El Toro Blanco

Omg the food was AWSOME SAUCE! I will def be back. Not only is the food the bomb but the service was just as good. Check it out! First time eating Mexican. Impressed!

The food was awesome. We found this place on Instagram, unfortunately was came on a Friday and the usually served the dish we wanted on Sunday’s. Lucky for us they were kind enough to create the meal we wanted. It costed us about $ 5 extra but well worth it.
The service was awesome. Only downside was the décor. It’s like I’m an episode of The 70s Show.

The price you’re paying at this restaurant is not for the service nor the food… but for the location and drinks. The outdoor seating is great for the summer, right across from the W4 stop so it’s a great place to meet up.
Maybe grab some Joe’s Pizza before or after this so you don’t leave hangry.
Drink ranges: $ 13-​$ 18
Food range: $ 25+ (for three tacos)

Came here for a good friend’s birthday dinner with ten other people on a Thursday night. We were a big crowd and they were very accommodating (like their willingness to seat us without every one there). Service was quick and attentive and the food was awesome. I’d happily come back.

Had some amazing cocktails and fantastic food at the bar. Tamales and mezcal… what else do I really need? Robbie and Olivia are angels… cause they provide me with tamales and mezcal.

Great spot the guacamole is the best in town ! Thanks Alex for the great fast service.

Went here a little while ago and had an amazing time! Our server was so kind to us and helpful! The food and drinks we ordered were not only so good but they came quickly! I will definitely be returning soon :)

The prices do not really match the quality of food/​service. Is the food bad? No, but it is just okay. A few days ago, It was so lovely out, I decided to dine outside. It after work but early, with no crowd. It took long to get appetizers and drinks. After done it took forever to find the waiter to get the check and also to pay for it. It would also be nice if you offered happy hour to customers that dine outside. It’s not like you have $ 5 buck happy hour drinks.
Please work on your service.

Who: West Villagers or lower Manhattan locals who know what they’re doing.
What: When you sit down, they bring out a bowl of homemade tortilla chips with three different salsas (have your water ready because one of them is deadly). We started with medium spicy guacamole, which was a standard size for 2 – 4 people to share. El Toro Blanco provides a lengthy choice of entrée and drink options. I went with the salad. I had low expectations ordering a salad at a Mexican restaurant. Honestly, it was a really great salad, and seemed bottomless. Although I only went with a house margarita on the rocks, I would be lying if I didn’t admit I was hopping a little bit of a buzz by the time I left.
When: brunch and dinner
Where: El Toro Blanco is located in the West Village. There is indoor and outdoor seating. I recommend sitting outside if possible. It’s in a great spot to people-​watch.
Why (or why not): I was brought here by a former Texan who prides himself on eating only the ‘finest’ of Mexican cuisines. My expectations were high and they were met. The prices are very fair considering the quality of the food and drinks.

I don’t know what happened to this place. I used to love coming here with friends. Last summer it was welcoming and vibrant. We used to come a few times a month. Now it’s poorly run with a hostess and waitstaff who don’t understand the nuances that go into creating a superior experience that leaves you wanting to come back.
We came around 5:30, the restaurant was largely empty inside. The hostess seated us all the way in the back. No exaggeration-​we passed an entire section filled with a few diners and rows of empty tables and were seated in a section with no people. I come to a restaurant to be social. And it felt intentional. To the point, I asked the hostess why we were seated in the back and she stared at me without a response. Instead of happily offering to seat us wherever, like most businesses concerned with customer service. After we asked to sit by the window, and were seated, the hostess came back and asked us to move because a large party was reserved that needed the table. Again. The entire back section was completely empty. And yet, the two of us had to move.
She then seated us in a booth wedged between the kitchen and bathroom. We watched deliveries, waitstaff and people traveling to the bathroom, within inches of our table our entire meal. This is basic. If you ask a customer to move, you do something to make it better. Offer a drink, thank them… You don’t put the customers in a worse position. Our server was poorly trained and the entire experience felt transactional. The bussers kept asking if we were done when we were visibly only halfway through our meal. As if they were just stopping by and asking without thinking about what they were doing.
I’m disappointed. And I did notice on the way out the only patrons of color, including myself, were seated in the rear section. I don’t care if this is intentional or not. It was obvious and not how it used to be at this restaurant. Not surprisingly, that large reservation never showed up. Our original table sat there empty throughout our meal. My friend and I used to love this restaurant. We won’t be back.

I’d say 3.5 is pretty accurate. It’s was good and all, but it wasn’t grrrrreat.
Came here for Happy Hour with my friend, so the prices were pretty good for what we got (or good for them at least)
— Raspberry Sangria ($ 9): not distinctly raspberry, but it was on the sweeter side, which I appreciate.
— Frozen Coconut Margarita ($ 9): my friend got this, so I didn’t try it but I like that they have a coconut flavor
— Chicken Nachos ($ 8): Great serving size! Most of the chips stayed crispy under all that cheese and beans. I’d pass on getting chicken in this though, since there didn’t seem to be much. And the chicken that I did get was only on the bottom of the pile
— Empanadas (2 for $ 5): Tiny, but stuffed. The flavor is good, and it came with a sauce that tasted barbecue-​y.
— Tacos (2 for $ 5): we got the esquela vieja (old school) ones. I was pretty underwhelmed by them. They were okay, but nothing too amazing.
Since we came here for Happy Hour, we sat in the front section which is pretty small compared to the rest of the restaurant. The bar/​counter space is very limited, and we barely had room for all of our plates. The two bartenders were busy, so it was pretty hard to get our meal started (with putting our orders in), but they do hustle!

This has to be the best Mexican restaurant in the city, possibly the state! The guacamole along with the chips were amazing. Another favorite that was mouthing watering … Green Chile Queso Fundido — truly life altering. Then the Mexican Steak Alambre — amazing again!
The service is also amazing.
All I can say, is go … No photos since we ate it all!

Very slow service and not very welcoming staff. The food was very good though and ALMOST made up for the service. The guacamole was a great starter. Amazing tuna ceviche and good drinks.

The outdoor area is nice especially during warm weather. The Happy Hour special is definitely worth it! The drinks are strong and delicious — definitely try the mango drink! The nachos and Mexican street corn were really good but the rest was sub par. If it wasn’t for HH — I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much.
One thing that REALLY annoyed me was that I was waiting by the bar starting from 6:50pm and the bartender finally got to me and told me he was too busy so to go to the other bartender. Fine. When I went to the other bartender, it was 7:01 and they told me they couldn’t honor HH prices. This is such BS — if I’ve been waiting before the HH was over — this should be honored. Smh

Great place. A bit pricey for what it is. There are plenty of other tacos places with tasty tacos at a fraction of the price, none the less this place has great customer service and for that I think I’ll be back. We came here for happy hour and apparently they don’t do happy hour for tables but they made and exemption because it was Tuesday and it wasn’t so busy. If your looking for a higher end taco place, this is the place lol.

My friend Anna & I had a hankering for some guac & happy hour, so we found this place close to where she was staying. Happy Hour is 4 – 7 and includes $ 4 beer/​wines as well as select cocktails & food items. It’s a classy little establishment with dark lighting & reasonable noise level.
We came in around 6 PM & the dinner area wasn’t overly crowded. The bar was packed for happy hour, & as our evening progressed, the business definitely picked up. So, early dinner is a safe bet, future Unilocalers!
The hostess was great & was beyond average accommodating. Pulling the chair out, offering a spot to hang our coats, etc. As I’m a decade-​long customer service professional, these little habits definitely go a long way.
Our server did her best while she was training a new server… But, she was REALLY training him, so our service was slooow especially at the getgo. It took approximately 5 minutes for them to come to the table, which may seem overdramatic, but when you’re as hungry as we were, every minute hurt.
However, both she & her shadow were pleasant, offering us happy hour specials at the table when they usually are only at the bar. That was cool! But then we had a bit of a hiccup at the end… we were being a little annoying with our payment method as Anna’s work would only cover her meal portion (not drinks), so as we were writing out our payment methods clearly/​step by step, Anna caught the waitress rolling her eyes as she was walking by. Proooooobably should’ve waited ’til the kitchen to do that. And wouldn’t that be a great training opportunity for the new server to learn how to split payments? I decided not to hold it against her in my rating, though, as the rest of our interactions were quite pleasant.
At the waitress’s recommendation, we ordered the coconut margaritas. Strong!!! I was feeling buzzed after just one. Then the guacamole came out, along with chips & a trio of salsas. The mild guacamole was fresh & flavorful. As for the salsas, I enjoyed the verde & the mild. The mild did taste a little like marinara sauce? Which was weird, but in a good way. The spicy salsa was too much for me.
The waitress did warn that the tacos we wanted were tapas sized plates, so they were best enjoyed with a side dish. I opted for the plantains & Anna got the Mexican corn. Now, in my mind, I was picturing corn on the cob which I love but assumed would be a mess. Nope — it’s fresh corn served in a dish, but topped with the traditional spices & cheese. I only had a spoonful, but it was so dang good that I regretted not ordering it myself! But I also did devour the plantains & the swordfish tacos. Anna also had chicken tacos which she enjoyed.
Overall, a happy experience!

Not impressed. The fresh guacamole and trio of salsas were fresh and tasty. Had the lobster ceviche as a second course, it was decent, the mango was a nice touch. Had high hopes for the tacos after the starters… They were small, tasteless and reminded me of something my high school cafeteria served. Had the ground beef and pork. Found the latter inedible.
The ambiance is nice and actually quite cozy. It got even better once they lowered the blaring Hall and Oats.

This spot was fine. Just fine.
Chips with salsa and gauc were quite good.
Tacos come 2/​plate. Unfortunately, 2 aren’t quite enough and 4 are too many. Al pastor were good. Camarones were, meh.
Mexican Street Corn was good.
Nothing bad at all. Nothing special, either.

The QUESO!!! OMG this place is so good. I always want to call it overrated because of the neighborhood and price point and annoying hostess station (always!) but it’s really really delicious.
The queso is served in a cast iron skillet; it’s not the drippy Frito-​Lay kind but a firm, spongey, perfectly-​broiled pan of high-​quality cheese with pico de gallo and other herbs.
My second favorite is the Mexican pizza; we got it topped with shrimp and it was crispy and flat with queso, a generous portion of very fresh shrimp, drizzled with crema.
We also got the lobster ceviche which is fresh and delicious of course. And the guacamole is always awesome; fresh, of course, with big chunks of avocado and a generous portion.
Drinks including margaritas always on point as well.
Sitting outside on a nice day as heavenly; sitting inside is nice to except the music is sometimes loud and random (90s rap? O-​K!).

El Blanco Toro
NY Manhattan West Village
5pm Thursday 23^rd July 2015
Three Stars
I feel that places that have happy hour should actually have Happy Hour in the entire restaurant. The Bar Only HH is pretty misleading but it is what it is. We sat outside and enjoyed some tequila based drinks b/​c it was #NationalTequilaDay. They were well balanced and not too sweet. We also had a chips, Guacamole, and Veggie Sticks +4. We asked for spicy and it wasn’t even close. Overall, I enjoyed the outdoor seating and the upscale Mexican-​like Food.