Prompt service. Chips and salsa on table when we were seated. Excellent guacamole. Possibly the best vegetarian tostada I have eaten in the last decade. Highly recommended. read more

El Toro Bravo - Vegetarian tostada. - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

Hubby brought me here after having enjoyed his meal here on a work trip. House margaritas were strawberry, not lime as we anticipated--I was happy, but not the hubs. His wet chili verde burrito was an 8 out of 10 for him; my carnitas were 10/10-moist, delicious and plentiful. Our host was delightful and attentive and our server very pleasant and efficient. The atmosphere was cozy and welcoming--tables set in advance with no waiting for chips and salsa. Satisfied my craving for authentic Mexican food In beautiful Truckee! read more

El Toro Bravo - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

We arrived into Truckee hungry but the fact that the house was run down should have been a red flag. I say house is because at one time it was a house in its better days. The exterior green flaking paint should have been another warning sign. We walked into what at one time was an enclosed porch and seated in a converted bedroom. What a horrible place.. How this place passes county inspection is a true mystery. A basket of thick chips and a tiny bowl of hot sauce were placed on the table along with a pitcher of ice water. The pitcher was old, cracked and chipped.. We should have walked out but I thought maybe the food would make up for the decor, it most certainly didn't. We ordered the pork in green sauce, beans and rice with three miserable tortillas. The sauce had zero flavor and without being disgusting it looked like it had been served to a customer hours before. I opened the tortilla holder and found three luke warm tortillas that had been clipped off with a knife. Yanzi told me not to complain and I kept my mouth shut. In these difficult financial times, when every dollar counts, this is not where you should spend your money. Maybe 20 years ago this place was nice, now it's a total and complete, well let's just say it needs a total remodel job. read more

El Toro Bravo - This photo doesn't show the condition of the water pitcher nor the room. - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

Absolutely AWEFUL experience. If I could give a negative rating, I would. We came to Lake Tahoe to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday with family visiting from England, and this was hands down the worst Mexican food any of us have ever had. And that's saying a lot because I LOVE Mexican food and eat it constantly. The meat was completely bland, the chicken was chewy and gristly, and the burritos were basically stuffed with lettuce and tomato with barely any actual filling. Save your money and go to Taco bell for a 10000% better food and at 1/8 of the price. But honestly, the service was even worse than the food. We very politely and quietly went up to the waitress and manager to explain that none of us were enjoying our meals. Instead of handling it professionally, they immediately became rude and dismissive. The waitress started making comments about how we were "from England" because of some accents and "wouldn't understand Mexican food." First of all, 6 out of 8 of us live in America and have for over 20 years, so that argument made absolutely no sense and was honestly insulting. They also tried to completely gaslight us and act like we were the problem instead of simply acknowledging that the food and service were not good. At one point they even claimed they "never get bad reviews," which is ironic considering there are multiple negative reviews online saying very similar things. What made it even worse was that she then went around talking about us to nearby customers while we were still sitting there and could clearly hear her. Completely unprofessional, immature, and uncomfortable. They also didn't even listen to our order correctly. We ordered queso that never came, and margaritas without salt that showed up covered in salt. Terrible food, terrible service, rude management, and zero accountability. Save your money and go literally anywhere else. The restrooms were also disgraceful so I don't even want to know how the kitchen cleanliness looks. No wonder my stomach hurt for days after. Attached is a picture of the waitress disrespecting us while my parents were sitting there respectfully trying to figure out the situation. read more

El Toro Bravo - picture of the waitress disrespecting my parents on my dads 60th birthday. unprofessional and disrespectful. - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

If I could give this place 0/5 stars, I would. Our server had a terrible attitude after we politely mentioned that the food lacked flavor and wasn't enjoyable. Instead of handling it professionally, the server and bartender told us we "didn't know what Mexican food tastes like since we're from England.", even though we've lived in America for 20 years. Taco bell is better than this place. save your money. The entire experience felt unwelcoming from start to finish. The food was disgusting and the waitress' disrespect made it worse. With so many better options around, I'd strongly recommend going somewhere that values both quality food and respectful service. 40 years of a family business when it should've only lasted 40 days at most. read more

Food was tasty but service could have been faster and friendlier, though it did get better over time. We waited quite a while for ordering and again for the food... Chips and salsa were provided at the start - and hooray - the salsa was super flavorful! We had nachos (a half plate is a generous portion!) a combo platter, a quesadilla and a chimichanga. Food was tasty. Outdoor patio was ok - chairs weren't the most comfy but temp was great for outdoor dining. read more

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I've been coming here for years, usually sit at the "outside" bar. Covid/post has some challenges. The margaritas are the bomb and the outdoor bartender (part of the owning family) is great. The food, this last time was what you would expect and decent. The trend over the last 3-4 visits (last year) have been hit and miss. When drinks are good and food not salty it rocks. When food is lacking - salty, lukewarm, probably best to avoid. read more

Food is delicious.. if precious or looking for fancy, this is not your dive hole. Family ran, amazing staff, excellent carne asada, tortilla was baked with small crisps.. food could not have been better!! On top of that they brought us warm tea (a must after a long day of riding in a blizzard) and all the back sauces - a red enchilada sauce, a green enchilada sauce, a local made habanero sauce, a red salsa!! And grilled jalopenos! Fire fire fire. Not sure how flaking green pain on the exterior of a building has any relations to the quality and love that was put into our dinner. Place is small, total dive, not much seating but amazzzzzing eats. read more

Numerous people told me to never go there. One night I finally decided to try it thinking "HOW BAD COULD IT BE?" Wow, it was awful. I've never had flavorless mexican food in my life until i went to El Toro Bravo. I tired 3 different tacos, chicken, carnita, and carne asada. All were terrible and all had absolutely zero flavor. The mezcalita literally tasted like rubbing alcohol. Horrible. read more

This place had the best service I've ever experienced! They were extremely attentive and the second the chips or salsa started to get low they would give us a refill. I absolutely loved the salsa, but I will say it was on the spicier end if you don't handle spice well. I got the bean and cheese burrito with a side of rice and beans and the people I was with split the fajitas. I left feeling extremely full. read more

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Food was really good we got two wet burritos green and red sauce and kids quesadilla and it was well portions and the service was fast and the lady was very polite and kind read more

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Chicken fajitas were NOT sizzling as advertised. Tasted and felt like they started cooking the vegetables while the chicken was still raw in the skillet. Two other people I tried to eat with ordered burritos, they were both basically 80/20 bean to protein ratio. Recession indicator or do they just not care about the ramifications of cutting costs? Maybe the US Government will baithem out because those fajitas had more oil than the Middle East. I do not recommend this place if you are looking for authentic Mexican food. Guacamole was store bought along with the other salsas. Felt nice to support someone's sinking ship of a dream tho read more

El Toro Bravo - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

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Stop by here after snooze King. The sign says they have outdoor patio dining, but they wanted to serve me in a Styrofoam container. I had my dog so I needed to be outside. I never was served chips and salsa like everybody else and they were not kind about me having dogs outside. I was looking forward to this meal after a hard day on the ski runs and I was disappointed about the kindness that I received I ordered a taco salad and it was good but really lack on the lettuce. It was closer to a taco soup read more

The overwhelming funk of Fabuloso made me nauseous. When I get home, I'm going to need to wash my clothes. Kinda like a BBQ place, if you don't smell smoke, keep driving. In this case, if you can't smell air, or food, STEP. Unfortunately, I'm with hosts and need to put on my big boy skirt. And then the food showed up. I ordered a Super Burrito and it was barely warm. The server said it was because of the lettuce and sour cream. They DID offer to replace it, but I passed because things often get "altered" in the kitchen when things get sent back. One is the minimum star, would have given it a -2 if I could. read more

The waitress and manager were soooo rude from the get go. Saw 3 other tables that had problems with the same lady with glasses. Food didn't even make up for it. Food was horrible didn't even smell good and my burrito was mostly lettuce and sauce. When we asked for manager he gave us 10$ off our 70$ meal and that didn't even cover our margarita. He told us to get out and along with us came 2 other tables that's couldn't stand them any longer. Don't come here unless you want white trash mexican food and service!!!! read more

Stopped by for dinner - party of 2. The menu features the usual Mexican fare. Service was courteous and attentive despite being understaffed (given the ski break rush). Food arrived within 20 minutes, which is reasonable. The food was freshly made and very good quality. The prices were very reasonable for the area. A major plus! read more

There is limited seating in an already small space and a very small staff. When you come here and it's busy, make sure you are patient. I was only passing through and wanted to stop for a quick bite to eat. Since it was so busy when I came, it was nice to find a pitcher of water and chips and salsa waiting for me on the table I was seated at. When I ordered, the waitress was upfront saying food would be awhile to come out but she brought out the margaritas quickly. Even though I was warned the food would take time, I thought it came out quickly. I only ordered chicken nachos so I can't really speak too much about the food, I thought the nachos were good and piled high with cheese. The margaritas were also good. I would definitely go back. read more

El Toro Bravo - Chicken nachos - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

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Our favorite Mexican in Truckee. Their Carnitas is top notch. And their Guac? Amazing. Call some friends, head over and grab a pitcher of margs, an order of their guac, -- and eat your way through the menu! read more

Loved it here like always ! Food was amazing! The service was amazing! Loved where I was seated !

the food was terrible. The quesadilla was awful. The rice was crunchy and the beans were wet and flavorless. Couldn't even finish my whole meal it was so horrible. It ruined my stomach, I had to run to the bathroom like 3 minutes after eating it. I can stomach Taco Bell better. Whatever you do, do not eat here it is disgraceful and I bet the kitchen is disgusting and will get you sick. DO NOT BUY (Edit response to manager's reply) That actually is how food poisoning works feel free to look it up! Now Im really not surprised why this place has bad reviews when you left such an awful response. Also a manager responding with profanity is extremely unprofessional and horrendous, but so was the food. read more

So this place is split into two rooms. Directly to the right after you enter is a bar, and then a hostess stand. On the other side was a small dining area. I met a friend here that I knew from work. I walked in to the bar not knowing this place, the bartender was a bit aggressive. 'He yelled out 'can I help you sir?' I asked if there was a dinning room, he said yeah around the corner of corse. First time here, there's no 'of corse' lol. I had a Carnitas taco à la cart, it was actually quite good. My friend had a beef taco he enjoyed it and then we got of rice. I asked if They have an happy hour or drink specials, the hostess/waitress said no. Not anymore. I told her I have to be up in Truckee a lot and I'm looking for a place to have a drink after work. She said talk to the manager/bartender lol. Probably this is a no return lol. read more

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Great food great people. Coming here for 30 years. Amazing shrimp dishes. Local atmosphere

Love, love, love El Toro Bravo!!!! Great food. Great staff. Always on top of their game Thank you Trini, Mike, Val and Martina!!!!

This place has great Mexican food and Valarie and Trine are super nice and friendly to all the customers. We go there all the time and nothing change but super kindness. read more

Best food and service and ambience. Giant tasty margaritas. Delicious pablano peppers used in their chili rellenos. Have been back, many times, and will be back again! read more

Lovely meal, great new place mat redesign, but they did not give us any birthday dessert...

Came here for dinner with a group of friends on a Saturday night. I ordered the veggie super burrito. It was a well sized portion. I added some of the salsa (from the chips and salsa) on top and that was a nice plus. I wish they had included rice in their burrito though. I had asked, but I don't think they were going to make the change. The waitress kept our waters filled and offered refills on the chips (we declined). My friends ordered a variety of other dishes including the fajitas and enchiladas. The portions were big, and I thought they fit the price tag. Decent spot! read more

The waitress seemed rude and acted as if us going in to dine in ruined her whole day. Food was horrible. My rice was old and crunchy and the beans were severely undercooked. I know my party did not enjoy their food at all since we basically left all of our food on the plate. Poor excuse of Mexican food. AVOID THIS PLACE!! read more

Really disappointed with this experience. The lady on the phone was rude. The rice was crusty and dry. The tortillas were average at best. Quality overall was poor. Lots of improvement needed here. read more

Not the most fashionable Mexican restaurant in town but when you have a craving for more traditional Americanized, it works. Ample serving size. Chips are mediocre, salsa is spicy but tasteless. Margaritas almost have a pineapple or some type of citrus flavor. Premade I would guess. My server was attentive. Older building in Old Town is a nice ambiance. There's better in town but this scratches the itch between Taco Bell and Authentic. read more

El Toro Bravo - Number 3 Combo: chilli relleno ground beef enchilada rice beans. - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

One of my favorite places to eat in downtown. Their outdoor patio is perfect, especially on a warm evening. The service has always been very friendly, the drinks strong, and the food delicious. The chile relleno is my favorite, but definitely save room for the deep-fried ice cream...best I've ever had. Also the best is the salsa... It's so good we sometimes stop by just to get a container to take home. read more

Excellent sangria , nachos were delicious with tender shredded beef , fresh guac and homemade salsa . Good conversation with the owner too ...Great outside patio read more

Rude service, ground beef tasted like fish, tamale was burned. One star extra for the patio ambiance. read more

I've been waiting for the chance to eat here for some time. Located on the main road of Truckee, it's a tourist attraction. Parking is very limited so park across the street. Upon arrival the sign on entrance said Patio Only. When we got seated I ordered something safe and easy, Fish Tacos and a Margarita, while Jenn ordered her favorite Chicken Quesadillas and a Red Beer. Some of the patrons had too much to drink. They were loud and belligerent reducing any class this semi quiet establishment had. The beautifully colorful sun shades look great but most of the lights were out. Needless to say I was very disappointed over all. The food wasn't that bad but the margarita totally sucked. It had a medal taste with the smell of gasoline. I don't recommend this place at this time. read more

El Toro Bravo - Salty chicken quesadillas along with salty fish tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

I must start by saying how great tasting and reasonably priced food they have here. Great service and awesome tasting food, great tasting tortillas and home made sauces, the guacamole is so good. Great seating area and nicely decorated walls. I am saddened by seeing the 3 star rating as this place deserves nothing less than a 5 star. read more

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Seriously the best meals I have had in Truckee for so many years. And affordable! But I need to tell you guys they are about to lose their building, if you are a fan please consider donating to their go fund me. read more

We were excited to have some amazing Mexican food on our trip. The food looks better than it tastes. Absolutely very little flavor. Hubby agrees no taste...we kept waiting for it to come. Even the pico di gallo salsa was flavorless. The chips seemed stale but at least the salsa has some flavor. The chili Colorado was in the tough side. The carnitas meat in the tacos was overcooked and dry. The rice was dry and the beans were so-so. For 53.00 the value for food is just not there. We would definitely not recommend or go back. It seems as if it's the locals go to for adult beverages and they just happen to have food. read more

El Toro Bravo - Mexican Near Me - Truckee, California

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Garlic shrimp dinner was top 10 from my nephew. I had a albondigas soup so good Carnitas tacos rock !! Trini made us killer Cadillac margaritas! read more

Great food and margaritas! Fantastic staff and excellent service. If you're in Truckee, this is where you need to go!!

seriously if i could give it a 0 i could. the fact we had 5 people, and not one of the meals was good, is crazy. All the food sucked and had no flavor, and after we ate, all of us felt sick the rest of the night. i felt dizzy and disgusting and my moms friend was farting all night. NEVER COME HERE!! read more