I had never been here before, but was able to visit with a friend and her son, it was a great time! Our service was very friendly! I loved my food, I had tasty and savory Birria tacos, SO SO good, as well as great chips and salsa! To round off the whole meal I had a great mezcal margaritas! Smoky and delicious! Happy I could check this place out! Can't wait to go back read more

El toro bravo 71 st - Mexican Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

This Northeast side location of El Toro Bravo is the latest in a small, family-owned mini-chain that started in 1998 in Champaign, Illinois. It continues to be Midwest only with spots here in Indiana along with Kentucky and Ohio. At this point, it looks like El Toro Bravo's strongest presence is in Indiana. This location is quite new. For those familiar with this side of town, this is the spot that was held by G.T. South's and for about a year by Roots Burger Bar. It's a small strip center with GiGi's on the opposite end and Long Thanh, a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant, also present. There's a decent wheelchair ramp on the east end of the building, though I have noticed it can occasionally get blocked. There's also one about midway down along with a parking spot there. There's an accessible spot right next to Greek's (also in the parking lot) and that's where I parked today, though it's not actually ADA. There's a double-entryway - not super wheelchair friendly, however, it's workable. Once you enter, accessibility is fine. The decor here is fabulous. It's got the festive aura you're used to with Mexican restaurants, however, it has a more serious tone. I really, really liked it. The chairs are also quite nice (I stayed in my wheelchair, though I took note of the chairs). As was true for Roots, there's a bar on one side and a more traditional dining room on the other. El Toro Bravo does have some televisions on the wall, though they are not intrusive at all. Employees are friendly, though I'll admit they looked at me enough that I quietly checked to see if I had a booger hanging on my nose. I didn't. Prices here are a bit elevated. This is also a fairly heavy Mexican corner with La Hacienda, La Casa Grande, and Chipotle all across the street in the strip center right off Binford. If I were to rank the four, and I've been to all four, it would be: 1. El Toro Bravo 2. La Casa Grande 3. La Hacienda 4. Chipotle The food quality here was stellar. Everything was served hot and the order size was outstanding. This is a little more hidden - it's worth looking for. I thought about experimenting a bit, but I ultimately went with one of my faves - Arroz Con Pollo and my unsweetened iced tea. I was pleased they also brought out water - along with the always desired chips and salsa. The salsa had a bit of a kick to it. As you can see from my photo, the serving size on Arroz Con Pollo was a bit overwhelming. I've never, and I mean never, had a serving I couldn't finish. I didn't finish this and ended up taking at least 1/3 if not 1/2 home. Business was a bit light, though that was also because I came at an off time. They do have signage (which Roots never got here) - hopefully that will help. I'll admit I'm wrestling a bit with rating - 4.5 is probably a little more accurate, however, I can't really say anything is "wrong." The service was great, the folks were welcoming, the decor is awesome, the food was both generous and tasty, and I really enjoyed my time here. So, I'm sticking with a 5-star rating and recommending we welcome El Toro Bravo to the neighborhood. read more

El toro bravo 71 st - Arroz Con Pollo. - Mexican Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Let me first start by saying I miss Roots! Okay, now that that's out of the way... This restaurant completely took us by surprise. Everything we tried was excellent and seasoned well. I got a burrito/taco combo and I thought the refried beans were the best I have ever had. The guacamole was excellent as we added that to our chips and salsa. My kids usually hate going to get Mexican food but they told us often during dinner how great this place was. We all loved the decor. It is tasteful and definitely upscale for a local Mexican restaurant. The only reason I am choosing to give 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the cost of the food. I was a bit in sticker shock when I received our check at the end of the meal. We are accustomed to Mexican food being a bit more of a value and El Toro is certainly on the pricey side. However, it is great food and we are always looking for good neighborhood restaurants! read more

El toro bravo 71 st - Inside dining area - Mexican Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Bad!!! Everything!!! Service very slow. Language barrier and I had to use google translate just to order. The menu was misleading. Bar code indicated there were à la carte items available and then we discovered it was only for lunch item items. It should be clarified. read more

awesome place . fast & great service. Emmanuel is the NEW manager and hes super cool and very attentive . absolutely recommend! read more

El toro bravo 71 st - Forgot to take a picture of the food it looked so good . I got an enchilada, a burrito and a taco absolutely delicious - Mexican Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Wowza, watch out Verde and all other Mexican places. El Toro is coming for you!! This is absolutely THE BEST Mexican food in the North side of Indy. Very friendly staff, huge variety of delicious selections, and amazing drinks. The top shelf Cadillac Margarita is served bubbling with dry ice. Super fun and tasty cocktail. read more

El toro bravo 71 st - Chimichangas and The Boss burrito. Delish!! And HUGE. - Mexican Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

There was a for sale sign on this establishment a while back. I noticed that there currently was a large "OPEN' sign last week so I thought we should try it out. Not busy at all but there was a host and one server/bartender/manager who was working out front. Not sure how many in the kitchen. We got chips and water right away, but it took a while to get our drinks and finally order our dinner. The House Margaritas were actually pretty good size and have a piece of dry ice in the bottom that made for an interesting look at the table. We really liked the drinks. Food took too long to order, but once we did order, the food came out pretty quick. My wife had the chimichangas and I had the flautos. Both were very well prepared, good quantities and very tasty. The refried beans were outstanding. There is another Mexican restaurant or two nearby but I believe the quality and their bar program at El Toro Bravo is far superior, but also being a bit more expensive. Would love to see them stay open, but they need servers. The Manager/ordertaker, who does like to converse, told us they are having a hard time finding staff. We'll plan on going back soon to try some of the rest of the menu and a margarita or two! read more

Delicious food! I got the chipotle fajitas which was a huge portion of steak, chicken, pork, veggies and pineapple, sauced to perfection in chipotle and served with all the fixings. I was only able to eat half and easily had another meal for the week. My husband go the burrito, and although was a little bummed/sad it didn't come with any sides, also could not argue with the flavor. This place feels a little pricey for a Mexican restaurant around here, but I do think their food stands out and does offer its own perspective when compared to its competition. The $10 house margarita is also huge and I'd argue could be sold as two. This location has been tough on restaurants, and the space feels very large so just hoping they can make it work as they will be in our weeknight-need-a-marg rotation! read more

Give this place a try for sure !! The ambiance inside this Mexican restaurant trumps most if not all in the local area. The bar is stocked and they have margarita machines with your favorite flavor of frozen drinks ready to pour. The high back leather seats create a comfortable place to relax and eat. I would 100% recommend the Fish Ceviche. Also pictured is the Acapulco. read more

See all

Incredible Quessabirria's and huge margaritas with special effects (Vapor and Bubbles). The service was handled well for one server handling the entire bar side. Will be back soon! read more

El toro bravo 71 st - House Marg - Mexican Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

Food was amazing! Service was amazing! Ambiance was so nice. Not your typical Mexican restaurant. Food was so fresh. Big screens and tvs in the bar. This will be our new "go to" neighborhood Mexican restaurant. Must try. read more

See all

Group of 4 on a Saturday w/ a reservation. Everyone was served their waters within 45 mins while 1 member had to wait for an additional 15mins to finally receive theirs. Other tables started to leave since there was a lack of attention from the staff. Then our party was on the way to head out before the staff came to apologize and inform us there is only 1 chef this evening. We should had been notified before being seated. Other patrons that came in after us had been treated to faster water service than us. We will not be returning. Others just plain left. They offered apologies & ultimately we decided to give them a chance to bring our now to-go orders. One was not prepared correctly and that member of the party was fed up w/ the terrible service and left it. We then had to track down a staff member to just pay so we can just leave. Other patrons walked in wanting to be seated, all to be ignored and left before being seated. Hopefully this restaurant is not like this all the time. Best wishes to do better. read more

Patron margarita! Great environment and food. Excited to have them in the neighborhood! read more

El toro bravo 71 st - Mexican Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

We came here for a birthday dinner and left very disappointed. First, our waitress seemed distracted and got a few things wrong while taking our order. When our food arrived, four of us ordered chimichangas, which were good, but the rice and beans that came with them were cold. We mentioned this to our waitress and asked for more beans, but when she brought them back, it wasn't the same rice or beans we originally had. On top of that, two others in our group didn't enjoy their meals--the tacos and enchiladas were underwhelming. When we asked to speak with the manager, he was rude from the start. Instead of trying to address the situation, he implied we should have been more specific with the waitress about getting the same rice and beans. If the food is wrong, wouldn't you expect to get exactly what you ordered, just served correctly? Unfortunately, this experience fell far below our expectations, especially for a special occasion. read more

Like an upscale Mexican restaurant. The greeting at the door to the waiter at our seat was great. She didn't speak much English but was so gracious to let me try my broken Spanish with her. She was so sweet. Too many choices of great drinks to choose from. The food was to die for with a huge proportion. I had the seafood pineapple and couldn't eat it all. The lighting is dim and relaxing and plenty of space for big crowds. Also lots of tvs for sports fans. Definitely a great place to visit and try again. read more

Wow, the fresh flavors were amazing!! Great margaritas! The bar is nice but the restaurant is beautiful!

The food was upscale Mexican and very good. I had the quesebirria, which was delicious. Portions were just right

I want this place to succeed so bad! Unfortunately, they do all they can to run people off. Long haired Bartender ignored us while talking to off hours employees. Then was angry with us because we wanted the Colts game on big TV. When we reminded her for the third time about our beers we ordered, she snapped back, "I am the only Server here!" There were 2 tables in dining room ( a two top and six top). We were only 3 , except for really drunk employees in bar. So not staffed for 11 Guests. Two words to describe Bartender- Slow, Rude 4th time there-service has been an issue everytime. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE EL TORRO IN NEW PAL! 71ST is AWFUL! read more

Very nice decorum, and the bartender really went the extra mile to make the drink special

The food was great, the service was amazing, and ambience was subtle and quiet. The manager was very accommodating and patient due to me having a large party. Thank you. read more

Wait staff was wonderful, ambiance lovely, and food delicious! We came on Mother's Day and had an amazing experience! You definitely need to check out this new location! read more

My dining experience was unfortunately quite disappointing. The steak was overcooked and tough, while my friend's tacos arrived cold and lacked flavor. The service was equally problematic. We repeatedly had to flag down our waiter to refill our drinks, and despite multiple requests, my friend's order arrived, in a Togo box without even paying or requesting for one.Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

El Toro has just opened but the atmosphere and service were great. I was worried that another Mexican restaurant would blur with the others but I would say that El Toro stands above the others. I had the carnitas verde and it was delicious - I would definitely get it again! One of my friends had a mango margarita on the rocks with was so good. We will definitely be back! read more

Unlike Casa Santa, a Mexican restaurant trying to be upscale, this place gets it. Mexican food is about fun and flavor. From when you are greeted by disco and 80s music, to the dry ice bubbling margaritas, this is about having a good time. The salsa was spicy enough to satisfy the spice lover without driving away the less exotic. The flavor of the food was good with a bit of chipotle flavor to the beef. Everything was tasty. read more

Tried it out on Memorial Day. What a great addition to the neighborhood. This was by FAR the best Mexican restaurant we have found on the N.E. side of Indianapolis. The food and service was excellent. This is in the old G.T. South BBQ space West of Binford on 71st Street. Please support this business. They are doing things right. Let's keep them going. read more

The food is just a bit higher level than your typical Mexican restaurant. The pineapple item is yummy.

Tried to come in and watch the Colts game. A friend said they were trying to build their football Sunday business. Well, good luck. They only have one server on the floor, the game only on 2 TVs (the big tv had golf) and we had to ask her to put on the sound. Plus some employees at the bar making out and being loud. Oh well, maybe the next restaurant in this space will be better. read more

Very surprised to see any negative reviews here. We've gotten takeout a couple of times and it was delicious but El Toro Bravo is definitely worth a visit! The decor is awesome, the staff was super attentive and welcoming. And the food was amazing. They are offering some great specials for football Sundays so take advantage. We did not find the pricing high (as some others have commented) considering the quality of the food. Please support this great restaurant- we'd like to keep them around!! read more

We visited this past Saturday. Food was good. Large portions. A little pricier than some other local Mexican restaurants. Service was great. Good sized margaritas for $10.00. Chips were warm and crispy. Nice atmosphere with a friendly staff. read more

Amazing!!! All the locations seem to be amazing, EL TORO GETS IT! Especially the one on 71st & binford. Saul our server was awesome as well

We sat in the bar side of the restaurant. We could easily watch the college football games from any table. The bar is quite impressive! Multiple frozen drink machines were churning. Our margaritas were incredible! I had the carnitas with salsa verde beans rice and a nice fresh amount of toppings for the taco I made with piping hot CORN tortillas! The owner stopped to chat with us twice. I am ready to go back! read more

The extensive menu, genuine friendly welcome, portion sizes and their amazing Sprvisl Margarita

This place is amazing!! Great service, delicious food, fun atmosphere and the owner is so personable. Highly recommend you check it out... unless you take my seat at the bar read more

delicious food, great ambience, and excellent service! very friendly! so glad to have something so close to walk to!