Dan was amazing!!! Along with the food we had a outstanding time. It was my first time there, with the recommendation of a local friend I definitely found a diamond in the rough. Anyone who lives in this area, passing thru, or looking to venture out should definitely put this on the adgenda. Cocktails are superb, the wings are to die for... even the house made chili oil served with bread is nothing I've ever had before. If they bottled it, I would buy it. Homemade cooking and fine service. Thanks Dan!!! Will be back!!!! read more

Great service & delicious food Went for late dinner with my sons and it turned out to be worth the stop. Even had a chance to meet one of the owners as he stoped by to say Hello. Looking forward to returning on my next visit - and hope to check out the new jazz (I think) club the owner spoke about in the works for downtown Fitchburg! Hoping Fitchburg comes alive again with such amazing restaurants & future club! to you and your future! read more

See all

Went to the new location in Winchendon. Very nicely decorated and a beautiful bar. We had a party of six with a reservation. I had the braised short ribs and it was delicious. The corn bread served before the meal was also tasty. We all said we we make a return visit. read more

First time to visit, but live to support local businesses. It was fabulous!! Both had filet. Cooked to perfection. Only negative...was too cold. Like to sit at the bar, but split was right behind me. Moved to a booth and was much better. We will be back. Thank you Ingram. read more

Toro Steakhouse opened recently on River Street in the former Dario's (moved downtown). The place is pretty rustic with old school red brick tile floors, wood booths, brick face walls, and a few seats up at the bar. The menu offers steaks, chicken, short ribs, lobster ravioli, salads, desserts, kids menu and a drink menu. The entree prices range $26-$75 (22 oz Cowboy Ribeye). I stopped in here just before 5pm before the place started to get busy. I took a seat up at the bar with a great view of the open hot foods preparation area with grill and gas stove. The 2 cooks were certainly very busy grilling meats and preparing lobster ravioli dishes on the stove. I was given menus to look over.  I started out with some cold water (big glass bottle of water with glass) and given a piece of buttered sweet corn bread. Next, the Wedge Salad ($14 plus tax), a quarter iceberg lettuce wedge, raw onions, crisp prosciutto, gorgonzola crumbles, Bleu cheese dressing and grape tomatoes. The salad was pretty good and fresh. For dinner, the Braised Short Rib ($26 plus tax) served with choice of potato (chose roasted potatoes) and choice of vegetable (chose spinach). I watch my food being prepared on the grill from my bar seat. The good sized short rib was very soft and tender with minimal fat, topped with carrot, butter, & seasonings. The roasted potatoes with skins were very good and the steamed spinach (small portion) was standard. For dessert, the Bread Pudding ($10 plus tax) was a good size piece topped with caramel sauce & a scoop of vanilla ice cream, fresh strawberries & whipped cream, mint leaf on the side, powdered sugar sprinkled on the rectangular plate. The bread pudding however was barely warm so the ice cream did not melt. I did request a box for the rest of the bread pudding. The check with tax and before tip was $53.13. Overall, the food here was good and the service at the bar was prompt. By the time I was leaving, the place became very busy, all customers walking in had table reservations.  I enjoyed watching the cooks in action from my seat and I thought about getting Lobster Ravioli before deciding on short ribs since i was at a steakhouse. I watched the cooks grill the meats and they season and butter the steaks before serving off. I also watched them prepare the lobster ravioli entrees, boiling the raviolis quickly then tossing into the hot Pernod cream sauce in separate skillets with basil, grape tomatoes, fresh spinach, leeks, and lobster meat. I can definitely make this tasty dish at home, but I use Tuscan Kitchen fresh raviolis and sauces and vegetables from my local Market Basket. read more

See all

Last night my son and I went to El Toro Steakhouse for dinner. Hoping to have a nice juice steak. After reviewing the menu, I asked the waiter if this was the lunch menu. He said that the menu haves changed The only steak dish was steak tips. Steakhouse with no steak. Both my son and I were very disappointed. We will probably not go back to this restaurant. read more

A big no. Ordered a martini. When she brought it she asked if i wanted vermouth. Ummmm that's what's in a martini. Food was fair but for the price I should have been sitting on a deck by the ocean, not route 12 in winchendon. read more

This is not a steakhouse. Not one steak on the menu. I was told that the menu recently changed in response to local criticism. They offer marinated Steak Tips and beef short ribs. That's it. For me, the quality of what I got (steak tips) didn't match the price. The tips could only be ordered as medium (nothing rare) And were quite tough. Green beans were overcooked, tasteless, and many vine stems weren't cut off. The mashed potatoes were runny and covered the bottom of the plate. I ate what I was given since I paid for it, but I will not be returning soon. Also, be advised that you pay a bit more if you choose to pay by credit card, and Voss water costs $8 per bottle. The waiter was very attentive so I have no complaints there. My companion ordered fish and chips and said it was okay Nothing great but certainly fine read more

Awesome prime rib. Check it out. Great service. Are three orders were perfectly cooked to our request. The fresh veg sides were all awesome. They even made a special dish for my dog white rice with grilled chicken. Great service. Great whiskey bar also. read more

El Toro - Great prime rib. We had three prime ribs all cooked differently and they were all perfectly done - Bars Near Me - Winchendon, Massachusetts

I got the one pound ribeye steak which was over done and was not a pound . My scallops linguine which came with four scollops you could hardly call that a meal. One the good point the bartender was very good. All in all I will give it one more time. If it's the same the will.be the last time I go there. read more

The food was AMAZING! and our server Dan was SPECTACULAR!! He attended to us very well and made sure we were enjoying ourselves. We will definitely be recommending this place to lots of our friends. read more

We had a 6:00 reservation for a group of 5. We waited 35 minutes before our app order was taken. We did not get our meals until just prior to 8:00 pm. We were very simple orders; 3 of the same specials, a kid's meal, and a pasta dish. The brown butter and scallop with linguine was incredibly disappointing. $28 for a full plate of pasta with just four very small bay scallops that were overcooked. We were really excited to try this place but left agreeing we would not be returning. The wait time was just so incredibly dragged out, with zero acknowledgement of it by the staff which leads me to believe this must be typical. read more

What a pleasant surprise to have this little gem located in Fitchburg. We came tonight definitely not expecting the upscale gourmet meal we got here. They are small so only accepting reservations but their dreams for a larger upscale location are in the works. If you have a chance please eat here, you won't be disappointed. Big shout out to the owners Berto and Leslie Colon who sat with us and we left there 3 hours later feeling like familia! read more

See all

Stopped in for dinner on Sunday. Very friendly staff with great service. Salmon was amazing. My husband had the ribeye and was cooked perfectly. Will definately go back. read more

El Toro which means Bull in Spanish is a not so quaint restaurant claiming to be a steak house in the epicurean wasteland known as central Massachusetts. Went here w wifey and her fam for a dinner. Nestled below what looks like a run down several family apartment complex we walked in and was met by a very friendly young man who sat us while we waited for the rest of the fam to show up. I ordered a Manhattan and ab 15 min later it showed up. My guess is he's new to bartending...A for effort. Perusing the menu took all of about 20 seconds. 2 non steak, meat dishes priced in the mid $30's, several steaks all at $50 and above plus market priced items like the bone in NY strip for $87. Who the hell is going to pay $87 for a steak in Fitchburg?!? 2 fish dishes and zero sides for options. I've been to about 100 legit steak houses that offer up sauted mushrooms, asparagus, different sauces for the steaks, lyonnaise potatoes...you get the picture. Here? Baked or mashed, broccoli or green beans. That's it. For over $50 a steak. Come on. I went with the regular ribeye for $54 with baked and green beans. Wifey got the short rib. I started with a "wedge" but they clearly don't understand that concept. It came out as a salad with some lettuce in pretty rough shape, big red onions, tomatoes and some bacon thrown about for good measure. And not nearly enough dressing. Sad. We had a party of 11 and they literally brought out 2 dishes at a time. Coordination people. So my steak arrived with what looked like a nice sear. Ordered MR I came more medium than rare and very little flavor. Pretty sure it was choice and not prime. And if you're not going to season a steak before serving it then you should have S and P on the table. It was not a $54 steak. Green beans are what they are but I was wholeheartedly shocked at the state of the potato. Oh yeah and some sort of grilled squash thing that wasn't quite cooked. It was either under cooked or from a previous night. They had thrown some butter inside as they had already cut it open, had to ask for sour cream, no chives, nothing on the skin like a nice EVOO with salt. Just bad. The short rib? More reminiscent of really bland pot roast. To end the night we we offered up 4 mediocre choices for desert that we all took a pass on. The staff was very nice and friendly and definitely get an A for effort but clearly were a bit over their skis. This is not a steak house and if you're going to spend $120+/pp drive the 20 minutes to Worcester or the 10 min to Brady's or the 45 min to Boston. This place is below average at best. read more

Food was definitely a 5 star. Prices were VERY HIGH, especially being in the area it is located. Staff was very pleasant. read more

Had dinner with family on Sat. 04/01/23. Fairly crowded but service was good and the food was excellent! Atmosphere was very good and staff was attentive. I highly recommend "El Toro" for your dining adventures. read more

I was very happy with how good El Toro was. Greeted warmly and started us off with complementary cornbread which was excellent. My wife had baked cod over linguine (one of the specials). She loved it and, after trying it, I loved it too. I had the half chicken with garlic mashed and brussels sprouts. The chicken was delicious and was moist and flavorful. Also, the breast had been removed from the bone which was nice. A minor nit; it was actually only one quarter chicken, not one half. No problem as it was plenty of food. We will definitely come back again and try some of the other things on the menu. read more

DO NOT WORK HERE. Terrible ownership and management. Very high employee turnover. Opened under 2 years and had gone threw more than 70 staff. for a small place that only needs 10-15 staff thats really really poor turnover percentage read more

Expensive, now closed, doesn't appear it will ever open a promised location on Main Street, Fitchburg despite getting a building essentially for free from the government. Owner is hostile when asked about it and even implied he would sue me. read more

Great dinner and awesome service! Nothing better than a local restaurant that truly cares about making sure you have a great night! Also highly recommend the smoked old fashioned! read more

What a pleasant surprise! My wife and I went for dinner last night and everything was better than advertised. The homemade cornbread, the drinks, the apps, and the entree were all fantastic. Excellent service in a neat and clean atmosphere. Very impressed and we will definitely be back. Well done. read more

Was not impressed. Chairs came out of the VFW. not comfortable. Service was odd and it took way too long to get hour meals. For a steak house the kitchen didn't get the cook right. Asked for medium and got well done. The 5 grain risotto was good as was the braised beef. However, for that price point there are better options down the road read more

Very Good Steakhouse. Great Famliy Atmosphere For Dining. Food Was Excellent. Staff Was Professional And Accommodating Outstanding Wine & Spirits. Would Never Hesitate To Recommend To Famliy And Friends. read more

Amazing food and service! Generous portions, excellent drink selection. Definitely a place to visit for a great night out

Food was very good. Not much of an atmosphere. We were charged $53 for a rock pour of Elijah Craig bourbon. We mentioned the discrepancy. Staff did not seem to care. We travel...$16 in Aruba, Portsmouth, Newburyport, Orlando.... We will never go back just on this fact. Not right!!! read more

My husband and I went there for the first time last night. We were greeted warmly and both the hostess and our server, Chloe were fabulous....great service and DELICIOUS food. Loved it and will definitely go there again!!!! read more

Awesome! It was a pleasure going to a wonderful steakhouse ! Fitchburg needed this restaurant . The food was amazing ! The steak melted in your mouth . Cozy atmosphere . Loved the open kitchen . Greeted at the door with a big hello! Our server was wonderful ! Prices reasonable for a steak house ! Looking forward to going again ! Definitely a diamond in the rough ! Perfect for a good meal and dinner date ! Thank you for a wonderful evening ! read more

Took the family to dinner on a late Sunday afternoon. We started with drinks from the bar, craft beers, and a bud light (lol) then went into the appetizers (Shrimp Cocktail and an order of Crab Cakes - which was on a bed of arugula salad - and even the salad was amazing) before having the French Onion Soup. The service was prompt without being rushed. Our meals ranged from ribeye to wedge salad with steak tips. Of the four of us, not one of us had a complaint. After our meal, we moved to cheesecake and Irish coffee to end the meal. Without a doubt, it was the best meal I've had in the area. We will be back, although I do think they need to make the investment in better tables and white tablecloths. read more

Food was delicious. Service was good. I would highly recommend the Roasted Pear Salad. Our server Holly was great and knowledgeable about the menu read more

waitress was disorganized, there was at best 20 people dining in this hole in the wall "steak house". My entire family had there plates infront of them for over 5 mins. The waitress had made a mistake.... lied to my face. (I ordered a medium cooked NY strip. when I was forgotten about and it was obviously she tried acting like I was not forgotten about. Instead I was lied to, the cook rushed my steak on a high sear also obvious... steak came out rare at best.... Do not call your self a steak house and charge people 50$ for mediocre crap service and crap steaks. Meat quality was terrible. I refused to eat the steak after watching my family eat most of their plates... The manger came over with an attitude when she was in the wrong.... There is mabye 15 different entrees to choose from. Maybe you should get the steak right on your menu before calling your self a steak house! I have worked in restaurants and been passionate about cooking and grilling my whole life. A meat thermometer goes along way if your are a novice in the kitchen. MY DOGS didn't mind the BLOODY mess they sent me home with.... Own your mis-steaks! read more