Toddler Review: Tio Leo's (Carmel Valley), plus Viva Pops redux

What would you get if you took Coco's, and:

--added a full bar
--had better service
--made it Mexican
--put it smack in the middle of Carmel Valley by the 5?

That's right: you'd get Tio Leo's!

Super Toddler decided tonight that he wanted to try Tio Leo's. We went to a park in Carmel Valley and on the way home, he inquired about that "reh-trant", and said he had never been there before and wanted to try it. Sure, it's next to the Area Formerly Known as the Pumpkin Patch, but how he noticed it and knew it was a restaurant was a puzzle (til he confessed that he asked his nanny and she clued him in).

Tio Leo's....huh....we pass it all the time but never tried it. Yelp has some mixed reviews ("Awesome chips and salsa! I still come from LA!" v. "Are you on drugs? It's worse than Chevy's). So why the hell not see for ourself, esp. because ST was pretty well-behaved today.

As I said, it's like Coco's with all the stuff above (which is not a bad thing when dining with ST). VERY relaxed but at the same time kind of unhip and diner-like. NOT VERY crowded on a Sun. night, VERY friendly and efficient service. It was the anti-Chevy's! (In our experience, you wait forever there and it's mobbed).

We all started with:
--yummy chips and salsa (not sure I'd drive from LA, but perfect level of spiciness and very tasty), plus some smooth and non-spicy guac for ST

Foodgirl got:
--grilled eggplant tacos w/black beans (not bad! very healthy too)
--sangria (why the hell not? and it was pretty good)

CH got:
--carne asada plate: he liked it but it was way too much food

ST got:
--quesadilla (gobbled it up)
--strawberry smoothie (first time trying a smoothie: he liked it but pronounced it too cold-->he'll be back to lemonade next time).

Overall, a perfect toddler option. Assuming no one gets sick (see some other yelpers :)), we'll be back

Oh, and we hit Viva Pops again this weekend (so hot!). Foodgirl likes to try something different every time; ST likes always strawberry, but they were out of it.

So ST got blueberry-lemonade-mint, and his Mom got Earl Grey (bergamot on a popsicle - YESSSSS!). We were both happy campers.