Wow, what a disappointment our last visit to El Torito's Sunday Brunch was! Compared to our last visit in early February, this time around, their brunch was reduced to a mere Sample Brunch! Their pickings were pretty skimpy. Their Omelett Chef was not up to par as far as presentation & quality was concerned. Their taco meats, (chicken, pork & beef) were dry & tasteless. Their Margaritas were watered- down. Our hostess was pleasant, but our waitress was pretty much never around when we needed her. I don't think I'll continue to be a patron of this establishment. I will settle for better food & service elsewhere! So sad to see such an iconic restaurant go down. read more

I enjoy the food here and usually the staff is friendly. Try getting one of their combo plates to get the best bang for your buck. The table side guac is awesome and award winning! (no seriously) I took off a star because last time we were here it took the waitress at the bar 15 minutes for my friend and I to order drinks. We were ready to get messed up that night, but instead went to a local bar that wanted our cash. Still food is good and I only took off one star. read more

The Waitress Ramona was very nice by recommending for my family and me the family side fajitas. And that made us safe money because it was a great dish. The waiting time was good. Everything was fantastic! I recommend people to come eat with their families at El Torito. read more

I know I wrote this on Google but I really hope he gets acknowledge for a great service. Matt was our server he was funny and super attentive. I love El Torito because the Carne Asda and Cheese Enchilada plate is my favorite! Our server Matt told us it was his third day there I thought he did an amazing job! Also thank you for taking the time to remember our names! -jackie read more

The manager Gabriella was very accommodating to our party! She was so helpful and of course the food was amazing like always! Our server Beto was great! read more

This is an El Torito. I do not know what people expect. I used to love coming here when I was in high school. High schoolers probably don't read Yelp but if you do, this is a chill date spot for a high school kid, not a prom date or anything but just a regular friday, hit this place up, and then move on. Other than that, if the food isn't really considered Mexican food, it is overall is decent food. The Margaritas are weak, really weak, like they don't seem to have alcohol in them weak. All you can eat tacos are really low quality. I would just stay away from all you can eat menu items in general. The regular menu stuff is pretty good. This place is never going to win any awards for it's food. The restaurant overall is old and beat up. The reason I go here every time I am right near here (i.e. at Bed Bath and Beyond next door right-near-here...so, don't go out of your way to go here) is because the service is always excellent. I have eaten at the two independent Mexican spots within a mile of El Torito and have been treated like crap, or told that I cannot come in a half hour before closing even to make a quick to go order, or I was served crap food...but at El Torito, the staff consistently give solid service. If you feel nostalgic about 80s and 90s pre-Chevy's corporate Mexican restaurants (same corporation BTW) and want to get good service, go here. Don't go here expecting super authentic and delicious Mexican food. I would bet the CEO of El Torito himself doesn't even expect that. read more

Best buffet I've ever been to! It's literally the best spot for a Sunday brunch! Highly recommend. A bit price but you pay for what you get! read more

Ok so my family and me just came here but after it was the worst experience. I'm giving it two stars because of the one person that was serving us he was so nice and the food was good, But for what happened. We had to wait for us to have a table for almost TWO HOURS and it was so cold and I asked when and he was like oh almost forgot HE FORGOT and we finally got our table and then we got our drinks we waited for like about 2 minutes and we ordered the waiter was nice but we were still mad before we got our table no one was there then a lot of people were there and then we waited and waited and I was really hungry because it was Easter and we went to this farm Easter place. So then it was LITERALLY 2 HOURS WE WERE SO HUNGRY AND HE WAS TRYING TO GET ATTENTION WALKING BACK AND FROTH LIKE WE DON'T NEED ANYTHING AND HE WAS SO ANNOYING AND GAVE US COLD TORTILLAS. We got our food and everyone left and he was doing the same thing walking back and forth over and over. I asked for ketchup and he said "Ok!" I said that like a minute ago and I asked "when is the ketchup going to be here?" He said "oh I forgot" like seriously? We all finished our food and my mom was still eating and the waiter says "do you want a to go box?" MY MOM WAS STUFFING HER FACE STILL EATING AND NOT DONE HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY NOT SEE. we were all annoyed and just left the table and the quote on quote manager was there and we all got so mad but we were acting nice and all they signed the check and the manager says "come back,but not on an holiday." And then has the most dumbest grin. So if you want to eat somewhere in Pasadena just don't go to el torito it will take a long time to get your food and the customer service is horrible so don't go there and I will not be coming back ps go to Taco Bell or del taco or another place thank me later. read more

Wow, this place is COLD!!! I actually wrapped myself in my 2 year olds blanket. My legs were aching it was so cold! I couldn't wait to get out of there. Atmosphere was great for the family. Our three 2 year olds loved the mariachi guy. As for the food, everything seemed very salty. My favorite part was the personal sized deep fried ice cream! read more

We attended for Taco Tuesday! The manager was very pleasant and offered us two sample Fish Tacos and half and Elote, which were new to the menu! The ambiance was nice and and our waitress was very sweet and attentive! You can't beat $5 margaritas, $3 Elote, and $2 Tacos! Not fine dining but fun for a good price! If you would like more of a selection for your Tacos and a Cadillac Margarita instead, then visit the Grill locations. They are a bit pricier but you get better quality and more options. read more

El Torito - Taco Tuesday - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Ramona was an excellent server. She was very attentive. We had the 3 item combo and the duo fajitas. Food was good and we left feeling full!

This place as gone down hill over the years. They use to have more items on the menu for a cheaper price. Now it is less items for more the money. 2 taco's with rice and beans was almost $15 I can go to a mexican place near my location and get 3 tacos with rice and beans for like $8. read more

Came in for a girls night. We decided to have dinner at the cantina for a fun vibe! Our server Ashley was very attentive and professional especially since they were pretty busy! She definitely had her "A" game on tonight! read more

The food here is consistently average. It's not too authentic, but not completely whitewashed either. We went on a Sunday and realized that it was a buffet brunch. They had a taco bar, omelet bar, desserts, bacon, menudo and some other random stuff. The service was good and my kids love any restaurant with chips. read more

Came in on a Friday night to happy hour after a long day and I am so grateful I walked in! Ashley our server was super sweet and attentive. She recommended the new Mariposa margarita and I have to admit IT WAS THE BEST! If you haven't tried it, you must! So delicious and refreshing thank you for the great service, drinksand food! Cheers! I came in again for taco Tuesday and I'm telling you guys the service is consistently great. I walked in and Olivia and Bria greeted me and let me know i was in for the taco bar! Thanks so much ladies for making my trip tonight a happy one! It's great to get great service after a long work day! read more

3.5 for better than alright but could be a better Cal Mex cantina. I placed it on the lower end of the half star because I simply do not feel you are getting the best value with the combos which were not filling and you mostly get a lot of rice. Just under $40 dropped and I've been more satisfied spending $9 at Chipotle. Not the best place to go if you want to be out in under an hour but not so bad that they're on your Yelp blacklist of places to never return. If anything it was hard to make a choice with their menu since a lot of the items sounded good but definitely similar - the specialties looked unique but I went for the Baja combo for the bacon wrapped shrimp because #mood #vibes. Apparently everyone was in the same mood because they ran out of bacon wrapped shrimp at which point things were taking long already I just went with a sub par substitution of another taco in their Baja combo...a combo I ordered because of the bacon wrapped shrimp/variety of 3 different types of items now reduced to 2...and they did not have any comparable substitutions. If I had time I'd have just ordered a different combo altogether because a combo with 2 or less diverse offerings is not really why anyone orders a combo off of their menu. They also could have been better informed in general that they were out of something so when an order is placed time is not wasted and it's mentioned from the outset. The chips and salsa are pretty good though. And the ingredients were fresh and simple but not filling. The combo did not fill me up and I usually get full pretty easily/quickly (but eat several times daily #bruceleediet). The corn mash on the side is also surprisingly tasty - like a deconstructed sweet corn bread but moist and lightly sweet. Unexpectedly good. But the server who was also the bartender (short staffed I guess) was the best part - she tried her best to manage it all and brought extra hot sauce (which was really good) and drink orders out in a timely manner. However she could have maybe improved her suggestions for substitutions when they run out. read more

I'm so happy this place is still open! I love their outside sitting. We were there for happy hour. The manager Vanessa greeted us with a warm welcoming. I requested a table outside with a tv view, Vanessa made sure to get what we wanted. Thank you! Our server Norma was the best! She was right on top of our drinks making sure we never went empty. Always friendly. We will definetely be coming back! read more

This place is amazing. Good food. Ernesto was on point. Amazing service. Bottomless mimosas. Heck! What else do you want?

My family and I were brought in and seated and our drink order was not even taken. No chips and salsa, nothing. About 5 minutes later still nothing and another family was seated near us. Another 5 minutes goes by and then that family gets waited on. We were so frustrated, plus we were super hungry. After another 5 minutes of nothing we got up and walked out. The place is really just one big bar anyway. The last time I actually did eat there I was surprised by how the quality of the food had gone down. We were still craving Mexican food so we experimented with a new place called Chiquita Bonita on Colorado Blvd. It is a quaint little spot but were we ever pleased! Even though there was a crowd there we were waited on instantly! Chips Salsa and drinks were all at our table within minutes of being seated. Then the food was delicious!!! And since it was out first time there the owner gave us a free flan! Ah the little things that give it that personal touch, that's what will keep us coming back! If you were heading to El Torrito I suggest B-Lining over to Chiquita Bonita a few minutes away from there. You will be glad you did! read more

What awful service!!! The food is fine, but the customer service is Terrible so i had to tell everyone. I ordered a street taco and halibut taco To go. My fault for not saying I wanted it a la carte but its also the waitress' fault for not asking either. She brought me two huge orders of some "TRIO"... I never said that! I felt bad and immediately apologized and she said nothing and fixed my order. But the way I was given the taco was not okay.. (See photo on their page). Hardly any meat, one tortilla, no lime, so lame. The meat tasted fine but the way they presented and served it was not worth $4. Not even close. I talked to a manager about it (which I have NEVER done) and she was like "oh yes the waitress told me about this. ..This is how it comes. ... Do you want me to just wrap it for you?" It just wasn't even worth it. I was so mad. Taste fine. Bad service. read more

El Torito - Ordered a taco to go.SERIOUSLY?!?! What the hell! $4?!!?! Wow. You can get better tacos ANYWHERE ELSE. - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

What happened to El Torito!! I was a patron with family years ago and have not been back in awhile. I was really frustrated with the poor service and how the place looked when I came back for the first time. They do have a good lunch spread, I went safe and had the tacos and they were ok. Meat was dry and it needed a lot of salsa. The beers are limited on tap so a margarita is a good choice, but I haven't had one in awhile. The service was really bad, I waited awhile in the front and then just sat at the bar and waited there for another 10 minutes. The bartender apologized and I was served promptly, but no smile and no personality to anyone there. This place I think is busy for brunch and maybe later night crowds but it has not changed much, but the things it has changed, are not good. read more

This is by far my family's favorite place to brunch on a Sunday morning. We've been patrons at this location for over 16 years and the buffet has gone through some positive changes over the past year. The quality of food at this particular location has become outstanding, more authentic and presents itself beautifully. We find ourselves over-indulging a little bit more on their various ceviche selections (this time at least 5), their taco choices with their famous fresh hand made corn tortillas and their hot dishes which included two kinds of shrimp tamales today. I even noticed that the orange juice that they use in their bottomless mimosa's have become fresher and tastier. Well done El Torito staff! read more

All I ask for is delicious food and great service and that's what I get here at El Torito. I loved it more after Ashley helped us because she was so sweet and patient with my crazy family. read more

Came during Happy Hour and it was great! We had a fantastic server named Crystal who was very quick and friendly! We enjoyed our food as usual and are leaving with happy stomachs. They have some of the best strawberry mango margaritas around and the food and service by Crystal was terrific!!! read more

Pros: great atmosphere, great service, guac made at the table, draft Corona and Dos Equis. Recommend: taco salad. Cons: food lacks flavor, no fresh seafood, weird parking setup. Will be back. read more

Ashley was, and has been a phenomenal server for me every time I come here! She makes sure that my drinks are kept full and always cold. I always sit where she is! Thursday night football at its best! read more

Service was great Beto our server was amazing definitely will be coming back food was delicious. Will definitely be our new brunch place . Vero the manager really has her staff on point . Really great customer service over all . Thank you el torito Pasadena for the awesome experience. read more

Great service Beto was great and very on point. Greg was very helpful as well. Best brunch ever. Definitely will come back and recommend.

beto and the manager rick delivered great service during our co workers sunday brunch!

Went here today for lunch thinking they might still have the buffet. Seems that's a thing of the past so I settled for the lunch menu. I don't know what happened, but El Torito used to stand for something and used to be good. Now it's just downright awful. I had the chicken enchilada and beef taco combo and was talked into a side salad (more on this in a sec). When the food came, it looked rather tired. The taco shell was soaked through with grease and literally only had some kind of meat mixture and some wilted lettuce. That's it. No cheese, no salsa, nothing. The jack in the box tacos are a step up from these. That's not to demean the jack in the box tacos, I actually like them but since I can get them 2 for a buck, I expected a little more. The enchilada was mostly grissly chicken meat and just plain not very good. The shining star was the salad which i can to find out was a $4 addition, most places let you add a side salad for $.99 which is kind of what i expected. All in all, this place is a loser. For $15 i had a meal that was worth about $5 (being generous because of the salad). I should have just gone to Chipotle next door. Oh well, live an learn I guess. read more

Great service by Ashly and the food was delicious happy hour is always a great time here at El Torito of Pasadena.

First off great parking haven't been to Pasadena much used to live here but I walked into the restaurant and behind the bar is an amazing bartender name Greg refreshing great Hospitality professional involved with the guests at the bar makes you feel comfortable great taco Tuesday great spread for 2.99 a taco I definitely will recommend to this restaurant not only for the fresh food but for the staff especially Greg the bartender read more

I came here with a visiting friend and sat at the bar. From start to finish, EVERYTHING WAS AWESOME! Food was amazing (we ordered the big family style entree because "leftovers" were the goal....and GD the food reheats very well!), drinks kept coming, and we left so happy. This was three weeks ago, but so worth it to rave about it afterwards. This is gonna have to me my "out of towner" restaurant. read more

We come here for our monthly dive club meetings. The food is okay, not great, but the servers are friendly and especially the gal assigned to our private meeting room. She takes good care of us. read more

El Torito - Michelada Monday! - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Everything was wonderful!Crystal was very attentive and my favorite appetizer is the bacon wrapped shrimp!This place never disappoints!

Glad my sons favorite "Brunch" is Back and to all the nice and patient servers thank you, specially Carlos and Greg who helped us.

Came here for all you can eat buffet. Richard was our server, he was incredible. The hospitality of the whole place exceeded our expectations. He was very attentive, food was great, drinks were great we will most definitely be back!! Thank you for a great holiday brunch and awesome service!! read more

BETO WAS GREAT!!! I come every weekend! BETO BETO BETO!!! The food is always good and fresh! service is always nice too

First time here for lunch and loved the service from Mayra!! The food was good for the price

This is the second Friday in a row that my wife, my father-in-law and I have dined here and so far, El Torito has not disappointed us. The food is superb, especially the all-you-can-eat beer-battered shrimp and most particularly the excellent service. Kudos to our server, Herman, who has continually provided us with great service. We have become regulars in this restaurant. read more