Tocaya Modern Mexican — Restaurant in Scottsdale

Wow, this place would never make it in my town. Seems to be mostly young diners that clearly don't have experience eating cheap but well at a place that is clean with reasonable turnaround time. I give the staff A LOT of credit (you can only do so much) that we're there today. It's super busy (without looking it). Maybe even beyond capability and I just happened to catch a perfect storm in the time I stopped in. When they have a boatload of online and phone in orders they really need to let the people at the register tell customers coming in what's going and set expectations. Nobody expects to wait 20 minutes for marginal food. They could have used two more people cleaning the place it's filthy but the people that were there were hustling and doing their best. With all that said the food is not very good. The Tierra which is the mushroom taco straight up how they build it without customization, was actually very good, although, of course, small for a $4 taco. There are so many better options in this town. Just go elsewhere. I don't know how this chain exists to be blunt. Pro Tip: Feel free to ask (complain) for extra chicken when you get a quesadilla that has literally enough to put on one thumb tip spread out throughout the entire meal. I should have known better when I walked in the front door that this was not the experience I was looking for. It's not even average for counter service. Don't waste your time. I'm trying to save you the disappointment and the waste of money...

Fresh, fast, and well-designed. Tocaya Organica brings health-conscious Mexican food to Scottsdale with solid flavors, quick service, and a casual beachy Tulum-inspired atmosphere.

We stopped in for lunch and ordered a variety of dishes. The guacamole was a great starter, fresh and bright with pomegranate and pumpkin seeds. I had the Birria Bowl with slow-cooked beef, refried beans, rice, and escabeche. Everything was well balanced and filling, even without the tortilla since I’m gluten-free.

The Tocaya Salad had a good mix of ingredients, but the cilantro-lime dressing overwhelmed the dish. My wife enjoyed her Cauliflower Taco Combo and cucumber agua fresca, though the vegan street corn lacked creaminess you usually find in elote. My father-in-law had birria and grilled chicken tacos with chips and a strawberry basil agua fresca. He was impressed with the portion sizes and flavor.

Food came out in just six minutes, which stood out for a fast casual place.

The design was bright and modern, with natural light, light wood finishes, white tile, and green accents. Indoor seating is limited, but the large patio adds plenty of space.

You can order at the counter or by QR code at your table. Service was minimal but friendly and efficient.

Not a destination spot, but definitely worth trying if you're in the area. You get a good amount of food for the price, and the overall experience is smooth and pleasant.

Food: 7.5/10 Design: 7.5/10 Service:...

We stopped in for lunch last Friday as we have tons of experience at Tocaya via their grand opening weeks in both Gaslamp Square San Diego in 2018 and here at Kierland several months ago.

Rarely is there disappointment and when something needs some TLC, Management & Staff are genuine & available.

My wife is pretty discriminating and she actually had some questions about her meal. Trey, one of the Senior Staffers, happened to be walking by and w/o sharing all the details, he spent the next half hour having the Kitchen jump through some hoops to fine tune a few dishes for her.

There was another gent whose name also started with a T. He was "over the top" in checking in to confirm our satisfaction. Trevor???

Not sure, but ever since we had met Sid, one of Tocaya's very senior Manager's, we knew these folks "get it" and walk their talk to make sure the dining experience exceeds the expectations. Sid lives in San Diego but oversees the stores here and is in Az. often.

This is that very tried and true formula of recruiting, training and retaining great people to represent the Brand. Add this to a creative menu and wildly fresh ingredients and the customer wins.

And boy did we.

Bravo Tocaya...