El Toro Bravo

We were hoping for some soul satisfying Mexican food. Unfortunately we were quite disappointed. The place was busy, which was a good sign, and the aromas raised my expectations. Then, because our server was ultra busy, we didn’t even get a menu for about 10 minutes. We eventually ordered some simple items. I’ve never seen items plated so plainly and without grace. The plates were pretty but that’s about it. I ordered the grilled chicken soft tacos. They arrived with foil across the plate, and the tortillas were drenched in juice — gross. Just chicken pieces were thrown into the tortillas, but nothing else came with it. No lettuce, cheese, tomato… save for two small salsa cups. Rice and beans were on a separate plate. For $ 12.00, really? My dining companions had a burrito, and a chimichanga. No complaints, but nothing else was on the plate, not even a shred of parsley, cilantro, slice of orange, nothing. Oh, and the lamp above the table was really dirty. Sorry, you guys lost my business. We won’t be back.

Appetizer was ice cold. We never received waters. Margaritas sat empty for 30+ minutes. We were planning on ordering dinner and another round of drinks but the bartender never checked in. This place could be good if they properly staffed themself. Not sure if I can bring myself to come back again for another try.

Easily the best Mexican Restaurant in Annapolis if not all of Maryland. This is Authentic Mexican food, not Tex-​Mex or some El Salvadorian fusion. Having spent my childhood in SoCal growing up in. Mexican/​American family, finding quality Mexican food is very difficult. When my family is in town, this is the place we take them to enjoy. Best refried bean I’ve ever had and I can’t forget to mention the honey/​cinnamon churro soft dessert. More importantly, their staff is very friendly and family like. Tavo and Jonathan will make sure you enjoy evening. We’re very lucky to have such a quality place for Mexican food in Annapolis.

Food is delicious and waitstaff makes for a fun atmosphere. Beats out Chevys and Mexican Café any day.

Should maybe have taken a clue by the fact that the restaurant was empty, but decided to go in anyway. Ordered the enchiladas, but it was a major letdown. The sauce was not at all spicy, and had the same color and consistency as canned tomato soup. Food was also served lukewarm. Service was very quick and our waitress was very pleasant, however. She also validated our parking in the Calvert St. Garage.

I hate to say it, but I’m afraid they may have lost me as a customer. While their food has never been great, it’s been OK. And I’ve never had a problem with service before, but last night was the exception and possibly (I’m not 100% decided but definitely leaning that way) what will keep me away.
I met up with some friends after work at the bar. We had a couple of margaritas (which are very good size, but very weak… cheap on the alcohol) and then decided to order some food. I wanted the chicken chimichanga, but asked if they could substitute the red sauce for queso and was quickly slapped down. I then asked if they could put sour cream sauce on it, and was told that it came with sour cream. OK… whatever. So they brought it out, it was over-​fried, black on the edges and buried under a massive pile of sour cream and guac, barely edible. Of course, we weren’t given any silverware and had to wait almost 15 minutes for that. By the time we got our forks, I was too hungry to send the food back so I plowed through it. At no point did anyone come by to offer us more chips/​salsa, and we were pretty much ignored after our food came. When we were ready to pay our checks, the bartender brought our checks but then again ignored us, bussing tables for an empty restaurant while we were sitting there waiting for our bills to be closed out. FINALLY we paid and were on our way out, and stopped to ask the hostess about validating parking. She looked us up and down and informed us they only gave one validation per table. WHAT? I said, «Well, we were at the bar and we’re all separate», but she said «No, you’re together. One per table.»
OK, I admit the validation may be a small amount of money, but it’s the principal of bad customer service. if they don’t value their customers, and their food is mediocre at best, why would I spend my money there?

What a great spot! Love the margaritas! its almost like 3 drinks and one. Food is well priced and fast. Very family friendly and a nice bar separate from the dining area. We will be back … Guacamole is delicious and fresh!

Love this restaurant. The owner is straight up authentic and all the staff are hard workers. Food is excellent. Drinks are plentiful. Prices cannot be beat. Great service. Beautiful restaurant and bar.

I’m the Duke of this place currently, so I should write a review.
When this place is on-​point it’s great. However, they have a consistency problem. Every dish is flavorful and cooked well. However, the wait staff runs the gamut. Last time I ate here they were terribly slow, and accepted cash only because of a technical issue. It was my first visit for dinner and I’d brought friends. I typically eat here for lunch and leave satisfied and well taken care of. I’d rate higher but for the wide variation of service from visit to visit.

Great food. Horrible service. Time to find a new business to frequent.
Went in last week 12÷24÷15 for dinner. Charged for item we were never brought, waiter doubted us. Had to fix that. Once that was fixed and initial run was done on credit card, we directly handed manager cash and tip to cover it all and agreed card charge would be cancelled.
12÷27÷15, the charge does not drop off but finally clears our account. No one can help us over the phone. Visit to restaurant warrants no one that can help but a message that will be left for manager to call us next day (12÷28÷15). No call back. 12÷29÷15 we again go in and get to talk to manager, he has no recollection of the night and has not been able to review anything. Manager says he call tomorrow. 12÷30÷15, we receive a call asking for the last four of our card number so they can locate our transaction. 1÷1÷16, we again stop in to follow up. Manager won’t talk to us. A woman saying she is owners wife says we are out of luck. We have no proof we handed over cash but they have proof we owed them money, signature or not.
Very disappointing.

Good overall. Third time and will go again in future. Food, atmosphere, bar, waiters; all pleasing and good+. Prices reasonable.

Awesome food and great service. Had the Arroz y Pollo and Deluxe Burritos. Everything, including the chips and salsa was perfect. And the lunch service was fast and friendly.

Oh El Toro, I wish we didn’t have to part ways in a manner such as this but I can no longer frequent your establishment. This review was supposed to have been written over a month ago but it was so draining just thinking about it. I practically work around the corner from El Toro Bravo and my coworkers and I would frequent this place for lunch. They have good lunch specials at a good price and the food is pretty good, however, after an incident that occurred in early July, I will never go back again.
On 6÷22÷15, my coworker/​friend and I went here for lunch. As usual, the food was good and service was decent. My friend and I split the bill and I used my debit card for my portion of the bill. Since I had a little bit of cash on me, I gave a tip in cash. Fast forward to the first weekend in July… I was reviewing my transactions on my bank account and noticed a charge from El Toro Bravo that was for an amount over $ 20. Please keep in mind that their lunch specials are so cheap that you will never spend over $ 20, including a drink and tip unless you get appetizers and alcohol. So I dug in my purse and pulled out my receipt. After reviewing the amount on my receipt and reviewing the amount that came out of my bank account, it appeared that my card was swiped twice because it was exactly twice the amount that it should’ve been.
When I returned to work on 7÷7÷15, I went to El Toro Bravo with a copy of my receipt and a copy of my bank statement. I was approached by a waitress (I think her name is Maria but don’t hold me to this) and I asked her for the manager/​owner of the restaurant. She asked me what was wrong so I showed her a copy of my receipt and bank statement and explained that I was charged double the amount that I was supposed to pay. She attempted to take my documents and told me to come back later on that afternoon. I told her that I would like to make a copy of my paperwork before just handing it over so I told her that I would come back later with the papers. I went back later with the same friend/​coworker that I went to lunch with because she knows how to speak Spanish and I had difficulty understanding everything that the waitress was telling me the first time I went. So again, we went asking for a manager/​owner and the same waitress tells us that he won’t be in until the next day and that when I came there earlier, I didn’t ask for the owner which was a lie.
So the next day, 7÷8÷15, my friend and I return to El Toro Bravo again and immediately we are greeted by the waiter that served us on the day that my card was swiped twice. I don’t remember his name but he was talking to us and trying to help us resolve the issue. Then the waitress from the previous day comes up to us and starts speaking in Spanish to my friend but she was speaking so fast that even my friend had difficulty understanding everything that she was saying. Eventually, the waiter explained what the waitress was saying… they said that when people use a debit/​credit card and they don’t leave a tip sometimes they will add like $ 2 on to your total. I explained that this isn’t the case because my card was swiped twice. It was exactly double of what I was supposed to be charged. The waiter pulls out a wad of cash and starts to give me back the money that was owed to me. The waitress begins to chime in and tells him to keep $ 2 for tip. I went on to say that I did give a tip that day. She then begins speaking Spanish to my friend and says that every time we go there, we never tip. That’s when things really began to go left. My friend informs the waitress that she is telling a lie. So then the waitress then tells my friend, «you come here all the time and you always tip but your friend (me) never tips». So then we both tell her that she is lying. I told her that every time I go there, I leave a tip. The waiter who was counting out the money quickly hands me the money owed to me because he could tell that the situation was beginning to escalate. My friend and I left but we were angry, disappointed, and frustrated.
Honestly, as long as I got my money back, I would love to go back to El Toro Bravo but after the allegations that I never tip when I go there, I will never go back again. They won’t see another dime of my money. That was just rude and disrespectful. I would also like to give warning to those who use a debit or credit card at this restaurant to please be sure to check your statements after going to this restaurant. After this incident occurred, I came on Unilocal and saw a few other reviews where people were overcharged on their cards. Also, to the staff at El Toro Bravo, please understand that it is NOT a requirement that a patron of your restaurant, or any restaurant for that matter, leave a tip. However, I’ve always given a tip to my server when I came there. Never again!

Maybe El Toro Bravo lives up to its great reputation on a different night. Our waiter brought a completely different dish from what I ordered (for the record, I requested it out loud and pointed to it on the menu, not daring rely on my spoken Spanish alone). Said dish was not only unremarkable, but bland, soggy, and lukewarm. Our waiter was inattentive and bordering on rude.
I’ve never sent back a meal, and maybe that meal would have been the perfect first time, but you bet I didn’t bother our indifferent waiter with fixing his mistake. I wouldn’t discourage people from coming because of my one bad dish and one bad waiter, but I would need a lot of persuading** to come back.
**If this persuasion comes in the form of two or more of their margaritas soaked in Corona, I’ll see you there. The tequila menu is the restaurant’s one redeeming quality, and they appear to do that right.

Food was fine and overpriced.
I think they’re catering to the tourist crowd now. I’m a local and when they first opened they were great. Good prices, good food. but that’s changed now. Last visit there (last night), our waiter was overseeing no less than 12 tables at a time. He was clearly rushed and obviously annoyed at my wife’s questioning of the menu. Drinks weren’t refilled in any sort of timely manner (and as a former waiter, I have patience with this). All in all, I won’t soon be going back. At its a shame, because before this change in attitude my family would frequent this place at least once a week.
Do yourself a favor an go to Plazuelas on Route 2. Better, authentic food and much cheaper prices.

Food is good, service not so much. It’s not so bad that it would stop me from coming. But service could use improvements. Prices always seem to go up, and it was odd they wouldn’t allow me to take a paper takeout menu back to my office for future take out orders. If I can’t take it, why leave it out? Margaritas are inconsistent, but when they are good, they are good.

I had a Grande Burrito California with shrimp.
It was good. You can tell its authenticity
The chips and sauce is real good.

I have come to this restaurant twice and both times i have gotten the super large margaritas and Molcajete. I can honestly say if i were to drown i would want it to be in their margaritas. I mean come on they are the perfect mix of alcohol and flavor. The Molcajete this time was not as great as my previous encounter however it still possessed the flavor that i was looking for. If you find yourself around the courthouse in Annapolis during lunch stop on by because the food will treat you right.

We were visitors in town for Tech Military Bowl game and wanted to celebrate our win with margaritas and Mexican food! We found El Toro Bravo and it was packed. Our group went to the bar for margs while we waited for a table. They had a cool system with their margaritas where you order a higher level and get better tequila. We ordered a level 3 or so to not get the completely fake crappy tequila. The bartender in front of our face poured a shot of the 1800 nice tequila then we saw them finish the rest of the marg with the crappy tequila!!! It was in front of our own faces and we paid extra to have our whole margarita made with the nicer tequila.
This place was super busy but waiters were moving around in such a rush that it wasn’t about giving good genuine service. The place didn’t split checks. Overall, the food was typical good Mexican food. This place has potential but needs some work.

We stopped here after a long happy hour at another place on West Street. We heard great things about their margaritas and food. The margaritas were very large and made to share with two or three people.
Perhaps it was too late in the evening and they were shutting down the place, but we did not feel very welcome walking in the door. Eventually someone greeted us and when my partner spoke to them in Spanish, they became VERY friendly. They sat us down and helped us move our seat two other times to a better table when someone else joined us.
The people dining there reminded me of a college crowd. They were wearing flip-​flops and shorts. It is not a place you need to dress up for! They all seemed to be having a great time though.
The main dining area is composed of booths and tables, but the bar area is huge and much better air-​conditioned. It was hot as heck in the main dinning area!
We ordered the soft tacos alacart and they were okay — but maybe being close to the kitchen closing time — we were gambling with the quality.
The margarita was okay but not very strong. I’m not a big fan of HUGE drinks that you share with others. It had a beer floating in the top which I removed… I didn’t need all those calories!
The staff is very friendly and very helpful. I thought they were wonderful.
This place DOES NOT take American Express. That’s a downer.