By Tim Wilcox
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
It’s a cliché of sorts, especially during the holiday season: “Good things come in small packages.” At times, though, this aphorism is just perfect. That’s clearly the case with El Toto’s Mexican Restaurant in Running Springs.
The restaurant’s interior is colorful and cozy. It’s meant to feel like home. Because El Toto’s is open every day, it’s the “home away from home” for owners Raudel and Mercedes. (Photo by T. Wilcox)
It is small, with a multicolored dining area about the size of an average living room. Especially during cooler and (soon) cold months, this gives it a cozy feel. That’s a good thing. So are these two primary elements: one of the mountains’ most extensive menus and homestyle cookery prepared by an accomplished kitchen maestro.
His name is Raudel Bedoy. In 1989, when he was 17, Raudel moved from Mexico to Running Springs, joining his father and two brothers who had already relocated to the mountains. He’s lived here ever since. Simple arithmetic reveals that’s almost exactly two-thirds of his life at this point.
Soon after his arrival, Raudel was hired by El Toto’s, which had been known as The Tamale Shop. He did everything on site, demonstrating an unmistakable aptitude for restaurant work. Eventually, he was promoted to manager. Even more significantly, Raudel acquired and refined his skills as a first-rate chef.
He’s been at it for nearly two decades now. “I really like cooking,” Raudel says, adding that “creating new dishes” is one of his favorite things. “There’s always something to learn,” he continues, “and I love to add my own touches” to items on the menu.
The obvious beneficiaries of this culinary passion are the restaurant’s customers. Many of them live in Running Springs, of course, but quite few come to El Toto’s from communities to the west, such as Lake Arrowhead and Crestline, and to the east, Big Bear.
For the last decade, Raudel and his wife, Mercedes, have owned the restaurant. She’s an able partner in the business, functioning as the lead server among other roles. Their son, Kevin, is a server as well, and one of Raudel’s brothers, Juan, is his principal kitchen assistant. It’s a successful family affair.
On the Menu
Served Friday through Sunday, the “turf and surf” special is steak and lobster. (Photo courtesy of El Toto’s Mexican Restaurant)
The bill of fare is enormous, offering well over 100 selections. Priced from $7.95 to $19.75, burritos alone number 33. You could run a specialty shop purveying these items alone and call it, perhaps, Bueno Burrito Bonanza. How does that sound? As you’d expect, these picks cater to hardy appetites.
Standouts among the 11 salads are the seafood with shrimp or crab ($16.95) and fajita with chicken or steak ($13.75). You’d expect to find nachos on the menu, and the “supreme” selection stars crispy chips, cheese, olives, onions, tomatoes, sour cream and guacamole—easily a meal in itself ($12.50).
FYI, there’s no dedicated lunch line-up. Instead, larger-portioned dinners are served from 11 a.m. to closing daily. El Toto’s seafood slate is nothing if not tempting. Its 21 offerings range from $16.75 to $44.95. Best bets include camarones ala diabla (devilishly hot shrimp), coconut shrimp with spicy marinade, mahi-mahi fajitas, crab tacos double-wrapped in soft-corn tortillas, fish filet ranchero and fried tilapia.
You may be wondering about the order tagged at $44.95. Titled “molcajete” (Spanish for mortar and pestle), it’s Raudel’s signature dish. This fiesta grande comprises carne asada, chicken breast, shrimp, chorizo, queso fresco, green onions, Serrano peppers, avocado slices, rice, beans, tortillas and, for good measure, cactus leaves. Make a mental note, please, that El Toto’s molcajete is prepared for three or four diners. You don’t have to cultivate a gargantuan appetite to tackle this one. A suitably healthy one will do!
Ranging from $12.95 to $21.95, 22 mostly turf offerings include the likes of steak picado, chicken or beef enchiladas, chicken or beef fajitas and classic carne asada. There are several egg dishes, too, which could double as late-morning breakfasts. Please note that a popular turf-and-surf special, steak paired with lobster ($34), is a Friday, Saturday and Sunday highlight.
A $7.25 children’s menu, nearly 20 burgers and sandwiches, a varied à la carte slate, five soups (try the seven-seafood rendition) and sundry desserts round out this eatery’s muy grande menu. Our overall assessment: a very good thing in a small package!
El Toto’s Mexican Restaurant: 31927 Hilltop Blvd. in Running Springs; (909) 939-0291; first come, first served; major cards; $3.75-$44.95; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fri.-Sat
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