El Toro Chef Richard Diaz making fresh mozzarella (Facebook photo).

You’ve heard complaints about how tough it is to get authentic Mexican food in the neighborhood. In fact, quite often neighbors will remind you that Honest Tom’s is the only Mexican restaurant around and that if you’re looking for something else, you’ll need to venture out to South Philly. Situated right across from Malcolm X Park at 52nd and Pine, El Toro Pizza and Grill wants to change that.

After living in the neighborhood for the past ten years, owner Margaret Mayer decided to bring a wider selection of food to the area with Chef Richard Diaz. “It’s right here in your backyard right now… the neighborhood is crying out for people to bring good food, so we answered their call.”

The pair’s newest restaurant menu offers Mexican staples like tacos, nachos, and quesadillas in addition to hand-tossed Neapolitan-style pizza and cheesesteaks. “Everybody likes a little bit of everything,” she explained. With 30 years in the restaurant business under her belt, Mayer feels like she’s seen everything. “I was a waitress at the Last Supper,” she joked. 

Mayer met Diaz when she ran a pizza shop in Southwest Philadelphia on 52nd St and Woodland with her ex-husband. The business was dissolved when the couple broke up.

The other half of the operation, Chef Diaz, has a background in fine dining. He worked at restaurants like Bliss on Broad Street and Octo on Delaware Ave. and Palm in Center City. Still, Diaz has a soft spot for making simpler meals. Now, he’s taken his fine dining craft to make affordable everyday meals. The meats used for pizzas and tacos are slow cooked in house with many of the components prepped in the kitchen as well.

Both business partners remember the neighborhood to be completely different over 15 years ago. “There’s a lot more people walking with strollers and dogs. It’s coming more to life, there’s more people outside on a warm day walking in the park,” said Mayer.

El Toro Pizza and Grill is open weekdays from 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays until midnight and Sundays from noon to 10 p.m. For more information and menu, visit their website or Facebook page.

– Rana Fayez