Had a great experience today! Roberto was our server and he was awesome--friendly, attentive, and made sure everything was perfect. The food was delicious and came out quickly, and the service really stood out. We'll definitely be back. Highly recommend! read more

Had only been to this location during the week for happy hour which is usually great. Went today for the brunch and omg way better that the one on 17th. The food was fresh and delicious. So flavorful. The staff was so busy the whole time we were there. They are definitely understaffed. I felt bad for them. You can tell they enjoy what they do but my goodness so busy! Connie was out server and she was so sweet. Kept her positive and attentive attitude until the very end. So empressed. The girl doing the tortillas was also making taquitos, goeditas and quesadillas. They need at least one more person there. More cooks in the bad too, as soon as something came out people ran to get it. Mole was so good. Desserts all so good. Will definitely be back. read more

El Torito Easter Sunday brunch 2026 was just terrible compared to the 2025 Easter Sunday brunch. It was very disorganized from the start, many empty dishes constantly, very unfriendly servers that were rattled and tired, not much protein, no horseradish for the beef carving station... Beverages were hard to get compared to 2025. They need to raise the price a couple of dollars it seems - to make the service and food service choices better. Too bad, we probably won't be going back in 2027. read more

From the moment we walked in it was a negative! The waiter was NOT friendly, the chips were cooked in rancid oil. We asked for new chips and the waiter took the chips but didn't bring more. We ordered a side salad that didn't get delivered. After asking several times we finally got the salad which was disappointing. The dressing (which is a favorite) was thin and flavorless. My wine glass was dirty, not one of our dinners was worth eating. I asked for the manager and it took at least 5 minutes of them searching to find the manager. The manager was apologetic but the waiter never returned to our table. It appeared the chef/kitchen staff started serving the tables around us so we weren't sure what happened to the waiters. We have loved El Torito over the years but nothing from this visit was worth repeating! If you are hungry keep on driving!!!! read more

5 stars - Outstanding service and great food! We stopped by El Torito in Irvine today and had such a great experience! The food was delicious, the beers were cold, and the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming--but what really made our visit stand out was the amazing service we received from Connie. She was quick, attentive, and genuinely kind from the moment we sat down. She made sure our drinks were never empty and checked in on us just the right amount--without ever being intrusive. It's rare to find someone who balances efficiency and warmth so well. Connie truly elevated our visit. We had a variety of dishes and enjoyed everything--plus it was a perfect spot to unwind. Thank you, Connie, for taking such good care of us. We'll definitely be back! read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

Food is amazing and service never fails. Jaime our server is the best and made us side table guacamole. read more

El Torito - Free Chips and Salsa as always! - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

I went today for their buffet with my family and it was absolutely fantastic. Food was delicious and the ambiance was great. I've been there a couple times but today they had Mariachis and they sang happy birthday to my sister!!. We had a great experience. Mara was amazing and took very good care of us. Also the managers were checking on us and made our experience even more pleasant. We're definitely coming back soon! read more

El Torito - Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

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José the host did such an amazing job fitting us in and finding us a great seating arrangement for me and my friends. Just want to say thank you for the amazing customer service. Definitely will be coming back especially with the service Jose Provided in the beginning. read more

The blackberry margarita is THE BEST!!! I always love a good happy hour menu. The tacos were okay but the birria tacos were extremely salty and not much other flavor. The margarita flight was wonderful, the shrimp enchiladas were really good, and my kids love the Mac and cheese and cheese pizza. The service was really good, our waiter was on top of it. It's an awesome location right by the airport with tons of different seating areas and great ambiance. read more

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The food and atmosphere was amazing and the restaurant was clean. Connie was so awesome she made us feel right at home constantly checking on us to make sure we were good. She made the experience top tier. Thank you Connie! read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

Our host I believe Maria she was wonderful! Drinks were fun, food was delicious! If you have time to stop by and grab something to eat, I say this place is always a place to go!!! Watching the sports game while having happy hour drinks anddd amazing food with great fast service is always a great place to be. read more

Came here with friends for happy hour and to celebrate a birthday! It wasn't busy when we first came in but throughout our time there, the place got busier. The prices for the drinks and food on the happy hour menu were very reasonable and happy hour is everyday from 3pm-9pm I believe. We got the mini tacos, wings, sopes, flautas and the chips and guac. This was enough to feed 4 people. The food itself was good and the blended mango margarita was delicious. However, I was disappointed in the service that we received because when we first came in, our waiter did take our drink orders immediately but we did ask for only a few minutes to take a look at the food menu and he didn't come back for another 15-20 minutes after. We saw that he was taking orders of tables that arrived after us first and kept on skipping us. Getting the food also took a while. We had to ask twice for to go boxes and the check and that also took a long time. read more

10/17 530pm I was here about a year ago. Service could improve on recognizing arrival but the gentlemen we had was good. I didnt catch his name i didnt see a name tag and didnt ask. I dont know if he was in training he had a different color shirt from the servers and host in black shirts. The food...My friend and I shared the birria tacos and the chips and salse. We were there yesterday Friday during happy hour. The salsa was too hot for my taste buds and I could not enjoy it, the sauce for the tacos had a kick as well. I won't order again. This sit down is within walking distance of the hotel im staying in which makes it convenient. I got the margarita flight and ALL of them WERE DELICIOUS! I only took a picture of that 10/18 446pm we were not acknowledge after being seated for at least 15 minutes then came our waitress. One thing that was abundantly clear is AMANDA (waitress) does not wait on people who are NOT Caucasian. I watched her for an hour. We were sat in her section and not even a recognition that we would be helped shortly. NOTHING! The person who seemed to be in charge Arrelia was disconnected from what was being said to her as well as what is going on in the kitchen. On to our food...the carne asada fries were ok would not get again. I stopped and said when did El Torito start serving fries??? The happy hour buffalo wings were brought out hot. Has a bit of a kick for you low to no spicy eaters but tasty. I got my flight again...DELICIOUS! My friend got the raspberry sage lemon drop she enjoyed it as she got it 2 days in a row. We finally got all of our food by 602pm. Yes we came back a second day because of convenience...but I can assure you we won't be back. The service overall was below average and Corporate should invest in some training for the employees in this establishment. For tonight's visit the waitress we ended up with was Sara(h) not sure on how to spell her name, (none of the staff have on name tags) she appeared to be a newer staff as she didnt know where some of the items were and just came off as a little "wet behind the ears" I will give her a 3 out of 5 stars because she was nice, attentive, apologetic when she overlooked an item they didnt have and asking us constantly if we were ok. read more

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The food was great! They have a huge selection to choose from, including a kids section with some cereal and Mac & cheese for picky eaters. My personal favorite was the waffles. The seating was well spaced out and music and tv sound levels were optimal. Yaneth was super great! She checked up on us frequently and made our first family experience at El Torito awesome! We would definitely come again. read more

Came on a Saturday night, restaurant was crowded. We do not have to wait too long but OMG waiting for the server took forever, felt like a lifetime! Took 20 minutes each time we asked for something from him. He disappeared often, the guac at table side was way too salty, we sent it back and came out another one was the same thing, I don't think they re make it. The dinner took 2 hours cuz the server was way toooooo slow, such a waste of time! Will not come back! The tortilla tasted like the worst kind you buy at a supermarket, no nice flour smell like it used to be, sooooop disappointed and definitely will never return! read more

My family and I recently went there for the Easter brunch they offered up till 2 pm. Our reservation I had booked in advance and was at 11:30, we immediately get there and it was BUSY, like people were making a line coming out of the door. So we wait in line after asking the hostess if we need to check in, we then wait about ten minutes in line, and we see this family skip the line and go straight to the hostess and check in. So at this point we're confused and so we end up going to a different person and checking. Ended up not getting seated till about 12:10. Already starting off rough the first error was the hostess lady she was blonde/brunette with a horrible attitude. We then get seated and order the mimosas, great everything was fine, until we go and get our food. Since it's a buffet I don't expect everything to be 100% amazing all the time but a little consistency would be nice given that we pay an arm and a leg just to be here. Most of the food that we wanted was either cold, soggy, or just not even available because they weren't stocking. It took me asking three people and 30 minutes just to get more steak for the taco station. And don't even get me started on the taco lady, to say she definitely didn't want to be there was an understatement, her name was Azul and she was not nice at all. Now Juan at the meat station and the lady at the hamlet station, they were amazing, super sweet (actually made eye contact with you) and overall made the experience worth it. The roast, hamlet, and the tacos ( if you could get past the lady working it) were great, but other than that it was below par. Nothing was regularly stocked, and if it was you couldn't tell what anything was because nothing was labeled correctly, and some of the food just felt cheap and tasted funny, like the marshmallows and chocolate, just a weird taste to it. Overall we miss the Laguna location as they were so organized and everyone was lovely, so if your thinking about going here for Easter brunch be prepared and I would just go straight for the roast and ham station where Juan is working, and the egg/hamlet station. read more

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Connie was our server for brunch and was so attentive and fun!! Our favorite location for sure

Tony was extremely rude to my wife. Talked to her like she was a child and indirectly called her a b****. Aside from that POS, NANCY was a fantastic bartender and we absolutely loved her. She made our day, despite Tony being a dickhead. read more

Haven't been to a El- Torito for years definitely stepped it up great great service our waiter Roberto was on point ... great brunch .. a large selection of everything you can eat .. good vibes and very welcoming read more

What a solid brunch spot. It's honestly never let me down. A good vibe, solid food, and bottomless mimosas. Roberto, our server was also fantastic and very attentive to everything. He checks in just the right amount and a great sense of humor! Will be coming back in the future :D read more

Amazing service by our waitress! Connie was friendly, prompt, and went above and beyond. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

The cinco de mayo specials were underwhelming. The margaritas weren't even that good of a price and they didn't even come with a lime wedge. The grande fiesta platter had soggy nachos that tasted like they had been sitting out for too long. The complimentary chips were much fresher than what was in the nachos. The macho combo had a good tamale and enchilada, but the chile relleno and the taco were not great. The waitress was very rude and would walk away while I was in the middle of ordering. The cinco de mayo DJ was playing his music way too loud. I didn't go to a club. I came to a restaurant, so tone down the volume. read more

El Torito - GRANDE FIESTA PLATTER - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

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We celebrated mom's birthday today, & Tomas made it extra special!! las copas nunca estaban vacias, y la comida, como siempre, deliciosa!! Thank you for making mom's day extra specia, siempre a good time en el torito! read more

I recently visited El Torito for Sunday Brunch. It was the best service I received from Roberto. He was super friendly, always clearing plates and making sure our party was taken care of. Highly recommended!! Thanks Roberto ! read more

Great food. I went here after a job with some coworkers and had some great food. The atmosphere was one that correlated with a great family dining experience like those I had in my hometown in AZ. Our server wasm't all that attentive, which I found strange given the relative low business at the time. It was a few weeks ago, but I still remember it fondly. I'd still recommend the place. No photos. Sorry again. read more

Food was okay, server was nice. When I was my receipt I was like WTF is this "surcharge"?! We asked, they had no real explanation and credited us $6.00. Shame on them adding on some BS fee when it's expensive enough already!! We won't be going back after this shady crap. CHECK YOUR RECEIPT!! read more

El Torito - CHECK YOUR RECEIPT!! - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

Very clean restaurant and extremely friendly staff. Our server, Gerry, gave us excellent service and was very attentive in helping the table with any needs. Definitely will come again! read more

Everything was so good Connie was so friendly and attentive all the time I'll ask for her next time read more

Roberto is absolutely amazing!! Love him! Very attentive and kind. Will definitely be back just for him!

Arrived around 1:45 PM and was excited to see basketball games on TV. Wasn't too busy but wasn't attended to until about 10 minutes after arrival. I thought it could possibly be due to the presence of the Sunday brunch, so the focus could have been on that. Enjoyed the complimentary chips and salsa, and shared the appetizer platter between three of us. My fav had to be the quesadilla and flauta. The flauta was paired with a sweet sauce and felt like a different take than usual. Wasn't a huge fan of the buffalo chicken. Was soggy and the taste did not appear genuine. Great location across from the John Wayne airport w plenty of parking. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

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Sunday it's the best.... all you can eat great food. The bartender is awesome. His name is Jerry. I have a great time every time I come in you'll have a great time as well. Enjoy. read more

First time at this location. I ordered their create your own combo, during lunchtime. I ordered 1 crispy chicken taco and 1 crispy beef taco, with rice and beans. The service was decent, but a little slow. My food was a little too greasy, but overall, it was flavorful and delicious. So, in my opinion, the food was good, but could be a little better. The price was somewhat reasonable. The restaurant was clean with spotless tables. Now, would I return???? I wouldn't go out of my way, to come to this location, but if I were in the neighborhood, I most likely would return. And there you have it.... read more

Our waitress Connie was exceptional and will definitely will be returning. Food was on point one of the best El Torino's we have visited.

I mean, you can't go wrong with El Torito. They always give you great food, great service and with not a lot of them still open, we have to enjoy the ones that we still can go to. They have happy hour every day from 3 to 9 and the Cantina with the several options for appetizers. Chips and sauce are amazing. Enjoy some fajitas with the shrimp chicken and steak and they were really really good. read more

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In an era when most restaurants feel rushed, impersonal, and OVERLY CORPORATE, walking into El Torito is like stepping into a time machine that takes you straight back to old school of dining out. If you miss the days when going out to eat felt like an event, when service was an art form and every visit left you smiling, do yourself a favor: head to El Torito and request Roberto Martinez. He's not just an outstanding server; he's the reason this restaurant feels like home. We left happier, fuller, and already planning our next visit. Thank you, Roberto - you're a legend! read more

Food and service was great! I appreciate our server being so attentive and friendly. Thank you Roberto!

Roberto is amazing and attentive! Great food selection! Fast service and a nice clean environment.

This is the best Happy Hour ever..and its right next to the airport.. I got the $10 margaritas flight.. that was amazing. $4 queso, $8 beef birria tacos that came with 3. The question was huge, but nothing special.. Just cheese, but it hit the spot. The tacos were amazing. The salsa is fresh, hot and spicy.. just love it. I highly recommend. I will be back! Happy hour 3pm - 9pm read more

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Enjoyed happy hour on the patio with my girlies after class. Connie was an excellent server and took great care of us. She checked on us multiple times throughout our meal. Thank you Connie! read more

Great restaurant with prompt service! Gerry did a great job with service! Super attentive and a great personality!