El Torito — Restaurant in Milpitas

This will be lengthy but is WELL WORTH THE READ. I was at this establishment last week and was extremely disappointed with their manager.

I ordered the fajita Supreme dish and kept noticing very a slight stinch of spoiled seeping out from under a robust amount of delicious aroma coming from the the vegetables and spices. I thought to myself that, I may had been imagining the spoiled scent. I prepared the first fajita which was chicken and it was a bit cold but wasn't to bad to the taste.

While having a deep economic conversation with a guest at the next table I proceeded to prepare my second fajita which was the steak. After my first and last bite, the taste was slightly spoiled and very tough. Without making a scene I grabbed my napkin and disposed the unconsumed bite into it. Next I grabbed my glasses in order to get a closer and more clear view of my food. I discovered that not only was the steak nearly raw but each strip ŵas full of partly cold fat.

To avoid causing embarrassment to the establishment, no longer ate any more food off of my plate and held my complaint for about 10 to 15 minutes more minutes until after our conversation was over and the guest whom I was conveying with received his check and had begun to leave. While on his way out, I beckoned the polite server and showed him my food on the plate. The server strongly apologized and got his manager.

I told the manager, despite the disappointment I was willing to pay full price for my meal however I would like a gift certificate for my next visit.

THE IMPORTANT AND STRANGE PART OF THE MANAGERS RESPONSE.

The manager apologized and offered to cook me another full meal. I explained to him that, I couldn't wait and will pay full price for a gift certificate for a future visit.

The manager denied my request and said that, I should have told him my problem the minute I discovered it.

My question to the owner of this establishment is, what's would have been the difference a "new cooked meal while I waited or a gift certificate for a future date?

Seeing and smelling with his own eyes and nose that the steak was bad, the manager obviously believed that I was trying to scam the establishment. I was very embarrassed and saddened to experience this.

In conclusion, I told the manager that I refuse to pay full price for the food that I could not eat but since I had already consumed ONE fajita I will pay him 25% of the full cost of my meal. The manager agreed. This issue has bothered my mind constantly for almost a complete week. Outside of "slight" gas cramping later that evening, I am very grateful that I didn't catch salmonella.

People while at a restaurant if your food smells off, it probably is. And if your vision is farsided PLEASE place your glasses on and inspect fully before consumption. (I was so hungry 😩) LOL but true.

If I had a choice I would rate the manager with ZERO STARS! The server by the way was,...

Our recent visit to El Torito was unfortunately memorable for all the wrong reasons, turning what was supposed to be a delightful Friday evening into a series of disappointments. From the onset, the service was astonishingly slow; it took a staggering 20 minutes just to receive two glasses of water, and that too after our meals had already been served.

To add to our dismay, the glasses were not clean, visibly marred, which immediately dampened our spirits. The attention to detail didn’t stop there—or rather, the lack thereof. The unique mixed drinks, one of the reasons we chose this establishment, were supposed to come with seasoned straws, an essential component of the experience, especially for my wife’s selection. Unfortunately, they were nowhere to be found, rendering the drinks lackluster.

Our anticipation for a warm, flavorful meal quickly dissipated as we were served food that was barely warm. The chicken and sour cream enchiladas, which we had heard good things about, turned out to be exceptionally bland, lacking in flavor and zest. Similarly, the chips failed to deliver even the most basic expectations of warmth and crunch, accompanied by a salsa that could only be described as a watery tomato slush, devoid of any spice or heat.

Hoping to salvage the evening, we had also ordered the appetizer sampler, only to be met with further disappointment. The only redeemable item on the plate were the chicken wings, of which there were merely four. The rest of the sampler was as underwhelming as the rest of our meal.

Our Friday night at El Torito was not just a letdown; it was a series of missed opportunities by the establishment to provide a pleasant dining experience. From the inattentive service to the lackluster food, it was a reminder that not all dining experiences live up to their promise. We left feeling unsatisfied and disillusioned, a stark contrast to the enjoyable evening we had envisioned.

EDIT TO ADDRESS OWNER REPLY You left me no contact information for the Regional Manager, so that is an exceptionally...

We went here for dinner on a weekday. We had made a reservation and had to wait only 5 to 7 minutes to get seated. We had to wait for around 35 minutes for our food to be served. The order consisted of: Mexican Buffalo wings: Our server mentioned the chef never made them and asked us if we still wanted it. We skipped this since we did not wish to wait another half an hour for our appetizer. Grilled chicken fajitas: The amount of time we waited for our food raised the expectations. Unfortunately it was way off. The chicken, rice and beans all lacked flavor. They just seemed to have been boiled. That's it! No seasonings what so ever. Pollo Fresco with chile relleno: The chicken had exactly the same texture and taste as the ones served with the fajita entree. No flavors at all. There was hardly any cheese in the relleno pepper which lacked in flavor as well. Flan: We were celebrating a birthday which we informed our server earlier when we initially ordered our food. Their website mentions you get a free entree if you sign up for the rewards. You get a free dessert. After laboring through our entrees we wished they forgot about the free dessert but we did get it. There's no choice for this one I think as we were never asked our preference. The flan looked unprofessional the edges were scabbed however it tasted ok. Strawberry Cilantro soda: This was probably the best thing they made all night. We also requested the Agua de Jamaica but they were out of it.

A very disappointing dining experience.

Ambience: The interiors are well decorated. Comfortable tables, chairs and booths. Lots of open spaces Quantity: Less Parking:...