I have to admit that overall my experience was frustrating, but that's not through any fault of the restaurant. My GPS took me on a round-about excursion through the backstreets of Laurel. I presume this is because the entrance to the parking lot is on a one-way street (Gorman Ave.). So even though I took Rte 1/Baltimore Avenue all the way up, I had to take the scenic route to actually drive in. That being said, it's really near the heart of Laurel; it's right past the mall, so I could see the Giant Food's sign from our table. Parking wasn't a problem at all; the lot is a good size and it wasn't crowded at all when we arrived.
The restaurant is very casual. You can either do takeout or casual dining - we opted for the latter since we'd had a 30 minute drive to get there. We seated ourselves and didn't wait long at all for someone to get our drink orders. I was shocked that it was so empty. When we arrived, there was a customer waiting for a carryout order, and the entire time we were there, we were the only customers who dined in. This equated to attentive, but not overbearing service. I actually commend them on their service - everyone was really friendly, even as the night wound down. It's the kind of place where you could get to know them if you're regulars.
The decor is best described as retro. I doubt if it's been updated since it opened as a Tippy's Taco in the 70s, but I liked it. It gives the sense that it's a home-town establishment that focuses on quality food rather than the frills of decorating - no point in eating cardboard while you're in a fancy dining room, right? There are a good number of tables in the dining area - I quickly counted about 14 tables with four seats apiece, and they were pretty well spaced out. The bathrooms were remarkably clean. I've come to expect less than stellar facilities at family-run businesses, but this one was well above my expectations.
On to the food! We started with the suggested appetizer of chili con queso - basically nachos. The corn chips were a hit with the munchkin. They were yellow corn, which I rarely have, but really liked. And the queso? Yes. Deliciousness. Don't know what's in there, but it was so good! It had some spice to it, but it wasn't enough to burn my taste buds or anything like that. I definitely recommend that. For the actual meal, we got tacos all around; I also ordered the Mayan - two cheese enchiladas (I added chicken to mine) and we ordered chicken tenders for the munchkin because she's not always open to experimentation. The chicken tenders were standard - maybe Tysons or something like that. The enchiladas were amazing. They were served with tostadas which tasted good with the Mexican gravy on them. They, too, had some spice to them, but it wasn't overpowering enough to bother me.
On to the tacos, because that's really why we came. The munckin loved them - that says A LOT. She doesn't even eat tacos at home! I admit I was a bit disappointed because the tacos didn't taste the same to me. There was just something missing that I still can't place. Maybe it was the cheese or maybe it was the meat. I also tried the sauce that is served on the tables. That was a complete fail because it was so spicy that I couldn't taste the essence of the sauce beyond the burning of my mouth. This was frustrating not because of the spice but because of my inability to really *taste* anything after I'd had the sauce.
Overall, the food at Toucan Taco is good, flavorful fare. I really enjoyed the environment, the people, and we'll probably be back - I'll just leave that sauce alone. read more