El Torito

Love love love this place. Why I didn’t give it five
Hostess took forever to greet us and seat us
Our order came out messed up and management had to fix because Our server didn’t seem to want to.
It was hardly busy and it took quite some type for us to get our food.
With all of that our food was amazing, management apologized and even made effort to make our experience better. Overall we will definitely be back on multiple occasions.
A lot of places lack accountability when they mess up management took ownership of mistakes and really tried to fix it for us.

I am giving them 5 stars for 5 reasons!
1. Mango Margarita
2. Free Chips & Salsa
3. Mexican Ceasar salad I live for their pepita cilantro dressing
4. Tortilla Soup is the best
5. DEEP FRIED ICE CREAM

I was somewhat disappointed in the timeliness of the service. I believe, just from observing the staff, that the management failed to schedual sufficient help for this evening. Hopefully, my next visit there will be less delay in getting the meals to the tables.

Came for the Sunday brunch… okay. Not bad, not great. But I was full, so I didn’t get to the omelet station…

Fajitas and salsa are delicious love this place, specially the margaritas with 1800. The staff is friendly Miguel is always attentive with his guests I also recommend the 1800 fajitas is healthy protein and veggies if u want to cut carbs replace the rice with a salad and this place brightens my day, I love el torito (little bull)

In the past I’ve been very happy with el torito. Out of all the locations this one is the worst location I’ve visited.
Management needs to step their game up and schedule more servers and a competent hostess! I understand Sunday’s are hectic, but do not tell me the wait is 20min when there are 14 people ahead of me & give me attitude after 40 minutes of waiting.
Customer service is terrible! Food is good. Be prepared to be stressed out as soon as you walk through these doors and until you’re seated.
My advice:
Go somewhere else.

I rated this place 4stars because of the great servicei recieved. The waitress name was Mariann? I think she was super nice and attentive. We ordered the Fiesta plater? It was very good! Its listed under their appetizers! Nothing special about their chicken fajitas it gives you a very small portion of guac. Overall experience was well and i wouldnt mind going back if the service continues to be this efficient!

Food was really good the guacamole for the chips was expensive. Wish the prices where down just a little but all in all good food. Although we went on a Wednesday and the kids food was free and thier food also was cooked well. I don’t think I got a bad deal or anything just will go on Wednesdays.

I was in the area remember El Torito being very tasty so I decided to give it another try. I arrived during happy hour and was told house margaritas were $ 5. This is about $ 2 less than the normal price. I have to say they have a lot of flavors and when I saw blackberry I immediately wanted to try it. The margarita was okay. It tasted fine but had very little tequila. I am kind of a lightweight and didn’t even get a little buzzed or even warm cheeks from this drink. The server brought chips and salsa a few minutes after we arrived and the salsa was fine but the chips were cold. When someone tells me they are bringing fresh chips I tend to think they will be warm not cold and oily. They offer specials Monday-​Friday and I visited on a Wednesday. Wednesday offers endless enchiladas with beans, rice, and a corn cake. By far my favorite item was the corn cake. It was a little sweet but had great flavor. The enchiladas were alright. The sauce was standard as was the cheese in the enchiladas, not much flavor. My husband ordered the beef barbacoa as well as the chicken machaca. Chicken was his favorite of the two but we will not be back to order these items. There are many better chain or local restaurants that make better enchiladas. The beans and rice were standard, nothing special. Service was alright. A server who was waiting on us but you can tell doesn’t want to be there. All in all it was an okay experience and may come back to try the buffet but that would be it.

Pros: They keep chips & salsa coming.
Wide menu selection.
Cons: Weakest alcoholic drink I’ve ever had (mojito, made with mix instead of a real muddle, drank sweet then sour at the bottom, cost $ 9).
I had the fajitas, which came with very little onion and 2 random potatoes. I liked the seasoning they had, which wasn’t too spicy or greasy.
My MIL found the enchiladas to be way too spicy for her. Which shouldn’t deter you unless you have a problem with spicy food, except: My son (who puts sriacha on everything and eats huge bags of Flaming Hot Cheetos) found his carne asada burrito to be almost too spicy. So that was definitely not usual for him.

I sent a review a while back but just got an email it was not completed. Here is another one. We went to El Toritos after a bad experience happened and we were determined to make it a good evening anyway. Well, we did have one! First off, Bridget was «patroling» the resturaunt and was making sure her customers were well taken care of. I usually only see that at good places and if El Torito feels that way about us I then feel the same about them.
Next, I was watching our server. She was a lively person, she looked full of life and seemed to have energy to burn, Annemarie. We soon learned that she was pure nice, attentive, and fast. She reminded my husband, Michael, of his daughter, they were of the personality, pleasant overall. We had a few, quick conversations with Annemarie and found her to be genuine, not being «fake nice» for the sake of a tip. I mostly tip by attitude, I find that deep down people have a harder time hiding a bad one. Not Annemarie, she had nothing to hide about her personality. Hope to see her again soon. Later, we were talking to Bridget and Annemarie walked behind her, she looked at us and did a little dance. El Torito, you are lucky to have a person like her on your staff.

Had a fantastic date night tonight, even took our 6 month old twins. Service was prompt and friendly (thanks to Joshua our waiter), he kept our drinks full and was very accommodating with our need to keep things quick (given the babies).

Sunday brunch kicks ass, I had nine enchiladas .DAMN ! My wife torn into the ribs like a monkey after the last banana. TRY IT, YOU’LL LIKE IT

So I’m torn with this review. Let’s start with the setup:
I just flew into town, and wanted some good Mexican food and a beer. While there were plenty of Mexican cafes and stands near my hotel, this was the only one that served beer. Even though it felt wrong, somehow, to come to the San Diego area and get Mexican food from a chain restaurant, I did so anyway, because beer was calling my name after traveling all day.
Now, to be fair, I did arrive around 5 pm, which I know is typically shift change time in food service. Unfortunately, that apparently meant that the greeting stand was empty, without anyone to be seen anywhere near the entrance. After a few moments, I spotted the bar and ponied up. There were two wait staff there, and I was immediately given a warm greeting by the woman there, but then she walked off. There was also a man, but he didn’t greet me. At this point, I thought things were looking up. Until I just sat there. At the bar. With a bartender behind the bar (there were only 3 three other people there with me). After a few minutes, the woman returned with some chips and salsa and then took my drink order from the guest-​side of the bar. The entire time she was gone, the man there never spoke to me, offered me a menu, took my order, or anything, and it wasn’t like they were busy. My drinks came up, but nobody gave, or even asked if I wanted, a menu until I specifically asked for it. I later noticed that the man was clearing out the register, as it was apparently the end of his shift, so maybe that played into some of it, but it was just odd to have two bartenders there, neither of which seemed to be in any rush to take my order, or even see if I WANTED to order.
Eventually, I got a menu, and the man happily gave me a few suggestions, which I took him up on, and then clocked out. That left me with just the woman. The restaurant was far from busy, and I only noted one or two tables with guests on our side. There could have been more on the other side of the place, but I couldn’t see anything there. Anyway, the bartender was great… when she was around… which didn’t seem to be very often. It seemed as though she was gone more than she was behind the bar. I wanted a glass of water for a long time, but didn’t see anyone for a long time. When I finally asked her for it, though, it came out right away.
So that was my service. The food, on the other hand, was quite good! I ordered a combo plate so as to try a little of everything, and everything was cooked well, with lots of flavor and fresh taste. Even the refried beans, which can be bland at some places, were really flavorful. The chips were freshly made when they came out, and the salsa, while spicy, was fantastic.
The atmosphere was about what you’d expect from a chain Mexican restaurant, but was certainly not bland, or poorly done. The music was a little loud, but that’s just a personal preference. The variety of music, though, was odd. We went from Feliz Navidad to modern pop in pretty short order. Not too impressive there.
So really, I’m torn here. Friendly, but somewhat absent staff. Fantastic drinks that nobody seemed to be in a rush to provide. Really good food that nobody seemed to be in a rush to offer. How do I rate this place?
In the end, I have settled on 3 stars. I have to save 5 stars for the truly outstanding dining experiences. Even if the service were far better than I experienced, the food wasn’t quite 5-​star, in my opinion, but that should not be taken as a slight, or insult. It was very good, and I would happily eat it again. In the end, though, the inconsistent service knocked my overall rating down another star, and that’s unfortunate, because both bartenders were very friendly, when I was able to talk to them. I literally didn’t see any other staff in the place besides a food runner, and someone rolling silverware at a vacant table as I left, so I can’t base my rating on anything else.
I’d like to think this was a fluke experience, and that it might be different on a busier night, or at a different time of night. I will be in town for a few more days, and would love to stop by for another drink, as there doesn’t seem to be too many other options for that around here. If I return, and my experience is much different, I will edit this review.

This is a great price for an inexpensive Champagne brunch. It’s also good for large groups. I enjoyed the maid to order omelets, fresh Belgian waffles and free flowing Champagne. Not a bad deal for $ 16 /​$ 7 kids.
The steak, pork and chicken fajita station is also available when you want fresh lunch items. There are hot soups and fresh salads for lighter fare.
Service is always decent and I have never waited longer than 15 minutes for a large party table (10 or more) during Sunday brunch.

I came here to try their taco Tuesday last week and I was really impressed! We came in around 6ish and it was kind of busy, but I didn’t mind. The atmosphere is really fun and the place is beautifully decorated. Their taco Tuesday deal is $ 1.50 for a carnitas, carne asada or chicken taco. I tried a carnitas and carne. Wow, so good. The highlight is no doubt the tortilla. They’re made right in front of you and steaming hot once they hit your plate. They also bring you fresh chips and salsa the entire time you’re there. Mariana our server was great and very informative. She kept our drinks full the entire time.

Came in today with a few of my girlfriends for lunch. We were seated immediately. I asked if we could sit at the table in the back because we are a very loud group (there were ten of us). Our waitress Elizabeth said «no problem» and moved us to the back. We all placed our orders and the food came out rather quick. We started with a Cadillac Margarita. We all enjoyed the chips and salsa that were complimentary. I ordered the all you can eat rib combo plate that came with potato wedges and corn off the cob. The food was delicious! I was actually shocked. My friends all enjoyed their food as well. My only complaint was I did not like the Cadillac Margarita; something was just off about it. Great service, great food and best off all was the great company. Considering we all just came from a funeral it was nice to not have anything to complain about. Thanks 96 811 Elizabeth!
PS: sorry to my Unilocal friends there are no pictures because my phone died. Booooo

The halibut tacos are yummy! I get them every time I go, along with the Spanish rice and beans. It always consistent, the looks, flavor, taste. They also have a spectacular deep fried ice cream! I had just turned 21 and asked what is a good fruity drink and she recommended the Crackin Lava Calada, which was so sweet and scrumptious!
They seem short staffed the last few times I went, because the hostess is running around and you have to wait for a little but to be acknowledged. The last couple times I went during lunch the waitress also seemed stretched to thin, but they were all welcoming and nice. Overall, the service was okay but my food was great!

Best Michelada’s I’ve tried so far since moving to San Diego! Food is delish, staff always friendly.
Taco Tuesday is thee best! Absolutely love this place.

I met up with my tennis team for Happy Hour and two birthday celebrations. The restaurant was not crowded and we had a nice table with a window view. There were 14 of us and we all arrived between 5:00 and 5:30. At about 5:35 we placed our dinner order. About twenty or so minutes later the food for some of us was being served. Fifteen to twenty minutes later the remainder of us got our food and
about 15 to 20 minutes after that the last team member received her food. This was very awkward and the funny thing is the last person to receive her food had only ordered soup.
Because we were all in good spirits we didn’t complain about this and just tried to make the best of the situation.
Our waitress was pleasant but not very friendly. She seemed very matter of fact, slightly distracted, and not welcoming.
I my opinion it took way to long for the food orders, and she rarely checked on us.
Every ones food looked good but if it was like my order looks can be deceiving. I ordered the Three Street Taco plate. It came with three street tacos: chicken or carnitas, a very small serving of pinto beans (about ¼ of a cup) and a small serving of Spanish rice (about ¼ of a cup). The tacos had a nice amount of juicy pork with shredded cabbage.
The tacos and the rice were bland and the best item on my plate was the pinto beans. They were seasoned, spicy (mild) and tender.
The drinks were okay, and overall we had fun not because of the restaurant experience but because we were there as a team.