El Toro Loco

My entire experience at El Toro Loco was un desastre (that’s Spanish for disaster). I love to eat out, so I have been to a lot of places in my life, and I can say with 100% certainty that as of the date that I am writing this review, this is hands down THE WORST restaurant I have ever had the displeasure of going to. My group was fairly large (8 people), so we expected to wait for a table on Taco Tuesday. Well, we got to the door and there was a sign that said «No taco Tuesday special today.» Okay, whatever, that’s fine. We still wanted tacos. And margaritas. When it was our turn to sit, we were seated in an alcove behind a wall upstairs. It was kind of weird, but nice to have the privacy in a way. As soon as we sat down, we were brought chips and salsa, which seemed great (the salsa was clearly not freshly made by the way…), but then trouble began.
With a large group, it is easy to get distracted talking to each other, so finally, it became clear that we had been there for 15 or 20 minutes and no one had come by to take our drink order. We snagged a passing server, and he looked startled and said he’d take our orders. Everyone ordered the house margarita in various sizes except for one person who ordered a corona, and we got some queso for an appetizer. Ten minutes pass… twenty minutes pass… we ask the server about our drinks and he assures us they will be right out. Tick tock, tick tock… thirty minutes pass. Okay, this was getting ridiculous. After 43 minutes (yes, I timed it), drinks were brought to the table in tiny plastic dixie cups. None of them had salt or a lime, and none of them were more than 8 oz., certainly not ‘jumbo’. I looked around at everyone sipping their margarita mix (no alcohol?!) and wondered why I had no drink. The server said it was coming right out. I was getting agitated, so I went downstairs to talk to a manager and was told that she was too busy to speak with me. The margarita I ordered came out 23 minutes after the rest of the drinks and the server brought me the queso at the same time. It was cold and congealed. So, after being at the restaurant for nearly an hour and a half, we had not even had our order taken. We tried to order food and another round of drinks, but they never came. I headed down to the bar to order beers and was told by a bartender to «hold on like ten minutes», but was never served. Two girls by the bar told me they were leaving because they hadn’t been served at their table or the bar in almost an hour. It was busy, but not busy enough that I couldn’t easily walk up to the bar. The bartenders were literally doing nothing. After 2 or so hours, someone else in my party attempted to get a manager to get us our check so we could leave, but we were never allowed to speak to a manager and they never brought us the check.
El Toro Loco is the most unprofessional business that I have ever patronized and deserves to be shut down for their blatant disrespect for customers.

I wasn’t a fan of the dining area, the space is typical for South Side though, an old building/​store front of sorts turned into a restaurants. very makeshift and dirty looking. We were sat in front of a huge tv on the wall with a very loud spanish tv show, seriously annoying as hell. We could see all of their storage, boxes, junk under the stair case, you can see all the wires everywhere from the lights and tvs… just very unprofessional looking… not a good vibe.
The food wasn’t good either. Rice taste like rice a roni, meat in tacos was obviously cheap, chips and salsa were just okay…
I imagine if you are a college student this place wouldn’t be that bad, the bar area looks nice, but if you are looking for a good dinner and atmosphere, if you are over the age of 30 you will hate this place.
service: SLLLOOOOWWWW

Birthday bliss, with fun alcoholic beverages and amazing Mexican fare! We went on a Sunday afternoon. The drink special was a ginormous bulldog margarita (margarita with a bottle of corona) for $ 7!!! 3 of those, and I was a much-​too-​happy girl.
As for the food, it was awesome! Also, Huge portions. I don’t think I ate all of my dinner. But, I had 3 bulldog margaritas, so who really knows…
There was singing. There was a birthday tequila shot. I think salsa dancing was happening (again, margaritas). I’m sure I had a great time!

This is not the place that got busted for drugs. That was another location.
However you might think they’re putting something not entirely legal in the guacamole. It’s that good.
This is typical Americanized mexican fair but I think better food then the competition nearby.
Ultimately while good the food is forgetable so that’s why I docked it one star.
I remember our server being new and really amusing. Nice kid.

Wow, this place impressed me.
I LOVE good Mexican food, and unfortunately for us ‘Burghers, we are at a terrible shortage of excellent Mexican options here in the Steel City. However, after a visit to El Toro Loco, my opinion has changed.
I’ve been meaning to try this place out for a while, frequently passing it and going to Patron instead. Sorry Patron, you’ve been kicked to the curb.
So the reason I went here was because I heard they had a Taco Tuesday special all day, as well as Thursday. 99 cent Beef soft or hard.
The tacos were filled with perfectly seasoned ground beef, and topped with fresh lettuce, diced tomato and shredded Americanized cheddar. I would have preferred a Mexican style cheese but I’ll take an authentic taco shell over cheese any day.
The reason I like this place better than patron is simple — they actually season their meat. That, and the complimentary chips were hot and fresh, and the salsa was spicy, home made, and had lots of cilantro.
Soft drinks were super sized and had free refills. (Coke products). TV scenario is excellent at the bar and the specials are ridiculous every day. See posted pictures.
Awesome tacos, great service, cheap, and worth a stop. Will definitely bring friends here to watch a penguins game.

Why did it take me so long to dine here? Why did I wait? Why? Why? Why? Enough with the rhetoric questions from me. I finally had a chance to dine here and I am pleasantly happy. I am a big fan of Mexican food and this place did not disappoint my palate.
I showed up with a friend after the lunch time rush, which was a good idea because there was no wait for a table or service. I like the décor inside as it makes it feel like an authentic Mexican restaurant even though it sits in a late 19^th century European style building. Even if the décor wasn’t spot on, the food sure lets you know that you are in an authentic Mexican restaurant.
Like a majority of Mexican restaurants chips and salsa are a staple on the table (however, due to allergies I wasn’t able to partake in the chips *sad face*). However, I was able to maneuver around the menu and find something I would not have a problem with. I ended up opting for the Burritos Azteca. Now I’m not sure I should say this came out on a plate, it was more like a platter with a small side dish. Not bad for one meal.
The Burritos Azteca consists of three burritos: one ground beef, one pulled chicken and one cheese. All topped with an in-​house sauce that has just the right amount of spice. Accompanying the burritos on the plate is a nice helping each of their fried rice and refried beans. On the small side dish there is lettuce, sour cream and guacamole. Adding those to the burritos evens out the spice so it’s not the most notable aspect of the plate.
I’m not going to lie, I kind of devoured my plate much like an animal. Things were falling out of the burrito with every bite I took. I wasn’t mad, it just left me with the makings of a little Mexican salad on my plate. I ate every single bite on my plates. I wanted more, but I restrained the need to overeat.
The service was top notch here too. Our table was visited frequently to make sure we weren’t in need of anything.
People, when you are in Pittsburgh and have a hankering for some Mexican, I implore you to stop in here. You will not be disappointed.

I’ve only been here once. The food was average. The service was great. The banana Margarita was unbelievable!

I have to struggle with this rating here. I stopped in for Taco Tuesday ($ 1.00 tacos) and a beer. The place was empty and I was served up a beer and free chips and salsa immediately.
The salsa was delicious, some of the best I’ve ever had. It was thick and had a little bit of a kick to it.
The place is very clean, service was fast and courtious and the background Spanish/​Mexican music was not too loud or too soft.
So why the three stars? The server asked if I wanted hard or soft shell tacos and I said hard. But when they arrived they were soft shell. I didn’t make a fuss about it… hey, it’s a dollar taco! They still tasted better than Taco Bell.
A couple came in while I was nursing my beer and the girl ordered soft tacos with no tomatoes. I heard her say this twice and her tacos came with tomatoes. There’s gotta be a disconnect between the servers and the kitchen and for that reason I rate them a three.

lol, i say this in every review, but i will have to do an update!
we came here to celebrate taco tuesday and $ 1 tacos. To be honest, we waited a little for our server to come. like a good 15 minutes. Luckily, bobby tracked someone down and the server mentioned there was a new person that night. Three different employees came over to apologize so that was very sweet of them.
Bobby and i both ordered tacos. the $ 1 tacos on tuesday and thursday only come in beef… but you do get to choose a hard or soft taco unlike other reviews/​tips stated. We enjoyed the free chips and salsa and bobby ordered a margarita. Loved their salsa. Not too spicy but not mild what so ever.
We filled up on the chips and when the taco arrived i kind of felt full. To be honest, I havent really had an appetite since losing my dog. I’ll eat lunch then not eat again till lunch the next day just from the stress and heartache i’ve been dealing with. I literally ate half of one taco then gave bobby the rest. I do have to note that i asked for no tomatoes twice (just to be sure) during ordering and still received tomatoes on all of my tacos –_​–
Even though we were only there for taco tuesday, i checked out their menu. It seems like they have great options and great prices. I’m excited to head back very soon and check out some other menu items. I’ve tried both Emilano’s and Steel Cactus in South Side and was underwhelmed at both, so I really hope this mexican spot is the winner… especially because i live a 5 minute walk away from here!
i will update after my next visit and trying other items from their menu! :)

I’ll start by saying I’ve been a huge fan of Emiliano’s (across the street) for years, so when this place opened across the street while I was living in South Side last year, I had to check out the competition.
And, sadly, its not competition at all. The food was supbar at best. I ordered a ‘salad’ for $ 6 and got a few random vegetables in a very, very small bowl. All the things I subsequently ordered were cold, bland and had very little flavor.
The two stars are for the staff, who was very friendly and accommodating. Maybe I just had a bad experience food-​wise since the place was new, but I don’t think I’ll be returning on any future visits to find out.

I was on the South Side with my wife one evening looking for a place to eat whenever we stumbled upon El Toro Loco. It doesn’t look like much from the outside but once you are inside you are well aware that you are in a Mexican restaurant. There are sombrero’s everywhere on the walls.
For my dinner entrée I decided to order the Burritos Aztecas. While we waited for our food to come out we were given some chips and salsa. This ended up being my favorite part of the meal as the chips were fresh and the salsa had a little kick to it. After finishing the chips my meal came out and consisted of some burritos smothered in some sauces. They ended up being decent and there was enough food that I was stuffed by the time dinner was over.
The bottom line for me is that I might stop by here again in the future. The atmosphere and the food were decent and I imagine that if I hit it on a Tuesday or Thursday night like many of the other reviews had then I would be very happy.

Staff is friendly and the service is good. The salsa is better than other places I have been. The food was good.

To begin, I know better… With that said, I was hoping Unilocal would do me right, but it simply left me $ 15 dollars poorer.
I ordered around the menu but that still did very little to spare me the American Meal. The restaurant should be labeled American w/​a slight influence from south of the border.
Their only saving grace was the server in which I got to chat in Spanish with. She un-​Americanized the menu for me as best as possible but You can be sure that w/​out her, the place would really have to turn my arm to earn 1 star.
Bloody disappointing & yes I know better, for I am in PA & not CA…

Taco Bell gets 3.5 stars and this place is only at 4? COME ON PEOPLE!!! This is THE BEST Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh.
My wife and I were in Cancun 2 weeks ago and after an entire week of Mexican food we both had sworn it off for months… that is, until we were out at Excuses and decided to grab a bite to eat. Fat Heads would have been the first choice but the wait can be crazy long. Sake for sushi was my second choice but the wife wasn’t in the mood. El Toro was her suggestion.
We were not disappointed. We were met by what must be the owners’ wife or the mother of the guys working there, she had a big smile, remembered us from visits past, asked if we would like our same table and immediately seated us and delivered ice water, chips & salsa. Then she introduced our waiter and was off to seat other guests. Our waiter– Mauricio or something– was very friendly, recommended a few specialties then gave us time to decide. He even told us that margaritas & Coronas were half price and we ordered one of each. The mega-​margarita with the mini-​corona is always Kim’s fav and she loved it. That drink is big enough to share but with Mauricio being ‘quick on the draw’ I never had an empty bottle in front of me.
For dinner, we chose the Molcajete Fajitas– steak & chicken (we’re not fans of chorizo) and they were delicious as usual. The quality, service & portions have not changed since our first visit.
We will continue to be customers of El Toro because they deliver what we want– authentic Mexican, fair prices and excellent service.

I am so happy that Pittsburgh has been blessed with El Toro Loco. I almost cried tears of joy as I ate my Pollo Ranchero because it was that good. I LOVE this place! I guess you could say I’m loco for El Toro Loco: D
The staff are super friendly and welcoming. The chips and salsa appetizer is fresh with a kick of spice! The good is prepared so quickly too. Honestly I think I blinked and it appeared in front of me.
Final Thought: This is my new favorite Mexican restaurant

Came here on a Friday night, and while the place wasn’t very full, the environment, the Latin music, and the TVs made the experience much more lively. I was also quite pleased by the extensiveness and friendliness of their menu. They have a ton of different options, including appetizers and salads, tacos and burritos, enchiladas and fajitas, and even large options meant for two. The menu came with a lot of pictures and even helpful descriptions of some of the mainstays for those with less exposure to Mexican food.
The complementary chips and salsa at the beginning were top-​notch. We then started with the chimi rolls, which were delicious and already filling for an appetizer. The rolls contained generous servings of corn and beans and also came with a delicious dipping sauce. We also ordered a molcajete fajita, which I believe was meant for one in contrast to some of the other fajitas on the same menu page, but turned out to be absolutely enormous. At $ 18, this was an extremely affordable option that is definitely enough for two people. It came with all sorts of meat and was exploding with flavor. Also paired nicely with the accompanying beans and arroz.
There are so many different things to try here that I already look forward to coming here again. Give it a try!

When it comes to getting the bang for your buck, this place really knows how to satisfy a poor college student like myself. I came here on a Thursday and just in time for their 99c taco deal. The only meat option was ground beef, but you can choose between soft or hard shell. The tacos are pretty average, your typical Americanized taco, but the fact that it was only 99c per taco made it so amazing. Pour on some hot sauce for that extra kick! And the very best part is that the chips and salsa are FREE!
My meal consisted of three tacos (2 soft and 1 hard shell), chips and salsa. I was super stuffed and the bill came out to be…(*drumroll please*)…only $ 3.15. Cha ching!

After seeing a huge sign on their building stating $ 0.99 tacos and drafts on Tuesdays and Thursdays I knew I had to check it out. Three awesome things… cheap prices, Mexican food and beer!
We arrived right before the Pirates game and the place was pretty dead. We decided to sit at the bar and the bartender/​server gave us the remote to put the game on. Cool! Obviously we wanted to get right to drinking. I noticed there was probably about ten different drafts available. I decided to get a Blue Moon but figured I’d check first to make sure that BM was included in the deal. It wasn’t. Only Bud Light, Coors and YL. Still a decent selection, but if I didn’t ask I would have been upset at my bill at the end of the night. The beer itself was okay. It wasn’t super cold and they serve it in a glass that’s clearly not meant for beer. It’s probably big enough to fill just a little more than a regular 12 oz. can of beer. They’re $ 0.99, though. Can’t really complain.
The tacos were decent. They are hard shells (no soft shells with the special) with an average amount of meat, lettuce, tomato and cheeses. The meat was better than I expected as I thought it was going to taste like fake Taco Bell filler considering they were $ 0.99. They also filled up our chip basket twice and the salsa is very yummy!
Service is so so. The server was away from the bar probably half of the night. The drink specials only last till 9, so my boyfriend was waiting for her to come over to get him a new one. Time kept ticking and she was nowhere to be found. At 8:57 she comes over and says the «special is over.» No, it’s not. We showed her our phones and she agreed to give him two more beers.
I think the place is worth trying, especially considering how cheap their specials are. However, nothing screamed at me to want to return.

We had a party of 7 and in the beginning, advised we needed separate checks. Our drinks took a good 15 minutes to come out. When our food finally came out, two entrees were missing and the orders were wrong. It was about 10 – 15 minutes before the other 2 in our party received their entrees. The food was lukewarm and bland.
We wanted to stick around for drinks, however, our waitress didn’t come back and check on us. Some of our party had to go up to the bar for drinks. When we decided to leave our checks were not separated and when they were, it was wrong. It took about 25 minutes for us to actually pay out (it was not busy).
The waitress was very nice and friendly, but that doesn’t compensate for the time wasted and less that mediocre food.

Wow what a great little Mexican joint! Went here for the world cup match. I wasn’t planning on eating but the smell got to me!
The chips and salsa were standard fair. The drinks were huge here! Definitely get your money worth. I ended up going with the Supreme quesadilla which had steak chicken and shrimp for only $ 13. Not a bad way to go out. It was delicious. Full of flavor. Came with a side of rice, refried beans, and guess what sour cream and guac came free no up charge!
I will definitely be frequenting this place more often. I highly recommend this place and dare I say it’s better than mad mex? Oh blasphemy!