My family was celebrating a birthday as we checked in they seem confused on where to sit seven people Even though we had a reservation. For a party of seven they're gonna sit us at a table for four. So we asked for another table so we could sit comfortably. Our waitress Stephanie was fantastic. She treated us with a smile and checked in on it periodically. The food was delicious. But for the restrooms for the men's the floor was sticky and my wife described the females as it hasn't been cleaned for hours. The restaurant wasn't busy, so the staff did have time to clean them. read more

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OK, I think this is the last El Torito's out here in San Diego. Happy hour wasn't bad. The only thing that didn't like is that the bartender tricked us into getting the skinny margaritas that were $15 instead of getting the $8 happy hour margarita price he told us that it did have two shots, but it had it would be less acidity than the regular margarita now thinking about it. I should've just taken out all the acid and just left it alone and not spent 80 bucks on margaritas either way I was fine. They had an anniversary party. It's kind of dead run down. Food was OK tortilla soup was delicious. read more

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Brought some friends to El Torito for Sunday Brunch. The food quality and variety was amazing - from the taco, sope, and empanada bar, to the chilaquiles, chiles rellenos, rice, beans and so much more - plus an amazing variety of delicious desserts. Gilberto was the best server - friendly and attentive - give that man a raise or promotion, please! Will definitely be back! read more

El Torito was an amazing restaurant and the food came out fast and was delicious. Our waiter was the star of the show, his name was Gilberto. He put smiles on our faces every time he stopped by and was very helpful. The building was also very clean and well kept read more

Definitely great for Happy Hour drinks are super good! The service was amazing! Our server Gilberto was amazing, funny and very on point! He was super energetic and entertaining! Very nice to us and super great service! read more

We had the best server, Ivan ! Ivan was attentive, friendly and never let the bottomless mimosa get dry. This was my first time having the brunch and it was fantastic! Every dish I tried was delicious (with the exception of the rice pudding, which had no flavor). There was so many choices and I didn't get thru even half of the dishes. I will have to go back to try the remaining brunch items. read more

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Ghio did a phenomenal job assisting us. We had a reservation. We should've a bit late. He went above and be gone by assisting us. I had two screaming babies. And Gio helped us out. A lot was very cooperative. Assisted us was very kind and extremely sweet. It makes me wanna come back because the customer service is so phenomenal and the food was extremely delicious. They went above and beyond the staff. By assisting us. read more

Saw they had happy hour every day from 3-9pm! Love that. So we decided to try. Happy Hour is in a certain section of the restaurant so we did have to wait longer which is fine. We waited about 30 minutes which is just slightly over from what we were told. After we were seated our server greeted us with chips and salsa. Delish. I ordered the Spicy Pima Margarita off the happy hour menu. Yummy! Spicier than I expected but I also am new to trying spicier foods and drinks. The guacamole was good. Definitely needed to add seasoning to it but for sure it was all fresh ingredients just needed some seasoning. Chips were fried and salted to perfection. My birria tacos were great. I fully got what I expected since it was off the happy hour menu which is why I added the rice on the side. I'm Asian so I'm pretty picky about my rice but it was decent. My bf got the fajitas combo. Smelled delicious. All the fixings were good in his opinion. We liked our service. Our server was quick and always checked on us. Didn't catch her name but she was great. The servers all there were always on the go. Wasn't too loud in the restaurant, played a lot of bad bunny lol. They have tvs as well. read more

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If you're looking for a great brunch spot with your girl tribe, this is the place! El Torino's brunch has something for everyone whether it is a picky eater or adventurous. The restaurant has different food stations to visit all over, which makes it easy to navigate despite how busy it gets. The price is affordable and they have bottomless mimosas for those who like a little spike to their morning juice. The only reason why I couldn't give it the full five stars is because despite the bottomless mimosas, our drinks were often empty and we were only given 2 throughout the whole 2 hours we were there. We also had to hunt someone down for utensils and napkins after not receiving them despite being there a half hour as Staff looked flustered and service wait times were long. With all considered, it is to be expected for such a great brunch to be so crowded and we went with a big group of women so all is forgiven and we definitely will be back. read more

My mom and I frequent here, and always request to be sat in Gilberto's section. Gilberto is always welcoming, interactive and anticipates our needs (as we're frequently his customers). We enjoy our lunch and/or dinners' here because of him. 5/5 stars for him! read more

Have been coming here since I was a child and the food never disappoints absolutely love their happy hour

Our server Gilberto was such a good vibe! I am a server and bartender so I truly enjoy when I get service that just seems so flawless and effortless also lifts and enhances our dining experience. Thank you Gilberto for being amazing. The food is always delicious and on point when I come here. It's only of mine and my daughter's favorite places to eat. Never disappoints. read more

The food was delicious but it was our server, Gilberto that took it from 4 stars to 5 stars. He was super personable, friendly and very attentive. My family had a wonderful experience read more

Angel and Hilberto are amazing employees. They go above and beyond and work very hard. They made it the best Christmas and holidays ever. They are the best! They deserve a raise, promotion and a vacation! read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Brought my mother for her birthday and our waiter Gilberto was the BEST!!! He was non stop entertainment, didn't knowour dinner came with show, . Made us all laugh and enjoy the visit. Ask for Gilberto when dining here. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Gilberto was the BEST so fun, friendly, energetic!!! The bottomless mimosa brunch was great!!!

The venue is large and can feel a bit overwhelming at first. If you're not quite ready to go solo, consider bringing a family member or teaming up with a friend. For first-timers, the all-you-can-eat experience can be a lot to handle. But once you settle in and have your plate ready, just dive in--you'll quickly fall in love with the place! The staff is incredibly friendly, my waiter who I couldn't catch his name because he had to leave early. That was a good man! The food is delicious, and they keep the drinks flowing. For those 21 and over, a Bloody Mary or Mimosa is included with the breakfast all you can eat, which is served until 2 PM. I absolutely loved this spot! We celebrated my dad's birthday there, and they noticed the gift and birthday card on our table. Halfway through our brunch, a couple of staff members came over to sing "Happy Birthday" to him--completely unexpected! They sang in both Spanish and English, which was wonderful. Plus, he received a slice of cheesecake, his favorite dessert. Had a large crowd or just a party of 2 this place is definitely worth it! read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Went to El Toritos for lunch. It was a great time (early afternoon) because it was between brunch and dinner thus not too busy. That said, we ended up ordering a plethora of items (appetizer combo, guac, fajitas, drinks, and dessert). Everything was great, enjoyed the variety of dishes, good flavors and large portions. Likewise, the food came out in a timely manner and the Server and Mgr were very attentive, friendly and always asking if we had all that we needed. We definitely appreciated the excellent Service. Moreover, I am part of their Xperience Rewards program and this is one of the better programs when it comes to points earned, etc. Overall great lunch, excellent Service and look forward to coming back. read more

We went for my sisters birthday on a Monday night and our server, Gilberto, greeted us with a huge smile! The ambiance is great with the Spanish influence. Originally we were going to go to the cantina for the HH, with his amazing hospitality we decided to stay at the table. He was extremely entertaining and enthusiastic, helping us feel at comfort with the menu. He helped my sister, who does not know Spanish, with the menu and explained everything thoroughly. He helped her choose the amazing Mahi tacos. Personally the sweet corn cake has my heart, but now looking forward to come back to see Gilberto! He treated us like family and I truly appreciate it on this special day read more

Gilberto was the best server I've ever had when you come you better ask for him the food was amazing aswell

Every once in a while you get surprised. Today was that day. Who woulda thought that El Torito of all places would have a killer brunch. I did not. Most of my friends laughed when I told them where we are going. At $40 a head it was so worth it. The food was plentiful and tasty. From the omelette station to the tri tip and everything in between was amazing. The perfectly cooked eggs for the huevos rancheros were stunning. I've had worse eggs at supposed better places. A total feast for the eyes and tummy. Service was a bit harried but always with a smile. A very nice time. read more

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We came during their taco Tuesday promo. The tacos were so good! And definitely worth the $3 Loved the fact they made fresh tortillas on the spot. My reason for the low rating was because it took them 15mins to get to use to even put in our drink order. While the place was not busy. read more

Our visit wasn't off to a good start. We came and waited for a while before being greeted or addressed. We came in for lunch made reservations online. Reservations weren't reflected luckily it wasn't busy so we were seated right away. Our server Bailey turned it around she was so attentive food came extremely quick she constantly checked on us. I asked for my toddlers meal to be put in first and it arrived so quickly. The food was delicious I got the three skillet fajitas amazing. My husband ordered the chimichanga and he loved it. All in all we def be returning and can't recommend enough. So good. read more

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Gilberto is the best attendant. He is on it and makes sure that you are taken care of. The food is delicious and flavorful. The ambiance is great! I highly recommend this place. read more

La comida súper rica y el ambiente muy familiar jazmin fue mi mesera y me dio el Mejor servicio pregunten por ella la próxima vez . read more

Ordered 3 days prior on the 19th to be ready at 4:00pm 20th, when I arrived they had not even stated the order as the must have misplaced it. read more

Gilbert is the best server ever! Always so attentive with a great attitude. We love coming back to see him every time. The best happy hour in town! read more

Came to El Torito and was greeted well and had the most entertaining and attentive server, Gilberto!! As with any dining experience, the service is most important and even if the food is not the best, but in this case the food and service was very good, but just having the great service made the experience that much better! Thank you Gilberto and all the EL Torito staff read more

Awesome Sunday Brunch that's reasonable affordable. Good food, great service when we went on 5/24/25. read more

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Came to spend thanksgiving with the family, the buffet was good but the service was SPECTACULAR, our server Gilberto really was 10/10, my kids had trouble deciding on drinks and he made them feel so special. I would come back just to sit at his section again. read more

Gilberto made our anniversary celebration memorable. He is energetic, enthusiastic, and helpful. The food was great, like always. Will continue to dine there. read more

We wanted quick and easy so we went to El Torito. Apparently it is always happy hour there. Our waiter was great and provided attentive service. We basically did a tapas style and I had a flight of margaritas which all had a nice flavor profile. I wasn't expecting a craft cocktail and got 3 nice drinks. The glasses the came in were little snifters which made it clunky getting the last sips out. I had the mini tacos which tasted good and were satisfying with the margaritas. The birria tacos had a lot of flavor as well as the mahi mahi. Very pleasant atmosphere and be prepared for multiple renditions of happy birthday. Fun spot! read more

Had a great happy hour tonight! Ivan was excellent and our toddler loves beans so you can't beat it. Prices are great and the husband doesn't complain anytime there's street corn and Pacifico. We will be back soon! read more

first time here after craving some delicious mexican food:) i so grateful i came. we got the grande fiesta platter and the quesdilla and flautas were soo delicious. afterwards we got a steak/pollo fajita and the steak was soo good and not dry at all! so juicy and flavorsome. we had the pleasure of getting Gilberto as our server and he was amazing. he went above and beyond and went out of his way to make us feel like family. thank you so much! such a cute place too cant wait to come back for happy hour:) read more

Gilberto was AMAZING! Myself and my bestie were there for an early dinner. We enjoyed the food, definitely the happy hour flautas and Gilbertos liveliness and professionalism. He really brings the El Torito experience the way he serves others. Always addressing customers in a polite manner, Senor or Senorita as appropriate, checks on us, very accommodating and just a pleasure all-around. Thank you Gilberto for that love you always share read more

I love coming to this place! They have the best happy hour and guess what.... ITS EVERY DAY!!!! 4-9 is a pretty long time to be giving out 10 dollar margarita flights and 4 dollar modelos. This spot is a regular for us but this time was different. We had the best server ever, Gilberto! Having a funny, cheerful, and such a kind server really elevates the experience of dining out. Even though the food and drinks were amazing, I would definitely come back and ask for Gilberto. If you want a great meal and excellent service, come here and ask for Gilberto! :) read more

Food took slightly longer than expected however the food was very good. Service was well with my group of 6. No issues with the checks either. read more

I just want to say that Gilberto el chilango is a very attentive and good waiter. He always makes our visit at el Toritos a magnificent time. Sincerely Delgado Family. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Service was excellent tonight, thanks to Gilberto! We had a rough day at work, and this place always has the best service and an awesome happy hour to help us relax and de-stress. Jacky was also so kind to stop by and make sure we had everything we needed. read more

El Torito - Wow what a great deal! - Mexican Near Me - La Mesa, California

Once again a great taco Tuesday' $4 tacos mixed with a $10 margarita flight is awesome. The manager was actually making tacos and tortillas. Service and food are always great read more