken Net −1

“For mains we had crab and shrimp tacos (mouthwatering and held the perfect crunch). Followed that with the chicken (not too good) and the cheesy lamb gringo (food coma by this stage).”
Corn Net −1

“Corn was slightly underwhelming looks much better than it tastes. 6/10”
Corn elote Net −1

“We had the corn elote which to our surprise was just a single grilled corn. The price is not at all justified.”
Fried fish tacos Net −1

“The fried fish tacos lacked a lot of flavor and tasted a bit wonky.”
Seasonal crab tostadas Net −1

“Ordered the seasonal crab tostadas, which were fishy and we had to send back, but the team was very accommodating.”
Shrimp taco Net −1

“food service took 25 minutes to get the tacos and when they arrived all the tortillas were cold. the shrimp taco was bland with no flavor, the crust taco was good but the tortilla was cold again, the chicken taco was good it was the only one.”
Sweet plantain dish Net −1

“But couldnt say the same about the sweet plantain dish.”

Drinks 1

Jamaican tea Net −1

“Although we had already ordered 1 large mineral water and two drinks from the house, which by the way was the only good one with pineapple (super wonderful) because the Jamaican tea seemed like the ones they sell here in the UAE and close to the Mexican Jamaican one.”

Tips for a Better Visit

Showing 2 of 5

Reserve ahead. Book ahead because the compact dining room has limited seating and one reviewer specifically advised reserving.

Try early specials. Ask about seasonal dishes and the lamb al pastor, which one reviewer said was available from 3pm until sold out.

Plan the visit

Practical details

786 Jumeira St

Umm Suqeim Second - Jumeirah 3, Dubai

04 282 0005

Mon	Closed
Tue	2:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Wed	2:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Thu	2:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Fri	2:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Sat	2:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Sun	2:00 PM – 10:00 PM

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Common Concerns

Showing 2 of 5

High pricing

Multiple diners feel the bill is steep for the portion sizes; one reported 68 dirham for three tacos.

Uneven flavour

Fish and some special tacos have been described as bland or lacking balance, despite stronger shrimp and beef options.

Customer-reported prices

These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.

68 dirham

3 tacos

“High prices 3 🌮🌮🌮tacos for 68 dirham!!!!!”

Google review · August 2024

175AED

2 tacos

“Our total bill for 2 tacos was 175AED - not worth it for the taste”

Google review · August 2023

DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

LILA Wood-Fired Taqueria is a small, cosy Mexican restaurant in Jumeirah built around tacos, tostadas and wood-fired cooking. The dishes most often singled out are the lamb tacos, tuna tostadas, short rib tacos and churros. Several Mexican diners describe the food as authentic, fresh and close to what they have eaten in Mexico, while others find certain items bland or less impressive than expected.

The lamb tacos are a particularly safe starting point, and the tuna tostadas showcase raw tuna with a restrained citrus marinade. The short rib tacos have also earned strong praise. For dessert, the churros can be crunchy and soft with salted caramel, although one guest disliked the chocolate sauce and another found the churros hard and tasteless.

Queso fundido, shrimp tacos and guacamole receive mixed-to-positive mentions too. The setting is warm and relaxed, with wood details and mellow music, and some reviews mention that small pets are welcome. Service is often friendly and attentive, but one detailed visit reported a 25-minute taco wait, cold tortillas and poor follow-up.

Prices are a clear consideration: portions can feel small, and a reviewer reported paying 68 dirham for three tacos. Reserve ahead, check the current valet situation, and ask about seasonal dishes before ordering.