I went to this location and Chris was my waiter and he was absolutely amazing. He was so attentive and made sure I was good various times and he is the reason I will go back because good customer service like his is very hard to come by and he was excellent. The food was excellent. I ate there and got something to go and they were very fast and it's a very nice and quiet place. I live in the San Fernando Valley and I come down to Inglewood to visit my boyfriend and I've been here twice now and I will definitely be back due to the wonderful service and because of Chris.. read more

I had a great experience at El Torito in Hawthorne, and a big part of that was thanks to our server, Julian. From the moment we sat down, he was attentive, friendly, and genuinely made us feel welcome. He stayed on top of everything without being overbearing--our drinks were always full, and he checked in at just the right times. Julian knew the menu well and gave solid recommendations that did not disappoint. You can tell he takes pride in what he does, because everything flowed smoothly and the service felt effortless. It's rare to get that balance of professionalism and personality, but he nailed it. If you're dining here, I'd definitely recommend asking for Julian. He made the whole experience better, and I'll be coming back because of service like that. read more

Went with a big group of coworkers for an End of the Year Celebration for 45 + people. They knew well in advanced that a big group was coming. Unfortunately, they only provided one server for our whole group. However, Kristen made all the difference. She was so awesome and tried her very best to get everyone's order in. read more

We had a wonderful brunch at El Torito, and Pablo made our experience even better. He was friendly, professional, and always made sure we had everything we needed. Our drinks were never empty, he checked in on us often, and his positive attitude really stood out. It's refreshing to receive such excellent customer service. We truly appreciated his attention to detail and will definitely ask for Pablo again on our next visit. Highly recommend! read more

Pablo was an amazing server during our brunch at El Torito! He was very attentive, made sure our drinks were always refilled, and checked on us regularly without ever being intrusive. He had a friendly attitude and made our dining experience even better. Great customer service like his is hard to find. Thank you, Pablo, for making our brunch so enjoyable, we'll definitely be back! read more

Came last night, June 24 for my son's birthday. Chris or Christopher was our waiter. Yeah great customer service even though he was swamped with a large party. They did a great job waiting on us ski as a bright future well manner even under pressure. He did an excellent job. Thank you Chris for excellent service. read more

Edwardo of 20 years provided me a very special and attentive service. Thank you Edwardo.

Julian was the best, he was very attentive to whatever we needed! Margaritas were amazing!

Went here for a work party. It was incredibly busy and sadly we only had one waiter and our wait times were long. Our only waiter was Kristen. However, she was speedy, attentive, and very kind. She delivered excellent service and checked up on us whenever she could. She's the only reason I rated 4 as opposed to 1 star. Give her a raise!! read more

Eduardo or waiter was great always around taking care of our table of 8 our drinks were never empty and he would give it that personal touch Thank you Eduardo see you soon we will be back to your service and food did get better aswell. 3/8/26 read more

I would totally recommend this place, they were very fast with service and seating us as well. We had an amazing server by the name of Eduardo, he was very knowledgeable very sweet & very efficient with the menu. He was able to suggest certain items to our liking. The ambience of the restaurant is very welcoming, it is an American Mexican style restaurant with amazing decor. read more

The Sunday buffet was great and it was very easy to book a reservation on OpenTable. The manager was also very attentive and kind :)

Great customer services see my friend Lupita at host desk! At El Torito! She was very nice and welcoming! Come get some good eats!

My husband and I love coming to this location! The food and service is always great! Special thanks to Cynthia who was especially kind and friendly! We will definitely be back! read more

We love the server, Pablo, if you do find yourself here ask for him he's very attentive and he gives great service. The food here is always really delicious. I don't think I've yet to have a bad plate come out. The reason why I'm not giving this the full five stars is because if Pablo isn't our server,, Service drops off immensely. The chips get dropped off immediately, but after that, it takes forever for someone to come and take the drink order and it takes longer for them to come and take the food order. We will probably be driving down a little little further to the marina location, even though this one is the closest one to our home because we just can't keep coming over here to spend one and a half to two hours on what should be a 30 minute meal read more

The staff were very friendly and helpful. The food and drinks were also very good. I Will definitely come back here soon.

Had the most delicious tacos and my server Alex was so sweet and attentive. I love a freshly made tortilla

Alexandra was professional, knowledgeable, and overall very kind! I want her as my server every visit.

I Came in on Fathers Day Night with my family I came in about 9:30 there was 10 of us A Server named Kristen came to wait on us very sweet very calm and read back are order so we made sure we had everything she was one of the best servers we've had in a while she got very busy but still made sure we were taken care of thank you for making my dad's father's day just right.Im for sure comming back read more

Came in to celebrate a friend's birthday on a Sunday. Eduardo was our waiter. He made our Sunday brunch spectacular with refilling our bottomless mimosas. He needs a raise. Thank u to Eduardo!!! read more

Went yo Saturday brunch and Alexandra and Luis were wonderful. They took great care of our party.

Welp.. what can I say.. after four months of my last review on Google does this place still measure up? Yes yes, yes! From the cleanliness to the food options, I have never had my children say no to this restaurant. It's always a home feel and the staff makes you feel like you are family. We had the pleasure of meeting Daisy and our server Cynthia on our last review. We've been for Saturday buffet and middle of the week lunch brunch.. today we are back for Sunday brunch with my family of seven and again it never fluctuates. It's consistent with the warm and attention they give to their customers. This restaurant is always clean and there's always a smiling face everywhere. Food is warm and delicious.. today we had the pleasure of meeting the other manager Hugo and our server was Pablo and let me tell you Pablo was so kind and attentive and over all fun! Love coming here and according to the family, we will continue to come here again and again! read more

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My husband and I took our twin nephew and niece out for their 22nd birthday dinner at El Torito 3/12... We had a great experience there a week prior and wanted to share a special moment with them. Our server Chris was excellent--very attentive, quick with the food and drinks, and gave us space to bond and talk. The food was delicious, and the margaritas were great. Unfortunately, the experience took an uncomfortable turn when the manager, approached our table after we had already been dining about an 1hr and decided to card only my niece. She said it was brought to her attention that our table had not been carded, but if that was the case, it was unclear why she singled out only my niece. Prior to this my niece mentioned they went to school together and knew each other, which now made the interaction even more uncomfortable--you could really feel the tension at the table. The manager also told us the server was in trouble, which felt unprofessional, and we didn't understand... especially since our server was doing a great job and still serving us.... This really changed the vibe. Meanwhile, there was a visibly intoxicated woman at the bar being loud and disruptive in what is supposed to be a family restaurant--something that, in my opinion, should have been the manager's focus. The way the situation was handled created noticeable tension at our table and felt less like a routine policy check and more like a personal interaction directed at my niece. What started as a great birthday dinner ended on an uncomfortable note due to how the "situation" was handled. read more

JC was my first point of contact with the restaurant , he was welcoming and attentive made guests feel comfortable and valued, offering a warm greeting, anticipating needs, and attending to requests promptly. read more

El Torito - Summer Brake Limited Time Only Menu - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

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I love this is place , I try to come specifically on Sunday's because of their bottomless mimosa (9am-2pm) and buffet style entrees during their brunch Sundays. But mostly I love the great service provided by Mr. Eduardo, moving forward I will personally ask for his service/table. I eat alone a lot here and he always make sure to check on me with anything I requested. He's the best and I'm glad I got to make his acquaintance here. Thank you again Mr. Eduardo from the Hawthorne branch of El Toritos. read more

El Torito - Martini, sweet corn cake,(2) carne Asada tacos my favorite - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

Great experience my friends and I went for happy hour and our waiter was absolutely friendly and welcoming. I believe his name was jc I can't recall but he was so nice! The food was also great 10/10! read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

Awesome taco Tuesday vibe Julian was so attentive and nice I'll be back !!! Thank you so much

Food is always amazing. Service is good today. We had Pablo as our waiter very kind funny waiter. I like coming here.

Our first time visiting this El Torito. Since we were going to an event in Inglewood, we decided to try the Veteran's Day special here before the event . We came for a late lunch. JJ usually gets a free lunch on Veteran's Day, and it was fun to try something new. We were pleasantly surprised--- it was absolutely fantastic! To begin with, the tortilla chips were fresh and warm-- so good! And the salsa was good too. JJ ordered the two item combo plate with Chile Relleno and enchilada, and he loved it! He said the Chile relleno was especially outstanding. I ordered the taquito plate, with 3 different types of taquitos. It came with rice and black beans . This plate was also very good. In addition, the little cornbread was very moist and so delicious as well! But I must admit, the chips and salsa were SO good that I overdid it, so was unable to finish my taquito plate. Always happy to take home leftovers. Service was very good as well. JJ loves to converse with the servers, and they were very friendly and helpful. We would definitely come back here again--- highly recommended! read more

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Went to el torito today for brunch and the food was so delicious ! My favorite part was when mela prepared an omelets for me ! The best omelets ! Thank you ! I will definitely be back .. next Sunday read more

Eduardo was such a great worker I saw him all over the restaurant helping both sides and still was able to help out my table in a timely manner !! Great job sir!!! Love coming here on Sundays!!! read more

The waiters were fantastic and attentive, friendly, and on point. The food was fresh and delicious, and the cocktails were perfectly crafted. Great vibes all around. We cant wait to comeback for father's day and for any other occasion. read more

El Torito - Drinks: House margarita and Cadillac - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

A fun place to go for after work dinner and drinks. Jose V was great! Thanks for a great time.

Terrible customer service: delays while manager Naida Olmedo was on her cell phone while pretending to sweep. Even worse she overcharged a lunch salad and quesadilla became a 20 dollar meal, she added an 8 person party charge but there was only two of us AND added her own tip. Long story short what should have been a 65 dollar lunch became 97 dollars. When asked to clarify, she kept making excuses. So, I asked to speak to the manager, but she was the manager. A young woman in her 20s. I demanded tp see another manager and he took the over charges away. BUT,I was forced or not given choice and had to keep her tip, How does someone so inept become a manager when there are way more capable people who have been working at this restaurant for over 20 yrs. Management failed to meet my expectations. Never again to that particular El Torito. read more

Great service by Eduardo definitely recommend visiting here with family. Food was great, hot and fast

Our server was good but food arrives way too fast. Less than three minutes and our LOUSY salad and nachos was delivered to the table. If you want to socialize at all there is NO time for that. Not like there were people waiting to use the table they just want you in and out in 15 minutes ...and to top it off they have new menus and higher prices PLUS add a 4.99 percent surcharge to offset wages. NEVER AGAIN FOR US. wasted $50 read more

Julian was an amazing waiter! Very attentive. Made my food and drink experience fabulous..

We want to thank Alex Gomez so much for her spectacular service!! She was so welcoming and made so many recommendations. She was very patient with me because I couldn't decide. I've never had a server suggest so many delicious drinks and food pairings. We all walked out full and happy. I am definitely coming back and telling everyone about my experience here. I honestly think she should be the main ambassador for this company. read more

Walked in for a quick lunch, the staff, the hostess the server were amazing very welcoming and attentive. Would definitely recommend. keep up the good work guys. read more

I was thinking of going with 4 stars, but then thought about how good the service was and, because all the other aspects of the experience were dialed in, this is going to be a 5 star review. This El Torito on Hawthorne Blvd., just south of long and often vapid Imperial Highway, hit the spot. First, I have a long history with the El Torito chain. Being less adventurous as a teen and young adult, I didn't care to go to the Mexican food dives closer to the beach that the surfers from school wearing Hussong's Cantina apparel frequented because I didn't want to overhear Jeff Spicoli types. That said, El Torito in Marina del Rey was a favorite for us college kids seeking to eat off campus. And, if around the Southland on day trips with friends, we'd hit up other ones for a meal. This El Torito does not have the stucco exterior with a mission tiled roof or the sometimes worn nautical look of many others. Nonetheless, you go inside and it's well laid out and spacious. I sat down and good chips with a nicely balanced (not so) hot sauce arrived in no time. The menu was extensive and I opted for a combination platter with 3 items, based on some clarification provided by the server. Each of the 3 main items was very tasty and I don't mind that there might be some Americanized affect in the formula. The server, a lankier salt and pepper haired gentleman, did an excellent job - professional in fulfilling the order and jovial when the situation called for it. He even rolled with with my conversational collegiate Spanish with no qualms. I told him I like to practice it any chance I get. This El Torito has parking in front and is practically next to a CVS. This area has changed a lot. No one minimally resembling the Beach Boys is anywhere in sight. Then, when "big hair" was the thing, they built an indoor mall with big anchors and named it Hawthorne Plaza. I did not know how to maneuver a sharp pencil then, but I still thought it was shortsighted to put up this mall with Fox Hills to the north and several big malls in Torrance to the south. Even though they invested in advertising it, together with that sappy jingle - "Hawthorne Plaza ... center of all your tomorrows" - it didn't make it and, when shuttered, became a YouTube place for kids of the "Skateboard Skip" variety to trespass and practice their craft. How did this review come to this? Well, I was in DTLA and didn't want to head to El Torito in the Marina not knowing the parking situation in 2024 and, with an expected brisk ride on the 110 and the 105, I could get here easily, find free parking, revisit the Hawthorne I thought I knew, and reminisce about the past while most likely having a good meal. El Torito delivered on the food alright, but the service was faultless. I'm glad this afternoon and evening unfolded the way it did and that I ended up eating here. read more

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