After coming to this particular El Torito for three years, I must say, I can finally give it five stars. They went back to letting you serve yourself during Sundays' all you can eat champagne brunch, and it makes all the difference. The food has always been outstanding here, but their cleanliness hasn't improved. Almost always, we have to ask to have our table cleaned and all the windows have bird poop. There is a ledge outside where someone could clean the windows before opening every day. Menus are sticky and the floor is greasy. That said, the food is amazing but is no reason to slack on anything else. read more

Came here with my mom for breakfast. Rose has been very helpful. Gave us some recommendations on what food was good. The food was really good. The view from where me and my mom were seated are really pretty. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

The Sunday brunch is spectacular. Menudo is great with the mimosas. Rose our server was awesome. Give her a raise Must go!!!! read more

Food was excellent, service was the best. What a nice server. His name was Marcus M. Very attentive and went the extra mile. He was a sweetheart. read more

I forget what this was but it was delish This place is like a Mexican version of Chilis with an ocean view read more

El Torito - I forget what this was but it was delish - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

We were here the on the first day of the new year so it was Busy. After driving around Big Sur area all day, we wanted a nice family dinner. We were told 1.5 to 2 hours and they will text us. We decided to stroll down Cannery Row to kill time. They texted us 30 mins later! So just goes to show you, don't be afraid of wait times... because you just never know. Food was fine, not the greatest Mexican (and this is a chain restaurant ) but this place its right next to the water so and have great views, especially at sunset. You get all you can eat Chips and Salsa right when you are seated! Yay! However, I am not sure if it was because they were THAT Busy but the 2nd round of chips looked and tasted different from the original baskets... they seemed and tasted Store Bought. Salsa was great tho. CHECKED IN ON YELP and got a free Appetizer. YAY! There's a bunch to choose from but we opted for nachos with steak. What we got: --two plates of the "Create Your Own" and choose 3 things for each, and the plates came with Rice and Beans. This was for the kids so we got one plate with 3 Enchiladas and 1 with 3 Tacos. ---and plate of TACOS VAMPIROS (comes with Rice and Beans) --- a plate FAJITA TACOS (comes with rice) Service was SLOW... but it was busy. waitress was not paying attention to our order and got a few things wrong. She thought we ordered One "Create Your Own" with 2 choices and one with 3. So we were one taco short. However, Instead of apologizing and getting us the extra taco she proceeded to point out I said that one plate only had 2 Tacos. Ummm no. i have 3 boys... there were going to each 1 taco and 1 enchilada each. I told her Nevermind and after a bit she comes back and puts down the extra taco in front of me. No apology. And it was almost rude the way she reached over me and put the plate down. My husband asked her if he can get beans instead of rice when she took his order (Fajita Tacos). She said ok. But his plate just came with Rice. He told her he wanted Beans remember?, she said ok and got his bowl of beans but guess what? We got charged for a side of Beans when we looked at the check. He told her he asked for the substitute and she said ok but it came out wrong so why was there a charged? She took the check and changed it. I would prob only give this place 2 stars for this evening but it was Jan 1st and quite hectic, I am hoping the waitress's mistakes were merely due to fatigue. We use to live here over 18 yrs ago and frequently went here so it is nostalgic to us. That's why decided to give the extra star. Btw- parking is free when you eat here. They stamp your ticket after you are done and on your way out at the hostess stand. So... tip would be go ahead and park first, get on the list and walk down and enjoy Cannery Row instead of paying to park! You can even go back AFTER eating and keep enjoying Cannery row shops or grab dessert somewhere ... Not having to move and pay for parking read more

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Amazing food and fantastic view. We ordered plate of huevos rancheros, a super delicious breakfast brunch read more

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Stephanie !!! She knows how to make our Margaritas !!! She completely made our night with her drinks and hospitality!! Will definitely recommend!! read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

The experience was disappointing. We waited 10 minutes at the entrance, hoping to be seated, but it was clear that arriving guests were not a priority. My family and another family, who were also waiting, eventually decided to leave. read more

1 star for the validating parking. 1 star for my skinny margarita. Sometimes at restaurants the service is great but the food isn't. Sometimes the food is great which makes up for the bad service. Here was the worst of both... bad food, bad service. I don't expect a discount, but an apology when food takes an hour and kids meals were completely forgotten, that seems appropriate. Pepsi was flat, veggie fajitas didn't have any peppers, they don't have sour cream, everything was just short of mediocre. We only received 4 silverware rolls for 6 of us. Oh and the sizzlin' platters had no sizzle, fo shizzle. Restaurant wasn't half full, went on a Wednesday... So I'm not sure why everything seemed so slow. The view made up for the terrible experience. Thanks for the entertainment otters and seagulls! Won't be back to this location. Much better options in Monterey. Based on the many bad 1 star reviews, it's obvious from the top down this place just doesn't care about creating a good experience. Plenty of restaurants in the area that do though. read more

El Torito - Here is a picture I took out our window, since the food was definitely not picture worthy. - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

The waiter gave me a plate I didn't order. When I told him he said that is what I ordered. This is an item I would never order period. He finally took it back and never apologized. We asked for napkins 2x never got them. He never checked in us we needed more drinks. When he finally brought me the correct order he still never apologized for making me wait, while my husband completed his meal. The plate he brought me was extra spicy and I could not eat it. My lips were burning after one bite. I could see a spicy oil on them. I believe he did it on purpose because not many people can eat food that spicy. Very disappointed in this place service and food terrible. We went to another place to eat that was 3x busier and service and food was excellent. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else to eat. read more

I am very disappointed by the management at this location, I was in Monterey for a fun family getaway and our trip was ruined when their baby changing table fell and hurt my son in the head. I asked to speak to the manager and he sent someone else to talk to us, the lady who helped us assured us that she would be filing an incident report and we would get an call with insurance information in case my son needed medical attention, I never received the call, I figured out a way to reach the claim department and the report was never made! They never even bothered to call and ask how my son was doing! They are a horrible management team and will never go back there specifically for mediocre food! read more

El Torito - Broke baby changing table in the lobby bathroom - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Amazing Amazing Amazing, the service was above and beyond expectations, Rose was THE BEST EVER!!! And the view was EPIC! read more

This was the first place we came to eat for breakfast while being out here and was not disappointed. Our table had an ocean view and Our server Cres was so attentive. He recommended the asada steak and eggs breakfast. The sauce they use was so delicious! My bf and I devoured our plates. Honestly was a great way to start our day. read more

We got the birria tacos and the combo plate- crispy chicken taco & chile relleno and a margarita flight. The service was quick but our waitress was short with us and rude. It was our first time here, the aesthetic was very nice but the food was not at all worth it. The birria looked like it was put into a blender and slapped into uncooked tortillas, the consomé looked like it came from a can and the crispy chicken taco was a pre fired tortilla that they seemed to fry again when they added the chicken into it. The Chili relleno was a solid 6/10, the cheese wasn't melted but the sauce had a decent taste. Also on the front of the building the advertiser $4 happy hour drinks it wasn't until after we ordered that she told us happy hour is for the bar only!! Also the drinks were very sweet you can barely taste any alcohol. The best part was the chips and salsa; they were served hot with delicious salsa. read more

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My family was tired of trying the ma n pops (visiting from LA) and wanted something familiar so we decided to come here. When we arrived we were told the wait would be 20 minutes but we only ended up waiting for five which was great because we were super hungry. Our server was lovely. Sure the food took a while to come out but it was very clear that this place is extremely short staffed and it was obvious to us that everyone working on shift was working together to make things happen. The food was great as expected and the view was spectacular. Would go again! read more

Everything was just Ok. Not fabulous but not terrible. The best part was that they validate parking. Chips and salsa - Not great.

Great happy hour. Went with a dozen friends and a great time was had by all. Good adult beverages and variety of food available on their happy hour menu. The view is unbelievable. Free parking with validation in their lot. read more

This place has seen some better days. Good for large groups a/sub par food. Service is good. Just not worth the money.

Mexican food rarely disappoints my family, but in this case - it did. 20 min wait at 3:00 on a Thursday. Dead flies on the window sill, and lots of crumbs on the chairs. My husband's carne asada and shrimp plate was vastly disappointing for $25. The carne asada came out in these small dry strips that looked that had just been microwaved. My son had the beef birria tacos that came out soaking wet and yet the meat was still dry. The beans on the side came in a cup. Good thing - cause it seemed like bean soup and not just straight pinto beans. Daughter had salmon plate which was dry. Luckily I didn't order anything other than a jalapeño margarita which was good but overpriced for the size. Best things about this place is the complimentary chips and salsa, the beautiful ocean view, and the friendly service. read more

Ordered take out to take back to our hotel room due to busy evening. Wait times for a party of 3 was like 1.5hr for indoor dining. I was told take out would be 20-25 minute wait. After 25 minutes we were told another 30-35 minutes. After waiting another 15 minutes my husband inquired about the status of our order and was told by a gentlemen he had "no idea" what time our food would be ready. We left furious and with empty stomachs. Not the most pleasant experience for a family of three. read more

I haven't been here in over 20 years. We decided to stop in today for lunch. When we arrived there was no one at the hostess stand. Hubby found someone and she showed us to a table by the window. The whole restaurant looks out over Monterey Bay. That's why you come here. The food is average, perfectly serviceable. I had a chicken tamale, cheese enchilada, rice and beans. He had Chicken salad. My rice was lukewarm. The enchilada was basic corn tortilla with cheese and onion in a red sauce. The tamale was average. The green sauce was not great. The masa was bland. Scant amount of chicken. His salad looked fine. He ate most of it. Greens with chicken, nothing fancy. He had coffee, I had iced tea. They have a full bar as well. The service was disjointed. One guy took our drink order and never brought them. I noticed later his jacket said El Torito GM on it. Not sure why he took our order? Our waiter took our drink order a second time and brought our drinks. He was a super nice. We weren't in a hurry and just sitting there looking out at the bay is nice.... I remember coming here 40 years ago and inside layout is the same. They have painted over the beautiful Mexican tiles with black paint. Not sure why. However the place definitely needs a scrub down and freshen up. Get rid of the black paint and deep clean the bathroom on the main level. The GM could be a little more hands on, if you take someone's order, bring it. Otherwise what are you doing? read more

On Sunday 02/16/2025 employee Cres was a complete gentleman and extremely kind, he went out of his way to give us the run down of how Sundays worked since it was our fist time there. My boyfriend and myself where walking around and where looking for a breakfast spot and we came across this spot. Neither one of us had ever been there we walk in and they seat us very fast which was nice. We had no idea it was an all you can eat day we had never been there so we had no idea what to expect. The food was DELICIOUS and the atmosphere was lovely. So much food selection and the food was top flavor and quality. I was very impressed and can't wait to go back again! I fell in love with their sweet corn cake sooo good! Highly recommend this place. read more

The food sucks .. this is microwaved Mexican food at best. Pretty view is all but the service also sucks.

They deserve very bad reviews they received and those reviews are very correct. Worst services ever. We waited 75 mins with no food at all and was told that there will take another 30-45 or even longer. How ridiculous is it to just make customers wait 2 hours for a simple meal ?! Their explanation? Oh we are busy tonight! And we don't control the chef schedule. In the end we left super hungry with no food after 90 mins. Food side. from the chip and guacamole and some lemonades since it was the only things we got. They are terrible. The Guacamole was sour like it was from a long time ago. The plates were dirty with oil stains on it, lemonades are too sour. Never go there. read more

Rose is an EXCELLENT waitress. Attentive, kind, calm, and patient! Very knowledgeable and super helpful. Thanks for a great experience! read more

El Torito - Enjoying our delicious bottomless mimosas and buffet! - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Excellent food, views and service. Adrianna is an attentive and sweet waitress. Will come again.

If you're coming to Monterey, honestly you should stop here! Has its own lot with Free validated parking for patrons, and then you can go walk through cannery row. It doesn't look the cleanest and fanciest of restaurants, but the food was amazing. We came in for breakfast, greeted right away and got a table within 10 mins at the window overlooking the ocean. (Beautiful!) Bottomless mimosas or bloody marys $12, or $6.50 a glass and the mimosas were well worth the $12! Chilaquiles and huevos rancheros were cooked to perfection and our mexican standard, and best of all- the churro pancakes. Out of 30 years of pancakes these were the best pancakes I had ever had. They must have been made with milk, egg and a little cinnamon sugar. So so good and well worth the $4 add on. Our total was less than $60 for both of us and we are so stuffed! The staff was very attentive and friendly and even though we just ate breakfast here, we will likely be back for dinner after our excursions! Thank you guys! read more

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Rose was AMAZING!!! Very tentative and pleasant. Food was yummm and Rose made it even better with the wonderful service! read more

El Torito - Pancakes! - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

The manager, Jenny, served us and she was top notch. She made all the right suggestions and recommendations and served us like we were her regular customers. The view is A-1 and overall this place offers great value for Cannery Row. We had the combo Fajitas and GIANT MARGARITAS...Really good! read more

El Torito - Incredible Margaritas and View!! - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

The reason for the 3 stars is because the view from my table was amazing. That's about the only thing. Our waiter was really nice guy but took a long time. I give him credit though in a world where there is a server shortage but I think he forgot to put in our food order because everyone around us had their food well before we did. We still tipped him well. Review of the food..... it was 3 stars. Maybe 2. Not that good. The soup was good, the salad had wayyyy too much dressing dumped in one spot and made it i enjoyable.the nachos my husband had were not good, the tacos my daughter had she did not like them. It felt like there was no care in putting the food together. But the view..... read more

El Torito - The view from our table - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Mixed feelings about this place! The location and ocean side views are incredible, but the service and food are very average, at best. It honestly seems like one good thing here was canceled by a bad from my experience, hence the 2 stars. I came here with my family for lunch and checked in around 1pm or so. There was a 25-30 minute wait before our table was ready. Not too bad for a busy weekend lunch. It took a while for a server to come to us and even offer waters, but the free unlimited chips and salsa was great! They make the guacamole in front of you which is super cool, but it was pretty tasteless unfortunately. The food took at least 30-40 minutes and in the meantime we ate the free chips and salsa and had the drinks. The drinks were way too salty which masked all other flavors included. They messed up on the Loaded Nachos that we ordered, which also came late. We had specifically said "no pork" at least three times and when my mother took a bite of them, there was pork inside. Our waiter didn't even take off the item on the cheque or apologize profusely, very unprofessional! Then came the food, which was all decent/average. Another thing worth mentioning is the strange parking arrangement. This place has its own gated parking lot and it sounded like you had to pay for it as people were asking for parking validation. Not sure what they're trying to achieve through this, just seems like an extra obstacle for customers and staff. I doubt I'll be coming here again unless the service and food is improved. Cheers! read more

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It may be loud and one bartender was too busy filling table drinks and the other bartender was to busy talking to be bothered by my wife and I. Good thing our 20 minute wait for our table was only 13 minutes. The waitress was a delight and do an amazing job with our table mixed guacamole! Our dinner plates were also amazing, great flavor and bit too much food. Thanks for a great dining experience! read more

waiting to be seated was quick. although once seated my party was told we would get helped soon. Waited over half an hour with no help no drinks nothing. horrible service and would not recommend read more

I mean who doesn't enjoy Mexican food right ? This location by far is much better than the Milpitas location near me. Going there during memorial day weekend or any major holiday weekend isn't ideal but honestly it was worth the long 2 hour wait. Its located along cannery row ... has ocean views galore. The best thing about this place is that the food in general no matter what you purchase always hits the spot and the staff provides a service with a smile ... even during a crazy holiday weekend.... 4 stars only due to the misleading wait time and we didn't get silverware or refills without having to remind the waiter Recommendations: 1. Any fajita plate 2. Taco plate with Carne or chicken 3. Chimichanga 4. Taco salad 5. Chips and salsa 6. Order there corn cakes... these little balls of sweet joy is the best part of the meals lol read more

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Used to regular El Toronto in So Cal but haven't been in years. Visiting Monterey we saw it and decided to go for a drink for nostalgia sake. Chips and salsa were as we remember, can't stop eating them. Happy hour margi was great, also as we remember. Decided to change locations for dinner but still glad we stoped in for a drink. read more

In one word, DRY!!! This was my favorite go to in Monterey with a great view and good food pre covid, but not now. We had the mahi-mahi taco trio and chicken trio. Aside from the fact that the host told us we'd have a 30 minute wait, took our number and never called when plenty of tables were ready, we decided to try this place any way, thinking the food would be worth it. Mistake!!! The nachos were noticeably stale and had puddles of oil. They weren't even warm yet oily and stale??? Once the food was delivered we had to ask several times for silverware and napkins and wound up getting it from the wait station ourselves. When the food was delivered, our tacos were dry, from the what tasted very much like old dried out taco shells to dry freezer burn fish. The side of rice was bland and the side of beans were so watery with the consistency of soup! Yuck!!! What's so sad is I've been a faithful fan for over 10 years, but will never be back. I'm very disappointed! read more

El Torito - Dry, stale mahi mahi taco trio. - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

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This is the first time I have given the bad review with 1 star. I arrived there at 9:15pm, wait my order until 10:03pm. Almost 1 hour. Although there are not many guests here, Just 3-4 tables, bur I still don't know why that's order need take so long. No reason, No explanation. Totally wasted my time. The services was very friendly. The worse restaurant in whole Monterey. read more

Yum! Yum! YUM!! Ordered two orders of the guacamole--table side and that good!! The view--awesome! My salmon dish w veggies was so freaking good! One of the best Mexican dishes I've had recently--fresh!! The service was fast. Definitely would return! read more

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The service was absolutely amazing! Our server Rose was attentive and made our experience great. We had an amazing view of the bay and the food was delicious. The mimosas were like Willy wonkas chocolate factory, everlasting. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California