Mariachi Nights @ Toloache Mexican Kitchen

Here we were again at Toloache Mexican Kitchen, but not for their brunch.  We were here on a Thursday where drinks were flowing and little bites were being dished out by the kitchen.  So why was Thursday any different than other days?  Well, they had a full Mariachi Band as well as Folklorico dancers to boot.  If you can imagine, this was an outright party with people joining in on the fun and even doing a conga line.  Truly a unique experience and something I would love to do again!

To kick things off and to ensure we really did have a good time, we were served some Margaritas which were pretty tasty and inherently dangerous.  Nice balance of sweetness with the alcohol so that it went down way too easily!  Onto the share plates, we started with the Nachos.  Sure this was pretty standard with salsa, sour cream, olives, cotija cheese and jalapenos.  A bit more like Tex-Mex than true Mexican nachos, but whatever, they did the job and was just the prelude to other dishes.

Staying with tortilla chips, we had the Guacamole & Chips next and at first glance, nothing was really special about it.  But if you look closely, you will see a side of crickets.  Yep, you can have this with crunchy and nutty crickets to compliment the creamy guacamole.  Now that is different!   The Tuna Ceviche Tostada was a nice bite (or bites) where the tortilla remained crunch despite the wet ingredients.  The tuna was soft and fresh while it was nicely acidic.

Okay, the previous dishes were fine, but the really good ones came here in the form of the Cochinita Sopes and the Chorizo Croquets.  The masa shells of the sopes were slightly crispy on the outside while soft and not overly dense on the inside.  The slow-roasted pork was shredded, tender and moist.  There was a nice tanginess to it.  As for the croquets, they were crunchy while giving way to creamy filling with impactful chorizo that offered some spice.

Last 2 items were quite good in the Cochinita Sliders and the Tacos Dorados Ahogados.  Sure, the buns were from Costco, but the sliders were still delicious with the same tender pork as the sopes.  I've actually seen these buns used for a Peruvian sandwich too, so very versatile!  As for the "Taquitos", they were crunchy and topped with sour cream and tomatillo salsa.  Also quite tasty, but I decided to add more hot sauce to this to pump up the spice.

Okay, all of the food was fine and dandy but we were really here for the Mariachi Band!  Man this was awesome as this literally became a fiesta and people were dancing and singing.  The band went around the room and every section of the restaurant go their own personal performance.  For this night, they had Folklorico dancers, so it was extra lively and fun.  That is really the point of the night anyways.  As you can see, the menu is simple and not really the focus.  It is about grabbing some drinks and participating in the music and dance.  If that is what you are looking for, then this is for you!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Excellent Mariachi Band
- Fun and lively
- Food isn't expensive and you get live music!

The Bad:
- Limited menu (by design), so if you wanted a full meal, it isn't available