This was my second time here. The food is delicious, and the atmosphere and staff are warm and inviting. This place reminds me of the little eateries in Baja, real homie and authentic. read more

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I was shocked to see such a cute clean Mexican restaurant on this side of town! What a pleasant surprise:) i would not recommend going by yourself if you are a female tho... it is a tad scarey at night. Owner greeted us & was sooo welcoming. you can tell he is passionate about his place and takes pride in everything that comes out of the kitchen. We were a party of 4. We started with drinks and my friend got a Mezcal Margarita. I honestly can say after I tasted it that Mezcal is NOT for me. I cannot handle that Smokey flavor. but, if that's your thing... you need to go here because they have many options and the owner is a connoisseur of Mezcal Tequila. We ordered the bean dip guacamole chips and salsa trio. It was sooo Spicey and delish. Ive not had anything like this flavor before. You must try. It's sooo good. But you better like spice cause it builds on your tongue if you know what I mean. I ordered the sautéed shrimp tacos. It comes with 3 for $18. it does not come with beans or rice. I will say it's plenty of food. sounds pricey for this area, however, the tortillas are handmade along with homemade sauces. And everything is cooked to order not sitting under a heat lamp. My bf ordered the BIRRIA trio of tacos. he said it was delicious and he would come again just to get those. crispy on outside and perfectly seasoned and tender meat on inside with melty cheese. I wish this was a downtown restaurant so it wouldn't feel so "off the beaten path"... and in a nicer area.. because I can't really say it's a hole in the wall type because it's nicer than that... but.. it's located as if it's a "hole in the wall" restaurant . I highly recommend you check this out, you wont be disappointed. And when you meet Tadeo you will want to support him and his family. His dad does all the cooking:) read more

El Torito Modesto - Sautéed shrimp tacos ( you can order fried too) - Empanadas Near Me - Modesto, California

So I went back and forth from 4 stars to 5 stars. Food.., taste was wonderful however $23 fajitas served on a cold plate is just so so very sad to me. I want the sizzle!! That's why I order them for the elevated dopamine experience. Hello!!??? I usually do not return to restaurants that serve my favorite meal this way... but the fabulous drinks and drink presentation made up for the no sizzle. Service was friendly and prompt. Yes it's in a sketch part of town but Modesto is Modesto and the food is why I miss living here. They have a large assortment of Lovely traditional tequilas and smoky yummy mezcals. If you Go here order the guava Rita, chips & dips(careful! spicy lol but amazing) This place is not for the faint of heart. But well worth a try. I'll be back. Come for the Margs read more

El Torito Modesto - Guavarita - Empanadas Near Me - Modesto, California

Definitely a hole in the wall, terrible location but the delicious food makes up for it. I'm glad I stumbled across this restaurant, the appetizers ( chips and dips) were amazing! The guacamole here is perfection! For dinner my boyfriend and I had the quesa birria and the quesataco. The aesthetic here is definitely club vibes and they have numerous tvs but it was such a chill place to enjoy and eat. The bartender individual was the person who was serving and he did well at maintaining good customer service. Good experience overall! read more

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Ok so maybe the area should have been the 1st giveaway (not in the nicest part of town) BUT me and my family were the only ones there. It took forever to even get drinks taken and then they randomly came out one at a time. The napkins were bathroom paper towels, you don't get chips and salsa for the table, you have to pay for them. Then when we FINALLY got to order the food came out one plate at a time an HOUR later.. we couldn't even eat as a family and after an hour and 45 min later we took the final few plates to go. To Top it all off the owner had friends there one which had a child who was running around the entire restaurant screaming. Like I have kids I get it but it was an awful experience. read more

El Torito Modesto - Taquitos. I had to pick them apart because they were hard as a rock. - Empanadas Near Me - Modesto, California

Hidden gem! Great artisan cocktails and food is delicious. A must try in Modesto!!!! read more

El Torito Modesto - Día del las muertos cocktail - Empanadas Near Me - Modesto, California

We went to this place this Yesterday and it was not like I thought it was back in the day!!! But it totally was not! The service was not that great. The food was salty! I was suppose to have a grilled chicken burrito with verde salsa and it was salty as God knows what! We never got asked did we need anything. The waiter was acting like we was bothering him! He refilling everybody else drinks and definitely didn't ask us! We had to ask him. They didn't have a kids menu so my son had to get just fries. My daughter got the birras tacos and she said they wasn't fried hard! My fiancé ordered the combo fajitas and the steak was very tough! We spent way too much money in this place for all our food to be NASTY! The only thing that was good was the queso dip! read more

No complaints all the food and drinks were perfect. I have recommended to others. I will be returning again.

What a find!!! They have an updated sign out front and I thought it was a new restaurant. We decided to give it a spin and..... we totally scored! Chips & salsa.... $3. Get them! The salsa and guacamole is amazing! We had 2 of their signature drinks (Mi Addición & Agua Fresca). They were not typical drinks... totally next-level, for ridiculously low prices! For dinner, I had the Holy Mole..... chocolate tortillas with succulent mole, cooked perfectly. He had the Quesa Tacos, birria..... and they were fantastically tasty, as well. So much incredible food, fabulous exclusive drinks, amazing service from our server Mariana, super friendly staff..... all for less than $80!!?? We asked her how long had the restaurant been there.... she said 14 YEARS! How have we missed this treasure? ‍ While they are in a little bit of a rougher area, this restaurant is completely capable of competing with ANY of the top restaurants here in the Central Valley! ¡Felicidades, El Torito! ¡Tu eres lo mejor! read more

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Karaoke nights are great, ambiance is light lots of drinks going around, I ordered the día de los muerdos that had fire on it and it was great. read more

El Torito Modesto - Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Modesto, California

Drinks are awesome here!! Definitely recommend Mi addiction, mango candy shot, and Dont worry Be happy drinks!! Service was great! Food was pretty decent, the carne asada fries was a pretty nice portion! The only thing i didnt like was location. But honestly other than that i had a great experience and the the drinks i had tasted really good. read more

The food was great tacos al vapor . The taqueria is clean and good service. Food is made when ordered and comes out Hot. The beer could've been more chill variety of tequila. read more

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The ambiance was great! The food was great! The drinks were amazing! The service was excellent! Will be back definitely! The location isn't the best but you can tell they care about their spot from the moment you walk in. read more

The service is slower than the pace of a snail! Definitely worth the wait though, the food is amazing, so are the drinks. Definitely a hidden gem and by hidden I mean the location is not the greatest. read more

Stopped here for a late lunch and was not disappointed. Tasty margaritas, good food. We had the enchiladas verde and the quesa tacos. Both were delicious and the server was friendly and attentive. read more

We ordered take out from here was our first time. Food was great! We tried the asada fries, they were yummy. My husband got the Flautas, I had the Burrito Al Vapor. Every thing we ordered tasted great. We would definitely go here again. read more

I love how the place looks, how is decorated, the food is actually great but is not worth waiting over 40 minutes-1 hour for our food to get to our table. Drinks also take like 20 minutes not matter what drink it is, from soda to cocktail drink. Employees are really nice besides anything atmosphere get you happy but is just the wait and customer service that brings this place down. read more

They have some of the BEST carne asada fries I've ever tried!! The place itself is beautiful, the decor, music and tvs create a great atmosphere for any occasion. Our food is always prepared in a timely manner. The customer service is spot on. Highly recommend!!!! Excellent service, food and prices!!! read more

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Tienen comida muy deliciosa y no se digan los tragos! Los shots estan grandísimos y en un buen precio! El servicio también esta bien al pesar que no hay muchos empleados. Llegue 30 minutos antes de que cerraron y nunca sentí que me apresuraron. read more

Stopped for a quick lunch date and was blown away! From the moment I walked in till I walked out! Amazing everything! Drinks are to die for and food had me filled wanted even more ! Highly recommend Día de los muertos drink !!! Will definitely be coming back all the time read more

El Torito Modesto - Drink menu - Empanadas Near Me - Modesto, California

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Lived in Modesto for 14 years and never knew of this place!!! This place is a hidden gem. It may look like a run down market upon 1st, 2nd, and 3rd glance, but the food here is on point. The food is very authentic. The guy makes everything from sopes to empanadas and has every meat and cow part you could think of to put in a taco. Prices are good. They have 50 cent tacos during lunch hours Tuesday and Thursday and different specials for items each day of the week. They have good hours. 0800-0000 during the week and 0800-0300 on the weekends. Good for late night taco cravings. We tried the cabeza, tripas, and lengua tacos. All were done right. The guy said he makes the corn tortillas different from any other place in Modesto. The texture and appearance kinda looks like it was steamed (tacos al vapor) which works for me, because it never gets hardened. Overall this place reminds me of the places my mom used to take me in TJ. Will most def make this a place to grind when returning from exile. read more

El Torito Modesto - Menu. Decent prices, good variety. - Empanadas Near Me - Modesto, California

this place is soo good! It's fairly new so not really busy but the food is great. I'm a local so I try out different Mexican restaurants all the time and this has definitely made it to my top 3! I was recommended by my co workers and I can say this is soo good!!! Their tacos and burritos and enchiladas are great. And drinks are amazing!!!! read more

Excellent Mexican food. Look forward to returning for more yummy delicious food. I look forward to returning to this restaurant

I usually don't do reviews but as someone who's in the service industry this place was a straight mess. Called to make a reservation for 6:30 & as we showed up on time all tables were full with 2 large parties. Bartender said they would have a table for us shortly. 7 o'clock comes and still waiting for a table. Around 7:30 they suggest we split up our group into two booths. Tired of waiting and realizing the other parties they had as "unexpected walk-ins", as he called them, we're not leaving anytime soon we decided to choose a booth. 10 minutes later, no menus, so we had to go ask for them. We asked for chips and salsa 3 different times and it took them 30 minutes to bring them to us. Had to ask them to come take our drink orders. 30 minutes later had to ask where our drinks were. Had to ask them to come take our food order. An hour after ordering our food we still didn't have it. We decided we were just going to leave as we were not given the proper attention and we had to younger kids with us. Paid our bill and waiter bring us free drink coupons for us to return... As we're leaving the bartender comes out to apologize for the terrible service and asks us to please come back and we had just caught them on a bad night. We're a pretty understanding group but it was outrageous. I have never had that bad of service before. Should've just left when they didn't have our reserved table ready @ 6:30 like promised. Drinks were good though so I guess one star for that! Also very sad because the food looked so good!! read more

Its a hidden gem !! Everything was delicious from food to drinks and staff are welcoming!

It's a pretty chill place good food to recommend there tacos and rice beans platter.!!!

Modesto native and hard to find mexican food i like in this town. Well worth the experience tacos al vapor have the authentic mexican taste. The tostada de asada was also on point. read more

El Torito Modesto - Empanadas Near Me - Modesto, California

First time here at El Torito. I am not familiar with authentic Mexican food, but this tasted pretty authentic to me! Not much for dining atmosphere and decor, but then again, weren't here for that! Will definitely visit here again. Great find after 17 years of living in Modesto. read more

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This is a great place to hang out have a beer . They have great delicious Mexican food. It's really authentic it's like home cooked meals .

The customer service was excellent but my problem with this restaurant is that I got a " dirty burrito " . What is a dirty burrito you might ask ? Well a dirty burrito is when the outside of your tortilla is covered with stuff from previous orders . I not only find that to be disgusting but when your someone like myself who doesn't like onions and ask for no onions but then you go and take a bite of your burrito and bite a onion because it's on the outside is very annoying . I feel that in a way that is some type of cross contamination as well which is also not good . The atmosphere was wonderful but the food threw me off and I will not be returning. read more

This little hidden place in a rough neighborhood is the best mexican restaurant with authentic flavor. The tacos al vapor are a must have, the huaraches are the best I've had in town, the torta cubana was not great, I wouldn't order it again.. I'm definitely going to work my way through the menu, The customer service is very welcoming. The gentleman came over our table a few times to make sure everything was okay, made suggestions for our next visit.. The lady is very nice as well, though the food pep timing can be a little faster, you'll definitely be waiting for your food a little while but the service and outstanding food taste makes up for it. read more

Tried to call in for pick up since we live in tracy, but no one answers the phone. There were two people there when we got there already eating and it still took almost 10 minutes for them to take our order. Biggest issue was that after waiting almost 40 minutes for our food when we got home it wasn't even the correct food. If you're ordering togo check your order while you're there cause that was a waste of a drive and money. Giving two stars because they got one of the meals right and my husband said it tasted good, but the rest was completely wrong. read more

Best tasting tacos in town not to mention there mouth watering menu menudo I love everything in the menu great food good vibes family friendly :) read more

The burritos are top notch. Big and cheap. The service is fast and polite, and can easily accommodate English speakers. Always hot and fresh, good quality and nothing you don't want. The inside is always being renovated; always looks about half done, but the food is worth it. Kitchen is clean. I've never ordered anything else, but others have and said it's good too. Sometimes a little bit of a wait, but definitely worth it. My favorite burrito place in town! read more

Super bomb tacos de vapor!!!! Had the asada and alpastor, the asada was the best! Will definitely come back soon

Wasted 20 mins driving to this place after our movie because it says it's open till midnight and it was closed before 10? Never tried this place and never will now read more

Waited 30minutes, that's right, 30 minutes for two burritos!! No it was not busy, I was the only person there waiting for an order..... now the burrito, It wasn't completely horrible but it was a bit on the salty side. I'd hate to be there on a busy day, if it ever is, waiting on a complete meal.... don't expect any chips and dip while you wait either so bring something to occupy yourself with. I won't be back and don't recommend coming here for Mexican food. read more

Worst restaurant in Modesto! We waited for our food for over an hour to tell us that they did not have the meat we were looking for! Are you freaking kidding me?! Also did not offer complimentary soda or chips since we waited soo long! There was 3 more customers and they said they waited for an over an hour as well!!! And the worst part was that it wasn't busy! Go at your own risk but I do not recommend this place at all! read more

Called in my order, lady said it would be ready and confirmed it would be ready for pick up, I go in to pick up my order before my work shift starts. The lady just simply said, "Sorry we ran out of tortillas, we couldn't make your order" I was livid, because I had no time to grab any lunch from any other place. I ended up working a 10 hr shift with no lunch. Bad customer service, and didnt apologized for the unprofessionalism. Never going back and I will let my coworkers know of how unprofessional they are. read more

Took forever for 8 tacos. Opened finally only to see that they gave me 1 napkin, no lemons, and the tacos had clearly never touched the stove. They clearly looked and tasted like microwaved tacos. $17 for 8 sad tacos. Pathetic. read more