La Chingada — Restaurant in Toronto

The Wyck Recommendation: La Chingada Rating: 3.4/5 Margaritas from Heaven, Corn from a Can, and the Toronto Man Who Served Us Nothing But Vibes

Intro Scene

We sat on the patio, sunburned and hopeful, chasing happy hour dreams in the west end. I ordered a margarita and was immediately sucker-punched in a good way. Citrus. Chili. Liquor-heavy. My eyes watered. My mouth saluted. And for a brief, glittering moment, I thought: maybe we found the spot.

Then the corn arrived.

What Was Ordered

Margaritas (happy hour special): Possibly the best I’ve had in the city. Sweet, spicy, tequila-forward with that seared-orange slice and chili rim that slapped.

Esquites (Mexican street corn): Looked the part. Tasted like betrayal. Canned corn in a disguise of cotija and spice, served on a husk for Instagram not for flavour.

(Planned to order more) but the corn pulled the emergency brake.

Service Commentary

Toronto men. He served us nothing but vibes. Full 6ix mode.

Asked a simple question about spice levels, got hit with the eyebrow of judgment like I’d just offended his ancestors. Every interaction came laced with that specific blend of slang, swagger, and spiritual detachment. He wasn’t rude just vibing so hard that service fell through the cracks.

To be fair, the rest of the staff? Pros. Helpful. Fast. This guy was just... 6ix™.

Vibe Check

The patio was buzzing. Couples, groups, that table of people clearly on edibles. Bright drinks, summer air, good music, and a sense that someone nearby was about to get dumped or proposed to. The energy was peak Dundas West: casually chaotic, two drinks away from a spontaneous DJ set.

The Space Itself

Inside? Gorgeous. Bold murals, string lights, jaguars and phoenixes battling for wall space. It’s giving fiesta dungeon in the best way.

Patio? Basic but breezy, fenced in like a backyard your cool cousin might throw a birthday party in.

About the Neighborhood

Right between remittance shops and Portuguese bakeries, La Chingada holds its own in Little Portugal’s food scene. Streetcar out front. Trinity Bellwoods a short walk away.

If you’re drunk, you’ll think you discovered it. You didn’t. It’s been here.

Hits & Misses

✓ Margarita slapped like an ex with unresolved feelings ✓ Interior decor is wild, warm, and weird in all the right ways ✓ Patio makes for a chill summer hang ✓ Happy hour prices are a true blessing

✗ Street corn was straight-up canned. Like, Walmart canned. ✗ One server was peak Toronto Man. Great vibes, no service. ✗ Didn’t order more food because corn killed the mood

Final Verdict

La Chingada is a tequila-fueled fever dream with flavour highs and hospitality lows. Go for the drinks, stay for the murals, and pray your server isn’t rehearsing for a Drake video.

It’s the kind of place that could be legendary... if the kitchen stepped up and the vibes came with a side of service.

Rating: 3.4/5

Perfect For

Margarita pilgrims with spice tolerance

Pre-drinks before pretending you're not going to Bang Bang Ice...

My first review: Loved the daily specials and happy hour offerings. Great food, great drinks and great service.

However today left me incredibly disappointed. I was out for a walk and thought I'll stop in for a drink and some guacamole because my last visit was so memorable and I really enjoyed the food and the margaritas. The last time I came here they accommodated my allergen need for the guacamole without complaint. So I ordered and while waiting was thinking I should stay and just have a full meal and was making some choices from the menu when the server informed me that the cook said no to my accommodation.

When I asked what the problem was they could not give me an explanation just that the cook said no. I asked to speak to the cook because I was hoping to understand what the concern was, but no, no talking to the cook, the server did ask them again with explanations of what I needed and why, but was once again met with a complete refusal. I was the only patron in the restaurant when I ordered so it's not like it was super busy or anything.

So, while I was sipping my drink I thought this doesn't seem good for business, I mean deny me the accommodation and then I'm unhappy and then I don't spend money in your establishment (and on my previous visit I spent hundreds of dollars) nor would I bring others over what, cooked guacamole?? So I asked the server if there was a way to speak to the owner because surely they could appreciate my request and work it out with their cooks...well turns out the cook is the owner,and not only did the owner refuse a basic accommodation, they also refused to come speak to me about it, the owner. So they left the poor server to apologize for their lack of customer satisfaction, and to deal with my dissatisfaction. This restaurant appeared to have potential but unfortunately it's just another hipster poser mexican restaurant that doesn't have the huevos to confidently make reasonable accommodations to their sacred dishes.

I'll stick to the true mexican restaurants in the city that respond with a cheery "sure lady whatever you like" when I ask them to cook the raw veggies for their dishes and who check to make sure it's appropriate for what I need, because they are beyond confident it isn't going to impact their dishes negatively and that in Mexican cooking, cooking avocado is common as is cooking veggies for...

Update #1 I wrote the original review a year or so ago. Since then, I’ve been severely disappointed in management. The bar staff, servers, and chefs are all amazing. The last 2 times I’ve had to deal with the manager I’ve been disappointed. 1st time : my partner and I walked in without a reso. And he said they were full, however they had open seating at the bar. I asked to sit at the bar and he didn’t want us to sit there. He hesitated and said “I guess”. 2nd time : I emailed for a reso and got no response. So, I called to ask about the reservation, and he said he had nothing available before or after the time I requested. I had a friend call to make a reso and he made it for her, 30 minutes after the time I requested. So, we cancelled and went elsewhere. I won’t be back.

Update #2 (post manager response) I emailed at 1pm the day of, not exactly last minute, and didn’t get a response. If the manager took the time to send an email back, I wouldn’t have had wasted my time calling and dealing with poor customer service.

You HAD a 5 star review for the last year, which is subject to change after such poor managerial capabilities. If you wanted to update the restaurant you manage so well, you should have an online system where you can make a reservation instead of picking and choosing who you want seated at La chingada. Seems biased, doesn’t it?

As for the rude call, that wasn’t from me. I was very nice on the phone and you proceeded to be incapable and choosing to be uncooperative. After the 3 years I’ve been an avid regular, and the manager “prioritize the quality over profit”, you definitely don’t care to keep regulars who keep your doors open and bills paid :)

Clarification; when we sat the bar, no one else was upstairs the restaurant or at the bar. Congrats on making yourself look stupid. Management didn’t want us in thier restaurant because of ego?

(Original review has now been deleted, the 2 star review was for your poor staff that you degrade every time we were present, now it’s a 1 star)

Update#3. The manager took down...