Excellent restaurant at the Lakewood Center Mall. This is just outside the indoor mall but still part of the large parking area. This mall is also a nice place to shop, then come get lunch at El Torrito. We ate there today and ordered 2 dishes. Our waiter was Alberto. He was great. Always checking on us and refilling our iced teas. Helped us decide on our order as well. 1. Chicken Taco Salad 2. 2 taco combo with beef/chicken. Passion fruit iced teas. Both meals were great. Even the chips and salsa was great. I always review iced teas as well, and these were great. We both loved our food and the service. Thank you Alberto for being a great waiter. read more

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My husband and I visited El Torito Lakewood tonight, as we have many times over the years. We each like our own salsa, and I usually enjoy two or three servings while waiting for our meal. Tonight, our server informed us that the policy has changed and customers will now be charged for additional salsa. My concern is not really the charge itself. We fully understand that food prices have increased tremendously and that some of those costs will eventually be passed on to customers. My issue is the lack of transparency. This new charge is not listed on the menu, posted anywhere, or otherwise communicated to customers. Thankfully, our server told us beforehand, because I would have been upset to discover an unexpected charge when the bill arrived. It should not be solely the server's responsibility to explain an unpublished policy--especially to longtime customers. I have lived in Lakewood and patronized this location for more than 25 years. Any new charge should be clearly disclosed so customers can decide whether they want to order more. I also hope this is truly a companywide policy and not something being created or enforced differently at individual locations. I will certainly be paying attention when I visit the Cypress restaurant. This location was practically empty tonight, which is a major change from the days when customers had to wait for a table. Clear communication and appreciation for loyal customers matter now more than ever. Do better, El Torito Lakewood. read more

We were so looking forward to a good dinner with the family on a Friday night. I hadn't been here for years and remembered it being so much better; both food and service. They were not busy so we were seated right away but didn't get water for a long time, it came after our food came out. The waitress was nice but slow and got so many things wrong. Our food came out separately; 2 of our dishes were missed so the order was put in late, meaning 2 of us didn't start eating til the rest of us were almost done! The soup was not hot so we sent it back to have it warmed, we got another one but when I checked the bill (unfortunately after I got home) I got charged for 2 soups! All other food was just okay, for the expensive Mexican food prices, I expected more; paying $28 for 3 taco plate is a lot! Water was never filled up. It was just bad service and mediocre food. Not sure we will be back or at least not this location. If you come for happy hour, you have to sit and order at the bar, they don't offer happy hour when you are dining at a table. I've never heard of such! Really disappointed for a Friday night dinner for our family. read more

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Mr. Sanchez "El Guapo" was our server and man did he make us feel special. We had a big, 15-person party for our family reunion on a Sunday no less and he took great care of us. Our drink order were taken right away and came right out before we even got back with our plate from the buffet. It was service with a smile the whole time and even helped us flag down the Mariachi when we wanted to request a song. Can't say enough about our experience. Thank you, El Guapo and El Torito! read more

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Came here after arriving in Long Beach. Love that they stay open late. I got the Birria tacos. I would rated a four just because it was a little salty and the cilantro and onions that you see on top was all that was on the plate. there was no cilantro or onions inside the taco and that just wasn't enough for all three tacos. read more

El Torito - BEEF BIRRIA TACOS - Mexican Near Me - Lakewood, California

Came by on a Saturday afternoon and shared brunch with friends. Leo was our server and he was friendly and very helpful. Food came out quick, he was on top of refills. I would definetly come back read more

This is one of the worst dining experiences I have EVER had, and that's saying something. I was staying nearby at a hotel near Long Beach Airport, and I hadn't eaten at an El Torito for over 30 years. I thought they had all gone out of business, so I decided to stop in for lunch. The first clue should've been a huge restaurant with like 4 people inside. It also smelled really bad. Not dirty, just smelly. They had a lunch buffet so we opted to do that to make it easy. BIG mistake. The buffet was pathetic and super expensive! There was a sad salad with some tomatoes, some mystery meat hot dishes, cold enchiladas, rice, beans, and a taco "bar" that didn't even have cheese. You couldn't make your own tacos either, there was a woman who made them for you. They only had corn tortillas and the meat was low quality (and the chicken was cheap dark meat). There were some mini bite sized desserts that looked old and gross, we we all skipped those. To add insult to injury, the price was outrageous. We paid $80 for this bad food (the restaurant adds a tacky "labor surcharge" to every check, which is sneaky in my opinion). I'm still so angry that we wasted our money here. It was just awful and a terrible excuse for a Mexican restaurant. I won't make the mistake of dining at an El Torito ever again. Their glory days are long over. read more

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Leo T. was absolutely amazing enjoyed every minute of our visit but Leo just made it that much better. :) read more

Amazing food, amazing service! Would definitely come back! Leo was super attentive! And super nice! Thank you Leo T. ! read more

The food was delicious. The gentleman was polite and friendly. The place was quiet and clean. read more

Went here for happy hour on a Monday and there was plenty of space in the bar area . Our server was great attentive and made sure to let us know how much time we had left to take advantage of the deals. One of the best happy hours around, will be back read more

Pedro was exceptional! A great reflection of customer service & professionalism! Enjoyable experience,, meal was fresh, hot & tasty! Best experience at El Torito!!! read more

Leo T., our server, took care of us and provided stellar service. Food was delicious. We will come back.

Megan is the best in the business! Great fajitas and holy moly, the guacamole! Larry thinks everything is AWESOME... read more

El Torito - Larry thinks everything is just AWESOME! - Mexican Near Me - Lakewood, California

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Fabian was a great waiter food came so quick would definitely come and get some food here

BIRTHDAY MONTH=BIRTHDAY COUPONS=HAPPY RODNEY Free entree for Rewards Members Previously, the birthday month promo was for a free entree (up to a specified amount) at all El Torito, Acapulco & Chevy's locations. Thus, 3 free entrees (although Chevy's doesn't have a SoCal location). With a revamp of the Rewards program this year, the birthday promo became any entree free at either El Torito, Acapulco or Chevy's. Having my choice of any entree with no limit, I had to go big & choose the most expensive - Ignited Fajitas Supremas. Ignited Fajitas Supremas- A muy macho meal, the Ignited Fajitas Supremas had enough food to feed a family. Or, a hungry guy like me. Carne asada, shrimp & chicken, served en flambe on top of onions & bell peppers. Paired with rice, beans, a dollop of guacamole & sweet corn cake. Naturally, the carne asada was the highlight, but everything was cooked & prepared well, with no complaints by me. Service was great. The gentleman attendant was friendly & hospitable. Plenty of seating in the main restaurant, and at the cantina. Different year, different options. I favor the change into 1 free entree at either of the 3 restaurants. That way, a higher priced entree can be redeemed, opposed to 3 lesser priced ones. I was this close to choosing the Filet Mignon Enchiladas, but overall satisfied with the Ignited Fajitas Supremas. read more

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Not great but not terrible. Chips and salsa never disappoint but the guacamole did, it was kind of bland. We started off with a small guacamole and flautas to share, I did not care for the flautas they were very sweet which I didn't enjoy (but that's personal preference). As for our meals we all ordered from their lunch menu which are great prices, the chicken fajitas were dry, I got the grilled chicken healthy bowl but subbed for steak, the steak was okay beans tasted like canned beans and the rice was nice it is fulfilling though because I didn't finish and it was only $10. We also ordered the chicken torta which looked really yummy and tasted good too. There was a buffet going on but our waitress or anyone never mentioned anything or informed us about it, it would've been nice to know about it. The vibe and setup of the restaurant was nice I loved the music. I would come here agin because i usually get the Mexican Caesar salad and the deep fried ice cream which NEVER disappoint but of course I wanted to try something different. read more

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This location in Lakewood always has amazing customer service. Even when we order for delivery and call to have them include something, they are great. The food always tastes great. There is plenty of parking. Prices are comparable. Half authentic and half Americanized Mexican food. Satisfies cravings. I love their flautas. Pretty large restaurant. Bar is chill and cool. Restrooms are clean. Menu has many choices. Their drinks are DELICIOUS!!! Happy hour here always makes us happy. read more

A 2026 review. Valentines Sunday Brunch weekend. Greeted and seated at 9:30 am Ordered the AYCE breakfast brunch. Or waitress gave us orange juice and coffee to start with. All was fresh. From the AYCE breakfast brunch buffe, picked up chicken and beef tacos, menudo, pazole, omlettes, eggs, bacon, salsa, etc (A few more to name) Over all everything was really good. No complaints. I would come again. Ambiance is of Mexican decor. Plenty of parking but will get packed closer to noon. Average buffet price is 34.99 and up. Today was a self serve kind of day! read more

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We enjoy coming to Sunday brunch! Thank you, Alberto Gonzalez for such amazing service!

This review has nothing to do with the food. Going to El Torito for Mexican food is akin to Olive Garden for Italian food. You know what to expect. We got what we expected, although the food was on the cold side, which is remarkable as the food was about 20 minutes late in coming. This review is more about the service, or lack thereof on a five meal order. We ordered (and paid) on line. El Torito confirmed that the food would be ready at 12:17 pm. Perfect. Left the office and drove the five miles to El Toritio (Yes, we were willing to drive five miles to get Mexican style food from El Torito). Got there at 12:20 pm and that is where the story begins. First off, there's a small sign at the reception area indicating that El Torito is a local business and as a result of increased costs, a 4.99% charge will be added to all bills. Apparently, rather than just raising prices by 4.99% (where everyone could see the increase before they ordered), El Torito decided to add 4.99% to everyone's bill. My to-go order of $112.50 didn't get charged that 4.99%, so I suppose I should be grateful. Except, El Torito included a $4.50 surcharge, which came out to about a dollar less than everyone else is paying. So, I'm happy I paid less than 4.99%, but not happy to be surcharged because I wanted to get food from El Torito. This is going long, so long-story short, the food wasn't ready 20 minutes later. When I advised that i wanted to just cancel the order and head to Taco Bell as the order was wau late (website gave me a 12:17 pm pick up time it was now close to 12:45), the manager told me that the website wasn't an El Torito website, depsite the fact that the name El Torito was at the top, in the same font and with the same icon as El Torito uses. After a brief exchange, lo and behold, the food was now ready. It was cold. Taco Bell is looking pretty darn good right now. read more

Really disappointed with everything, from the horchata I ordered to the buffet options on Sunday. Our go to is Acapulco restaurant but our location closed down so we decided to give el Torito a try on Sunday for their breakfast buffet. Worst decision I made with my money. Food quality is not there, food is cold, and food variety was non existent. The horchata was from the fountain machine not even authentic, which is expected if you're paying 45$ a person for authentic Mexican food. Service wasn't great either. Won't be coming back, I'll do the drive and go to Acapulco next time at their Long Beach location. read more

We had such a great experience at El Torito thanks to our server, Jose Sanchez "El Guapo"! He was very attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. He even showed us around the buffet and explained everything to us, which was really helpful. He was always on top of our refills and checked in on us often. We were celebrating my grandpa's birthday, and Jose really helped make it a memorable experience. He was so kind and made us feel very welcomed. Amazing service all around--we really appreciate him and would definitely recommend asking for Jose "El Guapo"! read more

M.Lopez was so friendly and so attentive. Great service! I would come back for happy hour!

Service of the worst . Manager first tried seating me by the hot kitchen . When I requested a different booth she sat us near the restroom. Manager is a middle aged woman with red hair. Ruined our entire experience. I had just spent a nice afternoon with my daughter. She is an embarrassment to the company. Andrea Carlin read more

Love the table side guacamole. Try the salad dressing. Our server Megan was super attentive and genuine.

Leo. T was the bees knees. Good service, good vibes, and feet like the flash, some might call him the triple threat. I thought I had a magic chalice with the way he kept my drinks topped off. Thor meets The Flash with a dash of Captain Americas Charm, EL TORITO MAN. read more

Went in with my brother and his 3 kids on a Saturday night. We ordered the street trio tacos and the enchiladas. Everything was delicious. The servers were constantly checking in and we even got our photo taken by Sara! She did a great job taking multiple pictures of us, and we even got one free print out! We always enjoy coming to this El Torito! read more

We came to Celebrate my daughter's Birthday and we been here before for the Sunday Bruch, that's just Absolutely Delicious All was going Great "until" my daughter, the Birthday girl got a "SURPRISE" in her food !!! So the Manager was called over to check what she found in her food, he was very Apologetic and replaced my daughter's plate with a new one, but she decided NOT to eat it and had the waiter bring a box to take it to go. The Mgr gave a Discount on our Bill, but I think he should of done more. We did have a Good time and then we sang her Happy Birthday and had her Cake that we brought and they wouldn't keep in the refrigerator for us as we were eating Dinner. Every restaurant we've gone to and we had a cake, they have always kept it in the refrigerator till we finish eating and I don't know why they wouldn't here. I personally don't think I'll be back unless I'm invited to. Our waiter was Great and he did his Best taking care of us ALL. read more

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Maria was fabulous. Attentive, friendly, and courteous. Food was good and my date was amazing! We'll be back.

The food was great but our server was better. Megan helped us with every single question we had on the menu. She was very friendly to us. We appreciate people like this because we don't always get the best service in other places she was such a great server. Even though we were one of the last people that got served, because it was close to closing time we still got the best experience in the restaurant. read more

El Torito - Tortilla soup - Mexican Near Me - Lakewood, California

We had a great experience with the best service! We sat in the cantina and watched some games on television as we dined. The food was delicious but the service was even better. Edwin was our server and he really took care of us. He made sure our chips and salsa were always full and our drinks were topped-off. And he was super friendly and funny. We will definitely return to this El Torito! read more

I would rate it a 10. The food was Great! Service was amazing and the Ambiance! I love the pictures!

Want to recognize Megan for being such an amazing server, we've had the pleasure of being served by her a few times and her service never disappoints. My chicken tortilla soup is always on point, and let's not even talk about the corn cake!! It's my husband's favorite! Today we tried the hamburger and let me tell you it was delicious! Yeah, a hamburger at a Mexican restaurant! It's a must try! read more

Popped in for a little solo date. I ordered a chicken quesadilla and a watermelon hibiscus margarita. Margaritas are 8$, and 4$ depending on which ones you get, during happy hour which is Monday through Friday from 4 to 7pm, i believe. So that was a nice surprise! My server was also really friendly and attentive. I had a great time! read more

El Torito - Watermelon Hibiscus Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Lakewood, California

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The food and service was excellent. The ambiance was also great. Alberto Gonzales was a great waiter and he deserves a raise he was very attentive to our needs and quick to respond with a great attitude. I highly recommend this place if he's around he has great customer service skills. I will be coming back read more

The service here is a tale of two worlds. On one hand, Ever and Ilinne are professional, hardworking, and high-energy. On the other hand, the floor management and bussing are incredibly lacking. We waited 15-30 minutes at a dirty table in the bar area while the busser actively ignored us. When we were finally acknowledged by Bethany, it felt confrontational rather than welcoming. This floor manager asked me, "Can I help you?" And I was surprised because it was apparent the table was full of dirty dishes and gave me a spill I can't sit myself and I said I am literally seeing 3 other people do the same thing. It is disappointing to see "regulars" get preferential treatment, they self seat, get table cleaned first and pre-ordered drinks at the bar, while a mother with a toddler is left sitting behind dirty plates. I mean, even the server Ever asked the table in front of me if they moved from another table because they got their table cleaned (by the busser who ignored us) and they already had chips and Cadillacs, modelo ordered with the bartender Chuy. Our server was sweet and said to give them another chance when I mentioned I am in elevated fine dining but what is happening won't affect his tip. Not his fault other people's work ethics are questionable. As someone in the industry, I know how hard the job is, but the lack of basic hospitality from the front-of-house was disappointing. 20% tip for the great servers, but 0 stars for the environment. As a fellow Latina in the industry, I expected a bit more community and hospitality, not to be made to feel like an inconvenience. El Torito will not be my first choice to spend my Friday night for dinner. read more

El Torito - 15 minutes in waiting while the busser wiped a clean table from a distance then cleans the table in front or me. - Mexican Near Me - Lakewood, California

Haven't been to El Torito in years and came in for Sunday brunch with my family. Alberto Alvarez was amazingly kind and very attentive. Would love to have him again as a server! read more

The food was surprisingly good. I was expecting to hate it but everything was delicious and Jose's service set it over the top. We had a huge party and he was attentive, detailed, and kind. Absolutely would come back and hopefully Jose is serving. read more

Edwin gave us very good service and always kept our mimosa glasses filled. Highly recommended.will come back soon!