I like El Toro.
There. I’ve said it. It’s not a popular opinion, or so I have learned. Charmed and I started to frequent the local location on Gilbert St. after it first opened. We enjoyed the C-U locations and were thrilled to have them in Danville. Why do we like ET? Let me count the ways…
- Food is delivered hot AND with flavor / spice
- Margaritas actually have tequila in them that you can TASTE!
- Service is fast, friendly and attentive.
- Prices are reasonable and portions are generous
I thought I was somehow missing out on something… I encountered friends the other day who were leaving ET and they told me that the only reason they were there was because they were meeting family. Otherwise, they MUCH prefered La Potosina. Okay. I didn’t recall La Pot being all that, but perhaps they had changed. I had an occasion last week to have a dinner meeting at La Pot. Sadly, nothing has changed.
- Our server changed mid-meal
- My meal was cold and flavorless
- My margarita was very weak
The only other Mexican option is Buen Apetito in the former Sweetwaters location on North Vermilion. It’s okay. It was better when it was just the tiny hole-in-the-wall on Woodbury Street. It had atmosphere and was cozy. I thought the food tasted better. When they moved / closed the Woodbury St. location the menu changed (my favorite enchilada dish was gone!) and it seemed more “Americanized.”
Maybe I don’t have taste. I don’t know. All I do know is that virtually every Sunday night you will find Charmed and I at El Toro with the $5.50 margarita special, perusing the menu for something we haven’t tried. YUM!
Welcome back!
And you’re spot on. El-Toro is the superior Mexican resturaunt in town. Service and food are both better.
Buen Apetito really dropped off when it moved north. I went there once and had a burrito that was just… bland.
The place I really miss is Mi Casa on north vermilion. It may just be longing for something I can no longer have, but I keep looking in the window there, hoping it will re-open.
Completely agree about La Potosina (both locations) being disappointing, even before we had El Toro to compare them to. Considering their proximity to each other on the south side, and the devoted clientèle La Pot maintains (why, people?) I’m thrilled to see that El Toro has managed to survive the Danville restaurant curse. Don’t see how Buen Apetito can last much longer – the last couple of times I’ve been in (Friday evenings, around what should be rush time) there were only two or three tables occupied.
Nice to see you posting again, dear. Hope all is well.
I’m an almost-every-Sunday El T diner also, either Urbana or St. Jo. I have 1/2 hour for lunch, and can grab a bite for lunch at the Springfield Ave store faster than I can grab Taco Bell (which is just down the street). They are speedy there!
That said,…if you manage to get into Taco Tako in Arcola, IL, don’t pass it up!