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    El Torito

    4.2 (1.6k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order El Torito Takeout or Delivery

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    EL TORITO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - El Torito

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    Al Pastor Tacos, Rice and Beans
    Vivian

    This review reflects their Sunday Brunch. For $45 per person, you get to experience El Torito's Sunday buffet brunch from 9AM to 2PM. We got there around 10AM. Upon walking in, we kind of played eye tag with a male host or manager who didn't acknowledge us right away. It wasn't until a female host, who was clearly busy running around, came over and found us a table. The layout of this place honestly feels like a maze. There are ramps, stairs, arches. It almost felt like a fever dream walking through it. There's a ton of seating though. Booths, tables, patio seating, bar seating, and it definitely looks like they can host large parties or corporate events. The brunch is all you can eat buffet style with different sections throughout the restaurant. In the main middle area, there's a taco station with meats like birria, carnitas, pastor, and pollo. There are trays of breakfast items like waffles and bacon. Lunch options like mole, chile relleno, enchiladas, and more. In the back of that section is dessert with flan, ice cream, a chocolate fountain, rice pudding, and other sweets. There's also an omelette station where a chef makes it fresh based on your ingredient choices. That area gets crowded fast. There isn't really a clear place to stand and wait, so you end up kind of being in someone's way. Near the entrance, there are three additional tables. One is more kid friendly with mini corn dogs, macaroni and cheese, chicken tenders, cereal, milk, and yogurt. Another has drink dispensers with horchata, jamaica, and another agua fresca. The third has coffee and hot chocolate. On the left side near the bar, there are three more tables. One with pozole and menudo. One salad station with pre made salads and build your own options. The last one features seafood like shrimp ceviche, aguachile, seafood soup, chilled shrimp, and more. Drinks are included with the brunch. Our server was very kind and attentive. He cleared plates quickly and checked in throughout the meal. Most of what I ate was actually really good. Standouts for me were the carnitas. Super flavorful and not dry. I made tacos with fresh onions, cilantro, and this orange crema based salsa that paired really well. The sweet cornbread was also a hit. Moist with real corn baked in. I went back for that. The salad station impressed me too. Their green, maybe cilantro lime salsa tasted so fresh I genuinely wondered if it was made in house. The waffle with honey butter was also a solid choice. Things that didn't hit the mark for me were the menudo, which felt bland and lacked depth. The chocolate fountain was fun but the chocolate itself wasn't great. The horchata tasted like sugar water. The al pastor meat was a little too salty for me. Overall, I think $45 is a bit steep for what you get. There's a lot of food and a good amount of variety, but the selection doesn't rotate much, so I could see getting tired of it. I might come back occasionally, but not often.

    Maya H.

    Our waiter, Sergio, is amazing!! He's so attentive and give great recommendations!! We went during Happy Hour and the menu is great! We got a couple of drinks and some snacks!! I'm also addicted to their corn bread. I've been a fan for over 20 years!! I've taken my kids here since they are small and now they can drink. I haven't been to the weekend brunch in a while and need to come back to try it again. The place still looks the same with lively music. It's such a chill and fun place to go with your friends and family. Great happy hour prices and delicious margarita . Will come back again with my friends and family. I hope Sergio will be our server. He's the best server!! Great attitude and vibe!! Give him a raise, El Torito

    Chips, salsa and Fresh Guacamole
    Christopher C.

    Came here on a Sunday evening and was seated right away. The vibe was cool and I liked the music but it was a little on the loud side. The salsa, guacamole and chips were on point. My main course was tasty but the crispy flautas weren't crispy.

    Steak
    Hanafi M.

    Always delicious, try the sweet corn, it's sure to put a smile on your face. Plenty of terrific parking. On Sunday, May 3rd, they are having an all-you-can-eat for Cinco de Mayo

    Mexican food for dinner!!!
    Alice M.

    Haven't been here for a while we came here for the dinner service around 6:30pm and surprisingly there was no wait in line with many parkings outside right in front on Sunday evening. The music was pretty good and loud. I used my Shazam a lot and saved it to my mexican playlist. Very good place for celebration. The decor was also nice. You can tell they are about to get ready for Cinco de Mayo. The restaurant was a little too cold for my liking. The presentation was cool for the flaming fajitas. The flames went up really high. The food portion here is very generous and it tasted freshly grilled. Our server was nice and since it was my birthday she removed the dessert from our bill. Thank you for the special evening El Torito!

    Fernanda M.

    This place had us skeptical walking in. It looked like a ghost town, not many people and then a waiter dropped a bunch of things on the floor and well we were regretting our choice. Then none of the beers my husband wanted they had since they ran out. At that point we were second guessing eating there at all but we chose to do the family fajitas and queso quemado and all the food was good! Really good! And service was really good too! The waiter was super nice. They had good music playing too!

    GILBERTO GAVE ME 10 MIMOSAS BOIIIIIIIII

    10/10 no notes - great food - amazing service - gilberto is the home boy el torito give this guy a raise

    Steak and chorizo tacos, queso, and nachos supremes
    Jordyn S.

    The happy hour menu had a great selection of items for reasonable prices. Got the steak and chorizo tacos and queso from the happy hour menu and then some nachos off the main menu. The service was great and they kept our free chips and salsa flowing. The free starter salsa was fresh, almost like a pico. They allow in kind for payments which is a win in my book. The food was your standard chain restaurant Mexican food, but great value overall.

    Dining room area.
    Simeko O.

    Wow! what a surprise! El Torito's in La Mesa was going off tonight. We showed up for dinner not expecting too much, and to our shock, happy hour was running from 3 PM to 9 PM. So of course, I had to start with a margarita flight and follow it up with a draft beer. So good. My chicken enchiladas with sour cream were delicious, and the music and ambience were upbeat and fun. Our server was super friendly, and the food came out hot, fresh, and honestly way better than my last visit. Huge difference this time around. I'm giving this place five stars for the lively atmosphere, friendly service from JORGE, excellent food, and great prices. If you're in the area and want something fun and a little different, definitely stop by El Torito's in La Mesa.

    Margaritas
    Melanie M.

    My friend and I came here for the first time the other day. Happy hour is 3-9pm M-F. Everything is $10 or less & the food portions are huge. The chips & salsa are complimentary. The queso was good. I liked the mango & blackberry marg from the flight but the regular one was watered down. The jalapeño cucumber marg was strong but really delicious. The chicken flautas were good with the different sauces. One was a creamy chipotle sauce & the other was a sweet one. I had leftovers after eating lots of chips & dip. Service was ok.

    Post demolish soup. Hearty with veggies.
    K B.

    El Torito Review (update 10/25) - solid 3.7 Although El Torito isn't traditional Mexican food, there's still a lot to like when you dine here. This visit, I came in for a light meal--chicken tortilla soup, bottomless chips and salsa, and of course, their signature margarita. I decided to switch things up and tried the Raspberry Lemon Drop, which was part of the happy hour special. Great choice! Heads up on the tortilla soup: It's actually a vegetable tortilla soup. The bowl includes potatoes, zucchini, and squash, giving it a thicker, more filling texture than I expected. The broth itself was rich and flavorful, though if you're not a fan of cheese, I recommend asking them to go easy. I arrived around 7:30 PM on a Saturday night and was pleasantly surprised, no wait time for bar or table seating. Overall, El Torito delivers solid flavors, generous portions, and good vibes for casual dining, especially if you catch happy hour.

    Watermelon mimosa
    vadis m.

    Gilberto was absolutely AMAZING. Great attitude and made the experience wonderful. Food was good and the champagne was flowing. Will be back!

    Carne asada fries, elote
    Michaela I.

    We came for happy hour and only got the food from that menu. The restaurant wasn't busy by any means but it took longer than we would've liked for us to get our food. It felt like they only had one server working for the entire restaurant. When our food got here, the chicken wings were micro sized, maybe one bite off each wing. I got a horchata, carne asada fries, and elote. The horchata was the best part, the fries were kind of sad compared to other Mexican fast food places. Fries not crispy, and the topping relatively bland. The elote was incredibly oily, flavor was alright. My favorite part was the chips and salsa/guac. The guacamole tasted fresh and was very flavorful as was the salsa, chips perfectly crisp and salty. Restaurant itself is very cute and decorated nicely, however when we went the lights kept flickering, which was mildly annoying.

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    15 days ago

    Service was great, Gilberto was very attentive and kept it fun. Food was good and we had a fun family experience.

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    Janelle O.

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    7 days ago

    We love this location! The food is great and fast! Ask for Gilberto, he is the BEST! We will be back soon.

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    My wife her friend and myself visited this location and was served by Michael who was fantastic!

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    El Torito Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Torito

    What is the 2026 Sunday Brunch price?

    39.50 for the full brunch sunday

    Sunday brunch price?

    We went on Sunday, Sept 29, 2024 and the brunch price was $37.50 for adults and I think it was $13.00 for kids.

    Does the staff still serve the food for the all-you-can-eat brunch or are patrons able to serve themselves now? Last time I went, the staff served the food for brunch but that was not long after COVID dine-in restrictions were implemented.

    You serve yourself. Go It's a good brunch. You'll like it

    Has the La Mesa CA location closed permanently?😳?

    It was open as of last week so it should be!

    Is the Buffet only on the Weekend or is it on Fridays too?

    Only on Sundays

    Do you allow dogs in the outdoor area?

    Yes

    Can reservations be made for the Sunday brunch or first come first serve? Is there a bottomless…

    Yes. Reservations. Yes Bottomless mimosas

    Is Brunch on Sat and Sun?

    Yes, both brunch are on the weekend. The only thing about Sunday's brunch is that it's all you can eat.

    Do they have a bar? Or place for dancing?

    tHE BAR IS TO THE LEFT OF THE ENTRANCE. hOWEVER, THERE IS NO DANCING.

    How much is the Sunday Brunch Buffet?

    As of March 2022, about $30.

    Do you serve menudo?

    Hi Fred. We do have Menudo available on our Sunday Brunch.

    Is the Brunch open?

    Yes

    Is one in la Puente california?

    No, this one is in La Mesa California (East San Diego area) There is one at 3133 E Garvey Ave N,… Read more

    Is there happy hour? Also, I'm disappoinment to see the Plaza Bonita location closed. Even though it's been years, I still miss it. It was so near my house😕

    Yes they have happy hour. And when I went a couple months ago they had happy hour on Sunday as well, 3-7 I believe. But of course call to check for current deals.

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    Casa De Pico - Tequila Lime Shrimp

    Casa De Pico

    (2k reviews)

    $$

    We sit in the lounge area. Less crowded and faster service. Grilled fish tacos were superb and…read morethe rest of the food scored high marks as well. Fresh made tortillas are a hit and the salsa is amazing.

    My best friend and I came here today to have a girl date. We ordered a shot, a margarita, and an…read moreappetizer. We were having great conversation and catching up, just the normal things you do when you have a "girl date". Anyways, we ordered another shot to take as we were vibing out and enjoying our ceviche when we were told that "we've had too much", since we had not yet ordered our entrees. I have been here more than 20xs in the last 6 months. I've been HAMMERED, I've been sober, you get the point. Never once have I been told of this "policy". Never once have I been cut off or warned. From the second we got here, the bartender was rude. He wasn't the main bartender, but that's neither here nor there. Every interaction we had, he never made eye contact, never engaged, never NOT seemed annoyed to be there. Anyways, after being told that we needed to order entrees before we were able to get another beverage, I asked to speak to the manager. She came over a few minutes later trying to explain responsible service to us...my best friend and I are bartenders and have been since we were in our 20's. We're now in our 40's and are not sloppy. Anyways!! I am not sure where this came from; had we been acting intoxicated and embarrassing, not another word would have been said. We would have left with our tails tucked and many apologies would have been given. We will never go back. This "policy" has never been enforced in all of the times I have patronized the restaurant, and this fully ruined our evening. We understand responsible service and how to appropriately gauge a customer's level of intoxication and never once were we acting in a manner that would warrant such actions from their employees. Very disappointed by this experience.

    Chuy's Taqueria y Burritos - Campechana Fríes

    Chuy's Taqueria y Burritos

    (331 reviews)

    $

    Squeezed into a small shopping center on the corner of Washington and Magnolia sits Chuy's Taqueria…read morey Burritos. Needed a quick bite to eat so to Yelp i went ... saw Chuys had some good looking food and reviews so we took the 9 minute drive from Parkway Plaza after some holiday shopping. Upon walking in there is about nine bar stools aligned the L shaped bar table for sitting along the left wall/window. Place was spotless, super clean with pretty dope street art to your right! The woman at the register was very nice and the cook seemed to carry a great attitude as well. I noticed many customer coming were returning customers which is something I always like to see. California burrito was packed with meat and cooked to absolute perfection. I could actually taste the carne asada over everything which is honesty rare for me. The guacamole was not oozing out nor was it overpowering the taste of the whole burrito. The size of this thing was as about the size of my forearm! Filled me up for sure!! 6 rolled tacos with guacamole, sour cream and cheese was also perfectly cooked. Perfect amount of crunch on the ends and not too soft in the middles. Plenty of meat in the rolled tacos as well, which you could also taste well through all the toppings! We'll definitely be seeing you again soon Chuy's!!!

    Chuy's doesn't bother with theatrics. It's a straight shot of San Diego comfort: a counter, a warm…read moregriddle, and a crew that treats your custom order like it's the most natural thing in the world. I ordered a California burrito and asked to swap in adobado pork. No hesitation, no side‑eye, just a nod and a "you got it." That alone puts them ahead of half the shops in the county. The burrito itself delivered. The adobado came through with that deep red glow and smoky tang, the kind of flavor that feels like it's been tended to, not rushed. Fold that into fries, cheese, and a tortilla doing quiet, reliable work, and you get a bite that hits all the right notes. Rich, bright, salty, satisfying. It's a simple thing done well, which is exactly what you want from a neighborhood taco shop. Chuy's isn't trying to reinvent the wheel. They're just making a damn good burrito and treating you right while they do it.

    Chuy's Taco Shop - Surf n turf fries

    Chuy's Taco Shop

    (1.1k reviews)

    $$

    Rolando

    Hey guys, The Big Gorger here, had to come back to grab the best burrito in San Diego. Now these…read moreburritos are bigger than the size of my head! What an absolute monster! Take a look at the picture below and tell me that is not one of the BEST looking burritos you have ever seen. 10/10 spilt pull of a burrito. Makes your stomach talk to you and say "OM NOM NOM GIVE ME BURRITO!" The flavor, the taste, the texture, everything was perfection. Absolutely delicious! Ms Gorger ended up getting the 3 Mini Tacos (Adobada) with rice and beans. Ms Gorger says that these are her absolute favorite tacos she has ever had! The lady ringing us up was super nice and I forgot to mention, we took our order to go and it was ready in 3 MINUTES. I was shocked and had to ask her if this was our meal! Love good fast service. If you are ever in the area please go try this place, you will not regret at all. Thank you Chuy's Taco Shop! Will be back soon! Best, TBG (The Big Gorger)

    On my bday, I came here for lunch and ordered 1 carnitas burrito & 1 horchata. We sat inside the…read moreshop and ate. The burrito was very delicious, I liked the little shredded lettuce and pico that they had on the side of the plate. If it was in the burrito that would have made it even better. It was nice that they didn't just have the pulled pork, but bits of fat as well. Texturally was nice. My mom said she would have liked a little more crisp on the carnitas. The salsas were restocked and delicious! I loved the green one and the extra hot was a fav of my mom. I also really enjoyed the carrots! The only thing was while I was eating the burrito, I bit into something hard and I took it out -- it was a piece of a bone. It was shaped a little bigger than a pebble. I didn't know it was possible to have bones in carnitas/a burrito. Idk if that's the norm, because when we mentioned it-- the woman working basically casually continued her napkin sorting or whatever and said "oh okay.." lol this made me think this was just another everyday occurrence. Although, a little more acknowledgment would have been better on her end. For this specific experience, 3 stars, but truly a 4-5 star taco shop! Overall, minus the bone, and the dry response...the food was great! Salsas fresh and restocked, they had way more options than usual. The horchata was a little too sweet, but overall refreshing. They have a large menu, so be sure to check it out.

    Panchos Mexican Restaurant - Sizzling chicken - it had steam!

    Panchos Mexican Restaurant

    (246 reviews)

    $$

    Great Mexican food. Friendly service , I will be returning to order more food.the inside was ok.read more

    A couple of friends lured us here. And thank goodness for it. I have driven by a dozen of times and…read moredidn't consider stopping in. Walking into Panchos, you are immediately greeted by a bright, colorful and welcoming scene. It gives you the feeling of walking into your tía's favorite old school restaurant. The tables and benches are dark wood. And there is papel picado hanging. It's charming. You get the feeling that Panchos has been around for decades. Apparently, the restaurant has been open here since 2004. And the real star? Our server, whose name I cannot recall. He was equal parts waiter and comedian, a very kind man who was highly attentive and extremely helpful. If you like spicy salsa, be sure to tell him to bring you the good stuff from the back (after he offers you bland Tapatio). The menu is absolutely massive. They have breakfast burritos, breakfast plates, chips and fries, shrimp plates, soups (check with the team about offerings, like caldo de res), tortas, quesadillas and a kid's menu and more. I highly recommend the cheese enchiladas and the chile relleno. The chile relleno is especially good. It isn't your soggy, cafeteria-style relleno drowned in red sauce and regret. It is the best comfort food, and Panchos does it well. There is a generous melt of Oaxacan cheese, the batter is very light without being greasy. And then there was the ranchero sauce! Tangy tomatoes, a hint of garlic, and a tiny bit of chili. So very good. Also popular on the menu is a pitcher of margaritas, which you should plan on sharing with three others. The mango margarita is also quite nice. And they also have a Baileys & Coffee. And you can easily get a delicious, filling meal for $20 or less. All around, a great place.

    El Torito - mexican - Updated May 2026

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