El Toro 28

I“ll make this review short and sweet
Cons — Food was not great. I ordered the pork nachos and substitutes the nacho chips for fries, which in my opinion was also grossly over priced. Bad mistake on my part.
Drinks were good but not strong at all. My coco loso tasted like it only had a drop of alcohol in it. The music ended abruptly at 11:00. I would suggest to come earlier to enjoy the music.
Pros — Nice view of the Long Island sound. Our waiter was also very attentive which was nice.
This restaurant has the potential to be great, however the food is subpar. Would I come back? Probably not.

There is a really funky ass smell on the patio towards the rear. Other than that, the food was awesome, hot, and my drink was 12 oz. The bartender gave us a free shot of pineapple tequila.
We had a lobster quesadilla with shrimp and scallop fajitas. Huge portion on the fajitas. If you are worried about value, get some. Lobster quesadilla was on point with the honey and the sauce and the cheese.

We had an overall nice time here. The atmosphere is very festive and they have cool Mexican décor all around. Plenty of outdoor seating by the water as well but we opted to stay inside because of the wind. Our server was very gracious and attentive throughout the entire meal.
— Guac and chips were okay. Not the most flavorful but still fine. We asked for hot sauce and our server brought salsa. Not the same thing but okay.
— Parents shared the 3 lb lobster special which they loved! That thing was giant.
— Bro had the ribeye special which he also enjoyed. Although he did ask for it to be cooked medium and it came out well done. Again, not the same thing. I had a bite and it was good.
— The corn that accompanied both the lobster and steak dishes was delicious and so different! It was also a whole corn each and not just a piece! So good.
— I had the chicken tacos which were pretty good as well. I added a lot of hot sauce/​salsa though which is not something I normally do.
— We shared a pitcher of red sangria which at first just tasted like a bad hangover but then soon after seemed weak and overly sweetened. Overall, it wasn’t good and we didn’t finish it.
What really annoyed me was how misleading they were with prices…
I didn’t like the fact that they had a small specials menu on the table, but when we inquired about it, our server said it wasn’t starting until next week. Lol what? Why is it displayed on every table then? Whatever.
Also, the regular (food) specials menu did not include prices which I guess is not that unusual but it also didn’t include the size (in ounces) of the steaks. Why? That’s just annoying because I feel like most people want to know at least the size of their steak so they’re going to end up having to ask anyways.
I’m mostly indifferent about El Toro 28 because there were many things that I liked and disliked about it.
My parents and bro really enjoyed the lobster and we did have a great time, especially with the waterfront atmosphere. Also, they had Bob Marley/​dancehall/​reggae playing which is unusual for a Mexican spot but seems to be the theme on the Nautical Mile in general. I think the area is going for a beach/​vacation vibe which is cool.
But since there are many other restaurants on the Nautical Mile, I would neither «recommend» nor «not recommend» El Toro 28.

Had dinner and drinks with my family. Great band, great atmosphere, food was good. Don’t choose this restaurant if you don’t have cash! After several attempts with several credit cards, the waiter said that none of the cards were going through. They directed me to the ATM which charged $ 2.75 coupled with a $ 5.00 charge from my bank. I was able to withdraw cash from the bank card that they claim was declined Not sure if the credit card machine really wasn’t working or if they just don’t take credit cards. A great night ended with embarrassment.

This restaurant was the worst dining experience I ever had!!! The service was terrible and the restaurant was run horribly. So unorganized and under staffed.
We waited forever to be seated and actually had to go up to someone to ask them if we can sit. (The restaurant was pretty much empty) We also asked 2x for high chairs that we ended up just getting ourselves.
We sat at the table 40 minutes before someone came to ask if we wanted to order apps or drinks. After another 30 – 40 minutes we got our guacamole and chicken quesadillas which were not good at all. How does it take 40 minutes to get guacamole? the Waiter never cleared the app plates or the empty drinks. We place our dinner orders and they ran out of pretty much everything on the menu so were forced to order what they actually had available. (At this point we really should have just left but were starving and with 4 kids.)
We finally get our dinners and the food was ok… nothing great and def not worth all the nonsense of this place. They forgot to put in one of the dinner orders so my sister in law had to wait more for her food, which when she finally got it the fish was not cooked and she had to send it back. They brought it back out mashed and the plate just looked disgusting. We just wanted to get the hell out of there. We get the bill and they charged us $ 95 each porterhouse steak (not priced on specials menu), mind you this was one of the only items they had available for purchase. This place is laughable!
The manager has a lot to learn in the restaurant business!!!
This experience was disgusting & horrible and I cant believe that this place is even open for business. It’s like they just didn’t care. If I could give negative stars I would.

Ummmm… not the best food I’ve had. Nice view, layout and setup. The drinks were pretty good and the staff is friendly.
I think its overpriced. $ 285 for a party of 5, for that price the food should’ve been orgasmic.lol. 3 out of 5 didn’t finish the meal. I probably wouldn’t return.

Went on a Friday and had a nice time with my girlfriend. Was a major surprise for a tequila bar to have such a wonderful personality and good food. I did plan on coming in but do plan on going back. Suggested for an intimate experience, not great for groups unless you want a lot of alcohol.

We were in the area and decided nobody wanted seafood. I live off Mexican so this was obviously my choice. What a great pick by me if I do say so myself. The menu had something for everybody. My parents and brother all split El toro of tacos which were 8 tacos with a variety of different meat. I had chicken tacos which were delicious. The guac and rice and beans were also a home run.

Kudos to El Torro 28 for the kitchen being open late because after playing mini golf across the street we had the hungs and the kitchen was closed at several other places along the mile but El Torro’s kitchen is open late.
We were a group of 6 adults +1 child. We were seated promptly and our waiter came over to take drink orders. Most of us ordered beers, margaritas, tequila, etc but I had to abstain b/​c I’m expecting.
For appetizers we ordered the Guacamole, Clams, and Oysters. They were all very fresh. Some of our entrees included the Ensalada del Toro, Lobster quesadilla, Short Rib Nachos, Tacos, and the Steak and Lobster Fajita special. I had the salad and enjoyed it. Everyone else wasn’t overly impressed with their dishes.

So I came here on Saturday night with my favorite person ever since we’re always looking to try new places on the Mile. We both wanted Mexican instead of the usual seafood that’s here on the Mile. We wanted outdoor seating by the water but that was a 20 min wait so we settled for inside. The frozen passion fruit margarita was amazing! We both got steak but not the exact thing. The food was good but nothing special so we were both a little disappointed. Thankfully this wasn’t a loud restaurant and our waiter only checked on us at the end of our meal but other servers came around to help us out. They give you as much salsa and chips for free if you ask. It’s a little pricey ($ 80-​$ 90) for two since we’ve been to other spots with better service and food for about $ 50-​$ 60. I’d only return for the frozen margarita.

We went to El Toro and there was a bunch of empty tables around us on a Sunday at 6pm which is supposed to be peak time during dinner. This was surely a warning sign of the experience that was yet to come for us.
Food was disgusting. I ordered the rib eye special and my wife ordered a shrimp dish.
The steak special was garbage. Mostly fatty meat and it came out under cooked and not as I ordered. The steak was served with disgusting instant mashed potatoes and overcooked super thin asparagus. My wife’s shrimp dish was clearly not fresh shrimp and was definitely frozen shrimp that was cooked on premises. Appetizers were also disgusting. Empanadas were brittle and tasted like they came out of a microwave. Stale nachos were Blaa and nothing to write home about.
I am not happy to bash a business like this but I can honestly say I would have been happier with the food at Taco Bell or chilis. At $ 75 per person this is unacceptable. Place is a total tourist trap and won’t be in business for long with the quality they are severely lacking.
Place is also under staffed to the point where we needed to pull silverware and table settings from other tables as there wasn’t the correct amount for our group.
Another pet peeve is when a bus boy asks you to take your filthy silverware back when he clears your appetizer plate. So in other words sir please use your filthy silverware on your main course when it comes out.
Restaurant 101:
if people are paying 70 $ per person on food and beverages count your blessings and
give them fresh forks and knifes for each course! Now that’s a great idea isn’t it?
Our waiter was super nice and did his best considering the lack of support staff he had so hence the one star.
Bathrooms were also filthy as well with tiny insects breeding on the urinal pipes.
Safe to say we will never be returning to this «restaurant» again. There is no quality or classy restaurants on the entire mile which as a whole is a tourist trap. However this place is certainly the bottom of the «Nautical Mile Barrel»!

I hate to trash new businesses, but El Toro left a bad taste in my mouth. It was kind of exciting to hear that a Mexican restaurant opened up one the Mile, so I dragged the bf here on a Sunday afternoon. We walked in and chose to sit inside, and avoid the loud music outside so we could actually carry on a convo. We were seated immediately, as there were only a handful other tables occupied on the inside. The restaurant itself is nautical/​fiesta themed. There’s a wall with stacked tequila bottles, covered with wired netting.
The drink menu had a variety of margaritas, and offered tequila flights. They had the usual tequilas, as well as some top shelf selections for $ 30 – 50 a shot. I chose the frozen mango margarita. It looked appetizing when presented in front of me, but they didn’t mix the mango purée in with the margarita, so it was just a sour, odd-​tasting mess.
Here’s when it started going downhill. The waiter took our orders and didn’t write anything down. I HATE that, because they always forget something. And this guy did. I ordered the chicken empanadas to start, and then a chicken chimichanga. My man ordered carnitas tacos and their mac and chorizo side, which we were really excited to try (we love when they add meat to mac n cheese). The empanadas came out fast, and I can see why. The shell was hard and broke apart immediately. The chicken inside was super dry. it was definitely microwaved, and the first disappointment.
The main courses came out quickly afterwards too. My bf devoured his tacos, but guess what they forgot? The mac n chorizo. I would have loved to remind the waiter, but he never came back! Both our drinks were empty for a good 15 – 20 minutes. I tried to make eye contact with other wait staff but they kept averting their gazes. I saw the waiter sitting at the bar, chatting with the bartender. I offered to go to the bar and get more drinks, but my bf said he just wanted to leave. I finally flagged the waiter down and asked for the check, 25 minutes later.
The good part about my meal was my chimichanga. It’s like a Mexican beef wellington, wrapped in a puff pasty and smothered in sour cream and bean sauce. The chicken was tender and flavorful. The rice and beans on the side came in a little pot, and they were delicious, hence my second star. Overall. the service made our experience pretty bad, so I doubt I’ll be coming back here until they’ve had more time to get their act together.
Tip 1: They have live music and a bar out front.
Tip 2: For the love of God, don’t let your child feed the seagulls if you’re sitting outside. No one wants to be swarmed with birds and possibly have bird poop on their meal.

Very pretty outdoors area and nice spacious bar. The bartenders Dani and Ray were so sweet and nice. It’s so amazing when you go out and you get nice bartenders who know customer service and aren’t ignoring you or afraid to talk to you.
The music wasn’t very good, but it is a tequila bar and Spanish based, so I guess that’s what they wanted to stick too?
We didn’t stay for too long but long enough to have a few shots. You get a free skull thing if you have a shot of this tequila I can’t remember the name of right now.

Great atmosphere off of the water with live reggae music on the weekends. The food is pretty average but the drinks are strong. Enough to make me happy!

So glad I decided to check this place out!
My friends and I were going to go to Bracco’s for dinner initially, but the HOT & NEW notification on Unilocal was enough to get me to convince my group to come here.
The outside bar was the first attraction. They had a live DJ spinning all of the dancehall and reggae hits. I see this place is Mexican, but I didn’t question it. Everyone was dancing and having a good time. I spoke to the host briefly and she told me El Toro 28 has only been open for about two months, but they have the same owners. The inside was completely renovated to fit the theme and they did a pretty good job! We had a party of 8, so sitting outside wasn’t a great option. The host told us it would be about a 5-​minute wait. SWEET.
Almost immediately upon seating, we glanced at the menu and ordered four Blanco tequila flights (this particular one came with three shots of light tequila for $ 14) and I also ordered a Coco Loco while we waited on the rest of the group. The flight came with salt, three lime wedges, and a shot of sangrita (?) as the chaser. Well worth it! The Coco Loco was sweet, but it definitely had that kick of alcohol that eased my mind into knowing my money is being well-​spent. I have to note though… I ordered two more Coco Locos throughout the night and each one had more alcohol than the previous one. No complaints!
Our server (dammit, I forgot his name!) was very helpful in recommending different items and guiding us through the menu for those who have no knowledge of Spanish. I ordered chicken enchiladas and they were slightly disappointing. I expected a bigger portion at least, but don’t get me wrong, they were tasty, fresh, and well-​seasoned. The kitchen closed around 11pm, but our server did not rush us in the least. He let us know if we needed any more drinks or whatever, that he will take care of it.
All in all a good experience… Will definitely recommend to others and I’ll be back myself! Also, gratuity was added onto the check. Not sure if it’s a common practice for them or because of the amount of people we had, but check your bill before paying just incase.

1 Star because our waitress was good and I want to give her credit!
I should have known we were not going to be impressed when the chips came out stale and the little cup of salsa wasn’t even big enough to dip a chip.
We ordered:
— Sangria (White): watered down
— Tacos (Carnitas): the sauce was good with some tasty flavor but other than that it was just a typical dish.
— Surf & Turf Fajitas: SKIP… the steak had some good flavor but where was the lobster? A few crumbled pieces on top and it cost $ 42.00.
When the bill came we were in shock that the Fajitas were $ 42.00. Should have asked as they were on the special menu with no price. Although we didn’t say anything it definitely left a «bad taste in my mouth.» For 3 items it cost us over $ 100 to eat– ridiculous!
Although it was our first time visiting the nautical mile, we will NOT be returning to El Toro 28. It is overpriced with mediocre food (more seafood than mexican). Not the highlight of our date night for sure!

I wasn’t hungry so we just came for a drink. We sat outside where there was a DJ playing some great tunes. I noticed they had some infused tequila which I had to try. I went with the pineapple infused tequila on the rocks $ 10 and it was delicious. I was a bit upset I couldn’t stay longer to have more but I will be back next time I’m in the area.
The scenery here its very pretty, romantic and serene. The bartender was very friendly and didn’t rush me when I was trying to make my decision.
My friend had the pineapple infused tequila but on a margarita which I got to taste and it was delicious as well.

Stopped here for a drink before the water taxi. Only had one drink then had to leave.
When I went up to the outdoor bar I seen that they had pineapple infused tequila… doesn’t it sound delicious. My friend ordered the pineapple infused tequila on ice, I tasted it and it was good. I decided to go with that tequila as a margarita. OMG that margarita was perfect. I think I’ll be back to just sit outside and drink this all night.

Got here around 6pm on a Friday night, right as happy hour ended damnit lol thought it would go until 7. They only do happy hour at the bar anyway so that’s ok, we ended up sitting outside on the deck with water view since we missed the specials. While passing through the restaurant I noticed the beautiful décor and how spacious the restaurant is both indoors and outdoors.
The salsa for the chips they gave was unique from other Mexican places I’ve gone– liked it a lot so we asked for more. We got «El Toro of Tacos» which was a taco sampler (2 each of chicken, carnitas, steak, and fish) — good way to get a variety of taste in one meal /​mix it up. The tacos came extremely quickly, impressive. They already had sour cream and sauces on them. I woulda preferred if these came on the side because it was extremely messy to eat (sour cream/​sauce dripping all over my fingers with each bite). The steak was a little tough to bite through, but I really enjoyed the chicken and carnitas. Since we were on the deck with not a lot of other tables outside, our waitress didn’t come out often and it took awhile before I could (desperately lol) ask for napkins– yikes! We also got margaritas (the house marg on the rocks and passion fruit marg– my passion fruit one was too sweet for my taste).
Thought it was very overpriced for Mexican food. We wanted a side of Guac but for over 10 $ we said forget it. The margarita on the rocks was SO small and not worth over $ 10 either. The taco sampler was $ 35 which was worth it at least since you get 8 of them and such a variety.
Not sure I’ll be back for dinner, but I’ll try happy hour here sometime if I’m around the area.

Two thumbs up! Visited on a slow night, so not sure how they perform under stress but everything was great for me. Lovely décor, fresh tasty food and attentive wait staff!
Glad I checked for myself and wasn’t deterred by negative feedback. A little pricey, maybe, but I work hard and I deserve it! You get what you pay for!