On the menu, you’ll find traditional Mexican mainstays like tacos (carne asada, chicken and birria), chicken or beef quesadillas, fajitas and nachos. But the focus here is on Mexican-style seafood, and it is well-executed.
Dishes like Mexican shrimp stir fry (camarones a la Mexicana), whole fried tilapia (pescado a la plancha) and oysters with pico de gallo and avocado are among those you’ll find at La Toxica. Brunch is also served on the weekends.
We’ve had La Toxica on our radar and finally made it there on a recent weekend. The place is spacious, with a large central bar. There are plenty of flat-screen TVs that would make it a great place to catch a game. We were the only ones there at the time (a few trickled in after), but it was early afternoon on a Saturday, well before the throngs of weekend partiers begin descending on Deep Ellum.
First, props on the customer service. From the moment we walked in until we left, everyone was super friendly. We opened with the michelada preparada ($15), which comes rimmed with three jumbo shrimp alongside seasoned cucumbers and Takis. We have a thing for good micheladas. The canned micheladas are serviceable, but nothing beats a homemade michelada when it’s done right. These at La Toxica, which use a daily house-made mix, are legit.
Our first dish was a classic Mexican shrimp cocktail ($15) with house cocktail sauce, pico de gallo and avocado. You’d be hard-pressed finding better. One of the best shrimp cocktails we’ve had anywhere was at La Calle Doce, and this one rivaled it.
Next, we went with a supremely fresh ceviche of tilapia, shrimp, mango, cucumber, pico and avocado. The diverse ingredients in this medley harmonized beautifully. With a few dashes of a hot sauce of your choosing (there’s a handful to choose from on each table), it made for an excellent (and healthy) dish.
And we couldn’t stop by a Mexican joint without trying the tacos, so we zeroed in on La Toxica’s birria tacos ($16). They come four to an order served with consommé and sides of rice and refried beans. These babies were showstoppers. All the boxes of a great birria taco were checked here — succulent beef enveloped in that trademark orange-hued, pan-fried tortilla with a cheese-layered surface.
La Toxica y Mariscos and Micheladas opened four months ago in the heart of Deep Ellum.
Nick Reynolds
With all the competition in Deep Ellum’s culinary scene, it can be daunting for a new kid on the block. La Toxica Mariscos y Micheladas is still finding its way. But they have the good food and customer service parts down. Now, they just need some more folks to give them a chance.
La Toxica Mariscos y Micheladas, 2914 Main St. Monday and Wednesday, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Tuesday, 4 p.m. – 1 a.m.; Thursday and Sunday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
