Poor service on top of the food being served soggy ( about 1/2 an ounce of hot water in my Chicken Burrito leaking into my plate while trying to eat it, and when I brought it to her attention and showed it to her, no apologies or any concerns! My Soda being served in an 8 Oz. Plastic water cup, and the waitress never checking back for a refill, even though I confirmed with her that I'm entitled to a refill, and asked for additional Chips and Salsa, but never got served. Above all when I needed to use the restroom at the end, a very rude and unprofessional hostess confronted me with a very bad attitude! Someone who noticed it said the bathroom is very dirty and the water splashes all over, go somewhere else ! It seemed like these 2 young ladies were playing waitress, Hostess, Busser & cook at the same time !!! We will never go back here. But still left a 20% tip anyway . read more

This long time Capitola establishment is well known by locals, therefore it was given to try their food. While perusing their Menu, I was told by my pleasant server they were 'known for their enchiladas'. With that said, I ordered an Enchilada/ Taco combination, choosing beef for the Taco and Chicken for the enchilada. Yearning for a tasty marguerita during the short wait for my food, and finding no liquor on their menu, a Bohemia sufficed along with rather stale chips and REALLY good salsa! The food arrived very quickly and on its presentation, found it all to be similarly colored. The overall taste was BLAND. The taco meat had no flavor whatsoever, and the Enchilada sauce was so tasteless another salsa was ordered to add 'something' to the few bites taken. The price point for this was not one $. Too much for too little. Great location though!! read more

El Toro Bravo - Capitola - Mexican Near Me - Capitola, California

In Capitola this week and decided to try somewhere new for lunch. Stopped by El Toro Bravo right near the beach in Downtown Capitola and got a great meal. The waitresses were super friendly and prompt. Drink and chips came immediately along with some great salsa. Ate a Enchilada/Taco plate, both with Carnitas. The crispy taco was stuffed full and the enchilada was fantastic. Served with beans and rice. I would return for lunch anytime. read more

Excellent chicken nachos! Served with real cheddar cheese, shredded chicken, tomatoes, refried beans, sour cream and guacamole. Ordered them to-go and my husband and I ate them picnic-style while sitting on a bench overlooking the beach. Our order was served to me quickly, came with plenty of napkins, forks, and was packaged neatly. Friendly service, too. read more

Oh my gosh, when I want delicious cheese enchiladas, El Toro Bravo hits the spot. I was introduced to this place by my boyfriend when we were both students at UCSC. His family has been stopping by here on their camping trips since he was a little kid and have been big fans of El Toro Bravo for the last 20 years. His family's devotion to this restaurant is such that when one of them eats here, that person calls the others to brag and make them jealous. I moved away from Santa Cruz over a year ago, and still have not found enchilada sauce that compares with that of El Toro Bravo. It's really interesting because it's not the normal red mole sauce you find on most enchiladas, but an intriguing reddish-orange color. The best part is that they are not stingy with it, your plate will come half-covered in the wondrousness. I don't know what they put in that stuff (crack?), but it's addictive. My boyfriend and I were down in Moss Landing for a whale watching trip, and we made it a priority to go to El Toro Bravo in Capitola for lunch afterward. My little brother came along, and all three of us feasted with pleasure upon their delicious offerings. We all ordered the No. 8 "La Arena," 2 enchiladas + rice +beans. My bro and I chose cheese for our enchilada filling, and my boyfriend got beef and added an additional taco onto his order for good measure (we were all starving). Needless to say, there was very little conversation as we gorged ourselves. Note to onion-haters: most of their dishes come with onions, but the waitress is usually nice enough to ask if you want onions in your enchilada/taco/etc. Just in case though, if you loathe onions, you should request they be left out. Anyways, to wrap up, it's a pleasant and simple Mexican restaurant that serves amazing enchilada sauce in the lovely Capitola village. As other Yelpers have mentioned, you can park in the lot across the street for free, for about an hour if you get validation from El Toro Bravo. The parking lot attendant is quite the character (he wears a santa hat pretty much 24/7 and has a tendency to yell), he is really friendly to middle aged dads, but rather snarky to everyone else. read more

We walked out of Brittania Arms for rude service and wound up here. Waitress greeted us right away, got our drinks and gave us our menus and chips with salsa. I ordered chorizo with eggs, no rice or beans. My friend ordered a chicken enchilada. Mine was cooked perfectly and the chorizo was tasty. Tortillas store bought, handmade would have been better. Friends enchilada was yummy. Great service, yummy food. Will be back! read more

Awesome food, so good my wife and I drive from San Jose to Capitola just for the food. I've been coming here for 10 years and everyone I bring is hooked. The best enchaladas (especially with there salsa all over it) and there tacos are to die for. Have tried most the menu and nothing made me wish I didn't order it. A must for anyone who loves authentic Mexican food! read more

Hands down one of the best enchiladas I've ever tasted. Old family recipes are for real like the 808 kick drum is to hip hop, haha. read more

El Toro Bravo - Chili verde pork is mouth watering finger licking omg ahhh! - Mexican Near Me - Capitola, California

Over priced , cheap food, slow service. We won't go back. We ordered two dishes. Took 20 minutes to get it, food was below average. Dry hamburger , old fries. They need to consider who they are up against. read more

Loved this little restaurant! Excellent, attentive service the evening before Thanksgiving by a friendly and fun waitress. Great food with large portions. I ordered the beef taco salad and it was the best I've ever had. The beef was perfectly seasoned, the vegetables fresh and the shell, crispy. My son had the tamales and loved the sauce. Would definitely go back!! read more

I know I know this place has been here forever...I believe now it is time for the owners to consider an update of the cruddy decor especially for the price of the food and consider the quality (or lack thereof) of their comida (food). I had a horrible carne asada burrito (who the heck boils asada meat - YUCK) in a freezing cold restaurant, with odd tasting enchilada sauce on top of a very hard tortilla. The burrito had only boiled asada (again yuck) and lettuce. What the heck? No beans, no rice only bad tasting meat? Ok I have said enough. But really people where is the good mexican restaurant (not taqueria) in Santa Cruz County? read more

Sometimes you gotta respect a bold scam. Everything is weirdly grey and feels like it came out of a tube or the 2 for 1 grocery store deals on meat about to go bad. Ordered a $20 "falling apart tender" carnitas dish that amounted to dry grey meat cubes. Taco salad also grey. My gf finished the salad and it made her sick. I sent mine back and got some interesting passive aggressive pushback on it. Waitress seemed surprised and asked why I didn't like about. When I pointed out it was overcooked and under salted she was nice enough to explain that carnitas are supposed to be crispy. Which is funny considering the main moisture of the dish was the clammy oustide where the crisp on carnitas usually goes. All in all kind of a fun entertaining experience. read more

Too bad there isn't a "STOP SIGN" as a rating. The burrito was sloppy, disgusting brown lettuce, ground beef was even worse...soggy tiny ground up (like puke). I think the cat yacked it up first before it got to my plate. Go across the street --- much better. There was a line, and I wanted to try something new, that was a mistake this time around. ...and what kind of mexican restaurant doesn't have Carne Asada?? read more

For lunch I had: Taco Salad: I'm trying to be healthy here and while the portions were nice, it didn't stand out. The chips was very nice however. Crispy and not too greasy. Great deal on beer...$13 for jug of beer which was enough for six of us...awesome. Service was subpar...they seem to be very tired and just didn't seem to care. The chef kept staring into space thinking about surfing or something. They need some kind of team building event seriously. read more

I enjoy this places Chimichanga's - sometimes it isn't what I expect as the first time it was obviously deep friend yet multiple times after the first time which got me to return the plate has come out different, almost like a wet burrito. Yet I still am not complaining because I didn't send it back because it didn't look the same I enjoyed it and it wasn't an issue with me as I still felt the same satisfaction from the meal. Also the service just needs to hear your demands, if you want something just ask!!! They will provide... however if you sit there and wonder if your water glass will be filled - you'll be waiting for a long while, they have a solid staff but maybe they aren't the best at reading minds. Who is? read more

I wish I could give 3.5 stars. It's better than 3 and not quite 4: - friendly service - hot, cheesy, beany goodness - love the straight salsa with the chips. Perfect, perfect heat - great location Ground beef is a little bland, but just load it up with that killer salsa! read more

I was in town for a field trip with our school district summer camp and decided to stop by here for lunch. The atmosphere is great here, like an authentic cantina with the wonderful smells of grilling food hanging in the air. The service was prompt and the food is absolutely delicious. I would recommend this place if you're a Mexican food lover and/or looking for a quick bite that hasn't sacrificed quality. read more

I love their Sangria. And yes I know that is Spanish, but it's still good. I like that they have the option for veggie and seafood in their tamales and enchiladas. The beans are standard... I think they need a little update with a whole bean option. The spot is a while in the wall. However, it's the best Mexi you can get in the Village. read more

This is the place where you can buy the best crab taco with reasonable prices. Love the people that works here. Great service. Parking space an issue in summer and rush hours. I suggest to plan your visit accordingly. read more

A cute homestyle Mexican place in the heart of the Capitola espalande. Nothing fancy, just a solid place if you're okay with a no frills type of joint. I ordered a chicken soft taco, and one was more than plentiful. Pretty authentic flavors, if you ask me. The fresh chips and salsa were really great, as well. read more

3 stars overall with 4 stars for food. My husband and I went there yesterday. El Toro Bravo is a family owned business. Then entrance to the restaurant is basically the back end.of the restaurant; it is a little confusing. It is small - 10 tables and it seemed to be very busy. On a Saturday during dinner there was only one person taking orders, so that part took awhile, but the food came out pretty quick. My husband ordered the taco and enchilada combo. He said the enchilada was one of the best he's had. He finished everything on his plate, as if he licked it clean. I ordered the carnitas platter. YUMMY! It's a good reliable Mexican restaurant. It was recommended by a friend and a guy ordering food to go commented and said that it was worth the wait. We only waited 5 minutes to be seated. read more

The young adult with the curly hair gave me great service and would definitely recommend to my primos and tios.

It's OK I guess, the service was nice. The food was kind of bland for me, the salsa was week- everything was covered in cheap cheese, the same kind in my chili relleno. Why cant more restaurants use the good Mexican cheese, esp if its a cheese based dish. ! The Rice was dry ect... I would have to be really hungry to go back and spend my $$$ There are just better places in our Area. I was really hoping for a better meal, the reviews are so good... read more

Carnitas soft tacos come overloaded with pointless shredded iceberg and salsa fresca; once you wade down to the actual tortillas and meat, they're quite yummy. Chile verde is also delicious; beans and rice are also really good, as is the salsa that comes with the chips - it has a nice kick. The sangria is dangerous. Pricey, but that's due to the location. read more

Wonderful authentic Mexican food. The owners were very sweet, they are the granddaughters of the original owners. This is a wonderful family owned restaurant with great food right near the beach. What more could you ask for? read more

The service was slow even wi th empty house. The food has no flavor. Thos was disappointing considering the yelp stars. I have had much better food. We won't come back here. read more

El Toro Bravo - Enchilada and taco combination - Mexican Near Me - Capitola, California

See all

I was so hoping for a wonderful dinner here as it is walking distance from my house. My girlfriend said they had great fish tacos so we gave it a shot even though it was completely empty on a Friday night! The food was not good - I could not finish mine, it was that bad. Fish tacos - tasted ok but smelled fishy. I cannot eat fish if it smells even the slightest bit fishy. Hubby says they tasted a bit fishy too. Chile Relleno - eggs on top of a tiny sliver of chile and a tiny sliver of cheese - greasy and ick. Cheese Enchilada - sauce was blah - nothing special. The sauce makes the enchilada so this was a thumbs down experience for me. I won't be going back. read more

Great service and excellent food. Seat 49 ppl, so it's a small place but great atmosphere and right next to the beach! Ps the machaca is the bomb! read more

On the Beach: El Toro Bravo is around the corner of the Capitola Esplanade just a couple hundred feet from the beach. This restaurant offers my favorite prawn cocktail of all time, served in a large soup bowl with a spicy but not viscous cocktail sauce and avocados. Also, the crab taco is awesome, with lots of shredded crab and cheese. The chips are good if they are fresh, and the salsa is okay. They have beer but not wine or other. El Toro Bravo is the only mexican food in Capitola, and it competes with all of the seafood restaurants on the main Esplanade. Toro Bravo does not have a/c, so it is to be avoided on really hot days. 2.7 read more

Ordered a burrito to go and was so dissapointed. I paid 9.50 for a burrito that wasn't Even rapped so it was basically a ton of beans cheese rice and chicken with a tortilla over it. The waitress told me to wait outside even though the entire restaurant was empty and it was cold outside. Overpriced and dissapointing. read more

El Toro Bravo - Burrito wasn't wrapped tight so the entire thing had already fallen apart. - Mexican Near Me - Capitola, California

This place is 5 star all the way. My family lives in Capitola, and I beg to go to El Toro every time I visit. The place has been around for at least 15 years (probably much longer) for a reason. The beef enchiladas are superb (absolutely the best in California IMHO) --ground beef with juicy white onion drowning in beans, cheese and sauce. So good it makes me wish I were reborn as an enchilada. The salsa is also amazing. Top it off with a Negro Modelo and you're good to go. Expect to leave fat. read more

This is light beans on the special, we always go here but not anymore. We ordered food to go and it was just of beans when we asked for light beans, extra sauce...threw the food away and now eating cereal thanks el toro you just lost another customer! The food normally has been good but this time it was gross, dry and bland... I now give this place a -0 star!!! read more

El Toro Bravo - Beans overload! - Mexican Near Me - Capitola, California

This is my all-time favorite mexican food in California, period. The enchilada sauce is so, so good, you will be licking it off your plate when the food is gone. Their salsa is also really good. It has a great location, you can see the beach from the restaurant. You can walk off your meal afterwards by checking out all of the little shops in downtown Capitola. Great place to have lunch or dinner while at the beach, or shopping, or hanging out at the bar. I don't even live in Santa Cruz any more, and I still make it a point to go to El Toro Bravo whenever I visit! read more

It is too Americana for me it is good but not great I have had better. My review is based on food not service because the service is great .

Visited about a week ago and tried the crab enchilada and the newest item on the menu, fish tacos, per the recommendations on Yelp and our server. The enchilada sauce is indeed very good, and there was a lot of crab, so we really enjoyed that. The fish tacos were a bit of a letdown. It didn't have much flavor, tortillas did not taste fresh, and the fish was a little dry. The meal starts off with complimentary chips and salsa, which we ate a lot of because we were hungry! Salsa was pretty good, nice and spicy. They have good deals on Mexican beer also, but I'm not a beer drinker so I can't really comment on it. I did have their margarita, which is made with wine and not tequila, so it actually tasted like a wine slushie...which wasn't bad, but not quite what I expected. The server did tell me this when I placed my order though. Great location right by the water, friendly/down to earth service...it's OK, but there are so many other cute-looking eateries near the beach here so I probably won't return. read more

El Toro Bravo - crab enchilada and fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Capitola, California

I really enjoyed my vegetarian tacos. Service was quick and friendly. I would come back here again for delicious Mexican food!

I feel like I owe the family at El Toro Bravo hugs all around because without them, I might not have made it through my undergrad years sanely. Its true that I grew up on Capitola Beach and as a gromm, if I wasn't running with my cousins for a quick slice of pizza, I was running for a bean and cheese burrito between sessions. That carried over many years beyond and after another grueling week of university life, my best friend and I would stumble down the hill from our place for a late night dinner and beers. That ritual brought relief amongst the mayhem... we'd come in at 9pm as the crowds cleared out and voila! They knew us so well that taking an order wasn't even necessary... For me, I always come back to the #1 - chicken taco & chicken enchilada w/ rice & beans. The enchilada sauce is quite simply the BEST I've ever had, hand's down. My companera had an aversion to beans but found her bliss in the Tacolada, which was essentially a burrito without beans and smothered in the same fabulous enchilada sauce... it might be best understood as the ultimate comfort food. In fact, whenever I've been stressed and having trouble sleeping, I head over for a fix and inevitably, find myself relaxed, content, and ready to meet my pillow for a solid night. Also not to be missed - their salsa will make you breathe fire with a huge smile on your face... Did I mention that service is FAST? And, if you're not on foot, you can use the lot across the street and have your parking validated for an hour but beware the guy who manages the lot - he's a little intense! Anyway, I love El Toro and am ever grateful that this family-run joint has been able to hold steady and true for nearly 40 years now amongst the trendy shops and eateries in the village. Excellent food, excellent prices, excellent service. This place is not a scene - its unmistakeably about the food! read more

What a beautiful little town the restaurant is located in! The restaurant was much smaller inside than it looked on the outside. But it was clean inside and quaint. Turns out they had a two small dinning rooms. Our server was polite and friendly. She was very understanding when the kids wanted to modify their dinner requests. The chips and salsa were good, but some of our group thought the salsa was a bit too hot for their liking. The food orders all came out hot and correct, which was good for our party of 8. The chicken chimi I had was the perfect blend of ingredients. The chicken was flavorful and not overtaken by too many beans. My daughter had chicken soft tacos which were also a hit. And I was told by a friend that the fish tacos were excellent and larger than expected. Overall, a great find! read more

Tina's Evaluation: Taste: ( B + ) Authenticity: ( B ) Portions: ( B+ ) Service: ( B+ ) Ambiance: ( B ) Price: ( C ) Comments: I'm from San Jose and I travel up here just for the enchilada and there prawn dishes. The reason for liking this place is that the food taste like real home cooked meals, no bistro type plates here! The tacos are really good but can be better however their dinner plates are worth getting. I love the enchilada sauce....in most city areas you only get them in one out of two colors.....red or green but at this place it's brownish and ohhhh sooooo good! Try their Prawn enchilada! read more

One of the best Mexican food experiences I've had in a long time. Shrimp and steak fajitas were awesome and they totally hooked my son up with his meal. He is very picky and really only likes shrimp when going to a restaurant. I asked for about 4 shrimp and some tortillas and they piled them high for him. Great service, great prices, cool spot in downtown Capitola Village. I will definitely go back for more! read more

El Toro Bravo - Combo shrimp and steak fajitas, crab enchilada and a made to order kids meal with shrimp! - Mexican Near Me - Capitola, California