What separates El Torito from a typical Mexican food restaurant in Eugene is the quality of the food and, surprisingly, the prices. You can easily taste the fresh ingredients in each of El Torito's dishes, yet they're somehow also very reasonably priced. The generous entres range around $9 - $12, but be prepared to receive far more than the price suggests. El Torito delivers authentic and ""American"" Mexican dishes that spare no ingredients or quality. Plus, you can get half-off appetizers during their extended happy hour (4-8pm!) as well as great drink specials- and did I mention that some of these ""appetizers"" are larger than a typical entre?\r
The restaurant itself is well designed with a colorful, tiered layout, an interior courtyard with plenty of natural light, and a comfortable patio. A satisfactory variety of tequilas is supported by an enticing cocktail and margarita menu, and once again, the prices are right. Authentic preparation and presentation are accented by the best value in around when it comes to the entres and appetizers. Daily specials like Sunday's Mexican brunch and .99c Taco Tuesday are more great reasons to stop by.\r
\r
The bottom line- El Torito is easily the best Mexican restaurant in town. With its mix of quality, authenticity, atmosphere, and price, you could even compare El Torito to some of Portland's top Mexican restaurants. Be sure to check out the Mexican brunch, the Carnitas Michoacan, happy hour, and the dessert menu.
Pros: Quality & value, happy hour specials, authentic preparation
Cons: The fresh chips and salsa are hard to resist- so remember to save room.
more