The beef fajitas had no seasoning . Taste very bland . The chips are good . I received two orders of chips that I didn't order .

Really enjoyed our margaritas and lunch! Queso and guacamole, tamales, quesadilla! all good - especially the house salsa! Service was really good, friendly fun atmosphere - highly recommen! read more

Man I used to love this place.. When they first opened just down the road on kenwood they were cheap and awesome. Great food great service..now..ugh.. Last time I went started with queso dip...chips were rancid stale like the old bottom of the barrel. The I got the chicken over rice with queso, I usually eat with chips "but they were stale".. then got my plate and it smelled and tasted bad.. like licking a dirty arm pit. Was supposed to come with gauc, or gauc salad as it says on menu, never got it, paid and I will never go back, now I see why its so dead in there lately. Been noticing that all the mexican places now suck, and are rude as hell. Guess it the new way rip people off. Good luck must hate money. read more

El Toro used to be a reliable destination for cheap, generic Mexican food (same recipes as countless other Mexican restaurants), and you could forgive the lack of flavor for the cost and speed of service. Returning in 2024, I was dismayed to find the prices hovering around $15-25 for things that used to cost around $10 or less. In a town where you can get amazing Mexican food from places like Maize, Hauraches Moroleon, Fernando's, and Los Hidalguense, the audacity to charge these prices for such forgettable food blows my mind. Please do yourself a favor and look elsewhere for Mexican food. read more

I went to El Toro with two of my girlfriends to catch up and have social interactions especially after 2-3 months of social distancing. The 3 of us started off with a 16 ounce margarita. I was disappointed to still be completely sober after finishing the whole glass. Make sure to ask for an extra shot or 3 :) This is the only reason this restaurant is not getting a 5. I would rather you charge more for having more liquor in the drink than charge less and very little liquor content. I ordered an enchilada which is a side. I didn't know. It was really good with the green sauce. I also ordered a side of shrimp tacos with onions and cilantro which was delicious as well. The chips and salsa was very tasty. Whoever is in the back making it...they know what they're doing. The servers are very attentive and accommodating. I honestly enjoyed this place and would be going back. Someone wrote about this place being bland, I would have to disagree. The food I had had lots of flavor. read more

I've eaten at the El Toro restaurants in Champaign County for years and have gradually seen a decline in all of them. This particular location *had* maintained quality and customer service until recently. At lunch with friends today, I had the worst meal I have ever been served anywhere. Their signature El Toro nachos were bland and covered in a large quantity of shredded lettuce. When I complained, they removed the huge pile of lettuce I placed on a napkin and took $1 off my bill, so it was still over $14. I nibbled at my plate, but it was truly disgusting. My friends and I have met here regularly for years, but I have no plans to *ever* go back. And I encourage you to find another place to eat, too. read more

Service was great. Ambiance was good and lively. I like the patio. Food was awful. I ordered a "chile poblano" - their version of a chile relleno, since their chile relleno is stuffed with both meat and cheese. What I received was a poblano pepper (correct) stuffed with white Velveeta cheese (incorrect) deep-fried (correct) and swimming in Italian-style tomato sauce seasoned with a ton of celery salt or celery seed seasoning (horrifying). I was expecting Mexican-style tomato sauce, like those little cans of El Pato, and a Mexican melting cheese. This was the worst chile relleno I have ever eaten in my life. My friends ordered tacos; I was pleasantly surprised to see corn tortillas and cilantro. The tacos looked and smelled good, and my friends liked them. You might want to order those instead. I'd return, because they are very accommodating to large groups, and the experience was good despite the food. read more

Breakfast? Brunch? I'm always intrigued by the potential of the morning feast taking place at a Mexican spot. You know it's going to be a nice twist on two very familiar things - Tex-Mex food and breakfast. The location is welcoming and we were greeted walking in quickly lead to a table table and given coffee. I noted a half dozen other diners in various stages of eating, ordering finishing up. A quick glance around confirmed the dishes looked very appealing on the multi colored Fiesta ware. The menu is larger than I expected and included both gringo and Tex/Mex options. I did notice that most of the southwest options did not include a protein other than eggs which was a little disappointing. I was very interested in the Huevos Rancheros, but couldn't get Chilaquiles of my mind. What I expected was fried corn tortillas softened in a complex red mole, topped with velvety scrambled eggs, thick and cool creme fresh, crunchy sharp onions and a bit of tangy queso fresco along with a side of tortillas, creamy fatty refried beans and tomatoy rice. What I got? What I got was not only a diet plate portion, but also the version of Chilaquiles with crunchy chips. The thick red salsa/mole was pooled on the bottom of the pile of chips, some warm salsa, disappointing canned beans and dry flavorless rice, etc, etc. etc. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, just not what I expected and so I can say that if you are looking for something a little different than the two eggs, bacon and hashed brunch, this could be a good spot to try. read more

El Toro Bravo - Chilaquiles - Mexican Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

See all

They moved a couple blocks down the street from their original Springfield site (which is now a Thai place) a little over a year ago, into a brand new, much bigger building. But the waitstaff and food remains the same = great. We do lunch here because it is so close to the plant. In and out in way less than an hour, for under $10. Deal! Tons of combination plates, with choices to please everyone (lunch combos average $5, with larger combos at $7-8). Nice seafood and veg options. Hot chips and mild, flavorful salsa. And white cheese dip - hello!! read more

We ordered from door dash and our daughters entire meal was missing. I am very disappointed as this is not the first time this has happened with this restaurant read more

Great place. Good food. Friendly staff. You really can't go wrong with choosing this place as your place to eat the place is kept clean

After hearing great things about El Toro Bravo. We decided to try them out. What can I say? Bland? Cold? I ordered the toro fajitas. They came out cold. Precooked and dry. Their Mexican rice has no flavor and very bland. We also had burritos mexicanos. They looked good. But light on the beans and was not told their were peppers and onions in the burrito. All in all this was mediocre and not worth a revisit. Food is NOT fresh made. If you want pre cooked meat and veg. read more

Been going there for years and was disappointed to hear Marco, the manager, was no longer there. He always made the rounds to make sure the customers were well taken care of. Never reluctant to pitch in and help if needed. Miss his friendly attitude!!! read more

Ordered online for easy timed pickup. Obvious it was prepared immediately after ordered and left to sit until I arrived a half-hour later. No point ordering for a specific pickup time if they ignore it. Ordered the Acapulco Special with Guacamole Dip... dip was not prepared fresh as it was starting to turn color (a waste of $4.50). Acapulco was a layer of rice covering half of the to-go container on one side with guacamole salad covering the other side. Layered on top of the huge pile of rice was barely enough chicken & beef to make two tortillas... bonus was I found three shrimp in the cold mess! For the $12.99 + $4.50, it was very disappointing! Won't be back... read more

Only because I was on this side of town did I choose to visit this El Toro location. Should know better than to think I could get a comparable meal to El Toro Loco (Urbana). Staff unfriendly. Waiter was slow. Food is OK. Definitely not El Toro Loco Steak taco had plenty of meat. Which is always a plus. I believe I have been to this location 3 times and every time I seated right inside restaurant next to the area where the waiters put dirty dishes and get drinks. Very disruptive. Should i ask for a different booth or table. Probably but don't want to be a pain. read more

I was traveling through here and stayed at a nearby hotel. I checked in pretty late and this is the closest restaurant to me. All the staffs were friendly and had a pleasant experience read more

The food here is decent, considering it's not a primarily Mexican or Hispanic town. The margaritas tasted watered down...hardly alcoholic at all. Customer service was good and we didn't have to wait long, even though it was the lunch rush. Seafood enchiladas are probably something I'd get, but I think their tamales could have been a lot better. read more

The Chips and salsa are good, not great. And the place is always crowded so i'm left wondering, What am i missing? Its decidedly Average, nothing outstanding here. read more

A very nice, new building with an ambient, comfortable atmosphere. The servers are very prompt and polite. The food is just kind of mediocre and blah. It's the typical Americanized Mexican food that you'll get at any other El Toro or at Dos Reales. Lots of ground beef, ranchero sauce, and salt. read more

I've had several good experiences at El Toro Bravo. Service is quick and the wait staff is always friendly My go to dish is the chimichangas!! Also give the fajita quesadillas a try. Chips and salsa are always fresh! They also have great lunch specials. Definitely in the top tier of Mexican food places in Champaign. read more

I used to eat here very frequently and always had great service. I was in here on 5/19 around 3pm and waited for 15 minutes to get a water. Once my friend arrived we waited for another 15 minutes for the guy to come back and get her drink order. Every time he would come back to the table it was one question and he was back off again. If you asked him for one thing he would start walking off before you could even say if you need another item. The entire experience was terrible. I've started going to El Toro at the Fields because this one has lost all their pizazz. read more

I'm not sure what is going on with this location, but the food and service quality has been very inconsistent as of late. I've been coming here once a week for a while now, and have always ordered the Acapulco Special. That dish is amazing and has everything... steak, chicken, and shrimp covered in queso. The challenge is that the amount of food you receive can vary by 50%. No idea why there is such a large range. Here's a rundown of my last three visits, which were all pickups. 1: Call taker said 5-10 mins, which is usual. I arrived in 10 and they had no record of my order. Thus, it had to be put back in and the wait restarted. 2: Order was ready on time, but it was at 50% the usual... and was missing the chips. (I don't know why I wasn't paying attention that they left it out). 3: (last week) Call taker said 20-30 mins. I figured they were crazy busy, so I arrived at the 20 mark. Parking lot had 8 cars in it... but ok. 20 mins go by and the food hasn't come out, so I check with the counter. (There was another lady waiting for her order and previously asked a different counter person. That person said they would go back and check, but never came back...) Front desk checked in the system and couldn't find my order again, so she rang it back up. Total time from call to receiving my food was 45 mins. When I left, the other lady was still waiting... along with the grubhub guy that arrived shortly after I did. Very disappointed. Update on 6/23: Why do I never check my bag?!? Didn't receive my salsa last time and they left out my tortillas this time. Get It Together . read more

Well, the salsa tastes as though they simply added some onion and cilantro to some canned tomatoes. The tortilla shells for the tacos are generic preformed "Ortega(ish)" shells which is why they fall apart when you bite into them but they do put alot of bland meat and cheese in them. Not impressed...at all really. read more

What can I say, I love me some El Toro! Food is typical Mexican fare, prices are good, and they're really fun to take someone on their birthday. (Think sombrero + tequila shot... or fried ice cream if it's a weekday lunch). read more

Poor greeting, poor service, poor food. That about sums it up. Don't bother with this place. I am told the other location is much better.

I come in town a few times a year and eat here. The service has always been good and the food has been very good. I did ask for a copy of my itemized bill one time to no luck. Waited about 10min and went up and asked and he could not produce it and said sorry. Wish he had come told me and not had me sitting there. Other than that the food has always been very good. I get a shrimp dish. Others get their fajitas. read more

Steak tacos were good. Enchilada Del Mar was just okay - crab was spongy and wet, tilapia was crumbly, shrimp was fine. Guacamole was passable. Service was SLOW! read more

We are frequent diners here. This may be our last. Sat in the bar area - very loud, large group squeezed in to a booth behind us. We couldn't even hear ourselves talk. Service was terrible and restaurant was not even busy. Sorry to our waiter for the lousy tip but it was well deserved. read more

This place is going downhill fast. Used to be fast and decent quality. Now it's slow, food is marginal, prices are higher, evening staff slow and rude. This makes three straight bad visits and we wont back to this location. took nearly 15 minutes to get drinks and chips. had to ask to get more chips and refills. food came out and was average at best. several other tables experienced the same. not sure what has happened as they used to be my go to. Too many better choices so I wont be back. read more

Granted, we are regulars...but we are always SO WELL taken care of. The food is great and plentiful and the staff is friendly and fantastic. The few times we have had issues, we've spoken with the manager and he has always gone above and beyond to fix/compensate for the issue. This is by far our favorite Mexican restaurant in CU. read more

This place was alright. Nothing too fancy or anything. Typical tex-mex cuisine. Pretty large dining room and they have a room for large groups, which was where I was seated. read more

Busy place. Got seated in bar hoping for a bit faster service. Not. Took order fairly quickly but took 43 minutes to get two combo plates. Waitress did provide 2x salsa (good) and chips (mediocre) and apologized for the delay. Carnitas taco was ok, chicken enchiladas were bland. $3.75 25oz Bud Light made the wait somewhat better. Pretty standard American Mexican food. read more

The vegetarian options are good. Filling. Beans and rice are meh. read more

El Toro Bravo - Veggie fajitas are great! - Mexican Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Excellent service and food. Great CLEAN restaurant to go to. VERY KID friendly also. Yet they seem to seat couples and older family groups away from the kids which is preferable to most couples. And all you would need to do is ask and they would accommodate you. Marko is our favorite guy there! Always friendly and always smiling. My husband had a surprise party for me there this past June and I was thrilled. We had a party of 12. A good time and lots of good food and great service was had by all! They also do children's parties. I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant. read more

Always go with the steak taco traditional cilantro and onion toppings with the salsa verde on one and red on another. Great flavor for the steak, little different tasting then I'm accustomed but it was a nice change. Same for the rice and beans. I'm not really sure what the flavor is but totally different, still authentic tasting and sure finished trying to figure it out. Definite stop for solid Mexican!! read more

Avoid this place. Is the service slow? Well, the water in my glass evaporated before they even took our drinks order. Then it was an equally long wait before they took our food order. Each time we asked a server for something, they disappeared never to be seen again. Ridiculous. The food was okay - standard pseudo-Mexican fare - and the Margarita was tasty, but neither worth another evening of waiting and waiting and waiting. read more

Stake taco are amazing. I just hate when I order my food over the phone and when I come get it nobody is at the desk. I'm always waiting 5+ mins. Other then that great read more

Definitely a fan. It's typical Mexican fare, to be sure, but always fresh and delivered to the table quickly. I like the flautas, tacos, and fajita taco salads. Margaritas are usually v delicious. Always refreshing the complimentary chips & salsa. read more

Was given a recommendation from a friend. Loved the place. Great food and good service. I really liked the salsa and chips served right away! Many times you pay extra, not here!!! It is now our "go to" place every time we visit Urbana! Love to sit outside, as well! read more

A Midwest anomaly, I've eaten here many times because it's so popular here, but I've yet to have anything that tastes like Mexican or really anything at all. It's extremely bland. If you go bring spices with you & not just the hot stuff they just heat the food and bring it out. Maybe it's for Americans that don't actually like Mexican food. read more