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H-Town Rock
Rock Talk, Vol. IX
Somehow, Houstonist was lucky enough to be invited to the exclusive grand-opening celebration of Baytown's newest El Toro. The restaurant has gotten great reviews for years, but this was our first experience trying it. El Toro did not disappoint; if you ever find yourself out in the wilds of east Harris County, you might want to give it a try.
The first thing we noticed was the building. Before El Toro, we thought The Cheesecake Factory had an impressive faux-palace sort of majesty (we know, we are so misguided), but El Toro puts it to shame. Driving into the parking lot, our first thought was, coliseum. It isn't really, but the grandiose columns surrounding the building made it seem that way.
The interior was just as glamorous, but since we don't judge the food we eat by the building we eat it in, we're going to stop raving about the decor. As native Texans, we have honed our culinary criteria, particularly when it comes to Mexican food. The most important categories are: margaritas, chips/salsa, entree (usually includes some sort of enchiladas) and dessert. Extra points go toward ambiance (which we've already covered), service and selection. So lets get down to it:
Margaritas: In Houstonist's heaven, the margaritas are free flowing and don't make us pucker. El Toro is the closest we've ever been to heaven. The margaritas (we got frozen) were mixed perfectly — sweet, not too tart — and didn't taste like acid (a problem we sometimes have with drinks made with heavy tequila). That isn't to say they are light on the alcohol. One minute we were fine, the next we had trouble walking, which isn't a problem, per se, just something you should, uh, be wary of.
Chips/salsa: There isn't much to say about the chips, except that they were crispy and thin. Mexican-food eaters usually come from one of two camps: thick chips or thin. We love thin, but if that's not your thing, El Toro might not be for you. The salsa, however, is for you no matter who you are, and it is absolutely imperative that you try the green sauce.
Entree: We never expected to eat the best ribs we've ever had at a Mexican restaurant, but El Toro's were sweet and a little unexpectedly spicy, which was a nice surprise. The large shrimp were wrapped in bacon and equally delicious, as were the beans, rice, chicken and beef fajitas and tortillas. When you go, we recommend you order everything. Seriously.
Dessert: This is the only part of the menu that is lacking. We ate little cheesecake bites that seemed suspiciously store-bought. They were good, but they reminded us of something from the buffet line at our cousin's best friend's uncle's ex-girlfriend's brother's wedding, and we've never thought that guy had good taste. We hear the sopapillas are great, though.
El Toro has a wide menu and the wait staff was friendly and helpful. Overall, we give El Toro a thumbs up.
If Baytown is too far for you to drive, there are also El Toros in La Porte and Clute — yeah, we know, those really aren't any closer, are they? Gringo's Mexican Kitchen, a chain with locations a little closer to Houston, is owned by the same family as El Toro, and aside from variations in the rice and salsa recipes the two restaurants are pretty much the same. (FYI, a Gringo's is opening next weekend on Cypresswood, though it's not on the map yet.) Eat at one already!
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