Classic hole-in-the-wall / dive place. Awesome if that's your thing. It's like tacos you'd throw together at home for yourself in 5 minutes. $1.90 a taco. Wonderful friendly staff. The spicy chicken and spicy sauce at the table is spicy but yummy. read more

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If you like your Mexican food Americanized, your staff on the motorcycle-y side of normal, and artery-clogging mystery gravy and queso, then by all means go to Toucan Taco. Otherwise, you're obviously not an adventurous sort and should stick with T.G.I McChainy's. Toucan Taco, formerly Tippy's Taco, is a Laurel/Fort Meade institution that's been around longer than I have. Signature dishes are the sunken burrito (sunken in what? Mystery gravy, that's what!) and the queso. The queso is VERY expensive but is literally unmatched in this universe for awesomeness. And it comes in pints, if you are a REAL man. So, my recommendation: Tell the friendly tattooed, leather skinned waitress that you want the sunken combo burrito special with the queso, squeeze some of the spicy red gunk in the recycled squeeze bottle on it, grab a plastic fork, and go nuts. You won't be sorry -- until later in the day, that is. If you want something that won't sit in your stomach like a cheese-coated cinder block for three days, the tacos are also good, but you will be missing out on the heart of the Toucan Taco experience. read more

First time there today and I wasn't very impressed. Place is dirty and the food is 3 times the price of Taco Bell and only 1/4th better. I actually prefer Taco Bell over this based on selection and cleanliness. The staff was exceptionally friendly. Cost $27 bucks for small queso dip, 2 tacos, 1 small beef quesadilla, 1 large chicken quesadillas, and 1 coke. Spend a little more and go to Uncle Julio's and you will leave full and clean. All 3 of us who are there are sick to our stomachs now and been on the toilet!! read more

I had hopes this would be my new local spot. But very disappointed. All I ordered was Queso, Guacamole and 12 regular tacos (not just for me). They said they were running out of Guac so they could give me a cup of it. When I saw it, it was the size if a shot and the Guac was completely brown. All brown, no parts green or fresh. When I asked for Queso the guy on the phone said how much do you want.. I asked shat my options were he said I could get a pint. I couldn't imagine that would be expensive... They ended up charging me $10 for the Queso and $8 for the shot of Guac. What kind. of sense does that make? The tacos were no where near authentic. They were soggy and not much flavor. Definitely not recommending this place nor am I going back. Very disappointed. read more

Toucan Taco - Disgusting Guacamole. Brown and old nit to mention they charged me $8 for this!!! I got robbed. - Mexican Near Me - Laurel, Maryland

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Worst place ever. I would only eat here if I ordered takeout. Waitress was terrible. She never even introduced herself. Just asked what we wanted. Then, after ordering, we could here the staff in the back cursing and carrying on. Zero customer service. I would give 0 stars if I could. read more

Great place for tacos! Great pit stop after golfing, complete with cold beer! Absolutely love their nacho cheese sauce/dip, and the chips are always fresh. On my most recent trip I had the chicken quesadilla... it was spicier/hotter then expected. read more

Toucan Taco - Chips and queso - Mexican Near Me - Laurel, Maryland

IF IT WERE NOT for the sky-high prices of this place, Toucan Taco would earn my highest rating. The food is not "authentic" Mexican, but it is absolutely delicious. This location (used to be called Tippy's) has been owned by the same family for about 25 years. There were sister shops, Terrapin Taco in College Park and Tippy's near Walnut Hill Shopping Center in Gaithersburg, but these have closed. Only Toucan survives. Twenty years ago, I would eat at one or another once a week and I did not live close to any of them. As for the food...the chili con queso is the best...but, WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. The tacos are small, but tasty. The hot sauce is tops...hot and strong on vinegar, thick but not chunky. The cheese enchiladas are small, but delicious. The Mexican gravy is very rich and spicy. The beef burritos are a nice size, but do not expect a "Chipotle" style burrito full of rice and lettuce. These burritos have beef and cheese and taste and that's it. The atmosphere is neither warm nor comfortable. The place is built for serving a cafeteria style lunch. Dinner here is cold and stark. The hot food is served in small aluminum pans. Paper plates and plastic untensils are as good as it gets here. Sadly, though I love the food, the place is way not worth the money because at these prices, you would expect a better overall experience. read more

I've been coming here since it was Tippy's and just had lunch here today. It's nice to see that things haven't changed, in a good way. The queso is still awesome (and pricey) but they seem to be using different chips these days. I like the old version better. Tacos (always beef, always hard shell) still good made even better with their homemade hot sauce. Ask for two. Sunken meat burrito is meaty and has plenty of enchilada sauce to insure a not dry burrito and have plenty left over to dip some chips into. Guacamole didn't wow me but I don't go there for that. I go for the San Antonio (2 tacos and queso) and you should too ! read more

I have so many fond memories of this place when I used to work over in Laurel. I had one of many date nights with my boyfriend here. We usually come for the tacos. It's a hidden gem over in Laurel. When most people think of Laurel, MD, they like "Laurel!? Eww". This place screams the opposite. Its a little mom and pops place and their tacos are super cheap in my opinion. I'm not really sure about the other items. It really quite and the staff offers a nice tight-knit culture. I recommend this place for their tacos if you're looking for an alternative to chipotle. read more

When you absolutely, positively HAVE to have a messy, fun Mexican meal! Toucan Taco (formerly Tippy's Taco House, many many moons ago) makes no pretensions of any sort, It is not a gourmet, healthy or upscale place. It is a place that serves very satisfying American-style Mexican food in a fun "down home" atmosphere. I have had every sort of Mexican food from California and East and I seldom have as much fun as I do at Tippy's The staff is friendly, the service is quick and the food is exactly what they say it is. The chili is spicy, the burritos messy, the queso yummy and the whole thing is an adventure in full-body-contact eating. If you have a fun bone in your body, you will have to get your Tippy's fix every so often. If you are really a fun person, you'll join the seemingly endless procession of locals picking up giant bags of carryout food for their (check one) office, school, team, staff meeting, volunteers, rescue squad, fire department, police precinct, etc. This is great food for watching football, March Madness, etc. And don't forget the Choco-Taco for dessert! read more

Disgusting! With so many authentic and delicious Latin American restaurants all around laurel, it's a wonder why this place is still in business. read more

One of the few places in Maryland I really miss. Hole in the wall place with outstanding food and service . Menu is simple but affected. Queso is liquid gold. read more

Toucan is a dive in the best way. Great food, nice staff. Perfect for take out.

My husband is from Austin and really wanted to try this place and he was not disappointed. If you're interested in locally sourced haute cuisine this place isn't for you. But if you want no frills nostalgic Tex-Mex (great queso!) served with a smile you'll love this place. read more

I grew up in Laurel, but it wasn't after I'd moved away that I finally made it out to toucan Taco! I don't even know why I like this place, the food isn't very good, the prices don't make any sense, the atmosphere wasn't worth while, but the staff was friendly and it just fit every expectation I had of it. I'll probably try another restaurant next time I'm in the area, but I'm happy to have finally tried Toucan Taco! read more

Love this place great tacos and queso! Just went for lunch today and most of the time we get take out but it's delicious no matter how you eat it! read more

You really need to have a good sense of humor when coming to a place like Toucan Taco. When you walk in you swear you're going to need a tetanus shot in order to make it out alive; the tables and chairs are something straight out of the 1970s; and getting a waiter or waitress is quite frankly hit or miss. However, the food more than makes up for it. While the queso is probably more expensive per ounce that crack (not that I would know), it is basically like crack. I can go get their largest size queso, a bag of chips, and just eat that. Along with their tacos, whenever I go there I feel like I'm having one of the best, greasiest meals I've had in awhile. The people are genuinely nice, and genuinely want to get to know you. I have no idea how long they work there, but some of them seem like my first. You don't come to this place for the ambiance - actually I recommend you to do take out. However, the food is good. read more

I guess my expectations were way too high....... this is a Mexican restaurant that doesn't even make its own chips. Really? You get a small plastic bag filled with mostly broken and semi stale chips. Tacos were so-so.....no cheese on mine but menu said it came with. I got carry out and didn't look until I was back at work. Very underwhelming........ not much of a reason to go back. read more

I first visited Toucan Taco in their previous life (Tippy's) back in 1983. It is still one of my favorite places for lunch. The food and service are top notch and the best part is nothing has changed in almost 40 years. Their queso is the best. Sunken Combo burrito, San Antonio, everything on the menu tastes as good as ever. Yeah, it's not a fancy place, but you do not go there for the atmosphere, you go for the Mexican food. read more

I've been coming here for years, my mother used to tell me it was a tippies taco place one time. Supposedly they got away from the brand and went their own way. Anyway, I love their Chili con Queso with the Tostadas chips. It's damn expensive but damn awesome! I wish they would revamp their interior though, it has never changed since I was a small kid. If they pump some life in the decor they would have 5 stars from me. Also the people there are pretty laid back and down to earth. I have always had a pretty good time there. Thanks! read more

They say they close at 9:00 PM and I get there at 8:40 PM and I knock on the door, and they just look at me and laugh, then I call them on the phone and they say that they are all out of food, now that's just rude! read more

I would always pass this place when I would drive from Silver Spring to Baltimore...and always wondered what the Tacos tasted like... SO, finally, last week , I stopped in ! I must say that this place makes some pretty tasty tacos. They are standard tex-mex tacos, soft or hard shell, tomatoes, shredded cheese , letttuce. They have some pretty good flavoring/spices on the meat. You have to pay extra for guacomole. I left quite satisfied with my experience. However I am not sure how they messed up my order, I asked for two chicken tacos and one "meat" taco.... and they brought me 2 shredded beef tacos and one ground beef taco. I still just ate them anyway and thought they were pretty good. They were marked down to 3 stars because of this, and also because the inside of the place looks like someones basement from the 1970's or something. read more

This place is the worst place i have Ever had eaten at. I ordered the chicken enchiladas. The tortillas were stale and they were submerged in a watery sauce that was not cheese. The chicken was cold inside the tortilla and the cheese that was in top was half hard half melted. My wife order the cheese enchiladas but her's the cheese was not even melted all the cheese was cold and hard. I forgot to take a picture to post . read more

Long ago, about 20 years (I was 7), my parents took my family to Taco Ole located near Iverson Mall. Later, that restaurant became Betty's Taco House. It was by far the best Mexican (granted American style Mexican, maybe Tex-Mex), that I ever had. I would get off school in anticipation of Taco Tuesdays! Sadly, we left that area and moved to Bowie and Betty's closed down. I thought I lost that Con Queso forever until my sister introduced me to Tippy's Taco. It was not as good, but it was still delicious. Only bad thing is that they only had locations in Virginia. On came high school, and about 10 minutes from ERHS, I found a gem in Terrapin Taco House. I ate there for many years til they went out of business and left. That drove me to check out Toucan Taco! Toucan Taco has great Con Queso and tacos. I am a vegetarian, so I get a pint of Queso and 3 bean tacos with their HOT SAUCE! The sauce and the queso make anything taste good! Beware, it is fatty - there is no doubt about that. In addition, unlike Tippy's and even Terrapin's - Toucan's prices are quite expensive. It is definitely not Taco Bell prices especially for the Queso. The difference between Tippy's and Toucan is that I find the Queso cheese to be more thick at Toucan & I prefer the taco shells at Toucan as well. Anyone who likes American styled Mexican food with great queso needs to check this place out! read more

Again, middle of the road review. Let me say, I only ordered tacos. They were good but I could use a little less salt. But then again I never add salt to anything. The gentleman in front of me ordered 30 tacos (he said every week), so they do have a following. My only objection was the mini taco shell. What? But once pass that, they were good. Reminds me of the old Toucan Cantina. Next time I will try the enchilada, beans and rice. read more

This was my favorite local place and the one restaurant I would miss from this area when I move across the country in a year, but the change in management here has made it easy to leave now. Over the past year or so, my family and I noticed the portion sizes got smaller, but the food was so delicious it was still worth it. However, we have now found it impossible to eat here since the hours changed and they often close early unannounced. After craving the food for a week and being disappointed they closed before we got there earlier in the week (we did not realize the hours had changed since our last visit as we often do not dine out on week days), we finally made it in on the weekend an hour before closing after calling to confirm first. As we seated ourselves, the waiter told us they couldn't serve us as they were closing and they would not be taking out order, despite the fact it was well before the posted closing time and we called before we came to confirm. We asked if we could just take the order to go and then received two different reasons for their inability to take our order with one saying they were significantly behind on orders and the other saying they were out of most items (which the first did not mention at all). It is a shame since my family and I love the food and I always used to recommend this place, but it is the end of an era for my family and we won't be back since the service here has seriously gone down the drain. read more

Best food ever. Blows Taco Bell out of the water and has been around a long time! I really think their tacos are good!

Secret little hidden treasure! Food is great, queso is bomb. A must try! Daryl always treats us right. My parents have been coming here since the 70s, no joke! read more

Found this place on groupon when I was in the area. The chips and guac were tasty but I didn't think my meal was particularly good. I got the cheese enchiladas with rice and beans. The building itself could really use some TLC. Seems like the locals love it though! Next time I'll try another of the plentiful restaurants in the area. read more

i was craving mexican ! ledt work in silver spring took back roads to annapolis. saw toucan tacos pulled in. ordered 4 tacos mixed and queso. iasked for extra cilantro " we dont have that here" i asked for green onions, same reply all i could taste was salt-everything tasted the same salty! ordered vegetariam dishes to go--- way worse.i read more

I'm literally floored. This place was terrible. I've never experienced anything like it. It's really awful. The food tastes like someone dumped salt in everything. Nothing was fresh. It's just a bunch of food in warmers served in cheap containers, plates and cups. Now I know why the parking lot is always empty. I honestly think you should try it, just so you can experience it! It's crazy! read more

If I wanted to sit down to dinner with my food encased in a tin dish, I would have gone to the local Safeway and bought myself a microwave dinner. The food (I got the Burrito Dinner) is well short of mediocre. The queso, chips, and tostadas tasted like they were bought wholesale. It would be a giant misnomer to call the cuisine "fresh". If you are looking for some decent American-styled Mexican / Tex-Mex, you're best to look elsewhere. If I had a positive, it would be the service. The servers were very attentive and came by often. Yet, service doesn't quite make up for the poor quality in food. read more

Tacos are the best ! That guy behind register is a little smart ass though over the phone and in person. He has been there forever. I try to order during early day when he usually isnt around. The food is 4 stars - the service not so much.... They have amazing hot sauce !! read more

Best queso in the world. Hands down. My family has been going to toucan taco (formerly Tippy's) for decades. The sunken burritos are another favorite. I recommend take out since it's a small/ hole in the wall kind of place. But don't knock it til you try that queso! read more

If I can give negative stars, I would. "Worst" is an understatement. Disgusting and awful. The spicy chicken was exteremely salty. They put a small piece of tomato and some hard cheese on top. They serve microwavable mac and cheese and frozen nuggets. Worst place I've ever been to. Never again. read more

Been eating here since I was a little girl. Best food ever. Queso is great! I love to mix it in the rice. No other restaurant has better queso. Sunken Burrito is the best. read more

A friend of mine is a Laurel native and LOVES this place, and raved about it, so when a friend from out of town came to visit, we decided to check it out. Better than Taco Bell, but not the best Mexican food I've ever had. (That honor goes to some place in East Baltimore where it seemed like we were the only Anglos in the place.) Expensive, for take-out Mexican. It's not bad, somewhat tasty, but I didn't think it was worth what they charge. Edited to add: Went back and ate with my son. The food is still OK, but service was really slow, and we only accounted for half their customers at the time. Good guac & chips, though. read more

Oh Toucan Tacos how I miss you. This was my favorite place to get lunch when I worked in Laurel. Best tacos in that area. Sunken Burrito is to die for. If you don't like this food then you must hate good food. read more

What a great surprise. At first the seating, men and overall just had the basic flair of an In and Out slop. Do not let that be your review. shop. The food is a must have, Best seat in the house is immediately as you enter to the right. Do not be finnicky either. If you can't decide just order both or all three. Just saying....you can't go wrong. The Sunken Burrito is a must. Make sure you order one. Groups are important for this faire. Order two of everything and have a buffet. Take home should be mandatory so you relish in the leftovers. I don't always get greasy. but when I do it's at a greasy spoon. Stay Greasy my Friends. read more

This joint is the "El Peridor" of greasy-spoon, dive-ass Tex-Mex places and it occupies the absolute pinnacle of that most-cherished category. A completely spotless hole-in-the-wall, its menu comprises the usual array of border-straddling nosh found at former Tippy's Taco Houses, including, but not limited to, massive 'sunken' burritos, heavyweight enchiladas, chalupas, tacos and a high-viscosity, mid-Scoville queso dip. The place's chips and salsa are decent, a solid, never disappointing combo that will always serve as a barometer at any Mexican place. Table service is A-OK and it's generally fun to eat at this small, clean, neighborhood institution. Whether you take this kind of Americana seriously or not, it's too close to I-95 to pass it by. read more