Found hair in 2 of our plates and in the salsa. Very unsatisfied

They are so close to being wonderful. Had a reservation but still waited just as long for a table as those walking in. Ordered guacamole and it didn’t arrive as an appetizer but came after our food. Margaritas were yummy. Food is consistent and good but service always lacks (have to ask for silverware, have to track down server for drink refill, check takes a long time to arrive, etc.). Bathroom was DISGUSTING which is especially unsettling during times of COVID.

We had a large party of 8, and ate outdoors due to the pandemic. Everyone enjoyed thier meal. I personally was surprised because El Torito is a chain restaurant that isn't known for excellent food, but the quality of my Baja platter was high. The bacon-wrapped prawns, in particular, were delicious. Our server was on the ball, and very honest when I overlooked the fact that the gratuity had already been added to our bill.

El Torito's has done a great job adjusting for outdoor seating. Dinner at sundown was beautiful and comfortable. Valentines Day is a busy day for any restaurant, and that were ready for it. Very nice experience.

I'm sure this is somehow a result of COVID changes, but the value just isn't there anymore. 3 years ago we were here and brunch was amazing, now it's just not that great. You'd be better off paying for individual entrées elsewhere. The service is severely lacking, asked for napkins several times and never got them, waiter only stopped by a couple times the entire time we were there and didn't explain where things were inside. Took 20 minutes to bring us our check after we'd asked for it, so once we had it we just took it to the front and asked if we could please pay then and leave instead of waiting any longer. I know it's busy, and it's a weekend day, and it's COVID. But the experience was just no where near the same.

Restaurant did well to accommodate with outdoor seating due to current conditions. Food was very delicious. Service lacked a little but overall experience was pleasant.

The staff was super friendly and upbeat ready to handle the big Valentine's rush. Our waiter was excellent made sure we were always top off for our mimosas . they also have outside heaters but it is best to dress warm

We had a reservation and had to wait 40 minutes to be seated. There was about 5 parties waiting to be seated prior to us. I understand it was the day prior to Valentines day. I would suggest they eliminate available times since i did notice they had a lot of available times during the hour.

I understand we all are dining outside. But this outdoor seating management is ridiculous. They have tents but not closed to any elements. Heaters that are not near any tables. The food is not bad but lacks any real flavor. Just very bland. They seem to overbook online reservations and not account for how long each table may stay. For a Saturday night, just don’t go!

Due to Covid the seating is all outdoors. They did a decent job of setting up outdoor dining, however the winds were up to 18mph that day and there was no barrier for the wind. The wind was calm when we sat down but halfway through our wait for our food the wind picked up and in the tents it was just a wind tunnel. We froze! The food took forever. They were bringing out chips and salsa like crazy but we waited almost 45 minutes for two kids meals, soup/salad and an appetizer. We will return once dining opens up inside.

The service was great and the wait staff did a wonderful job. We were seated on time. There were very few heat lamps in the dining area., a few more heat lamps would have made the experience more pleasurable. The food was not the best. My son ordered the kids steak fajita, the steak was hard and over cooked, veggies were drenched in butter and over cooked. I ordered the slow cooked carnitas, the flavor was lost in all the grease.

Our waitress Kailyn was so good to us. We appreciated her service and were very satisfied with her.

Can’t give 5 stars when only outdoor dining available. It was a nice tent but a cold tent. Thanks Governor Newsom

It was outdoor seating due to COVID. Service levels has some head-room. Food tasted great!

Service was great. Sergio checked on our table frequently and he was very courteous. Carnitas street taco plate was delicious! Also ordered the Enchiladas Rancheras as my daughter is vegetarian and requested them without meat, delicious! The outdoor seating that is currently in effect due to pandemic worked out fine. Sat outside and watched the sunset from our table with a beautiful view of the ocean.

They.did a great job given the Covid restrictions

Nice staff.....Table tops were dirty. Appetizers / entrees had unmelted cheese inside which was cold to the touch. Rice and beans were good.

Disappointed by the sharp decline being kid friendly. We had to ask for a high chair twice despite it being on our reservation, no more crayons and paper color-able kids menu, and they served my not quite 2 year old her milk in an open glass. When I asked for a lid and straw, I was told they no longer have them.

Good food and service , lots to choose from , love the price , outside was great , heaters too , loved it !!!!!!!

As usual, the food and service were great. It was a bit chilly under the white tents because the heaters were kept outside. Otherwise, a great experience.

My husband and I came all the way from Santa Rosa just to get the flautas. As always, everyone was very helpful and the food was incredible! Cant wait to come back in a few weeks!!

Great brunch, just a bit pricey. And the dining tables should not be placed anywhere near the electrical box/delivery area/trash dumpsters. Really kills the overall experience.

I loved my brunch and will make it a tradition whenever I visit! I’m

Overall it was acceptable. Drinks were great. Shouldn't have ordered a steak, its not a steakhouse. Was sat in the coldest spot without heater next to the water.

We ordered the Fajitas Duo with steak and chicken, it arrived on a large plate, the meat was in whole pieces. Whenever I’ve had fajitas, they’re always served sizzling on a cast iron skillet, cut into strips with veggies. We were very disappointed.

We loved the outdoor seating and great service.

Friendly nice place the waiter was very courteous and fast and always came and asked if we needed anything till the end when we ordered two last drinks he made it happen for us loved my first time being their thank you!!

We made reservations for this past Saturday night Ocotober 17th at El Torito in Monterey... When the seven of us arrived for dinner, we had to wait maybe 10-minutes, for our table to be ready!! Customers with no reservations were waiting way over an hour to have dinner, so we were certainly happy that we had made reservations through OpenTable!!

Bland tasteless food, chicken fajitas were very dry and veggies over cooked. Brought out entrees and forgot appetiser, when commented server just shrugged and said she’d take it off the check. Handed check without any apology nor asked whether we wanted anything else. Worse service and meal on Cannery Row.

We had been here once before Covid, and we loved the experience and food. We took friends out to dinner now with the outdoor seating. The food was still great, however there didn’t seem to be organization with the tables our server had. She only came once to our table and we were not helped again when we were missing things. I had also ordered a soup with my meal and it never arrived. We tried to pay with one of the hostess who was not busy at the time but would not help saying only the server could do it for us. She was very busy and we had to wait another 15-20 before we could pay and leave when others were waiting for our table. I would still return to El Torito but maybe after Covid or when they have better management on busy nights.

Our dining experience went more smoothly than expected as this was our first time dining at a restaurant since the pandemic started. The service and the food was excellent!

I made a reservation for 6pm on a Friday night. I was seated at approximately 6:05pm which is fine, as the place was visibly packed and our table was being cleaned/disinfected. The only downside I have about this place is that the service can be spotty. It took nearly 20 minutes for a server to even ask us if we wanted water or any drinks. I understand it gets busy but 20 minutes for beverages is a bit too much. After that we ordered and the food came out faster than expected, maybe 15 minutes after we placed out order. The food was VERY flavorful. I ordered a fajitas plate with carne asada and shrimp. All side dishes such as the beans/rice/guac were fantastic. The meat and shrimp were tasty and fresh. I can confidently say that this place is the best Mexican in town. Its a bit pricy for Mexican food, but you pay for the quality of the food and the experience of dining with an ocean view.

Very nice place I love the outside sitting right now has a perfect view !

I understand things will be different but cold food is cold food! The only thing on our plates that were hot where the tortillas!

It was good for kids, but the service was too casual (read: slow and unprofessional) for my preference. It was friendly and fine, but overall it seemed harder than necessary and almost everything required two requests.
And, given COVID, I did not have a strong sense that they were doing all that I would have hoped for to keep everything sanitized. It's just my impression, but I felt a bit uncomfortable.

First, they seem to be doing the best they can considering the current restrictions.

We had reservations for 8 people at 3pm on a Saturday and checked in 15 minutes early. Was told our table was not ready yet. After 30 minutes of waiting, we were told the table is still not ready as they were still waiting another large group to leave that had been there over 3 hours already. They made alternate seating to fit our group under the tent, which worked out better for us anyway. Server was overwhelmed but was trying his best. Staff were friendly. Food & drinks were fantastic. Definitely will come back again as we love this El Torito.

Suggestion during the current dining restrictions to maybe implement a ninety minute (or 2 hour?) table reservation during busy times so others can also enjoy the venue? Most people should find that amount of time to be well sufficient and it would likely also help the staff & servers as well.

Our waitress was really nice and friendly. The food was great, and the service was even better.

Everyone’s doing the best they can with the outdoor dining edict from the state we just ended up with a bad table it wasn’t their fault everyone is always very nice at this restaurant

Makeshift operation during these Covid times. Accommodations were okay...not great. Food good. Too LOUD music on Taco Tuesday.

Food was delicious. It was just as I remembered it. We are from the SF Bay Area and don't have any El Torritos left. Had the appetizer flautas as a meal and he had the adobo chicken. Ordered guacamole and spicey, cucumber margarita. Our waiter was super nice and attentive. It was cold out but I had a sweater and poncho. A family in shorts and light sweatshirts had to leave before ordering, stating it was too cold. We were under the large, white tent. There were two tables out in the opem, unoccupied with a spce heater between them. I didn't see any space heaters under our tent. The restaurant is by the water. It is always going to be cool. Wear appropriate clothes.