El Tipico Restaurant

This was a nice change for me. First time going to this restaurant. The appetizers were pretty good, I had guacamole which was light and did not have a strong taste to it. I was not used to that but it was pretty good. Everybody’s plate was presented well. All the food was very fresh, you can tell the difference in taste between this restaurant and other Mexican restaurants in the area. No alcohol is served here but it didn’t matter to me if I don’t drink anyway. The servers are really nice. The restaurant was pretty empty although it was Taco Tuesday but it was still early when we went. I’m sure I’ll be back soon. I also did my own review on my personal blog. Good family restaurant with Organic dishes, I enjoyed it!

This place is GREAT!!!
4 vegans were traveling to Toledo, OH for a show. Toledo in general is NOT very vegan friendly. When I did a google search of «vegan toledo» El Tipico was the first restaurant to come up.
Our group consisted of 4 hungry «foodie» vegans. We’ve eaten vegan all over the U.S. we know good vegan grub when we see/​eat it.
They can make nearly every single item on their menu vegan. Each of us ordered a different dish and they were all incredible.
To the previous posters stating the portion sizes are small, are you KIDDING?! I’ve included photos of our meals. The Taco Salad alone was larger than my friend Erin’s head.
The food was incredibly delicious, organic, local and family owned. Our server was so unbelievably nice. We came in close to their closing time but they still let us order.
If you are vegan or veg, you MUST VISIT THIS PLACE. Trust me, you will be so happy you did.

I ate one the restaurant week specials: 2 cheese enchiladas and a taco. The guacamole «appetizer» was fit for one not two people and it was not made well. There was no cilantro, no flavor and honestly I would have rather eaten an avocado straight at that point. The salsa was ok, but nothing special. The entrees were extremely overpriced. The enchiladas were flat and soggy and the taco had what looked like ground chuck. The taco shell was also just a shell like you’d expect from Taco Bell. I didn’t actually eat the taco because I do not eat cow, but it looked very Taco Bell worthy. The dessert was some kind of fried chip covered in sugar and cinnamon. It was hard and sweet — so sweet that it was nauseating. I wish I had enjoyed this place because I love local eats and organic ingredients, but the magic was not here for myself. Needless to say I’ll stick to San Marcos, which has margaritas.

Save the trip if you like margaritas or a corona with your meal. Apparently they don’t have a liqueur license. Was excited but left after being seated. Place was practically empty even though it was participating in Toledo restaurant week.

This place gets a 3 star because it is above average Mexican food and is organic.
Pluses+
The salsa is made in house and they have 3 kinds. The chips are organic. Above average tacos and other options.
Minus:
Service is always lack luster. The servers act like they don’t care and don’t want to be there and obviously don’t want to be waiting on customers. The kitchen is too slow. My self and 3 others waited a good 25 minutes for our food and another 10 for the check when we were done.
So if you don’t mind poor service and waiting for your food this is an above average Mexican place. Perhaps if the owner/​management hired better employees it could definitely be a stellar restaurant.

I’ve missed their beef tip burritos and they didn’t disappoint! They are the perfect combination of chunky pieces of beef and yummy gravy with just a hint of spiciness. My friend loved the chicken fajitas, lots of variety of vegetables. Our waitress Angie was awesome! She took great care of us and brought us countless baskets of chips and many jars of salsa! I love how they redecorated the restaurant, so festive and love the family history. We’ve missed this place, will definitely return much sooner next time. Bonus points for the carafes with their logo on them!

Positives: Portions are small, but prices coincide, so you can mix and match several items for your meal. The queso dip was tasty. Our waitress was friendly.
Negatives: Food took a very long time to come out, even our queso dip appetizer. All of the other food items were lackluster in taste.
With the huge variety of Mexican restaurants in the area, you might want to pass this up.

How does it taken an hour to make a taco? I haven’t been in an empty place that’s this slow.

When a place like El Tipico exists, I’m not sure how places like Abuelo’s and Mi Hacienda are still in business. This is a family-​owned restaurant that takes its food seriously. They grow much or all of their own produce, and the owners (rightfully) seem to pride themselves on the restaurant’s authenticity, presentation, and flavor. From the chips and salsa all the way to the mole negro, everything is cooked to perfection. You can even get some harder-​to-​find items, like nopalitos! There are tons of vegan/​vegetarian options as well.
El Tipico has a very different focus from San Marcos. The latter is more casual and excels at straightforward/​à la carte items. The former excels at a well-​rounded, sit-​down dining experience with full plates and sides, specialty items, and a organic/​vegan/​vegetarian focus, not to mention outstanding service.
Décor is classy and slightly contemporary. The restaurant is very clean.
Overall, I highly recommend El Tipico. It is a shining example of Toledo’s incredible food landscape, and I am so glad that a restaurant like this exists.

The servers here were wonderful. The food was also pretty good. We are on a road trip and stopped here for the authentic organic Mexican food. Portions are on the small size but not priced too high. It does take a LONG time to get the food. I was also disappointed in their queso blanco. It wasn’t super tasty and we were charged for it despite the fact that it arrived after we had eaten most of the food it was going to be eaten on. It costs $ 1.25 for a very small cup. All in all if we lived closer we would eat here again. Give it a shot. It is also very clean!

First visit. …never seen such slow service at lunchtime. Don’t go if you only have and hour. Enchilada was very good. Taco salad was good too just needed some more veggies. Homemade ranch dressing was the bomb.

Cozy, residential, local, and genuine. These are the best adjectives to describe this cute neighborhood restaurant. It has been a Toledo institution for 47 years, and I can see why. The atmosphere is welcoming and charming, the décor is simple yet classy. The business does surprisingly well for itself considering its inconspicuous location — among the older Toledo homes, across the street from a gas station at an unfamiliar intersection.
The menu boasts a gluten-​free, vegan-​friendly selection. While I eat mostly anything and everything, I was interested to see how authentic the food would taste. I came here for Taco Tuesday with a couple of friends, so I ordered the shredded chicken tacos in crispy corn shells, with assorted veggies and sides of refried beans and rice. I was impressed with the complementary chips and salsa and most of the meal; however, the chicken flavor was slightly off. I’m not sure if it should have been cooked more thoroughly or the seasoning should have been adjusted, but something just didn’t click. My friend chose the ground beef option and she enjoyed it, but I can’t speak for it personally. I had the flan for dessert and it was absolutely scrumptious, probably one of the best flans I’ve had.
Overall, I enjoyed the food and service, but I can only give it 3 stars for now, mostly due to my unfortunate experience with the chicken. Hopefully a follow-​up visit will improve my rating. Finally, I highly recommend this to anyone with dietary restrictions.

The menu was labeled gluten free and vegan– how refreshing since i am gluten sensitive! The meal was delicious, service great and friendly, ambiance perfect. They give you a sealed envelope with each meal in April– to be opened in May? for prizes!

Call me a gringo, but on the platter I ordered there was a gross orange/​brown sauce on everything. The food it’s self was alright, I know quite a few people who love it, that sauce ruined my experience.

This was absolutely the most horrid dining experience we have ever had. The waitress botched 4 out of 7 of our orders. Apparently she did not understand that Vegan meals do not have cheese in them. We also found hairs in 3 of the dishes that were correct.
We chose this restaurant primarily because their menu indicates many of the dishes can be served Vegan. As noted in the Vegetarian Platos section,“Choice of Refried Beans, Frijoles or Black Beans. We would be happy to make it Vegan if you prefer.” However, we found this was not the case.
In the end we paid $ 93 for enough food to feed 3 out of 7 people in our party. I hope the waitress enjoyed her $ 0.04 tip as much as we enjoyed our dining experience.

Saturday, Sunday, Monday & Thursday are the Primary Football Days & Nights. As Result, my Craving for El Tipico accelerates to an uncontrollable rate. The Chicken Enchiladas are Divine smothered in a Rich Golden, flavorful Enchilada Gravy filled with tender, moist Chicken. I increase the Temperature with a spoon full of Jalapeño salsa dropped on Top. Mmm.
Then, the Hardshell Beef tacos leave me speechless by the Time I stuff them with Habenero SalsA…
Trust me, Football is a lot Better with Delicious, Daily Freshly made Organic Food of any Sort and Being that it is Mexican is all the Better. It engages a person to dip, smear, spoon & mix so that the Eater interacts with every entrée in an intimate fashion.
Throw in the Scrumptious Chips, Pico & an Ohio State Victory & you have a Wonderful Football Day.
I Thank God That Our Latino Community is Producing Excellent Authentic Mexican Food. We have Numerous Good Mexican Restaurants in Toledo (I’ve tried practically all of them). However, El Tipico is Número UNO in the 419! #SmashToledo

Hands down, this is the absolute best Mexican food I have ever had at a restaurant. It is carefully prepared and everything is made in house. I had the seafood plate with mango sauce and it was fabulous.

El Tipico is a true neighborhood gem. it’s in Toledo’s old south end and The restaurant itself is nestled between residential houses and small local businesses. The restaurant used to be in the front part of a house which has since been razed. In it’s place is a gorgeous, contemporary building which is both inviting and cozy.
On my first visit I ordered the a la cart Puff Taco with vegetarian veggie-​meat. The puffed tortilla was crispy as it had been lightly fried but was still puffy. The veg-​meat was a delight, it was a crumbled soy protein which appeared to be pan seared. Lettuce, tomato and a sprinkling of melted cheese over the top.
The menu has Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten Free Substitutions available and all selections are clearly marked as to be what can be made Vegan, Gluten Free or Vegetarian. The owner said that her restaurant is now 70% organic and I noted that they were using recyclable containers for take out.
The next time I went on $ 1 Taco Tuesday. Prepare for a bit of a wait during the dinner rush. I had 2 bean tacos for $ 2! I asked about the veg-​meat tacos and while it wasn’t included in the $ 1 tacos, the menu had veg-​meat tacos listed at 5 for $ 8, which I thought was a fair price.
I also tried the salsa (mild and tangy), pico de gallo (chunky and mild-​medium), the verde salsa (medium-​hot and green) and lastly the bright orange habanero salsa (HOT x10). Each table gets one complimentary basket of chips. Extra chips come with both the bean dip and guacamole, but not an entire basket’s worth.
The dining room has both booths and tables with chairs. I like that this neighborhood restaurant is alcohol free, as it makes for a family friendly atmosphere. The noise level is fairly low and at no point, even on a busier night, was I straining to hear anyone at my table. Also there is a paved parking lot directly behind the building and plenty of free street parking on both sides if the street.
The waiters all have tablets to take your order with and they read back to you what they have input before putting the order into the kitchen.
The desserts, possibly the priciest thing on the menu, are enormous. Each item may as well be a meal on it’s own. No complaints here :). Fresh whip cream over a fried dough filled with mixed berries, yum! I tried a bite of another that had a peanut butter filling and it was really good too.
I’m glad I rediscovered El Tipico after nearly 30 years. Things have changed for the better. The restaurant is still family run and the current owner is the daughter of the folks that opened it originally. There are framed family photos on the walls which is a nice nostalgic touch.

The cinnamon chocolate sundae was a huge hit! All the portions are large beware. Everyone must try this place.

Family, you feel at home when you walk through the door. A Toledo tradition for over 40 years.
The food is home grown and home cooked. Delicious favorites with a few interesting twists. Try the puffy tacos, or queso chili con carne fries for something different. They also have a delicious taco salad. Both hot sauces are delicious without being too hot. Ask for the hot if you are bold.
The restaurant has recently overgone an amazing transformation and remodel featuring local Toledo artists’ work, but the food remains the star.
Check them out!