El Torero Family Mexican Restaurant

Great food, but why does it smell like the sewer backed up? Gross!!! I don’t know what is up it didn’t used to be that way but now it’s like a big turd smell!

I am going to give this restaurant 4 stars. Normally I would have given them 3 stars but the customer service was so good, I have to give them an extra star.
The only thing stopping them from getting 5 stars is they do not have an executive chef I asked what the signature dish was and the waitress said that there was no signature dish. I asked who the was the executive chef and she said we just have cook there is no executive chef.
For a restaurant to produce some good decent food with great taste great and above average customer service ans show they can work as a team you have to give them their props.
I always like a restaurant that have a signature dish. If you are in the area and you want some good Mexican food this is a spot for you. There are other Mexican restaurants that are probably better but none in this area this is the spot to chow down on some good Mexican food and great customer service experience

We stopped in after our car broke down. This place was recommend to us to try while the car was getting fixed. We should have left as soon as we bit into stale chips, but were too hungry to stop. We ordered fajitas, and when we received them they looked good, but then realized the «beef» wasn’t beef or it was the scraps of the beef. We made one fajita , and realized that we weren’t so hungry anymore. I went to the bathroom before we left, and immediately realized by the gross bathrooms that we could have problems on out drive home. I would Not recommend this to anyone! Maybe they were having a bad night, but we won’t be back.

Always surprised when I find a quality Mexican restaurant in Illinois! Service here was awesome! I got the speedy Gonzalez and loved it. They make their own salsa and it is delicious!

My favorite place to eat in GC. The salsa made in house is my favorite, the food is great 9 times out of 10, excellent service and you can’t beat the prices! Great margaritas.

We came for a late lunch; in fact we were the only ones there for the first 15 minutes. The restaurant is stocked with those booths that look like they are carved. They had a lunch menu, which was basically $ 1 off the combination dinner. The food was ok, very salty. Guess they want you to buy more margaritas (which conveniently were on «special” – every day). The chips they served were stale/​cold. Don’t know if this is because they were leftovers or what. The waiter was attentive. I think we spent like $ 15, so pretty cheap.

I was pleasantly surprised when I had the chance to dine at El Torero for the first time, however my initial impression made me think this was going to be a disappointment. At first glance it looks like El Torero is a dive bar with a Mexican restaurant attached, however the owner actually has two separate businesses right next to each other. One is a bar, looks like a bit of a pool hall/​dive bar and a more traditional Mexican restaurant next door. I don’t think that they are actually connected, which is good considering the crazy drunk girl that stumbled in front of me as she left the bar (at 7pm) while I was leaving the restaurant.
Overall the food was good, portions are large, the drinks were cheap. If you are in Granite city I would recommend it, the prices are very fare.
My only complaint is the bar next door, seems a little questionable.

El Torero is great. The food is really good and the price is very reasonable (they are not expensive at all).
One of the best things about El Torero is that the staff is extremely nice and the owner is out working just like the rest of his employees.
Another great thing about them is that if it is someones birthday that you know, take them there because they will put a sombrero on them, sing a birthday song in spanish, give them a sopapia desert and smear whip cream in their face. Oh Yes, they actually sneak behind them and smear whip cream across their face!!!
And if you want it they will give you a flaming shot of tequila.
Go There!

El Torero opened its doors a few years back in Granite City — where lunch options were once limited to either fast food or the same old restaurants time and time again. It was such a relief to get a new lunch option. It’s conveniently located a few minutes from my job, which makes for a nice change from the ol’ sack lunch.
EVERYONE is extremely cordial and helpful… the manager usually steps out to chat as long as they are not inundated with orders/​customers. They recently remodeled as well, which makes the establishment look bigger and more spacious although they have the same amount of sq. footage. Their prices are incredibly affordable — esp. the various lunch specials. The service is extremely efficient and fast as well, which works out well for the lunch crowd.
Food quality — I would lean more towards a 3.5 star rating. It’s tasty and hits the spot, but I cannot say it’s my all-​time favorite Mexican eating destination. However, they do have great food. I am partial to the nachos, quesadillas, and burrito/​taco/​enchilada combos. You really can’t go wrong with any of the delicious lunch combos. I definitely recommend giving El Torero a shot if you are in the Granite City area.