El Torito Grill

After Xperience Restaurant Group closed El Torito Grill’s Irvine location, transitioning to the similar-but-not-quite-the-same Sol Mexican Cocina, Brea became the very last city with this once-iconic elevated Mexican restaurant.

Thirty years after its founding, El Torito Grill still offers the freshly made, piping hot tortillas with butter that immediately distinguished the experience from its more affordable El Torito cousins, as well as the chipotle barbecued items – pork ribs, shrimp, chicken, and steak – that make the fajitas and tacos atypically fancy.

Even if the flavors aren’t particularly standouts today, guacamole is still prepared tableside for a bit of a show, and fajitas are theatrically flambeed right before they’re handed off, guaranteeing a little excitement and extra char on the meats and veggies.