Thank you to the amazing staff at the bar, morena & the bar manager! Amazing drinks and ambiance! read more

El Torito - Thank you to the amazing staff!! Amazing experience! - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

We had such a great experience at El Torito that we had to come back--and it did not disappoint. We first came about two weeks ago and were so impressed that we made it a point to return today. Everything was just as good (if not better). The food, the spread, the freshness--top notch across the board. Shoutout to Beto, our server, who provided amazing service from start to finish. Attentive, friendly, and really helped make the experience even better. Highlights for us: * The carnitas -- absolutely fire ! * Fresh, handmade tortillas -- you can taste the difference * The omelet station -- cooked perfectly and super fresh * Chocolate fondue -- my daughter LOVED it * Fried plantains -- my wife was all about these Overall, just a fantastic experience. Great food, great service, great vibe. We'll definitely be back again. Highly recommend! read more

1 star for total rip off $12 tacos that are only worth $2. Sat at the Bar 8:30 pm. Lousy Beef Birria Tacos. Not worth $12. So Tiny, beef was very dry, hard and tasteless. Hardly any cheese, only like 4 pieces of chopped onion & cilantro. The Consommé was a tiny teaspoon amount in a tiny cup that the taco actually fit because itself was so tiny. Kind of a joke, right guys? Am I supposed to laugh? I'm being filmed to get my reaction, right? Taco was 3 inches long and a piece of my shell was missing. For a $6 taco, the missing shell was about 50 cents worth missing. You can see it in the picture. The top taco looks like someone bit off the shell. I was starving so I ate it. Wanted to ask for another consommé, but thought they'd charge me for it. Why couldn't they give it in the same size little dish as the Salsa? Wish I took a picture of both consommé cup and salsa dish so you can see how tiny. Just imagine 4 little white consommé cups sitting inside the salsa dish and there's still room to add another. The spoon in the taco picture is a tiny teaspoon like the kind you stir coffee with. It's not a big soup spoon, folks. You can see in the picture the amount of consommé would barely fill the teaspoon. 5 stars for drinks., but pissed off about the lousy tacos. I had the Margarita flight which was yummy. $10 for 3 small glasses: regular, mango, blackberry. All were delicious but amazingly surprised by how good blackberry was. The guy next to me had the same tacos. He said same thing I said, so tiny, not worth 12 bucks, but he was starving also, so he just ate it, like I did. read more

El Torito - Margarita Flight - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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My husband and I were near the Pasadena area for the day and literally drove by El Torito and since I have never been, I was excited to try dinning in for the first time. I had heard they had some good food and tasty chips and salsa. We made a reservation for 7 PM. Walked in a little earlier, but was seated right away. Our waitress was ELVIRA. She seemed off, very antsy was literally dropping all her tip money on the floor as she opened her notebook to take out order. My husband and I even joked with her, and said making it rain, and she was just standing there, no expression, like, ok.. She never once greeted us or anything. Luckily for her, we knew exactly what we wanted. We made it easy. An order of queso w chips, the fajita trip (steak, shrimp and chicken) and a couple of Sodas. It took a while for the chips and beverages to arrive. She made a comment, saying "ohh no one has brought you chips and salsa?" I said, no but its ok, take your time. We are ok. Finally, the chips arrived and the beverages. The chips and salsa were delicious. The chips are warm and salsa was tasty. When the food arrived, it was a different server. He couldn't light up the fajitas w his lighter, but that was ok. My husband and I dipped our chips into the queso, and it was COLD! I waived out waitress Elvira over and I told her about the queso and she just looked at me and took it. I wasn't sure if she was going to warm it up, offer an alternative item or what. She just grabbed it and left. The fajitas were delicious and the rest of the experience was ok, but our waitress never returned. Our beverages were out, no refills offered. I wanted dessert, but by then I was so turned off by her customer service, I just wanted to waive her back to give us the check. When she finally came, she just took the check and not a word. I spoke to and said, I am not mad about the queso, I was just curious is it supposed to be cold? You never came back. She said, rudely, I don't know i just serve it, and I was like, oh ok. And that was it. No expressions, no i am sorry, or how was the rest of your food! As a person who works in CUSTOMER SERVICE, It is hard to process the lack of personality this waitress had. I was so excited to try this restaurant, and she turned me off from ever returning. I leave this review in hopes that a manager can better improve and retain this waitress. read more

Came in Mother's Day for brunch , we had our reservations for 9:45 . We arrived on time and were seated immediately. Even though it was busy the service was good. The server was attentive with our drinks and getting empty plates out of the way. The food at the buffet was good. I enjoyed some Tri Tip , Chile Relleno , Chile Colorado , Rice , Salad , etc. My daughter enjoyed the pancakes and sausages too. They also had Mac & cheese , chicken tenders and corn dogs for the little ones. Overall I was glad with the buffet experience and glad we came early ! read more

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Food and drinks were fine. They add extra charges to the bill and after long talk with mgr it was removed. read more

Went to a hosted meeting luncheon. We had a private room that held 30. Chios and salsa were delicious. I ordered a rootbeer. Lunch was buffet style right outside the room. I started with build my own salad. Then rice and beans, cheese enchiladas and steak or chicken fajitas. The meats seems overcooked and i think could be sliced cut smaller. There was a bowl of soft cornbread and salsas, sour cream, grated cheese, tomatoes. The dessert table had individual flan and basket of individual wrapped chocolate chip cookies. There was plenty leftover but we weren't allowed to take leftovers. I need to remeber that El Torito is good for large parties with plenty of free parking. read more

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At El Torito Pasadena on Foothill, bartender Nestor couldn't be bester. He lifted despair into delight with his supportive spirit and masterful elixirs. His skills create such comfort and cheer you won't want to leave the "nest." Heartfelt hero behind the bar! Stellar Frederico also checked in attentively. Exceptional team! read more

El Torito - Bar area - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I was craving Mexican food and I haven't been here besides for the breakfast buffet. It was good and it's been years since I've been back and we got to have it so dinner. I definitely like the vibe being inside the restaurant and it was nice it was during happy hour. Service was really quick and they were very attentive and always making sure we were good. I got the 3 piece combo which I chose 1crunchy taco and 2 enchiladas. It was so good and this was what I've been craving. The chips and salsa were very good and we got the guacamole and chip which was also good. And since it was happy hour we were able to get a margarita flight and a sangria which were both good! I'd definitely come back! That happy hour is worth! read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I really enjoy eating at El Torito! As soon as we arrived, the waiter gave us chips and salsa. Yum! I always look forward to this. We ordered birria tacos, ignited fajitas supreme which has beef, chicken and shrimp, and a three item combo, which we decided to choose a beef taco, chicken flauta, and a beef enchilada. You'll get rice, beans, guacamole, sweet corn cake, and different spicy sauces, too. You can always ask for more tortillas (corn or flour) when you need it. Everything was packed with flavor! I always come back to El Torito because we get good service, good food, serving size is just right, and the ambiance is nice. It brings me back to Mexico. read more

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The restaurant is located in the Best Buy Plaza. Lots of parking. Came and tried the happy hour. Seating in the cantina. If you want to watch a game they have TV's around. They started us off with chips and salsa and we ordered the mini tacos, carne asada fries and mahi mahi tacos along with a Margarita flight. The salsa was delicious. The margaritas were beautiful and tasty. The menu has a good variety and all the food tasted great. The mahi mahi tacos were surprisingly juicy and tasty. Staff started off a delight...until they forgot about our mahi mahi tacos, which I didn't understand because the staff who brought the other 2 dishes said before leaving and one more dish mahi mahi tacos? Nothing ever came. Finally asked the waiter who then checked it was written down but was never made. Still don't understand this when the other person verified with us. Other than that the food was good. read more

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Came on a Thursday night, went to the bar and ordered fajitas and happy hour items. Our last visit was horrible. Staff was slow or didn't care. This visit was great. Our waitress in the bar, was amazing. She took our ordered correctly, she refilled drinks quickly, and chips. Food came out hot and tasted really good. The mini tacos and sopes had good flavor a nice hot sauce. They were presented well. Bill was about $60 for two people. We shared a lot of plates. Restaurant was clean and the bar was bright with basketball games on tv. That waitress definitely wed be back for. Manager with pony tail, was helpful and seated guests. Tonight won us back. read more

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Came here on a Sunday for their buffet. The buffet price also includes drinks such as Jamaica, Horchata, Agua Frescas, Hot Chocolate, Coffee and more importantly Mimosas. The variety of the buffet exceeded my expectations. They had mole, chilaquiles, tacos, taquitos, chille relleno, rice, beans, ceviche, aguachile, salad, menudo and a full on dessert bar and a kids section with chicken tenders and fries. Overall, great meal and we enjoyed it. read more

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We had a great experience here! Despite the restaurant being packed, everything went smoothly. The food was delicious and arrived surprisingly fast. Huge shoutout to our server, Elvira--she was attentive, friendly, and completely on top of her game despite how busy it was. Great service all around! read more

El Torito - IGNITED FAJITAS SUPREMAS - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Richard is the best waiter here Look for him when you come. The coolest guy ever get your food. Fast drinks are always on point. read more

El Torito - Richard - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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My friends wanted to try the Karaoke here. Happy hour on Friday has great prices. The flautas are delicious & the guacamole is freshly made w/ chunks avacado. I was struck by the KJ Jim telling us to buy more or get out. I asked the manager Karla, she had time to listen & step in w/ care. Karla took care of it. Karla is being more than a manager; uplift my spirits, classy manners & makes changes when needed. Karla saved the day from us walking away. read more

September 2025 Service/Ambiance - Worst service we have ever experienced in the years of coming here. In order to get anything from more water and even the bill, was such a chore. Our waiter had checked in with us once and appeared to avoid our table after that. Imagine having to march all the way across the restaurant to the bar area in order to find someone to pay our bill. Well that's what we had to do. We won't be coming back. read more

On " Cinco de Mayo" afternoon, the place.was full, great ambiance, even greater service provided by staff which was all accomodating in our wait. I want to highlight the treatment and service provided by Jaxson. The food is always good here. read more

El Torito - Steak Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

We've always past by this El Torito but never tried it so decided to give it a go. Walking in, there wasn't anyone to take you to your seat and servers didn't say anything, there was no signs either. We noticed there was a DJ (mind you this was a Thursday early night I recall) so it was surprising that they had a DJ on a weekday night. The DJ was the person who told us we can sit wherever so ok, we found an empty seat and sit down. A server came by and took our drinks order and then food order. All the food was fresh and tasted good. I love the fact El Torito gives complimentary chips and salsa which is an absolute hit when it comes to dining at mexican restaurants. I was fine waiting on food but our drinks took forever to come out and I noticed the bartender forgot to make one of our drinks that even when our food came out, our drinks did not. Our servers and manager did notice this and I do appreciate the attention to detail as I did not say anything. I know they mentioned a small discount as we have to endure the long wait unexpectedly. In the end, we did not receive the discount on the bill as promised, but I was fine without it. I just want to point this out so this restaurant knows where to improve. Their fajitas was good and fresh. I wish I could have got more tortillas. The drinks were alright and not as flavorful or strong as I expected. Thw salsa was great and I love the complement of beans, rice, and onions on the entree which was cooked well. We also got their 4 pcs taco dish from the happy hour menu which was delicious. There was plenty of parking and seating. It is a nice location on the corner of Foothill and Sierra Madre in Pasadena. read more

El Torito - Berry martini - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Try karaoke happy hour, it's the shit! Great beer specials and appetizers. Awesome staff

We came on a Saturday and didnt expect them to have a brunch buffet! They have a parking lot that is NOT connected to the plaza! You must enter either on Foothill or the other cross street, I think its Madre St. We were greeted right away and was told of their special. On Saturdays, its a mini buffet. On Sundays, they have the full buffet with live music from a mariachi band. We could also order off of the regular menu too if we liked. They have an omelet station, waffle station, and menudo! So many options and they did not cheap out on the bacon! The bacon slices were thick and plentiful. We will be back for a Sunday brunch in the near future! read more

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Good food and service. The happy hour is excellent. Worth coming to with friends! Also love the fried ice cream. Food: 4/5 Price: 4/5 Experience: 4/5 read more

El Torito - IGNITED FAJITAS SUPREMAS + CRISPY FLAUTAS - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Met up with some girlfriends for lunch. It wasn't busy- we were seated in the cantina. Our waitress, Maria, came and asked us if we wanted any drinks. We ordered some drinks and then I told her I had the free tableside guacamole and showed her my phone. She said just a minute I need to get the drinks first. She came back with the drinks and asked if we were ready to order we said no she said no worries should be back. Then another waiter showed up making the tableside guacamole and we were eating the chips, salsa and guac and talking because we hadn't seen each other in a while. Maria came back and took our orders and never checked on us again, until she came to start taking some plates. My one friend ordered the bottomless soup and salad off the lunch menu, but all she got was one salad and soup. When Maria came to clear the table, my friend asked if she could have more salad because she ordered the bottomless and Maria looked at her like she had three heads. So then we were worried that she was gonna charge her for an extra salad, which she did not, however, she did charge us for the tableside guac, which should've been free and unfortunately, I did not notice until I got home. Service wasn't very good. The fact that she charged us for the free guac ($15!) was not good at all. The food was good but the company was the Best! Forgot to take pictures. read more

Sofia y Jorge were very attentive and hospitable. Sofia made sure to keep checking in to see if the food and drinks were good. The ambiance was fascinating watching the Mexico game was such a great experience! We will be coming back to visit again!! Attentive service and great atmosphere is what it's all about. Let's go Mexico!! read more

Came here on Father's Day and our server Randy is one cool dude, amazing service! It was busy and he always had a smile on his face. : )

Very disappointed I've been coming here for over 15 years I always order the tableside chicken fajita salad this time it came with the chicken. I guess you put it on yourself. It's not even table side anymore and the waiter said they changed everything on Monday ‍I also know that it comes with Romain lettuce grilled peppers, and onions this was served with just iceberg lettuce. I was so hungry. I still decided to eat and I was on my lunch break. I didn't have much time to order anything else so I continued with my mail paid full prize tipped regular 18% just wanted to share my horrible experience. read more

El Torito - Is some of the iceberg lettuce that was left behind I got grossed out. I didn't get the waiters name but today is Tuesday 1:47 PM. - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Stopped by on Friday, 08/01/25 for Dine LA Restaurant Week. We ended up ordering drinks and food from the Happy Hour Menu (3pm-9pm everyday!!!) Ordered the following: - 1 street corn = $4 - 1 guacamole and chips = $6 - 1 carne asada fries = $8 - 1 draft beef = $4 - 1 margarita flight = $10 (amazing!!!!) OVERALL TOTAL WITH TAX = $41.37 We ended up having to take our food to go due to last-minute errands. We chugged our drinks - amazing and for a good price too!!! Overall this place has the best Happy Hour menu. read more

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We stopped at El Torito for Dine LA Week and had a great time! It was our first time visiting, so we weren't quite sure what to expect. The meal was definitely at a slower pace than I'm used to, but this may have just been because we visited at a weird time and they're not fully staffed at 3pm. There was so much food, at such a good price! I feel that the flavors were very Americanized Mexican food, you can definitely get more authentic flavors in the area, but it was all very savory and delicious. We'll be back next time we need a space for a larger group of people. read more

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There's loads parking for this location. You can be seated in the cantina or the dinning area. The staff are really nice and helpful. I did like the hidden piñata decor. The inside is welcoming for group meals. I got the Dine LA menu. The guacamole and chips were good. The chips were warm and crunchy. There's a lot of guacamole and you can easily share. The enchiladas were resl tasty. The sauce had a small kick that wasn't too spicy but left you wanting more. The bean and rice were just as good and expected. This was also a large plate is expect leftovers. The deep fried ice cream was great although a bit too sweet. It can be simplified with less syrup and whipped cream. The buñuelo being used as a bowl for the ice cream is amazing! Overall it's worth a shot to try out all the food here. I still want to try more on the menu. read more

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Great restaurant that has ample space to eat and drink. Beautiful inside and hadn't been to El Torito in years. Came out here to hang out with a buddy, who I hadn't seen in twenty years. The service was great, prices super affordable for happy hour. read more

El Torito - Coors light - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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3.5 - Server Will is awesome . Skimpy on steak on my tacos . My plate was not cheap and to only get a few cubes of steak was absurd! It is a franchise so I didn't expect too much . Very busy but great service. Really liked the decor. Huge location. It was very busy as it was graduation time. Dad wanted to go elsewhere as he wanted actual authentic Mexican food but since we no longer have El Torito back home , nostalgia got the best of me. He was not happy with my choice. Haha! Sorry Apá, I owe ya dinner! Glad I tried it again but if ever in this area, I'd only go for drinks and chips/salsa. read more

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Oh my! What a change! The husb and I had not been to this location in years due to the bad service we received years prior. What a difference years make, we would hope, right? Food as usual was great, I got the fajitas both times we went, the husb got the steak and shrimp and the macho combo the second time. We enjoyed our dishes. I'm very picky, so I get refried beans instead of frijoles de la olla because they're spicy. I can't handle spicy foods. I usually get the corn tortillas and I make tacos with the meats and green peppers and onions. Oh yes, and the beans. They're very nice with the chips as well, we had two bowls of chips. The employees are very friendly and outgoing as well as serviceable. The restaurant was very lively and full of energy, parking was easy, the restaurant was extremely clean. We will be back since it's so close to home! read more

El Torito - FAJITAS DUO - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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We are very happy that we decided to eat dinner at this restaurant. The food was great! We ordered the family fajitas for four people, and it was less than $80--an excellent value for the amount of food we received. The portions were generous, and we left with very happy, full stomachs. Our waiter, Sebastian, was amazing and very attentive. There is plenty of parking, and the restaurant was clean and well kept. read more

I wanted to reach out and say thank you Beto for being so attentive during our meal. This is one of my favorite brunch places, and I truly appreciated the great service and delicious food! read more

El Torito - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Been wanting to try this place for a while and it did not disappoint at all. First off the interior is absolutely massive, so many tables in two sections. The food is incredible with large portions and very tasty. They serve free chips and salsa which is a sign of a great Mexican restaurant. The guacamole was made tableside and super fresh. Everything tasted great and the staff were super friendly and helpful. read more

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We have been coming to El Torito for a few years, it's our go to for family brunch. We always the atmosphere and food choices. While I never wrote a review, I wanted to take the time to share the great service we received from Beto. He is very attentive and friendly. He made us feel welcome. I definitely recommend you come check it out. Great vibes with chill atmosphere. read more

Really needed to go to happy hour for a margarita, some eats and to catch some of the Eagles v Chargers game. We come every month or so. The vibe is always good. This year has been rough for all of us in the area since the fire, its been 11 long months. Not to mention the daily stress from our country falling apart. I was really stoked when we walked in and saw the decorations. Its like it took some of the stress away and felt really inviting. I commented to the guy in front how great it was. He said that the mgr would love to hear it. Before we left Christopher came by the table I complimented him on all the work and that we really needed it. I took some shots to share on yelp. He introduced us to another manager and she told me about the decorations. So thank you all that helped, its so appreciated. Happy holidays to all the staff. read more

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We had a wonderful dinner here a couple of nights ago. The food was great and our waiter Mona was awesome! Thank you Mona for your kindness and professionalism! read more

Great food, great environment, loved the marchi. Beto was a great server and great vibes!

I made a DoorDash pickup. Whoever the skinny Latino kid is that gave me the order on May 28th 2026 at 8:49pm... he was super polite and even went to open the door for me cause I had two bags. This is the epitome of customer service and you need to have people like this become managers in future. Well done read more