The "Father of Modern Mexican cuisine" Richard Sandoval is set to open a restaurant called Toro Toro in Downtown Houston this Fall 2021. The restaurant, specializing in seafood and steak, is scheduled to open in the renovated Four Seasons Hotel. It will replace Quattro, an Italian restaurant that previously tenanted the third-floor restaurant in the hotel. Presently, Richard Sandoval also runs Bayou & Bottle, a whiskey bar on the hotel's first floor.
Toro Toro serves a modern twist on the classic steakhouse to diners. South and Central American cuisine will be the main inspiration for its menu. The name of the restaurant is a play of words from Japanese and Spanish, taken from the Japanese word for tuna (toro) and the Spanish word for bull (toro). This restaurant will be the second in Texas, preceded by another restaurant in Fort Worth.
Toro Toro will offer dishes like churrasco-grilled meats, antojitos, tapas, and fresh ceviches and tiraditos. Toro Toro in Fort Worth offers a clue as to what the Houston location will have. Chief among the restaurant's offerings are the 52-ounces of massive tomahawk steak, roasted Brussels sprouts served with white raisins and cojita cheese, Peruvian-style chicken anticucho, and a burger with bacon jam and chipotle-cranberry cheddar.
Toro Toro has an extensive Spanish and Latin wine list and hand-prepared cocktails such as margaritas and mojitos to quench your thirst. There is also an open kitchen that features a wood-burning grill, and the dining room includes private spaces for events like corporate gatherings or weddings.
The restaurant, currently under renovation, is expected to open later this year.