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    El Toro Mexican Grill and Bar

    4.1 (174 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Bars
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order El Toro Mexican Grill and Bar Takeout or Delivery

    El Toro Mexican Grill and Bar Photos

    Business Info

    EL TORO MEXICAN GRILL AND BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Toro Mexican Grill and Bar

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    Reviews With Photos

    Pollo Chipotle
    Sydney H.

    Stopped in on a whim as we normally frequent other Mexican restaurants in the area but have been disappointed by the service recently, so glad we gave this place a shot! I really enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant, it felt laid back and not overly bright or overwhelming. Comfortable seating and a super nice outdoor patio. The bar had a wide selection and the prices weren't bad. Only let down was that they didn't have Don Julio reposado at the time. Food was super generous portions and very tasty. Had a nice range of items to choose from, I'm excited to go back and try different things! Overall would recommend!

    Nicole C.

    El Toro is a solid option if you're in the area and craving Mexican food. It's large and casual enough to bring the whole family or even just to grab Margaritas at the bar. I had the Mojarra which is a giant whole fried tilapia that comes with rice, refried beans and a little salad. It was good but my mojarra was slightly burned/overcooked (see photo). Transparently, I was STARVING so I still ate it and mostly it enjoyed it - though it was EXTRA crispy. As far as what I tasted - their rice is delicious. Texture was perfect and very flavorful. The menu is pretty ample so I'd say there's something for everyone on the menu - kids included. I actually got to try the dessert as well - I really like the churros. They came out warm with a scoop of ice cream. Our server was helpful and we got served food pretty quickly. It very much gives family owned vibes here. I think they can improve by not overcooking the fish entree and small improvements to the service. I'd return - and hopefully next time to try some of their margaritas. There's some fun-looking cocktails on the menu!

    The dining area at El Toro Mexican Grill in Cornelius.
    Duncan M.

    Bethany and I had lunch at El Toro Mexican Grill and Bar today. We were rewarded with very good food, drinks, and service. We lived in Dallas, Texas for many years so the first question at a new, Mexican restaurant is, "How good is their Margarita?" They make a good margarita! Not too sweet, a little tart, very drinkable. Their chips and salsa, another lynchpin for a quality Mexican restaurant, are also good. We added aside of queso and poured some salsa in it. This option is definitely worth trying. For our entree, we decided on fajitas with chicken and steak plus flour tortillas. The fajitas (an order for two) were heaped on plate that included chicken, steak, peppers, and onions. We were both served plates with guacamole, sour cream, rice and refried beans. Our flour tortillas were filled with everything described. They were sooo good! The interior of the restaurant is clean, well lighted, and comfortable. The service was always pleasant and the servers checked on us regularly. We highly recommend trying El Toro Mexican Grill and Bar.

    Super enchiladas
    Lucinda S.

    Stopped in for dinner one night. Husband got the super enchilada plate and it was fantastic. Great flavorful enchilada sauce- shredded beef was definitely the standout filling. I had enchiladas blancas - the shrimp were delicious, but it was too much cheese for me. Great guacamole and I love that they offer a small portion which is just right for 2 people.

    Ground beef burritos that cost $6.99 when listed on menu as $6.00.
    Torry S.

    Checked out El Toro today for lunch . I got the ala cart 2 beef burritos and a draft beer. The waiter had a great attitude and checked on me often. The service was prompt as well. They gave me a house hot sauce that had chipotle in it . Really good. The music was Cuban salsa which was fun to listen to.Only reason why I didn't give 5 stars is when I got the bill there was an up charge for paying by card of 3.0% and the burritos on the menu were priced 6 dollars and on the bill I was changed $6.99. IDK if I will be back.

    Lunch pork carnitas
    Allison B.

    Came one day for lunch and was met with very friendly service! Tried the pork carnitas and a horchata at the server's recommendation. Portion size was alright and price was around $13, which was a little higher than I was expecting for a lunch special. Chips came out warm and the horchata was tasty! Overall, recommend!

    Pollo con Crema
    Suzanne S.

    Based on a recommendation from a Facebook group, I gave this place a try. The recommendation was that they had authentic Mexican food. Maybe that's true. But flavor was one thing that was lacking on our visit. The restaurant is actually very large on the inside with plenty of seating, and plenty of spacing. We visited on a Friday evening and were seated immediately. That is a plus! The only drawback seems to be the tile floors and the acoustics of the large area. It was so loud I had a small headache when we left. Our food was just ok. I live in Lincolnton, so I found it wasn't worth the drive when you can get basic Mexican food pretty much in any city. But I'm always on the hunt for that diamond in the rough. Unfortunately, El Toro is not it. We tried Arroz con Pollo, Pollo con Crema and a combo with a chicken chimichanga and chile relleno. All were fine, but very basic. The salsa tasted like tomato sauce. The cheese dip was good, but that's hard to mess up. We tried two desserts: Fried Ice Cream and Tres Leches Cake. Both were ok. Mexican food seems to be very polarizing and people like what they get used to I think. I'd definitely go back again if I was in the area and had friends wanting to go, but I wouldn't choose it myself.

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    6 months ago

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    17 days ago

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    22 days ago

    Service was wonderful. Food was delicious and the drinks were on point. We came to celebrate a friends birthday and were very impressed.

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    8 months ago

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    5 months ago

    Tacos were sooooooo good they caught me by surprise like a deer in headlights. The green hot sauce hits too. Let's TACO bout it!!

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    This was a delicious restaurant, great lunch specials, and they were kind and accommodating of our puppy! Highly recommend!

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    11 months ago

    This was my first time at this restaurant. Food and Server was awesome. I will be frequenting this restaurant often.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Solid, reasonable Mexican food. Great service. Food is more flavorful the. Your typical "cheap" Mexican spot. Will definitely be back

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    3 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Good tasting food and large portions. Fast and friendly service. The menu has a good assortment of Mexican food

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Favorite Mexican restaurant. Great margaritas. Fajitas are perfect. Unlimited chips.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Everything here is awesome! Service is awesome and food is wonderful! All the employees are very nice. Service is very quick.

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    4 years ago

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    The Serve

    The Serve

    4.5
    (27 reviews)
    1.0 mi

    Other places have themes focusing on Eat Drink Play but what if you want to get off a screen and be…read moreactive. Welcome to the Serve, the Cornelius answer to how to be active while enjoying good times with friends. Reserve one of their 10 pickleball court in their air conditioned room or grab one outside when it's not hot. There are also golf simulators, dining space, and event space so bring the whole crew to have fun and hang out. The courts are spaced out so groups can play and have a comfortable booth to sit and order food. Their bartender Krista was very engaging and happy to suggest a beverage with your favorite libation. We ate in the restaurant. My son enjoyed the kids chicken tenders. My wife and I enjoyed the short ribs grilled cheese and the bbq chicken pizza. There's a full breakfast and lunch menu and breakfast is available till 2 on Saturday so you have a variety of options to order. If you want to hang out as a family or with friends you'll have a great time at The Serve.

    My husband and I decided to try The Serve for breakfast one Saturday morning, and I'm glad we did…read more They open at 7am, but the restaurant wasn't yet busy, so we easily got a booth. This was our first time here, and it's a very nice venue. To start, their coffee is delicious and strong. I had the Double Up, with scrambled eggs (with added cheddar), bacon, sausage links, sourdough toast, and fruit. My husband had the Short Rib Hash with a side of potatoes. He forgot the hash also had potatoes, and should have gotten something else, because he had far too many potatoes! My scrambled eggs were a little over cooked and the cheese was only melted on top (rather than being mixed in), but they were still decent. The bacon was perfectly crispy--as requested, and the sausage links were fine. The sourdough toast was buttered and delicious. And the fruit had watermelon--a nice addition to the usual fruit cup. My husband's short rib hash was good. The eggs were perfectly medium, but the potatoes were a bit salty. Easy Like Sunday still makes our favorite version of this dish. Our server was very pleasant, and the wait wasn't too long for our food. I loved that we could pay with ApplePay via the Toast handheld. While everything wasn't perfect, we'll definitely return and try some different items. I want to try them for dinner, too!

    Photos
    Nice seating in the restaurant
    Nice seating in the restaurant
    Short Rib Risotto: braised beef short rib with onions, tomato, prosciutto, and pancetta, over parmesan risotto
    Short Rib Risotto: braised beef short rib with onions, tomato, prosciutto, and pancetta, over parmesan risotto
    The Serve

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    Jay's At The Lake

    Jay's At The Lake

    3.5
    (15 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    okay, here's the thing: a name is a name is a name; there ain't no lake and there never was. and…read moreso, despite assurances to the contrary, I feel justified in questioning Jay's existence as well. regardless, it was all trafficky and annoying on Statesville Road but I figured it's gotta be at least 84% better "at the lake" so there I went. FYI: the parking lot is a nightmare of bumps, pots, holes, gravel and I'm glad I've got this truckster because the other one sits kinda low and would have tore out the floor pans... there's fewer people inside than there are vehicles out front - which is odd but not particularly creepy - and every seat at the bar has a body in it either talking too loudly about, or half listening to, various and assorted abuses of the truth. seems like most of 'em know most of the others but not everyone knows all of 'em, so yeah it's a sampling of the regulars. a longer bar might be nice but would probably mean more regulars already here and still no place for a random visitor... nothing on tap but it's a liquor bar and the tender will mix or pour or un-cap whatever you think you need until you demonstrate that you don't need any more... followed by an attempt to secure safe passage home - or so the story goes. in closing: I'd totally rate Jay's at a single star but the reasoning would be lost on most all y'all.

    First off this is a legitimate dive bar. We went in around noonish. lol! It has no view of the lake…read moremind you. Just good old booze and divey aesthetics. Cobwebs and fun!

    Photos
    Decor outside
    Decor outside
    Jay's At The Lake
    Outside table

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    Outside table

    El Toro Mexican Grill and Bar - mexican - Updated July 2026

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