Mad Mexican

SAVE YOURSELF A TRIP AND SOME MONEY. I ordered several items from the menu only to be disappointed greatly. The food lacked taste and one item had way too much lime, it was unbearable. In addition to that my companion ordered a entrée and it had absolutely no flavour. Mexican food is known to be flavourful. This was a great let down.

This was one of our favourites but the menu has changed. The steak my husband used to order is gone and the closest thing is $ 12 more. What I order increased in price by about 25% and sides that used to be included are now an extra charge.
Kid’s meal was a small tortilla with melted cheese inside and half a plate of spring mix salad that I don’t think many kids would eat. My son is only 2.5 and normally he eats half a kids meal, this time I had to feed him when he got home.
Overall are bill was about $ 20 higher than usual and the quality of the food wasn’t as good. Not sure what happened but we definitely won’t go back.

I have been more than a few times, and won’t go back. Prices have gone up 25% on the new menu, and it’s simply not worth it. A $ 6 really small taco? Really? No wonder the place was practically empty.
There are other Mexican restaurants that are WAY better.

delivery staff are often blocking the laneway with deliveries. Today was a classic. others in the neighbourhood cannot access their own residences. they have a business in the neighbourhood but can’t be careful with respect to the use of the lane that all of us must use. Their delivery trucks damage signs on the poles and before this store was here we had none of these issues. Hard to support them when they don’t support their neighbours.

Staff was great, I enjoyed the atmosphere but the food wasn’t anything special. I found it to be rather bland and the portion size was fairly small.

I really want to like this place more than I do — it’s in my hood, it’s a cool space, great service, but the food is just okay — not bad by any means, but it isn’t going to make any top ten lists for Mexican food. The food is cooked and presented well but they need to really kick up the spices. They make great tortillas and salsas which you can purchase at the little shop at the front of the restaurant — I definitely recommend those items. I’ll probably go there again, in the hopes that the food has improved. I’d really like to see this place do well.

Mad Mexican recently overhauled their menu making great improvements. Their food has always been made to order fresh and delicious but they made one change I enjoyed. Rather than serving a separate salsa carousel with the tacos, they sauce up the tacos deliciously the way the chef recommends. Now, they just give hot sauce on the side when asked.
The flavours seem to be authentic, and bursting with flavour. What a great resto to have in the hood. Great for a romantic dinner or a night out with a group of friends at the high top tables. Can’t go wrong with Mad Mexcian. Great value and taste.

I was really hesitant to come here with the 3 star rating and not so great reviews but I’m glad I gave it a chance. My boyfriend and I first came here on a Saturday night. It was busy but we didn’t have to wait long for a table. We came back again yesterday and it was quiet, which we liked.
Atmosphere:
— It was nicer than I expected. I like how they have the bar with a TV
— The layout is OK overall but it’s a turn off if you’re seated in certain areas; e.g. facing towards the washroom area which lacks a main door and is beside the kitchen OR facing into the back where you can see the poor guy washing tons of dishes
— The front section where you can walk in and buy salsa, guacamole etc. and pick up your order is great. Saves people the trouble of going to the bar, like other restaurants
Food:
— Choriqueso was delicious. My boyfriend loved how cheesy it was. I probably wouldn’t get it again unless there was more people to share with. Gotta save room for the tacos!
— Nachos was the best I’ve ever had anywhere. I usually pick at nachos at bars if other people order it but I was never that into it. We ordered it with sirloin steak. The amount of toppings was perfectly proportionate. They didn’t come with salsa or sour cream but our server was nice enough to bring us some.
— Tacos were amazing. So far on my taco hunt, Mad Mexican is the winner. I liked them so much I came back within 2 days! I had the carnitas de michoan, ensenada style with white fish and sirloin steak. The carnitas was definitely my favourite!
Service:
— Both times the servers were nice, but our food took forever to come out! The appetizer always came out within good time, but the main meal took too long.
— I think some better training is needed as well. I wanted to try the ceviche and I asked our server about the portion size (individual or shareable). She told me it was like a soup. I had never had ceviche before but based on pictures I always thought it was like a cold salad. So I looked up pictures and sure enough, NOT soup. So that’s a fail on their part.
— Our server also asked us if we wanted the sauces for our tacos. Um obviously! That should be brought out without asking!
— When we came yesterday, they introduced their new menu which hiked up their prices so no more 3 for $ 12 tacos, unless its lunch.
— We ordered 2 carnitas, 2 ensenada and 1 sirloin steak. Our server ended up charging us individually per taco, instead of combining some of them. Not a huge deal but it displays laziness.
Overall, my review seems negative but I really do enjoy the food here. I just think they need to step it up with their service if they want repeat business.

I was disappointed enough with this place to break my vow that I wouldn’t do anymore Unilocal reviews because so many of mine were negative. Oh well. Here’s one more for the mix.
I’ve been a fan of the Mad Mexican chips and dips for several years: they’re both fresh and delicious (if not a little overly salty), and so I had high hopes for their restaurant. I recently tried a few of their tacos (chicken, steak, and shrimp) and each one was bland. So very bland. The complementary sauces spruced them up, but not nearly enough. For what they charge for the tacos, this is really pathetic. Come on folks… it’s a taco… it should be simple, perfectly seasoned, and delicious… it’s not that difficult. But apparently it is for the Mad Mexican chefs. (New menu due out in May… perhaps it’ll be better?)

When I learned that Mad Mexican was moving to a larger location just up the street from their original spot I was excited and relieved. The food was fantastic and I went often.
Unfortunately, with the move to a larger spot came a move away from quality and care to mass produced mediocrity.
The food is still good, but not as fantastic as it once was. Let’s hope they settle into their new digs quickly and return to what made them a great eatery in the first place.

Extremely reasonably price food with super friendly service and good atmosphere. The food comes quickly and tastes good. It’s a solid place — nothing out of the ordinary but good enough to go back again and again. The drinks were slow, that’s my only real criticism. I like supporting local places and this has become a go-​to for us!

I just went into this place and it was almost empty. That means there were probably at least 50 seats vacant. I came in by myself and said that I am here by myself.
The waiter proceeded to motion me to sit along the window. Since the place was almost empty I sat at a 4 seat table there.
The waiter then came over and asked me to sit in the corner against the wall in a 2 seater. It was basically the worst table in the place. I pointed out to him that the place was almost empty and I would prefer to sit where I was. He replied that they were all reserved except that one which is complete nonsense and a bare faced falsehood.
I told him is he sure he wants to do that because it is not cool. He repeated his song and dance. I walked out.
I will never go to that horrible establishment again.

I was craving Mexican and discovered this restaurant on Unilocal and decided to give it a try. We ordered the Guacamole and Chips, corn, and various tacos. I was pretty excited when I realized this place makes some of my favourite dips, but the food ended up not meeting the same level of tastiness.
The corn was boiled and not grilled so it wasn’t very «Street» style like the description, the tacos were fine but they were a little dry and bland. Overall the food was OK. Not great, definitely not bad, just a little boring. There sauces are amazing though and highly recommend trying all of them. I love the Tomatillos & Avocados dip.

I’ve had the luxury of eating tacos from the finest restaurants, food trucks and family restaurants in California so when it comes to Mexican food, I’ve got a bit of a chip on my shoulder.
I came to Mad Mexican with a bunch of co-​workers for lunch and although we were a table of around 12 people, the staff seemed unprepared for a table that large. Our food took forever to come out and even taking orders was an ordeal.
I got the 2 taco combo and ordered a shrimp and fish taco, and what I got was a chicken and fish taco. Too hungry to bother to complain, I scarfed down my lunch and proceesed to listen to my stomach grumble the rest of the time. For $ 13 – 15 I got 2 tacos which were so small and full of more lettuce than meat, they would barely make an infant full. Also you can get about the same amount of food in LA for about $ 3…
Needless to say the food was pricey not very good and the staff took forever to sort out our orders and bills. I won’t be coming back that’s for sure. Seven lives in Toronto puts this place to shame!

I rate this place two stars simply for the overall décor and ambiance.
The service was quick and friendly although my cocktail came at least 5 – 10 minutes after the main course.
The overall food quality is horrible and hardly authentic.
We started with the chunky guac which was nothing special but the tastiest thing I tried.
It was unfortunately served with a plate of broken tortilla chips. At first, I thought this was a mistake until I noticed every other table was served the same thing.
Needless to say, these should have really been discarded.
I ordered the taco trio with shrimp, fish and chicken as my main course.
Flour tacos fell apart upon touch so at that point I’m thinking this should have really been served with a knife and fork.
The taste was no better. The shrimp was so fishy it was inedible and the fish and chicken were both bland.
I ordered a mojito on the rocks to drink. It was also disappointing because it wasn’t cold enough (not enough ice) though the taste was okay.
This place has amazing potential. A new chef is needed stat; otherwise, I don’t see them surviving.

Stopped Ina s I was working near by.
Nice clean place with the Latin sounds of bands playing over the sound system. They have a bar that is quaint and a store/​market counter you can buy stuff at.
I ordered the tacos.
The ambience is ⁸⁄₁₀
The cleanliness ⁹⁄₁₀
The staff ¹⁰⁄₁₀. Very knowledgeable.
The food ⁹⁄₁₀.
Will be back for sure.

Came for dinner on a Monday.
The good: location, atmosphere
The bad: the food was awful, it was all lukewarm. 3 for 12 tiny, bland, cold tacos. Lukewarm queso fondido.
The mediocre: the drinks were okay, although my first one was replaced due to a piece of hairy fibre in it… I was still charged.
I would never come back here, I would never recommend.

Cool atmosphere. Free street parking
Food was absolutely delicious … Maybe the best Mexican food I’ve ever had .
Tacos were delicious and make sure to try their house hot sauce .
Nice choice of local beers on tap.
Staff were very friendly and helpful.
Defiantly will go again.

Mixed feeling but overall it was good.
Appetizers were tasty and quick, we ordered the Sweet Corn and Jalapeño Bars.
Moving onto the main course, I was highly disappointed with my tacos:
Carnitas (pork), Ensenada (fish) and Yucatecan (chicken).
The chicken and pork were all overcook, all the protein wasn’t seasoned at all and the portions were pretty small. It also took a very long time for the tacos to be made, around 20 minutes.
Lastly for dessert I ordered the Flan Napolitano and it was very tasty. It was a pretty small portion for $ 5, but it was delicious. Had a hint of gingerbread to it, don’t know if that was intentional or not.
Our waiter Mike was very kind and down to earth, I would give the atmosphere a thumbs up.

got take out tonight — the price for the three tacos has gone up to $ 12. very friendly wait staff and over the time since the new location opened have been a few times either for lunch of dinner. It just never really inspires me and as of late it seems to inspire less. But the food is fresh. had the three tacos tonight. would try something different next time and I do like it enough to go back. I love their take out salsas and dips but they are a bit pricey so I rarely get them. Same for the tortillas. Has to be a really special occasion to splurge for them. It’s a bright restaurant and a pleasant place to enjoy a meal. I still don’t really understand the curtains outside the door when you enter.

My first visit was for a quick lunch and I was pleased with how fresh the food was and how clean the place was. As someone who lived in Central Mexico, I can certify that the food is «authentic.» They have no burritos or flour tortillas, which would make it unauthentic, however, they do have tortilla chips, which are uncommon in Mexico, so that’s the only compromise. Their menu offerings also look authentic and inspired, so I’m not sure why so many Unilocalers have commented that the menu is uninspired.
There were only five tables occupied when I visited, so the service was friendly and fast. I told both the host and server that it was my first visit, and they answered some of my questions about the place and made me feel welcome. But, they brought me a beautifully-​presented tray of their house-​made salsas without anything to try them on! I had no basket of tortilla chips or bread with which to try these salsas and my food was seasoned perfectly (i.e., not in need of any salsa), so I could not try the salsas and consider them for purchase at their front-​of-​store boutique. That was a missed opportunity for them. My Sopa de Tortilla was authentic, balanced, generous, and delicious. My Pollo Yucateco Pibil Taco was perfect: moist, generous, and flavourful chicken housed in fresh, house-​made corn tortillas. I had a cup of their brewed Mexican Coffee and it was a good deal at only $ 1.75 and very heart-​warming. I loved how their food was served on enamelware.
I will definitely return to try more of their dishes and have larger meals. Perhaps my opinions of the place will change when I try something more substantial.

Agreed with most other Unilocalers. Opt for another restaurant if you can. Ordered the Dinner for Two; guacamole with chips (OK), molletes de chorizo (definite pass), and 4 tacos (chicken, pork, fish, steak). Everything ranged from OK to «these tacos all taste the same». The restaurant itself is nice, and the neighborhood needs a few more restos but this is not what we were hoping for. We will not be back.

Food was amazing.
There were only three people in here besides us and it took them a while to serve the food.
My poor wife was so hungry she ate all the tomato.
At least they gave us free chips.

Uninspired and tasteless menu.
Good service.
Surprisingly busy on a Friday night.
Would not recommend unless I didn’t like you.
Probably a one star situation but my company was good so overall a positive experience.

I really like Mad Mexican and am glad they moved to a larger location! The restaurant is always full at a comfortable level– eg you never wait too long and there is always a seat for two available in a few minutes. The staff are super friendly and the Carnitas tacos are amazing. I recently tried the sopas and those were also fantastic. Also: love the beer and cocktail selection! And the fact that you can take out the salsas (they are a tad expensive, but when you are in a rush, they are great!)
Only issue– actually similar to playa cantina– is that the volume is very high, so tough to get in a meaningful conversation on a busy day.

This is an okay taco place, but nothing special at all. I ordered tacos and even though the waiter tried really hard to sell us on their toppings, I was not impressed with my meal at all. The meat on the tacos was cold and the toppings did not look fresh. It may have been because I came in on a super slow day, but still it should have been better. It’s an ok place but I certainly would not go out of my way to eat here.

I got there on a Friday night at 8 and the place was packed. Servers bustled about with great activity and smiles. I decided to redirect my intended Dine In experience to Take Out, my order was taken immediately. Upon my return from a quick dash to the loo, as I approached the service counter, so did my dinner. All was in perfect order and delicious.

I’d like to start by saying what’s memorable is the service. Her name started with a «P» im sorry i forgot the rest lol. I’m sorry to say but this place definitely lacks when it comes to the food. The tacos are dry and plain, it was definitely missing that WOW factor. Oh when they aren’t dry it’s because of the oil from the meat which soak through and cause your corn tortila to break. I hope they improve their menu, it is a nice place. The homemade chips are great! But it wont keep me coming back.

I’ve been here a couple of times. Once for take out (at their old location a block away) and the other time I actually sat down.
I’d definitely recommend sitting down to enjoy your meal if you plan on getting tacos because it just doesn’t taste the same by the time you get home.
Overall the food is okay. Really I actually prefer Playa Cabana Cantina’s (a few blocks over in the Junction) selection, food and price. I’m happy to see that they have been doing well but honestly, I don’t find Mad Mexican anything extraordinary.
They lost points for flavour, menu selection and price, but kudos for atmosphere and location.

The whole experience was just off.
When we arrived there was no hostess so we stood around trying to get anyone’s attention.
The table was missing a set of cutlery and the only way to get service was to flag down a waiter (it didnt seem like they were short staffed — just preoccupied)
We ordered the chorizo & queso appetizer that was pretty decent, the mexican corn had taste toppings but the corn itself was cold — seems like it was pre-​boiled and then barely warmed (one side was warmish the other cold)
Between 3 of us we got 9 tacos — no salsas or sauces were provided and both the chicken and pork tacos were dry to the point of almost inedible.
The churros were SUPER greasy — Im guessing the deep fryer wasnt hot enough and the Tres Leches wasnt the rich moist cake that its supposed to be — more like a pound cake with some whipped cream and lime zest.
I hope this isnt the standard as this strip of Jane gets revitalzied.

If you go here, AND think the food is good — well then you must really, truly be mad. Go to taco bell instead (no I am not being facetious) and save some money AND get flavour.
We ordered:
choriqueso — melted cheese and chorizo. Delicious? sure, I think its hard to mess up cheese and chorizo. The portion size, however, was TINY. and they serve it with three sad looking wrapped up tortillas.
Corn — was cold. I refuse to say anything more about corn on the cob that came out cold
Tacos — we got an assortment: carnitas, fish, pollo, tinga:
— carnitas was dry
— fish (the battered one) was so spicy that all you could taste was spice (and I like spicy foods!)
— pollo: dry, unmemorable
— tinga: tasted like an indian vegetable dish
for dessert we got the churros and tres leche:
— churros: you could tell they were dropped in the fryer without the oil being the optimal temperature because they were super greasy
— tres leche: they need to change the name of this cake. it was not soaked at all, just dry and once again, sad looking.
the service left much to be desired, we only got a server if they were flagged down. no hot sauces to put on your tacos, appetizers came out 3 minutes before the mains came out.
Overall if you go here and enjoy the food — then one of us is going mad.

A friend of mine luvs the tortilla chips made by Mad Mexican so while we were visiting one of our go to spots for desserts nearby we decided to drop in. The area is roomy and has an open feel and one can even peer into the massive chip production area in the back. A nice bar on the side and I can imagine it getting busy as there is a dearth of Mexican food in Toronto and TO’s folks just flock to this cuisine wherever they find it.
We ordered a trio of tacos to share and ordered the chicken version. Sadly it was too early to have a drink or two so skipped that part.
The service was prompt as the place wasn’t busy. The condiments were brought in first and the appropriate harbenero sauce being very hot warning :)
The tacos them self were decent. Good corn tortillas, the chicken a bit on the dry side but well seasoned. A decent taco though I am not a connoisseur.
Reasonably priced so I don’t see a reason why one wouldn’t visit if in the area or craving this type of food. I will probably be back for a drink and some other food offerings.

Went back to the Mad Mexican for our second time as the first time was great. The experience was a little different.
The service was fast as usual but they they got our orders wrong. Some of our tacos were missing cheese that we paid extra for and one dish was wrong all together. They obviously noticed the mistake and took it back but never told us how long it would be and they never bothered to apologize. Waiting for the last dish left our other food cold.
Also when we ordered the dessert, 3 different dishes, each dessert came out about 3 minutes later than the one before which was weird. It definitely made it seem like they couldn’t handle a busy night but the restaurant was only half full so I’m really shocked the service was sub-​par.
Going a second time also makes you realize how mediocre the food is.

Good service.
Tasty tacos — but they’d be better if they weren’t overfilled. It makes it difficult, if not impossible, to put any toppings on them. Maybe give an extra taco shell?
The guacamole was good — but too heavy on the raw white onions for my taste.
Amazing hot sauce! — Bought a bottle to take home.
The Choriqueso — pan fried chorizo in melted cheese with flour tortillas — was ok.
I also tried the shrimp cocktail — which I hated — probably because I was expecting whole shrimp, maybe with a salsa, guacamole, horseradish cocktail sauce. Instead it was chopped up pieces of shrimp in a sour tasting sauce… more like a ceviche. They took it back and didn’t charge me though.
Loud atmosphere, which is fine — the chairs were uncomfortable. But hey, maybe that’s a strategy to increase turnover — there were lots of people waiting to get a table.
Would definitely not come here in the winter — no inner vestibule? — it’s gonna be cold!

Service was good. Among the diners that were in our group the food was rated at OK. The lamb seemed to be a hit, but the steak tacos were a bit bland. One person wanted ginger ale and they were out — hard to imagine.
The décor is «industrial» and the chairs aren’t very comfortable.
In summary I wouldn’t come here as a destination but would come back if if was in the neighbourhood anyway.

Very fast service and good food. I ordered three tacos for $ 10 (pork, fajita and steak) I found both the pork and steak a little dry but flavorful nonetheless. The fajita was delicious and plentiful. BF ordered revolucion sandwich and it was absolutely amazing but did not come with any type of side. Also ordered freshly squeezed OJ which was a decent size. Next time we will try the $ 27 dinner for 2 which seems to be a good deal. House made sour cream is delicious. Stars were lost on dry tacos and that you have to order nachos and salsa ($ 4, but why not give the first order free?), also we found it difficult to have a conversation as it was loud and echoey. Restaurant also sells takeaway guac, salsa, coffee, nachos and corn tortillas.