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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?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Tocaya Modern Mexican

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    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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    6 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Camilla W.

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    6 years ago

    TK and Steph are so nice! Love the vegan options! And love the gluten free tortilla. Vegan horchata is great!

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    6 years ago

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    Camilla W.

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

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    6 years ago

    Amazing staff all so very helpful and kind!! first time there was great, I am definitely going to be a regular

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    Camilla W.

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

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    6 years ago

    We had a mixup with our order and Jose was very helpful! Would definitely recommend this location for amazing customer service! (:

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    6 years ago

    My son and I had a delightful lunch thanks to Shana!! She is attentive and patient. Also, Ricky was nice.

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Great food and great service. T.K. was wonderful, beautiful smile, clear and concise, and very helpful. We love it here!

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    7 years ago

    Food, service and the ambiance was great! Only thing I was concerned was that there is no ramp for the stroller or a wheelchair. :)

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    Page 14 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

    Kalaveras

    Kalaveras

    3.9
    (416 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    I stopped by Kalaveras while visiting the Jackalope Art Fair in Downtown Burbank. After walking…read morearound in the heat, I wanted somewhere with seating, shade, and A/c. I had passed by this restaurant before but had never been curious enough to actually stop in. This time their drink menu advertised outside caught my attention so I figured "hey, why not?" From the moment I walked in i was trying to figure out whether I liked the atmosphere or not. The music was excellent, but the décor took me a second to process. It felt like an 80s lounge crashed into a neon Día de los Muertos inspired art gallery. It's most definitely not a quiet, cozy restaurant. It has more of a loud, colorful, party style personality. I was seated promptly by a kind hostess but I wasn't attended to by a waiter for nearly 10 minutes. Once my waiter did come by he was kind, quick, and professional. Now, I'm going to be honest.. I'm pretty picky when it comes to Mexican restaurant food, so I didn't have the highest expectations. I ordered the potato taquitos, a Jarrito Loco made with watermelon purée, vodka instead of tequila, and chamoy on the rim, plus chiles toreados and one carne asada taco. Laugh all you want, but I was half expecting the food to come out looking like a cafeteria lady had splattered it onto a plate... I was genuinely impressed by the presentation instead. The potato "taquitos" were bigger than I expected so don't let the "itos" fool you. They were crispy, flavorful, filling, and honestly so delicious. Those get a 5/5 from me. My drink was also incredible. It was refreshing, especially with how hot the day was, and had just the right amount of alcohol. The presentation was so cute I almost felt bad ruining it. Easily one of the best drinks I've had in the Burbank area -- 5/5. The carne asada taco wasn't as impressive as the potato taquitos, so I'd give that a 3/5. The chile toreado was definitely spicy, it just needed to be salted a little more but otherwise no complaints! I need to remind myself not to be too quick to judge because I was genuinely surprised by this place. The décor wasn't fully my personal style, but the food and drinks more than made up for it. I'd definitely come back again, especially for the potato taquitos and drinks.

    I was here maybe 3 mos ago. Still left a bad taste in my mouth…read more Boy server was more focused on giving high fives to guests that were leaving rather than his tables. His demeanor was off. Like he didnt want to be there taking our order. 15 min past after he took our order and there was no chips and salsa. Not even the alcoholic drinks were brought out. After seeing the boy server staying by the host desk (not checking on us) I had to get up and ask him if he could bring the chips and salsa that comes with the table. He said, " oh, you want some? Do u want guacamole too?" Again reiterating , " whatever comes with the table pls". I was left perplexed given that last i was here i didnt have to ask for the chips and salsa, they automatically came when they brought the water. And if there was a change in policy they should state it somewhere within the restaurant so there is no confusion among guests. The place was 98% empty. There shouldn't have been any reason for such an experience. We ordered probably $180+ worth of food and drinks. And after the long wait for the drinks and chips and salsa, I told the other server and what im assuming is the manager(?) "You know, im just going to cancel my order" They were talking among eachother, and I told them "we are leaving because of the server" . They tried to remedy it by saying that a certain other server can take over the table instead of him. I just couldnt stay there any longer. The place was insanely empty and there shouldnt have been no reason to not be attended to properly. Probably 40 minutes in total and we only received our waters to the table.

    Photos
    Inside of the restaurant
    Inside of the restaurant
    Kalaveras
    This is what I believe is called "the flight". It is a Margarita sampler.

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    This is what I believe is called "the flight". It is a Margarita sampler.
    Cafe De Olla

    Cafe De Olla

    4.3
    (3.9k reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    I forgot exactly how I first stumbled upon Cafe de Olla, but I've come here with my family a few…read moretimes, and we've definitely decided this location is better than the Monrovia one. First, their cafe de olla is absolutely delicious. This remains one of the only places where I genuinely enjoy ordering cafe de olla. Second, their food is incredible. They serve excellent portions, everything tastes fresh, and the food is just so good. I've had their taquitos and chilaquiles, and both were delicious. The only downside is that every time I've come, there has usually been a bit of a wait, especially because the restaurant itself is pretty small with limited seating. The inside is cute, but small, so we usually end up sitting outside. This is where their Monrovia location does have the advantage because it has much more space. Parking can also be tricky. Good luck finding a spot close enough where you don't have to walk far. We usually end up parking in the residential area around the corner. That said, the staff are wonderful and always try to be as accommodating as possible despite how busy they are. Highly recommend this place if you're okay with possibly waiting a bit for seating. The food and cafe de olla are worth it.

    Now I know why this place always has a long wait. Hot tip: You can join the waitlist on Yelp before…read moreyou get there! I came with a friend who is a regular and she gave me a lot of good recommendations of what to order. The menu is quite large, filled with tons of delicious Mexican breakfast options! I'm a big machaca fan, so that's what I ordered. As an appetizer, we got the molletitos with chorizo and OMG! It was absolutely delicious. I got to taste my friend's huevos divorciados and the sauce was so delicious. My machaca was different than what I have had at other restaurants, a little on the dry side, but I enjoyed it. Loved the rice and beans it came with! Another highlight was the Cafe de Olla itself! I think I downed like 4 cups of it, it was so delicious. Service here was fantastic. Highly recommend!

    Photos
    Chorreadas
    Chorreadas
    Oatmeal Wheat Pancakes
    Oatmeal Wheat Pancakes
    Chicken tostadas

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    Chicken tostadas
    Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant

    Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant

    3.6
    (727 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    Wife and I try to get here, now and then, but it's been a long time since we moved from Glendale to…read moreCulver City.. We finally got there, today, 4pm (on a Saturday) and the food and the staff were excellent. We ordered the Queso fundido for appetizer and as long as you're in the mood for bubbly cheese and chorizo, this is great with chips, but they also give you a choice of flour or corn tortillas with it, as well. For main, we tried the Molcajete, which we haven't had, anywhere, since we lived down in O.C. It turned out to be better than what we had in O.C., from the sauce to the meats and cheese to the peppers. Also, their chicken tortilla soup was good (as a side with the Molcajete) with lots of veggies in it. The staff were wonderful, though.. From the first waiter who allowed us to change from a table to a booth to our waiter, Jose, who was friendly and looked after us (also quick on getting back to us, every time). And a special thanks to Yennie (possibly, spelled with a J', if so, "lo siento") who also helped us and even when *someone* (me) had a party foul with a margarita, she quickly helped out and was super nice about it. After a trip to the dentist (for a crown replacement) and a long week, everyone at Don Cuco's allowed us to relax and the food (and margaritas ;-) ) made it perfect.

    Gorgeous place, they gave us prime seating right in front of the fountain on my date night. Our…read morewaiter was super attentive and quick to get us what we needed. Chips were warm and hot out of the fryer. Salsa is on hot side, not mild. Both free refill and we had to stop ourselves after refill because we haven't gotten to the food yet. Ok for the food - Meatballs in soup had lots of cumin, I liked it but if you hate cumin then skip it. - Strong margarita drink that my gf got drunk off of one lol they sure load it up - Zarapes, one chicken one beef. beef was really good. - Lobster Enchiladas: ok i have a lot to say about this one, it was different, but not in a bad way. The garlic rice and black bean side was really yummy, better than the sides on the zarapes. I ordered it because i needed something different and yes it was. Now there is one problem with this dish and its that they don't use real lobster, its a imitation crab/lobster meat like product shaped differently and made from fish and nowhere on the menu says that which is not ethical business practice. That said it didn't taste bad but its not real. Overall I would comeback, overall the food was good but not groundbreaking. The Mixed alcohol drinks is definitely get your moneys worth and is better than the other place across the street. Steak is good for the fajita like dishes, Seafood dish tastes good but not real lobster chunks, i would probably try the regular fish next time.

    Photos
    The bar
    The bar
    Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant
    Busy Friday night.

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    Busy Friday night.
    Celia's Rancho Restaurante

    Celia's Rancho Restaurante

    3.8
    (191 reviews)
    2.2 mi

    Hole Mole. This place rocks. Celia's has become one of my favorite Mexican spots in Burbank. Now I…read morecome for the Mole. A fun fact, they have a large table that has been in the family for decades. They offer both inside and patio seating. That means your dog is welcome. The mole is outstanding. They have 4 kinds to choose from. It is rich, complex, and full of authentic flavor. The chicken tacos were fresh, perfectly seasoned, and absolutely delicious. They are plastered on top of hand made tortillas with a pico de gallo. Order the flight of mole and pour it on top. The location is great and makes for a fun dining experience, especially if you're looking for something a little different from the usual Mexican restaurant. Their tequilla bar makes for a fun experience. The service was friendly, attentive, and welcoming throughout our visit. However service is hit or miss. Sometimes only one person is serving the inside section. The only downside is the parking situation, which can be a bit challenging. We usually park across the street and walk over. Highly recommend for anyone craving excellent mole, tasty tacos, and great margaritas! You can also check out the stables next door.

    Beyond ignored and completely unwelcome. This place could have been the hubby and I spot. Since…read moreit's so close to home. But unfortunately, they were really unfriendly & understaffed and the waiter/bartender was extremely bothered we were there and seemed very overwhelmed. I don't know who Celia is but maybe get more staff in the kitchen and a hostess and more waitress/waiters. We went in Saturday Valentines night dinner right before 6pm and found parking to be easy and should have taken that as a sign but figured we get better service. NOPE! The parking not is just really small and the people sitting had ordered and committed to staying I guess. Keep reading and you'll get my drift! Honestly, We assumed it would be a great night romantic dinner. Then, we walked in and felt so neglected. No hostess to greet or seat you. The bus man or waiter said wait here and cleaned a table when 3 were available. It looks like the three employees were doing everything and at the same time doing nothing! It was comical at first. He sat us finally and then we ordered. Appetizers and a Molcajete and two nonalcoholic drinks. By now 32mins passed. No chips & salsa. No nothing... we should have just left. But we were lazy to leave elsewhere with no reservations on Valentine day. He brought me a drink from the bar like if I ordered it, I hate to say he might have memory issues. Then he noticed we still don't have our drinks and he had to ask again what I ordered. Now 50mins passed and at another 15 mins the main course came before the appetizers were served so I cancelled it. It just seems like they didn't care for anyone else but the people at the bar. Ppl were just walking in and ended up leaving or seating themselves. Majority left and they didn't even notice! Not welcoming at all and as for the food. I feel like everything was previously frozen as the chicken and meat was very chewy-leather like. The cheese was cold. And just grateful that we didn't get sick because it wasn't cooked all the way. When I go into a restaurant, I expect good service and quality food. I unfortunately won't be returning. Such a shame because this place has western character straight out of a saloon and can't speak for the drinks as we didn't even eat our entire meal and wanted to get the hell out. Do better because this could be a cute hangout spot!

    Photos
    Back room
    Back room
    Tacos Olivdados de Pulpos and a Modelo Negra con limón!
    Tacos Olivdados de Pulpos and a Modelo Negra con limón!
    Back room

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    Back room

    Tocaya Modern Mexican - mexican - Updated July 2026

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