Toca Madera Houston — Restaurant in Houston

It's a fun experience, but a bit overpriced for what it is. Below is a detailed review, but the quick and fast is: the food and service we pretty good, but a lot of it was flash without substance.

The exterior did not feel posh. The signage was very poor, the valet staff was pretty unhelpful and, in general, the exterior just felt unfinished. Add to that the building is shared with a gym, the exterior is plastered with signs about the restaurant "coming soon" and the arrival just felt cheap. Considering the price of the meals and the $10 valet fee, that seemed out of place

When walking in, we were greeted at three separate points, but not welcomed. The first two times, outside the restaurant, we were somewhat suspiciously asked if we had reservations (we were dressed nicely so I don't understand the gruff, suspicious tone) and then allowed to proceed. Once inside, after a brief wait we were brought to our table.

The interior felt very Las Vegas if that makes sense. That's fine and most of it was pretty nice. We were out into a sunlit room (our reservations were for 6pm). It was nice, but as the sun set, it ended up being pretty blinding for part of the meal as the tint in the windows was pretty minimal and there were no shades to be drawn. The bathrooms are a bit hard to find, but nice. As the night went on a bathroom attendant arrived, but his presence seemed unnecessary. The fire dancers, featured prominently on the advertising, were not present and, from the sound of it, rarely were.

The cocktail selection was excellent and drinks were around $20 each. The bartender came to the table and helped with drink selection based upon preference (the advantage of a slightly early dinner time). He did note that some drinks were more about flash than depth (which is fine, that's what some people want), but made good recommendations. Beers were standard, not bad, but not stellar. The wine selection was pretty good by the bottle, by lackluster by the glass. Also the markup for wine, even for a fine dining restaurant, was obscene. Skip the wine. That is unless you have a membership.

Ok let's talk about the membership. This was annoying. There was no information about how to get a membership on their website. Some of the food options were only available to members (RIP Wagyu burrito) and the membership gives additional by the glass wine options and some discount. We finally asked about membership once there's because there was nothing online. You have to apply with the restaurant's parent company. This, more than anyone, felt like a dumb corporate strategy to maximize profits. The are too many good dining options in Houston to tie yourself to one location like this. The value just isn't worth it, in my opinion.

The food options were pretty good. We saw several tables split the tomahawk steak (at 40oz, that's probably wise), but it seemed more flashy than good. Our table got ceviche, yellow fin tacos, both great, 2 Wagyu flights some of the seafood, enchiladas, rice, street corn and truffle mac & cheese.

The rice was pretty "meh" but the other sides were good (though the truffle Mac and cheese tastes about the same everywhere). The Wagyu flight is only about half an ounce of each kind of steak, but it gives a good impression of the steaks and it might be worth returning just to get a full Wagyu steak. The seafood was the standout star. While the rice as a side was pretty lackluster, the rice with the prawns was great. The enchiladas (chicken tinga) were just ok.

We got a trio of desserts that included a brownie sundae, toffee butter cake, and a strawberry cream cake. All were excellent and delicious. As there was a special occasion, the restaurant gave us the mint lime shots (the quick video). It was fun to watch, but just ok as a drink.

The food was a mixed bag, they did the seafood and Wagyu really well. The street corn was also a standout. The cocktails were also excellently made (I had the Oaxacan margarita, but others in the group were a bit more adventurous). Pretty good overall but little...

Update: Gabriella reached out to me via email to address my concerns. I'm changing the rating to back for my 5 star experience.

Note: I would've left a 5 star review because of how much I enjoyed Toca, however, since I didn't receive a response to my email and I notice that the 1 star reviews are getting responses, I am working with what I have. Apologies if you missed it, but I needed to write the review before I forgot. My issue was only with the valet. Regarding the restaurant experience alone, it was an amazing experience. The hostess was pleasant. My waitress was phenomenal and honest. Even the manager was accommodating and communicative after a small mistake was was made on the waiters part. We didn't ask for accommodations nor did we complain and the manager came to us on their own and let us know the extra steps they were making to remedy the very small slip-up. It was very appreciated.

I came to visit Toca Madera on the 31st of August for brunch at 12:35pm for my birthday. The brunch itself was amazing, as well as my experience, waitress, and the hostess. I paid for my valet on the website that is texted to you and requested to get an alert after it is dropped off. The website never updated to my car being ready. As we were leaving around 2:30pm, it was raining pretty hard and the hostess offered me and my friend an umbrella and let us know that someone at valet will take the umbrella back to the front, once we get in our car. Both of us were in heels so we were already struggling to make it around the corner to valet. Once we got there, we stood there for a while without valet acknowledging us. There were 2 girls and a guy. One of the girls were standing out near the curb but refused to turn her body to look our way. She was the one that saw us walk up and stand there. Eventually I said excuse me to her as she was the only one that could see us from where we were standing, and she ignored me. I said excuse me 2 more times and without turning her head, said "yeah". I asked her how long will it be before my car gets pulled around since I requested and paid 20 minutes prior and the website was still saying that it was on its way. She pointed to the other side of the building and said "we take cars over there" still never looking my way. So we walked around the corner and had to pass the valet personnel (at this point it was only the 2 girls) and I asked again to get confirmation from her if the car was around the corner since I couldn't see it. She said yeah again with her back turned to me. As we continued to struggle around yet another corner, under one umbrella, in heels, neither of the girls followed us to get the umbrella back. We finally saw the car with the hazard lights on, and walked to it. When we got to the car, the doors were locked. So I had to walk back to the valet, still in the rain, in heels, around corners and ask where is my key and why wouldn't they tell me that the key wasn't in the car after they sent me over there. At this point the extremely rude and disrespectful girl was not there anymore and I saw her driving a different car to bring it down to other customers. The other 2 did not answer me and gave me my key. The guy said he would walk me around there so he can take the umbrella. As we walked, I asked him what was the girls name and he stayed quiet.

My point in leaving this review is to let it be known how the terrible behavior of the valet is at such an amazing restaurant where you spend a pretty penny. I had such a good experience within the restaurant and for it to end with the valet behaving in such a disgusting manner was disappointing. I assume that management doesn't know how valet personnel is treating its customers and felt it necessary to leave a note informing you of how your valet personnel, especially the girl, is representing your establishment and closing out the customer's experience with a bad taste in...

We visited Toca Madera on a Friday evening without knowing quite what to expect--and it turned into a full-blown experience. First, parking: valet is the only option. It's $10.83 if you let them park in their underground garage, but if you want your car parked up top for quick access, you'll pay over $40, which is absurd. That said, it does take them a while to retrieve your car from the garage, so plan ahead when leaving.

The entrance is grand and inviting, with an outdoor patio and natural elements like trees that give off major "forest treehouse" vibes. Inside, it's very dark and very loud. The deep-pulsing electronic music sets the tone--it's not a place for quiet conversation, but rather a spot to let loose and enjoy the high-energy atmosphere. Around 7 PM, a live DJ took over, accompanied by an incredible guitarist improvising over the beat. Then came a surprise fire dancer... who turned out to be someone I am friends with (@poisonivycirque on Instagram)! Seeing her perform with fire--spinning and even eating flames--was a surreal and exciting bonus.

Service-wise, we were taken care of by GG, who was outstanding. Attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable--service here is top notch.

[COMPLIMENTARY]

+Chips & Salsa ($0) - Fresh tomato salsa served with tortilla chips. The salsa was incredibly fresh and vibrant--an excellent start to the meal. - 5/5

[COCKTAILS]

+Mi Serrana ($19) - Gran Centenario Reposado Tequila, cucumber, serrano pepper, agave, and lime. Bold, spicy, and refreshing with a strong serrano kick. - 4.5/5

[MOCKTAILS]

+Aqua Fresca ($18) - Coconut water, pineapple, canela, lemon, and Aperol (non-alcoholic version). Bright and tropical with a good balance of flavors, though a bit overpriced for a mocktail considering the alcoholic version costs $1 more. - 4.5/5

[RAW BAR]

+Ceviche Blanco ($31) - Chilean sea bass, lime, jalapeño, tomato, cilantro, red onion, avocado, and ají amarillo. Exceptionally fresh and balanced with a subtle sweetness that elevated the dish. Served with delicious plantain chips. - 4.5/5

[STARTERS]

+Crispy Calamari ($23) - Avocado tomatillo salsa, jalapeño, and cilantro. Great flavors overall, especially the salsa, but the fry on the calamari could have been crispier. - 4/5

[STEAK]

+Petite Filet ($57 for 6 oz) - Certified black angus, center cut with a beef marbling score of 3. Although this was the smallest and lowest-tier steak, it was cooked to absolute perfection with a fantastic crust and seasoning. Surprisingly, one of the best restaurant steaks I've had. - 5/5

+Chipotle Mezcal Butter ($13) - An optional enhancement for the steak. We asked for it on the side and were glad we did--it completely overpowered the steak's flavor and was honestly unpleasant. Not worth the $13 upcharge. - 2/5

[SEAFOOD]

+Branzino ($64) - Chipotle mezcal butter, cilantro, crushed pepitas, and charred lemon. The fish didn't taste as fresh as it should have, and the heavy seasoning/toppings seemed like they were covering that up. - 3.5/5

[SIDES]

+Truffle Manchego Fries ($19) - Truffle oil, cilantro, and truffle hot sauce. These were curly fries that tasted frozen, with an artificial-tasting cheese on top. No truffle flavor detected. Disappointing and not up to par for a restaurant like this. - 1/5

[DESSERT]

+Brown Butter Cake ($22) - Bourbon toffee sauce, toasted feuilletine crumble, berry sauce, and vanilla bean ice cream. Warm, rich cake paired perfectly with cold ice cream. A great way to end the meal. - 4.5/5

Toca Madera is not your typical dinner spot--it's a full sensory experience. Loud music, live entertainment, and a high-energy crowd. If you're in the mood for dinner and a show, it hits the mark. Just don't expect a peaceful meal or a value-driven menu. But if you go in with the right mindset, you'll likely have a great time...