I've been coming to El Torito for 15+ years. The service from Fernanda was great, the food was good, but the 4% dining fee is extremely annoying. It's not a credit card processing fee, it's another charge for merely visiting a beloved restaurant. read more

See all

Victor Perez was very attentive to our party. He was friendly and made our experience at El Torito great!!!

We celebrated my grandma's birthday at El Torito and it was such a wonderful experience! The service and food were both amazing. Our party kept growing throughout the meal as more family members joined, and the staff was incredibly accommodating and kind about adjusting our table each time. The brunch options were fantastic with both sweet and savory choices. My personal favorite was the omelet bar it was fresh, delicious, and made exactly how I wanted it. They also had great kid-friendly options like fries and mac and cheese, which made the little ones very happy. The service really stood out. The staff kept our champagne glasses filled and were attentive without being intrusive. I also loved that they had aguas frescas available for guests to serve themselves, which meant no waiting around for refills. And the sweet bread selection was a perfect touch to round out the meal along with their chocolate strawberry fountain and ice cream. Overall, it was a great place to celebrate a special occasion. The ambiance of mariachi singing and dancing in the back also added special element. Excellent food, wonderful service, and a very accommodating team. We'll definitely be back! read more

Victor P. provided excellent service for my friend and I who were celebrating her birthday for lunch. We ordered the sampler appetizer which was a great variety of food for a late lunch. read more

You can check my Yelp history, I don't typically ever write bad reviews, but this experience was frustrating. I called to place an order to-go for a lunch meeting. They put me on hold for 15 minutes total (I figured they were still opening/maybe dealing with a rush. No biggie) I finally got to place my order and went to go pick it up. When I walked through the doors I saw my order to the right ready to go. I was prepared to pay but I wasn't approached by staff for about 10 minutes. After I had paid, I checked the bag and noticed they didn't include the water bottles I included ($5 per bottle, btw! You'll get em cheaper at Disneyland). I reminded staff, got the waters, and rushed out as I was close to being late to my work lunch. After I arrived at the meeting, I took out all the food items and noticed I was short one. I had to rush back to the restaurant and get it so as not to piss off any of my own customers. They included a free bag of chips, which was nice I guess. It still cost me being late to my lunch meeting. To top it all off, they keep a sign up front that says they're charging a 4% surcharge as a way to keep up with costs of labor, etc. I understand that costs of labor are increasing, but wouldn't it be wiser to adjust menu item pricing in order to avoid questions/bad feelings about a random 4% charge? And if you're charging $5 per bottle of water I can't imagine you aren't absolutely raking it in. Good luck, El Torito! I'm going to do both of us a favor and make sure I never return. read more

Food was great. We drove from Menifee to come and eat El Toritos chile relleno. My dad's fav. Our waitress Pascuala was professional, and was going over and beyond to make our experience great. Only minus from this experience was that the food took a long time to come out. Turns out they have a change in shift and there was only one cook back there. By the time we got our food we had filled up on chips and salsa. Which are amazing by the way. I miss their vegetarian enchiladas which were removed from the menu I came to find out. Ambiance was chill. read more

See all

We had a great time at this restaurant! The waiter was super friendly! The food tasted great ! Love the chips and salsa. My fajitas were cooked just right and tasteful. I will be coming here again soon! Thank you! read more

Zero stats, third time in a row. Place used to be decent but now this place is horrible. 30 minutes in, barely got our drink order in and I guess they no longer have kids menus. Had to go to the bar to ask for chips and salsa because it wasn't offered by our waitress. Was told they've been out of salsa all day, it's barely being made and ready. Funny, the other tables had salsa and chips. Never got it anyways 30 minutes in, drinks aren't even being made. How do we know this? We are sitting at a table in the bar. Hey but the bartender is chilling. 35 minutes in and we just left. No drinks made, no water, no chips, no salsa. Third time the service has not only been horrible but it down right sucks. Skip this place, go somewhere else. I love their el dueno margaritas but that's not worth the poopy service. No, they were not busy. read more

Great food, service Given by Brooklyn. We were seated outdoors on a hot day and she made sure we had ice cold water and drinks coming! read more

Great service from Victor Perez! He was very attentive to our party of 7. Thank you again

My friend & I were told to lunch in the bar or there would be a 20 min wait for a table. There was one main bartender/waitress. She said she'd be with us soon. She was not. We did not get chips & salsa til we asked. I believe the basket was smaller than usual. She did not return to take our order for a long time. Meanwhile I saw others receive prompt service. I ordered a cheese quesadilla & got chicken & cheese. Plus, El Torito now adds 3.99% "service fee" to offset labor costs. El Torito has 21 restaurants in CA. That's not a "local business." read more

El Torito - Hostess desk - Mexican Near Me - Riverside, California

I recommend this place. This is the only El Torito we go to because the service is immaculate. So many servers here are great! Especially Victor Perez. Hands down, best server I have ever seen. Very detailed and is always asking what we need. I recommend to come here and ask for Victor. You won't be disappointed. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Riverside, California

See all

We have gone to El Torito many times and had good experiences, but the Father's Day buffet was the worst ever. We had a large group, so we thought the buffet would work out best so that everyone could try whatever they liked and we could eat basically at the same time. Unfortunately, a lot of the food was lukewarm, dry, crusty, burnt, and rice in the desserts was hard/not fully cooked. Everyone was disappointed at a premium price for this special buffet. The server was wonderful for drinks and clean up. Our reservation was 2 hours before the end of the buffet time so we were surprised by the condition of the food presentation, somebody dropped the ball with food prep and presentation. Our Father still had a good time, but we would never do a buffet at this location again. read more

Wow.. haven't been to El Torito in a minute and I don't plan to go back after today. Sat in the bar area with my family. Took about 15 minutes to be acknowledged. Ordered water and drinks, about another 10 to 15 to get that. Asked for chips and salsa... they have no salsa, they are changing vendors and have no produce per the waitress. Ordered street tacos, no beef .. didn't ask why. Placed an order for food, nacho cheese and chips.. silverware and napkins. The nacho cheese came. It sat in the table for about 20 minutes.. got cold, never got the chips to eat it. Never got our food, finally left without eating. read more

How do you have Taco Tuesday at a Mexican place with NO SALSA! We were served a bean dip type sauce and the poor waitress was embarrassed and hiding her reluctance at serving what she knew was not good. We watched her bring the bean sauce to tables explaining that they were not able to serve salsa with the chips or the meals. In addition, she was running around serving all of the dining room tables. No manager in sight. We tried to ask for at least some pico for our fajitas but she said there wasn't any. The small basket of chips for our table was out since it took so long for our drinks, and when our food still wasn't there after a long time we asked for more and told there was a charge for a second basket! The staff are working so hard but are fighting an uphill battle for this restaurant. The location is great and the bar area is indoor/outdoor with a perfect set up for Taco Tuesday and brunch. But the food is horrible. The fajitas are dry and burned to the skillet with very little vegetables. The salads are drowning in dressing. The margarita flight previously was 4 glasses and we were served just 3 which were mostly ice. It is so sad to see the decline of what used to be one of our go-to places for lunch and dinner. read more

Victor, took care of us!! Made our Christmas morning brunch feel special, Thank you Victor ! read more

Dinner with the Bf, our server Cassandra was amazing. She made the best table side guacamole. Watermelon margaritas to start and fajitas Suprema for dinner. Definitely coming back. Thank you Kassandra for the friendly and attentive service. read more

Ok El Torito it's time to close your doors! Really?, It's taco Tuesday and you don't have beans or salsa. How can you be a Mexican restaurant with no beans and salsa. Your other restaurant off of McKinley in Corona either is out of beer. The cooler is broken. A TV is out or the dishwasher is broken. It's always something and yet you raise your prices cut happy hour and you wonder why the place is empty. read more

Rolled into El Torito in Riverside looking for a margarita and a moment--and kinda got both. Ordered the house marg, which leaned more "vacation juice" than "kick in the pants," so I had to back it up with a shot of tequila to level things out. Crisis averted. The real MVP of the night? The Mexican Caesar salad. Honestly, shockingly good. Crunchy, flavorful, and way more satisfying than I expected from a salad. I'd go back just for that. Service was... let's call it "leisurely." The bartender was clearly doing the job of two people, bless them, but it meant a bit of a wait for drinks. If management reads this: hire that person a co-pilot behind the bar. They've earned it. All in all, solid night, great food, and with just one more bartender, this place would be firing on all cylinders. read more

$39.95 Thanksgiving Day buffet for adults with unlimited mimosa! The carving station served the Thanksgiving must-haves--ham and turkey. The made-to-order Taco station had six different tacos to choose from, two soups, tamale plates, holiday veggies, and giant cut sweet yam. The kids' section had mini dogs, chicken fingers, cookies, fresh juices, and horchta. It was such a great deal for the holiday meal, and all the staff were friendly. You can feel the restaurant management really wants to create a happy holiday meal experience for their guests! Thank you for having us today :) read more

See all

We arrived at 6:00. We were told to seat ourselves and were handed menus. After 15 minutes with no one acknowledging we were there, I found a manager. (Others who were seated near us did the same.) He apologized that they were short staffed. We ordered an appetizer that arrived luke warm. It was tasty, just not the right temperature. Our entree was the classic fajitas. They were good but arrived with no guacamole. The rice was actually cold. Not warm, cold. Very disappointed. We were offered 10% off by the manager. Maybe it was an off night but at $66 for dinner, rethinking if I will ever go back. read more

Fernanda was great. I got the mahi mahi tacos and they were dry and not very good. We asked for the birria tacos instead. She was able to get the uneaten dish removed. She was pleasant and friendly. read more

Stopped by El Torito for the first time recently and had a really great experience, largely thanks to our server, Victor Perez. Victor was attentive from the start and checked in with us often throughout the visit. He made sure our drink was never empty, kept a great attitude the entire time, and was genuinely friendly and welcoming. It's always nice when a server takes pride in what they do, and Victor definitely does. Since it was my first time there, he also took the time to recommend a few things to try, which I really appreciated. His suggestions were great and helped make the experience even better. Victor was professional, personable, and truly made the visit more enjoyable. Great service like that really stands out. Huge shoutout to Victor Perez, keep up the great work! read more

I talked with receptionist to make sure Dodger game would be on as well as World Cup with Mexico, she assured me it would and it was. Halfway through the game they switched it, even though myself and a few others were watching it. They had PLENTY of TV's showing the Soccer game, there was no need to switch this one, the Manager could care less. So after I missed the ending of a game I was promised I'd be able to watch, the bill comes and it has a Surcharge, there was no way I was going to pay extra, especially after they gave me less. Too bad the server had to have some of their tip go to this charge, hopefully this heartless manager reimbursed the tip to the server but I doubt it! I will NEVER go back! read more

I had the new torta sandwich and it was not good. There was very little meat and it was stringy. Prices have gone way up, quality gone way down. I ate there again and the beans were like flavorless soup. Not going to return. read more

Be prepared to wait!! Our server was kind and helpful, but it was hard to flag him down when we wanted to order and when we wanted to get our check. The food was good and flavorful. Our favorite was the sizzling chicken which had a unique smoky flavor and the table side guacamole. The restaurant seemed clean and lively! read more

El Torito - SIZZLING ENCHILADAS - GRILLED CHICKEN MACHO COMBO - Mexican Near Me - Riverside, California

Food was great! Victor P was amazing. We have had him several times. Every time he is very accommodating and attentive. He's our favorite. We always ask for him to be our server. Please give him a raise. read more

Went for the Sunday Brunch and all of the food was delicious! They had an immense variety of food; from seafood to tacos, sopes, quesadillas, enchiladas, chilaquiles, omelets, soups, esquites & a handful of desserts! Our server Erika was quick to take our drink order and brought coffee to the table right away! She was very friendly and quick to take the plates away from the table, making sure we weren't needing anything! Will be back! :) read more

Great vibe, live DJ awesome food! The fajitas are delicious and our waitress Diana was amazing !!! She allowed us to move tables to minimize the noise and kept checking in on us to make sure our party was good! Go see Diana she is great ! read more

I just gotta say...Jazmin at the bar was amazing! We came for Sunday brunch and sat at the bar, which was wide open. She kept our mimosas and margaritas full the entire time. The food is great...the service is great...the drinks are great! read more

El Torito - Mimosas and margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Riverside, California

Our server Cynthia is Rock star caliber. She bar tends too. So she does it all and it shows. Ask for the hot brown chili to mix with the mild. Everything was outstanding ! read more

El Torito - Dous taco lunch special - Mexican Near Me - Riverside, California

See all

Came to El Torito at the plaza in Riverside for taco Tuesday. Our server Lorenzo was the best. He was very informative, professional, and extremely nice. By far this was one of our best experience at El Torito. My husband and I are regular there on Tuesday and Friday for their happy hour and Taco Tuesday. Highly recommend!!!Thanks again Lorenzo keep up thw good work.! read more

We took our big family to dinner Sunday evening. Bella was our server. She was efficient, patient, an incredibly kind. She made our experience fantastic as she was serving us. I looked around the table and and saw my family with big smiles on their face as they interacted with her. We're very thankful for such service. read more

Amazing brunch. Best deal in town plus unlimited mimosas. Staff was great Christian (female) was our server. She checked on us and made sure everything was refilled. Food was great especially taco bar. Unlimited for $40 what a deal read more

The food was awful -- the rice was stale and dry, and the entire meal was so overly spicy it was basically inedible. Nothing tasted fresh or balanced. To make things worse, the service was terrible -- inattentive and dismissive, like they didn't care at all. Definitely not worth the price or the visit. I left hungry and disappointed. read more

El Torito - Stale rice way too spicy taco - Mexican Near Me - Riverside, California

Girl, no! They not only ran out of multiple of the happy hour items, but then also took an hour to get our order to the table. I don't know what I was expecting but the food was anything but Mexican cuisine. I ordered enchiladas and I have... thoughts. These enchiladas were flour tortillas with pico de gallo inside, why? Customer service also left a lot to be desired. Took a while for a host to get us a table, even though no one was waiting. The server also checked in on us once during our one hour wait for food. read more

Came here recently for dinner on a Friday night, it was early, but still very crowded. I had the chicken & sour cream enchiladas. The service was very slow and it took forever to pay and leave. It reminded me of why I don't come to this location anymore. read more

Great device and great food once again I love the service and quality here! Christina thank you for making my day even smoother much appreciated!! read more

Came in w my husband for our 18th anniversary on a Sunday during brunch time, we had a great time, great food, good vibes. I didn't know they offered complimentary champagne until our server mentioned it after offering us different drinks from the drinks menu. Victor Perez was the name of our server and he was very attentive to say the least. We ordered a few songs from the live mariachi. We had a great time overall. Will definitely be coming back. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Riverside, California

I have been going to El Toritos restaurants for over 40 years and I have noticed the changes in the food quality, taste and portion sizes. When I first started, the food was consistently good, flavorful and the portion sizes were worth the price. I would always get the chicken tortilla soup, sweet corn cake, pepita salad with the grape vinigrette dressing, chips & salsa. Nowadays, the food does not taste like it did originally and has gone through many changes over the years, less quality ingredients being used, portion sizes shrinked (especially the to-go containers), but prices increased. The soup at times lacks flavor, ingredients missing, consistency is sometimes watery, other times it's a little thicker and more tomato based. Sweet corn sometimes comes out overcooked, dry, burnt pieces of corn, other times it was cooked with too much water and turned out mushy, easily falling apart, and did not have much flavor at all. Was told the salad dressing is being made with olive oil, but don't know for sure if that is really true or not. Sometimes the dressing was not made correctly having too much oil and not enough of the other ingredients to give it the right flavor. Even the salsa has not been consistent. Sometimes it can be way too spicy, too many peppers where you can barely eat it, if at all. Sometimes the veggies weren't cut up small and blended like they should be and it made the salsa turn out all chunky. The opposite has also happened, where it was over blended and came out like a puree creating a foamy type salsa, which was not good. Different Chefs preparing the food at the same restaurant and it comes out tasting different, between different restaurant locations the taste of food is not consistent. Being a paying customer I expect the food to taste good each and every time I order and I get my money's worth and that has not been the case in my experience. read more

El Torito - Grape vinaigrette dressing with way too much so called "olive oil" and not enough of the other ingredients. Taste like straight up oil. - Mexican Near Me - Riverside, California

See all