Toloache

This is our second time coming to New York and my husband and I went right to Toloache for lunch! Incredible food!!!

If you want to enjoy a tequila and mezcal adventure with a great host, bartender and staff, topped of with good Mexican food, this is the place. We enjoyed mixed drinks at the bar before the meal and during the meal (carne asada and costilla de res). Then back at the bar we began our mezcal and tequila adventure for desert. I remember the Los Naguales, Casa Noble and Herradura, which were the smoothest I have ever tasted. The four to five others were just as smooth. Enjoy!

A fun place to dine. The service was great. The waiter was cheerful, fun and knowledgable, explaining the dishes we chose and answering all our questions.
We started w the traditional guacamole which was perfectly seasoned and accompanied by a smokey chipotle sauce.
Then the appetizers we ordered 3 and shared first was the short rib& bone marrow quesadilla it was very tasty and made open like a flat bread, next the Langosta lobster taco, succulent an sweet, delicious, the Cameron was the garlic shrimp taco cooked to perfection! we also enjoyed a traditional Mojito, a coconut Mojita and a Pacifica Beer. Entries included the Carne Asada a simply grilled tender skirt steak and a mole enchilada, so good, the Paella with Octopus, clams, shrimp & chorizo plated beautifully and tender and sweet, spicy a flavorful party in your mouth & Camarones Toloache roasted garlic shrimp, crispy tortilla, black beans, chayote squash, spaghetti salad, Mexican cheeses, this cascabel salsa, the shrimp dishes were ordered by the shrimp lover of our party and got the thumbs up. We all tasted this dis and the sauce and shrimp were fantastic. Full but we had to try the dessert and we were glad we did. I enjoyed a Mexicana coffee with the vanilla flan, we also had the Chicolate flan cake and the Churros w a chocolate and caramel dipping sauce. It was very had to choose which was best but my favorite was the chocolate flan cake. The best was the Maitre’d came over to our table and asked if any of us were driving and when we said no not tonight he poured us a complimentary tequila with the classic lime wedge… we didn’t finish it but all agreed the taste we had was smooth and light. Overall a really fun dining experience and we will definitely go back!

Where do I start…
Let’s start off by saying, it’s phenomenal!
You definitely need to make reservations, it’s a decently sized restaurant (two floors).
I ordered the carnitas plate, which was extremely tender and juicy. Charred on the outer layers (which was perfect!) comes with roasted creamed corn, vegetables and a side of their «fire» salsa. The dish was aesthetically pleasing but more importantly tasty.
Service was awesome, prompt and very fun to order with.
Try the Michelada (Amber) and their version of the margarita. Both were delicious!
Desserts, we ordered the tres leches and churros, perfectly prepared and also delicious.

I tried the restaurant week. I had the skirt steak. It’s really good. I would recommend this place if you’re looking for a Mexican food. It’s not salty.

This place is PHENOMENAL. We got into the city around 8:30p and wanted something to eat before we hit the bars. This place was down the street from our hotel so we decided to sit down and have a bite. The sangria was perfect. Not to sweet, just the right amount of alcohol and fruit– amazing. We ordered the spicy lobster tacos, which was not spicy at all, but they were the best thing we had. If we knew what they were like, we would have ordered a few more and just ate those as a meal.
I had the cheese fondue with chips and it was good. exactly what I had expected. and my boyfriend had a steak he really enjoyed.
We contemplated coming back here the next day for another round of tacos but after the pervious night of drinking, wanted something a little lighter for lunch.
We will definitely keep this place in mind when we come back next time.

They had a booth at the Unilocal Holiday Hangover 2016 party cruise. Disclaimer: I actually haven’t been to the restaurant.
Pros:
— Very enthusiastic Toloache employee — kept on prompting people to try grasshopper on the taco
— Grasshopper was very crunchy but overall the taco was pretty tasty

Inflated prices for pretty good Mexican food cost this place a third star. I’d rather eat early in my neighborhood and then go to the theater rather than pay double or more for what similar and slightly better food would be at Urban Taco, Taco Diner, or Mi Cocina, all in Dallas. You could explain that New York is more expensive than Dallas and the theater district is more expensive than most of New York. This is still disappointing. You should know that the food was fine. The salsa was better than many and delightfully different. There are better buys in the theater district, and better buys in Mexican just about everywhere. Ootoya, Sake Bar Hagi, and Gyu Kaku all spring to mind — thought they’re not Mexican. Here’s the deets. Shop wisely in the theater district (02÷05÷16):
Albarino, white wine, glass, 11
Herradura anejo tequila, 16
Rioja Tempranillo red wine, 11
chips & salsa, 4 — good salsa, smooth with even flavor
Pollo taco, 13
Tacos Camaron, shrimp, 14
Suadero taco, 14 — brisket, uncommon for New York in my experience, good
Brussels sprouts, 10 — should this be 7 or 8?
Corn on the cob (2 pieces), 6
TOTAL, 99
TIP — packed for pre-​theater; book for sure
TIP — tight seating
BONUS — good service

This restaurant has gone down…
Went there for dinner with friend and I ordered the lobster salad with heirloom tomatoes and quinoa. There was literally no lobster on the salad and the tomatoes were regular cherry tomatoes.
We also ordered the brussel sprouts which were very good.

What is better that sitting with your number one, right next to a couple who’s on their first blind date? Uhmm, nothing?! Even more things to (secretly) chat about. And what’s even better? Sitting at a table so close to them, that only your index finger can fit in between — now that’s what I call «too close for comfort».
Toloache is everything you’d expect from a crowded Mexican fare eatery. A loud atmosphere, drinks GALORE, tables being turned by the minute, dishes clanking… all in good taste.
Speaking of good taste. You should really invest big bucks into their food. It is phenomenal. Drinks are exceptional as well… PACKED with alcohol, but perfect balance of flavor and zing.
APPETIZERS:
— Callos de Hacha: Seared sea scallops w/​quinoa risotto, porcini mushroom, and huitlacoche butter
— Costilla & Tuetano: Beef short ribs w/​bone marrow, Thai basil, and roasted red onion-​jalapeño chiles toreado
We’re big diver scallop fans, couldn’t resist the temptation of devouring these divine morsels. Who knew cheesy quinoa would go so well with scallops! Very mild cheese flavor with the mild seafood flavor pairs so effortlessly and cohesively. Tacos were notably fresh. Sauce was pretty spicy, given the fact it was jalapeño, it most definitely had a kick.
ENTREES:
— Tumbada: Veracruz-​style paella, epazote-​scented rice, lobster, chicken, chorizo, shrimp, clams, octopus, achiote sauce, and pico de gallo
Rice was on the more mushy side, I think they overcooked it just a tad in the stock. Overall flavor was great, a bountiful of seafood and a perfect portion.
DESSERT:
— Pastel de Chocolate: Warm Mexican chocolate cake w/​dulce de leche ice cream
Gotta have dessert right? Not you standard chocolate cake that’s for sure. This number was packed with Mexican spices and was oh so ooey-​gooey. Dulce de leche ice cream was the perfect pairing to this unctuous finale of a dinner.
Great food. Great atmosphere. Exceptional wait staff. Toloache, you’re in my Top-​10 for sure!

Everything in this place was delicious. Best drinks I’ve had. Good service and very nice ambiance. Will deff go back soon.

Love the food here (hard not to love Mexican food). Drinks are even better. They make some really good drinks in my opinion. The only problem I’ve got with them is that they almost never get you a table in the time that they say they will (if you are walking in). Reservations are obviously honored.
I’ve been here multiple times and only once with a reservation. It has always felt like it was worth the wait. Its a bit pricey. But again, in my mind, I think its worth it.

Yum! Came here for a pre-​theater lunch and was not disappointed. The restaurant itself is very spacious (2 floors) and decorated nicely with Mexican details. Service was very attentive. We opted for the Restaurant Week lunch ($ 25 for 3 courses), but their regular brunch entrees were reasonably priced (~$ 15) as well.
What we ordered:
1) Lobster bisque & Lamb tacos
— Loved the soup and lobster «dumpling» — only wished it came with more dumplings!
— Lamb tacos were delicious and pretty filling for an appetizer
2) Chicken enchiladas & Skirt steak
— Enchiladas had a nice tangy sauce and were stuffed with lots of chicken
— Skirt steak was my favorite. Medium rare is the way to go — not too tough and still juicy and flavorful. The seasonings were perfect.
3) Flan & Tres leches
— Lovely end to the meal. I personally preferred the flan which had a strong caramel flavor and was served with fruit, but the tres leches was also very satisfying and came with ice cream.
If you’re in the Theater District, be sure to check out Toloache!

I’ve lived nearby Toloache for years always finding myself curious what was beyond the green and purple fluorescent lights of this «Bistro Mexicano». I found it easy to pass by until one night coming back from a failed dinner in the Meatpacking District — well, I was full but Le Boyfriend was starving — we decided on Toloache for Mexican noms for him and fancy drinks for the both of us. I was looking forward to going to this pre and post Broadway musical pit stop and I wasn’t disappointed. It turned out to be a delicious dinner, which has had us come back occasionally and was good enough for me to want to send upper management from L’Oreal here for a business dinner.
The first time we came here, I originally Unilocaled margaritas on my Unilocal app and Toloache came up. I’m glad it did as there just happened to be a reservation available on Open Table so we just went for it! We were about ten minutes early but were seated right away upstairs. (I would later learn after coming here on other occasions that you’re much better off making a reservation ahead of time versus arriving and waiting 20+ minutes for table).
The atmosphere feels sophisticated for your local Mexican venue but it is very laid back as well. The décor is pretty — especially with the tiled bar downstairs where you can eat and enjoy fresh margaritas (or possible free shot.) and the candles and dim lighting upstairs serve intimate vibes upstairs. My one gripe is when you arrive to a sea of tables on the upper level. It’s pretty cramped so you may want to check your coat and bags if you have them however you’ll feel more comfortable if seated near the lights against the wall. The cramped feeling also happens downstairs as well by the bars and stools opposite it, since it’s near the kitchen but for the locals and theater goers this doesn’t matter because the food and drinks are worth it and better than the sometimes sad restaurant alternatives that are offered closer to Broadway.
Their menu has a little something for everyone: people who hate spicy food, love spicy food, or people who are (at least to me) adventurous enough to want to eat grasshopper tacos. Menu highlights absolutely include their drinks and guacamole (three very different kinds and guarantee to heat you up) and the fact some of their food, like the quesadillas, are made in an ample wood-​assisted oven. However, if you have a large appetite, I don’t encourage you to have their tacos simply because they’re small and you’ll wind up ordering more only to find yourself unable to finish the second order (totally happened to me). But their entrees are on the larger side and promise to keep you full. For certain times of the year, they adjust the menu according to the holidays. Por ejemplo, they offer a Passover themed menu which includes a Mexican spin on Matzoh Ball soup and other traditional Jewish meals — pretty thoughtful and unique!
Toloache also provides pretty good, attentive service and their bartenders are very knowledgable on their tequila. It’s almost like they’re putting on their own Broadway show, one that you probably shouldn’t pass by since it would be a real treat to go.

5 stars for all three Toloache locations. Absolutely my favorite restaurant and go to in NYC. If I really like you, I’ve brought you here. Wonderful service, delicious drinks and amazing food. Very good value! The restaurant week specials were very enjoyable.

Delightful and delicious. Great service, unique and interesting plates. Highly recommended if you’d like a higher-​end taste of Mexican cuisine.
Try the enchiladas de Mancha Manchamanteles or the Quesadilla de Burrata.

The food and service here was nothing short of amazing. We had reservations in the midst of the pre-​Broadway rush and did have to wait a little (the space is small and crowded). But the hostess assured us we would have time to get to the show.
Our waitress, Rosa, was the best. She was slammed with tables, but we never felt like we were forgotten or had to wait on anything.
We had cocktails (the Toloache margarita is delish), rojo guacamole, a pollo entrée, pescado tacos, and Brussels Sprouts. I wish I could eat it all again right now. I was so full but couldn’t bring myself to even leave a bite behind.
We asked Rosa to recommend a tequila for our «dessert»… The reposado she brought was the perfect finish to a delicious meal. And we made it to our show with perfect timing.

Flavours deserved a 4, but paired with some higher pricing and a needs to be adjusted attitude of the hostess staff, dripped it down to a 3. Mole was lacking sauce but short rib was very tender. Ceviche was delicious and cactus fries were a bit over fried. Chips and salsa were quite tasty. Dessert was not too favourable but service was really great

The place is great if you really want good mexican food and drinks in a busy NYC environment. The place tends to get crowded and the experience is (as Unilocal would describe) A-​OK. It is not where a foodie would be amazed.
I came with a group of friends, had 2 drinks, shared apps, ate dinner and it came out to about 80 – 90 bucks per person. If someone plans a dinner here then I would probably be back but I wouldn’t be too excited to be back. It’s in a great location for people to meet for food and drinks, so I can definitely understand the positive feedback. The food was good, not great. The drinks were good, not great.

The food at Toloache was out of this world. The food and drinks were unique amazing. I’ve never had a perfect meal, ever. And this was it. From appetizers to entrée to drinks and then dessert. It created a perfect evening in Time Square.
The service was great. Sylvia, our server, was pleasant and excited to serve us and give suggestions about what we should have. The manager stopped by twice asking us about how things were as well as the bus-​boy. Ive never seen how everyone was excited about serving us.
Being a vegetarian, I was surprised and excited to find they have a separate vegetarian menu. Thank you Toloache mgmt for being so aware of your customers’ needs.

A great place with great food in a great location! I’m always skeptical about trying restaurants in touristy areas, but I’m glad I did. The restaurant has lovely décor, and the food was really tasty without being overpriced.
My friend and I shared the jimaca salad, garlic-​shrimp tacos, and the Tumbada, which is a Veracruz-​style paella with shrimp, octopus, lobster, clams, chicken, and chorizo. We loved everything! I also ordered a Mezcalita de Piña margarita — delicious. The only thing we could have lived without was the short rib taco that we ordered in addition — it was tasty, but a bit on the fatty side.
At any rate, I definitely plan on going back.

Small, crowded, almost stifling place where tourists come to mingle.
I had been here a few years before and didn’t find it near as annoying. Maybe it wasn’t filled with so many people not from the area, I’m not sure, but I wasn’t impressed.
I don’t know why I don’t give this place one star. They charge you by the (smallest) glass (ever) for soft drinks (at $ 3 each) which is a mortal sin in my book. I understand it’s the cheapest way to make the most money, but you could be a little less gauche about it. At least give an adult size glass for that. Either way, I wouldn’t return ever just because they do this. If you want locals to come here stop treating them like tourists.
My girlfriend and I ordered the guacamole. It came premixed (not done at the table like better restaurants do) in, again, the smallest bowl they could find, while charging an outrageous amount ($ 15). The chips were nice and salty and really held up to the dense guacamole. So, plus for that. They had what tasted like a really nice, yet thin and almost watery, side dip that had a nice smokey adobe taste. Not terrible, but alone it would have been insufficient. Paired with the guac it wasn’t terrible.
We each ordered ceviche out of the three they had. My friend had the perauno and it was presented beautifully and tasted divine. I ordered the hamachi and almost spit it out from all the lime juice used in it. It was also a much smaller portion and presented messily. I wasn’t impressed with mine at all. Seriously, watch out for the pucker factor, you won’t be happy unless you like the feeling of sucking on a lime with every bite.
We then ordered quesadillas. I ordered the shrimp and my friend ordered chicken. Beautifully presented, although hers looked very sparse compared to mine. I remember hers not resembling a quesadilla so much as an open faced tortilla. Mine was made like a normal quesadilla.
Both were very flavorful, but again, don’t look for value in this food, you won’t find it. If you want to spend a LOT to barely get a taste then this is your place. I’m not really sure how they get such great reviews. If you head AWAY from Times Square (or even go to Iguana’s just a few blocks over where you get real value for great food) you’ll find a lot better. Will not return.
Edit: I live almost right in Times Square so I understand how expensive everything is, but this place is just exploiting tourists. Regardless of how good food tastes, to pay this amount of money for what you get is highway robbery.

My friends and I were out for some pre-​holiday drinks to catch up and one started craving the queso fundido. So we headed over there at about 9:30pm. The place was still packed on a Wednesday night. We grabbed a spot at the bar and ordered some drinks. I got the sangria and my friend got the La Flaca (pomegranate margarita) They were both very good.
We did get the queso fundido con chorizo as well as some chips & salsa to snack on. The queso fundido came with warm tortillas and was delicious. The portion size allowed us to have four tortillas (almost rolled taco size.) if you have four or less people one might be ok, but any more people and you should order two. If you want more than one serving each, then get two as well.

I went to Toloache for a weekday lunch with co-​workers. It has a classy décor and a fair amount of table space. The waiter was very enthusiastic and tried a bit too hard to upsell the drinks, but aside from that service was fine.
The trio de guacamoles was a success — the normal guacamole was good, but that bean guacamole dip! Whoa boy that cream they put it in it made it so delicious.
The lobster tacos were a knockout — perfectly seasoned a just a hint spicy. (On a side note, despite my low spice tolerance everything here was unbearable.) The waiter was telling the truth when he informed me the spice was light and was just there for flavor. My only regret was the dish’s small portion size; it feels wrong that you can finish those tacos in two minutes. The rice and beans were standard. But man, just thinking about those lobster tacos makes me want to order them again.
The place is slightly on the pricey side, which along with the smaller portion size is not the best combination. I could have easily eaten another two tacos despite having the lunch entrée and a fair portion of the appetizer.
That being said I still greatly enjoyed my meal overall and hope to come back here in the future!

We made an open table reservation here to enjoy a dinner before seeing the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. We were seated right away and our server Octavio was fantastic from start to finish — very impressive considering how packed the restaurant was and how little space they had to work with. Really cool feel and décor overall — definitely a place with personality!
We started with the guacamole (mild) and then enjoyed the tortilla soup and the chicken quesadilla which were all super fresh and well done. We also got to see the guacamole making man in action which was pretty neat! Portions were smaller for the price but was enough to fill you up enough. I tried the red sangria which was also tasty but most people seemed to enjoy the margaritas which is what they’re famous for!
Tips:
–definitely make a reservation!
–half of the dining tables are on the second floor (no elevator) so be sure to note this if someone in your group might have trouble with a steep flight of stairs
–it’s in close proximity to all of the Broadway shows, radio city, and Rockefeller so perfect place if you’re headed to one of those venues
–they have a taco made with grasshopper… if you try it, you’ll have to let me know how it is!

Why doesn’t NYC have great Mexican? Well, in Manhattan, Toloache is as good as it gets and therefore, definitely worth five stars for food. I’m knocking down one star because I hate sitting up on the 2^nd floor which is dark/​dingy looking, but I always seem to get seated up there when I make Opentable reservations. Anyway, I’ve been here for lunch with friends and clients, and I’ve never had a bad meal.
Here’s what you should get.
— The margaritas: They’re ridiculously strong but go down so easily. If you’re looking for a boozy Friday lunch, look no further.
— The guacamole: Fresh, delicious, and served with unlimited chips and salsa. I’d save some to add to…
— The tacos: All amazing, but my favorite are the short ribs, pork carnitas, lobster, fish.
— Or the short ribs quesadillas which are served with rice and beans.

We really enjoyed Toloache. The margaritas and guacamole sampler are amazing!
We had a reservation here (50 feet away from the entrance to Wicked on Broadway) before we saw the show, and picked the restaurant because of the great reviews and because we wanted to be right near the theater so we didn’t have to stress about getting there on time.
Additionally the restaurant was surprisingly authentic for being in such a touristy area. It is quite small downstairs and has a small upstairs loft.
I would definitely recommend to anyone going to a Broadway show. I would have given it 5 stars, but the prices were pretty outrageous and was my only negative that crosses my mind…

Excellent modern Mexican place in the heart of the Theater district. Went here before a show with the wife and some friends. The chips, guac and salsa are excellent, and filling. be careful not to over-​do them. I had a shredded pork dish, Lechon Presado, that at first I thought was something else, however it was the shredded pork encased in pork skin and some fat. That’s right, it was a pork cake. It was amazing. The Mojitos were also very good. Finally, we got a comped dessert, The Mexican Chocolate cake was great, as were the Churros.
The waiter we had was very friendly, and explained a lot of things, we also got introduced to the manager, which makes me think (along with the comped dessert) that one of us might have been mistaken for a food critic. Either that or their service is just that attentive.

Großartiges Restaurant: Barkeeper kennen Sich aus, Guac spitze und wer mag auch Extravaganzen wie die Grasshopper

Del Maestro: margarita with roasted peaches and Thai basil. This margarita tasted like a regular margarita to me. There were no hints of peach and the Thai basil was an accent on the drink not part of the flavor.
Grasshopper Tacos: this is the reason why we came here! The bugs don’t have much of a flavor and when inside the taco you don’t experience much of their texture (fine with me!) paired with the salsa and guac it went well. Fun experience but once was enough for me
Pork Belly Tacos: this was very good. Tender, large serving of pork belly.
Cactus Fries: also good. Yes it is a cactus leaf (minus the prickles)
Fruit Guacamole: guac with pomegranate seeds, apples and mango. Not spicy, I enjoyed this.
Flan: paired with a raspberry swirl and caramel corn. Unique combo, The flavors and textures went well together.
Service was attentive. Waitstaff treated you as if this was a high (er) class restaurant.

Excellent food and drinks. Ceviche was refreshing with perfect seasoning. Roasted chicken breast with saffron was surprisingly good. Chicken was moist, cooked just right. Salmon was also excellent. Good size portion. Margarita was dynamite.
There are 2 levels to the restaurant. We were seated upstairs, can be crowded during lunch hours, but there are plenty of seats. I’ll return for another delicious looking dishes.

Refreshing Sandía (watermelon) del Barón! Enjoyed this #NYCRestaurantWeek Mexican destination w attentive service. Gracias, muchachos! Quesadilla de Huitlacoche ⁴⁄₅. Bacalao ⁵⁄₅. Great and attentive service and recommendations.

Came to Toloache for a friend’s 30^th dinner party and we had a good time! We were sat on the second floor and the restaurant is a little cramped but not too uncomfortable.
I usually don’t frequent Mexican restaurants so it took me a while to order. I saw «grasshopper» on the menu so I wanted to make sure I ordered safely. The menu was hilarious to me because everything was basically in run on sentences. As I said, I stayed on the safe side and ended up ordering the Chicken Toloache. It was described as «Chipotle-​marinated chicken breast a la plancha crispy Mexican cheeses-​pinto bean dumpling sweet corn-​pico de gallo.» It read like I was getting a plate of mess and that’s exactly what it looked like.
The chicken tasted good, but it was the very thick. The corn was good and so was the side of rice I ordered but unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of the dumpling or the pico, and there was pico everywhere! The white sangria is on point and the service is very good.

Excelente mexicano cerca de Time Square. No es barato, pero tiene exquisiteces. Os recomiendo los tacos de langosta y las especialidades en Brick Oven.
Es un poco apretado, pero nada extraño en NY.
En definitiva, muy recomendable.

Buena comida mejicana aunque de precio elevado. La atención muy buena, Salvador es un gran profesional. Margaritas realmente buenas.