El Toro Bravo

Great food, great wait staff, great drinks! The outside patio was a nice place to enjoy the weather and surroundings!

Mom and Pop restaurant that is run and managed by locals with excellent food and generous portions and a fully stocked bar, good happy hour and frequented by nice locals as well as visitors. Great location in the Truckee historic district.

Went to the outside patio with a friend and did not disappoint. I got the super burrito and couldn’t finish it. Fresh ingredients make for delicious food. Had margarita pitcher where the bartender wasn’t shy at all like in most places. Wish I lived closer to come by more often. 5/5 ask for Mike.

Fantastic, homemade Mexican food.. Ate here twice during the last 2 weeks while I was working nearby. Both times the food is fantastic.. salsa is 🧨 dynamite. Service can be slow sometimes, just bring your patience!

Food was great, and hot. Authentic which is important. Drink were stiff and good tasting. Bathroom clean for a mid day late lunch which is good. Gets sorta a loud if you sit in the back, but we had obnoxious peeps that dranks to much. Only 8 spots to park for free in the lot,....so go to church before you come. Then you may get one for free. The salsa was so good, I bought a pint for my mom,.....yeah that good! Nice place,....and good out door seating as well. Enjoy. MSU

Birthday was a blast celebrated with daughter and hee boyfriend and my sister. Sister recommended this restaurant she said she only went to this restaurant when she moved to truckee. Delicious and birthday drink and song was FABULOUS! Loved it!

Super fresh. Not canned. Way better than it looks. Real old school cooking. Family owned and operated.

We were sightseeing, got hungry, and decided to stop for a quick lunch. The servers were very attentive and checked on us several times for refills. The ambience is nice, and they make you feel like a local. Parking cam be tough, but was close. Highly recommend, and would go back again if I am in the area.

I am always skeptical when I am taken to Mexican restaurants in “touristy” areas. This place was different… From the salsa (fair warning, delicious but unexpected bite), to food, service, and margaritas were all grade A. I ordered the smothered burrito (pictured bellow) and even though I was full, I ate the whole thing. If you are in town and are looking for good Mexican food, I highly recommend El Toro Bravo… Latino Approved!

Carlos Villacis

Went to the outside patio with a friend and did not disappoint. I got the super burrito and couldn’t finish it. Fresh ingredients make for delicious food. Had margarita pitcher where the bartender wasn’t shy at all like in most places. Wish I lived closer to come by more often. 5/5 ask for Mike.

Chris

Fantastic, homemade Mexican food.. Ate here twice during the last 2 weeks while I was working nearby. Both times the food is fantastic.. salsa is 🧨 dynamite. Service can be slow sometimes, just bring your patience!

Patty E

Super fresh. Not canned. Way better than it looks. Real old school cooking. Family owned and operated.

Marine Street Underground MSU 67

Food was great, and hot. Authentic which is important. Drink were stiff and good tasting. Bathroom clean for a mid day late lunch which is good. Gets sorta a loud if you sit in the back, but we had obnoxious peeps that dranks to much. Only 8 spots to park for free in the lot,....so go to church before you come. Then you may get one for free. The salsa was so good, I bought a pint for my mom,.....yeah that good! Nice place,....and good out door seating as well. Enjoy. MSU

Laura Thomas (Thefreemovement)

Birthday was a blast celebrated with daughter and hee boyfriend and my sister. Sister recommended this restaurant she said she only went to this restaurant when she moved to truckee. Delicious and birthday drink and song was FABULOUS! Loved it!

I've now been here 3 years in a row as a visitor to Truckee. This is our restaurant of choice. ;-) It's been here 37 years, and has that feeling of seasoned perfection. Like the recipes have been fine-tuned over the years and every single item is a hit. The staff have that same feeling - in a good way...they've always been pleasant and attentive, and seem to know exactly what you want at the right moment. Perfect cadence. You might say "it's just Mex", but this place is an exception. It's up there with the best of the best. Myself and a buddy both worked at a nice Mexican restaurant when we were young, and we both agree that the food here is excellent. Ah, and we've only sat outside..like the atmosphere. The inside might be nice too!

This is my favorite restaurant in town! The food is delicious with unique flavors (especially the salsa). I love the chicken tortilla soup, fajitas & burritos. Nothing beats a “Dirty Ashtray” beer cocktail from the bar. The patio is awesome & the bartenders are the best! The bar is a great place to strike up conversation with fellow patrons & watch a game.

The service is excellent, the food is extremely delicious, they serve generous portions at a great price, and everyone—the staff and the customers at the bar—is in a good mood.

Food was fantastic. We had the chimichanga and queso and both were amazing. Very generous portions. Chips and salsa also great. On the hot side but not in a bad way. Prices were reasonable for the area and we had leftovers. Service and staff great. Visited on a Tuesday for lunch.

We were absolutely satisfied with our meal here! After a long, exhausting day on the slopes, we needed something hearty to fill us up, and El Toro Bravo delivered. We ordered the Beef Chimichanga and the Beef Fajitas, both of which were delicious and hit the spot. Following the recommendations from other reviewers, we also tried El Toro's Carnitas, and it was a total pleasant surprise—the portion of meat was huge! I will admit, as other reviews mentioned, there is a strong smell of disinfectant when you walk in, and the restrooms aren't the most pleasant. It might not be the best spot for a fancy date night, but for a tired family, the delicious food and the way it fueled us back to life was what mattered most. Compared to the more 'high-end' or upscale places nearby, the prices here are much friendlier and the atmosphere is much better suited for kids. We left happy and full! Looking forward to visit here in summer, sitting outside and try the recommended migrates.

Nestor Daniel Hernandez Ramirez

The service is excellent, the food is extremely delicious, they serve generous portions at a great price, and everyone—the staff and the customers at the bar—is in a good mood.

Boyi Yang

We were absolutely satisfied with our meal here! After a long, exhausting day on the slopes, we needed something hearty to fill us up, and El Toro Bravo delivered. We ordered the Beef Chimichanga and the Beef Fajitas, both of which were delicious and hit the spot. Following the recommendations from other reviewers, we also tried El Toro's Carnitas, and it was a total pleasant surprise—the portion of meat was huge! I will admit, as other reviews mentioned, there is a strong smell of disinfectant when you walk in, and the restrooms aren't the most pleasant. It might not be the best spot for a fancy date night, but for a tired family, the delicious food and the way it fueled us back to life was what mattered most. Compared to the more 'high-end' or upscale places nearby, the prices here are much friendlier and the atmosphere is much better suited for kids. We left happy and full! Looking forward to visit here in summer, sitting outside and try the recommended migrates.

Gary Beardsley

I've now been here 3 years in a row as a visitor to Truckee. This is our restaurant of choice. ;-) It's been here 37 years, and has that feeling of seasoned perfection. Like the recipes have been fine-tuned over the years and every single item is a hit. The staff have that same feeling - in a good way...they've always been pleasant and attentive, and seem to know exactly what you want at the right moment. Perfect cadence. You might say "it's just Mex", but this place is an exception. It's up there with the best of the best. Myself and a buddy both worked at a nice Mexican restaurant when we were young, and we both agree that the food here is excellent. Ah, and we've only sat outside..like the atmosphere. The inside might be nice too!

Nicole Sullivan

This is my favorite restaurant in town! The food is delicious with unique flavors (especially the salsa). I love the chicken tortilla soup, fajitas & burritos. Nothing beats a “Dirty Ashtray” beer cocktail from the bar. The patio is awesome & the bartenders are the best! The bar is a great place to strike up conversation with fellow patrons & watch a game.

Debora Reilly

Food was fantastic. We had the chimichanga and queso and both were amazing. Very generous portions. Chips and salsa also great. On the hot side but not in a bad way. Prices were reasonable for the area and we had leftovers. Service and staff great. Visited on a Tuesday for lunch.

greg gemulgrew

Mom and Pop restaurant that is run and managed by locals with excellent food and generous portions and a fully stocked bar, good happy hour and frequented by nice locals as well as visitors. Great location in the Truckee historic district.

Stacy Holybee

One of my favorite places to eat in downtown Truckee. The outdoor patio is perfect, especially on a warm evening. The service is friendly, the drinks strong, and the food delicious. The salsa is so good we sometimes stop by to get a container to have at home. Save room for the deep-fried ice cream - best ever.

I had the beef fajita and it was really tasty. Kind of stingy with the tortillas, only 3 small ones. But the food is good.

Went to this restaurant the other day for a late lunch. Haven’t been to this restaurant in years. Both the food and service were good. Good size portions. Great Mexican restaurant in downtown Truckee. They have a huge selection of

Food was great, a little pricey but worth it. Service left a little to be desired. Server never came back to check on us. Appetizer came out after the main course.

Alicia Ward

Went to this restaurant the other day for a late lunch. Haven’t been to this restaurant in years. Both the food and service were good. Good size portions. Great Mexican restaurant in downtown Truckee. They have a huge selection of

Sandra Velazquez

Food was great, a little pricey but worth it. Service left a little to be desired. Server never came back to check on us. Appetizer came out after the main course.

I'm sorry to say, I didn't think the food was that good. I can't remember the last time I had enchiladas that greasy! Maybe this is a good place to go for dinner and a few more drinks after a pub crawl, but I wouldn't go there for lunch again. I do need to credit the bloke behind the bar on his beard, though!

Great food, friendly staff but they allow folks to smoke which about killed me.

+2

I'll take a small authentic taqueroa over most Mexican restaurants, but the food here was forgetable. Nothing bad, not really explosive taste either. Little too salty to our taste, the taste of frejoles ( don't believe it was home made) lasted way too long in our mouth ( me and my friend) and the salsa in the little white container was kind of weird. I don't like to complain, but everything was only ok. No Mexican fresh beverages ( Horchata etc).

My food was cold. The waitress was unfriendly and not accommodating.

The only vegan option on the menu was fajitas. Even though the menu says the fajitas come with guacamole, apparently the veggie ones don't! They were disappointing for the price, being just beans, peppers, onions and tomatoes. The service was friendly.

Food was already. I want to say average compared to many other mexican restaurants I've been to. Service wasn't bad, but definitely not good. Waitress was a little too strong and not approachable. I wouldn't go back because of the service.

Main complaint was the disinterested waitress. Also, an offensive chemical odor from the open bathroom nearby smelled like a Port-a-Potty

Foods great but getting them to answer the phone is impossible took off 3 stars for laziness Im hungry guess Ill go someplace else. Had the Chile Verde to go it was Amazing definitely going back. Went back had the Taco salad. Was looking at it thinking I shouldve ordered 2 because it looked small in the to go box but.... it was filling and Amazing! 😀 the guacamole was fabulous the carne asada was perfect. There wasnt any fat or grissle in the meat. The lettuce was fresh and the taco shell bowl held up and stayed crispy the whole time I ate and survived a drive home. All in all this place has surprised me twice with outstanding food and Ill definately be back to try more. The service was great too for being only take out n all due to covid Went back again had the carne asada quesadilla which was ok the steak was good but it was kind of plain. The chicken quesadilla was amazing and the seasonings were perfect. The carnitas chimichanga was great, good flavor the rice and guacamole really made it pop

BigBadDaddy Bob

Foods great but getting them to answer the phone is impossible took off 3 stars for laziness Im hungry guess Ill go someplace else. Had the Chile Verde to go it was Amazing definitely going back. Went back had the Taco salad. Was looking at it thinking I shouldve ordered 2 because it looked small in the to go box but.... it was filling and Amazing! 😀 the guacamole was fabulous the carne asada was perfect. There wasnt any fat or grissle in the meat. The lettuce was fresh and the taco shell bowl held up and stayed crispy the whole time I ate and survived a drive home. All in all this place has surprised me twice with outstanding food and Ill definately be back to try more. The service was great too for being only take out n all due to covid Went back again had the carne asada quesadilla which was ok the steak was good but it was kind of plain. The chicken quesadilla was amazing and the seasonings were perfect. The carnitas chimichanga was great, good flavor the rice and guacamole really made it pop

food was good; however, our waitress charged us more than what the price of our dish was worth. Once we brought it to her attention, she just gave us change back instead of changing the price on our check since it would give her a higher gratuity tip and tax percentage. She also was not really around our table and had to flag her down for a bit. The waitress did not also let us know that sour cream and guacamole on the side is $5.

Most disappointing meal I've had in many years. Barely mediocre food, beef fajitas tasted old, chili Colorado (called Colorado Beef here) was bland and unappealing. Service was TERRIBLE. The waitress rolled her eyes at me while I was ordering. Who does that? Will not be going back, do not recommend. Don't go there. Eat anywhere else.

Be sure to review your bill. We were overcharged by $20, and when we asked about it, they said it was the tip. They added a 25% automatic gratuity even though we were only a party of three.

I came to this restaurant, and we had a service dog in our party for a veteran with PTSD. The bartender/restaurant owner very openly trashed on the service dog and dog owner to the other patrons at the bar about how disgusting it is to have a dog on their patio. The service-dog owner was then served a very expensive luke-warm meal with half-cooked shrimp. I can’t help but think it was done on purpose for having to allow them on their patio. We will not be visiting this restaurant again. I recommend taking your money elsewhere. I would give this restaurant less than one star if I could. There are much better Mexican restaurants in Truckee like Casa Baeza, Tacos Jalisco, or La Bamba.

We stopped by after work and were told to rush our order by the very rude, entitled high school brat because the kitchen staff wanted to “go home”. It was 8:26 pm. We agreed and while waiting we noticed multiple, yes multiple mice running around and jumping on the filthy tables. This place is absolutely disgusting. I’m embarrassed that this place exists in my town.

We went in and ordered 4 house margaritas, at $10 a piece. The bartender said, “would you like those as perfect margaritas?”, and we hadn’t looked at a menu and said “Sure we would love perfect margaritas!”. He said it in a friendly fun tone and never acknowledged it is $6 more a drink. We get our bill and it is $74, which included a $5 beer we got. So we ask why it is $69 for 4 house margaritas. He said “perfect margaritas are $16 not $10 for the infused tequila”. We also went in sober, hadn’t had one drink yet. In the future, let your guests know you are trying to trick them into spending $6 more per drink.

The food was absolutely disgusting. I have been on the toilet since I had lunch. We had the fajitas and by far some of the worst Mexican food I have ever had. Who puts tomatoes in fajitas??? The beans were gross, the chips were stale. The drinks were the only good thing about the lunch. Even the servers are rude as hell. You can definitely tell this is a good ole boy bar and restaurant. Save your money and go up the street to the other Mexican restaurant. The food is absolutely disgusting.

The service is very bad, they are not friendly at all, they serve with a bad face, we also indicated that we were going separately and in the end when they gave us the bill they charged us much more than established, they are discriminatory, the owner does not let himself talk or explain what happened, rude and bad people, so if more than 6 people go and sit aside better not say that they go all together because they will charge them much more money, to in the end be in separate tables.

Don’t bring your children here! My husband and I went here for lunch and we noticed the bartender and some other guy kept starting at my daughters! When I went to go take them to the bathroom, my husband saw the bartender follow us to the bathroom! And even when we tried to leave the waitress tried to make us stay even when we were clearly uncomfortable! Seriously something isn’t right about this place! Don’t go here with your kids!

Walked in to have lunch with a group of 6 adults, 4 kids. Bartender was incredibly rude. He asked my brother how many, when my brother said a good little group and turned around to count how many we were, the Bartender responded with.. "that's not a number". This was my first indication that we were not staying there. The place was empty other than a few people sitting at the bar. The Bartender then said, don't just grab a table. I'm sorry, but being NICE is important and so is customer service. We immediately left.

After the meal, I received a receipt for a total of $72.50. Since they provide handwritten receipts, there was no way to verify how the final price was calculated, and it was higher than the $58 I had expected. When I asked if I could check the price, they finally mentioned a figure for "gratuity." If I hadn't checked the price, I would have ended up adding a tip on top of that extra amount. ​When I questioned them, the person seemed embarrassed, initially trying to hide it and then mumbling their words. It made me wonder how badly they needed that extra money, so I just paid the $72.50 they wrote down and left. However, after reading online reviews, it seems like several other people have been scammed in the same way. ​I strongly recommend that you do not visit this restaurant. If you do go, make sure to check your bill carefully because these people are scammers.

Gangyoung Seo

After the meal, I received a receipt for a total of $72.50. Since they provide handwritten receipts, there was no way to verify how the final price was calculated, and it was higher than the $58 I had expected. When I asked if I could check the price, they finally mentioned a figure for "gratuity." If I hadn't checked the price, I would have ended up adding a tip on top of that extra amount. ​When I questioned them, the person seemed embarrassed, initially trying to hide it and then mumbling their words. It made me wonder how badly they needed that extra money, so I just paid the $72.50 they wrote down and left. However, after reading online reviews, it seems like several other people have been scammed in the same way. ​I strongly recommend that you do not visit this restaurant. If you do go, make sure to check your bill carefully because these people are scammers.

The owner touched my friend inappropriately. When confronted, he shrug his shoulder and said “it’s my place”. Avoid this place if you don’t like getting groped

DO NOT GO HERE. I REPEAT DO NOT. This restaurant is disgusting. The owner touched my friend inappropriately. When confronted, the owner shrugged and he said it’s my place I can do what I want. Avoid this place if you don’t like getting groped. They also added $25 for nothing onto my bill. If you look at the reviews, this has happened to a lot of people too. Don't go here.

Whoever writes a five star review has never eaten here. I should have known it wouldn’t be good when I walked up the wooden steps past the green paint chips lying on the walkway. We were seated in their front room, a room the size of a child’s bedroom. The room had never been painted and it showed. The kid dropped a basket of chips and oily salsa off and placed a worn out pitcher of water. I’m really surprised that thing held any water at all. The waitress was nice and mentioned the place was family owned. Let me say, I hoped the food would make up from the decor, it did not. The pork in green sauce with beans and rice was simply bland. It wasn’t spicy and had zero flavor. The dish came with three tortillas. Luke warm tortillas that appear to have been cut off with a knife, meaning it wasn’t a ful tortilla. We ate and asked for the check. In these hard financial times, spend your money somewhere else.

Please just trust me when I say, you will ne disappointed. Rice was hard. Albondigas was Campbell beef soup with frozen meatballs, fish tacos... I think it was chopped left over hard pieces of fried fish with a ton of mixed cabbage and a hard dry tortilla (supposed to be soft flour). Chili Colorado was everything but that. Oysters 444, I am so sorry but I've never had anything so terrible. I do not like posting negative reviews, I truly wanted to find the yum. Unfortunately, this place is a never ever again for our family. Very small place with only tables for 4. Bar area seems more appealing but not for kids

Venkatnath Gurunathan

The owner touched my friend inappropriately. When confronted, he shrug his shoulder and said “it’s my place”. Avoid this place if you don’t like getting groped

juan Guerra

Whoever writes a five star review has never eaten here. I should have known it wouldn’t be good when I walked up the wooden steps past the green paint chips lying on the walkway. We were seated in their front room, a room the size of a child’s bedroom. The room had never been painted and it showed. The kid dropped a basket of chips and oily salsa off and placed a worn out pitcher of water. I’m really surprised that thing held any water at all. The waitress was nice and mentioned the place was family owned. Let me say, I hoped the food would make up from the decor, it did not. The pork in green sauce with beans and rice was simply bland. It wasn’t spicy and had zero flavor. The dish came with three tortillas. Luke warm tortillas that appear to have been cut off with a knife, meaning it wasn’t a ful tortilla. We ate and asked for the check. In these hard financial times, spend your money somewhere else.

Alexa McKinney

Don’t bring your children here! My husband and I went here for lunch and we noticed the bartender and some other guy kept starting at my daughters! When I went to go take them to the bathroom, my husband saw the bartender follow us to the bathroom! And even when we tried to leave the waitress tried to make us stay even when we were clearly uncomfortable! Seriously something isn’t right about this place! Don’t go here with your kids!

Ava Kim

food was good; however, our waitress charged us more than what the price of our dish was worth. Once we brought it to her attention, she just gave us change back instead of changing the price on our check since it would give her a higher gratuity tip and tax percentage. She also was not really around our table and had to flag her down for a bit. The waitress did not also let us know that sour cream and guacamole on the side is $5.