I came into this restaurant to try out the Sunday brunch buffet, sadly I will never go back to El Torito ever again. the service and taste of the food was mediocre. Definitely not worth the $32.99 a person. When eating my Pozole I found a large piece of plastic. After letting a staff member know about the large piece of plastic found in my food they did not seem to care and were not very apologetic. Nothing was done to resolve this issue. I will never be dinning here again nor will I recommend anyone to eat at this establishment. Edit: despite reaching out to the regional manager about a month ago still nothing has been done to resolve this issue as he has not responded to my personal email as per his request to get in contact with me. read more

El Torito - Plastic in the Pozole - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

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Today, we had excellent service by Eduardo Duarte. He was very attentive to our needs. The brunch was fresh, and the area was clean The food was amazing! read more

I visited this restaurant this evening with my server being Alex(Alejandra) her customer service was horrible. She never once came to my table asked if I needed anything I had to ask for silverware & straw. The chips tasted horrible like they had been sitting in oil for several days. My server had a nasty attitude when I asked her to replace the chips. She stated that they all tasted the same way with nasty tone. I asked for the manager another coworker came to the table stating she was the manager. After explaining to her what the issue was. She stated that they was short staff so she tried to justify the server's behavior and attitude. Customer service was horrible neither the server or the manager tried to accommodate or fix the customer concerns The manager asked us to leave the restaurant after we was expressing about the horrible customer service. Food wasn't hot just lukewarm read more

i came in on a tuesday evening and was looking to enjoy a meal in moderate peace. this place was like a soul train/nightclub. ridiculous atmosphere , ridiculous, it was so loud and the music was not necessary to be playing at a full volume. i would not recommend unless you're into that environment. read more

We went here on Sunday before Labor Day and the food was very salty . My husband and I ordered the chicken and beef enchiladas with a chicken tamales, the sauce on both the enchiladas and tamales very overwhelming strong , my husband tasted his and ended up leaving his , I took mine home and still 3 days later it still in the refrigerator untouched . It's no way I can doctor it up to tone down the flavor. My daughter order was very salty as well , she had something with shrimps in it , the only good things my grandkids enjoyed the chips . Spending over $100.00 for a meal that's is over salty is very disappointing ! read more

I'm regular customer to this location .Every time I walk in the hostess with blond hair always welcome me make me Feel welcome in the restaurants along with young man light sin with black hair .their customers serve was outstanding . They both went above and beyond to help me . Im so pleased with hostess she amazing with her work she do . I will highly recommend this restaurant, read more

Pros: plenty of parkong, free. Plenty of wmpty tables so no wait time to be seated. If you happen to go, ask for Jose. Server Jose tremendously hard working. Unfortunately when we arrived he was only one of two servers. We got seated in his section towards the back and he had about 8 or 9 tables including ours with 2 or more patrons at each. In the front section the other waiter had about 6 tables mostly were couples. Due to the volume of people Jose had to wait on it took time to be able to order or get our food. I wanted to give him props and spoke with Justin before we left who was pretty dismissive and just said sorry. Told Justin I wanted him to tell Daisy that they lost out on sales due to the disservice of how they were giving Jose too many big groups compared to the other section and he didn't have the support. Justin made no effort to try to salvage the experience or to assure we'd want to return. If Jose's manager / lead Justin had seemed more concern with the service and making sure his staff was successfully we'd be back. Food was mediocre, drinks were just ok but when I get good service like Jose I want to give them the praise they deserve. I asked to speak to.someone on charge which was Justin. Thanks to Justin's indifference I know not to waste my time here again. Jose deserves better, we deserve better, You deserve better... drive to the other locations like the one on Fiji way instead. The ambiance was lacking just like the quality. read more

AH. SUNDAY BRUNCH WAS NOT IT. GOOD SERVICE BUT THE FOOD WAS A MISS. LOTS OF PARKING THOUGH! My father-in-law wanted to take us to a nice family brunch, and as true LA natives, he grew up taking his kids here, and they all loved it so much, then. He had said it's been a few years, but let's go and give it a try. Ah. I think it was a huge mistake. Here is how our trip went: Customer service: 4/5 The ladies in the front were so nice to us! It was very clean, and we were truly off to a great start! The wait was about 5 mins, it wasn't t packed at all, which I thought was a bit odd, but ignored it. We sat down, and we let the feast begin as soon as they took our drinks. The man who was our actual server, somewhat forgot about us. But- I do understand it was just him, and the other parties of 3/4 were very busy. 2 had a birthday, the other had lots of kids...We got the short end of the stick but decided to just make the best of it. Food: -0/5 Ahhhh, I hate to be truthful but I cannot lie about how bad the food was in my and my family's opinion. I didn't have one thing I liked, and that really made me sad because we all had very high hopes for their favorite childhood buffet. -PLATE #1 I started with the menudo. Ah. There was no meat, the juice was clumping up due to it being so cold, and had literally no flavor.However, No biggie, it's a buffet! I'll try something else! -PLATE #2: 1 Taco with beans. Ahhh. The tostada with el pastor and beans were also not it due to being cold and no taste. The beans (you can see in the picture) was so dry, clumpy, old? I don't know, I hate wasting food I I just had to leave them on the plate. The man next to me literally said "I wound not eat that!" As he pointed to my plate LOL. Still, I held out hope. NO BIGGIE, Let's try again! -PLATE #3 I got a plate of bacon, and another tostada with an egg. Ahhhhhh part 3! The bottom was stale (like a stale chip from a month ago type of stale), the egg was cold, the sauce on it was colder, I really don't know what was going on? They have it On some metal tray that's trying to stay warm? I don't exactly know, but something was not right. Even the bacon was cold- everyone loves bacon! I noticed it was full and not one person ate it. PLATE #4: 1 churro, 1 waffle, and fruit. . You can't go wrong with fruit right? Wrong. This was possibly the worst plate. The waffle was as hard as a brick under a heating lamp. My father-in-law and mother-in-law had that face like "Why on earth did you even get that?" LOL. The fruit was not ripe, was not sweet, and totally not edible. The churro was also hard! I tapped it on the table, and it stood solid as a rock. The waffle with whipped cream was just as bad as the entire meal...and you guessed it, HARD as a rock. I really have no idea what went on the day we went (Sunday 7/24/22 @ 11: 53am to be exact!) but people all around us were complaining among one another. I truly hope something is fixed with the food at this restaurant, because I cannot see myself ever going back again for this food ever again. Price: -0/5 SUNDAY BRUNCH IS NOT WORTH THE PRICING. I don't know if it comes with bottomless mimosas or not, because we were offered not a single one nor did we see our waiter more than twice to even ask. If it didn't come with Sunday brunch, cool, but the pricing Is $32.00/33.00 each is 100% not worth it at all. The bill for 4, was almost 150.00. Sure, in retrospect a breakfast for 4 people @150.00 isn't bad. However, when the food was not good, and I went to literally buy lunch elsewhere in an hour- that's as bad as it gets, right? I feel in my heart we would've had a better dining experience at the Golden Corral or heck, even sizzler. I hate to leave such a not so great review, but I have to be honest, and honestly this could be one of the worst buffets I have ever been to. I truly hope if management sees these comments, they could see that many of us are saying the exact same thing and I hope they can make changes, so that people like ourselves don't feel we have wasted our hard earned money for absolutely nothing. I do have empathy, and I do know everything has gone up so drastically everywhere, but we work so hard for our money, and wasting it is not something any of us want to do in 2022. read more

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Everything was so delicious!!! Thank Eduardo Duarte for being so attentive and kind we will definitely be back because of your service!!!!!! read more

Came for Wednesday dinner. Patio dine-in available, but long wait. I'll definitely recommend the slow roast carnitas, it is really delicious. The flan is amazing too, it's one of the best flan I had in a while. It was a busy day and our male server was really nice. My friend really wanted tea with his meal and the server went put of his way to get him his tea. Cleanliness of the place is okay. read more

El Torito - SLOW-ROASTED CARNITAS - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

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I came here with my mom and God mother for dinner and it wasn't AMAZING but it was pretty good. My mom and I got the chicken sour cream enchiladas and my god mom got the chicken tacos. We also ordered a table size guacamole. The waitress literally prepared the guacamole at the table for us which I thought was pretty cool and unique and the guacamole was very tasty. We each ordered drinks as well. We ordered two watermelon margaritas and a strawberry margarita. All of the drinks tasted pretty light on the alcohol which was surprising since I've found typically restaurants are heavy handed with alcohol but we could barely taste it in the strawberry margarita! Oh and if you sign up for their rewards program you get a free table sized guac which is regular $12! read more

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Went to a 5th grade graduation party here. They have a pretty nice size area in the back for larger parties. Servers were nice and they did a great job with the kids. Lots of parking and not far from the fwy. read more

El Torito - Steak and SHRIMP FAJITAS - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

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The food is fine. But I came on a Tuesday afternoon and the music was so loud we couldn't hear each other and couldn't hear the server. Frankly, it was obnoxious. I asked them if they could turn it down and they said "sorry we don't control it" but you could see the system over by the wall. They can just walk over and turn the volume down. The server brought one of us our food like 15 minutes before every one else. When we asked him why it came out so early. He said "I asked you if you want me to put in that order" and we said yes...but what we heard was "Do you want me to hold on that order?" YES! One person in our group was being silly and said their order right when we sat down....but instead he thought that meant to bring that one person their order...then 5 min later bring the appetizers...then 10 minutes later bring everyone else their meals. Turn the music down. It's not a club. read more

Dora is amazing and staff is so friendly . The brunch on Sunday is great and amazing place to watch the games. Fantastic vibe with great music ! Food was amazing and I'm stuffed as I'm writing this post. I will have a gathering here any day read more

El Torito - Dora is emailing waitress and amazing food and service! Brunch is amazing. - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

Came here after a work event with my team. We were quickly seated. I do think they maybe going through some staffing issues, our waiter would disappear for quite a bit servicing other tables etc. I enjoyed both my drinks and meal. I ordered the Rosé Margarita; made with Olmeca Altos Reposado Tequila & Cupcake Rosé, with fresh lemon juice and agave nectar and the Cadillac Margarita; made with premium Lunazul Reposado, triple sec and sweet & sour. Served hand-shaken and on the rocks with a side shot of Cointreau Noir. I will say the Rosé Margarita was a lot stronger than the Cadillac. Street Taco Trio; Three carnitas (or chicken) street tacos topped with cabbage, Pico De Gallo and Cotija cheese, served with frijoles de la olla, rice and corn soufflé. The beans and the tacos were very flavorful. It was a good amount of food, so I was able to take leftovers home. I would definitely revisit this place on a night where I am feeling tacos but don't feel like cooking. read more

El Torito - Street Taco Trio - Carnitas. With frijoles de la olla, rice and corn soufflé. - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

I love how old school this location is. The sign is huge and old and it's in the middle of an old strip mall. Been here 3 times for lunch during the week and it's a great solid place. The service is good and everyone is very nice. I had the endless enchiladas and it was so super tasty. Totally love the chips and salsa here too. read more

El Torito - The best sign ever! - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

Julian is amazing and his service was outstanding. He handled a large party and still managed to make sure we were good. I will definitely be coming back. read more

Bad time to go is at lunch time. They only have one waiter and no one to help the poor man.

Well, before even stepping into the restaurant, we noticed how dirty the entrance was to the restaurant. Left a bad taste in my mouth. I thought, mmm, if they can't even keep their entrance clean, wonder how clean the kitchen is ? Nonetheless, we did decide to enter( as nothing else was open). This El Torito esthetically is depressing. It's very sterile looking, no ambiance. The tables look broke down and the overall apperance of the restaurant looks very old, stale and outdated. I noticed several staff all huddled up talking. I thought why won't they clean the front door entry way? I ordered a fajita salad- was ok- it had minimal flavor. Nothing to write home about. My man had taco/ enchilada combo. Pretty simple, standard Mexican food. I knew something wasn't right because the food came way too fast. It's as if it was pre made. My guy told me his beans/rice cold... so there it is. I'll never return here. Mexican food in LA is a dime a dozen... read more

El Torito - Dirty trash outside entrance of El Torito in Hawthorne. - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

I was needing some Mexican food and a margarita. Thankfully my gps sent me to this El Toronto. Justin, the host and my waiter took such good care of me. He showed me the bar while I waited for my table where I had a most excellent Margarita. (Pictured) Justin was also my waiter offering me specials for the day and a delicious mojito. I will definitely be back to eat and drink with Justin and the rest of the amazing folks at El Torito! read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

Good afternoon, This review is long overdue. I have been coming to this location for several months. I try to eat here at least once a week. I have been fortunate to be seated by Lupe. She is a GREAT representative for El Torito. Lupe is genuinely friendly. During my meal, before she passes by my table after seating new customers, Lupe has ALWAYS asked me if everything is OK. I sincerely appreciate her FANTASTIC customer service skills. As I stated before, Lupe is a GREAT representative for El Torito. read more

Great service. Very affordable. Had mahi tacos. Great happy hour. Free chips and salsa. Great TV screens.

They had just a server for more than 4 tables, and it wasn't even full but we were waiting to be seated, and then waiting just to get our drinks, and then wait again to get the food, and after bringing the food he didn't get us utensils, we had to wait again, shout out to the only server they had, apparently the didn't had a lot of staff, this is so that you improve the service. read more

So much food and a good variety of options. Food was good, especially the churro pancakes. Busy parking lot.

I haven't been to El Torito in a long time but I do remember how they make certain dishes tableside for you. This location is located in the middle of a shopping plaza and it looks like it's been here for ages judging by the exterior. The interior is very spacious and there are tons of tables. I can see this place getting crowded for a weekend brunch. The service here is a little slow and it took a while just to get another set of silverware or more napkins. It didn't look like the restaurant was too busy. Anyhow, I got an order of the tableside fajita salad and I could've sworn I got carne asada but somehow I got chicken. I was starving so I just accepted it and ate it. The chicken was decent but I thought it was a little dry. I did enjoy the tortilla chips that was sprinkled throughout the salad to give it a little crunch. You can depend on decent Mexican food if you decide to come here. I just remember it being a lot better. read more

El Torito - Tableside Fajitas Salad chicken - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

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Food was pretty tasty. The only thing I didn't like and it's because of Covid-19 is you couldn't serve yourself. Service was good and attentive. Nice sitting area to eat and talk read more

Came here to watch the soccer game, it was a fun time. Happy hour beers were about $4 which was nice, plus the 99 cents store had dollar beers next door. Overall a good ambiance but the staff seemed tired and uninvested. It was also annoying that there was no food service in the bar area. The staff probably should be paid more or something to improve them. For the food that's one of my biggest complaints, they didn't have vegan options. Everything was too expensive and they would get more people in the door with better and cheaper specials. They should consider hosting live music or hosting more events. They should have food/drink specials during sports events etc. More special things will make this place more of a scene to gather at. Maybe authentic music or watch parties for certain games. Also it wasn't clear if they have any social media. They should have some social media deals/coupons/secret specials. read more

I came in today for a "happy hour"... walked in, hostess said they have a happy hour till closing, what she didn't mention was that there was no service at the bar? So, basically I went to the bar lounge to get some drinks, but my surprise was, that there was no service at the bar, you need to go up to the bartender and order yourself from him, no food/appetizer service either, no wonder the place was empty... That's 0 stars, .. reason I gave them 3 star it's cause the bartender, was cool enough to let me order some tacos and served my drinks, 5 stars to that.... so I think if you need a food service you need to have a table in the dining area, no bar....bar lounge it's just a waiting when they have a waiting list, I was told... lol read more

El Torito - Empty, happy hour???!!!! - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, California

Excellent food and service by our waiter Isaias Love the mimosas and the different tv screens to enjoy football games read more

It's sad and disappointing to walk into this huge place with so much potential if they had more staff and cooks that loved what they do. The food is cold, stale, 2 waiters for the entire place. read more

The all you can eat soup & salad is my go to favorite for lunch! It's only available between 12pm to 2pm tho. All the servers are cool af but we always ask for Jaime read more

We were a party of 7 for a bday celebration on Sunday Brunch with bottomless mimosas. Our server Jose Eduardo was excellent! The food and service was GREAT! read more

Aye!! El Torito"s, Taco Tuesday, is going up!! They have a DJ to keep it rockin! Justin always greets us with an amazing smile. Pablo gave us amazing service! The food was great and Daisey, the manager, keeps a good flow! I'll see you guys next Tuesday! read more

Kirsten the waitress she is so awesome she made sure we had everything she went beyond her duties and Jose duarte is awesome and everything we ask for he did the food is excellent every one should come to this location by CVS read more

El Torito is good and they have that nice taco Tuesday bar if you go on Tuesdays. I like the enchiladas there and the chips and salsa are very good. read more

Excellent service and food was delicious. Great staff and Jose V was an excellent waiter. I love going to an establishment and everyone is in sync with meeting the client's expectations to make the experience more than expected. Great job El Torito Hawthorne, keep up the great work. read more

I ordered a to go enchiladas meal....waited 15mns for the food...and it was barely warmed straight out of the kitchen. So, what they are selling us is pre- made meals that are microwaved. Truly disgusting and lazy! Food quality is terrible ! Very very underwhelming :( read more

DO NOT PAY YOUR BILL IF IT ISN'T ITEMIZED! BEWARE, came here for a dinner reservation with family and they tried to overbill us! After forcing them to itemize the bill there was a "miscellaneous" $30 charge that no one knew how it got there. They also initially stated one of our gift cards didn't work but after insisting it should as we bought it only a few days ago it magically went through. Many other shady business practices here to list but bottom line STEER CLEAR. read more

We came for brunch with my family and it was very delicious! There were a lot of different foods to choose from and they even had a kids zone with mini pancakes, so cute!! The restaurant was a little packed, but the staff were great!! Loved the all you can drink mimosas and mariachi music on DJ! My grandma loved the ambiance! read more

Everything was great and Brayan's service was magnificent. He is our our personal server whenever we come.