Unfortunately, I have been super busy and unable to try many of the great restaurants around Eugene. However, I will take this opportunity to review a restaurant I went to recently in my hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. The restaurant’s name is Toca Madera, and it is located just outside the Aria Resort and Casino. Toca Madera is a contemporary mexican steakhouse that provides guests with great food and a unique atmosphere.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere of Toca Madera exceeds expectations when you think of a high-end restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip. The inside of the restaurant almost feels like a club with a DJ playing upbeat music, a crowded bar, and fire dancers walking in between each table. The restaurant’s decorations and architecture are stunning, unlike anything I have seen inside a restaurant. For a constantly busy place, the service was surprisingly quick, with waiters and waitresses constantly checking in. The restaurant does an excellent job of taking customers to a different world and giving them a unique dining experience.
Food and Drinks
Toca Madera features an expansive cocktail menu with exotic names and ingredients. The menu consists primarily of margaritas, which feels like a must for a Mexican-inspired restaurant. I got a passion fruit margarita, which might have been one of the best I’ve ever had. The ingredients included reposado, passion fruit, lime, and agave. The drink was neither strong nor sweet but a perfect combination. The presentation is also excellent, as the drink arrives at the table on fire.
For dinner, I got chicken al pastor tacos and mac and cheese. The tacos came with diced chicken covered in an al pastor marinade and topped with pickled red onion and pineapple salsa. The tacos tasted unreal but, unfortunately, did not satisfy my hunger. I proceeded to order the truffle mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was classified as a side order but was a large serving size. It arrived piping hot, and the cheese was very thick and creamy. I finished the whole bowl and could easily eat more if I had to.
My favorite part of the meal came at the end, the dessert. The menu had so many good options that my family ordered 3 of the top choices. We got the butter cake, tres leches cake, and the churro ice cream sandwich. The tres leches cake came with strawberries and, although very good, was my least favorite of the three. The butter cake was covered in a bourbon toffee sauce and topped with vanilla ice cream. The cake was phenomenal and each bite melted in your mouth. Lastly, my favorite is the churro ice cream sandwich, I have always loved churros, and this dessert did not disappoint. Churros served as the bun for the ice cream sandwich and were crispy on the outside yet warm and gooey on the inside. The vanilla ice cream center only complimented the churros; to make the sandwich better, it was covered in a delicious caramel sauce.
The one negative about this restaurant is the prices. This meal by no means is cheap. Cocktails and other drinks average about $20 a drink. The tacos I ordered were $18 (for only 2 street taco-size tacos), and the mac and cheese was $18 as well. Each dessert averaged $20 a piece. Although the expensive price tag, it was completely worth it because the food was out of this world, and the restaurant provided an atmosphere and experience that is top tier on the Las Vegas Strip. If anyone is ever in the area, I highly suggest visiting Toca Madera.