El Toro

Came here for the first time recently and I was in a very large group. While waiting for everyone to arrive, they were very attentive in refilling waters and baskets of chips with salsa. The beef fajitas were really yummy — however, after we got our food, no one came back to check on us. I ate my entire meal with an empty water glass and no waiter came by. That was really my only pet peeve; the meal was great! Food came out quick for the size of our group, and everything was correct and delicious!
I’ll definitely be back. :)

Marco Rubio look alike dude served water and said We I’ll be back in 2 min to take order and returned after 30 min.
I ordered for taco salad– how bad can it be? It was just lettuce, sour cream and some tomato in hard shell. It was horrible!
This is the worst Mexican resturant I have been to and most of them can’t speak English!
I feel this is the most overrated restaurant! I gave them 1star for chips and salsa.
By any means, not recommending this place!

It’s your typical tex-​mex restaurant, so I don’t know if there’s much to review. They have huge portions and it’s a go-​to when you’re looking to grab food and drinks with friends. They have chips and salsa for the table, and I am a fan of their salsa. It’s got a lot of cilantro and a nice kick (but not too spicy!). I ordered the steak fajitas and they were good, but nothing out of the ordinary. They steak was slightly over cooked, but the meal still had flavor.
Just like any other restaurant, it gets busy during weekend dinner hours so make sure that if you’ve got a big party that you come in earlier or later than the dinner rush. The service is fast and the staff is very nice and friendly.

El Toro is consistently average. It is your typical tex-​mex restaurant in a stripmall with decent prices and large portions. On a Saturday evening is was a mix of families, couples, and large groups of friends. Definitely arrive early if you don’t want to wait as the place filled up by 6:30.
The staff is always friendly and attentive, even when it gets crowded. The food was served hot and tasted fresh too. I got the fajita taco salad and it lacked any flavorful kick, but overall it was what I expected.

I am usually not a picky person when it comes to restaurants. I worked in the industry for over 5 years so i respect and understand how most things work in that business. I found nothing about this restaurant special. It has a wonderful location but it seems that the ownership is ok with running a very average Mexican spot. The food was find and the drinks were ok but if you are craving Mexican I look elsewhere to spend my money.

Food is average cheap Mexican. Service was acceptable. Kids quesadilla was tiny. Hardly enough for my 6 year old. My table still had crumbs from a previous customer.

Went here yesterday on a double date and was pretty impressed with the staff and food overall… I got the vegetarian fajitas and and added jalapenos… Also i ordered a margarita on the rocks… the food was awesome and the service as well. The margarita could have been better… It was either lacking of flavor mix or watered down… Probably should have asked for another one in hindsight but decided to let it go probably due too the delicious fajitas and good company… either way I will go back again and enjoy and recommend anyone looking for good mexican food to try it out.

El Toro is a great place for cheap Mexican food in Oakley. Yes, the food is your typical American Tex-​Mex that you can get at any other Cincinnati Mexican restaurant (excluding Mazunte and Bakersfield). But the chips and salsa, good margaritas, and great service make the difference between El Toro and other standard Mexican restaurants around town.
Definitely worth a stop if you’re in the area– especially for $ 5.99 ladies’ night margaritas on Wednesday nights!

This place is decent.
If we crave cheap Mexican food and beer, we come here. I sent my first meal back, it was swimming in grease and the fried poblano was not crisp at all. The waiter was apologetic and placed a different order for me. The fajitas were much better.
Service is great! They are friendly and attentive. We will be back.

Service– 4
Food– 1.5
Rounding up to a 3 because the service really was excellent.
Located right in Hyde Park plaza near Panera and Kroger, Hyde Parkers cannot beat this location if you are craving Mexican. Unfortunately the food here was just meh – greasy and mediocre. I’ve kind of come to expect it from standard Mexican restaurants like this but after being spoiled by the Mazuntes of Cincinnati, I’ve come to be more picky about my Mexican.
They had a huge menu full of typical combo platters, enchiladas, nachos and other standard fare. They also had a good drink menu – marg and tequila options as well as a variety of beers. I was not a fan of how you have to pay $ 1 more for margarita flavors besides lime. I ordered a platter meal that had an enchilada, a piece of carne asada and a fried poblano. The enchilada was okay, the carne asada was chewy and greasy and practically impossible to eat, and the poblano had more cream filling and breading than actual pepper. I also had a lime margarita on the rocks. Definitely made from a mix… It just wasn’t fresh and refreshing like I had hoped!
A make or break thing for me at a joint like this is the chips and salsa – if they are excellent, the food typically is too. The salsa tasted like it was from a jar and the chips were unfortunately under seasoned. I’d consider coming back for the Thirsty Thursday marg deal but likely nothing else.

A perfectly average Mexican food restaurant. Happy hour beers are big and cheap, margaritas are as expected, service is very friendly and eager to speak in Spanish. The thing is… it’s a rather forgettable restaurant given the amount of Mexican restaurants in the area.
The meal starts with chips and salsa. I think the salsa has a purée’d texture and has a nice kick. For my entrée, I had the Boss Burrito which is a chicken and steak burrito topped with shrimp, pineapple and a cheese sauce. The cheese sauce was rather disappointing, lacking in flavor and was rather thick. The pineapple gave the bite a fruity zing, but there was nothing that the flavor was building up towards. It may work better if there was more taste in the queso sauce or shrimp, but as is, it tastes out of place.
If the beer deal was not as good as it is, El Toro could be a 2 star in my book.
Service is friendly, though we experienced long wait times while the staff made their rounds. I think El Toro is fine if you were in the strip mall and suddenly wanted Mexican food, but I think it needs more to stand out from the other options in the area.

Can’t believe I haven’t eaten here until now! This place hits the spot when you’ve got Mexican on the mind. Like others have said, the chips and salsa are phenomenal, as is the service. The waiters are attentive and friendly. I came in here by myself and they treated me like family. Loved watching them interact with customers – many of whom seemed to be regulars that they treated like old friends. Will definitely be coming back often, maybe next time with some friends!

This may be my new favorite Mexican restaurant! I love the chips and salsa, just the right amount of spice. I always get fajita nachos and they are great here! Service is great and staff is friendly. Can’t wait to come back! Who wants to join me?

Excellent Mexican food, great service, plenty of free parking, $ 5.99 ladies margarita night on Wednesdays.
‘Nough said.

I went here for the first time. The food was actually good & I’ve had my fair share of good Mexican food in California. I got the fajita quesadilla with a side of rice and beans. Service was really good also!

While El Toro might just be your typical cheap, greasy, Mexican joint — I love it for all those reasons. The chicken taco salad is my go-​to dish, and you can’t mess with Ladies Night on Thursdays — $ 5.99 large margaritas! And, yes, you can taste the alcohol (maybe a little too much). The staff is super friendly, although I recently discovered a bunch of their old staff left for other locations (who knew there were other locations?)
Check out their website for a coupon before you go – and go head and dig out your old college ID, because it’s worth 10% off at El Toro!

El Toro is a great «go-​to» place for delicious, cheesy, greasy Mexican food. It’s a little deceiving, as it sits right in the middle of a small strip mall type area, but El Toro has yet to disappoint me. Great margaritas and shrimp tacos! The Cincy special is pretty tasty too!
Stroll down just a few stores after your belly is full of spicy Mexican and grab some frozen yogurt at Orange Leaf.

I’ve been here a few time with my girlfriends for margaritas and once for food.
It’s your pretty average Mexican restaurant, nothing special and nothing super great. One person commented they couldn’t remember what they ordered and I never can either because the food isn’t that remarkable. The menu, however, is pretty big in my opinion with a huge variety of options and combinations.
The margaritas are good frozen or on the rocks and I believe Sunday the Texas sized margaritas are ½ price. The servers are pretty nice/​polite and they move quickly.
It’s a nice alternative to Don Pablo’s but if you are looking for super amazing Mexican food you might want to try somewhere else.

The food is our typical greasy, yet delicious Mexican good. Burritos are huge. Taco salads are plentiful and margaritas are wickedly potent and sure to give you a nice and lasting buzz. In other words, don’t drink and then drive too quickly after!
The guys at El Toro are quite friendly and even on crowded nights your salsa won’t run dry and if you’re feeling the heat from your meal — your water will always be filled!
Tip: Be sure to check out the coupons online for this place! They’ll happily accept them.

As Californians we relish authentic Mexican food — we’ve traveled to Baja/​Cabo, Acapulco several times and Ensenada –but it is often hard to find West of the Mississippi. This is the real deal: Pacifico beer on tap (with limes!), and fish tacos (although, sigh, wish they’d do a crispy baja version like Rubios). Our family of four check is usually less than $ 10 per person — with beer. Friendly, family run and prompt service. Bottomless chips and salsa.