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    Tocaya Modern Mexican

    3.5 (591 reviews)
    Closed 10:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    TOCAYA MODERN MEXICAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for kids

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    Entrance
    stephan f.

    This place confused me. I'm not sure where it fits in terms of the food space. My first thought was - this is fast casual Mexican food. But then I realized chipotle already exists. My second thought was - the pitch is slightly elevated chipotle. And indeed, I think that is what this place attempts. The only issue is that chipotle tastes better and is cheaper... much cheaper. (and the bar ain't too high here). I'm crawling through every place in Toluca Lake and this was next on my list. So... Read on for my detailed experience. Ambiance 3/5 Walking in. It's on riverside right next door to mendo farms. It's close to the ucla med center and what I am guessing is a bunch of writers rooms offices for Netflix romcoms. It was semi crowded but not crazy. It's an open space that feels okay. Kinda fake veneer everywhere but it's clean and welcoming. There's a menu up front and it's a pay to order / take a number table service style place. Off to the side on a wall, sorta messy and unorganized, are napkins, take home containers, and various salsas and condiments. Service 3/5 Nothing good or bad here. The staff was distant but efficient. Not friendly or mean. Just people going about their day doing their jobs. The food came out fast so I can't knock that. Food 1/5 Here's the rub! This is actually my second time eating Tocaya. The first time was at work, ordered a bowl that came to my office. It was super mid. So I wanted to see if it was a fluke. This time I ordered a california burrito. Which was carne asada, potatoes, guac and some sauces. I have some dietary restrictions so I asked and they put the crema to the side. The burrito itself is 17.99. I asked for extra meat and it was 22 dollars. Look I know America is going down the tubes, but since we've reached the 22 dollars for a burrito at a semi fast food joint era - it better be good. But the thing is. Everything here LOOKS good. But it's all so flavorless and bland. It's probably some of the worst "Mexican" food I've ever had. I've grown up in LA and I'm down with anything from authentic street food to del taco. It all has its place. But 22 dollars for a super bland burrito (with no sides for that cost!). Nope! We also ordered some queso and somehow again it LOOKED promising. But it tasted so, so bland. And heavy. I actually took some of their free street corn sauce as a side and dipped the chips and it tasted better. So just get chips. It's a better hack. My girlfriend was with me and could barely eat her meal. So I'm not alone in this! But I did look around and other people did seem to eat here. So am I living in some kind of bizzaro world or something? Am I wrong here? I dunno. I just know it's expensive AF and for that cost I at least want my food to taste okay. I guess I'll just go across and down the street to chipotle next time! This place is a pass for me and my wallet. (The iced tea was okay and the only highlight) Overall 2/5 stars because the place is clean and serves edible food.

    Tricia A.

    Went here because I got a flyer with some coupons. I used the 2 bowls, 50% off. This place is easy to miss. When we were driving down Riverside Dr. we were keeping an eye out, but still missed it. It's next to Bob's Big Boy, but sandwiched in-between other shops, a pair of trees, and there's a bus stop shelter covering the front. Anyway...I ended up parking my car on a residential street and we just walked it, trying to find it that way. Once you find it, it has a nice outdoor area and inside it's clean and modern with a wall of plants. You can go to the counter to order or use the QR code at the tables. Everything looks healthy, which is great if you're vegan/vegetarian like me or a meat eater like my sister since there's options for both. We were given a number and the food was brought out to our table fairly quickly. The portions are big enough to take some home and the food tastes great. My stomach was growling before we got here and I was sure I'd be able to finish it all, but still had some leftovers, which is good since it is a little expensive. There's also agua frescas to drink, which also tasted good, and were pleasantly surprised that they came in cute mason jars with a handle that you can take home. Overall, it was a good experience except for trying to find the place and parking.

    MEXI CALI CAESAR CHIX with a Grasshopper in it

    GRASSHOPPER IN THE SALAD I placed a Doordash order to this location and I rarely leave reviews, but my experience was so awful that I had to. I ordered the Mexi Cali Caesar Chix Salad, ate a few bites, and then saw that there was an entire fully intact GRASSHOPPER in my salad. The body, eyeballs, and legs were clearly visible. I know for a fact that it was the restaurant and not the dasher, due to the fact that the bag was fully sealed before I opened it. I understand these things can happen, but the grasshopper was so large and fully embodied, it blows my mind that someone could miss that when making the salad. It was literally bigger than some of the chicken pieces. This clearly leads me to believe that the lettuce wasn't washed properly. I was absolutely disgusted and will never dine at this Tocaya or any other Tocaya again.

    Street corn vegan no cheese has a little kick to it
    Saundra F.

    VEGAN OPTIONS!!!!! VERY LOUD MUSIC...... We asked them to turn it down and they did . Two tacos were tofu. The tofu was a little spicy, but it was OK. Maybe just seasoning the tofu not just making it spicy will be good. Garlic powder, onion powder, some and pepper maybe a little bit of dry herbs then sauté it. And one I believe was jackfruit, but they were all good. I came all the way from Canyon country so you know they must be good. I will be back. Oh, and I ordered tortilla soup to go.

    3 VEGAN TACO SAMPLER
    Trey R.

    This place is incredible! My partner and I frequent here for Taco Tuesday. They have amazing happy hour deals (dine-in only), attentive, helpful, and quick service, oh and everything we've tried has been sooo good! Do yourself a favor and try everything on the menu you can Spoiler: the guacamole has pomegranate which is an absolute game changer

    Annie A.

    Went in Sunday night and the place was almost empty. We got the chips, salsa, guacamole, tocaya salad, guiltless quesadilla, and street corn en fuego. Everything tasted amazing except for the tocaya salad that had water sitting on the bottom and some of the lettuce was frozen but didn't say anything. We also had the cucumber mint I believe and the hibiscus drinks which were great.

    Tacos
    Jessica R.

    Had a lovely meal here for Taco Tuesday! I am so thankful for the wonderful vegan options and love that the cauliflower taco is default vegan! I also love how easily most menu items can be veganized! I got a trio of tacos for less than $8 and they were so filling! I really love the vegan crema sauce! The service was friendly and helpful and everyone I interacted with had such a great energy. Despite it being dinner time, there were still ample tables available and it felt very spacious. The seating was also very comfortable. I love the decor and cleanliness here. I will be back very soon!

    Steak BURRITO MEXICANO

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    4 years ago

    They would not honor the coupons for free items they give to their customers via the Vizer app. Rude and unapologetic about it too.

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    We're thrilled that you're a fan! Thanks for all of the love!

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    Camilla W.

    This review made our day, thank you Abraham!

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    Camilla W.

    Thanks for sharing with us, Steph. We hope to see you again soon!

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    3 years ago

    The best place ever always the go to spot the fish tacos the salsa and chip street tacos we vegan options absolutely amazing

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    Camilla W.

    Thrilled to hear it hit the spot! See you again soon!

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    Great to hear - thank you Jennifer! We hope to see you again soon.

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    This review made our day - thank you so much!

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    Warn, attentive and friendly staff. The food is creative, fresh and healthy. Excellent atmosphere for a date night or business meeting.

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    Camilla W.

    Thank you for the glowing review. We look forward to your return!

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    Page 4 of 15

    Ask the Community - Tocaya Modern Mexican

    What percentage of your menu is certified organic? Gluten-free options?

    Hi, thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately because of the ever changing world when it comes to sourcing our products, I can't answer what percentage of our menu is organic. With that said, each location would be best suited to answer that as they… Read more

    Is there an allergen menu?

    Do you have Taco Tuesday and Happy Hour?

    Is this place dog friendly?

    Outdoors yes!

    Is this place open ahead of June 3?

    No. June 3 (today) is the opening day to the public.

    View All 7 Questions

    Goop Kitchen

    Goop Kitchen

    4.0
    (200 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    Vegetarian friendly
    Grab-and-go

    Goop is my go to guilt-free takeout spot. The food is consistent and I have yet to get something I…read moredon't enjoy. Service is fast, I usually place my order online. I don't think they take in person order, as they are a ghost kitchen. My son enjoys their margarita pizza, and I tend to re-order the chicken teriyaki plate.

    It's not as bad as I was expecting it to be but it's not great…read more Chicken Teriyaki (2/5): My coworkers raved about this for days and I was so excited to try but it was terrible. I mean maybe I just had a bad batch bc chicken I had today was ROCK hard. Mushroom pizza (3/5): it had a good texture but it was pretty greasy. Probably would've enjoyed a different flavor more. Brownie (3/5): standard brownie, nothing special Miso Salmon (4/5): the flavor of the sauce was really good and I liked the way the salmon was cooked. The bento box itself, however, feels like they just threw in whatever "Asian" came to mind. Like why are there 7 minute eggs in this & why is it unseasoned. Also, what exactly was I supposed to do with the wasabi? The edamame/cucumber salad was more on brand but even that was bland. If I went back, I'd probably order this again out of everything I've tried but the portion is PETITE. Overall, I'm not unhappy I got it but primarily because it was free for me. I probably wouldn't pay for this on my own. It's a real kitchen but it still feels like premade lunch boxes to me + for the price, it just doesn't make sense. No more goop for me. Someone tell gwyneth this is not correct.

    Photos
    Brentwood Chinese Chicken Salad
    Brentwood Chinese Chicken Salad
    Japanese Sweet Potato Soup
    Japanese Sweet Potato Soup
    Goop for TWO

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    Goop for TWO
    Urbane Cafe

    Urbane Cafe

    4.2
    (225 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$

    Really if I could give Urbane Cafe six stars, I would! I…read moreordered my three salads again for three days lunches: my favorites are the cilantro, chicken salad, and Santa Maria barbecue chicken salad My fave of all is the Cilantro chicken: it is the most tasteful of all in my opinion and comes with marinated cilantro chicken, chopped salad mix, avocado, corn & black bean salsa, mozzarella cheese. I order mine with no bread and with chipotle dressing on the side! The other one I ordered is The Santa Maria Barbecue chicken salad: comes with roasted BBQ chicken, chopped salad mix, coleslaw mix, Applewood-smoked bacon, substitute mozzarella for the standard feta it comes with corn & black bean salsa, grape tomatoes, NO blackberry BBQ sauce drizzle. Served with chipotle ranch dressing AND DELETE THE BREAD (fresh baked focaccia) These salads a truly delicious and plenty filling All the ingredients are so fresh, what are delight Highly recommended Urbane Cafe

    Alright, I love this place. It's so tasty, healthy , with great staff and ambience. HOWEVER. Since…read morewriting my last review, I've ordered 4-5 more times: Protein bowl Couple different sandwiches Soup Cobb / Salmon / Ahi salads And... I always finish my meal hungry. This is not really a place to go if you are hungry after work, or to get your macros in after a workout because the portions are lightttt. I think it's worth stuffing those sandwiches a lot more, even if it means adding 50c to $1 to the prices. I'd be addicted if the chimichurri steak sandwiches were STUFFED. Yum. Same with every other item. Don't think I'll order again unless there's a promo (like the amazing $10 socal sandwich promo right now).

    Photos
    Power Veggie Salad
    Power Veggie Salad
    Seared Ahi Tuna Bowl
    Seared Ahi Tuna Bowl
    Chimichurri Steak Sandwich

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    Chimichurri Steak Sandwich
    Lou The French On The Block

    Lou The French On The Block

    4.8
    (994 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    I just had to hop on here because I heard Lou say on his IG that someone gave him 1 star. I…read morecouldn't believe it ,what?! What do you mean 1 star? Do you have taste buds? Do you have any sense?! Anyway, turns out that person was upset that their order got canceled on DoorDash. If that person ever saw the line at Lou's, she'd understand why. Better yet, if she ever tried Lou's, she'd never have the gall to post nonsense like that. If you haven't had it, don't review it. Simple as that. As for ALL of the items at Lou's "Oh, aimé-je" it does NOT get any better. The croissants are hands down the best in America. The sandwiches (all of them): finger-licking good. The éclairs are the most delectable in town, as are the other pastries. And with ALL of that, somehow the best thing is still the customer service. I have yet to walk in there without seeing Lou personally chatting it up with customers, the man is everywhere. On sunny and rainy days he's passing out umbrellas, and on Mother's Day he's handing out wonderful gifts for all the ladies. The staff take their lead from him and are every bit as splendid. If you haven't tried it yet, it's not too late -- run, don't walk, this weekend. Your taste buds will file a formal complaint if you don't.

    10/10 would come again…read more Found 2hr street parking after circling the block 3 times (if not there's a paid lot nearby for a little over $1 for the first 20 minutes). Got here early Sunday afternoon because the line was not absurdly long -- about 6 ish parties in front of us and waited around 15-20 minutes. The interior was really small and there's really only room for to place your order -- if you ordered a drink or sandwich you'd have to step outside to wait. There are a couple of small round tables covered with umbrellas for small parties if you want to do a small meet up or wait for your goods. We had wanted some croissants and apple tarts but unfortunately they had run out of the Apple tarts by the time we ordered (another excuse to return next time). We were convinced by the nice lady at the register to pick up not one but two almond croissants because they were fresh out of the oven and I'm SO GLAD we did. It was still hot/warm when we took our first bite after walking back to our car -- flaky amazing lamination with a steaming frangipane filling, for sure the best almost croissant I've had. The regular croissant was also good but not fresh/warm like the almond croissant so it left less of an impression but I can imagine it also tasting amazing if we got it fresh. Burbank is not necessarily close to where I live but I'm so glad we happened to stop by to finally try this spot out! I'd love to try the sandwiches and tarts next time!

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Pain au Chocolat - Chocolate Croissant
    Pain au Chocolat - Chocolate Croissant
    Almond tart

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    Almond tart
    Hungry Crowd

    Hungry Crowd

    4.8
    (1.1k reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Why has it taken us so long to get into this great Toluca Lake spot!? What it lacks in charm &…read morecharacter, it more than makes up with excellent food! We did lunch and had a Bulgogi Breakfast Burrito (outstanding, and will 100% return for this one), Dirty Fries with Bulgogi (more goodness from the bulgogi), Loco Moco and a Salmon Sashimi Bowl, both delicious! Portions were big and it's a good value. They were awesome to acknowledge a birthday with a stellar Creme Brulee! Service was very efficient. We'll definitely be back!

    Was in town visiting our son, daughter-in-law, and our new granddaughter and they took us out for…read moredinner to celebrate the new grandpa's birthday. My son didn't make a reservation because it was a Wednesday night and he didn't think it would be crowded. But with 5 adults and a baby carriage, we had to wait for the right table because the somewhat small restaurant was full. We soon got a good spot and ordered the shrimp ceviche and the pan fried dumplings for appetizers. The ceviche was served on a bed of crispy noodles and it was refreshing and satisfying. The dumplings were crispy, not greasy, and flavorful. For dinner, we got 2 orders of japchae and 3 orders of bibimbap. With 2 Korean-born children and having visited the country, those are among our family's favorite dishes. And they did not disappoint. The japchae noodles were just right. They were not too firm and not too soft and well-seasoned. With a mixture of veggies, meat, mushrooms, eggs, and that delectable sauce, the bibimbap tickled and satiated the tastebuds. I told the server there was a birthday at the table and she brought out an excellent creme brulee with a candle in it. My husband and I didn't pay the bill. But the prices were reasonable with most of the entrees costing less than $20 each. We have four more days in town and may very well make another visit to indulge in that scrumptious food.

    Photos
    Outstanding lunch spot
    Outstanding lunch spot
    Galbi Burger
    Galbi Burger
    Truffle Honey, Fried Chicken & Slaw

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    Truffle Honey, Fried Chicken & Slaw
    Sweetsalt

    Sweetsalt

    3.9
    (1.1k reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Ordered truffle breakfast sando and rib omelette, I'd say the omelette was better…read more The rib meat was super tasty and juicy in the omelet, the sandwhich was kind of meh. It felt like it needed a protein , or some kind aioli, it was dry and not super tasty. Coffees were ok. 70$ for 2 people to eat breakfast and 2 coffees, A bit pricey, and you order at the counter and have options for 18,20,25% tip , which felt weird and pressured to do before my food had even arrived. So I tipped 11$ for someone to bring me out food I guess. Ambiance was nice, very empty but pretty inside. I would go back to try their wood fired pizza. Not sure I'll be back for breakfast.

    So happy to have found a great breakfast spot. Charming place with ample indoor and outdoor…read moreseating. We started by sharing a blueberry scone and it was delicious. It was actually hard to decide on just one bakery item - everything looked delicious. Next time the coffee cake will be happening. I got poached eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast. Husband got a hash omelette. Both come with a lovely little side of greens with a great dressing. Brunch isn't brunch without a little libation, so I had a lovely French white wine and he had a French red. The wine list though small by the glass is chosen very well. We were hoping they sold their bread at the bakery because it's absolutely delicious. Service is warm and friendly. Price point for breakfast with tip was $100. We will definitely be coming back soon to this great neighborhood spot.

    Photos
    Communal tables
    Communal tables
    Muffin-Carrot Zucchini (GF)
    Muffin-Carrot Zucchini (GF)
    Avocado Toast with Over Easy Egg

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    Avocado Toast with Over Easy Egg

    Tocaya Modern Mexican - mexican - Updated July 2026

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