Last Friday night, my girlfriend and I found ourselves in need of a dinner spot for date night. We didn’t much feel like leaving the Hermitage area, but also wanted to try something new. We were about to wave the white flag and just head towards ol’ faithful, Cinco de Mayo, when we remembered El Toro Loco, the new(ish) Mexican restaurant over off Lebanon Road across from the Hermitage Post Office. This place has been so hyped up on Hip Hermitage that I thought, “we have been missing out!” It felt like the perfect time to try ’em out, so that’s just what we did.
I went with the ‘El Torito’ – the El Toro Loco version of arroz con pollo, except with onions, peppers, and tomatoes on top – and the girlfriend went with the chicken quesadillas. We got started with some guac and the obligatory chips and salsa.
Pics
Ratings
Food: 4.8/10 – The guac was the highlight of the meal. Quickest way to my heart is putting fresh onions in the guac, baby! The salsa was superb as well. I loved the flavor of the ‘El Torito’ with a little hot sauce on top. But, the peppers and onions were a little too crisp for my liking. I like that shit as tender as I can get it. Veggies were fresh, so if crisp is your thing, you’ll love it. That said, I didn’t think it lived up to all the hype. Seemed like pretty standard issue food among the Mexican restaurant scene in town.
Value: 4/10 – Again, kinda standard issue stuff. My full ticket (tip included) was right at $40. For two entrees, guac, a diet coke, and an unsweet tea, I didn’t think that was all that great of a value. But, I’ve paid more for less.
Atmosphere: 5/10 – Super clean place, which is always a bonus. The place was buzzing on a Friday night, and the service was great. But, it’s definitely not the type of place you go for the ambience. I feel like I’m beating a dead horse here – but again, pretty standard issue.
Overall: 4.6/10 – I might catch some flack from the Hip Hermitage crowd, but I definitely don’t see what all the fuss was about. Good, solid meal – definitely worth putting in the regular rotation. But, definitely not the G.O.A.T. Mexican restaurant some were making it out to be. I’m looking forward to going back in the spring to try some margie margs when the weather warms up.
CURRENT NASHVILLE RESTAURANT RANKINGS
- Butcher & Bee (8.5/10)
- Nectar: Urban Cantina (8.44/10)
- Von Elrod’s (8.17/10)
- Catch 22 (Mount Juliet) (7.125/10)
- Phat Bites (6.83/10)
*Keep in mind, we’re just starting out. This list is only 19 deep at this point. Stay tuned as we continue to build our anthology of Nashville reviews.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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