We were excited to find a Mexican restaurant with a wide variety of items on the menu. We were surprised though when we were given a basket with two tiny pieces of white bread, rather than tortilla chips and salsa. I ordered the El Toro salad, but when it came, it was a salmon salad instead. The waiter apologized, and returned with the correct salad quite promptly. But then when the bill came, I was still billed for the salmon salad. Fortunately we noticed, and between the waiter and the manager, they were able to make the correction. It seemed there definitely was a bit of a language problem. The prices were a little on the high side and the food was okay. read more

El Toro is not the same Mexican chain restaurant in Los Angeles. This is more a Spanish restaurant than Mexican cuisine although it offers tacos and burritos. I'm a global traveler and was pleasantly surprised to find a gem in Banff as it is on the top of my global list of restaurants I would recommend. They only lack one of my favorite dish, paella, but that is substituted for their signature dish, chateaubriand special for 2 at $59 during the week. Excellent service, food, and a great value for the quality and quantity. Tapas: Manchego cheese - 4 stars Lamb meatballs - 5 stars Ceviche - 4 stars Prawn cocktail - 4 stars Chateaubriand - 5 stars Empanadillas - 4 stars Calamari - 4 stars Plantains - 5 stars Quesadillas - 5 stars Icewine - 5 stars Dessert: Whipped blueberry cheesecake tasted homemade and was fresh and fluffy and reminds me of Japanese style cheesecakes. 5 star Mud Pie - 4 star read more

The most amazingly nice waitress ever, but also great food especially after our lunch meal at some pasta place. I would definitely go again if I were staying another night and wished it was in the T.dot. Ordered the beef strip fajitas and they were amazing. Like the ones from CozyMels in SD but BETTER. Maybe the beef is better in Alberta but it was cooked perfectly and the beef was amazing. Large portion too for just $21. Also ordered the squash ravioli which was really good as well. Looking at the other guests' dishes everything looked pretty good. Wish I had time to try it again. read more

Came to Banff for a friends stagette- on our last day after a night of partying we were extremely hung over and you would think any food would be good enough, however we heard good things about El Toro but were pretty disappointed. Us 5 girls ordered pretty simple dishes like fruit salad, eggs and toast and two Benny's. The waitress first over poured a glass of coffee which ended up all over the table that I wiped up for my friend. It took over an hour before our food came and two of the orders had errors. We ordered white bread instead of whole grain and another girl asked for crispy bacon and it looked like the bacon was thrown on the grill for 20 seconds a side. From what I did eat, most tasted good and fairly reasonably priced but while we were slightly crunched for time this morning while checking out from our hotel - there is no way eggs and toast and a fruit salad should take more than 15 mins to prepare and serve. Lastly I can respect a busy food establishment but there was maybe 3 tables in this very empty place and most tables were still stacked high with glassware and food while the girls were drying cups behind the counter. Will probably not be back unfortunately. read more

The food here is really good. Its very flavorful and creative. The service is excellent. Its a few steps to Best Western inn plus where we stayed. We ordered chicken enchiladas, seared salmon, guacamole and plantain chips and curry coconut soup. Yummy. read more

Worst restaurant that we ate at during our time in Banff. This is not a Mexican restaurant, though they have a few Mexican dishes on the menu. Everything seems microwaved or pre-made. My husband had the enchiladas, which were tiny (like the size of frozen taquitos, but not as good), didn't have a lot of chicken, and were flavorless. I had the butternut squash ravioli, which was okay, but definitely not made fresh at the restaurant. read more

Had the chateaubriand, and it was very good. Well coocked with a lot of vegetables on the side. The service was super, and our waitress was extremely nice. read more

El Toro Restaurant - The chateaubriand - Mexican Near Me - Banff, Alberta

I've only eaten breakfast here and it really didn't impress me. We only ended up in the door because we got to Tooloulou's at 10:27 and they stop serving at 10:30 but El Toro went to 11. My toast was too dry. My omelet was runny. My hash browns were hard and too greasy. Average but not great. I think I'd rather of even hit up a Denny's. I noticed the place was mostly full of back packing youth from next door at this time of day and it's about the food I would have expected when I was backpacking in the day. It's not the kind of food I expect now that I'm a bit older on a romantic weekend with my sweetie. read more

Some tasty food but for me nothing super special. The guacamole was very yummy. Got the steak done rare and they did it right. Very yummy. read more

Chorizo Penne is surprisingly bland - maybe because the chorizo wasn't the spicier Mexican version I'm used to. But if you're not into spicy things this could be the meal for you. Quesadilla is a disaster. They stack four slices on top of each other, sticking together with oozing cheese. You can't pull them apart, you can't cut them, all you can do is make a mess... and look like a fool doing so. The wait staff is competent. Good at their jobs without annoying you. I really can't say too much more. It's a nice restaurant with decent food but doesn't stand out enough to recommend or go back when there are a lot of other options. read more

The staff were nice and service was prompt but the food was garbage! Overpriced crap on a fancy plate.

Had a great experience first time being there food was so good. All the drinks were good as well my waiter was the man and really glad i ate there definitely will be back read more

customer service was good, they checked in on us multiple times. in regards to the food, the enchiladas were definitely not your typical enchiladas. they charged $4 to add cheese to the fajitas we ordered but it was a tiny cup of shredded cheese. the refried beans were just a little side cup of beans (the type of cup you get a side sauce in). Also, the rice was stale. read more

Came here at 7 am for breakfast. Decent crowd filling up before their excursions for the day. Very good service, tasty food, very good coffee. Ample amount of choices for breakfast. Server was always around and a very good server. read more

Friendly staff. But, food was overpriced and subpar. The waiter wanted to charge us extra for second rounds of "complimentary" bread. Cod was dry as sand. Soup tasted like something out of a can. Was not even a "Mexican" restaurant. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more

I love my tapas and Latin as much as the next gal, but I don't love overpriced, small-portioned, mediocre tapas and Latin. To be fair, most of the Banff restaurants are rather pricy due to its inherent status as a tourist town, but some places are more worth the $$$ - El Toro, to my sadness, was not. My beef fajitas were fresh enough and fine, but not $20+ good, and my sister's "enchiladas" were tiny! 4 mini tortillas each wrapping, I kid you not, 5 small pieces of chicken and a bit of cheese. I may not be Mexican, but I can inform you that's not an enchilada! All the "Mexican" dishes advertise sides of beans, rice, guac, and salsa, which I was STOKED for after a long day of traveling (clearly .trying to get my Chipotle fix), but distressingly, none were more than a meager dollop each on the plate. The good - our charcuterie board app had some quality rabbit & duck terrine, and it's an adorable little restaurant in a great location. We didn't stay for dessert because our bill for 4 (a modest 4 medium-priced entrees and 1 app) was already $120+. Boo. In short, the food is good, but you really won't be impressed nor full. read more

We had a prosciutto wrapped scallop as well as a beef tartar that were both good. I think their tapas is okay. Our server, Chloe was very friendly and attentive. Overall we had a nice dining experience. read more

Bad Night Our party of three went to this restaurant on July 18/18 based on good reviews on Trip Advisor. Unfortunately we did not have a good experience. We did not receive our food for about an hour after the food was ordered. When it finally arrived, I believe it had been sitting in the back for a while under a heat lamp. The burger bun was not edible at all as it was hard as a rock and the sizzling fajita platters had long lost their sizzle. The meat on the platters was very tough. The meal was certainly expensive for what we received. They did remove the price of the burger from our bill. Based on our experience I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

Great service. The food was ok. We had the calamari which was very good. The chorizo and manchego nibble which was great. But I love manchego anyways. And the chicken fajita which was ok. read more

We're a party of three and ate here twice. The dinner we had was so good we went back the next morning for breakfast. The service, the mood, the food....it was all fabulous. Dinner: butternut squash ravioli (creamy, a little sweet, so flavorful), tenderloin (cooked perfectly and so tender), and lamb shoulder (also perfectly cooked and so much flavor....melted in your mouth). And try the ceviche for an appetizer -- just like the stuff you get on the beach. Delicious. Breakfast: blueberry pancakes!!!!! Get them. Eat them. I'd go to El Toro again if I was still in Banff. Yum. And the service is really good too. read more

The chateaubriand for 2 is a steal at $75. Service was great. Food was delicious. I highly recommend El Toro.

We found El Toro because of the good Yelp reviews. They have a nightly special (not sure about weekends). We had the Thursday night special, a melt-in-your-mouth fantastic chateaubriand for two carved at our table. My husband's Caesar salad was great and my roasted red pepper soup was very good. Wish I had taken a picture. read more

We enjoyed breakfast at El Toro. I had the breakfast sandwich on a croissant and they were happy to replace the bacon with tomatoes for me. It was yummy. My hubby had the plain pancakes and he really enjoyed them too. The hashbrown/potatoes were really good too. We would go again for sure. read more

This was one of my favorite restaurants in banff when I stayed at Red Roof, but unfortunately it's too much of a walk from the center of town. Literally everything on the menu is prepared perfectly and tastes amazing. I really liked the steak and the sides. read more

Slight away from downtown Banff, but worth the trip. Friendly attentive service. Decent prices for Banff. Ordered the plantains and guacamole which was wonderful - probably the only place in town with plantains! Also had the pork tacos which were filling and delicious. One of the better gems in Banff. read more

Not bad.... But not awesome.... I had higher expectations about this place... The lamb was very good ; the fajitas good as well; I liked the chorizo and the cheese croquettes... In general everything was ok... The only thing that was really delicious was the desserts ... But other than that... I cannot give them more than 3 stars ... read more

Went here for dinner because it was close by. The chateaubriand for two, "hand carved" at your table, was one of the worst and more expensive meals I've ever had. The meat had a worrying aftertaste and was drowning in gravy. The side vegetables came straight out of the can and tasted like that as well. "Carved at your table" is a joke as well; instead of cutting it up in the kitchen they do it at the table; there is no benefit to it -- pure show. read more

Great food. Great price. Definitely go here for breakfast. For the price, the food can't be beaten. Try the Spanish Omelette or the Breakfast croissant. read more

Came here for dinner after reading the many positive reviews. Service was very friendly, but the tapas dishes were a little disappointing. Coming from Toronto and getting accustomed to the many delicious mexican tapas restaurants, this place didn't come up to par. This would be about a 2.5 or 3 star restaurant by Toronto standards. All tapas dishes about $10. We ordered these dishes: Calamari: battered and fried but not crispy. Tasted ok. Ceviche: liked this one, very refreshing Stuffed portobello mushroom: single medium size stuffed portobello. Tasty, but not worth $10 Tenderloin beef skewers: 2 small skewers of Asian flavoured tenderloin beef. Tasty but once again a little small for $10. Fisherman's soup: chunks of salmon in a watery soup. Also not worth $10. Chocolate cake: this one was awesome. Chocolate cake with molton chocolate and cherry center topped with whipped cream with a side of ice cream. It took 15 mins to make but was so decadent that it was absolutely worth it. Wouldn't come back for the food but would come back for the dessert any day. read more

We came early, right at opening. We had the plantain chips and el toro salad as starters, both were very tasty though the plantain chips could have been a bit larger for the price. I had a medium rare striploin steak as a main and it was done perfectly, and absolutely delicious. The vegetables were also done really well, still firm and not over cooked. My partner had the quesadillas and the portion was substantial, and they came with some tasty rice and a good selection of toppings, really good value. Overall we were very happy with our meal. read more

Good, basic breakfast food for a good, basic price. A nice quick way to start your day, especially if you're staying at Irwin's Mountain Inn. Our server Crista was really great- attentive and friendly. read more

Fantastic service and beyond amazing food. The prime rib was cooked and plated at our table. Would go back any day!

Looking in from the outside El Toro holds a promising dining experience. They have a larger than usual menu and a mixture between Mexican and Spanish cuisine. Upon entering the staff was friendly to my wife and I and accommodated our seating preferences. Unfortunately the experience began to diminish. Wait time for a few cocktails took a long time and while placing our drink order it felt rushed. After deciding what we wanted to order while the server took our orders we had to repeat ourselves multiple times and was questioned back with not what we said. We got one out of two tapas we ordered because the waitress didn't "hear us" as she informed us and her manager. Unfortunately our waitress refused to continue to serve us at this point. When the main course arrived my wife's meal came out incorrect. Again we where told that the substitutions weren't sent to the kitchen. The manager started to provide services to us and kept coming back to the table to say sorry, this continued throughout the course of our meal. When we asked for the bill the manager was kind enough to offer us a dessert on the house, we refused but he kept insisting and after we refused it 4 times he finally brought the bill. The worst part of this whole experience was the fact that there was only two other couples dining at the time. read more

If you come to banff and are a foodie of any ilk this place has to be tried - our server was really pleasant as well - if you go in near future her name is mandace but the other server seemed very pleasant too - a hit place if you like tapas - we had just that the mushroom stuffed and the mushroom crostini, the steak skewers were just awesome and the shrimp was lovely - nice presentation. Most people were ordering the chateaubrand steak which was special 55$ for 2 - and was awesome according to my neighbors cooked for each person to order. Desserts I don't even want to start on - just try the lava cake. Bottom line if you go to banff go here for food variety and fun. read more

An hour wait for sub standard fajitas. And when did Mexican restaurants start placing baskets of bread on the table instead of tortilla chips and salsa or gaucomole? Skip. read more

B ordered a cheese omelet with spinach (which they charged him 1.50 extra for!) and I asked for a customized veggie scramble out of the ingredients I saw that had available for omelets. The waitress acted like this was a big deal and had to check with the chef to see if he could do it! The already have those ingredients (spinach, mushroom, tomatoes) and I just didn't want the eggs, butter and cheese! She ended up charging me for an omelet anyway. A rip off. I thought the decaf coffee was flavorless but it was fresh and hot! We both got the chunky potatoes which we both thought was very bland. Service was pretty good, she was trying. But overall I wouldn't recommend this place as the food was not great and it was expensive for what we got. read more

Our party of 4 enjoyed tapas, dinner & drinks for less than $200. A great deal by Banff standards. The portobello mushroom appetizer is excellent. The fajata main portion is very generous. The steak is great as was the bison chorizo sausage if you like a bit of a spicy bite. All in all worth the walk to the end of Banff read more