El Toreo Mexican Restaurant
383 W Northwest Hwy, Palatine, IL, 60067
El Toreo Mexican Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Palatine for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Palatine for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Palatine for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
383 W Northwest Hwy
Palatine, IL, 60067 - Phone (847) 358-2360
- Website https://www.eltorerorestaurant.net
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Quinn B.
I went to this Palatine hot spot with my wife a few days ago. Luckily we went during the winter because we both love snow. Since there hasn't been a ton this year, the refried beans made in the form of the perfect ice cream scoop worked wonderfully! Cold, dry and the consistency of Play-doh worked well as we were heaving scoops at each other's heads. After building a Frosty the Snowman out of beans (the nasty rice worked well for eyes and a buttons), the party had to end. But hey, the soft drinks were huge.
(1)Jen H.
Chips were warm, and appeared homemade. Delicious. This should be a standard, but unfortunately isn't. So, it started off well. The beans and rice were slightly below average. I would assume from a can. Everything else was just very basic. Nothing above average. Reasonable prices, for reasonable Mexican food.
(3)Denzil K.
This is prob the worst Mexican place I have been. Rude waiters, bad salsa, and bad food. I will not be going there anymore - if they have zero star, that's what I would have given this place. Go to Grande Jake instead.
(1)Richard C.
they use canned chicken as chicken filling and ground tacobell-style beef as beef. and their price is restaurant level price range. so expect to pay restaurant price for shttier junk food made out of canned refried beans, canned chicken filling, shit like that. what a waste of money.
(1)Sarah W.
Not terrible, but not memorable either. My broiled shrimp with peppers was good, but my husband and son each had ground beef that was very lacking. Not much flavor or spice, just greasy. The service was nice and the place was clean, but I wouldn't be seeking it out to go back. The sangria had no fruit in it at all. My MIL said her margarita was good, though.
(2)Jon A.
Great food with a friendly staff. I've always been happy here. The food is consistently good and drinks are well made.
(5)Raw F.
This is the real-meal-deal when it comes to sit-down Mexican food. I highly suggest that if you're moving away from the trendy city to finally grow up and live in a single family home in the NW suburbs, you have your Realtor buy you lunch here. Don't be embarrassed to ask her to pick up the tab, she can expense it.
(5)Dan E.
El Terrible! Went in wanting to like El Terero. It's close to where I live and it's Mexican food. Those two things skewed me towards liking it before I sat down. The ambiance is exactly what you want from a Mexican restaurant, semi-divey, spanish music, spanish staff and fresh margaritas. The menu is your typical Mexican fanfare and doesn't bring anything new to the table, but then again I'm not sure what "new to the table" Mexican food would even look like. My complaint lies mostly in one location. Flavor. There was none! The food was edible and there were no issues with how it was presented/prepared, but when it comes right down to it I expect some flavor out of Mexican food. There was no lime taste, no cilantro taste, no spicy taste, nothing. It was fundamentally cooked beef with sour cream and lettuce. I had a combination of a tostada, burrito and enchilada. All three were fundamentally flavorless and while I don't like to complain about price El Torero does tend to cost about 25% more than your typical Mexican food. It's not the worst food I've ever had, but definitely some of the least flavorful. The restaurant itself was nice and the staff was friendly, but I have a hard time believing that I will go back any time real soon.
(2)Amy C.
This is one of my favorite places to visit with my parents. The prices are great and the food is fantastic. We first started going because my parents had come across some coupons allowing two entrees for the price of one. The chips and salsa served before the meal are delicious and I usually eat too many of them. My favorite entrees are the enchiladas, I typically order them vegetarian and don't feel like I'm missing out at all. They also have great margaritas and my personal favorite- the coco loco. It's conveniently located with great parking and reasonably priced. A very relaxed atmosphere-- great for catching up with friends. The staff is friendly and it is just an overall pleasant experience. I definitely recommend it whenever deciding where to go with friends.
(4)Leah B.
We have been going here for many years. This is a warm family owned business. I am not sure if their food is authentic but it seems like it is and the drinks are good. I have had Fajitas, Chimichangas, Tacos & burritos and they never disappoint. Their table salsa is pretty spicy but I guess you could say Im really wimpy.
(4)Ashley A.
Holy guacamole, this place really hit the spot. We bought a Groupon and called ahead to see if they would honor it the same day we paid for it (some Groupons are mailed to you and you have to wait until you receive it), which they did. The food was very filling and satisfying. We were greeted right when we walked in and were seated immediately. Our waitress asked if we had ever been to the restaurant and we said we had not. She then said, "I bet you'll be back; I think you're gonna love El Torero." The way she said it kind of made us laugh. She brought out chips and two kinds of salsa; neither were too spicy. She also brought a little cup of guacamole, which was free because our Groupon included it along with the half price deal. We paid $15 for $30 worth and got more than enough food; we were full about half way through eating our appetizer, the queso fundido. It mean cheese fondue and is basically a little pot of melted cheese sitting upon a small fire to keep it warm and melted and comes with soft tortilla shells. It's basically like a make-your-own cheese quesadilla. We ordered two entrees: a chorizo chimichanga and a combination plate. Since there were few vegetarian options, we asked about making the combo plate vegetarian and our waitress accommodated no problem. When we received our bill, our server pointed out that we had not spent the full $30 that our Groupon was worth, and that the remaining balance could not be applied towards tax or tip, so we ordered a red sangria; it was pretty good. I would like to go back and order different entrees since they offer so many.
(5)Joseph P.
Toreo is once again El Torero, but I still don't come here much any more since Grand Jake's in BG opened, so having dinner was a rare event. However it was a chance to rethink my opinion. The place seems to have been spruced some more, and the Palatine "Health Rating" was an essentially impressive 90. So why 2 stars? Well, the food continues to be too bland and somewhat unimaginative. i ordered the steak Poblano in the hopes of getting a bit more "zing" in the dish, but to it still lacks something. At $15 it seems a good value but while it looks great, the flavor seems flat. As others have mentioned, it seems like the sides are a plate from a can - just bland and dull rice and bean sides. The service is improving - very friendly and the prices at lunch are a bargain, but overall it doesn't merit going out of your way, at least at dinner. There is good Wi-Fi here, but be sure to select theirs by name, not the "linksys" one.
(2)Mister M.
I was in the area recently and stopped in at Toreo. Or is it called El Torero. it seems to have 2 names. i have many years of experience eating at all types of Mexican restaurants, from authentic dives, to Tex-Mex, to Mexican-American, and many very upscale authentic Mexican. Toreo is your standard Mexican American with a leaning toward Mexican/Authentic. Not upscale authentic, just rice and beans style authentic. Very clean and friendly atmosphere, VERY moderately priced. Fresh chips with 2 salsas and pickled veggies are complimentary. 1 sauce red and 1 green. I asked for more heat and they gladly obliged by bringing a bottle of Cholula and a bottle of green El Yucateca. I suspect most of you will not be able to handle the El Yucateca. I don't know why, but I ordered Chimichangas. I NEVER order these. Now, if you have ever been to Mexico Uno-in downtown Palatine, then you probably already know that the bar for Chimichanga's is set very high. Mexico Uno serves a grilled version that is lights out. I asked if these were grilled or deep fried and was told that they were deep fried. Whatever, I ordered them anyway. Deep fried anything is going to be pretty good. Well, let me say that these were outstanding. I had one with ground beef and one with carne asada-like a bbq pork. Both were great. The flour tortillas were perfectly crisp and layered and did not taste greasy at all. I see many bad reviews that are completely daffy. One gal say's that she ordered the Chimichangas and could not believe that they were served in a flour tortilla instead of corn. In all my days, I have never seen a chimichanga made with a corn tortilla. They are basically a grilled or fried burrito. Someone said the rice and beans were no good. Well, mine were perfect. Not cold and not dry. As for Quinn B.-why not just send them back and get a freshly made plate of food if yours was cold and dry. Instead he trashes the place on Yelp. You are not funny. These people work hard. It is obviously a family run business and I think that they are doing a fine job. You cannot compare this to places like Frontera Grill, or even Mago or other upscale Mexican places. It is what it is. Decent food and a very good value.
(5)Eiei O.
I really want to like this place. It has two very important attributes; it is close and parking is easy. It is clear why it is so easy to park. The place is empty. Every few years we forget past experiences and go back, only to be reminded again why we stay away. The food is never very good. Two things come to mind. Has the cook or owners of this place ever had authentic or somewhat modern Mexican food with some hint of craft, flavor and spice.The second thought was, where is Gordon Ramsey and the Kitchen Nightmares film crew? This restaurant would be a perfect candidate for a 2 part'er.
(1)Mark F.
Good portions, tasty, well lit, fairly priced, tasty-warm tortilla chips and an overall good time. The service was a bit over-the-top. Every 5th second a new person came by to ask how we were doing. Maybe they were just messing with us but it became excessive after awhile. The margarita I had was meh but the server swore by it and tables were order pitcher after pitcher of them. Despite the lack of pizazz, it was served in a cactus-shaped glass and that wins me over every time. I liked the sass our server gave us. Fun guy. Most importantly, the food was tasty. I sampled/stole/forked some desserts from the others at my table and I learned that adding honey, sugar and cinnamon can make anything really good. I'm adding this to the list of places to go back to. I want to give them more stars!
(3)Sarah K.
I can confidently say that this is the worst Mexican food I have ever had. I wish I could give zero stars. We ordered margaritas, guacamole appetizer, chicken fajitas and a combination plate with a taco, tostada and "burrito". You may be wondering why "burrito" is in quotations and I suppose an explanation is the best place to start this review. The burrito in question was really an enchilada and a poor one at that. Flour tortilla (what - no corn?) wrapped around a spoonful of bland, mealy ground beef slathered with enchilada sauce and some American cheese. Yuk. The tostada was seriously inedible. Soggy corn tortilla piled high with the same unseasoned beef, lettuce and a dollop of sour cream. The taco was just as bad. I blame the meat. How can a Mexican restaurant NOT season their meat? To top it off, the consistency was so foul, we could hardly choke it down. Have had better ground beef from Taco Bell, I kid you not. In addition, I have a soy allergy that causes my lips to swell when eating soy protein. As soon as I took a bite of ground beef, guess what? My lips started to get puffy! Definitely seems they cut their ground beef with soy. The chicken fajitas were also bland. Nothing was seasoned. At least the peppers seemed fresh. Thankfully, an unseasoned pepper is easier on the palate than unseasoned chicken. Only 3 tortillas (flour of course) were given for a hefty fajita plate. Definitely unbalanced but no matter because I couldn't force myself to finish it anyway. Guacamole was also bland and an alarming shade of green. The margarita was watery and overpriced. In fact, everything was overpriced! Our bill was around $40. Now I'd be okay paying that if the food was actually good. Obviously, it wasn't and definitely not worth $10+ a plate. Important to note: Absolutely zero Hispanic people eating in the restaurant. All Midwest white folks who probably can't tell the difference between authentic Mexican cuisine and amateur slop. Please, please don't go here. Drive down towards Whole Foods and stop at La Presa. It looks like shit but it's amazing. I don't even know why we decided to try someplace else. Good Mexican food at half the price and surprise... everyone who eats there is actually Hispanic!
(1)Gerry A.
WHY does "authentic Mexican food" have to be a sodium and cayenne bomb? While I wasn't knocked out by lunch, it WAS appropriately UNDERseasoned in my opinion so that you CAN slather on whatever YOU think makes it your "authentic Mexican" etc etc. instead of the usually inedible salt bomb that I detest. Very clean, well lit dining area with booths or sunny tables by generous tall windows. There were also 4 good sized outdoor tables with umbrellas in front. Simple straightforward menu made ordering refreshingly simple for a first visit. I don't think there were are any fish choices. Largely unappealing strip mall location has plenty of parking and the insides were much cheerier and brighter than expected. Staff was helpful warning my companion off spicier dishes she would not have liked and showed up only when we needed them. Fresh guacamole and chips were also not drowned in salt and salsa and my cheese chili releno was perfect and I DID expect it to be hotter than it was and no I didn't then pour a bunch of green or red sauce on it. Give it a try, or better yet don't eat Mexican food like I generally don't do unless I am in Mexico.
(3)Neal M.
OK, now this place is called El Torero, but it's the exact same overpriced, non authentic Mexican.. now for my full review. I have gone here every couple years for quite a while, keep giving it a chance because it is right around the corner to my house. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.. Well I went back one more time because of the name change, I thought it was new owners, and I got a good deal on a coupon at restaurant.com . Went there with 4 others, meet on a saturday. We all ordered miscelanous stuff, very limited choices. No Al Pastor Tacos? really? How is this possible. The rice and beans are barely edible (exactly what I can but in a can for 79 cents. And the mole tasted like salsa that has been burnt in a fry pan.. nachos with about 15 chips and melted cheese and bottled jalapenos for 7.00? really? Here's the kicker, 5 people each having a beer with our meal got a bill for over $80.00 for mediocre mexican at best? And after our meal they tell us they no longer accept the coupon? I called restaurant.com and they refunded me my cost thank goodness. But yet the are still selling them on the site two weeks later? What a shady place. I won't be going back. Just looked now and I guess restaurant.com booted them because they are no longer available.. How about this, look into offering real good mexican at a good price and people will come back. But not me, 3 big strikes over 10 years and I am not going back any more. I have learned my lesson, don't waste your time here.
(1)Joe T.
I have never had anything bad on the menu, I've even asked the waiters to surprise me and I'm never disappointed. Everybody there from the hostess, waiter and to the server are always happy to serve you and do what they have to to make you're night enjoyable. The margaritas are the best I've ever had, they also have great deserts to go along with their after dinner drinks........
(5)Jodie P.
Yuck! Went here because we had a Groupon. The seat was dirty that we sat on. The "free guacamole" appetizer that was supposed to come with the deal was a tiny plastic ramekin of bland guacuamole. My husbands burrito was a big mushy slop of ground beef. I was on a diet and this was my day off, so not worth it! My enchiladas were very bland. I am white and I can make better guacamole and enchiladas than this. :) They get 2 stars only because the waitress was very sweet. I hate to write a bad review because she was a sweetie, but sorry- the food stunk.
(2)Tom A.
I want to like this place, mostly because it's so convenient to where I live, but little things always mess stuff up for me. This past visit, as I entered, I see in the vestibule a crummy Ikea low shelf unit with a few dusty phone books scattered on it. Lousy first impression. The food is decent enough, but the prices are too high for a place with store-bought chips and guacamole that is pre-made and served too-cold from the refrigerator. Additionally, the service is a little uneven, sometimes very attentive, other times a little negligent. I'll go again, but only because it's close and there's never a wait.
(3)Karlie K.
I came here for a culture project for school as a requirement, but got so much more! The food and service were both wonderful! I will definitely be back!
(5)Crystal R.
Ugh. I even wondered if I should bother reviewing Toreo. But I am a HUUUGE mexican food connoisseur and thought it would be in peoples' best interest that I honestly reviewed it. First of all, the food was mediocre. However, what REALLY makes this only one star was the service. WOW! Horrible. My companion and I sat outside because it was one of the last few warm nights of the summer. Not knowing if we just seat ourselves, we walked into the establishment to ask and found multiple servers not even bothering to stand up and treat us as new customers. I might as well have been their grandmother. ha So taking that with a grain of salt we chose a table outside on our own. Then, all of the following happened during the rest of our meal: -Wait staff hardly checked on us, maybe 2 times total and not even to ask us how it was going. More or less just "passing us" -Waters never got refilled -A waiter spoke on his cell phone 10ft away from us in the parking lot while kicking the rocks towards my car. I was about to say something and then he stopped. -Two waiters (neither one being our original waiter) came out to give us our food while giggling the whole time like school girls....just to put the wrong plate in front of us. It was a 50/50 chance to mess up and they did. -Took a millllion years to get the waiter to come back and take our credit card so we could get the hell out of there. I seriously contemplated just leaving. It felt like an eternity. I can't recall if there was anything else, but that's enough to say we didn't enjoy our visit there, right? Two HUGE thumbs down!
(1)Matt G.
Awesome Mexican food and drinks. Very good service.
(5)Jon F.
The salsas and the veggies were both GREAT. Don't get me wrong there. I asked if they could make me a chilli rellenos burrito... usually this presents a pleasantly surprisingly good dish at a fraction of the cost of the rellenos meal.... the best they could do was offer to let me order the meal and charge me for a tortilla so I could wrap it up in it.... not exactly a burrito. They did take a few cents off my bill to make it an even $15, service was pretty good and nice, outside seating was great for the nice night. The flautas I opted for were good... but nothing special and came with the standard $10 meal price. It was nice to eat outside, but I think I'll head back to the place on Brockway.
(3)B N.
Inauthentic Mexican food. I redeemed my Groupon and was looking forward to a reasonably tasting meal. Everything was bland and plain. Salsas seemed to be from a can and diluted. Bleh! Not worth your time or money.
(1)Teresa P.
It's OK. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again - even with a coupon.
(2)Andrew B.
4 stars might be a stretch, but my family has been coming here for years because there is not better Mexican food in the area (that I know of). What is arguably the most important aspect of a Mexican restaurant? THE CHIPS AND SALSA. Toreo has great restaurant-style chips and serves them with a few different salsas and jardinera. Margaritas are standard. The menu is expansive and has many combinations. Some of their steak dishes are very good, but my favorite is the chimichangas. They aren't really special compared to other Mexican places, but there is nothing wrong with them either. They serve large plates of good and basic Mexican food. Service is average and the decor is festive with pinatas and such hanging about.
(4)John M.
We used to go to Toreo fairly regularly. It has been probably 6 months since I went there so I decided to go there for lunch the other day. I'll start out with the good - prices. They prices are very fantastic. My lunch combination (1 taco, 1 tamale, 1 enchilada, rice, beans and soup) was right about $5. The portions are large. The drink was a bit over priced at $2.25 for a Coke, but it was a large glass and they will refill if you want. The mediocre - service. None of the wait staff is in any big hurry. The bad - the food. As I said, we used to go there quite often. However, the food now is bland and the sauces taste like they came out of a can. The meat was supposed to be beef. It was brown, but I'm not sure what it was! I think it sort of tasted like the "meat" in the Chef Boyardee ravioli. Maybe I'm expecting too much for a $5 meal. But it wasn't like this before. Now searching for a new Mexican place in Palatine because I won't be going back here.
(1)Lauri S.
One star is too generous. We've lived 3 blocks away from this restaurant for 15 years, and have tried it at least 7-8 times over those years. I wish they were good, because it's so convenient to our home, but we won't waste one more penny in that joint. Lousy, dirty front entry with cheap looking advertisements. The same woman (possibly an owner) is always the one who seats us, and she won't crack a smile no matter what. Acts like she couldn't care less that we are there. Also doesn't say goodbye or thank you when we leave. Food is canned/frozen tasting, totally un-original. Service is below average; I feel like the servers resent having to serve us, like we are bothering them. Grimey seats, tables and floors. I'd hate to see what the kitchen looks like, if this is how the dining area is. They should take some lessons from the nicer Mexican restaurants in Arlington Heights.
(1)Steve F.
Really bad service. The waiter dropped off our food and then never came back to refill our drinks or just check in on us. Very disappoint. The funny thing was about 3 years ago I said I would never return because of the poor service. We normally eat at Mexico Uno but she told me Toreo was under new management. But the staff looked the same and waited on us the same way a before. Slow and not very friendly. I'm not going back.
(2)David C.
Very good. Fresh quality ingredients. Interesting sauces. Delicious pickeled mixed jalapenos carrots and onions-seaoned with bay leaf and oregano. Those pickled veggies are sublime. Prices on the high side. Best Mexican cuisine I've tasted in Illinois.
(4)Andy C.
We have been coming here for many years now, mostly because they serve all of the things we like to order at a mexican place. Their chips and salsa is the best i have found in all the suburbs. It might not be homemade, but both the red and green sauces are excellent. And the carrots/jalapenos are outstanding. The portions are always a good size, and they serve a much better quality steak product than many other places around here. I am a huge steak fan, and too many places serve really poor quality and overcooked steak(if at all). But Toreo does it right imo. I usually get the burrito grande de steak. A huge flour tortilla which i get topped with their spicy tomatillo saace. It is filled with nothing but steak and onions. The service is not always the best, but most of the times it is pretty decent. The service is the only thing that i can really complain about, but since the food is so good i can overlook it.
(4)Megan T.
I like the big glass of pop they serve, but as far as authentic Mexican food.... I've had better. I have eaten there twice now and the mexican sausage on a tostada was very good, however do NOT order a tamale... not good. The chips are good, but they do not make their own homemade salsa which I find unusual since it is suppose to be authentic mexican. Try Mexico Uno around the corner in Downtown Palatine... much more authentic food.
(2)Lauren H.
Considering that there aren't too many good authentic Mexican restaurants in the area, El Toreo is a great place to eat with the family. I love their food and their prices are reasonable for what you get! It's close to home and there is a ton of outdoor seating, if that's what you're into on a summer day... For authentic Mexican food in Palatine.. this is the place to go!
(5)Bobbi S.
The place looks nice now with the bar up front and a nice refurbishing in the dining area. The food is ok. Nothing spectacular. I think we got the testy waiter. He brought a plate of enchiladas to our table when burritos were ordered. Swore up and down they were burritos....but they looked exactly like the place of enchiladas someone else from our table ordered. He reluctantly offered to replace it after explaining that is his how their NEW burritos look.
(3)Kimberly F.
I like this place. 3.5 stars is probably more appropriate than 4, but what the heck, I'm feeling nice. The prices were good, the portions were big, and the food was yummy. The rice and beans that come with your meal are standard -- nothing too special there. I got the steak burritos and they actually had flavor and weren't covered in some unidentifiable sauce like at some places. For dessert I had the sopapillas which were excellent. Chips and salsa were also pretty standard, well, maybe above average. Both salsas were better than other Mexican restaurants I've tried in the area. Every single a time any server walked by our table, they asked if everything was OK or how we were doing. It got comical after awhile, but nice to see they were attentive. It didn't bug us because they didn't linger, but I guess it could get annoying to some people. I'd go back -- but try something else on their giant menu. Variety is the spice of life, right?
(4)Adele S.
My absolute favorite place. I usually get a chicken burrito but I've had steak & chicken fajitas here too...mmm, I can taste the lard already. They never give enough pickled veggies though...more onions and mushrooms please! Never had a bad meal here yet & we've been going here since they were called El Torero(not to be confused with the chain El Torito). It's a small strip mall restaurant, pretty crowded. Bathrooms leave much to be desired, sickly sweet flowers. Go before the rush. Inexpensive. I don't usually drink but I've had the margaritas, they can be hit or miss...If I do drink, I want it strong. Almost forgot...honest staff!!! Mom-in-law dropped her diamond tennis bracelet in the bathroom and they held it for her till she could get back there.
(5)Ken S.
Love this place. Ever since my girlfriends Grandma took me here I can't wait till I get to go back. The food is always fantastic and I always seem to get this same waiter. I don't know if he is the only guy they have, but he is always serving all of the tables when I am there and running around yet somehow he does not look rushed. He is always polite and does a great job at making sure my table has everything we need. Just talking about them makes me want to jump into the car right now!!!! YUMMMMMM
(5)Matt S.
3.5 stars. Decent Mexican, but the service has kind of killed it for me the past 2 times the wife and I went. She likes the food a little better than Mexico UNO, but I disagree. Better chips and salsa though.
(3)Kristina H.
This Mexican restaurant has always been a local favorite. Good food, good service. The enchiladas are very tasty! Festive decor as well.
(4)Joe S.
This place is awesome! I've been to many Mexican places over my years and this one is by far the best. Margaritas are great (they are $4.50 on Sundays and Mondays). I usually get the tacos, which are outstanding. Never had the beans that come with it but love the rice that comes with it. Corn hard shell tacos are a great addition. They bring you chips and salsa when you sit down. All of it's good (they bring a red salsa, a green salsa, and peppers) but the red is extremely awesome! Staff is very hard working. My best suggestion? Try this place out just one time. I guarantee that it will keep you coming back. We got a few times each month and try and bring friends and family that have never been there before and all of them love it like us. People on here who say they don't like this place don't know what they're talking about.
(5)Diane M.
Reasonably priced and tasty margaritas. Came with a Mexican dish craving and they didn't disappoint. Very good pickled veggies with the salsa and chips.
(4)Teressa D.
Tried El Toreo for the second time last night. I quickly realized why it had taken us a year to return. We should have known when we walked in on a Saturday night and there were only 4 or so tables with people sitting at them. Hmmmm.... Well, to be short and sweet, service was mediocre, even slow at times. Food came out very quickly, but we felt like an annoyance to our server. Mixed reviews on food: husband loved his burrito grande, but I did not enjoy my flautas. Chicken was extremely dry. Thank goodness for the chips, salsa and the extra guacamole we ordered. All three were delicious. Guac was not made at the table, which I've kinda grown accustomed to, so $7 seemed a little high for a side. Cadillac Margaritas were okay, not great or bad. Definitely not fresh lime, but from a mix. I'm sad, because this place is close to home, but I guess I'll have to drive further for good Mexican.
(2)Tobin h.
Magnificent value for just above average food, good service, and a clean atmosphere. Is it the Mexican equivilant of pallet ecstacy? No, not at all. But the amount of food, the price, and the quality all equal out to a very filling lunch worth stopping in for.
(3)Jenn B.
The food is good, the Cadillac margaritas are even better. On two occasions (the only occasions we've been there), like another reviewer mentioned, they wouldnt take coupons on the split check (two families; two bills). That was irritating. Not only that, the waitress was LESS than friendly when we paid. The second time, we went with a friend. Not only did we have to flag down the waiter to place an order (about 20 minutes after we received out drinks), but we had to flag them down for refills AND to find out where our order was (about an hour after we arrived). Our friend received her meal about 10 minutes before us and then we had them bag our meal immediately because we had to be somewhere else to pick up someone, leaving our meal cold when we finally arrived home close to an hour later. Good food, TERRIBLE service.
(2)D S.
This is a cute and kitschy Mexican Restaurant tucked away in the strip malls of Palatine. It's located right off of Route 14. There is ample parking and outdoor seating. The staff is friendly and happy to suggest "hidden house specialties". Additionally the entire staff is very attentive. The restaurant has a good variety of tequila. When you are seated, a server will bring you chips, a red salsa and a green salsa with pickled jalapeños, onion and carrots. Portions are good sized, enough for left overs the next day. On our last visit my husband had the al pastor and chorizo chimichangas, I had the beef and my son had the "Maya" special all came with rice and beans. My hubby stated the chimichangas were good, my son enjoyed the different enchiladas but both stated the rice and beans lacked seasoning. The two of us had the Cadillac Margaritas, one was too sweet and they quickly replaced it without hesitation. My son had the horchata, a rice, milk, vanilla and cinnamon drink. He said he loved it. The overall consensus is that we'll be coming back again. Update: went there again and out lovely waitress wasn't so lovely. She wouldn't honor a split check w a coupon. Needless to say the tip was reflective of her attitude.
(2)Jason N.
I typically don't write reviews on the places I go, but after the disaster of a meal I had tonight I felt the need to inform others of just how bad the food at this place is. I am married to a women from Mexican decent and my in laws are from Mexico. I have eaten really good Mexican food and what I had tonight wasn't even good enough to feed my dog. The first warning sign should have been that their Orchata is made from powder. No self respecting Mexican drinks Orchata made from powder. Their beans are from a can and they taste like it. The Rice was edible but very dry. Their sauce tasted like it was from a can as well. I had the chimichanga. These are supposed to be crisp and what I was served was a mushy, greasy thing filled with the worst ground beef and chicken I think I have ever eaten. Taco Bell is better than this. To top it all off for 2 kids meals and 3 adult meals I paid over $70 for the meal. I wouldn't mind paying that kind of money, but when you get served garbage to eat, spending that kind of money is out of line. Even the service was horrible. The place was filled with people, but I don't know what the other people were thinking. I suppose if you fill up on chips and Alcohol, by the time you get the food it doesn't really matter. For $70 there are way better places to eat than this place. Please stay away from this place. You will be very disappointed if you go. I know my wife and were.
(1)Spencer H.
I have been coming here for years & every time I come here it seems that they have updated or improved the place in some way. This is one of the only Mexican restaurants in the area that feels authentic. The restaurant & decor is pretty nice & gives it an authentic feel. The place is always clean when I have been here & the staff is very friendly. The staff is the kind to remember repeat customers & they are very quick. The outdoor seating area is nice & is a good option on a nice summer day. The food is fantastic & for a nice Mexican restaurant the prices are not bad. The fajitas are delicious every time & the chips & salsa are fantastic. Overall I have been coming here for years & I look forward to coming here again when I am in the area.
(4)Joseph S.
Another failure in the culinary world. Way too salty, tasted very artificial, suiza (sauce) and bean out of can, plus the service stunk like rotten tomatoes. Didn't even bother to ask if we wanted refills on the beverage. Also, way too expensive for low quality Mexican food. You're better off at taco hell. At least they don't pretend who they are. As a chef and a seeker of good quality food, this experience tells me that some joints just needs be shut down. Paid: $32 two entree two fountain drinks two stomach ache and one over-worked toliet
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