I gave it one star because the food was not bad. The service was horrible. We were 4 adults and 1 child. I ordered an ice tea and my child ordered pineapple juice. The other ladies ordered their drinks. It took a very long time to get our drinks. Our waiter, Alex did not come to our table for 15 or 20 minutes. We started looking around to find someone to take our order. Our waiter, Alex finally came back and took our order. When our food came, we noticed that our tacos did not come with what the menu said they came with. When we asked Alex, he didn't know what we were talking about. We had to show him on the menu. He then said, that the kitchen just forgot. He went to the kitchen and came back with some green dipping sauce. He never apologized. Just set it on the table and walked away. We ran out of water, ice tea, coke, etc. He never once refilled our drinks. He never even came back to ask how we were doing or if we needed water. One of my friends had to get up and ask the bartender for water because my child was so thirsty. We complained to another waiter that we were not happy with our service since we were not actually getting any service. Our waiter came back to our table and when we told him our dissapointment with the way he was treating us. He told us that he refused to serve us and he walked away almost knocking down another table as he walk away mad that we had complained of his bad service. Really?? You refuse to serve us. Wait a minute here, we are the victims here. We asked another waiter to please call the manager. The manager, Sheila came to our table and accused us of using profanity and causing customers to complain. We never used profanity. We had a child at the table. We knew the familly sitting directly behind us who can testify we did not cause any problems nor use any profanity. The manager was worse than the waiter. She didn't care about our complaint. Neve apologized and didn't do anything other than turn her back on us. Honestly, this is the worse experience I've ever had in a restaurant. We are in contact with many people due to the nature of our professsion and believe me I will tell everyone I come in contact with not to patronize El Toritos in the San Leandro Marina. When we left, we decided to ask for the name and contact information for the owner or Sheila's(the manager)boss. The hostess didn't know. Three different waiters didn't know. We asked to speak to Sheila again to get the corporate contact information and she didn't show up. I personally walked around and the hostess was hiding by the kitchen waiting for us to leave. She was joking around with one of the guys that worked there. We waited 10 minutes for Sheila but no one showed up. No one helped us. We just stood there. Finally, one of the workers walked up and we asked him for the contact information. He went to the hostess area and looked in a white three-ringed binder. He gave us the phone number. Well, I will be calling. It will be interesting to see how professional coorporate of El Torito is. Obviously, they made a poor choice in hiring Sheila, the manager and Alex the waiter. read more

El TORITO is excellent in every way. They have made the place their own. I love the new decoration. After returning to Cincinnati, I returned to the Bay Area to work. Since we lived in San Leandro for seven years, I was staying there to visit friends. My first meal was dinner and it was fantastic and the waitress Valentina was extraordinary. She was friendly and very helpful. I started with the seafood trio. The dish turned out very fresh, fruity and bright. The shrimp were good, delicious. The homemade bacon wrapped shrimp was fantastic and was the perfect vehicle for the three tacos. For dinner the enchiladas with sour cream glaze. I took notes: corn cake is sweet, and it comes. With his dish I asked for an extra because it was exquisite as if freshly made. The shrimp and bacon sauce was delicious. I used the word "umami" when describing this food. Fantastic! I ordered a mojito with Four refreshing SelvaRey White Rum Mojitos. Original watermelon with blackberry, spicy mango and strawberry. Surprisingly good and beautiful, cold and covered in fruit. I really enjoyed my stay at this place. If I'm missing something, please let me and all those who visit Yelp before dining here for brunch, because I recommend it! All their managers are excellent and very dedicated in general all their staff If we find ourselves in San Leandro again we will make time to visit EL TORITO. You also should. read more

I'm deeply disappointed with the service my family and I experienced at the San Leandro location of El Toritos on August 24. As loyal patrons, frequently dining at this location and the Milpitas one, we've always expected better. Our visit was marred by poor service from our waiter, Alberto. After taking our order, he never returned to our table, despite our attempts to get his attention for additional chips and dip. Instead, he chose to stand by another table, chatting with a colleague. Alberto didn't check on us after our food arrived, and some items were incorrect, likely because he didn't bother to write down our order. The restaurant wasn't busy--only six families were in our area--so there's no excuse for this neglect. We had to ask another waiter to bring our bill and to-go boxes. For a $100 meal, the service was completely unacceptable and not reflective of the quality we've come to expect from El Toritos. Additionally, I want to mention a previous visit where I had the buffet. The food was old and cold, yet I wasn't allowed to order from the regular menu because the buffet was ending in 30 minutes. This added to my dissatisfaction with this location. I hope management addresses these issues to prevent future service failures. We've always valued El Toritos, but our recent experiences have been disappointing. read more

I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation for Yuliana, our server during our recent visit. From the moment we were seated, Yuliana's attentiveness was immediately evident. She greeted us with a warm smile and made us feel welcomed, instantly setting a positive tone for our dining experience. Yuliana took the time to explain the dining experience in detail, ensuring that we knew what to expect and answering any questions we had. She skillfully made recommendations for drinks that complemented our meal perfectly, showcasing her knowledge of the menu. Throughout our meal, especially since we were a large family celebrating my wife's birthday, Yuliana consistently checked in on our table, making sure that everyone was satisfied and had everything they needed. Her proactive nature and genuine concern for our experience made a significant difference. Her professionalism and exceptional service truly stood out, transforming our celebration into something special. I feel that Yuliana deserves recognition for her hard work and dedication, as she went above and beyond to make our evening memorable. Thank you, Yuliana, for your outstanding service! This shout is for you Yuliana read more

I went to their brunch last weekend and the food and service were great as always. However, a table of customers started fighting and I saw the staff immediately try to call the police and from what I saw the staff was a bit panicked just like the customers, which is completely understandable. Some people started yelling at the staff and yelled at the manager, who I saw was honestly trying his best with this stressful situation, but a lot of people dont seem to understand that just because they work there doesn't mean they need to risk their safety with something they can't control, really the best they could've done was call the cops but of course they won't get there instantly. I did hear someone call the cops. There's also not much you can do once they leave the restaurant and continue fighting, again the only thing you can really do is call the cops but some people don't understand that. I'll still be coming back, because if the table hadn't started fighting it would've been a great experience. Other times, this place is great to spend time with family or friends so this experience shouldn't deter people from visiting again. read more

Their location failed to meet our expectations. Our reservation did not prevent us from waiting an excessive amount of time while new arrivals received their tables before us. The restaurant shows signs of deterioration while the bathroom facilities remain in poor condition with only one operational stall that attracted a long queue. The dining experience failed to meet our expectations. The "Ignited Fajitas Suprema" arrived at the table sizzling but most parts were either burnt or overcooked and the presentation differed completely from the images. The dish contained minimal onions and bell peppers while the shrimp, chicken and steak served as dry portions. The high price of $30 does not justify the subpar quality of the meal. The margaritas at this establishment tasted more like juice than traditional cocktails. The service delivery was unpredictable because staff members took their time to provide basic items like napkins and silverware while showing no enthusiasm for addressing customer complaints. I will not visit this location again because numerous superior Mexican restaurants exist throughout the Bay Area. read more

I used to love going to this place with family and friends, but the past few times i have gone, it has been a complete mess. The service was terrible, the waiter took forever to come take our order, got me and my husband's salad 5 minutes before our food arrived, and gave me an attitude when I asked him for a cup of water with ice. And that is not the only time they have screwed up my order. About a week ago my husband and I went there to have dinner, and we both ordered VIRGIN margaritas. The waitress came back with two glasses of margarita in the fancy cups, and we began to drink them when my husband realized that she gave us margaritas with alcohol. And what really made me upset was that I am only 20 years old, and she did not even think about the order and got me an alcoholic drink without checking for an ID. Then when it came to paying, usually they give a free drink for making a mistake especially a big one like that, and she ended up charging us more for alcoholic drinks, when we never ordered them in the first place. I might never go back to the one in SL ever again. read more

I've been going to this El Torito's location in San Leandro for over 30 years. This was my GO-TO spot since college dates, to family gatherings, and special events. This restaurant has become a place of DEPRESION since last year (I still go there because of the water view). Last month during Happy Hour -1 Server, NO Bartenders for "HAPPY HOUR", imagine that. Food is just thrown on the plate. Never mind... I went there again today. Ordered a Margarita Flight - all the drinks were watered down, no flavor, no alcohol (pre-made/iced down), not even a color in the drinks, just sugar water lightly flavored. I tried to sip it down, but couldn't take it. I asked the server if you've changed recipes, she checked with Bartender, and they BOTH LIED, saying it's always been that way.... It's useless to argue with such IGNORANT people. I just paid and left. I doubt I'll come back, not even for the Water View... Management, apparently SUCKS!!!!!!!! read more

Came here with a large group (about 15 people) for a friend's sister's graduation dinner. At first, the waiter did a great job, welcoming us and getting everyone's order. The food came within a reasonable amount of time, but after a while everyone's drinks started running low. We looked for our waiter and finally snagged another guy who was walking by. He said he would go find our waiter. After 5 minutes, he returned and said he didn't know where our waiter was but that he would help us with anything we needed. He then had to return to his own tables. We never saw our waiter again that night. We requested from a different server to see the manager, who apologized but did nothing to alleviate the frustration. I asked about the gratuity which is automatically added for large groups and requested it not be added as we were very disappointed with the service. I believe he obliged, but I did not get to see the final bill. read more

Came here on Friday with a few friends and the food was amazing! The manager Santiago was very attentive and respectful as always. He took the time to give me recommendations from the menu based on my preferences, quick to give me several great choices despite being busy. Very kind and humble guy! Definitely makes us feel welcomed whenever he's able to take the time to chat with us for a minute. The food took some time to get to the table but it was worth the wait. I ordered the fajitas and they were amazing, it's my favorite thing to get here. Our server was very kind and made sure we had everything we needed. I've been a costumer here for years, ever since I moved to San Leandro, and it's become a favorite amongst my friends and I whenever we want to meet up for both its great service and its food and drinks. Highly recommend!! read more

Upon entering it has an excellent energy, the people who welcomed us were warm and the place is very welcoming. Excellent gastronomic experience we had with my family and friends. I would recommend it for an afternoon date along with happy hour. It has very good food and delicious drinks, like margaritas, paloma or shot. The happy hour menu is very complete and variable. The atmosphere is cheerful and informal and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable and tries perfectly to help with the preferences we had based on the food. The service that the waitress Valentina gave us was very remarkable. Traditional Mexican food offers a variety of fajitas enchiladas, it also has very good family combos to share with the family. accommodation... We had a fabulous evening. Thank you EL TORITO San Leandro! read more

Absolutely outstanding service from Yuliana at El Torito! From the moment I sat down, she greeted me with a warm smile and an energy that instantly made me feel welcome. Her attentiveness and professionalism were top-notch--she anticipated my needa before we even had to ask! What truly stood out was her amazing personality; Yuliana has a way of connecting with her guests that makes the dining experience feel personal and enjoyable. She effortlessly balanced efficiency with friendliness, ensuring everything was perfect while still taking the time to engage with me. Yuliana's commitment to excellence and her genuine enthusiasm for providing great service make her a true gem. We'll definitely be back, thanks to her incredible hospitality! Highly recommend asking for her if you visit El Torito. read more

I came to visit my son from San Diego and wanted to visit El Torito. I was really excited about the reviews. I was looking at the place and wanted to know the bar and what drinks they had. Waitress Valentina recommended the black diamond margarita. OMG I loved the drink. Everything they say about her is true, she is very fast and helpful and I ordered too. some flutes and I had to lose more because they were very good. The gelatin sauces are really good. My visit was phenomenal. I was very happy talking to Valentina. She was very attentive and pleasant. I had a great time. I recommend this place to go and enjoy good deals and I totally recommend the Black Diamond drinks. Next time I return from San Diego I will visit El Tirito, great staff, great food and great atmosphere. read more

While the food was okay, the service was slow, but that is not even the worse. While dinning there was a drunk lady with no mask on parading around the restaurant for hours, no one stopped her; she said she worked there which made sense because the staff laughed and ran from her as she walked around the restaurant and twerked on the floor she also tried to snatch some of the staff masks off then came to our table and tried to physically assault a guest, and called her a bitch several times, no one said or did anything just laughed and allowed her to carry on, we had to tell staff that they needed to get her. If this is how this business conducts themselves this is horrible, they need new management. I would not recommend dining at El Torito San Leandro. read more

I wish I could have given it less than that. The food was cold, the service was horrible and the waiters and manager were rude and disrespectful. This was by far the worst evening I have spent anywhere in a very long time. The waiters keep walking by the table like you're invisible and when they do stop all you here is that's not my job ...I'm just here to clear the table but then you only clear the plates and not the glasses. This is insane!! Then to top it all off you lose my credit card and then threaten to put me out because I'm upset that you lost my card. What kind of customer service is that. I ask the MANAGER if she is looking for my card and she tells me I'M BUSY ...I HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO!! NO NEVER AGAIN!!! read more

I love this place, my family and I been coming to this place for years, I love the Cadillac margaritas and the Cesar salad but I have to admit that the main reason we keep coming back is Beto's customer service, he's unique, funny, friendly and attentive, even when he's busy he always goes the extra mile to make sure we have a good time, he definitely knows how to makes us feel welcome and appreciate of our business, I had invited many of my friends, it's funny that they always make sure to get Beto as their server/ bartender, I don't blame them because even that food and drinks are good but definitely won't be the same without Beto's charisma, I'm so glad they still able to operate during COVID-19 read more

Was at this place last night! Had the worst service you could ever have. I would not return here! The management is worse then the servers I am surprised that they stay In business ! She was the rudest manager I have ever seen and to deal with! She needs to find a new job or go back to manager training ! As for the server he definitely needs a new job , because he does not know how to deal with the public unless you are a friend of his then you will be treated great! If you want a great experience do not go to this restaurant ! The sad part is we were just in the bar are for happy hour just think what it would have been like eating dinner!!!! I really did not want to give it any star. read more

I rarely take the time to write reviews, but my recent experience at El Torito was exceptional and compelled me to share. On a particularly challenging workday, I decided to treat myself to lunch at El Torito with no specific expectations. To my delight, Eduardo, our server, exceeded all expectations and turned my day around. Despite a busy atmosphere, his attentiveness and excellent recommendations stood out. I opted for the Black Diamond Margarita and the Sizzling Chicken Enchiladas, both of which were outstanding choices. Eduardo's service was a highlight of the experience, and I am looking forward to returning to El Torito to have the pleasure of being served by him again. read more

We had such a fantastic time dining at El Torito in San Leandro! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the food was everything you'd expect from great Mexican cuisine -- fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. But what really made our visit exceptional was our server, Efrain. He was incredibly attentive, friendly, and made us feel truly welcomed. He checked on us just the right amount, made great menu suggestions, and made sure everything came out perfectly. You can tell he genuinely cares about the customer experience -- such a rare find! Highly recommend this location if you're in the area. Ask for Efrain -- you'll be in great hands! read more