El Torito - Sherman Oaks

El Torito - Sherman Oaks reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. J

   Jennifer

   Los Angeles2 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on May 11, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   I had a reservation for Mother’s Day Brunch at 12:15 PM. When we arrived, we were told there would be a 20–30 minute wait to be seated. Understanding it was a busy holiday, we were patient and didn’t make a fuss. However, after waiting for over an hour and watching multiple parties, including some who arrived after us, get seated before us, my mom understandably became frustrated. She approached the hostess to ask about our table, only to be told that they had already called my name and sent me a text, neither of which was true. We had been sitting just a few feet from the stand the entire time. When she finally did call a name, I asked for the last name since there were three parties with the same first name, but she never clarified or confirmed mine. What made the situation more frustrating was seeing walk-ins being seated while we, with a reservation, were still waiting. For a \$50-per-person brunch, guests with reservations should be prioritized. The hostess seemed overwhelmed, and unfortunately, her manager wasn’t stepping in to assist, which left her to absorb all the frustration from guests on her own. That didn’t feel fair to her. Thankfully, our waiter was fantastic and truly saved the experience for us. Still, given the price and the overall lack of organization, the experience didn’t feel worth it.
   

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2. G

   Gary VIP

   Los Angeles17 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on May 11, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   Mother’s Day brunch. Crowded and poorly organized. Service was not good and tables weren’t bussed. Buffet wasn’t filled. Etc.
   

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3. E

   Evelyn VIP

   Los Angeles5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 20, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Came in this past Sunday for Easter Brunch and had such a great experience! We made a reservation and despite showing up early, they sat us right away! The Sunday brunch is amazing and such a great value! So many options to choose from! Great omelettes,enchiladas, seafood, tacos, prime rib and not to mention the desserts! It will take a few more visits to be able to try all the amazing food! The staff was so on point! Jose was our server who made sure to check in on us and keep the mimosos flowing! Joseph was bringing food to the buffet area and was so friendly and helpful! Pointing out ALL the different food options! Go check them out! You will love it! 😋
   

   El Torito - Sherman OaksResponded on April 28, 2025

   Thanks for leaving us such a wonderful review. We are glad that you and family loved our services. Our staff will be pleased to learn of your high praise. They work very diligently, and it will provide them with great encouragement to keep up their hard work. – Xperience Restaurant Group
   

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4. F

   Francis

   Los Angeles2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 29, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Had A First Date Here. Overall Service 10/10 amazing staff and our server was amazing .
   

   El Torito - Sherman OaksResponded on April 7, 2025

   We cannot thank you enough for the kind words about our restaurant. Your review means a lot to us and lets us know we are on the right track! – Xperience Restaurant Group
   

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5. JP

   JoseP

   Los Angeles10 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 23, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I love coming here for their brunch! You always get your money's worth and the food is delicious.
   

   El Torito - Sherman OaksResponded on March 27, 2025

   We are happy to hear about your experience! We appreciate you taking the time to share. - Xperience Restaurant Group
   

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6. J

   Jay

   Los Angeles11 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 23, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   A great time with the family and there’s always other people there celebrating birthdays and retirement. I would recommend this place due to its size and the ambience on Ventura Boulevard.
   

   El Torito - Sherman OaksResponded on March 23, 2025

   We are happy to hear about your experience! We appreciate you taking the time to share. - Xperience Restaurant Group
   

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7. D

   Deborah

   Los Angeles5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 9, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I enjoyed my birthday brunch a whole lot! They even sang to me! 😆
   

   El Torito - Sherman OaksResponded on April 21, 2025

   We are happy to hear about your experience! We appreciate you taking the time to share. - Xperience Restaurant Group
   

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8. T

   Tracy VIP

   Los Angeles7 reviews

   1.0

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   We knew it would be busy because it was Valentine's Day so we planned for that. Our waitress didn't write anything down then said one of drinks wrong twice. She brought out my partner's meal and completely forgot about mine. She then asked how our meal was and when I told her I was still waiting on mine 15 min after our first meal was brought out, she proceeded to ask me what I had ordered. The manager ended up comping the meal because as he walked over to talk to us, we realized the waitress had given us an empty tortilla container. No idea what the problem was. We've never had such a terrible experience there and we've been to this location many times.
   

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9. V

   Viviana

   Los Angeles1 review

   2.0

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   Went for dinner last night for Valentine’s Day with very high hopes of eating authentic Mexican food. I had reservations and special requests. To say the least, it will be my last time here. Very disappointed with the service at the front and unprofessionalism. They don’t take reservations here seriously. The food was the problem. I got a combo plate with chicken flautas and enchiladas. The flautas were soggy and awful. The enchilada tasted like ketchup very generic. The quality is worse than pollo loco if I’m being honest. They focus on big portions but not on taste. My food was served cold and tasted generic. I did not finish my plate from how cold it was. My partners plate too. The plates were full in the end because no one liked the food. Time to find a New Mexican spot.
   

   El Torito - Sherman OaksResponded on February 21, 2025

   My name is Joseph the Bar Manager of El Torito in Sherman Oaks. Although I prefer to hear great comments about our food and service, your kind feedback is what we value the most. I hope that you can give us a second chance and you will see how your feedback made a difference. If you could please provide me with the best time to call you regarding your experience would be fantastic. I would like to turn around your next dining experience with us.
   

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10. J

    Judy VIP

    Los Angeles151 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on February 9, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2

    Everything on the buffet was very, very salty and all tasted the same. They raised the price to $33.50 and I really don’t know why. They took away or changed an item that had shrimp on the salad bar and now it’s basically cucumber, and there’s nothing amazing for that price. The noise level is very high. Hard to talk, but maybe they were short of staff because I had to get my own coffee, the waiter just wasn’t “available” unless I flagged him down for coffee, Champaign, napkins. Good grief. I must not be the only one with that feeling as it wasn’t as busy as it has been with people waiting outside for a table. Could be new management…?
    

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