Mi Tocaya Antojería is so close to being a great restaurant, however there are a few flaws that keep it from joining the pantheon of top-tier Latin restaurants in Logan Square.
The interior and exterior are bang-on-the-spot. Modern, hipster-y, but not obnoxiously so. The outdoor patio is large and offers great views of Logan Boulevard and the ample supply of cute dogs that roam there.
Airy, with a nice open kitchen and bar.
Cool decor and signage.
The food is chef’d up Mexican. The menu is enticing. Fried Oyster Taco? Lengua and Peanut Butter? What!? It’s the type of menu where you want to try everything. The good news is that it’s shared plates so you can.
See what I mean?
Also, the food is frickin’ beautiful. When the server drops off a new plate at your table, it’s hard not be wowed by all the vibrant colors and fresh-looking ingredients.
Exhibit “A”: Lobster Esquites
Exhibit “B”: Ensalada de Nopales. Not pictured: the copious amount of salt in the dish.
Exhibit “C”: Enchiladas Potosinas
Exhibit “D”: Fried Oyster Tacos and Campechano Tacos. Delicious, but why so much oil?
Exhibit “E”: Peanut Butter Y Lengua. We called this “the weird one.” It was delicious. One of our diners was caught licking the sauce. The server approved.
Credit has to be given to the dessert. The Flan is gluten-free and was actually a highlight of the entire meal. Perfect texture, “holy cow that’s good!” flavor.
“F”lan for the win.
My biggest complaint with Mi Tacoya is a simple one: seasoning. The Nopales, while delicious, were mouth-puckeringly salty. The Michelada I ordered was 5-alarm spicy. I’m good with very spicy food, but I’m not looking for singed taste buds in a beverage, man. The tacos were outstanding, but for some reason were sopping wet with oil that hand’t been drained off the fried items. My whole plate was covered in oil after eating a single taco. I’ve worked a deep fryer in my youth. I know that the only cause for this is not letting the fried parts sit for a sec and drain oil out. Or just give them a few nice firm shakes. This is an easily-avoidable issue.
Yes, it was too spicy. But then again, the more delicious Tecate you add, the more it evens out.
The Oaxacan Old Fashioned was one of the stars of the show. A must-get if you like Old Fashioned’s.
Now, I’ve only been to the place once. The seasoning issue could very well be a fluke. If that’s the case, let me know in the comments section below and I’ll go again with a wide open mind and empty stomach.
