Toro Toro — Restaurant in Houston

Toro Toro is a Pan-Latin restaurant by Chef Richard Sandoval. It brings together the vibrant flavors from Central and South America with a twist on the contemporary steakhouse. The restaurant is located in the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Houston. If dining here, there is paid street parking nearby, or you can do complimentary valet (just bring a few dollars for tip). We went on a Saturday evening with a group of 7.

The Four Seasons hotel is beautiful and clean. Toro Toro is located on the 3rd floor, and you can either take the elevator or walk up the stairs. The restaurant itself is an open concept and has a very elegant and upscale atmosphere. When we were seated, we ordered some drinks from their cocktail menu:

+Mercardo Margarita for $14 - Jalapeño-infused altos plata tequila, passion fruit purée, and hibiscus-rosemary foam. - 5/5

+Tamarindo for $13 - Herradura reposado tequila, tamarind purée, agave nectar, fresh lime juice, and tajin salt. - 4/5

+Smokey Rum Old Fashioned for $17 - Diplomático reserva rum. - 5/5

Afterwards, we ordered some appetizers and sides:

+Sweet Corn Empanada for $14 (comes with 3) - Aji amarillo, avocado purée, manchego cheese, and chimichurri. - 5/5

+Lobster Mac & Cheese for $17 - Chorizo panko crumbs. - 5/5

+Truffle Fries for $10 - Cojita cheese, aji tartar, and pickled chili. - 5/5

+Peruvian Ceviche for $19 - Hamachi, leche de tigre, sweet potato, red onion, and canchas. - 4/5

For the mains, we ordered steak:

+52 oz Prime Tomahawk for $150 (serves 2) - This was brought out with great fanfare! The waiter flamed the steak with herbs and cut it on the side table before dropping salt on it dramatically. Although it was fun to watch, we all thought the meat was okay. - 3/5

+Toro Toro Churrasco for $120 (serves 2) - Brazilian style picanha steak, rib eye, chicken cusco, and lamb chops. The picanha steak was the most flavorful and tender meat of the evening. - 3/5

As for dessert:

+La Bomba for $22 - Chocolate half sphere, vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche ice cream, strawberry ice cream, berries, crumble, and vanilla/berry sauce. The waitress lined the table with a plastic sheet before dropping this entire concoction in front of us. It was a fun experience. - 4/5

Overall, Toro Toro was a great night out. The service was incredible, we enjoyed the Mercardo Margarita and Smokey Rum Old Fashioned cocktails, and the appetizers were mouthwatering! Unfortunately, the main courses were too hyped up and fell short with us. Although it's a steakhouse, you may be better off ordering other items from the menu. The La Bomba dessert was entertaining for the first time, but it is not worth repeat orders. This restaurant can be fun as a date night, a group dinner with friends, or a place to grab...

Just wanted to share our experience with the public to help with their dining decision. First reservations were readily available, as this was one of the reasons we decided to dine here. Our original choice was booked for about a week out so this had to do. We were celebrating our 11 year anniversary and wanted something "nice". Valet was a breeze, and they even parked our car out front, very kind of them. Reception team was also very coordial and welcoming. The initial vibe the restaurant gave us was that of a cafeteria from the 70's. It just felt old and odd, kind of like an open cafeteria. Furniture felt like it was out of a 70's magazine. Definitely didn't feel like an up type steak house. Our waiter was a little late getting to us, as other reviews mentioned our waiter was very distracted throught the night. Our initial drinks were very mediocre. Couldn't really taste the alcohol and nothing really special about them. We ordered the Jamon Iberico and it was delicious, we also ordered the swordfish as an appetizer, it was pretty bland to be honest, couldn't really taste the jalapeno. On to the main course. I ordered the 20 oz cowboy prime rib, and oh my goodness, that was probably top 3 steaks I've ever had in my life if not two. It was perfectly seasoned, cooked temperature wise, perfect marbling, it was just amazing; still dreamig of that steak! Wife ordered two sushi rolls, they were both just ok, very much on the small side. But hey, you can't expect to get good sushi at a steak house. Overall we had an ok experience. It definitely did not give a high end steakhouse feel as most patrons eating looked like they just rolled out of bed from their room upstairs, with flipflops and very casual attire. The other third were people on business having a casual business dinner, and the last third was an older crowd, golden agers on a date, which there is completely nothing wrong with that just something to consider if you're looking for a more younger vibe, and granted we're in our late 40's and we felt a little out of place. Overall it wasn't a terrible dining experience, but perhaps not what we were expecting based on the beautiful pictures on instagram and google. Would we return, yes likely for a casual dinner, especially to get that ribeye again which was just glorious. Def not to celebrate something important as an anniversary. Food took a very long time to come out which I can get over since it was so delicious, our waiter only checked on us every 15-20 minutes which was annoying but hey can't get everything right all the time and the vibe, def not what we were expecting....

I wasn't sure what to expect from Toro Toro. I found their blend of Japanese and Latin cuisine a delight. An ofrenda greets you at the hostess station to help set the mood and atmosphere of the restaurant. The decorations and art pull you deeper into the culinary experience. I started the meal off with a nice glass of taste and pH neutral tap water so I could fully appreciate the flavor of the food and drink. Once settled in our server was highlighting preferred entrees and seasonal dishes and drinks. I opted for the seasonal vanilla smoke cocktail that came presented in a smoke filled glass. This cocktail is for the adventurous spirit looking for something different. It was a unique house developed cocktail full of rich smoky vanilla flavor with a hit of fall spice and a generous serving of liquor. Then I enjoyed a sweet corn empanada with the finest, flaky pastry cooked to perfection served with house made chimichurri and avocado sauce both of which added divinely to the flavor of the empanadas. I also had a short rib taco that hit the spot flavor and texture wise. Next came the main course. I couldn't resist my wife's Amarillo ceviche and I am glad for that. Great Latin flavors with just a hit of citrus. The fish was excellent and tender. I had the filet mignon medium rare. Cooked perfectly with a great blend of house seasoning that I appreciated because of the extra pinch of salt you wont find at a lot of other fine steakhouses. Believe me its not there to hide a lesser quality of meat or a bad cook but to highlight the fine hand the chef has at creating fantastic meats. On the side I enjoyed truffle fries and lobster mac and cheese. Both of these were tasty. The noodles were tender and perfect and the truffle fries were crisp and not overly oiled and soggy. Great job! The dessert is where the 4 stars creeped in for me. I tried the chocolate cake and the crepes layer cake. Both are okay but neither sets the bar. The chocolate cake and peanut butter cream are a good pair... but just good and nothing that makes me want to buy another piece. The crepes layer cook looks exceptional on the plate but pretty much tastes just like cream cheese. I understand it is made with cream cheese but please hit it with some cinnamon or something Latin. But with that said I ate it all. Great meal! I loved the staff. My wife and friends had a great time. My friend asked for charred medium rare and Bam! spot on with a coarse sea salt crust - Top 3 in Houston !!! It has the potential for number 1 but that will require a couple more steaks to ensure consistency. I look...