Great service from Cruz he was very attractive the food was amazing. Will definitely come back to enjoy your food.

Great service! Arianna and Maddy really took care of me and my friends! We had a great brunch filled with amazing service. Coming back again for them ! Great seating as well! read more

El Torito - Cheers! - Mexican Near Me - Northridge, California

Just moved back to the area. We use to dine at El Torito on a weekly basis with my family of 6. Our plan was to continue this tradition, but will not be doing that. We discovered on our bill there was a 4% surcharge that we were unaware of. They do have a small sign at the front desk about the size of a 3x5 index card. I don't care about the 4%, but more the fact they would try and pass on a surcharge. The surcharge goes into their profit just like increasing their prices would. So, it's not a city, county, or state fee. It's a cost they are adding to the bill that goes into their profit. If you are struggling to make money, you should think twice about how you plan to stay afloat. This is not the way to do it. Their combination plates are $21, so it's not "cheap". Do better El Torito. My family and I will not be dinning again at El Torito and will take our business elsewhere. read more

First off this is the only time I've ever came to a restaurant and not finished my food because it was so bad. I came for my first time today to celebrate for my brothers birthday. I got carnitas chile verde style and when I took my first bite and all the food on my plate was room temperature. The only hot thing was the rice. I shouldn't have eaten it but I did and hours later I have stomach pain. I've had better frozen Mexican food in a pinch from the grocery store. I wouldn't not recommend coming back. The service was good but the food was cold and not good at all. I would not recommend this place and will be my fist and last read more

Sunday Buffet is awesome. Sherie is amazing! Excellent service! 20/10 - will come again!

I was at the Northridge El Torito in the rain today to get some holiday fixings for the family Christmas dinner. I was lucky enough to meet with Jimena at the front desk who was extremely helpful & cheerful to assist me with my order & offered me a AAA discount. Thank you for your kindness & holiday cheer. Will certainly be back with my clients for your buffet. Stay abundantly blessed always read more

Sherie, our waitress for brunch was great!! She brought us pancakes and made sure we had enough drinks. She was very attentive and highly recommend! read more

MARIO!! What a great bartender - excellent service from the moment we walked in. Friendly and very good at what he does - made our Happy Hour extra happy! In fact, we're going again this week. :) read more

Evaristo Martínez was awesome to the group we came with. Despite the amount of people we were, we were very well taken care of! Additionally, Jennifer, our waiter, was on top of it all! She did amazing and would hope anyone receives her amazing service. Excellent service and great food! Definitely will be back! read more

The happy hour tacos are an amazing deal, i went not expecting much but the service from Yashi is the reason i would ever consider coming back! I had the carnitas tacos the meat was succulent and delicious it was perfect for a quick afternoon snack! Overall a great experience reasonably priced and i will definitely be coming back with my family and friends! Thanks again for the amazing service Yashi! read more

Amazing we went for the Sunday brunch special Jose Ramos our waiter was the best in providing the best customer service. Attended to us and always checking up on everyone in a timely manner. Jose also had a positive attitude towards his work and making it feel welcome . Food was great for the price will be coming back again!!!!! read more

Walked in here new years evening for dinner with my mom. We forgot it was a holiday evening, as we come here pretty frequently. We took a seat at the bar area as usual, and took a seat pretty quickly as my mom has a hard time standing for long periods of time. We sat at the unbussed table for about 15 minutes before Denise was able to greet us. She was great and rapid in getting the table cleaned up for us. I took a look around and it was a pretty busy night and there were only 3 servers and a bartender working the floor. Everyone was doing their best but it was very obvious they were short staffed. Managers should have done a bit better today with staff - there was no hostess or anyone else to assist with cleaning of tables. read more

It's was a good day so I decided to go have lunch at el torito . They have a wonderful buffet at this location , but I had a reward for fajitas . It's included steak . Chicken . And shrimp . Was sizzling and tasty . Service was fast and the ambiance was inviting . Join the club . read more

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The tacos and birria were so good, meat was so tender. Mimosas are included in the Sunday all you can eat brunch. The service is excellent.

We planned a small family pre xmas gathering and when I arrived to request a table I was offered a able at the bar I had to tell the host we had a baby and the-high chair would not work there. We were provided a great table after my request. Initially the server was friendly and attentive but getting napkins and our food out were a hit and miss. They only brought out some of the orders and had to ask for the rest. The same with the drinks only 4-5 drinks to the table. We requested napkins multiple times and they eventually brought us 4 napkins. The chips were greasy and tasted funny. I ordered the steak fajitas and the meat was tender but it was not prepared properly. There were more onions than meat in the plate and no sizzle on the fajitas. They didn't include salsa or sour cream. Another person in our group was made ill by the Chile relleno and enchiladas. The only thing that was great was the flan and bread pudding. I have been visiting this El Torito for a few decades. I stopped going there because of the horrible customer service. I tried giving them another chance and this recent visit reminded me of why I stopped going there years ago. read more

El Torito - El Torito flan. - Mexican Near Me - Northridge, California

The food and service is always great here in the cantina . Love our bartender Everisto. He sets her mood. He makes us feel welcome to every time we come in. We always have a great conversation. read more

Just because it's a chain doesn't mean it isn't amazing. El Torito breaks the mold of other Mexican chains. Because it's regional only, I'm pretty sure. It's more authentic and exciting than Tres Margaritas I dare say. Except I don't hear a mariachi band. Joking aside, it's actually very modern and attractive inside. The chips you are brought come out warm still, and they're freshly made on site! Definitely a great treat. I loved the salads. The dressing and freshness of my lettuce and grilled chicken tasting like it had been made that day - that alone is enough to beckon me back. The margaritas look amazing - I'm not drinking currently but I'd guess they're as classy and chef appealed as their chips and that very fresh and exciting salsa. It's a high end vibe in there, definitely either date night (in the bar) or family night (restaurant side). Lunch with girl friends? read more

We went for happy hour. Got a flight of mojitos, a macho combo, and some sopes. We sat in the bar. It was busy but our server Victor (the new guy at the bar) treated us VERY well. Great food. EXCELLENT service. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Northridge, California

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If you're ever craving El Torito go to their location in Sherman Oaks. This one is severely lacking in everything. From food to service they really need to improve. We've tried going for brunch, happy hour, dinner and lunch and always leave disappointed. This last time we were a party of 8 adults and 2 kids. Everything took forever. Apparently our waiter couldn't multi task because he refused to take our food order along with our beverage order. Maybe they were busy or he had a good reason not to. But he was hard to find and didn't check in on our table enough. When we finally got our food everything was cold. Not ice cold but you can tell it had been sitting out as the melted cheese was already started to stiffen. Those that got fajitas had to wait an extra almost 10 minutes for the rice and beans and I waited almost 15 for some tomatillo salsa and lime. Which I never got the lime. The food tasted fine but if it were served hot it would've been better. Overall the service was bad, the food was mediocre and I've tried eating here for the last time. read more

The food here is always really good. We come here often. The service is wonderful! I have to send a special compliment to the bartender, Evaristo Arianna. This gentleman makes the best lime Mojito that I have EVER had anywhere! He has a secret recipe that is simply the best! The next time you dine at El Torito, ask Evaristo to fix you his "special" Mojito. You won't be sorry. read more

El Torito - Evaristo's special Mojito!! - Mexican Near Me - Northridge, California

Alert don't get seafood here! It is not safe! You will get nausea, dizziness, hot flashes, and vomiting!! Other than that the server was very attentive! Thanks girl read more

Stopped by here for buffet lunch with friends. Brunch quality here is below average. Food constantly ran out. They ran out of flan at 130. Soup ran out for an hour until refilling at 2pm. Worst, I just found out the restaurant charges 3.99% surcharge in addition to food and tax. I felt underhanded. Ambience and Service (waiter) is good, but at the end of day, I am here for food. Disappointed. Won't be back. read more

This is a second review here and now I remember why not to come back!!! So much for giving it a second chance... This El Torito has the worst management. I requested to speak to the manager and 15 minutes later she still hasn't shown up. They are understaffed as I'm standing here. People are upset leaving because no one is coming by to take their orders and are waiting a long time.. I came to the bar and hear it's worse. Poor Mario is by himself trying to take care of a ton of people. I don't understand why they under staff when they know that it's lunchtime. I don't have a luxury of taking long lunches as I'm standing here. There are a lot of people complaining and leaving because they don't have long lunches to waste just waiting around. I requested the manager. She still has not come. I just saw her walk by look at me and totally ignore the fact that there are people waiting to speak with her. Get better management or get the hell out of Northridge. read more

El Torito - Chair with Blood - Mexican Near Me - Northridge, California

I love that restaurant. The waitress Sherie is the best that is why I keep going back. Love her service and the food

The food it was fantastic but our waitress sherry it was amazing with us, very kind and smiling to everyone. She make an amazing job.

I visited El Torito to certify my mom's birthday and we are so happy that we did. The food, ambiance and service was excellent. Our server was Sherie and she is such an asset to the El Torito name. Sherie answered all our questions and made the dining experience so amazing for my mom's birthday. We will definitely be back. read more

First off let me just say, The low rating is for the time and service 5 stars for the tacos on taco Tuesday and the margaritas. Back to the service: we came in and were told we could sit in the bar area for happy hour. The manager? Said we would be with a server momentarily. 25 minute ago by and still nothing. Finally the same guy walks by and says did a server see u? No ok let me go get you some chips and salsa. And before he ran off we ordered some margaritas. It's now been 40 minutes and we have no chips and salsa, no water, never seen by a server, and not even our margaritas. We literally had to walk up to the bar to get the margaritas that surprisingly were put in to order, but never were delivered to us. I've told 3 people at this point we haven't been seen. A waitress apologized and said she would be right with us and of course never came. U know who finally came to our table and took our order? THE BARTENDER. It was a little busy but jeez they seem extremely understaffed. You couldn't even see a waiter walking around. It was just like nobody was working. Whoever does staffing in management needs to really adjust staffing especially for busier nights like themed nights. People are walking up and down from the bar to ask for things, grabbing their own to go boxes, asking for their check so they can leave. That is so unacceptable for patrons to be doing all of that. Finally by the end we were approached multiple times asking how things were (where was everyone 2 hours ago? Who knows lol) the bartender was very nice and our bill was even discounted for the obviously bad service which is appreciated but this review is for management. You need to fix staffing because we almost walked out 3 times. We stayed because we got our drinks...ourselves. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Northridge, California

All I can say is CRUZ!!! WOW... AMAZING... me & my Boo had a Great time! Food & Ambiance was Great all around!!! & the Service!!! Omgoodness Cruz's service & attentiveness was on point 100% :) read more

Since entering, Ariana was great. She made my group feel welcomed and had us seated quickly, on a Sunday brunch, which is unheard of. Once seated, Maddy took great care of us! This was a great time. Loved that we were able to enjoy ourselves here on Sunday! Food tased great and had so much more than I remembered. Great vibes! Thank you to Ariana and Maddy! read more

On Monday, July 28, 2025 I went to the Northridge El Torito for lunch. I ordered the Tostada Salad with Beef. The waiter served Salsa and chips as soon as I arrived. The chips were bland and the salsa was a little too spicey. The tostada salad was tossed tableside. The lettuce was soggy and the beef had quite a bit of gristle on it. It was like eating rubber. The onions in the salad were cut in chunks instead of slices. I discarded the majority of the beef into a napkin because it was inedible. I ordered a glass of water and it tasted like chlorine. Needless to say, my experience was awful. The waiter came as I finished the salad and asked how lunch was. I told him it was awful because the beef was so tough. He asked if I wanted to replace the beef with chicken and by the end of the meal I did not want it. He felt badly and sent the manager of the restaurant to my table. I told her of the horrible beef was. She said that they recently changed their menu and replaced their original beef with a cheaper cut. I told her that that was a grave mistake and she said she would comp my meal because of the utter dissatisfaction. After this awful experience I doubt I will return to this location. It makes me sad because the Northridge El Torito used to be my favorite Mexican restaurant. I think they should order a better grade of beef and retrain their cook to refine their cutting skills. JC read more

We were a party of two and unfortunately had a disappointing experience. I'm typically very patient when it comes to wait times, but the service here left a lot to be desired. There was a long delay before our food arrived, and during that time, my partner never received the Diet Pepsi he ordered -- even after the food finally came. We had to request silverware separately and remind our server about the drink, but there was no urgency or follow-through. Our server continued to check on other tables that were seated after us, while we were left waiting and unable to eat. It wasn't until another staff member noticed we didn't have silverware that they stepped in and helped us. & afterward our assigned server still completely ignored our requests and continued to serve others. Again, no follow up or apology for the mistakes. They acted like nothing happened. What made the experience worse was the lack of attention from our assigned server throughout the meal -- no water refills, no check-ins, nothing unless we initiated it. Meanwhile, we observed them regularly attending to other tables around us with no issue, even laughing and conversing with others. We rarely jump to negative conclusions and truly don't like to make assumptions, but the way we were overlooked made us feel excluded -- and honestly, like we were being treated differently. Possibly even rooted in bias. While we hope that wasn't the case, it left us feeling disrespected and uncomfortable. read more

They have definitely improved their brunch over the years & this is the best yet. The food was fresh and had plenty of options. The real reason I'm typing this review is because of how amazing our server Sherie was. She was honestly my ideal server, & that's not easy for a party of 5. She anticipated our needs perfectly, checked on us often, was efficient, and had a friendly, yet professional demeanor. We will definitely be coming back again! read more

Went in for the buffet last week. So happy that this location is still open. Dr I've down from Santa Clarita. Since I was kid El Torrito had been a part of it. I'm 47 now. But everyone we interacted w/ were nice. Just wish I could see there names. But the gentleman making the omelets was super cool. He was patient & nice. There was this older guy w/ a MuStAcHiO he was nice & funny. read more

Today my wife and I had lunch at El Torito Northridge, our serve Jose R was so attentive throughout our lunch. I couldn't ask for more. He gives us a good recommendation of drinks and food. You might keep this gentleman in your team... Great job Jose! read more

My husband and I come to El Torito frequently. The service and food is great but when we get our server Sherie she is the best! She is courteous, customer service oriented, and always helpful and ready to bring us anything we need. Our best experience is when Sherie is our server. Ray and Eileen Miranda read more

This place is the go to for Chicken Fajitas! Our server Marita was perfect! Definitely will request her for our table again. Service was Top Notch. read more

Came here for HH to try their new items. I got the watermelon candy shot and the Mexican pizza. The watermelon candy shot was really good! The Mexican pizza, I got it with no chorizo/meat. But it was still good! Perfect crisp in the tostada part, toppings were a good amount, everything was great. Our server was great! He seemed a little overwhelmed as he was the only one taking care of the section, but he was super nice and great. Parking: there is a good amount of parking read more

El Torito - Mexican Pizza - Mexican Near Me - Northridge, California

I love coming to this El Torito with my friends! The food is consistently great BUT it is always better when we get an amazing waitress. This time we got Cheri and she is worth a review! So friendly, attentive, and kind! read more

I had such a great experience! Especially because of Roberto he's soooo amazing! Nothing but a joy to be around ! Best server Ever!!

Celebrating the 4th of July weekend at El Torito in Northridge, once again the ambiance at the bar was enjoyable and Maria's service was excellent so 5 stars to Maria for being so attentive and prompt with her high quality drinks and service. Always Maria Servicing her customers with a great smile and highly respectful & attentive. Thank you Maria read more