The star is for the view. That is the only good thing about coming here. We've been coming for years, and the food and service have gotten worse each time. We had to wait to be seated on a Monday at 2pm. Several tables were open. After 20 min, we were seated in the back of the restaurant. The restrooms reak and are a mess. The floors and tables are sticky. The windows are dirty. The food is mediocre. They served us stale chips. Were out of lemonade, chocolate milk, birria consume and ran out of chips. My grilled chicken taco salad came with a tablespoon of beans under the shell (thought it was missing), no guac, no sour cream. Kids ice cream used to come with syrup, whipped cream and cookies. Today they got one scoop of ice cream with gummy bears in it. We were then charged for the lemonade we didn't get. Server communicated having only one cook and no table busser. Seemed un bothered by it and the norm according to him. Bad experience and the last time we'll come here. I recommend Papa Chanos in Monterey for Mexiacn. read more

Very disappointed. Took 30 min to be seated. Another 30 min to get food. When we got the food it was cold and stale. Then to top it off when I go to the bathroom there was no toilet paper. Smh. The waitress was nice though. read more

We had such a wonderful experience here. Not only was the food amazing and the view beautiful but our service was incredible. Our waitress Adrianna made sure we always had our drinks filled and the food was brought out quickly. She was also very sweet with the kids. We will definitely be coming back. read more

Give Adriana the runner help, how can you have only 1 runner for the entire restaurant. Boo Zadith was our waitress. Yay! She is a gem...give her a raise She made our visit awesome. Thank you!! read more

This place is amazing! I have no idea what the some of the former reviewers were doing, maybe twiddling their thumbs or on their cell phones the entire time? Eating at El Torito was a revelation of authentic Mexican food. I've eaten at hundreds of Mexican restaurants and I can faithfully say the this place has the best food I've ever had in my short life span. You would never think that after eating food in the southwest your entire life, you would find the best food in Monterey! The minute we entered the restaurant we were greeted with smiling faces, and polite voices. Our waiter was amazing and very patient(something you don't find here in Cali). I ordered a home-made chicken tortilla soup and Enchilada Rancheros. Oh... My... I about died from happiness after I tasted what I will call, "the perfect beef enchilada." Best part is, our food arrived within a good 10 minutes. Lastly, the view is gorgeous as you sit and look out to the bay and the sea. I mean, while there are great views anywhere in Monterey, I'll argue that they have one of the better bayside views. This is one place you should visit. read more

I can't not recommend this restaurant enough. The location and the pictures up on the website were misleading. We went on a Saturday for lunch, only waited about 30 mins. We were seated at a corner booth with a great view of the ocean, only to find there were flies all over the window and dead flies on the window sill. The smell in our booth was gross and was a good indicator of how the food would come out. We had an appetizer and two entrees (combos) and everything came out lukewarm as if it had been sitting out for a while. The food was subpar even for a chain restaurant. The only positive experience was the server who was very pleasant and the corn cake served with the combos. read more

While in the area me and my daughter decided to stop here. I haven't been to an El Torito in a long time as the ones closer to me have been gone for some time. Side note I used to love the Sunday brunch at the El Torito in Concord but now there's a nasty Lazy Dog there in its place... sad face. There was a wait time but we decided to sit in the open bar area. At first service was terrible as no one greeted us for a while. Once we did get service it was actually great!! The Chips and salsa are delish! I don't know if we were just really hungry or what but those chips were soooooo yummy. They had decent choices for vegetarians and my daughter was able to get spinach enchiladas which she said were good. This isn't the most authentic Mexican cuisine but it was pretty decent. I really enjoyed our lunch here. The views definitely help. They have huge windows lining the back of the restaurant. The price was good not cheap but not overpriced. I def think the pricing is good for the location with the views. read more

We love Taco Tuesday at El Torito. Fresh tortillas made right in front of you. And only $1.50 per taco. And free chips! The servers are nice and greet you quickly. And if you can get a table with a view, WOW! read more

We came yesterday for lunch. Like others recently, we walked in and stood waiting for quite awhile even though no one was there. Someone came down the stairs and asked if we'd been helped. She apologized & hollered to someone who was getting ready to seat us when the hostess showed up and took us to our table with a glorious ocean view. We had a really good server and I wish I could remember his name. He anticipated when I'd need more soda. He got our chips & salsa right away. He brought out the food and served us with a nice flourish. I mean he was awesome. Older gentleman with a nice smile. We weren't rushed and we enjoyed a lovely leisurely lunch. I liked the chips. The salsa was bland...no kick to it at all, but my cousin preferred it that way. My brother's beef burrito was tasty. He chowed it down. I had the steak and shrimp fajitas. It was properly prepared. The steak was well seasoned and tender. The guacamole was creamy and fresh tasting. I liked the seasoning on the beans. I didn't try the rice. The corn mush is always my favorite. It's like a dessert. My cousin had the seafood fajitas. Her shrimp were well done, but the mahi mahi was overcooked to the point it was almost not good. The corn tortillas were small and sturdy. The onions and peppers with the fajitas were just ok. Inconsistently cooked. There was plenty of parking which was nice, and a miracle in Cannery Row. The bathrooms are upstairs and they were clean. They do have a bathroom downstairs and they request guests leave that for people with accessibility issues. Our table and menus were clean. It was a pleasant meal. read more

Yes. This place is touristy given the location on Cannery Row. Yes. The parking can be ridiculous since the restaurant allows non-patrons to use it for free parking. Shame on them. Yes. The menu design looks very much like a Chilli's or Applebee's menu. However, the Mexican food here actually holds up. Having visited from NYC where the Mexican food is severely lacking, this "tourist trap" actually beat out anything you could get from my neck of the woods. If I'm in California, naturally I have to eat a burrito at least once during my stay. The chicken burrito was pretty tasty and a big thumbs up on the refried beans. Beans on the side. Rice on the side. The way a classic burrito should be. NYC tends to stuff a burrito with rice, which is not standard. Cali has it right. The chips and salsa were also decent and hot as if just made. Service here was good as well. If you get here on a less crowded day, they will seat you by the window where you can get a picturesque view of beautiful Monterey Bay. Here we saw seagulls and their tiny offspring, sea otters floating on their backs in the distance, and even a sea lion lounging on the rocks. Be aware that if you use the restaurant parking lot, the sea gulls are a little daring and might make several "additions" to your car's paint job. read more

My boyfriend took me here for our first date a few years ago, and it was wonderful. The booth by the ocean in the bar was quiet, and romantic. We have gone back a few times since then, and it's always been pleasurable. The happy hour is fantastic, and the Cadillac Margaritas are superb. Actually, the Skinny Cadillac Margarita is the best since it's made with agave nectar. I think it's on Thursdays after a certain time they are a few bucks off? Oh yeah and the food! They have changed the menu, and wowza! read more

EXPENSIVE. BAD BAD service. UGH. I hate paying such a HIGH bill for mediocore food and sucky ass service. Its not my fault you can't staff your restaurant. We waited a VERY LOOONG time to be seated. By the time our food arrived we totallly forgot what we ordered because it took SO LONG. THEN we never saw our waiter. I had to flag him down for the bill. The food was MEH, nothing special. NEVER again booo read more

The views of this restaurant are amazing! However, the service is absolutely horrible. We got seated, after 10 minutes we received chips and were the salsa would be right out. Finally, 5 minutes later we received the salsa. Gave the waitress our order. Asked for water and lemon. She brought the water, no lemon. The preparada was not good at all. We ordered the appetizer platter. The platter was cold, the flautas we're watery and had a cinnamon taste. She told us she would bring a plates, I asked for extra ranch. Nothing. The cheese on the quesadillas was not melted. We finally asked for our check. Leaving our drinks full and complete appetizer. She brought us our check, extra ranch, and second plate. I will never go to this restaurant again. Worst $40 I ever spent! read more

Would you enjoy free parking in one of the touristy cities around the world while being able to walk to near by shops, restaurants, etc? Come here. Would you enjoy a nice cold $3 big sized happy hour 'not weak' margarita while eating fresh free chips and salsa while watching the seals swim in the ocean right from your window? Come here. The food is average not aww ahhh amazing, but it's a great hang out spot. read more

I usually love El Torito and we came to this place because of the view. I had been here once before and thought maybe I came on a bad day. But it seems bad days are consistent here which is a shame because I love this area of Monterey. I came with my family and we were seated next to a big party with 3 big tables put together and the rest of the place was empty and the waiters seemed to be doing their job, at the other table at least. We had to flag him down to notice we were there because he kept just talking to them and not tending to us. Finally we got another waiter and we thought things would be better but after about 15 minutes we finally ordered drinks and food. Our food had finally arrived and my sister in law ordered fajitas and they typically pour tequila on the platter and light it on fire. The waiter struck the lighter twice really quick and just gave up and set the platter on the table served the rest of the plates and walked away. The fajitas of course had a strong tequila flavor and we needed stuff and we needed the waiter, plus refills. Finally we got assisted by another waiter who just happened to be walking by and helped us even though it was not her station or table and we asked for the manager. The manager had talk with the waiters then came and all the manager could do for us was bring a small cup of chocolate ice cream with one scoop to the table. Insulting! I'll never come back to this torito again! We shared our experience with family and friends and it turns out that this place has a horrible reputation. read more

Atmosphere is great. Food is appealing. Great view. Prices... Not so much, but could be worse. Staff is accommodating and tries to make the experience an enjoyable one. We had a 15 minute wait for a table, but we sat at the bar and did not have to wait at all - the bar has a much better view than the restaurant as the bar is in the corner of the building with windows on the right side and straight ahead. Many tables in the bar area. Enjoy!! read more

Each one of us got his dish with more than 10 minutes apart. My daughter waitedfor her dish 30 minutes. The waiter said its not his fault. Bad foid and bad service. read more

Awful, we waited 20 min for a table (no bad) but then sat at a table that, you could smell, was wiped with an old overused smelly rag, had dirty silverware wrapped (had replaced) then it took 1 hour and 10 minutes after being seated to get our food and then the order was wrong. Restaurant needs new kitchen staff (server tried her best to make excuses). Place itself needs painting & is in disrepair. read more

We had a reservation but had to wait 15 mins for the table to be ready. Our server Maria M. took our order and never came back to our table. I watched my drink get watered down at the bar for 20 mins before i asked a manager to retrieve it. Maria went to several other tables to check on them but never came to bring my drink. Thankfully the manager had it remade. We received our food but did not have any silverware. The food was okay, the service could be been a LOT better. The restaurant was busy initially but soon died down so I'm unsure why our server barely served us. read more

+ The good is that they have free parking although I have a strong feeling that is because the ticket machine out front is broke and they don't want to pay to get it fixed and we were lucky enough or "early enough" to actually be able to get a parking spot in their small parking lot. + Bar drinks are great and priced reasonable. - Food is mediocre at best and while the waitstaff is adequate they are far from enthused about being there and it shows. I'm glad I finally had a chance to experience this place, but I doubt I will go back for more and I would NEVER actually wait for a table. If you can't get served immediately upon entering then go somewhere else! read more

What ever happened to the good food? El Torito is more like El Barato~ El Cheapo. I used to go to El Torito's all of the time in the late 80's. The menu then was less, but the food was excellent. I believe the the whole chain has gone down the drain. The food is lousy. The rice tastes like it came straight out of an Uncle Ben's instant rice, The carnitas lacked flavor, the salad was meh, and the portions were miniscule. I cannot believe that I chose to go here over the Chart House or even Bubba Gump's. The service was adequate and timely. Save your money and eat at a real Mexican establishment. Taco Bell would have been a step up after eating this garbage. I can't believe that I talked my wife into going here from Gilroy for her 45th birthday for terrible food. Two stars only because I love Monterey and the service was adequate. Dona Ester in San Juan Batista is a much better choice. read more

We decided to celebrate my nieces & sisters birthday at El Torito this past weekend. It was a long night but the manager did go above and beyond to make the experience worthwhile. We had reservations at 6pm but were told another large party was still taking up the space, we were bummed and were in search of a new restaurant instantly that's when a manager approached us and not only apologized but offered us free drinks. Not only did he show care for his customers but within 10 minutes they found another table for us. Our server was great and the food was a lot better than I expected. Needless to say my niece and sister enjoyed the night and all 12 of our guest were happy with the food and service. read more

We went for the Sunday brunch this weekend. At 18.99 per person you get a huge buffet with choices from fajitas, shrimp cocktai, to fresh made omelettes. Included was your drink. The restaurant has beautiful views of Monterey Bay and a fun bar with good happy hour specials. They have plenty of tv's in the bar area and lots of seating throughout. On a busy weekend our wait was only 15 minutes and it included free parking in their private lot. Definitely going back soon! read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Great food & friendly staff! I really enjoyed the chicken & shrimp fajitas and the margaritas were great! I really like how well the chicken was cooked I will definitely return next time I'm in the area! read more

Dissapointing I was so looking forward to some good mexican food. The food was okay service was terrible. read more

Honestly not what it was before everything except the waffles were bland & the drinks tasted so weird ( soda etc) even the water ! But the mimosas were good read more

Absolutely STUNNING restaurant and views of the Pacific. You HAVE TO GO HERE!!!! The staff was exceptional

I live in Monterey and used to frequent El Torito a lot back in the day. Now, I only go about once or twice a year due to the decline in quality, service, ambiance, and cleanliness. My last 3 visits to this location have not been great but my boyfriend and I decided to give it another try for dinner tonight. I made reservations because I knew the wait was going to be ridiculous and I was right. We did get seated 10 minutes after our reservation time but when we were walking to our table, I look around the restaurant and see all the dirty, unbussed tables and unswept floors. We were even about to be seated at a table that was still dirty! Thankfully the greeter flagged down another staff member to wipe the table down. Anyway, it took almost 45 minutes to get our mediocre appetizers and almost an hour to receive our entrees. I ordered vampiro tacos that were decent but they were COLD. They also did not include the sweet tamal that always comes with our meals so that was a bummer cause that's my favorite. Our server was okay, but just like all the other workers, he showed no sense of urgency. The food was 6.5/10 -- coulda been better if we got the food hot but instead it seemed like our food was sitting on the expo line for a while. I worked as a server for over 5 years and I could not get over how slow the staff (including the managers) moved with no sense of urgency to bus tables and help run food/drinks. Definitely sad to see this place plummet. I hope they figure it out soon because I used to really like this place. read more

Order Fish Taco no bean but comes with bean. Worst service and servers don't even wear mask. Please avoid come to this restaurant. If I can give zero star, I would. read more

Reallly bad service. My husband and I came in around 9:15. We knew they closed at 10 and we both have worked in the restaurant industry so we know it can be a little irritating to come in later.. but there were plenty of people still sitting, talking, eating. It took forever for the hostess to find a server for us. Then the waitress we got was really condescending when she answered a question we had. She brought our drinks and we asked for chips and salsa and she said they didn't have any more. And this was right after the table behind us asked for some chips and she brought some. read more

El Torito, Guadalupe was amazing. She was very welcoming and friendly. She informed us on the specials. She was very attentive to our needs. The food was great, we got it a great timely manner. She was really good at being attentive to a large party. We came here for my friends 21st birthday, and she got 2 complementary shots with her meal for her birthday! We loved the energy at this restaurant, look forward to coming back! read more

We came to happy hour. The place was empty. The bartender was eating his meal behind the bar when we arrived right at 3. We ordered our drinks and food around 3:05. We didn't get our drinks for 15 minutes so I asked the bartender when our drinks would be ready. He was upset I asked and became rude. I told him we were in a hurry and we had to get out of there as soon as possible. We received our drinks about five minutes later. It was around 3:40 we had not received our food yet. We were upset with service as well as the rudeness of the bartender. We paid and left without eating the food. Took the food to go and it was horrible not to mention drinks horrible as well. The views are amazing. Waitress was nice. But other than that the place is the worst. Not to mention they tried to charge us 16 more dollars than the actual price. read more

I ate here on March 13th with a large group of friends. They accommodated our large group. Service and food were okay but 30 hours later THREE of us came down with FOOD POISONING. It was the worse experience in my entire life. I called the restaurant and emailed the corporation, no one seemed to care we fell ill because of their restaurant. Do not eat here! read more

Beautiful view of the ocean, and a lot more food than I was expecting. Within walking distance to the aquarium as well. I ordered one of their combos, which came with shrimp, an enchilada, a taco, rice and beans. Loved everything but the enchilada, I think that some of the filling slipped out of it. They provided chips and salsa, but the salsa was too peppery. read more

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What was suppose to be a relaxing Father's Day with my wife turned into a extremely poor experience. After visiting my father's grave we decided to try El Torito and made a point of arriving after the brunch was over...not a fan of brunch from restaurants that doesn't do it regularly. Arrived at 2:00 and was quoted 15 mins...was sat an hour later. Some would say why stay but if you been to Cannery Row you know not to bounce from one to another. At 30 minutes I asked how much longer and was told they are switching back from doing the brunch which they had just started to break down. At 45 after the manager saw me looking at my phone and asker if everything was alright and I explained how long we had been waiting he left to check and never came back. Ten minutes later he was at the carving station slicing meat and eating it. I then went back to the host stand to check and asked about the tables in the bar. Then I was lied to about them not being sat until the brunch was removed, three of the four were sat. Then I went back to the manager and informed him of everything that had happened and we finally got sat. He did apologize but the experience wasn't over. My wife order a beautiful strawberry drink that looked nothing like the picture, the bartenders don't know what the picture look like on the menu. Then she ordered Carne Asada tacos and received carnitas, this did not look like the menu picture. I ordered a build a plate with two of the smallest enchiladas I have ever seen (again not like the pictures on the menu) and a taco that was broken in half when it arrived. James our server try to make our experience better but even he could not over come the total lack of organization, communication and leadership at the host stand. As well as the poor quality of food that taste like it came off the leftover brunch dish verses made to order. I know this is long but bad experiences in restaurants usually are. Sadly, Cannery Row has many other options but even those have taken a tremendous drop in what quality food and services mean to get returning guest. Lastly the restroom where lacking any level of attendance, ie. no toilet paper in the Ladies and trash everywhere in the Men's. And to give us a 10 dollar off coupon that they were handing out to every table for Fathers Day was the last straw. Obviously they know nothing about winning the guest over and doing everything possible to get them back. They had multiple opportunities to turn it around and not once did they achieve it...sad, very sad. The one star is for the view and the sea lion that made an appearance. read more

I really enjoyed my time at el Toritos. We enjoyed the happy hour at the bar área. Full view of the ocean and the best service by Juan Dominguez. The food and the margaritas were great. I loved the closeness to the water and Monterrey environment. Will definitely come again. read more

I'm not mad... just very disappointed. My wife and I have been coming to this restaurant for 15 years. We take the trek out to Monterey once a year for two things; Monterey Bay Aquarium and El Torrito on the Row. It became tradition and we have two children now to share it with. The vibe was just different this time when we arrived. We made reservations for early dinner as usual. It was always busy at dinner so we usually plan to get in and out before the crowds. No place has a better view and you don't eat here unless you have a window seat to watch the sea otters in the water. When we checked in, a family was walking out complaining about the rude waitress and the hour long wait for food was too much. They decided to leave before the food arrived. I chose to ignore that red flag and dismissed it as some Karen with an attitude. We got our seat next to the window and we were so happy. Our waitress came over to us at about the 10 minute mark and I ordered our drinks. OK, I can understand a skeleton crew before the dinner rush, not worried yet. A margarita for my beautiful bride, a beer for me, a strawberry lemonade for my son and a regular lemonade for my daughter. Waitress - Sorry but we don't have regular lemonade... OK, so obvious question came to mind. How can you make strawberry lemonade if you don't have regular lemonade? Before I dared to ask the question... I thought about that angry family that left when we arrived. Instead of making the mistake to insulting this nice waitress with a stupid question, I said, "two strawberry lemonades then please." I figured it was easier to sell my daughter on a slightly different drink then to deal with an insulted waitress. You only need to see the movie "Waiting" once to learn that lesson. Anyways, she returned with our drinks and my 6 year old daughter began to cry when her pink colored lemonade, with strawberry puree in the bottom, arrived. Anybody who works a bar knows a strawberry lemonade starts as a regular lemonade with strawberry puree mixed in. Even she asked "Why couldn't they just leave my lemonade regular and not pour in the strawberries?!" (6 years old people, 6 years old). So we placed our food order and thought maybe that was a hiccup. We got chips and salsa and it was fine. Except for the kids drinks, they sucked and tasted like water with strawberries muddled into it. 47 minutes later, our food arrived. We could have had two more rounds of drinks in that time but our waitress never checked in. The food was not good. It was either stale or undercooked. Food trucks have much better quality at this point. It was so disappointing. When the waitress came to check on us, we were just done with the place and jealous of the family that walked out when we arrived. Oh, another family behind us came in and walked out within the time we were waiting for our food. They saw a waitress for a brief enough moment to bring them chips but no salsa. They ran out of salsa... A Mexican restaurant ran out of salsa... that family walked out and I felt so bad. What happened to our beloved El Torrito?! read more

Stopped here today to have lunch with my mom, nephew and son. We enjoy sitting by the window and having lunch after going to the aquarium. Walked in and was not even acknowledged by the 4 people behind the podium. Asked if we could please have a table by the window. When the hostess went to seat us she gave us a booth not by the window. We asked again if we could please sit by the window, she mumbled "they're reserved" and walked away. Mind you there were about 6 or so tables open by the window. So we walked out. Not sure if it was because of the kids or they were having a bad day but they lost customers today. I'm pretty disappointed. read more

Per the reviews decided to try this place out (1/28). The restaurant was nice & clean , our waiter was awesome . Chips and salsa hit the spot but the food was a complete disappointment . Wife ordered an enchilada dish . Rice was super dry w/ very little flavor . Refried beans were ok . The enchiladas were a let down , chicken could've used more seasoning . Tortilla was hard and the chile rojo was a bit dry as well , could've used a lot more . I ordered the Fajitas Supremas dish . The carne asada was tough & chewy , Not edible . The chicken breast was dry and had no flavor at all . The shrimp was actually pretty good . The veggies (onions/bell peppers) also lacked flavor . Flour tortillas , beans & guacamole were pretty good . I wouldn't recommend "El Torito" nor would I eat here again . In conclusion , the following day we had McDonalds and a simple Big Mac & fries where by far more satisfying than the food we ordered at "El Torito" . read more

Ate there today. Was excited to see they were opened again. Our food took an hour to get out to us, had to ask for refills on our drinks. We asked the hostess who sat us if she could get the manager for us and the manager never once came over to our table. The chicken in my enchilada was slimy, pretty grose. We asked our server for the bill and it took her forever to come back with it. When we left another hostess thankd us for coming and we told her about how the manager never came to our table when we asked to speak with one, her response...sorry come again. Needless to say we won't be back and if their food continues to be so horrible and a manager that can't come take care of their guests when asked should have thought twice about even reopening again! read more