This is our go to spot for Colombian food out east! Bandeja Paisa and Beef empanadas are the best things to get. This local joint will get you feeling like you're back in Colombia Go check them out! read more

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I drove a little to find this place. If you're looking for authentic Colombian cuisine, this is one of the spots to visit. Not many people sit inside the restaurant, which is the only reason for the low score. The family provides excellent service. Food has many good flavors. The tostones were on point, the beef soup was Amazing, see pics read more

The Toston - Colombian Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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You're one and only Colombian cuisine in uptown Markham. Everything here is so amazing. You walk in to this wonderful aroma and the decor just makes you feel like home. The staffs were all so friendly as this is a fam owned business. Toston was named top recommended restaurant in Markham for 2024! You're going to want to come back to try their whole menu. There is a patio space area too where on a nice warm day, you get to enjoy the food outdoors. Will definitely recommend! read more

The Toston - Seafood soup - Colombian Near Me - Markham, Ontario

I found this little gem of a restaurant in Markham. Latin food is hard to find here, so this Colombian restaurant really stands out. I got the bandeja paisa and fried yucca. The yucca was nice and crisp yet chewy after the initial bite. Portion sizes are quite large. If you are hungry, get the bandeja paisa. You get a little bit of everything with this dish (sausage, beef, egg, rice, beans, plantain, chicharon, avocado), and it is very filling. It was all very tasty. I washed it all down with the Postobon manzana (apple) soda. The owners are very nice and friendly here. Looking forward to my next visit read more

The Toston - Colombian Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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It's my first time to try the Colombia cuisine and I love it and definitely recommend the Toston to you guys!! The boss is so nice and welcoming, they will explain everything in detailed as she knows I'm the first time to try this!! The ambiance of restaurant is so amazing and you can feel like you are in Colombia!! read more

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Great Food and friendly staff. Authentic Colombian Food with excellent presentation. I will definitely plan another visit

The Toston is a small, family-owned Colombian restaurant near Costco. They offer a lot of classic Colombian dishes for you to try! The owners were super friendly and even recommended their favourites! We came in a party of 5, and because the restaurant was so small we had to squeeze by into one of the tables. The owners were very accommodating however, and helped us move some tables together for more space. This was my first time having Colombian food. The plantains were delicious and well cooked. I also ordered the Toston with Grilled Chicken. It was well seasoned and crispy, however, maybe a little dry. They also included a house salad. I hope to try out their other dishes, such as the arepas one day! read more

The Toston - Plantains - Colombian Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Empanadas are small and didn't have much meat. I have had better. The tostons were good. However, the plantain base/pancake could be a bit thicker. This is a hole in the wall of a place. It's not an upscale place. Host was really nice. read more

Nice little local Columbian restaurant near Costco. Came here for lunch and ordered Toston with pulled beef, it was very tasty with fried plantain underneath. Everything was fresh here, the arepas were very tasty as well! read more

The Toston - Colombian Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Know that feeling when you take a bite of something delicious and "the feeling" takes you over? You wanna cry, but you don't want to look stupid eating an empanada in Canada? This. Place. Is. Wonderful. I walked in, and the woman behind the counter told me to take a seat and she'd come explain the menu. She was so kind and informative. I ordered the chicken soup and an empanada. She brought the empanada first (beef) along with the BEST salsa I've ever had. It was made to pair with these crisp little pies. She instructed, "Take a bite, and then spoon the salsa inside." When I say it tasted like Heaven... The soup was delicious, as well. It had a green broth and was super flavorful with potatoes and chicken. Just fantastic. The restaurant was very small with only 4 tables. All four were occupied continuously while I was there with a steady stream of take-out customers. Decor was super cute and cozy. read more

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This place is a small family owned Colombian restaurant. When you walk is small but it feels like home. The food is very good . Feels like you took a trip to Colombia in markham . I recommend you try the bandeja paisa and empanadas . Our family favorite read more

I contemplated whether or not to post this for a while. I understand running a business is hard and that the pandemic was especially hard on restaurants. At the same time, I know many consumers also suffered in the pandemic so I decided to post this. I visited twice previously and loved it. Brought my mom here on a day off from work and... well... the management had changed. The menu was pretty similar, but the chef had changed. The tostones were ok, but the meats were all very overcooked and inedible, even after scaling down my expectations. I would say poorer edibility than fast food and definitely not fast food prices. There are much better options in the plaza or nearby now. The chef told us that she had prepared the food in a very traditional way, similar to what you might experience in her home kitchen. I'm sorry to say that it wasn't very good. read more

We're thrilled to find Columbian cuisine in uptown Markham. The owners Norma and Alexander, are very friendly, and take great pride in their restaurant. We felt transported to South America, with the cute décor and warm hospitality. We sat outside and Norma brought us Columbian coffee and traditional beef empanadas. My hubby is a coffee lover, so he was a happy camper! The cheese buñuelos were soft and fluffy; I wish we had ordered more! We shared the Bandeja Paisa, which is rice, plantains, sausage, crispy pork belly, beans, avocado, steak, arepa, and a fried egg. The chicharron was a bit chewy, and we prefer our steak on the medium rare/medium side. The Toston with shredded chicken was a nice change from our usual order of pork or beef. The flavors are very authentic, and overall, we had a lovely lunch date. Disclaimer: Empanadas were complimentary, and coffee is included with meals. read more

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The Toston, the signature dish after which this place is named, is fried flattened plantain with toppings. The version served here seems unique, as the generic Latin American version seems to be called tostones/patacones, is much smaller, isn't always topped and even if topped seems to have different toppings. Had the Pulled Beef Toston. It was good. The plantain was plain-ish yet crispy, so it was a good foil for the pulled beef, which started off simple but whose flavour profile deepened as I had more of it, and ended up being very tasty. The whole thing was served on a banana leaf, which was nice. It came with a refreshing tomato salad and an avocado slice. The empanada was alright. It was made of corn flour (YMMV but I dislike the chewiness) which also gave it a slight sweet edge. The stuffing tasted okay but didn't seem to have much beef. Tried Postobon Apple, a Colombian bottled drink. It tasted sharp and while the first taste was pleasantly apple-y, the after-taste was a bit medicinal, like something you'd get at the dentist. Didn't try the Colombian hotdog or hamburger, but they have pineapple and the hotdog has mozzarella cheese and the hamburger sweet cheese. read more

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I love people who share who/what they are and where they came from with humble pride and genuine celebration. The owners of Toston are these people. It's a small restaurant, maybe sits 12-15 people (including the counter area). But Norma makes sure every square inch of that place transports you to Columbia. She greeted us with a smile, walked us through the menu, gave great tips, and eyes-sparkled as my cousin tried un poquito espanyol with her. We got: - Toston with Pulled Beef: The beef itself was moist and tender, a perfect pairing to the crispy and sweet toston. Side salad was tarty, which added a great additional flavour to the meal. This was a winner! - Fried Fish: Same great toston and side salad. The fish was ok, a bit too fried for me. What does that mean? Glistening, a bit overly crunchy, just a tad dry on the outside (though the meat itself was moist enough). - Yuka Fries: The best of them were milky and chewy. There were some stray ones that were a bit stringy and dry. The side homemade salsa sauce though was chef's-kiss good. - Columbian Coffee: Columbian coffee at its sweet-and-nuttuly best. Thanks Toston for bringing us to Columbia! read more

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I went for lunch with friends after a walk / bike ride. The owner described the menu options well and how to eat each. She was friendly yet gentle. We ate outside the restaurant on a picnic table. Delicious food read more

Colombian food in Markham?! Yes please! This place is a total hole in the wall. It's a small, unassuming, mom-and-pop joint with a small menu. They mainly offer tostons here which are essentially a fried, flattened plantain topped with protein or queso. Not much drink selection here although they do have a fridge of Colombian bottled/juice box drinks. Prices here are very fair, as 1 order is enough for 2 people. You can order takeout or sit in (there's like 3 tables). Service is friendly but pretty minimal and slow. We ordered: Toston with Pulled Chicken (comes with a small salad) $12 - the plantain is generously topped with lots of pulled chicken. The chicken is moderately seasoned with Latin American spices. Some homemade salsa completed this dish. I've never had tostons before but overall it was good. Empanada $1.75 - Filled with potatoes and beef. Not much taste or beef inside. Just a crispy lil package. They serve it with some homemade salsa which makes it taste much better. FYI, they're pre-made and just sit in a warming cabinet. Yuca frites $5 - Fried cassava chunks tossed with salt. Cassava imo is like a less starchy potato. This was the best item of the meal. (It's only good when fresh - the leftovers we brought back were mehhhhh!) Overall it was a pretty average meal - there's nothing really mindblowingly awesome about this place. It is nice to have some variety in this neighbourhood though! read more

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After visiting Florida and trying a Columbian restaurant over there I was craving some good Columbian food. I searched for restaurants around me and that's how I came across "The Toston". The couple that run and own the restaurant are so warm and welcoming, they treat you like family. I was also thoroughly impressed with the food here, it's packed with flavor you definitely have to try it for yourself. It was our first time here so we tried a couple items on the menu such as the chicken empanda, the sweet plantain, toston with grilled chicken and toston with pulled beef. I will definitely be back especially since it's so close to home. read more

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This place is really cute! I'd never had Colombian food before and decided to come and try it out. Yum! Location: In a strip mall plaza chocked gull of different businesses! Lots to see here Parking: I came after work during the week so it wasn't so bad! There were a tonne of parking Not sure what it would be like on the weekend though Decor: It's teeny tiny and super cute! There's 5 tables inside and one outside as well as 6 or so bar seats. The walls are red and wood and it is decorated with art and photos from Columbia. It's very cute. Things are made to order, when I was there the owner was working. He's nice! Food: I ordered the traditional Colombian big meal. Beans, sausage, steak, rice, pork belly, egg and avacado. It was ok. I don't think I'd get it again. Nothing really stood out for me as really good just ok and I didn't like some of the food. I really wanted to like it because I like finding new hidden gems. There are a lot of restaurants in the plaza that was busier. I should have realized by that and when I checked in a couple of yelp friends messaged me to tell me where to get better Colombian food. read more

The Toston - Colombian Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Toston is essentially fried flattened plantain, Columbian style, with your choice of toppings and an avocado on the side. You eat it by cutting or ripping off a piece of the plantain and shoving it in your mouth. It's delicious, tasty, oily, greasy and HEAVY. The Toston is THE best (and maybe only?) place to get tostons in the area. WHAT WE GOT: Combo #2 Toston with Pulled Beef ($16) Fried fish with rice and toston ($18) Yucca frites ($5) Empanada - similar to beef patty ($3) comes with a salsa. WHAT WE LIKED: The tostons were both fantastic. Pulled beef is a winner. Fish was seared well. WHAT WE DIDN'T: Empanada at $3 for a small patty wasn't great value. The salsa was interesting, but might as well save your stomach for the fried goodness of toston. Yucca frites were good, but again, probably ideal to focus on the mains when you're here. WHAT I'D GET NEXT: The special dishes are kind of attention-grabbing too. Bandeja Paisa for $19 looks fantastic... yeah, that'll be what I get next. But it's REAL hard to stray from Combo #2 now that I've had it. Can the beef soup REALLY be worth $15? (apparently comes with rice and a side) Arepas in Columbia compare to tortillas in Mexico; pork arepa for $13? And I wonder about Columbia hamburger ($8)? I mean, it seems pricey but my meal was pretty filling, so could it be worth it? PARKING/ENTRANCE/DECOR/SEATING There was plenty of parking here in the evening, BUT it was during a snow storm sooo... who knows if that was just a lucky fluke on my part. It's a small shop and a bunch of colourful, possibly mismatched signage everywhere with homages to Columbia very prominent. They have a television that was showing a soccer game on the side. Seating is available for quite limited. I imagine busier days it's mostly takeout. SERVICE and WASHROOMS Very, very friendly. They'll take the time to explain things and help you choose. Food took a while to come though, so don't come hungry (or get appetizers if you do - the apps are in a warming tray and NOT made fresh to order like the rest). There's a small washroom is in the back. FOOD If you're on a diet, forget about coming. A lot of the Yelp pictures disguise how prominent the fried, oily plantain is. It's basically the dough on a pizza. So, the toppings and such will catch your eye, rightfully, but the fried goodness is a HUGE part of the meal. read more

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We thoroughly enjoyed our meals and the service was excellent. The owner talked us through the menu and helped us make excellent choices, we will be back! read more

I was craving for a coffee around the area, checking the yelp, tripadvisor and google and this one comes number one. I was not planning to eat but when I looked at the menu, I felt hungry plus the owners took their time to explain each item on the menu. The owners are so nice and very friendly. I ordered a combo, it's with a fried plantain, sausage with avocado and salad on the side. I loved every bite. The coffee taste so good. Authentic Colombian coffee. I would recommend it 101%. Diffidently going back to try some of their menu. Lots of parking in a small plaza. read more

The Toston - Colombian Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Lovely local restaurant run by an open friendly couple. The food is both unique and delicious. Being the first time experiencing Colombian food, the owner came over to explain and recommend items for us to try. We were delighted with what we got. read more

This restaurant experience is like a food trip to Columbia! A cozy hospitable restaurant - with a menu full of adventure for us- we tried the pork and the beef- very generous portions, prepared well and presented with lots of explanation about how to eat it! if some of the meat was well done there was a salsa that accompanied our meal that made it juicy and delicious. Grateful to have yet another amazing culture to experience in Markham. read more

What's better on a frigid Canadian winter evening than to fly out to some place warm in exotic South America? Probably nothing but the next best option is probably to stop by The Toston which is a charming little Columbian restaurant in the forest of Indian, Tamil and Middle East establishments on the east side of Markham. The moment you step into the Toston you instantly feel like you've been teleported to a small general store in rural Columbia. The inside of the Toston is filled with little Knick knacks, spreads, snacks and other momentos from Columbia and other parts of South America. There's a few bar stools, a few tables and a counter to order your food. I was greeted by the friendly owner who was keen to recommend different menu options and to explain what tostons are. While I took my time deciding, he offered me some free coffee. I really enjoyed the coffee as both the owner and I agreed that it's not the 'Tim Horton's' weak stuff. I elected for the chicharron which essentially is deep fried pork belly with tostons which are twice fried flattened plantain slices. As I waited for the food the owner happily chit chatted and talked about his journey of leaving home to move to Florida and eventually landed in Canada due to different circumstances. I personally really enjoy going to independent shops and restaurants where you can actually interact with the owners. Going to shop or eat should always be a personal experience, I guess I'm just old school like that. Now back to the food. The pork belly had a crunchy yet chewy skin and below two different layers consisting of the fatty portion and then the marbleized meat portion. It was a little bit dryer than I would like but nonetheless very tasty especially when paired with the Pico de Gallo salsa. The toston was also a tad dry and may lack the necessary crisp. I also ordered the empanadas for take out. I really enjoyed it but wish it had a little bit more meat. Food wise it's good and the entire experience will for sure help melt away the snow and ice from the unforgiving Canadian winter. If I could give partial stars I would definitely give a 3.8 out of 5. One thing to note is that the owner will ask you whether you want double pork belly. I'm not sure if I was day dreaming or it was the owner's Columbian accent, I responded yes and I ended up ordering an extra piece of pork belly. read more

Came with a friend who recommended it based on a previous experience. None of us are Columbian and I myself have had some South American fare but never columbian specifically. As noted the place is very small and cozy and the owners are very nice and friendly. She took the time to explain everything from what's in the dish to the proper way to eat everything. All good advice including food recommendations but only miss was her emphasis on how columbian coffee is very strong and you definitely need sugar. Turns out it was good coffee but in terms of strength it was on par with starbuck's dark roast. I had the bandejos p.... (forget the full name of the dish) it was a giant overload of protein - beans, beef, sausage, avocado, a fried egg, pork belly. Enough for two people, it cost $19. Beef was a ok and sausage was good but pork belly was over cooked and a bit hard. Came with plantain and avocado but otherwise there was nothing green in it. Taste was good but not mind blowing. Also tasted a bit of The Toston off my friends plate didn't think it was a big deal. If it was cheaper I'd come again but it's pretty far out of the way for me so I doubt I will give it a second chance. read more

Amazing service and some of the best food I've had in the entire GTA. All the flavors in the food are wonderful and the staff is very kind and very thorough with explanations of the food. The ambiance felt very cozy as well and overall would recommend to anyone looking to try read more

Found this hidden gem on yelp. I wish I found this place earlier! It's a very cozy and small establishment but you want in and it feels like a home. The owner greets you like you're family. We ordered the dishes online for take out because we weren't sure if there would be spots for us to sit. She was very friendly and even offered me free coffee as we waiting for our food. She also spent he time to explain the menu to us which was informative. Good for next visit!! Combo 6: It's like a platter of mixed meat! Flank steak and arepa has smokey grilled flavor! The chorizo is very different because it's not all ground pork; there are bigger chunks for texture. The chicharron was crunchy but the skin was a little tough (probably because we didn't eat it fresh). And that salsa with the rice and beans... Now the pulled beef: The toston (flattened fried plantain) is the crunchy sweet supportive base which soaks up all the juices of the pulled beef put on top. You take a bite of it and the beef feels tender, yet a little chewy for texture. Then the plantain is crunchy on outside parts but soft and flavourful on the inside areas! Definitely recommend if you want hearty food! Will come back next time to try the beef soup and empanada moo read more

The Toston - Combo 6 - Colombian Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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Came here as recommended by CBC's Suresh dotla. Interesting place. Interesting decor with art on wall and very friendly service. Food was wholesome and filling. Liked how sauce was on the side so you could control flavours. Keep in mind it's a small place with few staff so it can be a bit crammed. But definitley worth going to! read more

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Amazing food and service! We got their signature toston with pulled beef, empanadas, and cassava fries. That beef was one of the best beef I've ever had. It was tender, juicy, well-flavoured, and was a perfect juxtaposition to the crunchy toston it was served on. The empanadas and cassava fries were also excellent that paired well with their tangy salsa. I'm not a coffee drinker but my girlfriend had their Colombian coffee and she thoroughly enjoyed it as well. The service was also impeccable as the explanations for the food and overall attentiveness was superb. Just know that it's a quaint place so seating is a bit limited. Will definitely be going back again to try some different dishes next time! read more

The Toston - Cassava fries and Colombian coffee - Colombian Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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What a great hole in the wall. If it wasn't for Yelp I would've never found this place! Food might seem pricey at first but once you see the quantity and quality of the food.... Then you'll understand. For the hungry eaters, combo #6 is where it's at because it pretty much has everything you can want! It's so big you can even share (if you want). The only downside is it's a rather small place so either order a head for pickup or go in a group of 2. All in all I'm very pleased with this new find and I will be back again! read more

The Toston - Combo #6 - Colombian Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Amazing Colombian Cuisine, everything was so authentic from the restaurant to the friendly staff and especially the food. Everything was so delicious I had the pulled beef tostan (combo 2) super flavorful and tender beef. MUST TRY. Also had the yuca which was soft and sweet. Perfect compliment to the pulled beef. The customer service was very good, very kind and attentive. Great spot in Markham for a new experience. Check it out!!! Went back a second time still amazing! read more

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If you want great tasting authentic Colombian food this is the place!!! If you haven't tried Colombian food you're missing out!! Hidden gem in Markham worth trying. We tried the Pulled Beef Toston and the Vegetarian Toston and both were delicious and filling. If you want to spice it up the hot sauce is perfect. We'll be back to try the soup and the Empanadas. Also the owner was super friendly and a great conversation. Highly recommend. read more

The food was delish but very fattening. Since my stomach is not used to fried foods, I felt a little queasy afterwards since I don't have fried foods in my diet. The food is nice to have once and awhile but not everyday otherwise one would gain tons of weight!! I would definitely go again but not in awhile because I'm self conscious about my weight and I want to maintain a slim figure. I had combo 6 which was $10 and came with pork belly/ sausage with avocado, salad and fried plantain. It was great!! 4/5 Not my favourite though because I'd rather avoid fried foods The service was 5/5. The lady was very nice in explaining the menu to us since we have never had Colombian food. read more

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Drove 6 hours after hearing about their "authentic" Colombian food. Was highly disappointed with the Chicharrón as it was so overcooked you snapped it off and it crumbled into dust. The empeñadas were also very dry and the green empeñada in particular was the worst one. Traditional Colombian empeñadas are not green, and nor are they made with PAN corn meal. If it's authentic it should be made with legitimate corn meal. The steak was the only redeemable item. Everything else was dry, and not traditional. The staff were great & service was good. Unfortunately the food was a complete let down for us. read more

Order 2 dishes: - pulled beef toston - steak toston Pulled beef was good but steak was pretty bad. Dry, over cooked beef. Tasted a bit weird as well.. cant quite make out the flavour but almost in the realm of gaminess.. I dont think I will try them again. read more

Food was blasé and average at best. Nothing to write home about. The chicharron was so overcooked it was borderline inedible. Needed a buzzsaw to cut through it. read more

I had combo 5 which comes with a sausage, a small slice of avocado, two slices of lime, and a fried plantain. It came with sauce container of salsa. For this meal, I paid $10 which did not include taxes. The meal was good but I found the plantain a little too hard and dry; it was difficult to slice and eat. The service itself was excellent: fast, friendly, and curteous. read more

Amazing and authentic Columbian food, with great customer service. Highly recommend if you want to try something different.

Really Amazing place. Found this gem hidden in Markham. The owner is such a nice lady. She took time to explain everything that was on the menu. I am definitely coming back again next time I am in the area . read more