El Torito Meat Market & Tacos — Local services in Jurupa Valley

When you pull in to the busy parking lot at "El Torito Meat Market y Taqueria" on a Sunday afternoon, the first thing you'll notice is the line beginning to spill out the front door. This sight of a chaotic scrum, with family members moving in and out of it, may compel you to determine that it's not worth it to wait behind so many people for tacos and to leave. I advise you to stay the course. You came here for a reason, and the line moves surprisingly quickly. You'll observe that the volume of humanity and number of orders that this place briskly handles is impressive, with most people leaving with large bags filled with take-out boxes of tacos, menudo, and prepared meats. Also, notice that every customer here is of Latino descent, which means you've stumbled upon something legitimately special tucked into this market in Mira Loma.

Order the "Taco de Camarón" (Shrimp Taco) when you get to the front of the line. In fact, order 2 or 3 if you're looking for a meal. On a single white corn tortilla will rest a large handful of fat shrimp, all lightly dredged with flour before they're cooked, resulting in a light oily crust that clings to parts of their taut bodies. These aren't "battered" shrimp, more "par-battered." I don't believe there is a precise culinary term that describes this preparation, but I like it. You'll have chopped raw onions and cilantro on the taco, and then a topping of a zesty salsa verde made of cilantro, chilies, and puréed nuts of some kind (pepitas, I'm guessing). The entire thing is a hit, in my not-so-humble opinion. I've had lots of excellent shrimp tacos in southern California, but this one was a completely new but wonderful riff on it to me.

I wish the "Taco de Chicharrón" (Pork Rind Taco) was as well-executed. The somewhat crispy, somewhat chewy bits of chicharrón inside will remind someone who does not often eat chicharrón tacos of bacon bits, except these are absolute hell on your molars, or whichever teeth you use to try to grind them away. You can feel your teeth shifting in their sockets as you try to chew this stuff, and that can't be a good thing. El Torito Meat Market y Taqueria provides a different salsa verde on this taco: more tangy, more fruity, with a nice bright, raw heat. The taco has a good enough flavor overall, but the saltiness and stout texture keeps this several large notches below the superior Shrimp Taco served here.

Fried cebollitas and chile toreados are given away on the side with the tacos at El Torito Meat Market y Taqueria. Use these on the tacos, or do like me and pop them straight into your mouth. As with the prodigious tacos they accompany, they are representative of the generous portions and magnificent value that can be obtained from...

Was just in with my family today. Had not been in for quite a while, and don't think I will be coming back, which is so sad, because we used to come here frequently about 8-10 years ago(since this was the place to go when we wanted tacos or burritos...etc.). Not necessary because of the quality or quantity of the food, although its "not" what it used to be....."To be nice, it was a little bland". Seems like everything needed some salt. But, the reason we will not return, is the customer service. Rude!(specially the cashier "Erika"), and I told her...."You guys used to be much,MUCH! friendlier". Asked for some onions(to go with our tacos), and we were charged extra for the grilled onions(which before they were givin to you). So after paying about $60.00dlls in tacos, they charged me for a few onions. And then I was givin a number to wait for grilled onions, which I can see through the glass that are allready cooked(when our tacos are allready at the table getting cold). So I asked why do I have to wait for onions that are allready cooked?, and my tacos getting cold. If it wasn't for one of the cooks(Juan)who saw what was going on, and immediatly gave me our onions..."Thanks to Juan". Its obvious, they were making us wait because I was not taking Erika's rude attitude quietly. And then the floor is so greasy(slippery)...accident waiting to happen. The last draw....Customer comes in with a small dog in a purse/type bag, with its head sticking out. She begins getting salsas(from the salsa bar), and her dog begins licking the salsa counter. I adivsed one of the ladies that work there, to which she thanked us for telling her(don't know if the salsa counter was ever cleaned). This was about 5:30pm(in case management does not believe me, and want to check your cameras). So, next time that we want tacos(mom and pops tacos), we will go elsewhere. This place just seems too commercialized, hygienically...

I heard good things about this place and finally decided to make a visit and get a shrimp burrito. I place my order for a shrimp burrito and minutes later I'm in my car driving away. I get home and take a bite out of my all MEAT burrito instead of a shrimp burrito that I had been highly recommended and driven miles for it , so I drive back and tell the cashier that he got my order wrong. He tells me, "NO that a shrimp burrito is more and that he charged me for a meat burrito". I tell him OK, I will pay the difference. The cashier walks to the line cooks and tell him something. He returns and he tells me that I had paid for a meat burrito and again I tell him I will pay the two dollar difference. Well to make a long story short, I never got my shrimp burrito, I never got a sorry, and worse of all he was never able to provide a receipt for my shrimp burrito order. Customers beware: the customer at El Torito is always wrong here and make sure you get a receipt to confirm your order. On a personal note, why would I order a carne asade buritto from a hole in the wall when King Taco makes the best...