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Name: El Torito
Address: 2950 Lakeside Dr, Santa Clara, CA, 95054
Telephone: (408) 727-4426
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 2.85

El Torito

2950 Lakeside Dr, Santa Clara, CA, 95054

(408) 727-4426
Store is closed

El Torito Menu

A La Carta

Fresh Guacamole

Refried Beans Or Rice

Frijoles De La Olla

Sweet Corn Cake

Shredded Beef Or Chicken Crispy Taco

Sour Cream

Chile Relleno

Cheese Beef Or Chicken Enchilada

Chicken Or Carnitas Tamale

Grilled Chicken Or Carnitas Soft Taco

Grilled Steak Soft Taco
Enchiladas Y Burritos

Chicken & Sour Cream Enchiladas

Sizzling Enchiladas

Enchiladas Rancheras

Vegetable Enchiladas

Burrito Especial

Carne Asada Burrito

Picadillo Burrito

Shrimp Mazatlan Enchiladas
Favoritos De Mexico

Grilled Soft Tacos

Mexico City Tacos

Carnitas

Carne Asada

Sonora-Style Quesadilla Plat

Grilled Breast of Chicken
Fajitas Grandes

Grilled Chicken Breast Fajitas

Grilled Steak & Chicken Breast Fajitas Combo

Grilled Chicken & Shrimp Fajitas Combo

Jose Cuervo Flaming Fajitas Supremas

Grilled Steak Fajitas

Shrimp Fajitas
Sopa Y Ensaladas

Grilled Fajitas Salad

Tostada Grande

Tropical Chicken Salad

Tropical Salad

Tortilla Soup

Grilled Chicken Mexican Caesar Salad

Mexican Caesar Salad

Grilled Chicken Taco Salad

Mexican Caesar Salad Combos
Antojitos

Fresh Tableside Guacamole

Taquitos De Camarones

Nachos Supreme

Roasted Pasilla Chile & Cheese Quesadilla

Fiesta Grande Platter

Sopes

Tropical Shrimp Quesadilla

Mexican Buffalo Wings
Postres

Sizzling Brownie Sundae

Home-Style Flan

Chocolate Volcano Cake

Deep-Fried Ice Cream

Healthy Meal suggestions for El Torito

A La Carta

Fresh Guacamole [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Refried Beans Or Rice [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Frijoles De La Olla [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sweet Corn Cake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shredded Beef Or Chicken Crispy Taco [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sour Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chile Relleno [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cheese Beef Or Chicken Enchilada [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Or Carnitas Tamale [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Chicken Or Carnitas Soft Taco [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Steak Soft Taco [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Enchiladas Y Burritos

Chicken & Sour Cream Enchiladas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sizzling Enchiladas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Enchiladas Rancheras [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Vegetable Enchiladas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Burrito Especial [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Carne Asada Burrito [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Picadillo Burrito [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp Mazatlan Enchiladas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Favoritos De Mexico

Grilled Soft Tacos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mexico City Tacos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Carnitas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Carne Asada [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sonora-Style Quesadilla Plat [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Breast of Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Fajitas Grandes

Grilled Chicken Breast Fajitas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Steak & Chicken Breast Fajitas Combo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Chicken & Shrimp Fajitas Combo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Jose Cuervo Flaming Fajitas Supremas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Steak Fajitas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp Fajitas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sopa Y Ensaladas

Grilled Fajitas Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tostada Grande [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tropical Chicken Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tropical Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tortilla Soup [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Chicken Mexican Caesar Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mexican Caesar Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Chicken Taco Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mexican Caesar Salad Combos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Antojitos

Fresh Tableside Guacamole [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Taquitos De Camarones [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Nachos Supreme [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Roasted Pasilla Chile & Cheese Quesadilla [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fiesta Grande Platter [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sopes [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tropical Shrimp Quesadilla [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mexican Buffalo Wings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Postres

Sizzling Brownie Sundae [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Home-Style Flan [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chocolate Volcano Cake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Deep-Fried Ice Cream [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Visit below restaurant in Santa Clara for healthy meals suggestion.

Denny’s ( 1745 El Camino Real )

Visit below restaurant in Santa Clara for healthy meals suggestion.

Denny’s ( 1745 El Camino Real )

Write An Anonymous Review

Jim S.

Service OK. Food average. Music too loud to hear your self think.
(3)
Mario N.

TERRIBLE! Stay away. Cold food. Takes 45 mins to get your order taken. Then another 45 for everything else. Not to mention the cold food. They messed up our order and then gave attitude about it. Then the hostess pestered my friend when he posted his review of this place for 5 mins on end. DO NOT COME. I got better service and food at mcdonalds
(1)
Gloria H.

3.5 stars. El Torito in general is not bad. The decor has a fiesta feel. We went straight to the outdoor seating that has some tables for 4 and one for 6 with some patio umbrellas. My friend and I ordered the Fiesta Grande Platter to share and it is plenty! The large platter has crispy chicken flautas, roasted chile de arbol wings, cheese nachos, carnitas sope, cheese quesadillas and fresh guacamole - everything was tasty. Of course, we washed them down with a cold one (2) - Dos Equis ambar - it was nice and cold. A great place to hang with friends on a nice day.
(3)
Peter C.

El Torito's is pretty good Mexican food overall. The only draw back being this location is very inconsistent with making drinks. That being said I frequent this place for lunch only now and hit other places Friday nights for our dinner and drinks night out. The food is very authentic though and fills you up. I still come here a lot when I am in the mood for Mexican food. Portions are generous and waiters are very friendly.
(4)
Scott C.

Taking into consideration that this review is based on the lunch buffet.. The lunch buffet consist of a fajita bar plus a few other items. We were some of the first people in for lunch and the tray with cheese enchiladas only had one in it. I was surprised that it was not full. As it turns out the cheese enchilada was not very good so I really should not complain about it but I do for posterity. They did have chicken special in sauce that was good. Rice and beans were classic and heavy. Sliced fruit was OK. Can't go wrong with the do it yourself salad. The service was very friendly and gets a 5 star. I will try to order something off the menu next time to see if it is any better and will provide an update.
(2)
Heather Violet B.

I come here only for the sunday buffet and the happy hour. Otherwise, there are way better mexican restaurants out there that don't have that "chain" feel. However, I do love the sunday buffet and the happy hour isn't bad - it goes until 8pm and half off of their appetizers and $3 drinks ain't bad! The thing that keeps my rating lower is the service is really slow at times - which is probably why I prefer the buffet the most where you can just help yourself.
(3)
Jessie F.

My most FAV place to eat! Drinks are great the bartenders are awesome!!! The food is delish!
(5)
Will S.

Haikus #2: Lunch Specials are great. We had free guacamole. 4 stars all the way. Service was helpful. Mexican food is delish. Uh-Oh. Food coma. I will come back soon. El Torito is so good. Gee, Double O, Dee.
(4)
Cree D.

I love there house dressing!!! And they sell it by the pint!
(4)
Ken L.

Review is for happy hour. They go all out. DJ, dance floor, karaoke. Lots of cheap drinks ($3 well drinks and margaritas) and cheap food (though it's typical bar food and a lot of it is pretty spicy). Service wasn't too bad either. Best thing is, happy hour ends at 8pm! Later than most. But may be tough to find places to sit.
(4)
C M.

This place is HIDEOUS. The food is worse than Smart Ones frozen low cal meals. I was invited out again to El Torito's and there is NO way I would PAY to eat this "food".
(1)
Suzy G.

I had to pick up some food from there and deliver to our outher building. I thought they closed all of the El Toritos. I buffett looked really good so I asked them to cater a fun lunch party at my work. The manager was very nice and helped me pick out some fantastic food. They delivered and it was fantastic! The employees loved everything. Even the vegetarians loved the veggie enchaladas and salas. The Flan was delicious.
(5)
Jaymes H.

Come here for happy hour. Overall a bit better-tasting than Pedro's a couple blocks away, which is overshadowed by the fact that it doesn't offer free food like Pedro's does. However, it has 1$ tacos during HH, which while not free can keep you fed for cheap.
(3)
Allison K.

Alright..so I take a few things back. We went a few times recently and every time the service has improved. Maybe we came on a bad night. Excellent! Because we love the food :)
(4)
Juicy C.

Loving the buffet!!! Especially the chefs choice and tacos on sunday mornings. Deep fried ice cream is amazing too. Great customer service.
(4)
Stewart F.

El Torito is a family friendly restaurant where you know what you will get every time. The service here is excellent, the food is good and the price is right. You can get anything you want from the bar. We will continue to go back here.
(5)
Phuong H.

I love El Torito. This place is close to my house so I tend to come here often. I really really love their chicken fajita salad. They also have really good chips and salsa, guacamole, fajitas and burritos. -1 star because their server can be mean and rude sometimes. They need to hire nicer servers. Other than that everything here is pleasant.
(4)
Nemas F.

Best Mexican Food EVER!!!!!!!!!!!! Tortilla Soup A+++Carne Asada +++ Salsa A+++ ALL A+++ If you have the right Waiter.
(5)
Vaishali S.

Good happy hour with a lot of food choices. I also like how you can "upgrade" your happy hour well drinks for $1 (worth it if you wanna skip the headache because of the cheap stuff :)). The food was decent and I loved the chips and salsa.
(3)
Ellie F.

Solid lunch buffet. I'll be back, and ready to take advantage!
(3)
Robert S.

Well the food was fair and the service was OK but the room had an overall mildew or mold smell . ( Back left corner of the building near the bar ) Really not a good dining experience.
(1)
paul t.

Taco Tuesday woot! I love there steak and chicken tacos! Very fresh and authentic. I usually ask them to grill my tortilla little longer i like mines lil crispy with all the fixing. Also happy hours 1/2 off appetizers =D They need to refined there menu just a lil bit, some dish i had seem like its aquired taste =/ Bottom line, cheap, clean, & fills you up!
(3)
Elyse S.

I love this restaurant for happy hour in the bar. Cheap margaritas and pretty good food. Sometimes it's easy to fill up on all the delicious chips and salsa, though :)
(4)
Serena L.

I used to go to the El Tortito when it was in Vallco Mall (Cupertino Square) but every once in a while I'll take the drive to Santa Clara to El Torito. I'm not a fan of their Sunday brunch but there is a lot of food offered. From over the years, I've picked my favorites as their Chicken Fajitas (can be easily split with another person). Their Fajitas come with beans but I ask them to substitute their delicious corn cake for the beans. (No extra charge). Usually their chips (lightly salted) and salsa (not too spicy) just fill me up.
(4)
Angela G.

Well I was on my way to L.A and I had to get gas and I was starving so I stopped at El Vomitto to get food. Did not want fast food but Taco Bell would of been a better choice. They sat me right away with a menu but then I sat n sat n sat . Finally a server took my order and asked me if I wanted soup or salad . I picked the soup. It was watery but I was starving. I would say the service is fast once they notice you. I had a rolled taco platter. 2 veggie, 2 chicken & 2 beef. I put the sauce on it and it was good. Then I let my mouth rest from the spicey and I could actually taste the food. Yuck! I didn't finish all my food but masked the after taste with more salsa & chips & coke. The bill was $18.00. What a joke. I'll tack my chances elsewhere. I hope I don't get sick. On a better note the servers are nice.
(2)
Carly L.

I have enjoyed going to this particular location because of the $1 tacos, lots of margarita choices, and good service but learned something disturbing tonight :( My friend, as well as other's cars were broken into...the police came and didn't do a thing because "cars get broken into 2-3 times a week here" ummmmm so what is being done to STOP this? Why wouldn't El Toritos put more cameras in the parking lot? If there are so many break ins why aren't the cops investigating the staff since my friends car was right outside the emergency exit door....which could be convenient for staff to access??? I won't be going back since this establishment is NOT trustworthy.
(2)
Mimi T.

I'm a SC native, and I had no idea that we even had an El Torito in the neighborhood! This place is my friend's happy hour spot.... food is half off, and so are some of the drinks. Service was good, and drinks were ok... after a few blended pineapple things I was pretty tipsy (I'm a lightweight). The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't extraordinary either... Although, I did find the chicken flautas to be rather tasty.... Great place to have a few drinks with friends and actually get service because most places with happy hours are rather busy. It's tucked away and may be a little difficult to find, but it really is a great hidden happy hour spot!
(3)
Kellie H.

My husband and I go here quite a bit. The servers can be so-so depending on the day. But a few weeks ago we had a waiter, Roy, and he was absolutely great! We ended up going there last night and asked for him and he was doing a great job again even with having 5 tables +. When we left we spoke with the manager letting him know aout the good experience and he let us know that Roy just started a few weeks ago and he was very pleased to hear how great of a job the waiter was. If you go here, ask for him. He is so friendly, gets your food in a timely manner, and makes sure to check up on you. I've never had bad food here, it's always very delicious, and their chips and salsa are really good! If you get desert have the fried ice cream, yumm!
(5)
Marcustron J.

I come here for the Sunday brunch and me likes it. Me likes it a lot. Omelet bar with a lot of fixings always make for a happy Marcus along with fresh waffles and carnitas tacos. Not too pricey either compared to Pedro's across the freeway. The servers keep my glass full of orange juice and if you're feeling really hardcore, they have all you can drink mimosas. Oh damn party in here
(4)
Crystal C.

Great prices for happy hour...$3 margaritas. Tuesdays they have $1 tacos and fridays karaoke after 730.
(3)
Ian C.

I meet a friend after work, but we missed Happy Hour deals. Margaritas were okay, but would have been better if discounted. Food was pretty good for a Mexican chain restaurant. The carnitas tacos were flavor able and the salsa hit the spot. Waiter was extra friendly and checked on us ever 5 minutes it seemed. Price, even with out the happy hour deal was good. 3 out of 5, just because it was not the best Mexican restaurant I had been to that week.
(3)
Spencer H.

I had a pleasant experience going to this El Torito after a few long hours of rock climbing. Our server was one of the best I ever had. He gave us a lot of helpful recommendations for the large group I went with, and he knew what our table wanted (i.e. nonstop flow of chips and salsa and even a bag for everyone to take home). I had my order of enchiladas which was delicious, but once again, bravo to the server.
(5)
Angela C.

is this AUTHENTIC Mexican food? of course not. That's like going to Panda Express and trying to make an honest critique about the authenticity of their grab and go chinese food selection... I go there knowing that the only thing that is authentic is my waiter or waitress. But by setting a low expectation when I go in.... well that makes the mediocre food taste great! I must admit though, I do LOVE their crispy chicken flautas... but you gotta have them during happy hour because they are only $2.50. $2.50?! YES.... $2.50. The last time i bought anything for $2.50 I was left smelling like stale cigarettes and had a rash
(4)
Meri M.

Awful. Took us 45 minutes just to get seated even though we called in to get on the list, and it took another 39 minutes to get our food. The food isn't good at all, the steak tasted like BBQ mixed with retried beans and cheese (I got nachos). All for sky high prices. Bottom line: don't eat here. Ick.
(1)
Bruce's A.

My best friend and I on a complete whim decided to try this place out, on a Sunday of all days, and let me tell you, we were happy campers!!! We were seated fairly quickly, which was really nice, and came to findout this place is all-you-can-eat. My best friend can-eat-it-all!!!! She goes for gold when there is a finite amount of food presented to her. The first question our waitress asked us was, "Would you like bottomless mamosas?" Her and I both looked at each other, confirmed an answer with our eyes, then looked at the waitress and both said "HE** TO THE YES!" We had so many mamosas! We also went to try out the food of course, which was actually really good! They have Pan Dulce (Mexican sweet bread), Huevos (Eggs), all sorts of breakfast things! It was really nice! And there was a gentleman making fresh omletes out of ingredients you choose!!! HOW GREAT IS THAT! The bill for what we consumed was actually really good, because we ate (and drank) a lot! Overall; nice little place for breakfast and drinks if you want a mexican breakfast at a fair price
(5)
Sue C.

Five of us for dinner at 8pm on a Friday night and we were seated right away without reservations. The hostess was smiling and friendly as were all the wait staff and when we left we got a smile and a "Thank you for coming." These small details really makes one feel welcome. The grandkids got the kid's cheese quesadillas one had the fries and the other had the rice with it. They loved them--the tortillas were light and flaky and really stuffed with cheese. My daughter and son in law had the Mexican Caesar salad and raved about the unique dressing. My daughter and I had the Sizzling Enchilladas ($12) hers with steak, mine with chicken accompanied by rice and a small scoop of a sweet cornbread. The flavors reminded me of ZTejas. The kids had the deep fried ice cream for desert. I took a small bite of the ice cream and it had a wonderful rich vanilla flavor. Portion sizes were large and we had plenty of leftovers to take home. The chips and salsa with the meal were spot on. Unlike some Mexican food places that serve greasy, thick or stale chips, these chips were warm, fresh, thin and light with no greasy taste nor feel. The salsa was fresh with enough spices to have some zing without your lips going numb. Overall, this was an excellent dining experience. Final details: Parking was adequate and ramp transition and sidewalk grade from the parking lot to the restaurant are stroller friendly and easy for the mobility impaired.
(4)
Amanda N.

Really enjoyed the food here. For appetizers my boyfriend and I ordered the nachos with shredded chicken which was really good. For the main course he ordered the fajita trio (?) and that was sooooo good! I ordered the carne asada and it was HUGE! With a side of rice and beans. Yummm The food was great but the service was not that great... I mean there were only 3 tables that were taken out of the whole restaurant. Our server, Jose, was really nice though and the gentleman who sat us down. Not terrible service but slow.
(4)
Allister D.

I'm giving 4 stars for their Sunday brunch buffet with bottomless Mimosas. For $17.99 you get: A full salad bar with unique dressings including cilantro sauce*, full taco bar with choices of chicken, steak, and carnitas. A bar full of sweet pastries that includes hot waffles and churros, a soup bar with menudo, and a large bar that has sweet corn, chicken and sausages, potatoes, rice and beans, more! The deal is a great one. You an take advantage of the buffet for almost 6 hrs! Take your time and eat. I def recommend the waffles and tacos. There's even a omelet section where a guy cooks for you! This place is great for the Sunday brunch buffet, otherwise I wouldn't spend money for their a la carte. Thanks!
(4)
Ignacio O.

My review got to management. That's all that matters. I'm just someone with the misfortune of having an unpleasant experience from the MANY patrons/Yelpers who love this place.
(1)
Stef D.

Sunday brunch at El Torito is glorious for under $20. You get one beverage (unlimited re-fills and you can choose a mimosa or champagne as your unlimited drink!) and unlimited buffet food, including a fresh made (in front of you) tortilla taco bar, and an omelet bar. Know that the fresh made takes way longer than buffet, though. Food includes lunch and breakfast options, and fresh fruit and dessert. The sweet corn casserole thing is to die for. Staff is friendly, though like many Sunday unlimited buffets, they can be a little slow due to high customer demand. We've been here 3-5 times and enjoyed it every time. One strange thing to note is that the women's bathroom is often a wreck, but according to my fiance, the male bathroom is always really clean. Weird.
(4)
Yaneth B.

Lili was an amazing waitress With no hesitation Alejandro is a great bartender And belly a great manager
(5)
Khan A.

Very bad service. Took them forever to bring my food when I got it the cheese wasn't melted all the way. First time here and last time as well. Lol I want my money back. NOW!! El Torito sucks please save time and money go somewhere else if not then just give me your money. Btw they over charge.
(1)
Chris Y.

I decided to place an order to-go for lunch, and chose this place solely because they're close to my work. I should've known better because this place was terrible. When I got back to my office the food was barely lukewarm, but that wasn't the worst. I could live with that if the food was actually good, which it wasn't! I ordered the Beef Enchilada and Chicken Tamale combo, which came with Beans and Rice. The Enchilada was so flavorless and bland, and it barely had any meat in it. The Tamale was so dried out, and I'm actually convinced they didn't even put any chicken in it. The rice was unbelievably dry and bland. And the best review goes to the beans even though they were just okay. Overall I don't see why anyone would eat at this terrible place. They are serving up some of the worst "Mexican" food I've ever had in my life. I feel ripped-off because it wasn't cheap either.
(1)
MARIA M.

I got my wallet back 2 days later, I have just been too busy to write an update.. all my money & my credit cards were gone of course, along with $380.00 in gift cards that I had gotten for my birthday. I did get back my DL and my kids baby pictures back, so I am grateful for that! I probably will go back since it is a very fun place, I would just be cautious of my surroundings. Trina the guest service manager did contact me, I give her 5 stars for the the way she handled the situation.
(3)
Ryan S.

I was stuck at a nearby hotel without a car and needed some food. The lobby recommended here over Sizzler and the food was great. I got a cheese enchilada and a beef taco combo. The food tasted great and was a very reasonable price. The service wasn't super fast but was reasonable enough for me, just not the most friendly. A smile would have helped. Anyway, I would definitely recommend this place for good food.
(4)
Natalie G.

I've been here many times and let tell you recently they have started sucking.... Instantly I felt nausea and a bad stomach ache... El torito sucks now =(
(1)
Jessica C.

We went for dinner on a night that they had a private event going on. There was very very loud Mariachi music playing. So having a conversation was hard. The waitress was really nice to us which made things better. But in the end we had to wait a long time for water, ordering, and our food. We were there over two hours. Furthermore the waitress kept coming back to let us know of something that they had ran out of. The manager had gone into the kitchen to help them. By the time we got our food we just wanted to get out of there. We ate quickly and the food was meh. After I finished my fajita I was moving my plate over and accidentally moved the hot plate it comes on. Underneath it I found left overs from a previous meal! They had to have put the hot plate on this wooden part and there was a lot of food on there. There was no way they didn't see it. And if they didn't it still doesn't make it better because you wonder what else is going on in the kitchen. No one wants to see left overs / half eaten food on their plate from another table. Maybe I was over reacting but I felt grossed out.
(1)
Annice P.

I've heard it all. My husband waited over 30 minutes for a second serving of the Mahi tacos during the all you can eat Friday special. When someone asked the manager why it was taking so long, she said maybe they had to go to the store to buy more Mahi. I've heard it all. SMH. I'm done. Never will I come back to this place. We are a party of 13. Crazy!!!
(1)
Kivani R.

Stars for the server/bartender who was really nice and tried his best to accommodate everyone. Waited so long for the food (almost 40 minutes and counting) my bf and I decided to leave and go to jack in the box across the way. It was our first time here so we were pretty confused about where to go when I walked in since there was no host. Only one person running the entire restaurant around 12pm. Poor guy, help him out! Sorry we left dude, I was starving!!!!!!!!!!
(2)
Michelle S.

Love this place always very friendly great margaritas good food outside seating Great for parties love karaoke big bar
(5)
Toricakez A.

Came here for a staff meeting. They had a Taco Bar! It was Delishh! The room where it was held at was very big and beautiful. Would very much like to come again!
(4)
Kim T.

My department and I went out for a lunch meeting on Wednesday. We all ordered different dishes. I had the combo with a chicken enchilada and flautas and after arriving back to work 30-40 minutes after eating, I RAN into the restroom and threw up. I threw up about 8 times in the same day. It was the worst food poisoning. All I could smell was enchiladas.. awful. When I called the restaurant to inform them, they had corporate call me to literally justify why I did not get food poisoning from their restaurant. I'm literally laying in bed, trying to come back from the dead, while they're yapping away on the phone.. "our food is the freshest, I'm not a doctor but I don't think food borne bacteria should effect you that fast.. it usually takes 24-48 hours." REALLY? I don't remember the girl's name, but honestly.. If I was not sick in bed while listening to that, I would've screamed her ear off. What kind of place does this? Instead of justifying how fresh your food is, go check your kitchen and retrace the steps to find out what you could've done better. NEVER AGAIN.
(1)
R H.

Sunday Brunch today. The food was okay, I've had better. Service was - almost non-existent. Though the waiter only had to do beverages, we had to ask twice for everything, when we could catch his eye, every time. NOT a good experience. We even had to ask twice for the bill. If you don't actually need to drink anything, I can recommend it. But their advertised bottomless mimosas sure had a bottom for our party.
(2)
Anthony Z.

A+ for consistency and authenticity! Whether you are in California or Arizona, El Torito delivers the very best in Mexican food and a fun atmosphere. If you like margaritas, order the Cadillac! You will not be sorry.
(5)
John C.

Worst service is its best consistency. Our office has come here three times. 18-20 people each time. Advanced reservations were made each time. Each time the tables weren't even arranged let alone set up. Our reservations were for 1pm with Chips and Guacamole to be on the table upon our arrival. We are still waiting for our drinks and food order has not been taken. It is now 1:35pm. Ahh, at last they are making the guacamole. The manager has shown no concern at all and no apologies have been made at this point. Last of the food served after 2PM and most of the table was already finished eating. The last two items served were a chicken Caesar salad and tortilla soup. REALLY?! The only salvation was a sincere (and I mean it) apology from the manager on duty, which pleased our CEO. With the exception of the apology and promise to make future accommodations with our firm, this was a disaster.
(2)
Denise L.

Love the Sunday buffet They have a variety of different Mexican food they also make omelette and fresh tortillas so good
(5)
Briana C.

Ordered the guacamole and it was pretty good. I wish I had gotten it spicier. It is pretty spacious. I ordered the Tortilla soup as my main entree. It was a watery tomato based soup with chicken and veggies, cheese, and tortillas strips that got soggy fast. I wish I had had an appetite for something heartier but I was not feeling so good this day. Good service, amazing guacamole, good salsa, and subpar soup.
(3)
Richard W.

Great food and service Angel is the best waiter around! Chris is new manager! The best!
(5)
Sigrun W.

On 6/13/15 my Husband and I celebrated both our Birthdays and again we chose to do it at El Torito @ Lakewood Dr. In Santa Clara. We had over 20 of our Friends and Family with us and El torito made it special again! The Food and the Service was outstanding, we all had a great time, thanks El Torito!!!
(5)
Robert C.

El Torito is another of those innumerable Mexican food chain restaurants, similar to Chevy's and Pedros. In fact Pedros is just across highway 101 next to Great America. El Torito is in a high tech industrial park section of Santa Clara, within one block of highway 101 south, in the Oakmead shopping center. We came here on a Saturday, armed with a $10 coupon toward the minimum purchase of $35 that we had received in the mail. Otherwise I would not have bothered driving from Sunnyvale, 7 miles away. The place is definitely very clean with well kept landscaping and attractive looking dining area and furnishings, surrounding an interior courtyard, similar to what you see in the movies. We get a booth, and find all our neighbors speaking Spanish to the waiters. Freshly heated chips and salsa arrives promptly. We decline drinks, only water, and place our orders, while listening to soft mariachi music through the loudspeakers. My wife gets the $19 6 oz Salmon covered with mango salsa and accompanied by spinach. She likes it, and thinks it is a good value. I get the $17 frijita flank steak with onions, red and green peppers, combined with 4 corn tortillas, and some watery Spanish beans. The steak is very good, tasty, and not too tough -amazing as usually steak frijitas are composed of the less desirable skirt steak. We get out of there for $34 after tip and tax and discount. If the restaurant were located closer to us, and not in the boondocks, we would be back. However, this place is impossible to get to during weekdays due to the horrendous gridlock traffic on the nearby highway south 101 flowing into central San Jose.
(3)
jim p.

We were in the bar section at 5pm on a Saturday. Two waitresses and two bartenders were in the section to handle a total of 3 tables (including us) with a total of 10 people between the tables. It took over 10 minutes for anyone to come and ask us if we needed a drink, brought chips, anything. When our food arrived the enchiladas were cold and tough. They had obviously been sitting in a pan for a while and weren't fresh. Rice was cold. My taco was ok though, but the rest was inedible. It was made an ok value because we only had to pay for the drinks, but that's kinda a sad upside. When we asked for the manager we never saw him or her the waitress just came back with the food knocked off the check. Meaning they're used to this happening and just accept it. Sad!
(1)
Stephanie M.

Good food and drinks. Also great service from our server Fernando. Definitely will be coming back
(5)
Ecogreen D.

I love this place it's a great family atmosphere. The waiter Fernando was the best waiter we have ever had in a restaurant. He was very attentive and very I mean very serviceable. The food was awesome I would diffidently be coming back here.
(5)
Teddy G.

I was invited by a friend who said they loved their food and I wasn't impressed tbh. The service was great but the food lacked taste in my opinion. My enchiladas were too firm and bland. The salsa was most disappointing for me though seeing that I am a salsa connoisseur. The place itself had a great layout and good ambience to it. It just wasn't for me but I know others love this place. I might be willing to come back and try it again but over a margarita!
(3)
Alex L.

We came here to celebrate the departure of my boss, who quit after 19+ years. I wouldn't have came otherwise. I think we picked the wrong night to come bc it was Karoake night. It was loud and not in a good way. People were singing badly in Spanish and even worse in English. This one guy thought he was Pitbull and even had the shades and the bald head only he couldn't rap worth a damn. We all know there's only one Pitbull (Elite extraordinaire Adam D)! I didn't try out their food, but typically these places aren't known for great authentic Mexican food. Their chips/salsa was excellent tho! We asked the waitress several times for more a refill since the 6 of us was sharing one small bowl and she brought back only salsa. WTH are we gonna eat it with? Is it too much to have 2 bowls of salsa and chips? We all ordered drinks anyways. The parking lot is horribly designed because even when you have "shotgun" parking, you are still far from the front door. It's dark and not safe for women at night. They definitely need some better lighting.
(2)
Robina C.

Worst service ever.... it's the first concert at Levi Stadium and they have 1 waitress and 1 bartender. SERIOUSLY! !!! Should have thought this through manager!
(1)
Ashley L.

Lilia delivered the worst customer service ever we spent a good amount of money with our party, not once did she come & ask if we wanted drinks. I had to go to the bartender myself to ask for our drinks. Thumbs down!
(1)
Falguni M.

I wouldn't recommend this place. Can you believe Mexican restaurant running out of chips? The guacamole we ordered was completely tasteless and not made by the table. The main course was okay - nothing great. Nothing outstanding about this restaurant except that its open late.
(1)
Maudie A.

I have been to this location several times usually twice a week for the last year. It's actually one of my favorite spots as we always enjoy their Blue Agave margaritas. The service is usually super slow but the drinks always make up for it. Yesterday as we always do on Taco Tuesdays we stopped by for drinks and tacos. The waitress wasn't friendly but did her job. My problem was when the bill came they tried to charge us per glass of margaritas when the menu clearly states a pitcher of Blue Agave is $23.99 plus $1 upgrade for any size for the blue agave tequila. So I complained to the waitress and she copped an attitude and said the bartender told her she had to charge $8.49 per glass and there is 4 glasses per pitcher so she said she would speak to a manager. The manager Omar came to speak with us and also had a bad attitude and said he would do the $23.99 but it was $1 upgrade per glass so it would be $27.99 a pitcher I still felt like I was overcharged cause that is not what the menu states. As a frequent customer I don't feel like this service was acceptable. Maybe its time to find a new hang out spot.
(1)
Matthew B.

All I can say is "nope". The salsa was a bowl of water with chopped tomatoes. Think I got more on the table than in mouth/on chip. Despite ordering my margarita sans salt, salt is all I could taste. Ordered the steak "fajita fiesta" as Mondays special. Your chef needs to come to Houston (my hometown) and learn how to cook fajitas. These had way too much unnecessary sweetness/seasoning and were extremely tough. Did I get a bad cut of meat? Fajita meat should not require that much grinding/chewing; if I can't pierce the meat with my front teeth, you did something wrong. Don't think the flour tortillas were made in house either. They had a large buttery flavor. No cheese and no sour cream served with the fajitas. Just a big 'ol "no" to this place as far as fajitas are concerned. Maybe their other items are good but certainly not the place for great steak fajitas.
(1)
Farah L.

My husband and I both ordered the ignited 1800 fajitas and they were delicious! ! We were treated very kindly by the staff who gave us my entrÃ©e for free as well as some flan for dessert because it is my birthday month. Very friendly, thanks El Torito :) The only thing I'd change is that it took almost an hour for our food to come out, but we had our complimentary guacamole to tide us off so we were not upset! Ignited 1800 fajita is my new fav! I used to order some sort of steak salad which had black beans in it, they no longer have this salad or even black beans, but the ign
(5)
Jagmeet Singh J.

We went here looking for some decent Mexican food and this place was one of the worst Mexican restraunts I have been too. It was so bad we had to go to another restraunt after our visit to fill our stomaches. The food tasted horrible. Not only did the food seem stale and old, but it had way too much salt in it as well. I thought since it was a chain the quality of food had to be up to standards, but I wouldn't be surprised If this place shut down soon for a lack of quality. GO to other locations like Milpitas. The drive will be worth it.
(1)
Hajime T.

Great for group meetings -- we had about 60 people -- and it was a great experience. The food was good and there is a bar and TVs available for sporting events. The place was packed but the staff managed to give us prompt service.
(4)
Alexandrea G.

First off, I was a huge fan of this place especially brunch time, my favorite! I would normally give it 5 stars! And this is why I must give my full honest review! My family and I used to always go to the all you can eat buffet on Sunday's. It was our go to place. The brunch was always stocked at all times, drinks and mimosas always filled and whenever we needed a fresh plate, they were always clean and ready for us. The service WAS amazing, considering how busy this place gets. When I say busy, I mean it! My family was pretty dedicated and new what to expect here. We always have a big party, so we have to respect that they need to gather tables and make room for us. Considering our large party and the crazy busy restaurant, they STILL really took care of us. The previous manager was beyond AMAZING!!!! He (I believe his name is, Octavio) always came by our table to introduce himself (even though we were already familiar with him), and always made sure we were full and happy with the service. We noticed that not only did he stop by our table, but at other tables as well! The previous managers dedication and hard work really showed in how the restaurant was ran. Everything seemed smooth and always on point. Which always made my family and I feel comfortable and important at all times. Who doesn't love to feel like royalty when eating delicious food? The manager didn't stop there though, if he wasn't giving excellent customer service, directing employees where to go or up at the front trying to see if he could help with seating. I would ALWAYS see him helping with bringing out new plates, behind the bar, and constantly checking if the food was filled. Octavio (manager) knows the true meaning of a, "hard worker!" I have never seen a manager like him. No place I have ever eaten at, has made my family and I feel so important! It's too bad and I hope wherever he goes, he is appreciated, paid well, and moves up to director or something cause he deserves it! Our recent encounter has us at a disappointment!!! We are soo sad to know that we (20+ something people and along with our friends) WILL NOT be returning to this location. We have not had any complaints till NOW!! The service is horrible, no clean plates, and there was hardly any food for the so called, "buffet." Our huge party was sat at two different tables, booths, and a little table. We were all spread out and very unhappy!!!! This has never happened to us, especially when we put in a reservation almost two weeks out (since we know how this place works!). When we asked for the manager, some kid came out and we ignored the whole thing, since we knew we were no longer dealing with the original manager we once knew. I don't want to bash the service, since it clearly was not their fault. What can you expect with no guidance or support? We still tipped well of course! It's not fair to the servers, that this place is going down hill, with obviously no one capable of really leading well! Bring back the old manager and this place will better, 200%+!!!
(1)
Gina C.

Not again, this time the host desk did an awesome job, but our waiter was very hard to get him to stand still, or understand him, and order our meal took 45min just to order food boy he was flying all over the place and in such a rush.. but that wasn't for US and you weren't even that busy.... That's just Sad cause I tried to give them another chance!!! What a waist of $$$$
(1)
Glenn L.

A couple of my friends were visiting from North Carolina and we all decided to check out El Torito's Taco Tuesdays and HH! Upon entering the restaurant we found ourselves just standing there with other people waiting for their hostess to show up and seat us. They weren't busy yet, and after peeking through the bar and the dining area on the right side, some guy (who was probably the manager) finally lead us to a table. I don't frequent this El Torito often, so when we sat down and requested to order drinks, our server told us we can only get drinks from the bar! We obviously had to migrate and find another table at the bar area! Anyway, our new server immediately took our orders! We took advantage of their dollar tacos and headed to their taco stand to get our food! The carne asada tacos were quite good, and my friends really liked their chicken tacos! Their margaritas for HH were refreshing and strong *WORTH IT*! Our server was nice, but she was a bit slow after bringing us our first round of drinks. She also missed a few orders after that, but overall we had a good time here. *3 STARS for a decent HH and Taco Tuesdays!*
(3)
Enrique C.

I would not go to this place again. They confused our orders, waitresses ignored our requests for water and other drinks, even the bar tender when we got up and ask for water, he would put my glass full of water on the side and give/prepare other drinks to his waiitresses...the waitresses got upset because of the low tip..C'mon people you have to earn your tip, you tip is not automatic. A total disaster. I will talk to their management company down in LA.
(1)
Dusty F.

I wish I had read the reviews before going here for lunch! I was in the mood for a taco salad. I sat at the bar. The bartender was talking to a customer at a table about the World Cup. After he was done, he came over and asked what I would like. I asked for a glass of water and a menu. He scooped my ice, left, came back with chips and salsa (aka tomato puree), left, filled my water, told me he'd get me a menu, left, went to the hostess stand, sat a party of four, and then came back with a menu. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Taco Salad. There was nothing taco about it. It was mostly romaine with tiny bits of finely chopped up chicken, pico de gallo, "cotija cheese" (aka cheese powder), avocado, pepitas and tortilla strips. The presentation looked like they mixed it all together and slung it on the plate haphazardly. I can't even say it was diced chicken as it was chopped up so much. There was maybe a tablespoon of it on the salad. The avocado was at least good, but for $11.99 I should be getting a taco salad, not romaine with chicken and tomatoes topped with some avocado. A few tortilla strips does not make something "taco." He checked back 3/4 of the way through my meal after I got my own silverware. I gave him my card and he placed my card and bill down on the bar while talking to someone else and not acknowledging my presence whatsoever. So, yeah, I won't be going there ever again. And please don't think I'm some cranky customer who enjoys complaining. I hate complaining, and I almost always rate places 4 and 5 stars. I'm super easy-going. This was just flat out a bad restaurant with a flippant staff. It was seriously way worse than eating at the airport.
(1)
Jenny H.

Worst experience of my life !! I never ever thought I'd be on yelp writing a bad review! I just can't get over what I went through today. I went with my husband and son, we got seated and greeted and what not but our server was the worst server in the world o wish I would have remembered his name. Older dude with a deep voice mustache Mexican, anyway I ordered a grilled chicken tires with garlic jalapeÃ±o fries with no onions and he came back with my order with onions and he took it back.. He brought back a new one and he gave me a cheeseburger with onions and regular fries, my husband told him he got the order wrong again and he took it back and said it was his bad he grabbed the wrong one, he came back again with the 3rd order by the time my son and my husband were already done with their food and he brought back a plain torta with no garlic jalapeÃ±o fries simply the sloppiest thing ever ! By the third time I was already over it, we were so mad we told him again and he literally came back with a side of garlic sauce that goes with the fries and the rest of the stuff that was suppose to be in the torta including the guac and the chipotle sauce .. Not to mention that our server was obviously on coke or drugs he was even sweating and his area wasn't even busy there was only 3 tables! I've never been so mad at a restraint in my life and had this experience ! Ruined my whole day and food and appetite, I asked for the manager and he never came back with no manager he just said he comped the meal and that he apologized but there is no apology and nothing that can make our experience different, i dont know what place hires people who are on drugs during their shift to where they can't even get a simple order correct.. Not even the 3rd time. 0 stars
(1)
Michael T.

Here for the brunch buffet! $17.99 unlimited amazing food and bottomless mimosas!!!! Great place to pre-game the 49ers!!! Buzzed, Full, and feeling I now need a margarita! #daydrinking, #full, #cheapeats, #49ers
(5)
Kim N.

I just realized I went here years ago on a company related lunch. Cut to present day and we're looking for Mexican near Great America for one of my friends. Well Mexican sorta. Got the Carne Asada and Camarones plate. Beef was cooked medium rare per request and tasted pretty good. THe shrimp were small and a tad overcooked in the sauce. rice was bland, beans ok. The corn mash thing that comes is tasty. This place is gigantic. They said they can seat 500, once had a party of 250 and were still seating people on the perimeter. holy cow
(3)
Randy R.

Really good have to admit a bit surprised based on a few of the recent reviews very friendly hostess great waiter food was served fast manager came over several times to check with us a great dining experience.
(5)
Phil L.

Family went in for Saturday lunch and everything was great, the staff was on point, the portions were big and the price was right. It came to about $70 for four people. And I must say their guacamole was great, they make it to your liking right there at your table! We will defiantly be coming back for the buffet I keep hearing about.
(5)
Sami P.

This place used to be the best - what the heck happened???? Went there today for a family gathering for the brunch buffet. Food was bleh blah blechhh! The service was HORRIBLE and the restrooms were beyond disgusting. Everyone seems to rave about the food.... GROSS. Undercooked dishes and overcooked other stuff. The only thing worth a darn was the fresh made tortillas. There was chaos of kids running amuck and the parents who did not watch them. Won't be frequenting again. Sorry el Torito, your management needs to read these reviews and listen to their customers, get it together, I mean, how hard can it be to get one of your employees to clean the restrooms, restock, wiped-own and freshen up??? Giving one star as there is not an option to leave "0" stars.
(1)
Susy G.

Visited on a Tuesday evening, Sat at the bar and was given a regular and a Happy Hour menu. HH menu says : Draft Beer $3 until 7pm, Perfect! We'll take 2 rounds! What it doesn't say is that this price is ONLY FOR nasty ol Coors Light (No disrespect to Rocky Mountain brewing company, ALL disrespect to El Torito!) So we ordered our beers and then comes the bill : $6.29 a glass, when we asked our server. She said "When people order beer from the Happy Hour menu we cant tell them whether their order is HH price or regular price, because they will be offended, like we are assuming they cant afford to pay," Really? because I am offended by your ridiculous reasoning and false advertising
(1)
Zita Marie F.

Love this place! There tamales are awesome!! Always tasty and fulfilling! I've always wanted to find a Mexican restaurant that served tamales and this the place to go to!! There servers are great and very friendly!
(4)
Tee S.

Iffy location. Come here for lunch or dinner and eh, ok. The brunch on Sundays aims to please hence the table service lacks. For food Santa Clara gets a ribbon. For customer service Foster City location definitely wins.
(3)
LeeLee L.

Service was horrible the food took forever the drinks were very weak my family and I will never return here this was the biggest waste of money ever beware of there coupons definitely not worth it at all
(1)
Bruce S.

The three star rating is on the Sunday brunch. The only reason they are getting three stars is because the food is pretty good. It gets deductions for service. If you come here for brunch and are expecting excellent service, don't hold your breath. Unfortunately this has been a common issue we have experienced and friends of ours have too. Their menudo is pretty good and popular. The posole isn't bad either. Their green salad dressing is bomb!!! Not sure if it is cilantro or pesto base. The beans and rice are average, cheese enchiladas are good, The corn cake is good, and pretty much everything down the middle station is ok. Custom omelette station with plenty of ingredients to choose from is nice. The taco station it's pretty tasty with carne asada, pollo, and carnitas. You can get corn or flour tortillas. They have lots of condiments to go with a well. They have plenty of desserts and juices like horchata. You also get endless mermosas !! I've seen people sit and just drink mermosas and not eat a thing. Hopefully service gets better as I can see their star rating go up with improvements. I do go mainly for their salad and menudo !
(3)
Nancy C.

Love the food here. I usually get the mex fix, premium strawberry margarita on the rocks, Sour cream enchiladas, and their Mexican salad. The service is great. They're on top of it.
(3)
Adam M.

The food was crappy the bartender sucked my beer was warm. But the host Adriana I believe, was very welcoming.
(2)
Brittany D.

This location is super convenient, right off the 101. For about $6.99 I highly recommend the all you can eat soup and salad. Chicken tortilla soup with sliced avocado and the salad has an amazing dressing. The dressing is SO good in fact, I always purchase some to go. My only complaint is sometimes the service is slow as they seem to be under staffed.
(4)
Corinne S.

I used to judge how good a Mexican restaurant was going to be based on their chips and salsa. Never again will I do this. El Torito has great chips and salsa. I don't know how you mess up Mexican food, but this was THE WORST Mexican food EVER...for my entire table too! We all had different entrees, apps, and desserts. It was literally repulsive. I hate to leave such a bad review for a restaurant, but no one should have to eat mexican food that tastes that bad...and worse off, they were the waitress's favorite dishes. It's always packed so I thought it must be good - but clearly, it has got to be for the drinks. Stick to drinks, chips and salsa. No other food!
(1)
Emily P.

Horrible everything!! My girlfriend and I came here for happy hour and we sat at the bar. We ordered nachos and taquitos. Here are some of things that happened that left them with a $2 tip: 1) Got the order wrong! 2) Asked for an extra side of sour cream. Waited ten minutes, nothing! Asked another waiter for sour cream, waited ten minuted, nothing! Walked over to my original waiter and asked for sour cream and he got it after waiting a total of 25 minutes!! 3) The chips on the nachos were so stale that my jaw hurt from chewing! 4) They use canned beans! 5) We didn't get checked on once since we first ordered! 6) When we got our bill it was just put on our table. No "Anything else I can get for you?" or "How was everything?" or "Here is your bill whenever you're ready." Not one word, just a bill! The food was so bad that my girlfriend stopped eating not because she was full but because she was disgusted! NEVER COMING HERE AGAIN!!!
(1)
David T.

We sat at the bar and watched the dish washer come out from kitchen and dip glasses into dirty water and put back to be used again. Used bathroom that was flooded with sewage. Food was half fast and didn't come expected stuff like sour cream for fiestas. Had to pay extra. With so many other options in area will recommend not to go here.
(1)
Eric H.

I have good memories of going to the long gone Cupertino location with my family, so I was looking forward to coming here with some friends. The food is average & the karaoke was fun. 1 star and I won't be back due to an unfortunate experience I had with the the service.
(1)
Zachary B.

it was a good place liked the food.
(4)
Toni S.

Food was good minus the small black flies around the table and landing in your food. Service was pretty quick at this location. Waiter was very friendly. Corn cake was excellent. The chicken in the Cesar salad was a bit undercooked but the salad itself was tasty.
(2)
Lorie N.

While this is far from being my favorite mexican food place, I was happy to find a semi healthy meal here with their Chicken Fajitas "Lite" (530 calories if you're wondering). They served them with black beans since I requested for them and I didn't bother touching the tortillas since I'm cutting down on carbs. The grilled chicken was sitting atop a bed of sauteed spinach and was really good. The chicken was not overly seasoned and the spinach was warm, a little tangy and the dash of salt mixed in made for a tasty dish. The service was fine-- not overly attentive but we never found ourselves feeling ignored. We sat in the bar area and the flatscreens in the corners were perfect for watching the Sharks game.
(3)
F Y.

Went for lunch with a group of people from work. The place was not that crowded or busy, but they would not accommodate vegans. They refused to make a vegetarian taco vegan by leaving out the cheese. I was forced to make the only vegan choice: veggie fajitas. The fajitas arrived cold and soggy, aren't fajitas supposed to be sizzling? They did not bother to ask whether we wanted corn or flour tortillas as stated on the menu; they just brought flour tortillas. Bad, cold food, bad service. We will not return to this place.
(1)
L M.

Tried this El Torito for the first time last night. OH god! First of all there was not that many people in the bar. It took about 20 minutes for any wait staff to even come and ask if we wanted water. Once we ordered a couple drinks it took another 10-15 minutes to get them. A water and and iced tea. We got some chips and when were almost done with the chips someone came and took the basket and we thought they were refilling it...NOPE, never saw anymore chips. SOmeone came and asked if I wanted more iced tea...I said yes....15 more minutes! We then ordered food....and waited and waited....then my fajitas finally came and I bit into the shrimp and it was not even cooked! Then had to wait another 10 minutes to find our waiter to take them back and cook them, another 10 minutes. There was no cheese, sour cream, guacamole or anything to put on the fajitas...I then had to ask for that. Then we needed to go and we could not find our waiter to get our check...FINALLY tracked them down and then it took another 10 minutes to get it. Don't bother going to this location...many others are way better and have better staff!
(1)
Joyce C.

This El Torito has the same food/ specials as the other one in Milpitas. Happy hour till 8pm and Taco Tuesdays with $1 tacos. The bar area at this restaurant is MUCH larger - which is a good thing. The entire left side of the restaurant IS the cantina. The bartender, waiter, taco lady are all soo friendly. Food quality is the same, but considering the improved service and space versus Milpitas, I like this one a lot better. It's kind of hard to find though - it's own standalone building behind the AMC20 plaza.
(4)
Yolanda M.

I love this place, Great for drinks and karaoke as for the food I always stick to basics 3 item combo chicken enchilada, chile relleno and taco. Only 4 stars because this last week my chile relleno was very hard not cooked all the way thru. Waiter was very nice and attended to all our needs.
(4)
Mister D.

Sunday Brunch is much better than expected or what it needs to be. Not a bad place to take one's folks after Sunday Mass.
(3)
Amazing W.

Never been disappointed! Food and ambiance are both great. Coconut pineapple margarita is wonderful and so is the chili rayano! They also have veggie fajitas and a few more veggie options. Good for office lunches. Parking has never been a problem.
(4)
Kimber C.

I want to give this place a decent review. The first 2 times there were awesome. The first, the 3 of us ordered a sampler and it was decent. The second time, I ordered fajitas, which were tasty and that was around noon. Last night, I had the carne asada burrito and I now have FOOD POISONING. I have vomitted twice so far, feeling a third time come on, and have had the runs (not pleasant): I feel gross. Oh did I mention this started during the night, so I got to wake up to running to the bathroom. No, I'm not pregnant, yes, I know what food poisoning is, I have a degree in Micro and work in the health field. Considering I have a stomach like a rock and have rarely thrown up in my life, this is a big deal. Note to employees: make sure you are washing your hands. I would hate for anyone else to experience this. It's pretty bad.
(1)
Marilyn H.

I like their Sunday brunch. I do NOT like their restrooms. Everytime I have gone there, the restrooms are no clean and has no ventilation. They always say the restroom reflects on the restaurant. I wish they would have someone there at all times cleaning the restroom because some people can be pigs! They need to hire a person minimum wage just to up keep the restrooms so it will be clean for their patrons.
(3)
P G.

Came in for lunch @12:30. Literally about 10 people including waitstaff. Was told some one would be with me shortly. After about 10 minutes,shortly was being distorted to say the least. No water ,chips or waitstaff to be found. If you don't take orders or don't sell food ,how do you stay in biz?
(1)
Erik A.

Excellent customer service and phenomenal happy hour. Take advantage of Taco Tuesdays. $1.50 with as much trimmings as you like. Best happy hour margaritas in the area.
(5)
Linda R.

New management!!! We went for the Valentine's Sunday brunch @ opening time...10 a.m, the manager stated there was a 30 minute wait. When we went inside and looked around, most tables were vacant and servers were just standing around waiting for customers. Although staff is very courteous and expeditious, the manager had most customers waiting @ entrance and out the patio & lawn. What was the point of punishing long time, loyal patrons? Get with the program new manager!
(1)
Eli Y.

Pretty good food...LOUSY service! I came here for happy hour to meet some incoming SCU law students (as an alumni I imparted copious knowledge...not really...we mainly just hung out). It was on a taco Tuesday so tacos were $1 each. They had steak, carnitas, and chicken. You order however many you want, then go up and ask for the particular kind you want then add your choice of fixings (cheese, salsa, peppers...). These were some pretty small tacos. I demolished each in about three bites. But they were good and cheap so who am I to complain. The guacamole was pretty meh. And the chips and salsa were just ok. But they give free refills so that's good at least. The drink prices were good for happy hour too three bucks for most drinks. But the service was terrible. Our waitress came by and asked me if I wanted to order (only 2/6 at our table who arrived a bit early had ordered). I said I'd need a second. Then she just peaced out! I expected her to ask the rest of the table and get back to me. Oh well I knew she'd come back soon. Right? Nope. Twenty minutes later someone at our table went to grab her. Then she blamed her lack of attention on me. Because I said I'd need a minute. So if you like cheap tacos then come here. But hopefully you're a patient person!
(3)
Pancho P.

I doubt this restaurant will be here for long. The burrito I ordered in my last visit was pretty bad. Let's put it this way; it didn't look like a burrito. What kind of idiots do you have now in your kitchens making burritos?
(1)
Carlos L.

Taco Tuesday!!! Great eat and can't beat $1.50 tacos on taco Tuesday. At first service was questionable just like in previous reviews. But the turning point was after talking to the bartender and taco lady. Both were exquisite and opened up, after talking to. Taco Tuesday to save you time works like this, take a seat at the bar then patiently wait... After you place a drink order you'll be able to order tacos. Ask for how ever many you please, then you'll be handed a slip you'll walk to the taco station and ask for what ever taco you want (carnÃ© asadÃ¡, chicken, and piggy). Sides are next to the counter. Then indulge in your tacos. Overall great visit and did I mention happy hour really gets cranking at 2:00PM!!! Viva la rasa cabrobes
(5)
Stephanie L.

Decent Mexican Food. Decent Patron Margaritas. Good Happy Hour Offerings. Decent Service & Corresponding Prices. Nothin' to be Mad At! Salud!
(3)
Milli R.

I have dinner at El Toritos almost every Monday. I love the staff. The hostess Stephanie is kind and funny. Angel is a fantastic man, he knows what I want before I even know! Calixto has a smile that can brighten your day. The food is delicious and the bartender makes a mean margarita. The managers leave much to be desired. I went this Monday and I saw Stephanie helping a group to their table,as I waited the manager walked by, never greeted me, didn't say 'someone will be with you shortly' or he could have even sat me himself. Nothing! That's rude. I hope this does big rub off on the wonderful staff! Come on manager, customer service first!
(5)
Mia S.

Awful service! Entered the restaurant and told the hostess I would like a table and that I was waiting for the rest of my party to arrive. She suggested that I sit in the cantina area and that I could seat myself, so I said, "Sure!" As I was waiting for my friends to arrive, not a single person working there acknowledged my presence as I was patiently waiting at my booth. Not a menu, no water, no utensils. Not only that, there were servers attending to a large party directly in my view. I was clearly right there and still, nothing after 15 minutes. My boyfriend and friends arrived and it took an additional 5 minutes for menus to arrive, the waitress (very short spiked hair) then asked if we were ready to order our dinner yet. Ummm, didn't we just receive the menu? So we all ordered drinks. We'll need some alcohol after this experience already! I asked our waitress to give us 5 minutes and then we will know. THEN, after about another 20 minutes of an absent waitress, she is coming towards my parties direction. She goes and helps the table next to us that had only just arrived. What? After that, my friends and I just decided to pay and head out. We had enough! Not only that, we went to this El Torito because it is in close proximity to the Mercado and we had to catch a movie. To add it all up, I was there for 40+ minutes without any real service. She brought us drinks, big whoop, it really should not take that long at all to get to a food order in as well.
(1)
Oren A.

For many years we used to love coming to El Torito, but our recent visit, on a busy Friday evening with our kids and out-of-town guests will most likely be our last. The service was ok, but the food was very disappointing. All of the dishes we ordered were below the restaurant's usual standard. Most notable were the super-dry Mahi fish tacos and the kids' menu Mac & Cheese which was sticky and tasteless. We hope the owners will do whatever necessary improve the quality of the food they serve to the standard it used to be for many years.
(2)
Mary T.

Being a big Art Social fan, I have learned to really appreciate El Torito. The drinks are strong. The food is flavorful. The customer service is hit or miss, but generally amiable. They changed up their HH to daily specials, which I'm not sure I'm a fan of just yet. Thank goodness Art Social nights usually fall on Monday $3 margarita or Wednesday $3 beer nights!
(3)
Jason M.

I there was zero stars I would use it. I used to be a big fan but frozen appetizers and cold plain microwaved food is good for business. The bright spot was the cold beer and margarita. The table side guacamole was not fresh and frankly terrible. The waitstaff was inattentive and scarce. Find a el torito grill.
(1)
Karen P.

If you go there for the food, it's not bad, I had been here years ago, and the food just wasn't good. But I was pleasantly surprised when I went back this year, the food was fresh and tasty instead of greasy grub. If you order for take out or delivery check your order thoroughly they will short your order, or not pay attention to what you ordered. Cheese Enchliadas which came to me with chicken in them?? And NO sides?? What a fail I can not trust them to deliver, so the only way I will be enjoying their food is in person.
(3)
Sandeep D.

I come here often for lunches and dinners with co-workers & friends since it's close to work and every time the service is excellent and the food is really good. Gotta have the yummy sizzling chicken enchiladas and their fresh chips and salsa! So delicious and fulfilling!
(4)
M W.

I went here with three friends, from work, because they are only a few blocks away. We had the Fajitas Duo ( chicken breast and grilled steak) and the Carnitas. We got the lunch menu thinking that it was going to be a good. Oh boy, was I wrong. I feel bad because I suggested that we try the place. The Carnitas was dry but even worst was the Fajitas Duo. I mean the steak and Chicken breast was dry and the portion size was a joke. We literally got a few ounces of steak and chicken; keep in mind that lunch plates cost about $10 each. I have never received so little food for such a high price!! I wish that I would have taken a pic of the Fajitas Duo plate to show everyone what a joke it was. Maybe they are better for the weekend Brunch but I don't plan to go back for a long time, if ever. I had to apologize to my colleagues because I recommended the place. They have been "ribbing" me for over a week about that experience. I tried to do damage control by saying that El Toritos is not a place to eat but a place to go and have drinks and eat chips with salsa but I seriously lost credibility with my coworkers. So the three of us basically paid about $30 for really bad food with bad portions and worst of all my coworkers have totally lost all respect for my taste in food, shit!!.
(1)
maria p.

Great place for karaoke. BUT the service is still pretty darn slow. At least the mean waitress that was there a month ago was not there. My girlfriends from elementary school like this place as a gathering to catch up so we typically just order appetizers and margaritas. The chicken salad was pretty good. I come back because my girlfriend's seem to like it here for karaoke and dancing on Friday night's. Management really needs to beef up the staff on Fridays from wait staff to bartenders. Funny story - tells you how slow the service really is here - I was at the bar and a customer next to me was very angry bc he had been waiting at the bar to be served for 10 min. I then told him it was normal here and shared my 1st experience here with the service. We then laughed bc my first time here I was livid about the bad slow service. He was a bit less angry knowing that it was not just him. Haha. Anyway, I think I'll have to take it upon myself to find another gathering for my girl's and I to catch up. We do this once a month since most of us are married and have children. I need to find a place that accommodates my east bay and bay area friends.
(2)
Mansi S.

My first experience at this restaurant in 2011 was great n then it just kept goin dwnhill. I really liked their mexican caesar salad n sizzling enchiladas. But it seems i am not gonna go back ever!!!!! Another thng to note here is to never go on a holiday like Christmas coz i did. it was d wrst customer servce, food and it seemed like d server was doing us a favor taking order from us. Comeon!!! I think restaurants like this should be closed on such holidays and servers not forced to work. Anyways, there r tons of mexican rest to try and srry El Torito, we aint coming back!!!!!
(3)
Jackie A.

Worst el torito ever !! I came here in may .. 1)Bathrooms are dirty & disgusting ! There was paper everywhere, and one of the stalls looked like somebody had explosive diarrhea in there, sh*t everywhere!! 2)Bad service. Our waiter took forever on everything I asked him for some napkins and he took so damn long , I guess he forgot because after he brought our food he still didn't give me any napkins, my boyfriend had to get up and go get them himself ! 3)Nasty food. I don't remember the exact name of what I had , but I think it was "taste of yucatan" plate or something , anyways the beans were dry, all my food was cold, the rice was dry and tasted OLD. So my point is don't come here ! If anything go to El torito in milpitas, or even San leandro , DONt Eat Here !!!!
(1)
Bridget P.

Went here with 2 friends for hangover brunch after a wedding last weekend. We were too tired to look for new places and just wanted to get on the road. If you don't want to read the rest of the review, I'll break it down - same old El Torito that you'd find anywhere else, horrible, inattentive service, decent food. There was a 15-minute wait, so we opted to sit in the bar area and get the all-you-can-eat brunch instead. This restaurant was bigger than other El Toritos I've been to... it looked set up for parties, and had a DJ booth in the middle of the room. We set out for the food. The buffet area was spacious but poorly set up.... you had to squeeze through the taco line to get waffles and churros in the corner, etc. The juice dispensers were empty and no one seemed to be re-stocking plates, cups, juice, empty serving dishes, etc. My best bets at this buffet are the omelet bar, the short ribs, the enchiladas, and the chile colorado. The tacos are actually great tacos, but one member of our group waited in line so long for them that we'd finished our first plates. Our waiter came by once, I asked for champagne, he brought a glass, and he never returned. Ever. Even when our water glasses were dry and the champagne was long gone. I know we were in the bar area, but still. No one else was there, and it would have been easy for anyone to stop by and check on us on their way back to the dining rooms. He finally returned when it was time for the check, and charged our cards incorrectly. I don't live anywhere near here so I won't be coming back anyway, but most El Toritos never fail to disappoint.
(2)
Rob D.

So you've eaten some great Mexican food around the bay, but tonight you're feeling like something mediocre, not great, not bad, just food. Well then, this is your place. At El Torito you're sure to get a mediocre experience with a limited selection of dishes, ok, not great service, and absolutely no dish will knock you socks off. At no time will you wake up the next morning thinking "I've got to tell someone about that place I ate at and the great dish I had" However, if you need something that's low key, in and out, no frills Mexican, do it. It's not bad, but the Yelp rating sums it up well... "Meh"
(2)
Jessica M.

My boyfriend and I went to eat Sunday brunch after church today. It's good food and the waitresses are great! Patty was our first waitress and she's awesome! So friendly! The only problem I have is the person who checks you in when you arrive. I think her name is Pauleen with red hair. She's young and rude at times. Maybe Patty can train her on how to treat customers! Otherwise great place!
(4)
Shane J.

I had quite a bad experience tonight at El Torito. My wife, Kim, and I really were hoping for Mexican food tonight. Like, really, craving it! Before going, we looked online at their closing time, and were excited to see that they closed at 9:30 PM. This gave us enough time to leave and arrive by 9. We drove there, knowing exactly what we were going to order- as to not stay too long. Upon arrival, the doors were wide open, and it looked open. There were people inside eating. When we got to the front desk, the person at the front counter told us they were closed. I pointed out that their website showed that their closing time was at 9:30- she said sorry, and didn't seem to care. As my wife and I were leaving, we noticed, that the sign on the front of the restaurant said that they closed at 9:30 as well. I went back, and noted this to the gal at the front counter. Still- no real concern or any response. I left, an wanted to make sure that management knew of the problem, and wanted to give them a chance to resolve it- I called and spoke with the manager on duty, Donald (at 9:15). He said that as far as he knew, they closed at 9. I told him I could wait, so he could see the sign in front of the restaurant. He went and looked- and came back to tell me what I already knew. There was no invitation to come back- and no explanation. They did not seem interested to try to fix it. Really- I was hoping to be asked if I was still nearby- so I could come and dine- but no cigar. I'm willing to head back and do another review in the future, but I have lost some faith in El Torito...
(1)
Cat V.

Gasp. What more can I say? They already have an overall 3-star rating :[ Service was mediocre. Our server didn't appear too busy but left us hanging at the end of the night when it was time to pay the bill. I wanted to hand him the check since I was leaving cash, just for peace of mind, I guess. This was actually the wrong thing to do as homeboy didn't ever come back to pick up payment. Instead, I got up and handed it to the hostess. Waiting for our server to come back actually put me to sleep. Literally. That's a first ever. The only really good thing about this dining experience was their corn mash. Can't go wrong with that stuff here. Everything else, meh.
(3)
Ruby A.

Never come here on a busy valentines day! (or at all) There customer service, if that is what it's called, is horrible! I went in for Valentine's day and didn't even make it to be seated. There were 4 waiters/servers talking and didn't even notice us. Even after we sat in the 'waiting area' they didn't even bother to come and ask if we needed a table. After waiting there a few minutes a couple walked in and were greeted by all 4 and walked them to a table. We waited still to be aknowledged and no one of them even looked at us. !! I asked to speak to their manager and all they did was point at him. Any way long story short, he didn't do anything about it either. HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT AND DEF AGREE WITH OTHERS ON THEIR BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE.
(1)
B N.

Horrible service(long wait time even though they were obviously not busy) and horrible food(beans watery and salty, odd tasting cheese in chile relleno, old tasting vegetables).
(1)
Patrick B.

This restaurant consistently has fantastic service and very good food. The ambience is nice as well.
(5)
Carrie S.

I have been here for happy hour, and for lunch. I enjoyed the happy hour. I had a great skinny margarita, and enjoyed the corn tacos and guacamole. Service was a big meh. Took forever to take the order, get the food, and pay the bill. And, the waitress was playing that game I really hate. You know, the one where she acts like she doesn't see you or hear you yelling at her. They have a smoking are in the bar, which I can't stand. Stoopid. I came in for lunch, and had the buffet. The buffet blows. However, I don't eat a ton at a buffet, so I was content with my salad and some spicy chicken over the top. If you are looking to chow down on a lunch buffet, this isn't it. Its 8.99, so its cheaper then ordering a salad off the menu. Funny enough, I had the same server for lunch as I had at happy hour. Again, took forever to go through the whole process. It took our group of 8 almost 2 hours to eat, and we waited for the waitress for at least an hour of it. Stoopid. Squared.
(3)
Mimi B.

Happy hour is 3-8pm. Taco Tuesday has delicious $1.50 tacos made fresh at their taco bar. Karaoke Thursday and Fridays They have a small but decent dance floor. I love their skinny Cadillac margaritas. Alex is a great and friendly bartender.
(4)
Eric J.

I've eaten here many times over the years because of friend from out of state loves the Mango Margaritas here. Every time he's in town he wants to have dinner here. I don't mind at all. Plenty of parking, but beware of the many thefts from cars here. Don't leave anything of value in the car. Free chips and salsa. The salsa is pretty good. The menu offers a nice variety of combinations and a la carte choices. I had the sizzling combo, was very good! Full bar and god service. It's a nice place to catch-up with a friend and have some decent food.
(3)
Al R.

This Mexican restaurant has a very good service and reasonable pricing for the food. I recommend this place for a friendly gathering and have a good time.
(4)
Ashley J.

Eh... I have been to other chain locations that are A LOT better. I was here for lunch with my co-workers and it was just decent. We had the all you can eat lunch special and half the food was barely luke warm. The service was pretty terrible too, it took 10 minutes just to get a water and then the server pretty much ignored us the rest of our lunch.
(2)
Ruthie V.

My first time here was Sunday and I noticed that brunch was going on. I walked through the brunch area as we waited for a table and was sold when I saw the pot of menudo! There was a lady making handmade corn tortillas and a man making custom omelletes. We waited for about 10 minutes to be seated and then when it was our turn. We were seated in the super loud bar where people were screaming at the televisions because there was a football game on. No way did we want to eat in the bar! After asking to move to the RESTAURANT we had to wait another 10 minutes. It was my bf's mama's birthday and when we finally got seated in the restaurant she was not with us. Where did our 84 birthday girl go? Somehow, she was whisked off in another area by a different person to be seated - wtf? She turned around but we were not behind her and vice-versa. Where did mom go???? Then she found us and said they seated her somewhere else! This place had a lot of employees but no one was on the same page. Very poor management and no one seemed to get along with each other. We barely saw our server and had to pay up front ourselves because she never brought the bill and we waited for a long time. I think we could have walked out and they'd of never known! But the food on the other hand was pretty good. I loved the menudo but wasn't crazy about the limes, it should be lemons! The handmade tortillas were great and she put your choice of meat on them if you wanted to make our own tacos. I'd just say that the food was good but the service was really crappy. I mean, yeah, it's brunch and you serve yourself, however, they should not sit people in the damn bar without asking them first! If I were the manager here, I'd have frequent staff meetings so everyone knows what the hell they are doing!
(2)
Sharon O.

Went here on a Wednesday around 6pm. NO server! Been sitting for 20mins, no sight of any servers. Crazy! Left and went to sizzlers. This is not the first time it happened. Will avoid this restaurant!
(1)
Shirley N.

Great happy hour-$3 dollar margaritas/some beers! But i especially love their Taco Tuesdays! You can't beat their $1 dollar tacos! Beef is my favorite! They cook the tortilla in front of you, pick your choice of meat then you proceed to build the taco with either salsa, cheese, cilantro/onion, hot sauce, and lettuce. I ALWAYS ask for their orange sauce, so don't forget to request it! They have free chips and salsa! I've also tried their other dishes, which i find just okay, nothing amazing. Minus one star for the service...sometimes I'll have severs who forget to refill my water or just forget us in general.
(4)
David A.

If you are into waiting for about 36 minutes for the waitress to even come to your table, then recommend this restaurant. Went there last night with the family and friend and found the restaurant part just about empty. You would think that this would mean that the service would be great but it was just the opposite. We had to wait approximately 45-60 minutes for out waitress to take our order and then another 45 minutes to get the food. Our drinks took even longer to arrive and were watered down to the point that I don't even believe there was any alcohol in it.. The kids were never even asked if they wanted refills of their soft drinks. Over all the worst experience ever at any restaurant. If you happen to get the waitress named Maria run cause she is the worst ever.
(1)
Kay G.

I hope this review causes the overall rating to decrease. Horrible, horrible and horrible. There were six people in our group. Manageable. The hostesses (who are supposed to make the guests feel welcomed) freaked out when I informed them of our party size. We were seated after waiting 15 minutes. That was fine with us. We all ordered our drinks and the tableside guac. Drinks came and went. Still no guac so we ordered our entrees and round 2 of refreshments. Our entrees AND guacamole came simultaneously. Wrong! I had ordered the Tortilla Soup with Mexican Caesar Salad. The salad was delicious; however, I didn't get a taste of my soup until everyone else was done and cleared. Do not order this soup. It looked like a water filled bowl with minced veggie floaters and melted sunken American cheese. Wrong... Obviously no dessert. We all felt as if we over stayed our welcome because Maria had abandoned us. Flustered staff, unorganized dinner service, and unflattering plating. We won't be visiting again and I suggest you don't either.
(1)
Bill P.

Took a work friend over for dinner tonight. Got seated in the bar area. Menu is ok, prices not bad. Service is terrible. Our waitress was I think the worst I have ever had. Friendly enough but couldn't care less what we said or wanted. Ordered one beer and two waters. Got two beers and I'm not kidding one large water and one kids water? Omg. Ok, so refill the small glass? Nope. I asked for a large glass of water, she said ok, smiled and brought out another small glass, it felt like someone was messing with me. Food arrived, but no silverware! We had to ask for it. 38.00 plus tip for a salad a taco and a burrito and an extra beer we didn't order. I tried the online survey, that's a joke too, 40% through no guestion about the terrible service! all about location! cleanliness etc.. Nothing basic like how did we do??? How was the service? Waste of money, not the el torito I remembered in years past. Taco Bell isn't better but I would rather eat there if this restaurant was the alternative. No service is better than bad service.
(1)
Milagro R.

I have dinner at El Torito in Santa Clara CA almost every Monday. I love the staff! The hostess Stephanie is kind and funny. She actually remembers you and your likes. With as many people as she sees that is amazing! Angel has a way about him that makes you feel welcome and that you are his only customer, even when you are there on extremely busy night. He has his business together. He is warm and intelligent. Calixto has a smile that can brighten your day. There is not a time that I have gone that he has not taken time to say hi and ask how I am. And he is always so busy. Very hard worker. The company is very lucky to have him. Carlos also always has a warm hello for me even if I am not in his section. I appreciate that! This Monday as usual I visited for dinner and I saw Stephanie seating a large group as I waited at the hostess station a man I was not used to working there walked by. I believe he was the manager. He did not greet me, he didn't say someone would be with me shortly, he wasn't assisting anyone so he could have seated me himself but didn't. I am not used to this at this location. As soon as Stephanie was finished sitting the large party she was right on me bringing me to my seat, and even though she isn't a server she remembered my normal order! Amazing! After that Angel and Calixto were perfect as always. Again just the new addition was cold. My food was delicious and the bartender rocks with a perfect margarita! Thank you Stephanie, Angel, Calixto and Carlos you make my Monday nights fabulous.
(5)
Bird D.

Service sucks. No menu's, dirty wet utencils with food still stuck on it, the waitress that serves on the patio (LUPE) will take 1 order and starve everyeone else that's left at the table. She tends to walk away while your still ordering. She takes forever to give you refill's on drinks also she takes forever to bring you the bill. I got there at 4pm and the party sitting next to us got seated after us but left before us. So I sat for half her shift 4-8pm! Horrible. On the upside, the happy hour maragritas rock.. but they could be a little stronger. The chicken quesadillas are amazing. The chicken fajita salad is also good the pine nuts in the salad make it takes even better. This use to be mine and co-workers favorite place to go on a Friday afternoon but after that last visit of horrible service, we're now going to find somewhere else to take a load off. PS. if you dont ask for napkins your never going to get them.
(1)
Daniel A.

Wow so disappointing. Terrible cold service and the food was horribly bland.
(1)
Randy L.

Came to this place for a coworkers going away party and if I didn't have directions I would have NEVER found the place. Its seriously tucked away along the side of the freeway, and the sign of the main street is soooo far away you cant even see it after you pull in the parking lot. Your best bet is to look for India Gate then just keeeep goin. The place is relatively clean, ample parking, full bar with a dollar taco area, and the LONGEST happy hour!! (2-8pm..seriously?!?) The happy hours has decent deals, $3 well drinks/beers, $1 tacos, half off appetizers that are $10 or less which covers like 80%0 of them. Obviously all mexican/spanish food and treats, however they had a taquitos and french fry appetizer that was served with sweet/sour sauce...WTF?! The dollar taco cart was cool, you sit and tell the server how many you want, you then get a ticket, take that ticket to the taco lady and bam! Choice of flour or corn masa, fresh shredded cabbage, choice of carne asada, pollo, carnitas, then cheese, salsa/pico, and onion/cilantro bar! The service was lacking, we had a large group of about 10-12 but we were all doing easy appetizers and drinks only, so its really not that hard. Some things that took away from the service was: -It literally took almost 40 minutes to get my drink..like I saw it get poured and sat on the bar by the bartender...then it sat...and sat...until i was tempted to just walk up and pick it up myself. -We had to tell the bartender what a jager bomb was...seriously?...stay in school fool! -Ordered a vodka/tonic specifically with lime, came without lime; had to ask 3 times...finally got my lime...for my half drunken drank.. "/ On the other hand they did look like they had a good array of margaritas and it was cheap..I may be back...if i ever find the place.. So remember kids just because it has a full bar, doesn't mean its a good one.
(3)
Coco L.

Salmon taco is ok, and $3 happy hour drink is hard to beat Service is SUPER slow, and it wasn't even busy.....
(3)
Maureen S.

They must have the third team manning everything on Sunday night. Walked in about 7:30 to a half empty restaurant, and waited a couple of minutes for the hostess or someone to notice us. Nothing. Finally flagged down someone in the bar, who stood at the reception desk while another went to look for the hostess. After 2-3 more minutes we asked to be seated. (the other person never came back) I had a special burrito - chicken - and my date had a carne asada burrito. Mine was slimey, with sparse, not very tasty filling. The refried beans and rice did not taste good and were not well cooked. How can a Mexican restaurant mess up refried beans and rice??!! I had a small scoop of corn bread that was the most tasty thing on the plate. My dates burrito was delicious and well filled. My water was not refilled. While we were eating the very noisy party next to us, that were still eating, got paid a visit by the bus boy. He literally dropped his tub (that had dishes in it) on the floor next to the table, and then proceeded to literally drop the plates from the table into the tub. 2 of the waiters, as we were eating, would yell in Spanish and gesture wildly to him -- apparently he wasn't clearing tables fast enough? I don't know, but it was unprofessional and not something I would expect in a restaurant. I used the ladies bathroom after dinner and wished I didn't. There was no ventilation in there and it had been a hot day. It was very stuffy, humid, and HOT. It was also not clean, and half the stalls (they did have a good number of stalls) had NO paper. One stall had a door that literally slammed into the toilet when you opened the door -- you could see how the seat was knocked akilter. Very unsatisfactory experience: poor service, bad food, bad bathroom. We will not be back to that location.
(1)
Kriti R.

I would totally give this place 4 stars if service was better! Came here during happy hour on Taco Tuesday at 5:30 - reserved a table for 20 for a Santa Clara Law students event. Turns out not that many people showed up, but other people used our tables so they didn't get mad at us! ****Original and Mango Magaritas on the rocks - they were nice. For $3 each it was pretty goshdarn good actually! *****$1 tacos - chicken and carnitas and put the sauteed veggies in it + salsa + cheese = AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! I was also starving. But it was so damn good for $2 food! *****Guacamole is better than what I can make at home and I pretty much devoured 2 bowls of salsa and chips on my own. :] I should totally be a professional eater! Now service... we had an older lady on the plump side with really short hair. She came around to our table once every 20 minutes to take our orders and would take 1-2 peoples orders and then just leave! I finally got fed up and told her that people had been waiting to order for over 15 minutes now and she was like NO I was just there! Liar. Argued with me and lied to my face and instead of apologizing she came up to our table and made excuses. It took everyone on the table except me and one other girl a whole HOUR before they could even order tacos! That's freaking insane. They were busy, but not THAT busy - there was no line for the tacos!! Yes I'll come back just cuz I'm going to SCU law nearby and this place is freaking cheap, but if she's my server again I will ask the manager to switch servers for me.
(3)
Ed R.

Came here for lunch with co-workers. We had to ask for our utensils and our chips and salsa. Looks like they were understaffed. Manager was waiting tables! It took over 30 minutes for our meals to arrive - according to our waiter whom we had to flag down our meals were delayed because of the "large" party (15 people) who were ahead of us. Good thing we had chips and dip! Meal was okay but seems like their portions are smaller now. We were very disappointed that the lunch buffet was discontinued which was a real value.
(2)
Miss J.

It has its days of on and off good service! Love salsa n chips! Lots of parking! I really think its good to go for happy hour. Its not really authentic Mexican food! I tried the Carne Asada burrito that I couldnt believe there was practically a whole onion in there and I mean like huge pieces and a huge avocado slices inside hardly any meat and im not lieing I dont mind onions but really?? they could tell you its more of a fajita type of burrito so I dont highly recommend it! my boyfriend had the carnitas plate which is ok but carnitas are just topped with fat pieces of onions! I do recommend the fiesta platter! Chavelas are good and their Flan
(3)
Junel L.

I've been to other branches of El Torito and this one sucks every time I go here for Happy hour with my co-workers!! Bartenders are alert and attentive so that's a plus! The downside: Horrible service by one of the servers her name was Lupe. When we found a table there were no utensils, and it was hard to get the servers attention because it was really pack on a Friday night. Anyways we had ask Lupe for water and she declined to give us water and that they don't serve water. WTF!! We were hella piss to hear our server say that to us we've been nothing but be nice. The other server was kind enough to get us water and Lupe seem pretty shock when we got our water. Of course we wanted to speak to a manager but when we seen or we think its the manager he look high and he was out of it. So never again in the future will I go to this El Torito location.
(2)
James S.

This place is OK but not as good as the Milpitas branch. Service is iffy and the location is a bit weird... tucked in the middle of nowhere. Happy Hour is still not bad to get some decent $4 margaritas.
(3)
Patty O.

Came here for Happy Hour on a Friday afternoon around 4pm. There is an area of the bar that is designated for happy hour prices, so be sure to be seated there when going for happy hour. Decent prices for beer $3, and appetizers, however their selection of beer was crappy. I was unable to recognize the names of the beers that they offered except for Bud Light. Also, service was extremely lacking. We were seated for a long time before anyone took our orders, and it also took forever for us to get our food or drinks. We ordered an appetizers on the happy hour menu that served four, and it was nothing special. Over all, this will be my last time going to happy hour here.
(2)
Bob Y.

I have not been to any other El Torito's other than this one. I have made the mistake of coming here twice. The food is average, nothing special, but the service both times was abysmal. Could be because we were unlucky, but the first time, we waited 30 minutes to get our order because there was a party going on at the bar, so our order was queued up behind a bunch of party fare. Fair enough. Just now, We went in at 5:30, to an almost empty restaurant. Our server didn't show up for 5 minutes. She then didn't bring my son a glass of water. No worries, I flagged her down next time she passed by (10 minutes later), asked her for more water and another glass for my son. It never came. Our food them comes, (appetizer and main course all together), and the appetizer is wrong. We got the taco trio not the sampler. At this point, what is the use of an appetizer? So we finally got the right appetizer AFTER we were halfway through our entrees. Remember the water? Still didn't come. So I got up, went to the drink station and asked to have my cup refilled with water. We never got another cup for my son. Soo, we were done at 6:42 and ready for our check. We hadn't seen our server since the food arrived. Finally at 6:58, we flag her down for the check. It comes at 7:07, BUT the check is, of course, wrong. We were charged for the more expensive appetizer that we didn't order (and sent back to be replaced by what we actually ordered). I tried to hunt down our server, but she is nowhere to be found. Finally, I grabbed the manager and pleaded with him to help us sort it out. We left the restaurant at 7:17 (past my son's bed time), having spent 35 minutes waiting and sorting out the check. The poor table of two beside us who came at the same time just got appetizers and drinks and when we left, they still hadn't gotten their check yet. Mexicali Grill across 101 is a much better choice with consistently better service. Those are 35 wasted minutes of my life that I wish I could have back...
(1)
Kurt N.

Happy Hour here is awesome! $3 margaritas and other drinks...there's also happy hour for food. A great place to go after work and have a quick drink with friends/co-workers and at the same time have a good dinner.
(4)
Jim G.

4 of 5 stars for El Torito Mexican Restaurant and Cantina. I have been coming to this El Torito's for well over a decade. I've done their Sunday Brunch buffet, plenty of lunches and dinners. I do enjoy their Salsa. Frankly, I have enjoyed everything that I've eaten at ETMRC. A robust menu with wide selections making it hard to decide on what you want to order. Though a big restaurant, it can fill up during meal-times. My best tip is their prepared table-side Guacamole. I recommend ETMRC and will return often.
(4)
Chris R.

Pretty decent food - if you have two hours to wait on your meal. It's a shame, really. El Torito's food isn't bad, but my wife and I waited nearly two hours to get through our meal on a Sunday night. I never had my drink refilled despite asking, and it took entirely too long (nearly 30 minutes) for a plate of fajitas to come out of the kitchen. Never again. Two stars for the food.
(2)
Christopher H.

Look, it's El Torito. You're going here expecting fine cuisine, are you? Well I wasn't anyway. But while I wasn't expecting fine cuisine, I was at least expecting some decent food to nosh on in a relatively timely fashion. Alas, I got neither. As I'm giving the liver a break I passed on the margaritas and went for an iced tea. They have a huge margarita menu, and something tells me if I went that direction I likely would not have been disappointed. That said the iced tea was the most watered down tasteless iced tea I think I've ever had. Ok, whatever, they don't make good iced tea. I'm still willing to forgive and move on. Wanting something simple, I went for the fajitas. 5 minutes goes by. 10 minutes goes by. 15 minutes goes by. Bartender swings over - your food should be up any minute now. 20 minutes goes by. 25 minutes, and I finally get my food - in installments. I get the meat plate, then about 20 seconds later the rice plate and tortillas (flour rather than the ordered corn, but I wasn't going to complain at this point), and then about 30 seconds after that the guac - which I swear was haphazardly tossed together on the way out of the kitchen. After all that wait I was pretty much over the entire experience. The food was passable, a little below what I was expecting. And really - 25 minutes? For fajitas? On a very slow Monday night? Yeah, I'll pass. Thanks, though.
(2)
Razel M.

Happy hour here is a blast! We got in at about 5pm and it was not crowded at all. Granted, the nasty weather outside may have been part of the reason, but still. Grabbed seats at the bar and settled in for a nice way to end the week. Bartenders were fast and super attentive. We never had to flag them down for anything. Nachos were served fast, and just as we requested (as little onion as possible). As soon as they saw that a glass was almost empty, they were there with another drink. And they made bomb drinks! I had a frozen pineapple-coconut margarita and I swear I could almost feel the sand under my feet -- rain and gloominess outside notwithstanding. Needless to say I will always ask for that particular margarita at any El Torito's! Finally, maybe because my friend was a regular or maybe because they are just awesome bartenders, they totally hooked it up. Lowest happy hour bill I ever paid, considering the amount of food and drink consumed. Also supposedly they have karaoke at 8pm, although personally I did not partake of said experience, maybe another day though! What are you waiting for. I'll see you all there 2-8pm, 'kay?
(5)
Lawrence L.

I was never really ever impressed with El Torito's in the past, but always remembered that they had a good happy hour with $1 tacos made with freshly hand made tortillas right in front of you... Went here for lunch with some clients, and was surprised that they served a lunch buffet. I am not usually a buffet kind of guy, but decided to go with it this time around. It actually was not bad at all... Had the rice, refried beans, chiie verde, chile colorado, cheese enchilada, sweet cornmeal, carnitas tacos...TWICE! All for about $12.99, not bad! Drink service was attentive, and was in and out within an hour... Perfect for a working lunch.
(3)
Patrick L.

Walk in on Sunday night 4 minutes into the Patriots/Broncos game with Tom Brady against Peyton Manning and two tv's tuned to soccer the other two to a Spanish station. I understand it is a Mexican restaurant but we're not in Mexico. The bartender is completely oblivious to a game being on and starts yelling at a waitress in Spanish. She walks over and puts it on football highlights on ESPN. Clueless. Food is mediocre which only tops off the awful service. Bartender drops off a diet coke and goes over to the other side of the bar and forgets me. So far so good. When I finally order I'm close to leaving and he finally remembers I'm there then asks me if I still want football on when it is directly in front of him. It's not that he is that busy but just that "special." All for cheap labor but does it have to be stupid too? I'm done with this place. If there was a rating less than zero they would have to partially pay my bill to get this. So I'll say it...my rating is less than zero.
(1)
diana r.

I'd been at the Santa Clara location a few times, but this last time gave me the push to write a great review on El Torito! My friend had her rehearsal dinner at this location a few weeks ago. I had gone with the bride and maid of honor to look at the menu and place the order- the manager at the time (Oatavio) made a few suggestions and gave his opinion, very helpful! When we arrived at the location, everything was set and ready to to go, the buffet tables looked amazing. Julio, our waiter quickly went around and took our drink order. However, since their happy hour goes until 8P, we hit the bar before the happy hour ended! Regarding the food! I have to say everything was very good! The stake picado is definitely a must for those "meat eaters"! I would recommend this location for large dinner, group meeting, or celebrations! Great Job El Torito!
(5)
Jamal C.

Horrific sunday brunch. Horror. Go to Pedro's. I dont want to say anything else. Crappy.
(2)
Kristen M.

I liked this place. I came here for lunch hour and food was decent and affordable. $10 for an all you can eat meal. They had a good selection of soups, chips, made-to-order tacos, salad, etc. Also, service was okay. They weren't too attentive to our table but since we were doing the buffet it didn't matter to much.
(3)
Ms. Good K.

I spoke to Octavio,the General Manager and also Donald regarding the possibilty of hosting a special event here. I was treated professionally and given lots of affordable options! The food is great and the service is exceptional!
(5)
Darryl O.

Ah yes! El Torito..one of my favorite places for lunch! Again, since I am a patron there, service is wonderful. Waiters and Bartenders know exactly what I eat and drink and I like that! Always greeted with a warm smile :) Food is addicting that's why as much as I love going there, I try to limit myself to at least twice a week. Regular dishes I dig the most are: Street Tacos combo/Chicken Sonora Platter and of course nothing is complete without a Long Island :)
(5)
Jessica S.

This place has a decent $3 happy hour selection...what's not to love? Appetizers, margaritas, and chips/salsa to satisfy your cravings. The rest of the menu is meh...just alright at best. Tuesday is the only night I would consider coming here though - why?? $1 tacos!!!...need I say more ;) Watch out for the chili topping - I LOVE spicy food and even I more than felt the heat while devouring my tacos!! But it was sooo worth it!! Service definitely was lacking and needs much improvement. Our waitress seemed to disappear most of the night and we had to flag down other servers to locate her...not good considering we were a group of 12 and that means gratuity was already included in the bill. I am tempted to go with one or two people and see if service is different when not a large group. But overall an okay place to go after work and get a drink or two with my friends - and yes TACOS.
(3)
Michelle A.

Sure, it's not Mexican food like your Abuela used to make, but it's still darn good. I really like the greasy Tijuana style tacos. The lunch buffet on weekdays is a good price for what you get. Huge facility, always easy to get groups in. I wouldn't drive across town for it, but when in the area, a solid choice.
(3)
Jc J.

Lunch at 12 Noon. 1. Service was fast 2. Friendly waitress 3. Ordered Trio Taco and was ok 4. The tables smelled very typical (not fresh) when somebody wipes them off with a dirty cloth that had been used for hours. Even tough they looked clean they were not. 5. Not loud at all.
(3)
Charlotte T.

Sadly disappointed. Table side guacamole was the only good thing worth writing about. Our server wad very good also. I would not be returning.
(1)
Katie M.

Waited two freaking hours to be sat for Mother's Day Brunch. This review is mostly biased by the service here. Had to ask about 5 times in two hours where we were on the waiting list. everytime they said "6 more tables ahead of you" then 6 tables would be called and then it turned into "4 more tables ahead of you". this got really old. there were tons of hungry/angry customers asking about the wait time over and over. Finally got sat, went to the buffet and the food needed to be refilled because it looked like left over scraps. Waited around the shrimp ceviche bowl for a good 10 minutes while the cooks kept bringing out, and then taking back, food that didnt need to be refilled (kind of comical but really annoying) basically we wont be coming back here. food here was extremely mediocre. i would have rather gone to chevy's honestly.
(2)
Vanessa A.

Love Taco Tuesday! $1 a taco with hand made torillas. Friday nights karakoee and happy hour is fun. El torito is more family restaurant. On Sunday mornings buffet is decent with a variety of food with Awesome desserts! Its confusing and a little hard find because its behind these hotels. Im very satisfied with the service; very attentive to my needs.
(4)
Hugh B.

Good mexican--great salsa and chips, awesome tableside guacamole, very nice dishes and not just in the common way.
(4)
Joel S.

The Good: Karaoke nights; happy hour prices; great service. The Bad: The regular food isn't that great. The Review: This place is really weird for me because the thought of going here for a normal dinner or lunch, or even breakfast doesn't excite me at all. But the thought of spending a Friday night here gets me pumped! The Friday nights have a karaoke night in the cantina (first come first serve; no one under 21). My last experience here was nothing short of spectacular. I decided to celebrate my birthday here and I invited over 30 people. They usually don't take reservations in the cantina but if you have a big enough party (over 25 people) they will. When we got there, there were a few problems. Namely our table was set up for 25 people. After talking to the manager Juan Perez we got it all sorted out. He brought in another table and a few more seats and everything was fine. Also of note was our server Lilia Preciudo. She was excellent, friendly and attentive. She was patient with us and got our orders out pretty quick. She handled a table of 30 extremely well. The karaoke was nice, if a bit cramped. I think because of 2 large parties (mine and another party of 30) they had to add more seats in the karaoke area. It was fine. Once you get some drinks in people and they're surrounded by loud noise everything is fine. A few of my friends rocked the karaoke mic in my honor and I loved it. i also got on stage, and if I do say so myself, tore the roof off the joint with my Ice Ice Baby. I'm definitely planning more get-togethers here. Thanks El Torito for making my birthday one for the books.
(4)
Krystina M.

I went here for a quick supper last night for the first time and was very surprised at how delicious the food was! They even had spoonbread, which I adore. It did take a little bit to get our food and drinks, but it was worth it. I had a pineapple coconut margarita on the rocks, which was amazing. A very delicious twist on a traditional margarita! The salsa was very spicy, so I didn't really eat much of that. The portions sizes are large and I had leftovers for the next day. Very, very good food, served nice and hot! I will definitely be back.
(4)
Mariko B.

Happy hour was fun. Went on a Friday night with some co-workers, there was a big group celebrating a birthday but it was still fun. They had kareoke, after 2 blackberry Cadillac margaritas they got the guts to sing, it was pretty entertaining. The food was so-so, afterall, it is happy hour. I'd go back for the happy hour but not the restaurant. It gets super busy and we ended up sitting at a dirty table and helping the server clean it, it was a little hard to flag her down.
(3)
David H.

Just what you would expect on a Monday night. Not great, but certainly good enough.
(3)
Richard F.

I came here with a bunch of coworkers who were in town and while this might be unfair to El Torito, they lose a point just because I am a fan of the "hole in the wall" joints, and there are plenty of good ones in Santa Clara County The service here was good, pleasant and overall nothing really to complain about. I ended up getting an Enchilada combo plate and it was good and filling. Combine that with a "at the table" made Guacamole that wasn't really hot and a fly in the drink of my boss, caused another point to go bye-bye
(3)
John C.

I've never met more lunatics at a restaurant than here. Some guy was trying to teach me some kind of handshake series. Ridiculous, he's not a Mason, that's not a Mason handshake, and I know because I have Mason friends. It has a Mexican criminal atmosphere absent at the other 100+ excellent Spanish and Mexican restaurants I am a patron of. A client there flat out lied about myself and my companion, making this one of the most ghetto joints you could ever eat at. Avoid it in 3s. The Foster City locale is pristine and excellent, this place is outright criminal. Oh I forgot to mention the double-charging staff and the guy in yellow outdoors who thinks he is a bouncer. Hey guy - You work at a Mexican restaurant!! ;-)) Crazy zone, avoid this place at least at night anyways.
(1)
Eric G.

2pm -12 mid happy hour!!!!!!!
(4)
Akash K.

Going to El Torito and expecting quality food is really just my fault. Going to El Torito is really just my fault. El Torito existing ... now THAT is someone else's fault. El Torito is the equivalent of Taco Bell for people who enjoy paying $15 in a restaurant with a mission style interior. Actually, Taco Bell has a little more flavor. I use the Ranchero Enchiladas as a bellwether for mexican food quality, and this meal failed miserably at everything other than giving me a little tummy ache later in the day. If you're interested in Tex-mex in this area, try Casa Lupe down the street; it's not a chain and definitely more authentic.
(2)
Bill G.

3.5 stars. Meal starts with good chips and salsa. Menu is widely varied with plenty of Americanized Mexican standards plus a good list of regional dishes that rotate every 6-12 months. I like the Mexico City tacos (tacos chilangos?) and Sonora quesadillas, to name just two. Fajitas are usually good, as well, though more expensive. Service is usually efficient and friendly by local standards.
(4)
Nicole B.

I'm a sucker for their weekday brunch if I have the time to sit down for lunch. All you can eat Mexican salad (my favorite! I love their cilantro dressing) sides (Mexican rice, refried beans, and pork), and fajitas = food coma. When I am not working Sundays, I like to visit their brunch layout. Definitely worth trying at least once. Lots of food, the ones I mentioned above along with soup, all you can drink champagne, desserts, and omelets bar, with a few extra sides. I'm not really in the mood for drinking so early, but they do offer alcohol beverages for 4.50. I am a fan of their lava coladas and they have a similar drink for that deal during their brunch :)
(4)
Betty C.

It's what you can expect for an El Torito. Location is not really good. Mostly people on business, the bar area was dead. Food was standard, neither too good or too bad. Drinks I think were on the weak side, but it is a family restaurant. The service was nice, drinks on the light side, but it's the happy hour that keeps me coming. $2 margaritas from 4 pm - 8 pm and half price appetizers. Order the Fiesta Grand Platter, it's more than enough to share. Now ask me why me and my girlfriend racked up $100 at happy hour? o_0
(3)
LadyK B.

My rating for this place may be high but I know how I am treated when I come to this restaurant! Happy Hour Monday-Friday is from 2 pm - 8 pm Monday-Thursday There is not much happening on these slow days. When I go eat dinner on one of these nights, of course your food is served faster & quicker, it isn't too noisy, & there are business locals meeting up w/ their clients to have dinner or enjoy happy hour. A small crowd of people if you don't like it being busy or packed. The food selections on the happy hour menu is mostly appetizer dishes which is okay for me (entrees are aso available for ordering but that would be at full price). The price for appetizers are decent and you can share your servings w/ 3-4 people. They've recently changed the menu a little bit, they have better chips & I've notice that their chicken nacho supreme are more crunchier & tasteful (well, I am just naming one dish)! The drinks are always good & the bartendar knows how to make them strong. I usually don't like drinking mixed drinks but here I definitely order my mango margaritas (it's either this or straight shots so my money's worth). When & where can you start drinking margaritas for $3 at 2 pm??!! I love this place!! Friday For those who have not experienced happy hour on a Friday evening/night, this is a really FUN place to go to for food, drinks, karaoke, and dancing. The downside to Friday nights is that you will have to find parking on the side of the road as the lot is always full....also, if you don't have any reservations, good luck standing there waiting for one cause you are not guaranteed a table in the 21+ section of the restaurant (this section is where the bar/karaoke/dance floor is located). I found that arriving at the restaurant no later than 5:30, you can still get 1-2 tables but if you arrive later than thiat, you will be standing. Once karaoke starts, the restaurant gets really loud & noisy so you're practically yelling instead of talking (I don't like this but got no choice). It is what it is. If you prefer a mellow, chill atmosphere, more quieter ambience, this is not the place for you. True that service may be a little slow on Fridays, well, it's because it's a packed night & the servers are trying to do their best to serve you while they are also serving other tables within their section. I don't get mad at them, I've been a waitress before so I totally know what they are going through. It's a great mix of crowd, everyone of every color is here!! Bottomline, my friends & I love to come here for gatherings, birthday celebrations, eat & drink, or sometimes for no reason...This is definitely a social spot for those who likes to have fun!! Don't worry, if you can't sing, it's okay!! No one will throw ice cubes at you here...or you can just be a back up dancer : )
(5)
Erin B.

I like El Torito and I don't think that's a bad thing! I've been here quite a few times with friends, co-workers and even for happy hour and I've usually been happy when I leave. I've even had a waitress remember me (and my weird order) :) The Friday night happy hours are busy!!! So many people show up for this. There are a few regulars who are great at Karaoke and they are very entertaining :)
(4)
T Lee S.

Fun place to go on Friday and Saturday nights!
(4)
Rishi S.

Had to wait quite a bit for our food. Maybe just be cuz there were 10 of us for lunch. The servers were very friendly. Got a margarita pitcher and it was pretty strong. Fajitas are average but good. They no longer have a lunch buffet.
(3)
MrImster I.

Ok, they took 20 minutes to take our order, then they took another 30 min to make our food, she got one our orders wrong, and have us this stupid attitude. She tried to prove us wrong by showing us the dang book of orders. And it turns out we were right and she stood there, grabbed the dang burrito, and walked away. So we had to wait another 10 minutes for the burrito to come out. Then another 10 minutes for boxes, another 10 for the check. She actually didn't charge us for both burritos! Im so surprised! They didn't check on us once, and we had to wave for someone to come over. And the food was cold! Do I have to keep going on about this! Jeez! There was candy on the floor I the bathroom. What the heck! The chips were okay. Hoping it was just this once, won't be coming back for a while. The hostess butted over me and asked what I was doing on my phone. Like, what the cheese! I hope to never come here again. It took 15 minutes to make a burrito! I hope that hostess reads this post!
(1)
Stephanie N.

I'm not the biggest fan of Mexican food but I do enjoy it from time to time. This was my virgin journey to this place and I have to say, I actually liked it... A lot actually. I ordered the chicken and sour cream rice plate with no beans. The sweet corn cake was DELICIOUS. Wow, I couldn't get enough of it! The service here was good. The waiter was attentive, the food arrived hot and I had no issues whatsoever finding parking. I literally have nothing to report except a positive and yummy experience! Their happy hour looks tempting. I might have to go to this place during happy hour and get awesome appetizers at half price!
(4)
Joe C.

A coworker took us to El Toritos because he liked the food he had several years ago. But this time, our experience was absolutely bad. First, after we finished the first basket of chips, we asked the waiter for more. He acknowledged, but never comes back, until we had to walk to another waiter to ask 15 minutes later. Second, the margarita we ordered tasted just like lime juice, as one of my coworkers put it. There was so little alcohol in it and still cost $7.49. Third, the food, the fijitas, was served just warm, instead of sizzling. Fourth, during the whole 1.5 hours, there was no single time the waiters came to ask what is needed. Fifth, after waving to the waiter many times, he finally saw us. When he brought the bill with him, with 18% tip automatically included, he apparently forgot we were still waiting for the desert and a birthday cake. Finally, we talked to the manager about the service and he gave us 20% discount of the meal. That's why I give it two stars.
(2)
Carmen Q.

So disappointed. Me and my group of over 20 people came in. I put in just two songs at 630 to sing karaoke. I only got to sing one while the newest karaoke man kept putting up his friends up over and over. The last karaoke man was fair and put people up in a fair rotation. If this as how thing are going to change, we have decided to find a new place for karaoke and dancing. We've been coming her for over 10 years just for karaoke and this sucks.
(1)
H T.

I've been wanting to check this place out and finally had the opportunity to last night. I was really disappointed by both the food and the service and would not return. When we arrived we were told that there was a 20 minute wait. 35 minutes later we were seated. They had a special birthday event going on so they were a bit short on tables so I didn't give them too much grief for the long wait. Once we finally were seated our server came over to take drink orders. He didn't know what a Lava Colada was so we had to show it to him on the menu. I also ordered the raspberry margarita (also on the menu) and was later told that they don't have raspberry and haven't had it in awhile. I asked for water with a lemon instead and received water, but no lemon. They give you complementary chips and salsa which were the highlight of the evening. The chips were thin and warm and the salsa was fresh and mild. There were a couple "no meat" options on the menu but I've learned my lesson to inquire at places like this regarding their beans and rice. The rice here is made with a chicken stock and the beans were vegetarian friendly. With this information I ended up settling for the vegetable fajitas. I'm not a huge fan of fajitas but there weren't many other options. When the food finally arrived I can't say I was impressed. There was a weird sauce on the vegetables and the vegetables were in huge pieces. They could've cut it up into fajita sized pieces at least. To top it off, they put gross potatoes in the vegetable platter. Potatoes on a fajita?! What planet are they from? Since I hadn't eaten all day I picked around on my plate but was so disappointed. They allowed thee water glasses to go empty several times and we had a difficult time flagging down our waiter for more water. After the food arrived our waiter never once came by to check on us. We needed more tortillas for the fajitas (as he gave us 6 between the two of us) and we were never able to flag him down and he never came by. Not to mention we waited over 10 minutes to get his attention so we could get our check and get out of there. Awful service and mediocre food means I will not be returning. With the amount they charge you here I was definitely expecting more - I'd recommend Viva Sol* in Mountain View if you want some good Mexican food. ___________________________________________ * = Viva Sol: yelp.com/biz/vive-sol-reâ€¦
(2)
Michael J.

For those of us that usually insist on take away orders be advised- the pricing listed on there PDF menu is about two to five dollars cheaper then it actually is when you place your order. I don't know if they know about this discrepancy but just heads up. The food is so so typical American Mexican food sort of bland. The service in consistently terrible but at least its consistent. Sometimes this is the only place i have the will power to visit because of its proximity to my house. If you have the opportunity to go somewhere else, I'd strongly consider. But hey, try everything at least once that way you can say you "tried it and it sucked" P.S.Why oh lord why is this "Mexican Cantina" themed restaurant playing a club remix of "Like a G6" ??? :OH WOW:
(2)
John T.

This review is for the Sunday brunch. This was my first time and probably my last! Me my Wife & my Son showed up here around noon and the place seemed pretty busy with the Football & Church crowd, so we were doubtful that we were going to be seated down right away but surprisingly we were seated down immediately so that's why I'm rating them with two stars. Our waiter seemed like a cool guy at first and he explained how the brunch works and what it included, but he never offered us drinks until we had to ask him 10 minutes later into our brunch! I guess he forgot about us (I freakin hate when that happens!). So finally when I asked the dude, "Can we order DRINKS?!?!?". He acted like nothing and just said "What can I get you?". WTF?!?!...Hello?!?!?shouldn't you have offered that to us when we first sat down?!?...Pfft....Whatever! So the food was average, to say the least. I tried the Chile Verde and some other dishes like that, which I couldn't remember the names of and they were flavorful but most of the meat dishes were tough and chewy....YUCK!. That alone just made me lose my appetite. I also tried the taco cart and thought to myself, "wow, she's making handmade tortillas, this shi*t must be good!", NOPE!, that meat was just as chewy. I've had WAY BETTER tacos from a roach coach on the street! The only thing that I recall that was good was the churos and the macaroon cookies. That's it!! Next time I'm in the area and craving a Mexican brunch, I'll settle for Pedro's instead. It might be a little more expensive but it's worth the price.
(2)
Teresa P.

Let me be frank.... I was there just the other day with a few friends, about 9pm, having a nice dinner, all in all everything was ok. Service wasn't as prompt as it should've been, but the food was ok, UNTIL...... We are sitting in the back seating area located next to the bar where there are a few tv's up, and my friend notices a huge rat come from behind the register! It crawled onto the floor and was just strolling around by all the tables, SUPER unsanitary and sickening! We all screamed, told our waiter, as he did NOTHING about it! He simply walked over, batted at the curtain and a few tables and said "I don't see it but here's your check". We were livid, we definitely shouldn't of paid, but we did anyways and immediately left disgusted! So BEWARE PEOPLE THIS PLACE IS INFESTED WITH HUGE, GIANT RATS, that the servers are clearly aware of because they did NOTHING about it (not inform a manager or anything). Do not eat here people, instead go to the el torito in foster city, where I have been going to since a kid! Much better service, and no rats there, that are visible anyway! I repeat DO NOT EAT HERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE RATS! And trust me, it would've gotten ZERO stars but unfortunately yelp doesn't work that way! Santa Clara health and food department have been advised and I believe already went in to investigate
(1)
Christine W.

I'm vegan and unfortunately there aren't a lot of options there, but they do have the best Mexican veg options in the area. I get the veggie fajitas w/o cheese but they put weird things in there like potatoes.....who puts potatoes in fajitas? Seems like they're just trying to flesh it out with cheap veggies. The spinach enchiladas are also a safe veg choice but the rice is made with chicken stock. Recently I discovered you can get the fajitas salad with extra veggies instead of meat and it's awesome! Lots of fresh vegetables and it's super filling. Good job, El Torito! :)
(4)
Yves S.

You'll find me at El Torito on Tuesdays for their dollar tacos and Strawberry Margarita on the rocks. I love this place not only because it's inexpensive but the there's TV's in every corner in the bar area- it's definitely the place to catch up with your favorite sports game after a long day at work. Or rock it out with your favorite karaoke music on Fridays. Few tequila shots will take you to sing in front of happy fun crowd. Food is always good and drinks---well, Lupe (she's one of the server) knows exactly how I want my drinks and as soon as I come in, she'll make her way to the bar to order my drinks (she knows me already!)
(4)
Lynn H.

Mediocre food, lousy take out service, mistakes in the order, TWICE, and nothing to say was good except for the Mexican salad dressing. Really, just skip it, go to Pedro's.
(1)
Ashlee W.

Was here on Friday (2/3/12) night for my friend Joel's birthday. We had about 30+ people. The service was great, wish I had gotten the servers name. She was awesome! I was surprised with the great service we got since we had a large group. Cant beat their happy hour. The coconut pineapple margaritas and shrimp tacos are my fav! The Karaoke was awesome to watch too. Lost of good singer! :)
(5)
Jenifer V.

Sorry, but no bueno. If you're in the mood for Mexican and want a sit down place in the immediate area, I would head over to Pedro's. My meal wasn't awful, but there was just nothing too it. I feel like *I* could have cooked better Mexican. Even their tableside guac lacked flavor. And the salsa was salty ... or garlicky ... or something. Just bleh. The chips were tasty though, so I'll give them that. Maybe they have a good happy hour, but I'd go elsewhere for an actual meal.
(2)
Britney K.

I was recently here for a wedding reception and was very plesantly surprised. The room it was held in was spacious, the buffet that was set up was delish (all the delicious corn mush you can eat!) and the staff was really good about clearing tables quickly but not being in the way. Who knew El Torito was a good place for events?!
(5)
P. F.

honestly, if it wasnt for their cheap margaritas and the fact that work is right around the corner.. i'd never go here again. Service is TERRIBLE!! not attentive at all. food is just average. Happy hour is the only way to go. I would never pay full price for the food here. Also, make sure to double check your check! there have been many times where we have been overcharged since we always come with a large group and they always seem to mess it up.
(1)
Andrew W.

Ug... Awful... Very high prices FOR LUNCH. Look at my photo. Cold, store-bought corn tortillas, TINY portions, beans served in water, all my party (20 people) served by ONE waitress. 12 people at my table were served FLAT sodas... I pointed out issues to manager (rude) who refilled everyone's sodas with the SAME flat stuff. Everything was WAY over priced! Everyone in our group said they would never go back again.
(1)
Laura S.

This review is for the Sunday buffet. I've had it twice. El Torito is crowded on Sundays, for good reason. This is the best Mexican buffet out there. Made-to-order omlettes, homemade tortillas, and taco cart style tacos are the highlight. My family loves the menudo and other soups. There is a large variety of food - sausage, waffles, fruit, potatoes, meat, salad. . . There are also several choices of desserts (Both times this has included churros, flan, and a few more things. Amazingly, this also included mimosas, aguas frescas, and other drinks. There were several reasons why this amazing spread did not get five stars: - A lot of the food was too spicy for my weak palette to enjoy - The horchata and churros were disappointing - The server got several things wrong with our drink order. Yes, it was busy. However, everyone in the restaurant has the buffet, so drinks are the only order. All of that said, this is the BEST Mexican brunch buffet out there!
(4)
Ebony B.

No more lunch buffet specials.... disapponited... yeah
(2)
Lonnie K.

Mediocre mexican restaurant. One thing of note: The menu says "Fajitas SIZZLING OR FREE". None of the Fajitas at any tables when we were there came out sizzling. We commented on ours coming out non-sizzling to our server when ours came out and got it for free with no hassle.
(2)
Cheri M.

I can't believe its taken me this long to write a review on this place. I LOVE this place. I've been coming here for a few years now and it NEVER disappoints. I've never had bad service or bad food. Their Mexican street tacos are to die for, especially the carnitas one, and I don't even like carnitas. The guacamole is yummy and the free chips and salsa are very tasty and I love that they are free. The chips are always warm and the salsa is just perfect. My boyfriend loves the sizzling enchiladas and the sour cream chicken enchiladas they are both good but enchiladas aren't really my thing. The deep fried ice cream is SOOOOOOO good but soo bad. Seriously you'll have to run like 10 miles after it but it is delicious. Come here if your looking for some good americanized Mexican food, they won't disappoint you.
(5)
Rosemary R.

The service here is terrible! I've seen three hosts at the front door ignoring customers and then wandering off, and I've seen no hosts at the front desk. The waiter may take your order, but don't expect water refills or special requests or your check any time soon. I've had to flag down a hostess at the front desk just to pay. I thought ordering it to go would be better, but when I phoned in an order, I arrived to find out no one had made it. So I waited another 10 minutes for the hostess to make it. Depending on what time you go, it can also be very loud. Definitely not the place for a nice quiet dinner, a fast dinner, or waiter service. Why do I keep going back? Their caesar salad is amazing, as is the corn cake and chips.
(2)
Adriano C.

Located in a non-easy-to-find spot, has a really nice and warm atmosphere. From ordering to actually getting the dish usually takes a while, especially during lunchtime. The wait is worth it though... food is always nicely laid out and very well prepared. If you like salmon then go for the Sauteed Fresh Salmon -- a delicious large portion surrounded by grilled veggies.
(4)
Kimberli M.

I cant believe that it has taken me this long to write a review on this place. So here we go, I have been coming to El Torito with my g/friend for the past 5 years or so... it is our secret Happy Hour get away... [its hidden by shrubbery off the 101 Fwy on a frontage road] The service is great, that includes; the busers, the wait staff, the management. The food is very edible, I am a very bland eater, so Ii cant really comment on much [the salsa is HOT to me], but the chicken quesadillas are good, the chicken flautas are a little too greasy for me, and the chicken enchiladas are yum as well. We usually go to the bar area and just kind of camp out, we have a favorite waitress that we are partial to, but the rest of the staff is great as well. Many good times have been had at this El Torito!
(4)
James D.

This review is for the Cantina section only. Came in after having dinner at St. John's Bar and Grill. It was around 8pm and I was with 3 ladies; my gf, her best friend and their other friend. The place was half packed and we were seated immediately. The waiter was sincere and friendly. We only wanted a few drinks but he came out with chips and salsa. I got a grande house margarita and it was alright. I preferred mine over the rocks versus blended. The portion was big but definitely not worth the $10 price tag. Luckily he gave us the happy hour price for $8 on it and I was happy. Our server was attentive and even re filled our chips and salsa upon request. I'd come here again to eat and drink during happy hour. It's a nice place to go to since it's in the cuts and nobody will bother you.
(3)
Steve B.

Food OK. Our waitress was covering a lot of tables. Noisy.
(4)
J L.

I came in here two or three times. Once I came in with the boyfriend for lunch after a day of great america. The mashed corn that came with our tomales was really good. Just thinking about it makes me want to go back. The food was sizzling hot when we got it. Each plate was roughly $11-$13. The other time I came it was when my manager from work treated us out. We came in at 7, just in time for happy hour. The appetizers and drinks were half off. I believe it was just the mixed drinks that were half off. The beer was discounted. And I think the hard drinks was at least 2 dollars off. Whatever the happy hour prices were, I remember stocking up on appetizers and drinks. We were so full by the appetizers that we didnt even order a main course meal. There are so many choices for appetizers. Con: Parking. Plus the restaurant is in cuts, you have to follow the road that is hardly anyone goes on. It's quite loud. They do kareokee, which is quite random, or maybe it was just that one night. Either way, I would go here again
(4)
J. B.

Went here for happy hour/dinner last night. The place was fairly packed which surprised me given its out of the way location. I guess its a pretty popular happy hour spot. Had a regular margarita ($3 HH) and a well vodka soda ($3). The margarita was too sweet as most chain restaurant type margaritas are. The vodka soda was better and was actually fairly stiff which surprised me. The chips and salsa are standard. the chips were fresh, thin and crispy. The salsa was run of the mill. For dinner I had a combo ($10.99) with cheese enchilada (decent, enchilada sauce was pretty flavorless), chile relleno (bad. cheese was just weird and dry, I'm sure it was supposed to be queso fresco but it just wasn't good), beef crunch taco (decent actually, good flavor and nice crunch though it got a bit soggy on the bottom). The sides (rice, beans and a little dollop of corn-stuff) were all ok. The rice was nice and dry which I like and had decent flavor, the refried beans were standard. Overall it was OK. The happy hour drink prices probably pushed it up to 3 stars from 2.5. On a side note, I have also been here for brunch which I enjoyed, mostly due to the bottomless mimosa's. the brunch food? ehh, but whatever, I'll probably be back sometime I'm sure.
(3)
Ms C.

We arrived at 9:45 for Mother's Day Brunch and it was already getting packed. We waited for about a half an hour which wasn't that bad. Once we were seated we were unleashed to get our food. The food area was packed should to shoulder with people; no dishes abvailable. A line for dishes; a line for omletes; a line for waffles which was the biggest joke, because once the waffles were ready, they only brought out 3. What? Only one waffle maker?? It was total chaos...and the food was not worth the wait, it was a big disappointment.
(1)
Chethana C.

1. We were seated at a dirty table that had beverage spills that was not cleaned up. When we notified the waitress about it, she gave us the paper towel and stood by watching us clean it up as if it was our crap! No apologies and she did'nt even take away the dirty paper towels, just leaving it on our table. 2. Ordered two sizzler dishes, neither of those sizzled!! The vegetable fajita had mostly only onions in it. Same with the chicken fajita. 3. The staff was vacuuming the floor as the guests were eating!! BOTTOM LINE: Don't waste your money here! The food and service is overpriced for their sorry quality.
(1)
Tim E.

Wow, what a weird place. I went there on a random tuesday night in town for some business. It was close to my hotel and the local staff said it's decent. I sat at the bar and was immediately greeted by a very nice bartender who I couldn't hear but I'll touch that in a minute. The bartenders were very nice, and the house margarita is pretty good and the only reason I bothered to give this two stars. While it was pretty dead in there, they had this super loud club/dance music blaring... on a tuesday night. I asked the bartender what was the deal with the music, it's a mexican restaurant after all. He sort of smiled and shrugged I guess not to bash whomever was forcing this crap to be played. It seriously felt like a dead/empty club with the techno blaring. the food was decent, nothing wonderful but wasn't gross. It would honestly be a solid 3/5 minus the crappy music. Hopefully they come to terms with their atmosphere and their clientele and kill that crap.
(2)
Chili B.

Typical chain restaurant where most likely more than half the food is frozen and re-heated. The salsa was NOT fresh. It tasted like it came from a jar//really gross and totally despicable for a so-called Mexican restaurant. The chips were freshly fried and good. The margaritas were grossly watered down - I didn't taste a hint of alcohol. The mexican salad was good.I liked the dressing and the tortilla crisps. The cheese enchilada has actually good. The enchilada sauce had good flavor and was a bit sweet. The flautas were gross - way too greasy and bland. They needed a dipping sauce. If you are desperate for Mexican food and want a step up from Taco Bell this is the place for you.
(2)
Patricia V.

Went here last Sunday for Sunday Brunch to celebrate my "Tia's" 80th birthday. From the outside you can tell the restaurant has been in business for awhile (kind of tired and lacks edginess). Inside was spacious and our party area was reserved for us so we went right in and found our tables. After our initial greeting etc and while we waited on others to arrive I finally asked the waiter if we could get something to drink. Then after getting our drinks and still waiting I asked the waiter if he could bring us some chips, which he finally did. To tell you the truth the lunch buffet did not look very appetizing to me so I had a bowl of menudo, which was really good and then I ordered the steak fajita salad. OMG the steak fajita salad is absolutely delicious. At some point a few of waiters and a waitress came out and did birthday shout out to my Tia but after that we didn't see much of the waiters, I don't know could be that we were a large group there for the buffet and maybe they thought we really didn't need them around..."not." There was one young waitress that was very accommodating with our digital cameras and actually took seven group photos for us and she was cheery and happy. She also helped us and brought out plates and utensils for my Tia's birthday cake. If I go to El Toritos again I will be getting either the menudo or the steak fajita salad. 1 Star--for the menudo 1 Star--for the steak fajita salad 1 Star--for the young lady waitress
(3)
Cameron H.

I love this place, especially the mexican ceaser salad! I live in the Washington DC area but fly to the bay area 3-4 times a year and always come here!
(4)
Irene L.

Typical El Torito food. The service is alright, extremely convenient location right off 101, but kind of hidden away.
(3)
Bebe F.

Their tortilla chips are the best! Warm, thin & salty...just the way I like 'em! The salsa that comes with it isn't bad either. I've eaten here over the years & have had a variety of items: *Crispy Tacos = too greasy *Enchiladas = not a fan of their red sauce *Soft Tacos (chicken w/flour tortillas) = tasty but very skimpy on the filling *Frijoles de la Olla (their whole beans) = spicy & very salty *Spanish Rice = GOOD! *Chicken Fajitas = GREAT!! *Corn Cake = AWESOME!!! *Tropical Iced Tea = refreshing 3 stars for decent & consistent food. Minus 2 stars for their high prices. What they charge for many of their items doesn't reflect in the value you get which can make you feel like you should've just gone to a regular old taqueria.
(3)
Kimberley M.

This is a big, corporate restaurant. I am fond of the "Mexican" Caesar salad, which, although the tried and true caesar salad originated in Mexico, El Toritos is nicely adorned with cilantro pepitas and cotija. They had a good food designer on this item and give it a 5. Most of the menu is a bit on the deep fried flour tortilla side. This is Chimichanga turf people!
(3)
Charlene M.

Went here with the hubby. He really wanted Mexican food and I did NOT want to go to Chevys. What we had: Entrees Carnitas served with a cheese anaheim chile quesadilla with beans, fluffy rice. They give you alot of carnitas which were mouthwaterlingly tender. They also give you a scoop of that corn masa stuff which is absolutely yummy. I am not a fan of the salsa, so 1 star off for that, but everything else was deelish. The husband didn't like the service or food, but I can't count him because he's a chevys fan (which I am not). So rock on El Torito.
(4)
Janette W.

Good place for an affordable Mexican brunch. I was sitting at a rowdy table with 6 guys,but the waitstaff was still kind and courteous. I'd definitely go back here again.
(3)
Sheryll D.

so lately ive been on a mission with jiggly buff to find a happy hour place...so far this is the place to be. My bf and I went here with his sister to see what the hype was about. sister mentioned that we would get fed for about 9 dollars total for the 3 of us, so we went for the challenge....(keep in mind.....my jiggly and I eat a lot). we ordered 3 plates of appetizers (flutas, chicken wings, sampler plate) and about 4 or 5 drinks.....total bill.....$35! what a deal...we couldnt keep it under $9 but $35 dollars for 3 people and drinks.....you cant beat that. we were so full and had food to take home....yum yum yum in our tum tum...we will be back.... on a side note, the fiesta salad thingy with steak is YUM! i go to the one in Milpitas all the time for lunch..... cant wait till the next happy hour date.....=)
(4)
Rachel R.

This Mexican restaurant is surprisingly good, one of the better chain eateries. It is California-ized Mexican food. There are visible fresh veggies in the dishes. I don't like the soupy juice the beans come in, but otherwise the food is yummy. The ambiance is nice. There are Happy Hour and lunch specials. The service is usually very good. Take out is slow so call ahead. My husband prefers this to Pedro's.
(4)
A P.

Enjoyable place to dine out at. We were seated very quickly by the pleasant hostess; I ordered shrimp enchilida's with refried beans and rice and a Margarita. All which I was not disappointed. Sat in bar and we had pretty good service with our server it was a young lady. Love there chips and Salsa, so much better than other Mexican Resturants to. I recommend El Torito's to friends and family for a night out.. also if your going on a Sunday morning be patient cause when we were their that seems to be one of their busiest days' but it's real good for the price of I think 15.00 dollars not sure cause i didn't pay, I recommend over Pedros' anytime!
(4)
Tetsu N.

3.5 stars.... I feel sorry for this particular El Torito's because I think they'd get a lot more business if they were in a more exposed area. Instead, you sort of have to know that it's there, you'd never just accidentally see it and go in unless you were staying at the Embassy Suites across the street. But I guess that can also be a good thing. I'm gonna make some references to Pedros once in a while. I'm doing this because, they're both very close to my office and when in the mood for Mexican at a distance of 2 miles or less, these are pretty much the only two options available. They're also both great private party restaurants that are large enough to be able to stay open even when there's a few private parties going on. Pretty cool, eh? Today, I came here to talk a little quiet business with another business associate and it was really perfect. The lack of crowds at the late lunch hour was great for talking without raising our voices, but when this place is particularly crowded, it's a little hard to have a normal decibel conversation above the din of kitchen, waiter, busboy, and customer sounds. Though there are many little differences between El Torito and Pedro's, ultimately, they are very similar on the big things. They both are very large restaurants with multiple sections, they both bring the food out in a similar way, and the menus are fairly similar, they both have a combination of large open and high ceiling areas and low ceilinged quiet sections....the list goes on. I'd say El Torito is a little brighter than Pedro's, but Pedro's has more outdoor seating. One thing that I particularly like and ALWAYS order is the fresh quacamole. They make it fresh each time, and more importantly, for dinner, they'll make it fresh right at the table. That's so cool. And of course, the quacamole tastes way better at El Torito's than Pedro's. Today, I ordered the combo fajita plate. Oh la la! What a great lunch. Steak, chicken, and shrimp, along with grilled veggies, rice, guacamole, a sweet mashed veggie, and a bunch of soft tortillas. This has got to be my absolutely favorite Mexican dish of all time after the carnitas/bacon/cheese tacos. The rice and re-fried beans are also good here, though I sorta like the rice at Pedro's better. All in all, El Torito doesn't match up to the upper echelons of great Mexican eating, namely tacos with carnitas and bacon topped with mountains of cheese done just the way you like in a small Mexican restaurant where you can watch them cook, but for an upscaly Mexican restaurant with great corporate party options, El Torito is hard to beat. Will I be back? Most def! This place is A-OK....
(3)
Mercy B.

This is a funny place for a restaurant that's hidden behind some big shrubs on a frontage road that parallels Hwy. 101. You really wouldn't know that this restaurant is there except for the sign that you can see from the freeway. The b/f and I went there for dinner tonight - it was pretty empty. The hostess seated us in an area where music speakers where wailing directly on us - and unfortunately, the music that eminated from the speakers was loud and tinny. Very grating on the nerves and not conducive to a relaxing dining experience. We asked to be seated in another area, away from the speakers. The waiter didn't seem to understand that we wanted AWAY from the irritating music. Finally my b/f just stood up and said - just find us a place away from the noise. We ended up eating in the bar area, which was just around the corner from our original seating, but so much better. The food wasn't anything to rave about. Their enchiladas and tamales were ok. I ordered the chicken tropical salad - which was a basic romaine salad with cheese, tortilla strips, avocado, grilled chicken and a fruit salsa all tossed in with a light vinegarette. Good, light fare for a summer night. The place was not busy - so it's hard to say what service is like during a busy lunch or dinner hour.
(2)
Howard L.

I had two bad experiences at this Mexican Restaurant. The first time the food was cold and tasteless, my expectations were not high, but cold mushy food does not work for me, I can forgive a bad night. I am a hotel manager, having worked in a 5 star resort in Mexico; I can only wonder from which Mexico is this food is authentic? I must have lived and worked in a differant Mexico. Unfortunately I decided to go back with my son's baseball team, due to the convenience of this location to our hotel. STRIKE OUT I spent the late night and early morning managing my sons hurling. Three people were very ill and a couple uncomfortable within 2 to 4 hours of eating. The food / a chicken entree was bad. Those that ate chicken were ill. My son was so ill that he could not play baseball the next day. The Santa Clara County health department found violations. The office gave me some free meals; but me and my group were not interested in going back to that restaurant. Very unhappy Dad
(1)
Kat M.

Do you like BAD service? Would you like to be ignored by corporate when you write them a letter? If so, this is your restaurant! So I recently moved from San Diego to the south bay area. My fianc and I ate at our local El Torito often because of many reasons including the service. We were always greeted, seated and taken care of. Being that this is a chain restaurant, I will only judge the service at this location. We ate there twice, both times on non-busy nights (once a Wednesday and once a Monday and both times we were basically ignored. This last time was so bad, we received our water when our meals came out. I already wrote a nice big letter to corporate explaining the poor service of this particular location and unfortunately I did not even get a , "thank you for your concern" reply. The server at this place also tried to charge me full price for a side salad because we split it and added 99 cents onto our order because we asked for corn flour tortillas. Maybe if there service was better they wouldn't worry about tricks to increase our sales numbers. So sadly disappointed.
(1)
Chris P.

OK, so after my usual favoured Tex-Mex place (Acapulco) just closed recently, I received a ticket for a free entree ($12 max) at this place. So I went here on a Tuesday night to check it out. At just after 8pm, the place was less than half-full, so I was served pretty quickly. Free chips and salsa came straightaway, followed by a refill. I ordered the chicken enchiladas plate (came with rice and beans and a sweet corn type thing). The service was friendly and very attentive and the food came fairly quickly. Overall the food was not bad, but not really inspiring. Would go again perhaps but I think there are better places. Definitely not as good as Acapulco was and looking at their prices maybe slightly more expensive.
(2)
Eduardo V.

Decent food. the 3 dish special is a must if you new to this place. lets you try out what they have to offer at a fair price. Service was the best good, waiter we got was doing his job very well. One of the the women there was rude, just have us attitude.
(3)
Jesse S.

Average Tex-Mex chain food. Service is slow and random. Food tastes pretty good though! Good sized portions. I like the ball of corn that comes with some things (sweet corn tomalito). Also like the plates that come hot so your food cooks in front of you. Be careful not to breath in the spicey food fumes or it'll burn your lungs.
(3)
Amit T.

Love the happy hour here! 1/2 off select appetizers = me getting chicken quesadillas for 5 bucks. Add a margarita or two and I'm done! The place gets pretty crowded Friday nights, they have a karaoke section and towards the end of the night, it gets pretty loud as the people get more tipsy. Nevertheless its a fun place to hang out at
(4)
Serina N.

I've only been here for brunch but it was really good. I loved the possole and this corn meal dish, the menudo is also good but nothing special it kind of reminded me of the Juanita's in a can but the taste was little better. I don't really try the other items, I usually fill up on soup, but my mother said the meat dishes were too salty. I had to knock off a star because last time I went they didn't have any possole so I asked the waiter and he said it was due to the economy. LAME! The possole was my main reason for going, it made me so sad that they were no longer serving it and it was replaced with stinky tortilla soup. On a positive note the brunch includes drinks like mimosas, soda, orange juice, horchata, champagne whatever you choose, I thought that was really cool because usually they charge you separately for drinks
(3)
dez d.

We celebrated a friends birthday here last night and I have to say..I did not expect such great customer service as this chain has dwindled down and is trying to stay afloat with the other BIG restaurant chains. We sat in the Cantina, our host was amazing and had a fantastic memory - as for the lil bartenders they had such great customer service and really catered to the patrons. We will definitely be going back. Oh and I almost forgot...the location was totally clean : )
(5)
Valerie G.

I was invited to a Mother's day brunch for a good amount of family members. We had a party of 18 and apparently they were all starving for food in large amounts. We chose to see what the Sunday buffet at El Torito had to offer. For such a packed house, making prior reservations was ideal for coming prepared to a zoo like this especially on mother's day. High five to whoever did that. I was informed by my lovely mother that there were unlimited mimosa's included in this Sunday Buffet Brunch. I was elated. I knew that I was going to go into this location and drink as many glasses of mimosa's as I possibly could. Now.. for $16 unlimited buffet, Id say there was a great amount of variety, I cannot say that I took full advantage of the food because I majorly failed and ate before I went. I couldn't wait I was getting a strong fooditude and something need to suffice until I made it El Torito. Whatever the case our party of 18 was seated promptly and I made my way to the buffet, I saw an omelet station, a taco station, enchiladas, rice, beans,menudo, seviche, horchata, bacon, the works. I couldnt complain about the variety because you were definitely getting your money's worth. I had one complaint .. on my 4th mimosa, I requested for another one, it was brought to me and I was ready to enjoy this lovely creation of a drink and once my lips hit the glass and took that first sip..it tasted like watered down orange juice. Now when I informed the table that my "drink taste like water" random comments from the peanut gallery such as "4 or 5 of those I'm sure anything starts tasting like water"..hardy har har.. anyways.. i was upset that I didn't get to savior my bootleg mimosa. Will I go back here? Sure. Will I poison check my drink before the waiter walks away.. HELL YES
(3)
Jen C.

I have never had stale tortilla chips before, but I had it in my only visit at El Torito. I guess it has something to do with the fact that this location isn't busy enough!? Anyways, that being said, it's pretty disappointing. However, they did serve a good mango margarita, pretty good price too during happy hour. Their food were mediocre. We had the fiesta platter since the bartender highly recommended it. Nothing good in it, although portion and price were very good. Both burrito and enchilda had overly salty sauce on top. I felt so bloated by the extra sodium even I didn't finish my burrito. A good part of both the burrito and enchilda didn't have stuff in it. It's like a giantic piece of tortilla containing not enough meat and cheese, and smothered in a salty tomato sauce. Yuck! The server was very polite and had been trying very hard to sell us more margarita and appetizer though.
(1)
John S.

I came here on a Sunday morning for their buffet. It was really good. They had stations where you can get omlettes made, a nice bar in the middle with miscellaneous food, and then desserts and other things around the perimeter. The food was all really good and I look forward to coming here again. The architecture of the building was unique too and had a nice open-air feel to it (even though it wasn't open air). It's situated rather out-of-the-way in an office park area of Santa Clara.
(4)
danger m.

this place is okay. the best thing is the service. very friendly and attentative, they sing a pretty awesome happy birthday as well. other than that, its a pretty run of the mill mexican restaurant and their food is also fairly run of the mill. not bad, but not great either. its quite expensive for mexican food, spent about $17 for dinner. didnt hang out in the bar, but the people their seemed to be having a good time when i walked through. not really sure if that helps any but ill put that out there.
(2)
K L.

My husband and I always eat in the bar and have never been disappointed with the service. The wait staff is friendly and and on top of things. The food is by no means authentic, but it is consistently tasty. Much better than Chevys, although, Chevys salsa is better. I am a big fan of their Tortilla soup. Honestly, there isn't anything on the menu that I wouldn't recommend. Also on Sundays they have a great brunch until 2pm.
(5)
Kimberly L.

Mediocre Americanized Mexican food. I tried a mole dish they had and it tasted nothing like the authentic mole dishes I ate at all of my Hispanic friends homes. I did like going here for their salads, but they changed it a while back and I have not been back their since.
(2)
Julie D.

This is my favorite Mexican place to eat in the area. They have very good food specials, they are vegetarian friendly (will make substitutes), their salads are very green and healthy, the happy hour specials rock- $3 margaritas, their food is not too greasy, and they have good chips and salsa- what more do you need? Also, they have a good, cheap lunch buffet with excellent grilled veggies.
(5)
Honest O.

I loved this place. We went last Saturday night, pretty busy and got great service. Our waitress didn't even have to write down our order, and she got it all right! Amazing. She was extremely nice and checked on us often. We had a great time and a great meal.
(5)
ANDY K.

What can I say? I like El Torito. I love the salad dressing. That is pretty much the only reason I go here. Service has always been consistent and the atmosphere enjoyable. Now this just may be the pitcher of margaritas talking, but I say it is a damn fine restaurant!
(4)
John M.

How do I get this place into another catagory? I want to rate it for karaoke!!! (Friday nights are awesome, especially if you like multiple turns at the mike) That having been said, the place does a bang up job for happy hour. I'm way off into 1/2 price anything, and their offerings are right in my wheelhouse. The chicken flautas are tremendous (which makes the fact that they're served with french fries tollerable), as are their fish and/or shrimp soft tacos. The margarita mix is a bit too syurpy sweet, but the pours are generous (liberal in fact) and that evens the score. Happy hour is the perfect primer to the 8:00 start of Friday Night Karaoke! (More liquid courage, please!) I'll be back!
(5)
Jose M.

Great place to hang out after work with a bunch of friends. There is a Karaoke section in the front that starts off around 7-8pm. Good food, fair price, nice outdoor area, and the staff are friendly.
(4)
Pacis B.

I adore their happy hour. service is pretty good, and the bartenders in the cantina are super nice. this totally fullfills my mexican cravings most of the time.
(5)
M G.

Pretty OK Mexican food heheh. The appetizers are not so great but if you are completely plastered on Margheritas then who cares? guacamole is nice. Yeah! Bring on the senoritas!
(2)
J W.

I have been to this place quite a few times. The food was good (I don't think Mexican food can taste bad, or maybe I have never had bad Mexican food in my life), but what I give the 5-star for is the service. The service is outstanding! The servers were very nice and friendly, and also very helpful. I would definitely recommend this place for a good mexican meal and superb service.
(5)
H S.

the place is VERY AVERAGE. .went there for dinner (table for 6 + 2 kids). the salsa and chips were decent and i wish we could have left at that point. i ordered the vegetable enchiladas - terrible. the service was slow even though the restaurant was mostly empty at 9:30. we ordered pitcher of mango margarita and the regular margarita - both were iced up, flavorless and blah...to top it off, they tried to charge us for 3 pitchers - of course when pointed out, it was quickly taken of the tally. i would not go there again - i have eaten better mexican in roadside dumps than here.
(1)
Marie R.

Its been several months since I went here since the service was so bad. They admited they were understaffed and the drinks we felt had been like water. Though a good friend was with me and we wanted to eat together we were not served at the same time and I was almost finished when my friend was finally served. We had to wait over a half hour for desert and then 15minutes or so later they told us they were out of it. They blamed the whole situation on a group party. This place only gave us a slight discount and dont encourage it too highly. what a shame it use to be my favorite place to eat.
(3)
adam a.

Average. Nothing special. The food is average and the place seems mostly empty. It's hard to say I'd come back again.
(2)
nathan d.

Service was poor. Food was poor.
(1)
Trendsetter X.

I visited this place 2-3 times. The service is not too good. We have to wait too long for very little thing. Only some items are good. Their portion sizes are getting smaller for sure.
(2)
Michelle O.

Haven't been to an El Torito in quite some time since they took the one away near us. Came here on a Wednesday, walking distance from our hotel. The place wasn't very busy so they could accommodate our large group of 15 easily. I ended up getting the shrimp tacos that were really good, nice flavor. Th service was very good as well, attentive considering how big the group was. I definitely wouldn't mind returning if I was in the area.
(3)
Janelle B.

I had the worst experience here a couple weeks ago. My bf and I went to unwind and have a couple drinks and dinner after a long renovation. We went for a date night and I had been craving Mexican food for a while at this point. We went and sat a booth near the dance area and was passed up by a number of servers. I was so thirsty and hungry after the day we had all I wanted was a glass of water to hold me over. We wait 25 minutes and tried to go to the bar to ask for help and we tried to flag down a few waitresses. They completely ignored us! I became so upset and confused. We weren't even provided with menus to look over. No water or menus nothing! I have been coming here since I was a kid and have never had such a bad experience. They flat out ignored my bf and I and after all we have been through renovating and moving we just wanted to have a nice dinner and cocktails. After it was completely clear that they didn't want to help us we got up and left the restaurant. I will never come here again. I am still furious about it. The restaurant wasn't even busy and there were three servers and two bartenders that early evening. Absolutely no excuse.
(1)
Alison J.

Giving two stars because they make an effort, and the free chips and salsa were good. I don't plan to return. My order was: taco bar, side of guacamole, glass of water. I got: order from the taco bar. It was an order brought to my table, not buffet-style as I was expecting. I should've gone to the bar and gotten tickets for tacos, which I would have had control over. The restaurant is mostly empty, but the server still seemed overwhelmed. My tacos were okay - served street-style with nothing but meat and onions inside - but came with a 7/8 empty salsa container. Did it spill, or was someone interrupted? And only one flavor of salsa? With no salsa, guacamole or sour cream to add to my tacos, and no aqua de beber, I ate the meat and bounced. Leaving to complete my meal elsewhere.
(2)
Jay J.

I think this brunch was $17.95 Not worth it! The hostess sat us right away. The waiter, didn't know much about what was on the buffett. He wasn't sure if there were any eggs! Wow really! He didn't mention the memosa's to us at all! So the only B-fast stuff was the omelet, potatoes and fruit! Other than that, they had salads, enchiladas, rice, beans, some sweet corn something (that was good) and a few more items! I I think this buffet, should be priced around $7.95. Maybe if you drink the memos'as then you should pay $12.95 Not worth it! And El Torito, make sure your staff knows whats going on!
(2)
David G.

Let me start off by saying that many reviews are based on the experience only and not really based off comparisons to other similar restaurants or types of food. This review is a truly scientific review based on the fact that I have ate at a gazillion Mexican restaurants and have also ate at 4 different El Torritos for Brunch. With that said, I can honestly say that this was the worse El Torrito Brunch experience that I ever had. The food was not bad, some items were good, some were better then others, but some were outright terrible. What gives this review such a low rating and made it a no come backer place for me was the running of the joint. Here are a few examples and then I will finish my review off with a HUGE tip for management. 1. We arrive at 11:30 or so and I notice a tray next to the salads and seafood that contained ONE greasy tostada shell. I assume that this was for tostadas or to be used with cerviche. 20 minutes later the tray with one greasy broken shell was taken and no one ever replaced it. Its a good thing that no one wanted tostada shells that day. 2. The first area that I hit when I arrived was the taco bar. They had carnitas, grilled chicken and grilled steak. I got a carnitas and steak taco, the meat was very good, but the tortillas were cold, but no biggy. I went back up and I noticed that the grilled steak sign was gone. A lady in front of me asked for grilled chicken and then after making her two tacos, the grilled chicken sign was taken away. As long as I was there, they never replaced. So if a person didn't eat pork, then they were out of luck! 3. The chefs special were BBQ ribs, these things resembled jerky. LOL they actually had good flavor but were dry as heck and appeared to have been sitting there for a long time! 4. The Mole dish was horrific, A pool of grease coagulated over the top. I actually saw lots of people bring some back to the table and then leave it on their plate. I don't know where management was or why they didn't check on these things to make sure everything went smoothly. This place has potential to be a great buffet like the other ones in the bay area, but it appears to be neglected. Tio to management edited, can discuss off line or in PM At 17.99 a person, they need to step up their game. I was disappointed that I came here and my Sunday brunch was ruined.
(2)
Adrian M.

This place is has issues. I have been to many el toritos over the years. This one has some issues. Visited for the lunch buffet. Service from the wait staff was friendly and attentive. Buffet itself was slightly disappointing. Looks like the lunch selection has been drastically limited. This may be an company wide el tortio thing, however it just made me sad. :( The biggest issue was with the food itself. Most of the items in the buffet line were poorly cooked. Corn cakes were wet, salad was old, enchaladas were dry. Made me stay away from most items. When I got to the taco maker, the meat was fine, however the tortillas seemed like the mix was rough and produced a lumpty and tasteless tortilla. (-2 stars) Worst of all, stacks of freshly washed dirty dishes. Myself and multiple customers had to go through stacks of dishes to find one clean one. One lady actually had them go back to look for clean dishes. Unfortunate but fixable (-1 star) I don't believe i will be back to this location again. Hopefully this is not a company wide issue. El Torito is one of my favorite places, and i would hate to have to drop it.
(2)
Chuck G.

Came in for lunch because my hotel room wasn't ready yet. First thing first, clean bathroom :-). I sat at the bar because, I was alone and I like sitting at the bar. They offer a $9.99. It didn't look like it was too good. They brought me chips and salsa. The salsa was pretty good. I ordered the Street Taco Trio, carnitas. It came with rice, very good beans (I would have liked more of those), and chipotle salsa. I don't care for chipotle but I'm sure it was good for chipotle. I'd say it was very good overall. They have a good tequila selection, it was too early for tequila. Standard tap beer. Pacifica and XX on tap. I watched the server make a few margaritas she seemed to now what she was doing. Once again, too early for me.
(4)
Stefany V.

This location has been here forever! Shirley B and her husband had a date here back almost 3 decades ago, and my own BF was a regular at the lunch buffet while he was in college! The place hasn't changed a bit- lunch buffet is still here, which actually surprised me, as it's such a great deal. Like HH though, it's only available M-F (til 4PM). Several seating areas, including a formal dining room, the bar and surrounding high-tops, and the sunroom type area. Menu isn't too large but has all of the standard Mexican options you might be craving: chile relleno, fajitas in the cast-iron skillet, a group nachos order, a multitude of margarita options, and even fish tacos (available a la carte or as a plate of three). Chicken and beef fajitas are both good- peppers and onions are delish, charro beans are too. Guac app is a generous portion, and chips and salsa are free (Mexican Restaurant Rule #1!)- pricing may strike some as a bit high but the quality is good. Coconut margarita is basically a marg mated with a pina colada, house specialty is available in several flavors- the strawberry is much better than the Midori.
(3)
Prianka K.

Came here for the bottomless mimosa brunch on Sunday. We got here at about 10AM and it wasn't very crowded. We were able to get a seat immediately near the bar area. For the price, I think that it is worth it. We ended up staying for about 2 hours so i think we were able to get our moneys worth. For brunch, they have an omelet station and a taco bar. There is also fruits, salads, soups and other assortments of food. There is also a dessert bar. The mimosas are fairly strong and the servers were really good about giving us re-fills when our glasses were empty.
(4)
Kat R.

Went here and had a horrible experience. The waitress was so nice, but we didn't get our guacamole app until our entrees arrived. And they were both cold. The company made it right, but we had come from a long day, waited a half an hour for our food, 20 minutes for our first drinks when there were only 2 other tables.
(3)
Joel S.

I will give this place 4 stars and bonus a half. The service was great and friendly. Our server was attentive and took the time to greet and welcome everyone. Even the manager popped by to make sure things were good. Food. The steak fajita were flavorful and the steak was perfectly done. I would have liked the onions and peppers to be a bit more Caramelized but they were still darn good. Flan! Creamy and smooth texture and really was a great desert.
(4)

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Address : 2950 Lakeside Dr
Santa Clara, CA, 95054
Phone (408) 727-4426
Website https://www.eltorito.com
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :11:00 am - 10

Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Brunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Music : DJ
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes

Claim Restaurant

Mexican Cuisine

If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.

Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.

Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.

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El Torito

2950 Lakeside Dr, Santa Clara, CA, 95054

El Torito Menu

A La Carta

Enchiladas Y Burritos

Favoritos De Mexico

Fajitas Grandes

Sopa Y Ensaladas

Antojitos

Postres

Healthy Meal suggestions for El Torito

A La Carta

Enchiladas Y Burritos

Favoritos De Mexico

Fajitas Grandes

Sopa Y Ensaladas

Antojitos

Postres

Jim S.

Mario N.

Gloria H.

Peter C.

Scott C.

Heather Violet B.

Jessie F.

Will S.

Cree D.

Ken L.

C M.

Suzy G.

Jaymes H.

Allison K.

Juicy C.

Stewart F.

Phuong H.

Nemas F.

Vaishali S.

Ellie F.

Robert S.

paul t.

Elyse S.

Serena L.

Angela G.

Carly L.

Mimi T.

Kellie H.

Marcustron J.

Crystal C.

Ian C.

Spencer H.

Angela C.

Meri M.

Bruce's A.

Sue C.

Amanda N.

Allister D.

Ignacio O.

Stef D.

Yaneth B.

Khan A.

Chris Y.

MARIA M.

Ryan S.

Natalie G.

Jessica C.

Annice P.

Kivani R.

Michelle S.

Toricakez A.

Kim T.

R H.

Anthony Z.

John C.

Denise L.

Briana C.

Richard W.

Sigrun W.

Robert C.

jim p.