I was really surprised and impressed by El Torito. We live on the east side of Lakewood so we were able to walk here, so you can guarantee that I will be back. When you first see the outside of the building, you may feel kind of skeptical about the place. I know I did, but do not let the exterior fool you from coming in. After we came in through the back door, we saw that the place was clean and looked like a modern Mexican restaurant with a really nice bar area. We sat at a table and ordered the infamous pineapple margarita. It came in a fresh pineapple and has fresh limes and lemons in it. There were 5-6 big, fresh pineapple slices on top and the rim was seasoned with sea salt and a cayenne pepper. It was amazing, but not cheap so we only got one.
Food wise, I highly recommend the chorizo fireballs and the plantains. This was all I ordered cause I got so full on chips and salsa. The chorizo fireballs were fried balls of cream cheese with chorizo and jalapenos served with a cilantro mayo drizzled on the side. They were breaded and fried perfectly and I loved the sauce served with it. The side of plantains were amazing and so worth the $4. You get 3 or 4 large plantains and is served with a queso sauce that had some melted butter on top. I did not even know this queso dip was served with it, but it was delicious.
The service was great and everyone was very friendly and attentive. SO glad we tried this place.