El Torito Grill

I'm not a fan of El Torito, but somehow, my girlfriend convinced me to try their upscale restaurant. Well I was pleasantly surprised. We've been to the champagne brunch three times and we get stuffed each time. They have fresh fruit, deserts, waffles and mexican dishes all ready to go. It's one of those places that you have to pace yourself. Pros: Brunch more

Best Mexican I've had in LA. As amazing as this may seem, LA has a ton of very bad mexican restaurants (even some of the supposedly upper scale ones), BUT this one is a major exception. This El Torito should not be confused with ""El Torito (Mexican Grill)"" about a 1/4 mi further south on Hawthorne. Anyways -- food is awesome, the chicken torte is great. The first time we went the gave us handmade tortillas served with 2 different salsas; the second time it was chips instead of tortillas - still good. Enchiladas were excellent. This place is very nice inside, more expensive than your typical mexican restaurant, but well worth it. Pros: tortillas, service more

Even though El Torito is a chain, their Yucatan menu is not ""Corporate Cuisine"". Every 10 weeks they are rolling out a menu from the different regions of Mexico. Their executive chef Pepe Lopez travels to each region, he searches for the tastiest local dishes, makes sure to acquire the authentic ingredients and then serves them up in a grand style. The Yucatan menu has something for everyone and everything was terrific. Yucatan drinks, appetizers, entrees & a dessert. My two favorites are the Poc Chuc Asada (citrus marinated steak) and the Pescado Yucatan (sautéed fresh fish); the tastes were fresh, exhilarating and danced on my tongue. I finished with the crepas de Cajeta (sweet crepes) it was like a treat from heaven. Go to the El Torito nearest you before it's too late and tell them the wolf send you. Pros: Easy Parking, Great Value, Wonderful Service more