El Torito brunch did not disappoint. All the food tried was delicious. The variety is wide ranging from crepes, omelets, soups, signature dishes and desserts. Our server Maria S. Was very attentive and nice. Don't forget the mariachi and their fantastic songs. Felt very homey and the vibe is like being at home. Will definitely be back. read more

We have always come for the Sunday brunch -- but this past Sunday, we had exceptional service from our waiter, Johnathan. He was so personable and attentive, he made sure we were taken care from the moment we sat down. Thank you Johnathan -- if you're ever at El Torito make sure you ask for him! He'll take great care of y'all! read more

Our food was hot delicious and didn't take much time to get to me. Our waitress Maria S. Was fantastic and very efficient. I recommend 100%

We visited El Torito In pasadena today Sunday with my family , we were beyond grateful for the amazing food and service ! our server beto was very attentive and fast with his service . We highly recommend you to try this restaurant specially on Sunday when they have a buffet with variety of delicious foods . read more

Christopher, the bar manager, is amazing! He's so welcoming, attentive, and makes the best drink recommendations. His positive energy really makes the whole experience at El Torito special. Can't wait to come back! read more

Today I was having super bad day I decided to stop by el Torito, Morena was amazing, super friendly recommend some plates and michelada was the perfect recommendation also she was super cool with me after I finished eating I was feeling much better, definitely if I ever go back to el torito I will ask for Morena again great service and positive attitude read more

Food is always good here! My favorite are the chicken flautas...I've been eating these since I was a kid and I don't plan on stopping! Ramona C also provided amazing service. Honestly, the service here can be hit or miss but with Ramona, you're in good hands. Can't wait to come again! read more

Wil our waiter did an amazing job! He was very friendly on top of things and very patient with our party of 13!

I have been to multiple locations and this one stands out because of their outstanding service. No matter how busy they are, they take good care of everyone in the party and the team is very helpful, kind, friendly and enthusiastic. Special shoutout to staff Jason and Greg, who made the dining experience memorable and big reasons why this location is so popular! Highly recommend! read more

We had a delicious brunch, the all you can eat option was easy for our children, and Maria S. was very helpful!

The food was good. Service was great. And ambiance was excellent. Thanks to our server, Richard. We had a great birthday dinner.

We come to this location often. We always have great service and food. Richard has been our server many times. He's a friendly and attentive server. We're always happy when we're seated in his section as he makes our experience that much better. read more

Good size portions of tasty dishes we ordered: grilled chicken enchilada and beef burrito. At 5 PM on a Tuesday, we were seated in the bar area. A server brought quickly a basket of hot crunchy tortilla chips with red salsa. We ate all the chips and another basket of chips was brought to our table by our server. The restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere. I noticed diners were single, couples, families and large groups. My next visit will be to try the Happy Hour offerings. read more

El Torito - Grill chicken enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I was invited here to celebrate a family member's birthday. I wanted to give this place 4 stars because when we arrived they said it was going to be an hour wait even though we had a reservation. All was made right when we were seated 15 minutes later. The place gets really busy for their Sunday brunch. They have many options and staff were very friendly and provided everything we needed. Thank you , Carlos for making our brunch experience a very enjoyable one! read more

El Torito - Specials - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

DJ Jim is amazing. Awesome Jerome. Karla is the best manager. Amazing time. Great service

Went for the Sunday brunch and a lot of food that was here were solid, Granted do need to be aware that some of the food has been out here for a while so may find stale here and there. Omelet and taco server was great to have. Server was friendly with often visits to take plates and ask for what we need. read more

(Dined 12/14/22 WE, 12/21/22 WE, and 02/05/23 SU @ 4pm): Their happy hour was no bull! I came to learn about a wonderful happy hour (daily 3pm-7pm) at El Torito's Pasadena's location before an evening performance across the street at A Noise Within. Back in the day, I was a fan of El Torito, an affordable premium Mexican restaurant. However, the food landscape has changed dramatically, and their locations are now few and far between now. It has been many years since I last dined at one, and these recent visits were the first for this location. Did I have happy times hanging out at this bullish Mexican meal place!? PURCHASE Fresh Chips & Salsa (COMP): Always appreciated https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Hh_3DIxF3xrcfnzkpjmUDg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! House Margarita ($6.00 HH): Tasty and on the rocks https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=F9rF5ooYLoiXsryrUU60Dw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! 3pc Beef Birria Tacos ($8.00 HH): Meaty, messy, and magnificent https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Jn8M2LJCgwExfai7Cx4DmQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! Mango Margarita ($6.00 HH): Fruity and fragrant https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=H5vifN9dJPhqtiSm70NlUg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! Modelo Especial Lager Beer 16floz Draft ($4.00 HH x3): A special cerveza that went down easily https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=YOj6nyQRjEr8on-8Nwio9A&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! Pacifico Clara Lager Beer 16floz Draft ($4.00 HH): Crisp and clean https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=hkgIcTfK-GgwSmAoIzsTFg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! Dos Equis Ambar Lager Beer 16floz Draft ($4.00 HH x2): Sí, señor https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=QDkT6gta4tDjlZg1A6eoaA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! 3pc Salmon Tacos ($10.00 HH): Nothing fishy here https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=J57LTaPTMyoNCk0TCUQm9g&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! 4pc Steak & Chorizo Mini Tacos ($6.00 HH): Crunchy shells stuffed with meat https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=qtYraanV-U4kgiMd-9yJsA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! Lagunitas IPA Beer 16floz Draft ($4.00 HH): One of my favorites https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=_BswDQx379gcKtckj0qu0Q&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! 4pc Chicken Flautas ($8.00 HH): Marinated pollo galore https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=dc5c_THYo_eqGWQm5W8EmQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! 3pc Sopes Grilled Chicken ($6.00 HH): Messy goodness https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Pf2pllI-aClcSWSql5W3Sg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! SERVICE On each visit, I easily found a spot at the bar and was helped by the same friendly gentleman who quickly took my orders, delivered my drinks immediately, and the food came out from the kitchen no more than ten minutes each time. I was frequently checked on, my water glass filled, and chips & salsa freshened-up. All was good - gracias! PARKING (FREE) There were plenty of spots within the Hastings Village outdoor mall - 'nuff said! ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE A spacious floorplan with an open lobby, multiple dining rooms, and a bar area https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=yu1BAlTAV7NfMxd4bTiPKw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw where the happy hour applied, filled with plenty of chairs, tables, booths, and stools at the rectangular bar. The interior had a very hacienda motif. Plenty of natural lighting came through the many large glass windows and front doors while electric ceiling lights filled in the rest. There were muted TVs while rock music played in the background. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=ladqT81j5IdaeXkOcTyDuQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL I was highly impressed by Pasadena's El Torito location and especially their happy hour offerings of drinks https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=mILubuYLMa1zhm0Q2t9wdQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw and food https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=pPnTrTQrk5l-_Tm7gnZXAg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. I had no reservations to return for more even though I exhausted the entire menu. Maybe I'd try their regular menu next time. All of the food, prices, portions, and services exceeded my expectations. I found total value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $84.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS read more

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We came for Sunday Brunch and our server Veto was AMAZING! He was very attentive and had great customer service! We'll definitely be back! Especially for the food and those endless mimosas read more

El Torito - pancakes - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I have been to El Torito many times different locations but this one stole my heart! It's my third time here but this past Saturday we came run some errands near by and we decided to have late lunch we sat in the bar area and they have happy hour our server Kennia was great she kept checking on us to see if we needed anything great service, great food and cantina area great ambiance, we loved, Thanks guy we'll be back soon read more

Beto was an excellent server. Always refilling our drinks and clearing our table. Very attentive. 5 stars!

Came here for happy hour and it was OK. The bacon-wrapped shrimp were tasty and the dipping sauce was good, too. The sirloin quesadilla is huge and the meat is on the chewy side, but overall OK as well. The chips and salsa are not very good but you'll eat a bunch anyway. The room is loud and the service can be kind of slow, too. There are better Mexican restaurants in Pasadena than El Torito, but if you want some cheap-ish Mex that's not too too bad feel free to hit them up for happy hour. read more

We came to celebrate my grandpa's birthday and Carlos our server was great! Whenever we needed anything he was quick to bring it. The food was good and the buffet layout was a great spread. read more

The variety of the buffet brunch is still very good. But the temperature is not. Everyone in our small group found their food to be lukewarm, at best. The sound ambiance was horrible. Music playing over the sound system was fine, but on top of that was a Mariachi band playing very loud (trumpet was screeching more than playing), and screaming children (parents laughing instead of correcting). The rooms are very hard (no plants, carpet, ceiling sound tiles, etc. ) so everything echos badly. Two of us went into the bar to get freshly made tacos, but ended up walking away without. The woman making the tacos kept ignoring the guests right in front of her and the toppings bar had flies. One fly was even burrowing in the cotija cheese! Another minus is that El Torito has joined the list of restaurants that charge random service fees, and there's no prior notification, just shows up on the bill. At $38/ person + service fee + tax + tip, we expect hot food with added insects, and the ability to have a conversation without yelling. read more

El Torito - Churros were rock hard! Not yummy at all. - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Walked in the restaurant placed an order "to go". I don't know if the hostess misheard me or there was miscommunication but I had ordered the "nacho kit". I paid the hostess in cash. I waited a good 15 minutes for the food. I got my order got home seen that they had given me the "fiesta fajitas". called the store 2x didn't answer. Then when I called one last time they finally answered I told them that I was given the wrong platter. I showed up the hostess and the manger "Richard" were both in front I explained it to the manager I told them that I wanted to pay the difference which was $5 more which I was okay with he gave me back my refund paid again in card He then said " so you're just going to waste the food". and snatched the bag from my hand. And said well it's going to take 20 minutes for the nachos I just think the way he handled the situation could've been better he could've just made me pay the difference got my food and I would've gone about my day. it wasn't even coming out of his pocket to be this petty read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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That was the best cheese enchiladas with rice and bean combo that I have had in a long time! Our waiter, Richard, was friendly and great about checking in through out our meal. We like eating at the cantina, where the music playing over the speakers is fun and lively. Also highly recommend the pumpkin bread pudding, available for a limited time. I'll admit I couldn't taste pumpkin, but definitely got the fall spices. It was soooo delicious. I just finished eating my leftovers and am sad that it's now gone. Can't wait to come back again! Thank you, El Torito! read more

Came in for brunch today and was very pleased. The food was fresh and tasty. I wanted to hilight our server, Ernesto. He was very attentive, hospitable, and left a great impression. I would def come again! Thanks Ernesto! read more

Maria S. great service, despite the crowd. Ambiance was great, enjoyed the food and service.

Excellent brunch, Beto our waiter gave us excellent customer service. Definitely coming back!

This place is amazing ! Loved the brunch special they offered with a buffet and bottomless mimosas! Carlos, our server made sure we were satisfied. Loved the crepes station. And the dessert station! Will definitely be coming back! read more

Food was delicious and fresh. They have bottomless mimosas with complimentary churro pancakes that were really good. They have variety of different foods whether it's breakfast or lunch items. The waffles are the best. Beto was an amazing server, very kind, and attentive. read more

El Torito - Bacon, machaca egg, corn, and egg tostada. - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great service by Olga and Mia came here for happy hour!!! They were both very attentive even help with recommendations. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Our waiter is named Richard......he was attentive and seemed empathic. Made some really good recommendations and followed up regarding our opinion(brave). My party celebrated a birthday and the birthday girl went home happy , as did the rest of our party. Thanks Rich and the manager that hired you. read more

My family come this place very often, because Of my Hispanic husband! According to him the food here are authentic. We always order their chicken flautas, fajita combo, combo classic, Chicken & Shrimp Enchilada. The service is depends, most of the servers are good. Mojito and Margarita of course!! read more

We came on Thanksgiving and it was a great experience. Next year maybe keep the coffee hot. Everyone was really helpful. Bill around 180. For 4 people add 40. To server and 10 to person bussing. Absolutely peaceful easy holiday. Thank you El Torito. Also the creamy corn casserole was amazing read more

Great atmosphere Sundays they have unlimited mimosas, breakfast and lunch buffet, friendly staff and great customer service.. thank Serena ... best bartender . And Randy .. The Metro boys are thankful. read more

Had a good Taco Tuesday with our awesome waiter, Randy! He is the best ever! He brings what we need before we even ask for it! We come here every Tuesday. read more

María S was our server and she was kind and very professional. The food was brought to us at a decent time and it was delicious.

Excellent place. Coming to this location over 20 yrs. Always top notch! Ask for the waiter Jackson.....always class A service each & every time. read more

Great service by Maria S. and excellent food, mariachi playing great music. Bar is a good size and drinks came out fast......will definitely come back and enjoy brunch and happy hour again. read more

Great customer Service From Sebastian He Totally Did a Great Job Today at helping us bring Everything to Our Table Give That Man a Rise !!