Tocolo Cantina
| Address: | 920 Old Country Rd, Garden City, NY 11530, USA |
| Phone: | +1 516-222-0060 |
| Site: | tocolocantina.com |
| Rating: | 4 |
| Working: | 12–9:30PM 12–10PM 12–10PM 12–10PM 12–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
AN
Andy Selfors
4 words: SERVICE SUCKS AND OVERPRICED . I came because of a friends recommendation that the tacos were good but i could not even get past the awful service i received within the first 10 minutes. I was ignored several times in trying to get the servers attention and simply ignored. I came because of the happy hour 3 tacos and a beer for 12 dollars (resonably priced tacos) but since my party was a mix of 21 and 20 year olds I was refused the deal at the dining table. The manager said that my under 21 friends could not sit at the "island bar" (which is in the middle of the restaurant and detached from the bar) despite the fact that under New York State legislation you only have to be 18 to sit at a bar. Despite the managers confusion and refusal of my request that we sit at the island, I was forced to pay 10 dollars for 2 VERY small tacos (pictured below). Not only that but the menu specifically mentioned the fact that each order of tacos comes with an order of rice and beans but rather our table got 2 small bowls of rice and beans (pictured below) rather than 7 orders. So to summarize the experience... 1. TERRIBLE SERVICE 2. UNKNOWLEDGEABLE MANAGER 3. OVERPRICED TACOS 4. VERY SMALL TACOS 5. LITTLE TO NO RICE AND BEANS Additional notes: Unsatisfied with my experience the owner contacted me stating: "I am sorry you were dissatisfied. However, many promotions have rules and stipulations. This is one such promotion. It is a great deal, for "of age" adults. It is clearly written in the menu that you must be 21 to participate. The deal is for 3 tacos AND an alcoholic beverage. It is very popular and many, many people understand those rules." And to that I would like to say that I clearly understand the deal and all of its "rules and stipulations" as I have been to plenty of other restaurants with similar bar deals as I am "of age". However, there is no rule where my party can not sit with me... The managers reply was because I can hand over my drink to other people underage at the bar or the "island/high top area" but happily served me at the dining table where the same thing could of occured (which i would never do). Simply no reasoning behind the owner or managers response as anyone over 18 can sit at the bar/high top island area.Thank you for the overcomplication of the situation and the overly priced food. You really should inform your staff on this situation and maybe "handing off drinks" would never happen if they didnt have their backs turned to customers the entire time.
LE
Lexi Vee
went there and did happy hour with a friend, drinks were good, the food however was not. When ordering appetizers i chose the 3 different salsas and the bartender explained them to me as mild, not spicy, and the last one being the higher version of mild. so i tried the not spicy, it was good, had pistachios. tried the mild and it was also good, then i got to the highest of mild and it was like a fire truck was needed in my mouth, i can handle spicy, thats not a problem but this was no mild, this was god awful spicy, no flavor to it and it was just spice burning your tongue. then when ordering food i asked about the quesadilla and what "Chihuahua cheese" was and he said it was a cheese with no flavor... umm why is it in your food then? its a cheese quesadilla with no flavor? he told me it was really good so i tried it and what else is new? there were hot peppers and onions in it as well, (not listed on the menu) and like i thought, it was awful. the entire meal was terrible, they are only good at drinks. also if you do go for happy hour you will see the sun go down and be blinding because the sun comes right through that giant wall of a window they have. i had to switch seats with a friend because hes taller and blocked the sun with his head instead of trying to look at me with the sun glaring into his eyes. invest in some shades! the place is cute but the food is not. along with the annoying hostess/manager lady that kept coming over and asking how things were and interrupted our meal to tell us about some dj that will be there and gave us some "sexy" hot chocolate which was just hot chocolate with cinnamon. im in the restaurant industry, there was nothing "sexy" about a cup the size of the tip of my pinky finger with boxed hot chocolate that they added cinnamon to. they need to get it together. never going back.
BR
Brandon Torre
I am a bartender here so this may be biased but the food is AMAZING! To keep it as objective as possible, Ill just say we are the ONLY restaurant in Long Island to serve warm, in-house made corn tortillas and seven different salsas. Our chef, Alexis Samoya (google him, he is THAT good) has a true passion for Mexican food and has put together a menu that is unlike any other ever to debut in Long Island. So true to his work, he is flying in ingredients from Mexico, Hawaii, and other exotic countries to push his dishes to their utmost authentic flavor profiles. One dish that many of our guests have raved about so far is our LAMB TACOS. A leg of lamb is rubbed with mexican herbs and spices and wrapped in banana leaves. We then wrap the lamb again in agave plant leaves (flown in from Mexico) and slow roast it, barbacoa style, for six hours. The tender-to-the-bone meat is then placed on our fresh corn tortillas and topped with some Oaxaca cheese and salsa roja. EVERY person has loved them once ordered! Ive even had a guest come back for a second time (mind you weve only been open for just five days) and brought a friend along to try these tacos. The verdict ruled that he is now hooked as well and will be coming back again very soon. Come check us out for yourself, Ill be behind the bar waiting!
EJ
ej shortell
This Mexican restaurant is in the shopping center with several outlet stores. The wait staff is very friendly and helpful. I ordered the Yucateco Guacamole , which was avocados with mangoes, spicy chilly peppers. It was served with freshly made, slightly warm chips. I ordered a red Sangria. It was completely filled with small bite size pieces of fresh fruit. I ordered the special 3 course dinner. I started with the brisket Quesadillas appetizer. I did not like it. I felt there was not enough cheese. Actually, the cheese was sparse. I ordered the skirt steak, which was served with chimichurri sauce, rice and black beans. The steak was tender and cooked exactly how I ordered it, medium rare. For dessert, I ordered the tres leche cake,. It was okay. I felt it had too much liquid in the bottom of the dish. It was served with fresh berries. It was good. Then the waitress brought a very small cup of Mexican hot chocolate. It was delicious. I could have had an appetizer, Sangria, dessert, and the hot chocolate. There was an "up charge" for the steak. The total came to $58, with tax and tip. I would give them another try. They close early. I feel it is around 9 pm. Good place to go, if you are in the neighborhood.
GL
Glendon Gordon
I expected more, considering the NYT Review. Lets start with the margaritas. The Grilled Lime Margarita had almost no flavor, I expected maybe a smoky flavor from the grilled lime, but It was just bland. The regular margarita was just as boring. The Mango Habenero Margarita was just gross. It was so spicy that the habenero was the only thing I could taste. The classic guacamole is just OK, nothing special. We waited awhile for our ceviche to arrive. We were told there were no food runners, and thats why it took so long to come out. By the time it got to us it tasted like it was sitting above a heat lamp in the kitchen. Nothing worse than warm ceviche.
