EL LEONCITO

The grade here is the headline: EL LEONCITO sits at an F (58/100) after its latest health inspection on April 8, 2026.

By score it ranks safer than 4% of Brevard County restaurants we grade. The report logged 4 high-priority, 2 intermediate, and 4 basic violations. And the recent trend is down. Higher-graded kitchens nearby are mapped below.

F grade · 58/100 · safer than 4% of Brevard County restaurants we grade

Get directions Call (321) 267-1159

Safer options nearby

Higher-graded restaurants close to EL LEONCITO, by Florida DBPR grade:

Restaurant details

Health grade
F (58/100)
Violations
10 total — 4 high-priority, 2 intermediate, 4 basic
Address
4280 S WASHINGTON AVE, Titusville, FL
Cuisine
Mexican
Categories
Mexican restaurant, Burrito restaurant, Caterer, Cuban restaurant, Latin American restaurant, Sandwich shop
Price
$$
Rating
4.4 stars (5375 reviews)
Neighborhood
Indian River City
Seats
200
Phone
(321) 267-1159
Website
Official website
Photo of EL LEONCITO
Photo: El Leoncito - Titusville

Community Rating

Reviews via Google
4.4 Community-sourced rating 5,375 reviews
Read all reviews on Google →

What diners say — our read

4.9 stars across 23 reviews, an F health grade — those two numbers are not describing the same visit. Reviewers who mention the staff rate this place 4.8 on average — it is working in the restaurant’s favour. After that, what it costs appears most often — 22% of the corpus, averaging 5.0.

22 of 23 rated reviews are four stars or higher; 0 are two or lower. More reviewers landed on 5 stars than any other score — 22 of 23. What nobody raises here is tidiness — it goes unmentioned across all 23 reviews.

The inspection record is the harder read. DBPR graded this kitchen an F (58/100) on 4 high-priority, 2 intermediate, and 4 basic violations — a verdict the review average does not reflect. That result dates from April 8, 2026. Across its inspection history the kitchen is declining, which argues for reading the older reviews with caution. Ranked against Brevard County, it is safer than 4% of the restaurants we score. What the inspector actually wrote up: food & equipment thermometers provided and accurate and cross-contamination.

The practical read: people enjoy eating here, and the kitchen still failed its last inspection. Those are separate claims, and only the second one gets checked by anybody. The reviews themselves follow, unedited and newest first.

Our own analysis of 23 reviews for this restaurant, set against its Florida DBPR inspection record. How we calculate grades →

  • June 30, 2026

    Great margaritas and food. Great stop

  • June 27, 2026

    Carry-out is our way to go; easy to order on line, easy to pickup, order is prepared as we've asked even if we ask for some changes to our meal in the remarks, great customer service.

  • June 27, 2026

    Sarah(sp) in the lounge is awesome. Sweet lady and a beautiful smile. She cares about her customers for sure. 5 Stars for her. A great place to unwind and chill. Highly recommend El Leoncito 🍸👍

  • June 26, 2026

    Great prices great intercoastal view and you can actually see rocket launch from the restaurant. And the prices are very reasonable

  • June 26, 2026

    Beautiful atmosphere and delicious food!

  • June 25, 2026

    My son is getting married in the area. We stopped through here because it was really interesting to see a Cuban/Mexican restaurant. La ropa vieja Picabillo, Fajitas, tacos, guacamole! All excellent! The service was very, very polite, very nice, the drinks were amazing, the price wasn’t too bad either. Not bad for a secret find on a wedding trip.

  • June 24, 2026

    Their to go sucks. Orders not given to the kitchen till you show up. This has happened a few times. They then rush the order and its incorrect.

  • June 20, 2026

    Outstanding!!

  • June 19, 2026

    We came to El Leoncito for dinner. We were a group of four and were able to get a table right away without a reservation. The restaurant has various seating areas and is actually larger than it looks. We ordered full meals and several rounds of drinks. Overall, everything was very tasty and certainly left us feeling satisfied. The staff were friendly and the service was good.

  • June 18, 2026

    How this place stays busy is beyond me. I guess because there’s no where else to go locally that’s any better for Mexican. We’ve tried this place 3 times now. Nice atmosphere, friendly attentive staff. The food is NASTY. Nothing is fresh. Everything tastes like it was reheated, scooped out of a can or came out of a package. Puddles of grease on your plate. If you’ve ever been to Mexico, you’ve probably had better food off of a street cart than this place serves. If you want authentic Mexican food, you’ll need to make the drive to New Smyrna. It doesn’t exist in Titusville.

  • June 17, 2026

    Been there several times, but never really reviewed it. So this time I figured I would do it. The food has always been good no matter what you order and it’s always hot and the service is great. This particular time we were taken care of by James, very polite and accommodating. We had one of their huge Margaritas (Monday’s is 2 for 1). Their plates of Mexican and Cuban food are very pleasing. Overall, between their hot tortilla chips and salsa and the size of their servings if you leave there hungry you’re in trouble. Went there this year for Cinco de Mayo and it was certainly a festive event and the food as always was amazing especially the margaritas. Enjoy!

  • June 16, 2026

    Love El Leoncito, so sad the Viera location closed but grateful to come to this location. Food is always great and worth the drive!!!

  • June 14, 2026

    Food was delicpus

  • June 8, 2026

    Excellent pick up service.

  • June 7, 2026

    EVAN is a FANTASTIC SERVER!!! AWESOME MEAL as always ..perfect 10

  • June 4, 2026

    So delicious!

  • June 4, 2026

    Wonderful place. Even better than expected. I got the Chorizo Fundido which was amazing, even my partner couldn't stop digging into it and they don't really like cheese. Then I got the Arroz con Pollo which was amazing as well. Beautiful all around, could not stop eating. Worth the drive even If you live further away.

  • June 3, 2026

    The ropa vieja was excellent, as were the fried plantains and black beans. Service was great.

  • June 2, 2026

    Yummy

  • June 1, 2026

    The food here is always so good! We come weekly! Everything is delicious!

  • June 1, 2026

    Every time we visit Titusville we have to come eat some delicious food.

  • May 30, 2026

    Everything we have eaten from El Leoncito has been amazing. The foods are flavorful, the drinks are strong, and the service is great! They also take the time to make sure any issues are addressed. When I ordered takeout, one of my items was not correct. The owner reached out to me to offer a personalized coupon code that covered the cost of the meal to use on my next order. They didn’t have to do that, but it’s pretty awesome that they did!

  • May 28, 2026

    Great local place for Cuban and Mexican food and drinks. They are open Mondays (unlike most Titusville restaurants) and have 2 for 1 margaritas that night. Update: They are open for lunch (11a) and have very reasonably priced daily specials. Met other 7 other car enthusiasts for lunch. Great food once again.

Overall Score

34 / 100

  • Health inspection grade 0/40
    Grade F
  • Dietary transparency 13/20
    4 options listed
  • Community rating 18/20
    4.4★ average
  • Hidden-gem status 0/10
    Not flagged
  • Track record 3/10
    Declining, 20% clean

Composite score from health grade, dietary options, ratings, and inspection record — distinct from the state-derived health grade.

Opening hours

Monday
11 AM to 9:30 PM
Tuesday
11 AM to 9:30 PM
Wednesday
11 AM to 9 PM
Thursday
11 AM to 9:30 PM
Friday
11 AM to 10 PM
Saturday
11 AM to 10 PM
Sunday
11 AM to 9 PM

Inspection history

The following records are from Florida DBPR public inspection records, most recent first.

  1. April 8, 2026 · Routine - Food

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    4 high-priority · 2 intermediate · 4 basic

    • 03 — Temperature control of foods (cold/hot holding, cooking, cooling, reheating)
    • 05 — Food & equipment thermometers provided and accurate
    • 08 — Cross-contamination: raw foods separated; food protected during prep/storage
    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained
    • 22 — Food-contact surfaces clean and sanitized
    • 24 — Storage & handling of clean equipment and utensils; air drying
    • 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation
    • 41 — Chemicals / toxic substances properly stored & used
    • 53 — Food manager certification; employee food-safety training
  2. December 3, 2025 · Routine - Food

    Call Back - Complied

    0 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 1 basic

    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation
  3. October 22, 2025 · Complaint Partial

    Call Back - Complied

    0 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 0 basic

    No violations cited.

  4. October 21, 2025 · Complaint Partial

    Warning Issued

    1 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 1 basic

    • 35 — Insects/rodents/pests; outer openings protected against pests (×2)
  5. September 29, 2025 · Routine - Food

    Warning Issued

    4 high-priority · 1 intermediate · 7 basic

    • 01 — Food from approved source; safe, unadulterated, sound condition
    • 02 — Consumer advisory, date-marking & labeling of ready-to-eat foods
    • 03 — Temperature control of foods (cold/hot holding, cooking, cooling, reheating)
    • 06 — Potentially hazardous foods properly thawed
    • 08 — Cross-contamination: raw foods separated; food protected during prep/storage (×3)
    • 12 — Handwashing; employee eating/drinking/smoking practices
    • 25 — Single-service and single-use items
    • 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention
    • 33 — Garbage and refuse; premises maintained
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation

This grade is calculated by us from Florida DBPR public inspection records — Florida does not issue official grades. How we calculate it →

Data last updated: April 8, 2026