Does the name of this restaurant ring a bell? It might if you’re into politics, as it was where Donald Trump held his rally in Las Vegas when he announced his “no tax on tips” plan. Photos of that event are hanging in the lobby, which is an interesting aside, but the reason we went was to try the Sunday brunch buffet.
Surprise Location
Though we’d heard of Il Toro e La Capra, we didn’t realize until we got there that it had taken over the two-story building at 6435 S. Decatur that was formerly Rhythm Kitchen. It’s an impressive place with dining rooms on both floors. The buffet is served upstairs, a nice setting with a view. There’s a live mariachi band and the buffet is served Sundays (10 am-1 pm), so the TVs were tuned to the NFL games.
Enticing Price
What got our attention, aside from it’s being a rare new buffet to try, was the price: $34 for the buffet, $40 with unlimited sangria and mimosas. That’s an enticing price for a buffet these days and even better is the $6 all-you-can-drink add-on.
The Buffet
So far, so good. What about the food? Uh oh. Let’s get it out of the way right from the start: This is a distinctly low-end spread. Il Toro e La Capra serves a mix of Mexican and Italian food, but it’s almost all Mexican at the buffet, and kind of a strange mix at that. No enchiladas, no tamales, no chili relleno, not even guacamole. Wouldn’t you expect some version of huevos rancheros at a brunch? Nope. In fact, the only eggs presence was steam-tray scrambled. Chicharron verde, fajita fixings with fresh tortillas, chile Colorado, menudo, and nopales (marinated cactus pads) accompany some uninspiring pasta and pizza. They need to do better.
The sangria was good enough that we didn’t veer to the mimosas.
The Verdict
What sounded like a deal isn’t, given the quality of the buffet. There’s an argument that you can make it close with the drinks, but that won’t cut it for most. Maybe if they added some enchiladas and tamales.