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:
- CASA COQUINA DEL MAR BED AND BREAKFAST
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
Community Rating
Reviews via GoogleWhat 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 →
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Great margaritas and food. Great stop
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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.
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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 🍸👍
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Great prices great intercoastal view and you can actually see rocket launch from the restaurant. And the prices are very reasonable
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Beautiful atmosphere and delicious food!
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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.
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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.
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Outstanding!!
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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.
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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.
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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!
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Love El Leoncito, so sad the Viera location closed but grateful to come to this location. Food is always great and worth the drive!!!
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Food was delicpus
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Excellent pick up service.
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EVAN is a FANTASTIC SERVER!!! AWESOME MEAL as always ..perfect 10
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So delicious!
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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.
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The ropa vieja was excellent, as were the fried plantains and black beans. Service was great.
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Yummy
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The food here is always so good! We come weekly! Everything is delicious!
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Every time we visit Titusville we have to come eat some delicious food.
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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!
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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
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.
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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
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December 3, 2025 · Routine - Food
Call Back - Complied
0 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 1 basic
- 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation
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October 22, 2025 · Complaint Partial
Call Back - Complied
0 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 0 basic
No violations cited.
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October 21, 2025 · Complaint Partial
Warning Issued
1 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 1 basic
- 35 — Insects/rodents/pests; outer openings protected against pests (×2)
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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