El Torito

Last Saturday I hosted a retirement party at El Torito and was very impressed with the experience from start to finish! First, the Special Event coordinator Romina was very knowledgable and reconfirmed with the Monterey Manager, to address concerns I had for ADA access (American with Disabilities Act). On the night of the event, Alexis Bonds the general manager greeted me at the door and reviewed with me the room set up and meal schedule. Her staff assisted with the final touches on the room. As guests arrived two waiters took drink orders and our party moved on to the taco bar and went on to be a success! Ms. Bonds earlier in the day had helped me navigate a couple of last minute requests, such as a piñata filled with chocolate candies. All night Alexis and her staff were friendly and helpful.
My friend and I checked out and ate at El Torito’s twice before we booked the room and found the service, food and cleanliness has drastically improved over my previous visit eight months ago. We also saw evidence of work being done to reroof the building and add sky lights, so it appears El Torito’s is investing in a comeback on Cannery Row!

Excellent Sunday Brunch! I was surprised to find an El Torito since most have closed down. The bottomless Mimosa and brunch was awesome. Their food choices was abundant. I suggest taking your time eating their food and pace yourself. It is all you can eat. This price was okay for all you can eat. The view was spectacular if you get a window seat. Place is a bit old and busy especially for Sunday Brunch. Overall good review.

PASS! Eat ANYWHERE else but here!
We are locals. Came in late one night for the first time since I hyped my husband up to try it out. Only about 10 tables full. No tourists that night. The hostess said she needed us to sit and wait a few minutes so she could find a table (among the dozens available). We were seated and the server was not attentive to us. Couldn’t speak clear English so it was hard to understand. Got my husbands order very wrong. I ordered the chicken enchilada and it was a soupy mess. I was expecting the Mexican food to be prepared as a true Mexican would prepare it but I’ve had way better at Taco Bell.
No horchata. El pollo loco has horchata but not a major Mexican restaurant chain? So disappointing. Had the flan for dessert. Only decent food item. Other than alcohol, I am shocked they stay in business for having such prime real estate on Cannery Row. $ 60.00 horribly spent.

We were there for dinner on 2÷13÷16. There were multiple events going on that weekend. The original area that they placed us to sit, would only accommodate 5, and we specifically asked for 7. The greeter said «this was the managers fault, so blame her». WOW! The food was great (my wife and I had shrimp fajitas), and the drinks were even better. Unfortunately it seemed that as the night progressed the service went downhill (which wasn’t a shocker given the way it started). My brothers meal was not prepared the way he asked for it to be. When we paid the bill, it took 10 minutes for them to bring back our cards with the receipt for us to sign. Food & Drinks (highly recommend) /​Service (disappointing) /​Atmosphere (decent depending on where you are seated).9

Great seating with ocean views, excellent food and very nice service. I loved the mole enchiladas and my wife loved the enchiladas with spinach and cheese. Afterwards, we shared a deep-​fried ice cream. Parking is free, Canary Row is right there, so what’s there to do, except to enjoy a meal, outstanding views and a tasty dessert. Afterwards, we took a casual walk to see and experience all the shops nearby. Prices are very reasonable at El Torito. We found El Torito well-​staffed, clean and ready to deliver a great dining experience. We’re definitely coming back.

Not a place to come for good Mexican food. Tried to get cheese enchiladas and could not get them served hot… Twice.
Listened to waitress complain how busy she was. Left my second order of cheese enchiladas (cold again) saying she is so done with this place.
Nah, find a better place to eat.

This place is so cool, servers are so sweet and view point is really good I’d like to comeback again two thumbs up

They have all you can eat specials on weekdays yay! I have 4 kids lol service is kinda sucky! Slow and incompetence O-​well that’s the price you pay hen saving money at a cheap Mexican restaurant!

On Wednesdays they have all you can eat enchiladas for only around 11 bucks. Not a bad deal — come hungry. However, be sure to make it clear when you order that you are ordering the all you can eat special because when I ordered my enchiladas and then ordered the refill, the server for some reason thought I was ordering regular enchiladas. When the bill came I was being charged for each serving I ordered. When I told the server I had ordered the all you can eat special, he told me I never specifically said I wanted the all you can eat enchilada special and there was some attitude. I understand it was a misunderstanding but come on, if I’m ordering enchilada refills isn’t it obvious I’m here for the all you can eat special?
The server fixed the bill so I was charged for the special. Even then, I didn’t appreciate the attitude and I’m not sure if I’ll be returning to this location.

Ate there today. Was excited to see they were opened again. Our food took an hour to get out to us, had to ask for refills on our drinks. We asked the hostess who sat us if she could get the manager for us and the manager never once came over to our table. The chicken in my enchilada was slimy, pretty grose. We asked our server for the bill and it took her forever to come back with it. When we left another hostess thankd us for coming and we told her about how the manager never came to our table when we asked to speak with one, her response… sorry come again.
Needless to say we won’t be back and if their food continues to be so horrible and a manager that can’t come take care of their guests when asked should have thought twice about even reopening again!

I haven’t dined in the restaurant for years, but stopped in with my husband and mom for a late lunch in the bar recently. As others have said, the bar is fairly spacious and the views are fantastic being you are sitting right on the bay. On the day we stopped in (a weekday during the holidays), the bar was not too busy. Service was friendly and on point. We were never rushed at all.
I’m pretty picky when it comes to salsa. I prefer smoky, spicy, heavily flavored salsa to the watered down version and El Torito’s version was ok. Chips were warm and fresh. My husband and I love the tableside guacamole and were happy to see that was one of the offerings. We ordered a milder version than we normally would since mom is not a fan of super hot and spicy. I will say the guacamole was pretty darn good.
For lunch we all shared a couple plates of fajitas. Portions are generous and we had quite a bit of leftovers to take home. The steak and chicken were cooked well, tender and juicy, and not overly salty. Vegetables were crispy without being burnt. The plates were brought out sizzling and smoking. Margaritas were really good as well. We did not have the house margarita, but instead a premium version with Don Julio Reposado, Grand Marnier, agave nectar and hand-​made sweet & sour.
My only complaint, and I don’t see it as a fault of this particular restaurant’s management itself, but rather of corporate — the place could use some refurbishing. It was not dirty, but rather somewhat run down. However, if you are looking for a somewhat reasonably priced lunch with a million dollar view on Cannery Row and free parking while you dine, El Torito is your place.

View. View. View and free parking on Cannery Row. The place gets crowded so go after lunch… before dinner for easy seating.
Food is not bad at all. It’s a popular chain. I personally like the bowl of tortilla soup and pepita salad. I’m not a big eater. My husband likes the enchilada plate.
Negative? Lots of families with babies. Simply politely ask not to be seated in that area. El Toritos seems to wisely place the fussy little ones in a group. If you have little ones… ask to sit in the family area. Nobody gets distressed this way.
Again. Free plentiful parking, decent food, arguably the BEST views on Cannery Row.

This place is absolutely disgusting on every level… I don’t know where to begin.
— Front desk is confused and doesn’t seem to know what is going on.
— Booths are infested with flies.
— Menus are sticky with old encrusted moldy food.
— The entire place is dirty and in serious need of a cleaning.
— The servers seem to have no clue of what is going on.
— Food is disgusting and off tasting, other food uncooked.
— Meal took forever to get.
— Servers lie.
— Manager overcharged us on our bill.
— Only mens toilet is broken.
Just downright disgusting. The servers are clueless and in the 20 minutes we sat in the bar waiting for a table, one of our sodas came. The other 2 and a drink eventually came to our table after we had sat down. It was bustling, but not ‘busy’ in the bar. Our server in the bar seemed to have no clue what was going on and kept coming back to our table with nothing but a puzzled look on her face.
The place is just downright dirty. Flies everywhere, both in the bar and the restaurant. Menus don’t open all the way because they’re stuck together with old food. Lastly the windows and walls are just scummy. What better way to look at the beautiful water than through the crusty bodily fluids and food of guests past.
Our server at the table seemed to also be a bit clueless and was distant. Our orders were taken but were not corrected when they arrived… and flagging her down was quite difficult. Our fajitas came out with warm (not hot nor sizzling) meat and crisp onions and peppers (oh, and potatoes… for some odd reason). We asked for it to be taken back and actually cooked a tad (get some color to the veggies) etc. and they did. They brought out the same food that had just gone under a warmer or something. still nothing was cooked, and when asked if this was new food, the server said yes (even though the uniquely shaped piece of chicken we had ripped apart was still there, in the same place). Beans were off tasting. Food was downright disgusting.
When it was time for the bill, it took forever to get it, and then we could not find our waitress to get it to her. The manager finally walked by after 10 minutes of holding the bill out for anyone to take and he went and ran the card. He ran the card for $ 70 instead of the $ 66 our meal was… and upon inspection it was the same ticket number, the same order number etc… it was simply ran for the wrong price. When we pointed this out to our server, she took it back and gave us a proper one. When we asked about the mix up, she blabbed on about something that did not make any sense about it being the wrong bill but it was our bill (to be honest her english was not the best). Either way, this was very sketchy, unprofessional, and probably has scammed many people out of their few extra bucks in the past.
Loooong story short, regardless of the view, DO NOT GO HERE. I’d complain to the management but have a feeling they simply do not care.

My family and I dropped by this restaurant because it had more variety for my allergy-​ridden cousins. And we had finished our trip to the aquarium.
The hostess took down our name and we waited for our table. We waited for 30 – 45 mins when there was no line. They took a long time to bus the tables and we finally got seated. They basically took forever on seating us, taking our order, giving us the kid’s dessert, giving us our bill and everything. The only thing that was speedy was our complimentary chips and salsa.
The food is whatever, didn’t taste fresh and it was really salty. I had to drink a lot of water. The strawberry cilantro drink was refreshing.
The service and management was horrendous. I have been to other El Torito establishments and this by far, was the worst.
P. S. My baby cousins who had the vanilla sundae felt nauseous 20 mins later.

Skip to bottom for explanation of 2-​star rating.
Here for Office Christmas party. This El Torito is a typical chain Mexican restaurant. Food was as expected average. Staff here was very friendly and attentive. Location relatively clean, with an abundant free parking lot directly in front of the restaurant. Very nice ocean views as the restaurant hangs over the cliff onto Monterey Bay; very nice. Prices a little on the high side but inexpensive compared to other nearby Canary Row restaurants.
One of the waitresses spilled drinks all over one of my colleagues and was helpful cleaning him up and we said it is fine just bring us a couple Margaritas on the house and we are good. She laughed about it and obviously did not realize we were serious. So MINUS 1-​star for this. Which would have made this a 4-​star review instead they get a 3-​star review for poor management decision after spilling drinks literally on top of one of our guys and then taking NO corrective actions; bad form. Manager must have been sleeping!
UPDATE…And see the LAME response from their manager below. «Oh sorry your experience was less than stellar… Thanks for nothing. Not sure we will be back. You all failed to take corrective action about it before when we were all sitting there then when I tell you about it in a review. You all AGAIN take NO corrective action; Buyer beware. Minus 1-​star more.

What can I say nothing really great nothing really bad. Food was just ok. Really nice location we sat in the bar area over looking the ocean. I ordered the macho combo. I must say the white sauce enchilada that came with my meal tasted like those frozen stoffers enchiladas meals that you get from your frozen food section at the super market. Considering the location the price was reasonable.

We came to visit Monterey bay and decided for Mexican for a change after a couple of seafood meals. This is a chain but this location and service is superb. The food is yummy with huge portion, we made the «mistake» of ordering the appetizer platter plus entrees. The appetizer platter can feed two people a whole meal in itself, and everything tastes fresh and yummy. We also got a window table with the view of the bay. I mean where else can you find a non pretentious waterfront restaurant with reasonable price? (Entrees here average $ 15, very affordable for a bay front restaurant). Highly recommended if you need a break from seafood.

So, for the last several years I haven’t come here for dinner, so I won’t comment on its regular menu. This is a review for it’s Sunday Brunch. $ 20 per person all you can eat and all the mimosas you can drink (though, if you get the wrong waiter, warning: they might try to cut you off). Not all of the food offered in the buffet is «great,» but most of it is «very good.» For example, they have an omelet and taco bar. Because I only eat fish, I can’t comment on the taco bar, but the omelet bar is great. They have both Mexican and American breakfast fare, so that along with you enchiladas, beans, rice, ceviche, horchata, sweet corn cake (!!!) and pan dulce you have pancakes, frosted flakes, sausage, and brownies. Also, there is plenty of fresh fruit to be had here.
My only gripe about this, and tip to you is that if you have kids, they will still charge you $ 20 per person, which in my opinion, is unfair because (1) kids eat less; and (2) they don’t drink Mimosas.
Nonetheless, it’s a great deal for adults, and you get to eat brunch with front row seats to the Bay.

We came to this place to try their Summer Ocean Menu. We ended up having buffet for brunch at$ 22.99/person. 12yrs old and below was $ 6.99 and 5 and below are free.
I love the different stations that they have around the restaurant. Omelette, Taco/​Burrito, Salad, Fruit, Dessert, Beverage, Cereals, and Meat/​Rice station. I tried every salad and salsa that they had.
There’s an abundance of meat, beans, cheese, salsa, and all other goodies in every station. Except for the salty omelette and dry brownie cake, everything else tasted great! The ribs were very tender, the chicken soup was tasty, and the Carne Verde was enticing.
The service in this place is also commendable.
It’s one of the best valued restaurant in this touristy and expensive Cannery Row area.

Normally, when I’m vacationing, I try to find the little hole-​in-​the-​wall places, not the chains, but the location of this one was too good to pass up. Unlike the other restaurants on the water that want $ 30-​$ 50 a plate, we knew El Torito would be reasonably priced, so we waited for a table. They told us 45 minutes to an hour, but it was only about half an hour.
Being vegetarian, eating at smaller restaurants means asking a lot of questions, but at El Torito, I already know that their red sauce is not safe for vegetarians, but the green sauce is. The rice is made with chicken stock, but the beans de la olla are not. I had the veggie fajitas, which I have ordered at several El Toritos, and it is really hit or miss on the veggies they include in the fajitas — they rarely throw in everything they list in the menu, which is irritating. This time, they left out the potatoes and green beans that are listed in the menu. It was carrots, peppers, zucchini, summer squash, and onions, but that’s a pretty decent mix anyway, so it was okay.
Our server was fantastic, and the view cannot be beat. We literally watched an otter swimming around under our table. Truly worth the price and the wait.