Great service and great food! Maria was great! very attentive and friendly! Never disappoints.

Christian's service was excellent from start to finish. He was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed. The food was absolutely delicious, fresh, and full of flavor. I would definitely come back again! read more

As I write this I wish now I took pictures. As a local this used to be our go to for tacos and drinks. Today we decided to give it another try. The wait wasn't too long, it was crowded I'm assuming by tourist. First of all the chips were stale, we ordered the chicken street tacos to share and I also got a cup of soup. The tortilla soup was good, however the street tacos were mostly cabbage and some chicken on top. Very skimpy for $17! Rice was ok the beans were about a spoon full of and tasted like old metal pots. You basically go there for the view. I will be skipping this place next time. read more

This El Torito location provides a great dining experience aesthetically. It is in a tourist location and is right on the water with tables that have an ocean view. Other Yelpers are correct that their service is pretty bad in terms of getting seated. However, once they finally get you seated, at least in the bar area, the servers are very friendly and pretty attentive. We just went for happy hour two times on our last visit in the area. We tried and like the mini tacos, taquitos, and salmon tacos. The Mexican pizza, basically nachos on a big chip, was really awful and we definitely recommend avoiding it at all costs. We couldn't finish it due to quality, which rarely happens for us. We tried their happy hour signature margarita, which was $6 on our visit, and without fruit flavor, both blended and on the rocks both salt. The flavor is just ok, it seems watered down, but there's definitely some alcohol in there. We also tried their pina colada and like it. They put in one shot of rum, which like the margarita you can't really taste, but eventually you can feel it. We also tried their fried ice cream dessert and Mexican chicken salad. We enjoyed both of these. Everything is a little pricey now, but especially the salad. However, we enjoyed it. If they forget to offer you complimentary chips and salsa, then be sure to ask for it. There is a brown and a red salsa. Tastes vary, so ask for both salsas if they only give you one so you can see which you like better. We didn't refill, but the chips and salsa used to be refillable. They have a private lot with a gate/arm, but you can get a validation when you eat. Make sure to keep the ticket and don't let them take it even if the exit gate is up as it may close while you are inside. You can probably walk around the cannery row once you get validated as long as you don't take too long. Even though the seating and table clearing was slow, we had a mice experience here watching the sun set over the water during happy hour on two different nights. We recommend being patient to get seated and possible get your order taken and give them a try. read more

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My family gathering at your restaurant was disappointing. My wife's food was incorrect. My food was lukewarm. I would have had my server correct the issues but it was hard to find her. I actually had to go to the bar to get a glass of water. I asked another young server if we could get more chips and basically it wasn't her table and she let our server know. Rude and wrong comment. Another issue I had is the " table side" guacamole. It was just set on our table. No service to be seen but the table next to us got a full service. I am not sure how that works but we should not be served if you are not prepared to do the service. We would have mentioned this a manager but there was nobody who looked like a manager walking around. The last but not least was the server missed an opportunity to get dessert and coffees but when we finally saw her she brought our check and didn't mention a dessert option. I mentioned her that we would have but she never was around. read more

Well the views are great. The food is alright. We didn't have a reservation so there was a 30 minute wait. Once we were called in, we got the chips and salsa. But our order took wayy too long to come by. Maybe another 30-45 minutes. It wasn't peak rush hour and still the wait was just a lot. I would honestly only rat this place for the beautiful views they have. The food was good but something worth waiting over an hour for. The waiter spilt the drink on me, which wasn't as bad and I wasn't upset, cuz accidents happen, they moved us to a different table, which was nice. Food still took way too long! I only ordered enchiladas and my friends ordered burritos and tacos. It was loud and there were a lot of birthdays which was a good sign cuz people come by to enjoy birthdays with their families. read more

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Stopped by for Thanksgiving buffet. Needed a quick bite to eat. Food was mid. We got carne asada tacos, and some other stuff from the buffet. Pancakes for the table were an interesting choice. Service was decent. Multiple people stopped by the table. There were flies inside the restaurant. read more

This makes me so sad but I have to review so others are aware, El Torito used to be so good! But sadly this last time was awful and I won't be coming back. I ordered the breakfast burrito and at first it just came with plain egg wrapped in a cold tortilla, I told them about it and their version of fixing it was just adding beans to the same tortilla, it was missing the cheese and bacon as well as the breakfast potatoes, when I told them about it they told me I was mistaken and there wasn't supposed to be all that in the burrito. The mugs were chipped and my entire families food was cold :(( When we told the manager she brushed it off like nothing and was a little rude. read more

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Don't let the cool location and view fool you. The restaurant is old and tired. We waited a very long time for our entrees and they arrived stone cold. The waitress dropped and ran before we could say anything and didn't return before we completely lost our appetite. See could clearly see that we didn't eat our meal and she never said a word. She couldn't have cared less. It's possible the food was eatable, but we'll never know. Shame on us for paying the bill and leaving without saying anything. Honestly, we just wanted out of there. If you just want chips and a margarita with a view then go for it, but I would stop there. read more

We had Sunday Brunch here to celebrate our anniversary. The food was fresh, authentic and extremely diverse with so many choices! The queso barilla, sopes, seafood cocktail and crepes were only a few of our favorites! Crescencio was hands down the kindest, most attentive server we've had. If you find yourself having Brunch in Monterey, head to El Torito and request Cresencio! You will not be disappointed! read more

Maria was fantastic! We have been here many times and she is by far the best server we have ever had, not just here, but at any restaurant. She is attentive and very friendly. She makes you feel like you have been friends for years. Better yet, she's the cool Tia you never had! If you can, try to get her as your server when you're here. read more

We are so happy with the service Adriana provides when we come to El Torito Cannery Row. We always hope that she is there when we come because the service is excellent! Keep up the great work. - Joseph and Adela read more

El Torito - Restaurant View - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Worst service and food ever we cane in with high hopes came in at 8:30 pm walked in and workers ignored us (group of 4) we had to ask somebody to please seat us mind you there was no line. Once we got seated it took the server 20 min to come once we ordered it took them another 15 to come ask for our food. Our food was all cold and dry the beans tasted super refrigerated and straight out of the can with cold hard cheese sprinkles on top. All of us took a few bites and were done. We all left hungry and payed almost $200 for food that was worth max $10 a plate would never come again and would never recommend to anybody ever!. read more

Honestly, I had higher hopes for this place. The food was bad. I ordered the carnitas and it was super oily. We paid $200 for food that was worth $10. Absolutely worst food I have ever had. read more

Came for brunch all you can eat! Definitely recommend! Sat at the bar, bottomless mimosas for the win!! Debbie and Saul were on it wouldn't let my drink go past half way!! Thanks for that! Food was delicious. From sea good to tacos and pastries. A++++ read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

This place is amazing and we had the best experience with our waiter, Cristian. The service, food, and view were all A+. I ate the steak and eggs with corn tortillas and fruit on the side which was tasty. It was our friend's birthday so a bunch of employees came to sing and made it a special experience. Cristian was accommodating, always made sure our drinks were filled, and was pleasant to chat with! read more

El Torito - Beautiful view! - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

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The ocean view is very nice and staff were friendly. We got fish tacos, sizzling fajitas for entrees. They were a little bland. For appetizer, we got bacon wrapped shrimp which was juicy and flavorful and I enjoyed. read more

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We went on a Sunday and it wasn't busy when we arrived. The wait was 25 minutes, but it became even longer. We had to go check in again because we never received a text notifying us that our table was ready. Once we finally got seated the waitress was nice, but only checked in when taking our order and dropping off the food. The service was extremely slow. I ordered the macho combo which came with four different items. It was okay. The chile relleno wasn't my cup of tea due to the sauce being too watery. We did order mojito flights and margarita flights which were very cute and delicious. This restaurant has a really nice view of the ocean. But for some reason our table had so many fruit flies by the window. Overall it was an alright experience, but I don't think I will be returning. read more

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In the first place, you get free parking with your visit! I have even gotten a ticket one time for not picking up my car at the established parameter, when I parked elsewhere, and it's a pretty good fine the city gives you! It was odd that we had to wait about 10 minutes after the reservation we made, one little thing. We ordered our food and drinks, we got our drinks pretty fast, and we got our guacamole made right in front of us right away. We had a pretty good visit, and I really don't have much to complain about. The service could've been better, but was adequate. You can see the bay from where you sit, and the music was diverse and pleasant to listen to. I recommend the place. read more

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Came here on a Sunday afternoon after biking a bit. Didn't know they had brunch, we only went for drinks but the food looked really tasty. We got the two margarita flights (one was the spicy and the other way regular). All of them were good, so here is my true rating in order. Mango jalapeño margarita Strawberry jalapeño Mango margarita (non spicy) Jalapeno margarita BlackBerry margaritas Signature Margarita With the gorgeous view and good service, I definitely want to come back for full dining experience. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

We arrived at 6 for our reservation and were told they were getting out table ready, we come back 15 minutes later to see how it's going and they let us know there's 7 people ahead of us. It's ridiculous . You expect your reservation to be ready and not be put on a waitlist. read more

Poor service. We told the restaurant three different times that it was my birthday., However, they never came out to celebrate my birthday. While sitting there, the waiters celebrated three other parties and never got around to celebrating at our table. The food was okay. Beautiful views though. read more

The seasonal special of pumpkin bread pudding is absolutely amazing. We enjoyed dinner with a view of the ocean. The service was good. Attentive but not overly. I give five stars note the bread pudding alone read more

I'm a longtime fan of the Monterey El Torito. Been coming here with fam& friends for years, never disappointed. Excellent Margaritas, great Sunday brunch, beautiful views. My husband and I were in town last weekend to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We stopped in for a cocktail on Friday afternoon. Our bartender, Marco, was fantastic. He was a classic, old school bartender. You just don't find bartenders like this every day. He was friendly and very attentive, making sure we had fresh, warm chips, salsa, extra napkins. We also ordered a side of queso. Delicious!We never had to ask for a thing. He was happy to answer our questions about their vast tequila selection to us. We shared/sampled a few. Marco was kind enough to split our shared shots into our own smaller shot glasses. His attention to accommodating customers was impeccable. We had such a good time on Friday, that we went back Saturday afternoon, as well. We were fortunate to be served be Marco, once again for Margaritas, another tequila shot, and nachos. He had another bartender behind the bar with him on the busy Saturday afternoon. Both were very friendly and accommodating, despite being crazy busy. Marco's service made a wonderful anniversary getaway weekend even more special/fun. I highly recommend visiting this restaurant. I also suggest making a reservation if you prefer to sit in the restaurant (great bay views) versus the bar (but we like the bar). read more

The service was great, fast and welcoming.. I sat in the bar area to watch a baseball game, it was a family friendly environment while sitting next to the window to have an ocean view.. micheladas were delicious.. read more

El Torito - Micheladas - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

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Worst place I have ever been to. This place has down graded in such a horrendous matter it made me sick and unable to eat a simple dish like French fries that came out the kitchen as if they were pre-cooked weeks before and thrown under a heat lap for 3 days and served like that. From management to the lowest level employee there and all the flies that hovered over our food made me want to slam my head in the table. As soon as we sat down near the glass window to have a view of the ocean I knew I wanted to leave. As bird crap and flies entertained us I knew there couldn't be anything worst then that. Sike food came out and we left the whole dinner there didn't drink from the glasses paid and left. Don't go here unless you want food brought in from the Salvation Army read more

I don't know why this place only has 3.5 stars!! The service, food, prices, and location are top tier. $14 for bottomless mimosas is such a great deal. The food was incredible and the views were perfect! Only negatives are that it was a little bit too loud in there and the bathrooms needed some renovations. read more

El Torito - Bottomless Mimosas and Dessert - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Mid Mexican food can be saved by decent chips and salsa. But mid Mexican food and NO chips or salsa at all? So sad

My wife and I along with her sister and brother in law are visiting Pacific Grove. We walked along the ocean pathway to Monterey to check it out and decided to have dinner while we were there. With lots of choices available we opted for the Tex-Mex for two reasons, first, to check out how they do Tex-Mex in Southern California and secondly we just like Mexican cuisine. On entering El Torito the host was very polite inviting us to the establishment and gave us a reasonable waiting time. He could even give us a seat with a water view. On observing the ambiance it was clear that this place could use a good cleaning and some general maintenance. For example, the carpet at minimum could use a good shampoo and the metal edging on the steps could be replaced. Suffice to say that the real experience inside the place does not match what is portrayed on the webpage. Both the men's and women's bathroom were filthy. Having seen the men's first hand the floor was soaking wet, there were paper towels and toilet paper on the floor, the sinks had not been cleaned in a while and one of the hand soap dispensers was half falling off the wall. Our wives reported similar disarray in the lady's restroom including the fact that one of the soap dispensers was completely missing. There was even wet toilet paper on the floor outside of the bathrooms and with the bathrooms in near proximity to the manager's office he/she could not have been being observant of their restaurant. Speaking of the manager, she was yelling to someone over the railing that one of the employees had to be out of the restaurant in ten minutes. Not so good a practice of how communication of this kind should be done in such a venue. We were seated near the bar which is OK as I enjoy the bar environment but this vantage point allows the customer to see the good and the bad that goes on there. Let me say that I have never seen so much dirty glassware stacked up on a bar, ever. Not to mention the tub of dirty dishes sitting on a barstool there as well. Clearly the bartender was busy but then the management should assure that there is sufficient staff to keep up with this kind of mess, especially since the drinks were being mixed just adjacent to other people's dirty dishes. There were three tables full of dirty dishes in the section where we had been seated. When we had finished our dinner and got up from our chairs to leave, those dishes were still there. Our server was Alexander, though I only know that because I have his name on the receipt. He was a good server. We started our meal with a tableside guacamole. It was excellent as was the salsa and chips. When Alexander saw that the salsa and chips were low he automatically brought more. That was awesome. I will only address the food that my wife and I shared. We ordered the Macho Combo thinking that we could sample four different offerings of El Torito. The dish was terrible! Each of the components were severely lacking in flavor and composition not to mention that the food was not hot. It was not cold but I would say that it was lukewarm at best. I have to complement the corn cake. I was good though such a small dot of it. Now, there is a 4% surcharge on the check. The menu does show the reason for this surcharge but never did the server mention this. We only knew because my wife is a researcher and very thorough in reading written works. So that is a thing, too. Shame on this company for not advising customers of this add-on, and who knows how many people base their tip on this added charge without realizing it, so now it is a double charge especially if people also tip on the tax! My tip for Alexander was 20% based on food cost which in itself was out the roof. Thank goodness there was no charge for water. Anyway, you may conclude that I was not pleased with my visit to this El Torito restaurant. Should I ever return to this area be assured that I will not be dining at this restaurant. I am usually a positive Yelper but it was hard to find many positive things to say about my visit here this evening. Sorry but not sorry. read more

We came to El Toritos on a Tuesday for lunch in June, mainly because we tried to go to Chart House down the street, found it closed, and had already paid for parking, so walked to El Toritos. One of my favorite things about restaurant choices is the view. El Toritos is right on the still water of Monterey. The interior has archways and is brightly painted, so there is a nice ambience. We had been staying at a hotel in Carmel. One of the well-traveled customers at our hotel had been telling us of their favorite spots to eat, but said to definitely avoid El Toritos. I'd been here once before years ago, and to a couple others, and thought I'd still give it a try, since our first option fell through, and the parking meter was ticking. There was a large crowd in the reception area and outdoors to get seated. There were available seats, but apparently none of their busboys had come to work, so the manager and wait staff were bussing some tables, and many tables had stacks of plates on them. There is one mens/womens/handicap restroom on the first floor. There was a long line for this. To get to the other restrooms, you have to go up stairs, which wasn't great for my healing broken leg. I waited until we finally got seated, and then tried the now vacant restroom on the first floor. It was not clean, with stuff on the floor, so I quickly exited, and trekked up to the 2nd floor. There was a very long wait at our table. Plates were dropped nearby. Everything seemed very disorganized and a bit out of control. The food, when it came, was okay. Nothing to write home about. We then had a long wait for the check and had to ask people to please send our waitress or check over, as we had to leave. My mother realized when home that she had not been given back her credit card. This was where it was last used. She called. They ask the name, type of card, and then the color of the card. She wasn't completely sure on the color, but I wouldn't think that would matter. They then said they'd have to get the manager. She had to go through their list of questions again. They seemed to hesitate when she asked why she needed to give the color. The then said they didn't think they had it. My mother called back 6 times. Every time they had to get the manager, or said the manager would call back, which they didn't. We know the card was left in the bill cover. She never got her card back and had to cancel it. On top of that, two days later we tested positive for covid. Overall, my impression was very underwhelming, frustrating, disorganized, unclean, and not worth trying again. If there is nothing else you can get into, you can try it and hope for the best. Maybe we had their worst day ever. read more

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Had happy hour tacos they were really good. The service in the bar area is wonderful our server and bartender was Samantha she is probably the hardest worker there and makes great cocktails and such a great personality. The restaurant and nicely decorated the view is amazing ocean view almost every table. They have a great happy hour menu and brunch with bottomless mimosas! read more

El Torito - Taco bar homemade tortillas - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

This is one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Monday evening, quiet night in town. Very traditional decor, not super busy, but good to see some families. Had a margarita flight. Fun novelty. Blueberry flavor was way sweet. I'd probably just stick w a classic next time. Had the big combo plate. Soooo tasty! A lot of food, made two meals of it! Service was solid and attentive. read more

According to our friends, El Torito has been a go-to spot in Monterey for years, and there's a reason why. Great views, great food, and always solid service. We popped in for some apps and drinks, and Pancho behind the bar absolutely nailed it -- friendly, attentive, and somehow knew exactly what we'd like. His food and drink recs were spot on. Big thanks to Pancho for making a good night even better for my family and me. read more

Pretty yummy food, decently nice ambiance overlooking the water, hostess was exceptional, and no complaints about the server. A little busy and quite a lot going on but it was pretty good for what it was. Not the most intimate setting but it seems like it would be good for families, groups, happy hours...! Loved that there was a big parking lot right out front too read more

Was in town with hubby and kids. Kids enjoyed their quesadilla and chicken nuggets. Adults had Margartias, Bloody Mary, and for food had Seafood Trio, make your own platter enchiladas and carne. Chips and salsa were great as well! read more

The food , decor and view were super great and the prices especially being by cannery row were affordable the only bad thing was it's pretty busy so servers don't checkin often and food wait time but the chips and salsa kept coming so that's another plus read more

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came to this restaurant yesterday for mother's day and had a reservation at 10:30am. we didn't get sat until 11:48am (mind you this is not the problem since we knew it would be busy). a big table next to me asked me how long did we wait for our reservation because we had got there at the same time for our reservations, i told them we barley got sat and they were shocked because they told us they had a reservation at 10:30 as well and got sat immediately. they were already done with their food by the time our reservation got sat. while not even there for an hour into our LATE reservation, the manager or whatever he was had the nerve to tell us that we needed to be done with our food in 5 minutes so they can put another party at our table. mind you, there was a sign that said you can have 1hr and 30mins. he tried to argue with us until we showed him our ticket with the time we got sat, he walked away like the sassy man he was. never ever going there again. DO NOT COME HERE for any type of special occasion. they literally had people sitting outside under a canopy like it was a family party with plastic chairs and tables. read more

Food was amazing! I had the Ranchos Enchiladas with chicken. It had a touch of spice with melted jack cheese. It was delicious! Husband had street tacos with pork carnitas and he really enjoyed them! Each plate was served with rice and beans - delish! We both had an El Dueño Margarita, that had a 50ml Grand Marnier floater - great tasting - just what I needed! Service was excellent! The server was very friendly and attentive. The restaurant is nicely decorated and the views of the Monterey Bay were incredible! read more

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We had dinner last night with another couple, we had a beautiful view of the ocean, so far so good. Then the food arrived, from the appetizer to our meals the food was terrible! How do you mess up Mexican food, the only thing that was eatable was the dessert I will never go back there, I just felt like I had just been ripped off Next time you want Mexican food please don't go to El Torito's read more

Great view, good food, and prompt service. The reviews on Yelp are very mixed but we had a pleasant experience. Our wait time was about 25 minutes on a busy Saturday lunch. Everyone was happy with their food and we would come back again. read more