Seafood Taco Trio is good . Preferred shrimp over Mahi. 4/5 stars The Guacamole was too good 5/5 read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

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Love this restaurant. Can't beat the views of the ocean. We tend to go at lunch time.

Food is great and servers too. The views are amazing, and the atmosphere welcoming (family and kids friendly). The only negative thing was the attitude of the girl who seated us on Sat, 19 Oct at lunch time. Will definitely return! read more

El Torito - Birria Taco - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

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The service is terrible, waited over 45 minutes for nachos and enchiladas, Jamaica Water is just food red coloring water, and sugar. They served Hair in one of our dishes, hair was on the dish with nachos, in between the meat-that was absolutely disgusting, on top of it all, they gave our first plate to someone else on another table. Over all NO, Just save Yourself from fake food, spending your money in a place that make You believe You are eating Mexican food, Cause guaranteed is not Mexican food and trash food indee read more

Do not waste your time. There is so many great options for delicious food in Monterey and it is NOT here. We have tried it over and over in hopes it will be a bit better. Tonight was our last time. From the people working there to the drinks and the worst is the food. They always have flies around your table while eating. They will charge you for a spicier salsa, charge you wrong prices on drinks. We will not be back This place will shit down next! read more

As a local I have many restaurants to choose from, particularly for Mexican food. Let me just say I would Never recommend El Torito on Cannery Row to "Anyone." This place has gone downhill over the years, and yesterday I was talked into meeting friends, and the Buffet for $40.00 was the only option. The food is mediocre at best, and is basically American Mexican. Lots of choices, however the layout and presentation of the food is disgusting. It reminded me of a college munchie fest where no one cleans up after themselves. Food on the floor, sticky tables. The service was poor from the moment we were seated as the staff told us nothing. They just pointed to the table and left? Every surface in the restaurant is dirty. Bathrooms are not clean. I immediately wanted to wash my hands after being seated, and asked the front door service staff for some hand sanitizer to avoid using the bathroom, Nope! I would so like to see the health department come and visit this establishment. Tourists flock here and as a corporate franchise I know they could afford to upgrade this place and CLEAN IT!!!!! Enough said, if I could give a negative rating I would. read more

Don't know why we ever came here a second time. The food was horrible, each of us (6) had to spit out multiple bites of every meal we had. Made a reservation and asked for a pretty view for the guests visiting us from Ohio, they sat us in the dark bar with the only view being a seagull poop covered balcony. We waited and got a new table in a much nicer area but the music was so loud we felt like we were at a night club and couldn't hear across the table. THEN we get charged 3.99% because they're a "local" business and the cost of labor has gone up. Since when is el torito local??? We live here in Monterey but we hadn't been here in years because we were disappointed the first time and now we will never EVER go there again. Our waiter was really sweet though, wasn't his fault just a kid working in food service under a terrible company. read more

El Torito - Bullsh*t charge - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Americanized Mexican food family restaurant chain is just fine, sometimes. Prices are competitive with other mid range restaurants, in the area. The location over the Monterey Peninsula Bay waters, makes the view outstanding. I appreciate the private parking lot, because tourist spots like Cannery Row, have ridiculous parking prices. The parking structures can charge up to $60 per day (crazy)! As a single, I sit at the bar and get great service.Self seated immediately and I am in their face, so hard to ignore (lol). Bartender was very nice and checked in, often. Great they still provide free chips and salsa, while you wait for your food. Good portions, good basic food, good service: off main dining times is always better, for service. Enjoy! read more

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Well the views are great. The food is alright. We didn't have a reservation so there was a 30 minute wait. Once we were called in, we got the chips and salsa. But our order took wayy too long to come by. Maybe another 30-45 minutes. It wasn't peak rush hour and still the wait was just a lot. I would honestly only rat this place for the beautiful views they have. The food was good but something worth waiting over an hour for. The waiter spilt the drink on me, which wasn't as bad and I wasn't upset, cuz accidents happen, they moved us to a different table, which was nice. Food still took way too long! I only ordered enchiladas and my friends ordered burritos and tacos. It was loud and there were a lot of birthdays which was a good sign cuz people come by to enjoy birthdays with their families. read more

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Danitza was our waitress and she was delightful ! Food was Great and atmosphere was lovely!

They were pretty busy on Friday night. They seemed a bit understaffed, so please be patient with them. Everyone was happy with how their food came out! With a view by the water, its hard to not have a swell time :) read more

It's Cinco de Mayo and they had specials on food and drinks. We sat down and saw the same flyer for specials so we choose what we wanted to order. The waiter came and started to order from the flyer that was on the table when we sat down and he says that is for bar seating only. No where on any signs was this stated. We ordered the same food we wanted from the special menu the fish mahi mahi tacos. The dish came with three tacos with slivers of fish and loads of cabbage. While the flavors were good the fish tacos were lacking FISH!! No one seemed to smile at all and most looked like they didn't want to be there. read more

Cres is an amazing server! Very attentive and always makes sure we have what we need. We've had him as our server twice now and he never fails to impress! read more

Cres took care of us for Sunday brunch, he was awesome! Our bottomless mimosas were always full, Cres was friendly, funny and offered tips for sightseeing in the area. We had a great experience and highly recommend El Torito brunch. Thanks, Cres! read more

We love this place! The food is really good. The view is spectacular and the service is great. We travel to Monterey often and during our stays, we visit El Torito several times and have been for many years. Highly recommend this wonderful festive restaurant read more

My family gathering at your restaurant was disappointing. My wife's food was incorrect. My food was lukewarm. I would have had my server correct the issues but it was hard to find her. I actually had to go to the bar to get a glass of water. I asked another young server if we could get more chips and basically it wasn't her table and she let our server know. Rude and wrong comment. Another issue I had is the " table side" guacamole. It was just set on our table. No service to be seen but the table next to us got a full service. I am not sure how that works but we should not be served if you are not prepared to do the service. We would have mentioned this a manager but there was nobody who looked like a manager walking around. The last but not least was the server missed an opportunity to get dessert and coffees but when we finally saw her she brought our check and didn't mention a dessert option. I mentioned her that we would have but she never was around. read more

Great service from Adriana always making sure we had what we needed. The food was filling and delicious.

This makes me so sad but I have to review so others are aware, El Torito used to be so good! But sadly this last time was awful and I won't be coming back. I ordered the breakfast burrito and at first it just came with plain egg wrapped in a cold tortilla, I told them about it and their version of fixing it was just adding beans to the same tortilla, it was missing the cheese and bacon as well as the breakfast potatoes, when I told them about it they told me I was mistaken and there wasn't supposed to be all that in the burrito. The mugs were chipped and my entire families food was cold :(( When we told the manager she brushed it off like nothing and was a little rude. read more

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Stopped by for Thanksgiving buffet. Needed a quick bite to eat. Food was mid. We got carne asada tacos, and some other stuff from the buffet. Pancakes for the table were an interesting choice. Service was decent. Multiple people stopped by the table. There were flies inside the restaurant. read more

Came here on a Sunday afternoon after biking a bit. Didn't know they had brunch, we only went for drinks but the food looked really tasty. We got the two margarita flights (one was the spicy and the other way regular). All of them were good, so here is my true rating in order. Mango jalapeño margarita Strawberry jalapeño Mango margarita (non spicy) Jalapeno margarita BlackBerry margaritas Signature Margarita With the gorgeous view and good service, I definitely want to come back for full dining experience. read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Horrible service sucks and food not good. For dessert had 2 go in the restraunt 2 times to tell them their gate wouldn't open to let you out of the parking lot finally after 3 times they figured it out unacceptable never again. read more

Maria was fantastic! We have been here many times and she is by far the best server we have ever had, not just here, but at any restaurant. She is attentive and very friendly. She makes you feel like you have been friends for years. Better yet, she's the cool Tia you never had! If you can, try to get her as your server when you're here. read more

We are so happy with the service Adriana provides when we come to El Torito Cannery Row. We always hope that she is there when we come because the service is excellent! Keep up the great work. - Joseph and Adela read more

El Torito - Restaurant View - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Came for brunch all you can eat! Definitely recommend! Sat at the bar, bottomless mimosas for the win!! Debbie and Saul were on it wouldn't let my drink go past half way!! Thanks for that! Food was delicious. From sea good to tacos and pastries. A++++ read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

Had the best service by Debbie the bartender at el torito today! Even though she was slammed she so personable, catered to all our needs and made the best drinks!! read more

This place is amazing and we had the best experience with our waiter, Cristian. The service, food, and view were all A+. I ate the steak and eggs with corn tortillas and fruit on the side which was tasty. It was our friend's birthday so a bunch of employees came to sing and made it a special experience. Cristian was accommodating, always made sure our drinks were filled, and was pleasant to chat with! read more

El Torito - Beautiful view! - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

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As I write this I wish now I took pictures. As a local this used to be our go to for tacos and drinks. Today we decided to give it another try. The wait wasn't too long, it was crowded I'm assuming by tourist. First of all the chips were stale, we ordered the chicken street tacos to share and I also got a cup of soup. The tortilla soup was good, however the street tacos were mostly cabbage and some chicken on top. Very skimpy for $17! Rice was ok the beans were about a spoon full of and tasted like old metal pots. You basically go there for the view. I will be skipping this place next time. read more

We went on a Sunday and it wasn't busy when we arrived. The wait was 25 minutes, but it became even longer. We had to go check in again because we never received a text notifying us that our table was ready. Once we finally got seated the waitress was nice, but only checked in when taking our order and dropping off the food. The service was extremely slow. I ordered the macho combo which came with four different items. It was okay. The chile relleno wasn't my cup of tea due to the sauce being too watery. We did order mojito flights and margarita flights which were very cute and delicious. This restaurant has a really nice view of the ocean. But for some reason our table had so many fruit flies by the window. Overall it was an alright experience, but I don't think I will be returning. read more

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The ocean view is very nice and staff were friendly. We got fish tacos, sizzling fajitas for entrees. They were a little bland. For appetizer, we got bacon wrapped shrimp which was juicy and flavorful and I enjoyed. read more

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In the first place, you get free parking with your visit! I have even gotten a ticket one time for not picking up my car at the established parameter, when I parked elsewhere, and it's a pretty good fine the city gives you! It was odd that we had to wait about 10 minutes after the reservation we made, one little thing. We ordered our food and drinks, we got our drinks pretty fast, and we got our guacamole made right in front of us right away. We had a pretty good visit, and I really don't have much to complain about. The service could've been better, but was adequate. You can see the bay from where you sit, and the music was diverse and pleasant to listen to. I recommend the place. read more

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The seasonal special of pumpkin bread pudding is absolutely amazing. We enjoyed dinner with a view of the ocean. The service was good. Attentive but not overly. I give five stars note the bread pudding alone read more

Cristian Cruz muy buen servicio todo muy bien, la comida el servicio los platillos buena proporción y las bebidas excelentes

Maria Cruz has been very helpful and friendly. Amazing service! We'll definitely visit again.

Great service and great food! Maria was great! very attentive and friendly! Never disappoints.

Christian's service was excellent from start to finish. He was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed. The food was absolutely delicious, fresh, and full of flavor. I would definitely come back again! read more

The service was great, fast and welcoming.. I sat in the bar area to watch a baseball game, it was a family friendly environment while sitting next to the window to have an ocean view.. micheladas were delicious.. read more

El Torito - Micheladas - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

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Worst place I have ever been to. This place has down graded in such a horrendous matter it made me sick and unable to eat a simple dish like French fries that came out the kitchen as if they were pre-cooked weeks before and thrown under a heat lap for 3 days and served like that. From management to the lowest level employee there and all the flies that hovered over our food made me want to slam my head in the table. As soon as we sat down near the glass window to have a view of the ocean I knew I wanted to leave. As bird crap and flies entertained us I knew there couldn't be anything worst then that. Sike food came out and we left the whole dinner there didn't drink from the glasses paid and left. Don't go here unless you want food brought in from the Salvation Army read more

I don't know why this place only has 3.5 stars!! The service, food, prices, and location are top tier. $14 for bottomless mimosas is such a great deal. The food was incredible and the views were perfect! Only negatives are that it was a little bit too loud in there and the bathrooms needed some renovations. read more

El Torito - Bottomless Mimosas and Dessert - Mexican Near Me - Monterey, California

My wife and I along with her sister and brother in law are visiting Pacific Grove. We walked along the ocean pathway to Monterey to check it out and decided to have dinner while we were there. With lots of choices available we opted for the Tex-Mex for two reasons, first, to check out how they do Tex-Mex in Southern California and secondly we just like Mexican cuisine. On entering El Torito the host was very polite inviting us to the establishment and gave us a reasonable waiting time. He could even give us a seat with a water view. On observing the ambiance it was clear that this place could use a good cleaning and some general maintenance. For example, the carpet at minimum could use a good shampoo and the metal edging on the steps could be replaced. Suffice to say that the real experience inside the place does not match what is portrayed on the webpage. Both the men's and women's bathroom were filthy. Having seen the men's first hand the floor was soaking wet, there were paper towels and toilet paper on the floor, the sinks had not been cleaned in a while and one of the hand soap dispensers was half falling off the wall. Our wives reported similar disarray in the lady's restroom including the fact that one of the soap dispensers was completely missing. There was even wet toilet paper on the floor outside of the bathrooms and with the bathrooms in near proximity to the manager's office he/she could not have been being observant of their restaurant. Speaking of the manager, she was yelling to someone over the railing that one of the employees had to be out of the restaurant in ten minutes. Not so good a practice of how communication of this kind should be done in such a venue. We were seated near the bar which is OK as I enjoy the bar environment but this vantage point allows the customer to see the good and the bad that goes on there. Let me say that I have never seen so much dirty glassware stacked up on a bar, ever. Not to mention the tub of dirty dishes sitting on a barstool there as well. Clearly the bartender was busy but then the management should assure that there is sufficient staff to keep up with this kind of mess, especially since the drinks were being mixed just adjacent to other people's dirty dishes. There were three tables full of dirty dishes in the section where we had been seated. When we had finished our dinner and got up from our chairs to leave, those dishes were still there. Our server was Alexander, though I only know that because I have his name on the receipt. He was a good server. We started our meal with a tableside guacamole. It was excellent as was the salsa and chips. When Alexander saw that the salsa and chips were low he automatically brought more. That was awesome. I will only address the food that my wife and I shared. We ordered the Macho Combo thinking that we could sample four different offerings of El Torito. The dish was terrible! Each of the components were severely lacking in flavor and composition not to mention that the food was not hot. It was not cold but I would say that it was lukewarm at best. I have to complement the corn cake. I was good though such a small dot of it. Now, there is a 4% surcharge on the check. The menu does show the reason for this surcharge but never did the server mention this. We only knew because my wife is a researcher and very thorough in reading written works. So that is a thing, too. Shame on this company for not advising customers of this add-on, and who knows how many people base their tip on this added charge without realizing it, so now it is a double charge especially if people also tip on the tax! My tip for Alexander was 20% based on food cost which in itself was out the roof. Thank goodness there was no charge for water. Anyway, you may conclude that I was not pleased with my visit to this El Torito restaurant. Should I ever return to this area be assured that I will not be dining at this restaurant. I am usually a positive Yelper but it was hard to find many positive things to say about my visit here this evening. Sorry but not sorry. read more

We came to El Toritos on a Tuesday for lunch in June, mainly because we tried to go to Chart House down the street, found it closed, and had already paid for parking, so walked to El Toritos. One of my favorite things about restaurant choices is the view. El Toritos is right on the still water of Monterey. The interior has archways and is brightly painted, so there is a nice ambience. We had been staying at a hotel in Carmel. One of the well-traveled customers at our hotel had been telling us of their favorite spots to eat, but said to definitely avoid El Toritos. I'd been here once before years ago, and to a couple others, and thought I'd still give it a try, since our first option fell through, and the parking meter was ticking. There was a large crowd in the reception area and outdoors to get seated. There were available seats, but apparently none of their busboys had come to work, so the manager and wait staff were bussing some tables, and many tables had stacks of plates on them. There is one mens/womens/handicap restroom on the first floor. There was a long line for this. To get to the other restrooms, you have to go up stairs, which wasn't great for my healing broken leg. I waited until we finally got seated, and then tried the now vacant restroom on the first floor. It was not clean, with stuff on the floor, so I quickly exited, and trekked up to the 2nd floor. There was a very long wait at our table. Plates were dropped nearby. Everything seemed very disorganized and a bit out of control. The food, when it came, was okay. Nothing to write home about. We then had a long wait for the check and had to ask people to please send our waitress or check over, as we had to leave. My mother realized when home that she had not been given back her credit card. This was where it was last used. She called. They ask the name, type of card, and then the color of the card. She wasn't completely sure on the color, but I wouldn't think that would matter. They then said they'd have to get the manager. She had to go through their list of questions again. They seemed to hesitate when she asked why she needed to give the color. The then said they didn't think they had it. My mother called back 6 times. Every time they had to get the manager, or said the manager would call back, which they didn't. We know the card was left in the bill cover. She never got her card back and had to cancel it. On top of that, two days later we tested positive for covid. Overall, my impression was very underwhelming, frustrating, disorganized, unclean, and not worth trying again. If there is nothing else you can get into, you can try it and hope for the best. Maybe we had their worst day ever. read more

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