The aroma of sizzling salsa, smoky spices and savory specials greet you when you walk through the door of the new Toledo’s Mexican Restaurant in North Fresno. Toledo’s makes homemade Mexican cuisine using traditional recipes passed down through the family for generations.
Toledo’s is most known for their flavorful albondigas soup, margaritas and chile Colorado which have become local favorites for showcasing Toledo’s authentic Mexican dishes.
The building on Cedar and Nees Avenues was originally a retail store, which meant the space had to be redesigned to put in a kitchen and everything else a restaurant needs. Toledo’s hosted a soft launch on April 4 to help with training the staff. They had a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 28 to officially open.
Vice President of the restaurant, Jesse Toledo, loves that they fully designed the restaurant to their specifications instead of decorating someone else’s design.
“The cool thing is that we were able to build it ourselves exactly what we wanted instead of remodeling a restaurant that was previously there so everything has our DNA 100%,” Toledo said.
At the entrance, you’ll see family photos hanging on the wall alongside crosses and other decorations. You’ll be greeted by a server and while walking to the table chandeliers and many decorative lights brighten the room. The restaurant feels very homey, which makes it a great place for a family dinner.
The server welcomed us to the restaurant and did an amazing job making sure we had everything we needed. I walked in and got to the table five to 10 minutes later. Drinks showed up about five minutes later, and the food came out about 20 minutes after.
Once you get to your table the server arrives with the traditional chips and salsa in between everyone. The chips have great flavor and just the right amount of crispness with slight seasoning on them. Be forewarned: the spicy salsa, while flavorful, is definitely spicy. If you’re not good with spice, I would not recommend it due to its level of heat.
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In the three item combination plate, you can choose any three of the following entrees: taco, enchilada, chile relleno, tostada, bean and cheese burrito and tamale, along with beans and rice. I chose the taco, cheese enchilada and tamale.
Although quite dry, the taco packed great flavor, while the enchilada made up for the dryness of the taco with its rich flavor and earthy sauce. The tamale tasted delicious but could use more meat to really push it over the top. Presentation of the dish was a little crowded with everything touching, however, still looked appetizing.
The nacho platter most excited me and looked delicious, but in all honesty the flavor was disappointing. Meat lacked seasoning, olives needed to be cut and spread around the plate, onions and green peppers failed to add the topping flavor to the dish.
Overall, the price came out to approximately $50 for the three item combination plate, nachos and drinks. They also offer other items that come out to be more expensive, but it depends on how many items you purchase. Taking everything into account the menu gave a fair to expensive pricing in comparison to the quality of the meal.
Their October specials include huevos con chile Colorado, chile Colorado burrito, enchiladas supreme and chile Colorado dinner. The prices range from $15.99 to $16.49.
Toledo’s offers lunch options but at this location they do not offer order ahead or take-out. This location is a great place for dinner although at the moment lunch during the 30-minute period at school requires teleportation skills.
All things considered, Toledo’s Mexican Restaurant offers decent prices for their meals, and made me want to go back to try more dishes.
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