Toca Madera

Easier to get same day reservations for dinner on weekdays.
–Waitress was horrible, didn’t refill our drinks, we wanted to order dessert and I needed to get up and find someone.
–Guac is to die for and a must! Salad is also really good!
Came here on a Friday for the «bar,» there was a line but mostly guys were waiting outside.
–Really nice atmosphere and décor

Did a trendy happy hour here on Friday night with a friend. Wonderful bartenders (very attentive) & great appetizers. Fun ambiance.

My friends have been talking about Toca Madera for months, so this weekend I decided to give it a go.
The first thing I noticed was the bouncer outside and the atmosphere. Is this a club or a restaurant? I felt like I was in Vegas. The music was loud and the bar was packed and it was only 7pm.
We were seated at one of the hightop tables in the bar. The service was great and we started out with the guacamole and plantain chips as well as the complimentary tortillas and sweet butter. The tortillas are so indulgent with the sweet butter! The guacamole was fresh and I like the spin of the added pomegranate seeds and the plantain chips instead of regular tortilla chips.
We ordered the empanadas, seabass tacos (grilled instead of fried), carne asada tacos, enchiladas de suizas, carne asada and mexican street corn. It was a feast. the flavors were all spot on and I was really impressed with all the dishes. My favorites were the seabass tacos and the empanadas.
We had to have the churro ice cream sandwich, so we ordered it for dessert. The ice cream was so creamy and went perfectly with the cinnamon crunch of the churro.
I enjoyed the sancerre by the glass and my friends had margaritas.
This is the type of place I would describe as ‘sceney.’ It’s loud, and almost feels like you are eating in a club. But the food is really the highlight. I would prefer to come back for brunch, as I assume it would be more mellow.

I gv this place 3 only because the bus boi was moody and I had to wait so long for my wine cuz the first one was warm, and my filet mignon was given away to another table so it took awhile b4 I could enjoy my food, when it did arrive the meat was so flavourful so juicy it was worth the wait, only thing I wasn’t keen on was the tappatillo or olive chimichurri on the filet I felt something a little less pungent would hv been more delightful, food presentation was kool we managed to hv many dishes on the small round tables the seats were cozy and lighting was dim and mysterious great music vibe fun atmosphere all in all I really enjoyed this spot very popular which probably explains all the delay on my warm wine and food mix up.

This place is amazing.
Came here for HH. Amazing. I was unimpressed with their margaritas but it’s HH so what can you do? The food though… Amazing. Chips and guacamole were good. Friend enjoyed complimentary tortillas. Chicken tacos were soooooo good. Friend enjoyed carne asada tacos but I can’t eat beef so I’ll take her word for it.
What REALLY put my experience over was our super gorgeous, down to earth server Kris Anne. She is a freakin’ bombshell. And NICE. And helpful. Thank you for being stellar. I’ll be back!

Yummy food and great atmosphere!
We got the sea bass tacos and oh my god they were bomb! Also their guacamole was delicious, it tasted authentic plus it comes with plantain chips which is a fun change from the common tortilla chip. I got the spicy drink I forgot what it was called but it was yummy. But my favorite part of the night was the churro ice cream sandwich. The churro was warm it almost tasted like cinnamon toast crunch lol.

Spent my birthday dinner here with a big group and had reservations at 9:45pm. We weren’t seated until 10:15pm…it’s not too bad of a wait since you could hangout at the bar, but if I make reservations 2 weeks in advance, I expect the table to be ready when I walk in.
Décor: trendy/​classy, yet kinda goth/​dark/​sexy– great crowd, well-​dressed, awesome energy that reminded me of New York. Lighting fixtures throughout are gorgeous
Seating: If you’re planning a group thing, keep in mind that there is a «garden area» that’s more secluded and sit-​down-​dinner-​ish — as well as seating by the bar/​more crowded area.
Food: enchiladas & coconut salad were yummy. *the GUAC is a must* Portions are super tiny for everything, but all my friends loved their dishes.
Service: waitress was very friendly and helped with suggestions
Drinks: strong & tasty (jalapeño drink was bomb)
Overall a great time and would go back to try some more food/​drinks :)
p. s. there’s a photobooth

Awesome place for drinks! I want to come back for the food. The bar area is awesome, can get super crowded even though they require reservations after a certain time. I love the décor and set up here such a fun place.
I had the la Bonita (4.5 stars) — yummy drink with strawberries mm mm.
Ghost rider comes on fire !

Churro ice cream? Sold! I’ll be there!
The vibe here was trendy, upscale, fun, and upbeat. Seems like a cool dating spot (wink wink).
I enjoyed the place very much and liked how after some 1942 shots were ordered the restaurant manager came over to visit and then again upon our exit.
Food wise my favorite was the queso fundido for our appetizer, I forgot what they called it on their menu, but for the hispanic folks – that’s what it’s called. It is melted cheese with some garnish and you eat it with tortillas and drizzle some salsa. Then again I’m probably biased because I love cheese!
As an entrée I ordered the enchildas suizas and whoaa it was delicious! I also ordered their Cochinita Pibil tacos, which is seasoned/​slow cooked pork meat. It literally melts in your mouth (ahh).
For sides we ordered rice. Yeah, don’t order that. The rice was beyond over cooked. It was spongy, mushy, it was almost like rice custard. Someone added too much water and it was bad. You get a fail card!
We also ordered the citrus salmon and dear Food Gods, thank you. That was also amazing!
As you all know I am a sucker for sweets and couldn’t pass up the churro ice cream. I won’t post a picture because frankly there is enough uploaded. It was so guud! Definitely a must try. It was probably 1000+ calories, but who’s counting macros on a weekend right?
The cons? The place is small, so if they are full don’t waste your time trying to force yourself in or at the bar. The seating at the bar is very tight as it is. Luckily we had reservations, so we were okay. Take that advice! I saw a lot of girls standing around getting bumped by passing servers.
Long review-​short, make sure you are well dressed here, definitely a spot for friends, and fun times. I wouldn’t come here for an anniversary or one-​on-​one like I did. Way to loud to be romantic! Both the loud club-​like music and crowd made it very hard to have a conversation.
Lastly, when ordering, make sure you order several dishes because the portions are teenie-​tiny.
See you there! Toodles!

I’ve heard so much about this place from friends who say they are «dying» to visit. My friend and I came down on a Friday night after our usual happy hour spot in Century City. I was very curious to see what all the hype was about.
First of all, it’s near the corner of La Cienega and 3^rd St where parking can be EXTREMELY difficult to find. We had no choice but to valet. The good thing is the valet guys accept card. So if you’re one of those people who never has cash on you, you’re good here.
We walk into a crowded bar and the hostess gave me the nastiest look. She looked at me up and down and sarcastically said, «can I help you?» I couldn’t even acknowledge that greeting, so I just said, «we just want to sit at the bar.»
It took a while for us to flag down a bartender only to be disappointed with a watered-​down and expensive mint julep.
My favorite part about this place is the ladies’ restroom.
However, I will try this place out a second time. If the experience is the same, I won’t be back.

10:30 PM Reservations on a Friday Night.
We walk in and the entire restaurant is dimly lit. It’s trendy and nicely decorated. Lanterns on the wall, indoor trees, skulls, and the list goes on. The hostess offered us both a vegan and regular menu which I found very helpful. As we walked towards the back we passed Christina Milian’s party. I knew then and there this bill would pack a punch.
When arriving — they provide complimentary flour tortillas. with honey butter and salsa. My boyfriend loved the honey butter. Our waitress was sweet and helpful. She provided insight on the best dishes on both the regular and vegan menu. We decided to oder:
— Table Side Guacamole: Loved the Yucca Chips! The pomegranate seeds are a nice touch.
— Vegan Mushroom Tacos: Good — Interesting Texture tho.
— Carne Asada Tacos: Delicious; Would get this if I came back.
— Albondiga: Boyfriend approved
— Drinks: Ghost rider and La Bonita (Resturant Favs)
I loved the food, but I would say the ambiance captured my attention more. It’s a beautiful restaurant if you have guests or a special date — but i I wouldn’t come here casually every week.
So save up a bit and give this place a try.

ENVIRONMENT
Super cool modern Mexican. The back
APPS
Yucca Chips and Guacamole — off the menu, but totally available. You need to pay per order of chips though. Tortilla chips are also available. The guac has pomegranate seeds on top.
Street Corn — could you go wrong? No cob, but awesome.
BRUNCH
Huevos Rancheros — with soyrizo which is good.
This dish is light and and filling. Half green sauce, half red sauce.
Crispy Chicken Taco — another Elite at the table said this is the best taco they had — and didn’t share.

Omg SO good! Place is very trendy but I don’t think it warrants clubbing dresses like what I’ve been seeing girls wear? Eh whatever floats your boat though. Went here for my bff’s birthday dinner and here’s what I got to try:
Complimentary flour tortilla with honey butter and salsa: two dipping options for the amazing warm, soft tortillas! LOVED the honey butter — it was whipped to perfection!
Table side guacamole: you can get mild, medium, or spicy. I went with medium and it was the perfect amount of spice! But don’t trust my word on it because I don’t eat very spicy. Flavors were so good and the plantain chips were a nice change from the typical tortilla chips.
Fried seabass tacos: very tasty and fish very crispy! More on the dry side — not your typical saucy/​drenched tacos.
Mushroom tacos: this was very interesting in a good way. Packed full of mushrooms that you might mistaken for meat. Yum
A la toca: about 6 small slices of wagyu with a small side of veggies. Comes with 3 dipping sauces which I didn’t even need to use because the meat was perfectly seasoned!
Churro sandwich: isn’t this almost the sole reason people come here? ;) THE HYPE WAS REAL Y’ALL!!! Churro was so warm and SO soft (although I know some prefer it crispy?) mmm. Dulce de leches ice cream was a little on the milky side for me but the dessert was still so good!
Tip: valet is $ 6.50

I can rave on about this restaurant forever. Came in for my coworkers birthday a few nights ago. The décor is incredibly detailed and unique. The music is on point. The food is impeccable.
For a table of four we shared the guacamole (which came with banana chips) and the salsa trio. I fell in love with the verde and constantly found myself mixing it up with the mango salsa, also equally delicious. As a complimentary, the staff bring out warm tortilla bread with side dish of butter and salsa. There is also the habanera salsa, which is excellent! For the main dish, one of my coworkers got the ceviche (pure bliss). One of my coworkers also got the sea bass tacos which looked amazing. I, myself, got the chicken taqueria. Perfect portion. Great taste. Between two we got the rice and black beans (good portion to share). The beans were brilliant, the rice was self explanatory.
For drinks, I had the agua Fresca, which was quite refreshing and had a kick to it. The special I’ve heard was the toca margarita.
For dessert I would definitely recommend the churro sandwich with dulce de leche ice cream (good to share between two).
In regards to the service, I have nothing but kind words. I had made a reservation on a Tuesday night and got seated prior to my set time. The waitress and servers were all so accommodating.
The only hesitating side is the price of the meal. Nevertheless, it is a splurge well making.

My experience at Toca Madera was quite disappointing! I made reservations for a Saturday, 7:45p, (two weeks in advance) to celebrate my 35^th birthday with friends. Reservations was a breeze. I was told that there is a maximum of 2 hours at the table to accommodate more customers.
The restaurant is an esthetically beautiful, modern, and gothic-​like (nothing over the top though) Mexican restaurant. Because this is not your typical Mexican restaurant, don’t expect complimentary chips and salsa or prices to be average. This is «gourmet» Mexican food, so you will be paying for the quality and presentation.
The service:
Ok, my party of 5 was seated immediately and was given the menu to peruse. Our waitress comes along, forgot her name but she was the tall, slim Caucasian woman with short blonde hair. I don’t know if that was a bad night for her or if she was a new waitress, but her hospitality was awfully horrible. Mind you, this was our first time at the restaurant and she didn’t even bother to inquire if this was our first time dining there. She takes our order and we ordered guacamole and chips as an appetizer ($ 12). Let me reiterate, this was an APPETIZER. However, we didn’t get it well until after we received our entrée. We had informed our waitress twice, and each response was «oh, let me check!» but never came back each of those times to let us know the status of our guac & chips. Only when the guacamole lady came is when we knew for a fact when it was coming lol. So let me tell you about this guacamole. They make the guacamole right alongside your table, and it’s customized to your liking. That guacamole was so good. They give you plantain chips, so you have to request for tortilla chips… Now back to this service. Of course you can’t go to a Mexican restaurant and not order drinks, specifically margaritas. The drink list is amazing. So many good choices. And at $ 15 per drink, you would have hoped for great taste, taste of alcohol and a nice kick. Naw, got none of that. I ordered the Toca Margarita, and it was just blah. I have had way better at your «typical, less modern» Mexican restaurant. So check this out, the busboy must have been in a zone because he did not ask any questions when he started to remove plates and glasses from our table. Had he asked, he would have known I wasn’t done with my $ 15 drink. I hadn’t even noticed he took my glass until I glanced at the table (he had moved stuff out of the table so quickly). And since our waitress hardly came to check on us, I had to wait for some time to tell her of the mishap. Luckily the guacamole lady saw him take the glass and she even was surprised that he had taken it, as it was obvious that there was still more left in the glass. She told us after she finishes making our guacamole, she would let the busboy know as well as inform our waitress. Ms. «Where is my waitress» waitress finally mosey on to our table and says, «I heard about what happened with your drink. I will let the bartender know and we will make another one for you.» Ok, great. When I tell you our waitress was so absent-​minded, this woman here. smh…Minutes went by and my drink never came. I flagged our waitress and inform her about still not having my drink and her response was, «Ohhh! Let me get that going right now!» So it sounds like to me, she never put the drink order in. I was irritated at this point. Luckily the drink came out immediatley… Time to order dessert. I had already knew what I was getting before even coming to the restaurant: Churro ice cream sandwich. So the waitress came by to take our dessert order. When I told her the ice cream sandwich, my guests said «Ooh that sounds good» and made comments about possibly wanting to order it. Without even asking if we all wanted to order it, only 2 of us verbally told her we wanted it, and I guess she assumed that was the case for everyone else, as she didn’t go around and ask each guest and left and placed the order. We were all so confused at this point wondering what was going on and why was the service like this. So again we flagged her down and tell her that she didn’t get everyone’s order. So she gets the orders she missed.
Well, our dining experience went longer than the 2 hour maximum, as it wasn’t our fault with all of the mishaps… Food was really good, but hella expensive and you don’t even get much on your plate. I felt like I should have ate before I came, as I was not full at all. It’s a la carté so you will be spending some money. So my 2 stars is strictly for the quality of the food and the ambiance of the restaurant. Oh and they have valet parking– another plus!
I don’t think I will be spending MY money to dine here again. My experience here was definitely a turn off. It’s unfortunate, because the food was delicious.
*Side note: This is a vegan-​friendly restaurant, as they have a full vegan menu in addition to the regular menu.

$$$ yea… OVERPRICED.
So apparently, one needs to make a reservation 2 – 3 weeks in advance… and you need a reservation to even get in.
I, was fortunate to have friends inside already and the bouncer was pretty cool about letting me in even though they didn’t have a resie and we’re just at the bar.
It’s pretty dark when you get in… probably why I thought only beautiful inhabited this place. It’s supposed to be Mexican themed… mostly portrayed by the giant picture of a topless woman in Dia De Los Muertos makeup… but that’s not what warrants only 3 stars.
I ordered a Mac 12 and it was $ 17!!! Ummmmm I’m sorry but since when is ANY 12 year scotch worth that much??? I was probably paying for their gas bill… seeing as how they had glass cases with fire burning throughout the place. Oh… guess how long it took for me to get the attention of a bartender… guess!!! 10 minutos!!! Ta madre!!! Anyway… the company I had made up for the lack of service plus inflated prices.
Would I be back? Mmmmmmmmmmm… yo pienso… no!!!

We visited Toca Madera for brunch. The place is a bit gothic, a bit upscale and a bit rustic creating a very unique vibe.
Started with the guac, which I’m sure you know at this point is offered with plantain chips, which is just genius; but it’s not only because they break the traditional mold of serving corn chips, but it gives a awesome spin to a classic as the guac itself has a tangy flavor and has been garnished with micro greens, pomegranate seeds, and toasted sunflower seeds. (I think). Just awesome.
We then had the enchilada and chilaquiles. Both very tasty with new elements that enhances familiar flavors. I would have just added a bit more salsa to my chilaquiles, but that’s just me.
Had to finish with the churro waffle with fresh berries, chantilly cream and honey butter. Need I say more?
Wish I had been hungover to try their cocktails. The place seems to have a killer night scene, so for sure I’ll be coming back for that.

Toca Madera is like the new kid in school. It’s great crowd cuz everyone wants to be your friend but when you actually hang out with the new kid their not as cool as you thought they were! There’s way better Mexican more so for LA however some things I did enjoy at Toca Madera.
I would recommend:
Ordering from the guacamole cart. It’s fun and tastes decent.
Their churro ice cream is delicious. I love how crunchy it is with the ice cream melting all around it. Yumm

Ambiance: I probably went here way too late for dinner (10pm on a Thursday) and was left yelling over the music and squirming through the crowd. This place was packed! Definitely turns into more of a bar scene as the night progresses. Be warned!
Food: Besides that, I had the most amazing, microscopic, sea bass tacos. After you get over the fact that you’re paying $ 8 for a taco that’s the size of your pointer finger, you can really appreciate the freshness of the fish and the flavors of the sauces and toppings.
But really, $ 16 bucks for an al la carte, 2 taco dish? No gracias.
Drinks: Four bites later when I finished my tacos, I decided that I’d make my dining experience worth while and order some Instagram-​worthy drinks. To my disappointment, flaming drinks do NOT photograph well but were delicious and did not skimp on the tequila!
Service: If I could hear or see my waitress, I’m sure she would have been great! In the dimly lit mood-​lighting, she strikingly resembled Jessica Alba and Angelina Jolie’s daughter. Don’t bring your boyfriend here!
On my next trip to Toca Madera, I’ll be sure to stop at In-​n-​Out on the way, make a reservation for 6pm and bring a flashlight.

I love Mexican food. I love happy hour. This place is the place to go for delicious Mexican food for a reasonable price. Although this is more upscale Mexican food, you can still taste the authenticity in each dish.
I came in on a Thursday night after work. They were all booked up for the night (sadness) and I had to sit at their bar which was beautiful. They have all different types of liquor laid out for display and there is lots of natural sunlight from their skylight that hits.
Of course, I had to get their margarita. During happy hour it’s only $ 8 but it is pretty strong. My bartender told me they use a cheaper kind of tequila for happy hour but it’s still good. Normally I get really red when I drink cheap liquor but thank God that didn’t happy here. I had two and that was more than enough for me.
FOOD:
Off their happy hour menu, we ordered their salsa flight and carne asada and pork tacos. The salsa flight comes with a trio of salsas served with tortilla chips and plantains. On the side, they serve a hot sauce which is seriously FUEGO! You are given a salsa verde, mango salsa, and red salsa. I really liked the variety because you got a sweetness from the mango, a more smokey taste from the red salsa, and a fresh subtle kick from the salsa verde. The plantains were a unique way to eat the salsas and I loved it! They weren’t too oily and had a great crunch to it.
The tacos though were great. The carne asada was nicely seasoned and not dry at all. The tortillas though were what made the dish for me. They were extremely fresh and hot! They were also nice and soft but weren’t soggy from the meat. But I definitely have to say that the pork tacos were way better than the carne.
The exact name for the pork tacos are cochiniti pibil which are slowly cooked pork meat. OMG freaking good. They were extremely flavorful and slightly spicy! I actually ordered another one after my first bite because they were that good. ⁵⁄₅
My dad got their enchilada mole which was good too! A little on the sweeter side but did not lack any flavor. The enchiladas overall were much richer in flavor and a heavier item compared to the tacos. Heads up, these enchiladas are not offered off the happy hour menu. I thought it was a nice contrast to all the other spicy foods we were eating.
Trust me, I will be back! The food is great, service is on point, and the bar scene is very lively. Next, I will have to try their churro ice cream sandwich!
SERVICE:
Our bartender was hilarious. He was nice enough to give suggestions and keep checking up on our order.
PARKING:
Valet only. You have to get lucky to find any parking off 3^rd street.