El Toreo Cafe

El Toreo Cafe, 21 South Fairoaks Avenue, Pasadena CA 626-793-2577 is old school Pasadena Americanized Mexican food. I hadn't been there in a decade so I decided to stop by for dinner on our way to a movie. First of all, what the heck happened to Old Town Pasadena? It used to be so bustling and energized. The economy has really hit it hard. Closed shops, just a few theaters, very little foot traffic. Anyway, we used to go to El Toreo Cafe in the 80's when I was in college. It was cheap, great home cooked feel, cold beers and opened till really late. Maybe I should have not gone and just held onto those great memories. The food is no longer great and the prices are no longer cheap. My enchilada and taquitos had that freezer burn after-taste. The rice was delicious but the beans were not fresh. The iced tea was watery (yes, I should have ordered a beer). They still gave you a huge serving but it didn't make up for that freezer burn after taste. The place is still cozy and comfortable but it's sad that they cut corners now and the quality has really suffered because of that. It ain't like it used to be.