The Smoke Shop BBQ - Assembly Row
Barbecue · Assembly Row · $$
4.4(1,660)
Assembly Row, Somerville, MA · $$
Toca Chida, meaning "play cool," is the latest culinary venture by Chef and Restaurateur Chris Damian. Located in Somerville's Assembly Row, the restaurant offers a diverse menu highlighting Latin American and Caribbean cuisines with a playful twist. With an extensive bar program focusing on agave-based spirits and a vibrant, nature-inspired design with over 200 seats, Toca Chida promises a unique dining experience for communal gatherings and solo dining fun.
“Great place, great food! We came from India and were looking for vegan options without onion or garlic. Sarah and Bob were incredibly cooperative, attentive, and accommodating in helping us find suitable dishes. Their exceptional hospitality made our experience even more enjoyable. The food was delicious, and the service was truly outstanding. Five-star service all the way! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”
“They make the guacamole fresh at your table. You can add whatever ingredients you want. The drinks were great - bartender made me a skinny margarita with extra spice. Empanadas and tacos were delicious!”
“Amazing service, atmosphere and food. They had so many reservations but we're able to fit our little 2 person reservation in on a side table. Highly recommend the flank steak fajitas. I really enjoyed the open air abilities of the restaurant too. They can open all the windows and it feels like everyone is at an outside restaurant.”
“I met up with a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time and was really in the mood for tacos. We walked by Toca Chida Casa and decided to stop in—the decor immediately caught my eye! The atmosphere is stunning, and you can tell no expense was spared in the interior design. It feels inviting and vibrant. That said, while the space was beautiful, the food didn’t quite match the experience for me. I’ve been to a lot of restaurants, and I was expecting the tacos to be just as great as the design. Our waitress was friendly and recommended the three tacos we tried, but unfortunately they were okay at best. For the price, I also thought it was a little disappointing that each order only came with two tacos. Maybe it was just the specific tacos I ordered or perhaps the chef was having an off night, but I wouldn’t go back just for the food alone. Still, the decor, atmosphere, and service were definitely highlights. Beautiful space, friendly staff, but the tacos didn’t wow me.”
“We were in the mood for Mexican and thought this place looks nice from the outside so we decided to give it a try. It was a convenient location. There was no wait for a table on a Friday night. When we sat down, they asked if any of us have any food allergies. Everyone in our party got tacos. We also ordered an appetizer (Short Rib Nachos). One of us have a lactose allergy and they decided to not add the sour cream without offering to put it on the side. We were hungry and started eating and by the time the waitress came back, we were more than halfway through with the nachos but we asked her anyways about the sour cream. She mentioned something that it's a-la-cart. So it pretty much sounds like if you want it on the side, you'll have to pay for it. The menu clearly says it comes with it. Besides that, we asked for no Jalapeños in the nachos. Somehow the nachos are still pretty spicy. I am not sure what other chili they put in it but we don't see it in the description for the nachos. Then, we got our tacos. We ordered the pork carnitas and the pork belly tacos. They were pretty tasteless. Whatever they put in the pork belly tacos overpowered the pork belly taste. One of us ordered the philly cheese steak tacos which says it comes with onions and peppers. You would assume since it's steak and cheese, the onions and peppers will be like a steak bomb, with green bell peppers. Nope, it's a spicy pepper. They should probably let people know which dish is spicy. Overall, we have never had Mexican food more disappointing. We were looking forward to our dinner too because we haven't had Mexican in a long time. Like everyone else, the atmosphere is probably the best about this place. I used to go to Pappagayo, the previous restaurant at this location. I never thought they were that great either but still better than this new restaurant.”
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