Añejo Restaurant — Restaurant in Toronto

One of the best places for happy hour in downtown Toronto. Añejo is located on king west in a very nice and quaint location. As we entered this restaurant, we were greeted with great customer service by the hostess and then taken to our seats. This location opens at 3pm on weekdays so it wasn’t packed when we first got there. The place had great music and an overall pleasant vibe. During happy hour, the margaritas and beer are $6 and the classic tacos are half priced too. They also have signature tequila shots (considered their feature of the week/month) which ended up being $5 - very reasonably priced.

Drinks: we got two guava margaritas which I would highly recommend everyone trying because it was SOOO good. A mango margarita and a spicy coconut margaritas. Again, the mango margaritas was amazing and on par with the guava margarita. The spicy coconut on the other hand is a hit or a miss. The first initial sip you will definitely feel the spice. I probably would not recommend the spicy coconut margarita.

Food: From the menu, we got the fundido tradicional. This dish tasted splendid. The cheese came out sizzling and it consisted of chorizo, mushroom and pico de gallo. If you are going in a group, would highly recommend getting this for the table. In adddition, we we got the guacamole for the table. Again, this is something I would come back for specially just to eat. They make this right in front of you and it just adds to the excitement and fun of this place. I would recommend getting the bigger guac rather than the side guac because the bigger one which is more fresh whereas the small guac is pre-made. Lastly, we got the 6 tacos for $29. Due to it being happy hour, the tacos ended up being $15. We got the 3 if the chicken tinga, two of the beef Barbacoa and one chorizo crumble. My personal favourites were the chicken and beef. I would not recommend the chorizo crumble as the texture seemed a little off.

Overall: I loved this restaurant and would come back again. I would only come back during happy hour as I do believe that their food and drinks are not worth it for regular price. I also noticed that the service was getting slower as more people started to come into the restaurant. Something to think about if you decided to go during peak hours. Nonetheless, we loved this restaurant - would definitely come back to try some of the other dishes on their menu and would recommend everyone...

So to begin, the restaurant didn’t even know if we made reservations or not even though we had confirmation of the booking (should have taken this as a sign for the worse to come). We finally are seated in the corner of the restaurant (and not in the main area where we had originally requested), and everything begins to proceed smoothly. Drinks are ordered, apps are served, and mains are in the kitchen getting prepared. But what makes this seemingly wholesome family dinner turn into a lacklustre service, is just that; the lack of service. The tacos are placed on our table, but it takes us about 40 minutes to receive our side dips that we ordered, and mind you, I had to leave my seat and meal to chase down the host to ask about the side dips. Even after the dips and sauces were served, the tacos weren’t anything special. Outside of the fish and pork, everything was plain, cold, or dry. If it wasn’t for the spicy mayo sauce giving the food some life, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a fine dining taco, and a food truck (the tortilla chips were the only saving grace with the guac to be honest).

Even throughout the experience, there is not a single host in sight (especially the one that greeted us) for other orders we wanted to make. The overall experience wasn’t worth the cost. The atmosphere felt more like a high-school cafeteria gathering instead of a fine dining environment, lacklustre service where I was essentially playing where’s Waldo to find the waiter and the rest of my order, subpar quality of food, but ONTOP of all that, the host had the audacity to include the 20% tip in the bill. Policy or not, it was undeserving and even more disrespectful given the experience we had.

It is a shame because we celebrated our moms birthday here today as returning customers, but the restaurant did anything but make it feel like a...

Food - Specializing in shareable Latin cuisine, this establishment caters to groups seeking a blend of conversation and culinary delights. However, I found the food somewhat lackluster compared to other Latin restaurants and dining establishments in general. Specifically, the fish tacos I ordered were disappointingly sparse in toppings and rather dry. To enhance the flavor, I had to use the salsa from the nachos we shared. This was surprising, given that fish tacos are a personal favorite, and I've enjoyed them at various places. While the nachos were better, offering a variety of sauces and a generous portion, overall, my dining experience fell short of expectations. There are certainly better restaurants available.

Service - With reservations in place, we were promptly and efficiently seated by our server. Despite the bustling and energetic atmosphere, the numerous servers displayed a commendable level of professionalism, friendliness, and knowledge. They addressed our inquiries, providing attentive service where needed.

Ambiance - Designed for socializing, the venue buzzed with multiple conversations, creating a lively ambiance. The atmosphere, adorned with charming decorations and accompanied by a playing movie, exuded a casual, slightly grungy vibe. Accessible by descending a staircase, the location is conveniently situated near the TTC, adding to its accessibility. While the lively chatter made it a bit challenging to hear, I appreciated the overall ambiance...