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El Torito - El Torito - La Mesa, La Mesa, CA

El Torito - La Mesa

4.5
4.5
447 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 13 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for brunch
The authority in great Mexican food for over 70 years! Visit us for weekly celebrations where we infuse tradition with authentic Mexican cuisine, including $4 happy hour, $3 Taco Tuesday, Saturday Breakfast and All-You-Can-Eat + Drink Sunday Brunch. Experience a celebration of Family, Food & Community!

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch: Sunday: 9:00am - 2:00pm; Lunch: Monday - Saturday: 11:00am - 3:00pm; Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 3:00pm - 10:00pm, Friday & Saturday: 3:00pm - 11:00pm, Sunday: 2:00pm-10:00pm
  • Phone number
    (619) 698-7404
  • Website
    https://www.eltorito.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Catering
    Bring the flavor of El Torito to your office or off-site event! We can accommodate groups from 10 to 10,000 and everything in between! Enjoy Taco Bars, Fajita Bars, Enchilada Bars & much more. Order online or call 1-888-TORTILLA. https://www.eltorito.com/catering/
  • Private party facilities
    Show your friends, family, and co-workers how to throw a real party. Book one of our rooms, patios, or semi-private dining areas for your next celebration, event, or meeting. Choose from Plated Menus, Buffet Menus or Mix & Match your favorite individual Trays. Inquire online or call 1-888-TORTILLA. https://www.eltorito.com/private-events/
  • Location
    5024 Baltimore Dr, La Mesa, CA 91942
  • Neighborhood
    La Mesa
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 447 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • East County

    Best Overall

  • East County

    Best Service

  • East County

    Great for brunch

  • East County

    Good for groups

  • East County

    Healthy

  • East County

    Hot spot

  • East County

    Neighborhood gem

  • East County

    Great for outdoor dining

  • East County

    Good for special occasions

  • East County

    Lively

  • East County

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
El Torito - La Mesa is celebrated for its "amazing" Sunday brunch, featuring a variety of delicious dishes and "bottomless mimosas." Guests appreciate the friendly and attentive staff, with mentions of "outstanding brunch" and "great service." While some note service charges and wait times, the vibrant atmosphere and "excellent food" shine through.

447 Reviews

  1. Johnny

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Very disappointed in the food quality here. Our waiter was very nice but service was a little slow. The big disappointment was that the food just wants very good. Flavor was lacking in the fajitas and the rice was bland. And the chips were kind of flavorless. The best tasting item was the salsa, which was super spicy. The guacamole was also tasty.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Connie

    San Diego

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    It was Christmas Day and we knew it was going to be busy but when we arrived 10 minutes before our reservation, It was clear that the hostesses were overwhelmed with hangry customers. It took us 20 to get checked in for our reservation, with only three people ahead of us in line. We got seated in 15 minutes. The waitress was awesome! The service was fast and food was delicious.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Elaine

    Orange County

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    reservations don’t actually matter, still waited 15-20 minutes for my table. also hostesses are no help!!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Lashon

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My family had so much fun. They food was delicious and fresh. Endless mimosas. Waiter was amazing. Best Christmas 2024🥰

    Is this helpful?

  5. Lakiesha

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Thank you El Torito for the Christmas Buffet. We love it here!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Rose

    San Diego

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    10 minutes before reservation time I called to inform that my uber would arrive 5 minutes after the scheduled time and they said not to worry. When I arrived I was made to wait more tnan 15 minutes because the young lady kept seating others until I asked another hostess and she saw that my reservation was indeed at 11:45am and there was a table for 4 available beacuse someone hadn't arrived yet to be seated and she told the first hostess to go and seat us right away. We had to wait another 5 or 10 minutes before our waitress was finally able to tend to us and she was very attentive the whole time. She provided very satisfatory service.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Kristi

    VIP

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 21, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Celebrated our (large) Family Christmas here 12/21/24. Lizette (& staff) were wonderful and patient! Thank you!

    Is this helpful?

  8. William

    VIP

    San Diego

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on December 13, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was slow we were told people didn’t show up for work. Orders were not received correctly due to waiter being distracted with other customers calling him. Requested a Caesar salad and I had to remind the waiter my salad was not delivered. Requested no onions or peppers on the quesadillas and there were onions and peppers in the quesadillas. Did I mention service was slow

    Is this helpful?

  9. Kenya

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 8, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 1
    Difficulty with seating a larger party. Dirty tables!!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Nicole

    San Diego

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 8, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Overall the experience was just ok. The food was cold and we were seated under a vent.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

El Torito - La Mesa offers delivery in partnership with Postmates and Uber Eats. El Torito - La Mesa also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 698-7404.

El Torito - La Mesa is rated 4.5 stars by 447 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 13 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for El Torito - La Mesa

5024 Baltimore Dr, La Mesa, CA 91942

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    La Mesa
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch: Sunday: 9:00am - 2:00pm; Lunch: Monday - Saturday: 11:00am - 3:00pm; Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 3:00pm - 10:00pm, Friday & Saturday: 3:00pm - 11:00pm, Sunday: 2:00pm-10:00pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    https://www.eltorito.com/
  • Phone number
    (619) 698-7404
  • Catering
    Bring the flavor of El Torito to your office or off-site event! We can accommodate groups from 10 to 10,000 and everything in between! Enjoy Taco Bars, Fajita Bars, Enchilada Bars & much more. Order online or call 1-888-TORTILLA. https://www.eltorito.com/catering/
  • Private party facilities
    Show your friends, family, and co-workers how to throw a real party. Book one of our rooms, patios, or semi-private dining areas for your next celebration, event, or meeting. Choose from Plated Menus, Buffet Menus or Mix & Match your favorite individual Trays. Inquire online or call 1-888-TORTILLA. https://www.eltorito.com/private-events/
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