I love seafood , especially what are call shrimp cocktails. Instead of making it on my own I decide to order them. Terrible mistake. I called El Sinaloense for a shrimp and octopus cocktail for pick up. It was ready on time . KINDA OF PRICY $19. Later to find out it was like half a pint . I mean wow incredible. The shrimps are not your tiger shrimp they look like one level above the mini ones from a Ramen soup They were better I mean they were the best in seafood cocktails. read more

El Sinaloense - Small shrimps in the cocktails for $19 - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

See all

I ordered a bean and cheese burrito to go, and was disappointed by both the price and the product. Although I ordered a bean and cheese burrito with mild salsa and guacamole, I was charged for a super burrito (but "without the meat") which raised the price substantially. They also neglected to mention that their guacamole (or maybe it was the salsa - I can't be sure) was packed with jalapeños, basically making the burrito inedible. I specified that I wanted mild seasoning in my order, so it would have been nice if they had disclosed how spicy the food actually was. In the end, I was charged $14 for a rice/jalapeno burrito that made me sick, which felt deceptive and disappointing. read more

The fajitas I had at El Sinaloense were dynamite. The chicken, steak, and shrimp meat were all high quality, juicy, and flavorful. The melted cheese and caramelized veggies were mouth watering. The portion size of the Fajitas is probably enough to feed 2 people. There was a generous portion of refried beans, rice, lettuce, Pico, and guacamole on the side plate as well. I would love to come back and try the other dishes on their menu. read more

See all

Prices are decent. Decor, atmosphere, and service are good. But correct, not really your typical Mexican taqueria. We'll come again though. We won't be ordering the chimichanga again. It had a good shell, but the inside was so overwhelmingly cheesy that it lacked variety of flavor... not my idea of a chimichanga (so there was one star). Then my son ordered the seafood soup... $16 for a bowl of soup, are you serious? Ok, but it better be the bomb... it wasn't... (one more star down). We'll still go back. And maybe with the better food choices, our rating will be better too. :) read more

My friend and I ate dinner here yesterday. We came in a little early (around 5:30), so it was not very busy. By the time we left at 6:30, the restaurant was a lot more full of customers. I wasn't feeling too adventurous, so I ordered the carne asada plate. It came with rice, refried-beans and corn tortillas. The food was good and the server was very attentive. The chips and salsa given to us ahead of time were excellent. The chips were warm, and the salsa had a good kick to it. read more

The molcajete was excellent. We started off with chips and salsa. The salsa was tasty and had a slight kick which I enjoyed. We went through 2 bowls of salsa. We also ordered their fresh guacamole and ceviche. They were both great but the star of the night was the molcajete. I would recommend not having appetizers if you're gonna eat it alone. I will always go back there when I visit the bay area! read more

El Sinaloense - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

4 stars for food but 2 stars for service. Good thing everything we got was good considering not one item was correct. The margaritas were 3 stars the mole enchiladas 4 stars got carnitas instead of chicken and got 3 item plate showed up with 2 and all wrong meat choices didn't complain just ate and thank goodness was good! Will try again and hope for a different waiter I just read review of someone saying they screw up the order and charge u more for the mess up I think he is right be careful examine your bill! read more

See all

This place is such a hidden gem! Mole enchiladas are to die for good. Top shelf margarita. Chips and salsa with a good kick of heat that builds as you go but never overwhelms you with heat. Mario is the perfect host. Place is friendly and always filled with people. Highly recommend. read more

15 minutes waiting to take the drink order another 15 to get the food order. But as soon as the white folks get here they're like flies on shit. That's why they don't get shit from me as far as tip. And they'll say Mexicans don't tip. This is why I won't leave shit!! 30 minutes now waiting on my order and other people that got here after are eating here (white) did I mention all waitresses and staff are like me? Mexican. Sooooo ashamed. read more

Love this place !! Have been going for years. Let's support our small businesses during this time. They are open for take out!! read more

Got the carne asada plate to go. Food was good, but the portions were tiny. Only a couple spoonfuls of beans and a couple spoonfuls of rice. Not worth almost $20. First time I've been hungry after finishing an entire Mexican combo plate. The ambiance and outer seating area had a good vibe. read more

We make the rounds to find good margaritas and tacos. This is by far the best we've encountered. Reasonably priced, amazing staff, festive environment. I can't wait until our next Saturday here! read more

See all

Decided to try a new spot and I'm glad I did. Good food and great margaritas. I had the combo fajitas really cheesy and tasty. Hubby had the chicken mole enchiladas. We started with the shrimp ceviche and our server Jesus suggested spreading mayo on the tostada chips with ceviche and it was a flavor explosion in my mouth. We will definitely be back. Large portions!!! read more

See all

Food was service was excellent. I got a mini wet super veggie burrito with both red and green sauce. It looked awesome and tasted like it looked. We were looking for a spot to grab some authentic Mexican food in San Mateo and gave this joint a try. Lucky we did. Approaching the little spot gave us be feeling we had found a great little locals-only place. The interior decorations are nice and welcoming. Some enormous paintings are hung in the main dining area which portray some typical portraits of people living life. A nice touch. read more

El Sinaloense - A mini wet super veggie burrito with both red and green sauce. Yum. - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

I've lived in San Mateo all my life and never knew this place existed...glad I know now! Located behind Safeway on Palm Avenue, this restaurant is out of the field of view of a driver. Maybe this helps keep crowds down! ;) There's also parking everywhere, which seems to be a huge issue in San Mateo now. I had the Tocino Y Queso (bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with cheese) and my girlfriend had the Molcajete. Both are excellent and I highly recommend them. If you are looking for some great Mexican food and don't want to fight the traffic of Downtown San Mateo, go here, although you might pass by it when you are looking for it! read more

El Sinaloense - Tocino Y Queso - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

My husband and I went to this restaurant for the first time last Friday. Everybody at the restaurant was super kind and friendly. The food was delicious too, good taste for a particular Mexican woman. We will definitely go back one soon. read more

We have returned many times since my original review and enjoyed it each time. This update is to share the experience of having lunch in the recently-built outdoor dining area that accommodates COVID-19 restrictions: the space was most welcoming, tables far apart and the food as delicious as usual. We felt very safe given the spacing and airflow. If you want great Mexican food in a safe, outdoor setting, El Sinaloense should be at the top of your list! read more

Food is good but the service lacks ..bad attitude....3rd time exact same experience. Nope! Wait time to get service is crazy!!

Huge portions, fresh ingredients, no frill service. Get their fish taco, it is delicious and the fish tasted pretty fresh. Their octopus ceviche was also pretty good. The portion was so big, I had to take half of it home. Although, I would prefer it to have little more flavor, the octopus was pretty tender, so I can't complain. Their grilled fish entree was good, but not very memorable. I didn't really have a very high expectation to start, so it was fine. Overall, this is a great neighborhood spot if you want something casual. The portions are big enough for sharing. read more

See all

Great food, customer service, and drinks. It's a family friendly place with a great vibe. They use fresh ingredients; they're the real deal. If looking for a good time and REAL Sinaloense Food, this is the place to go to! read more

El Sinaloense - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

Just alright 7 of us came in and we ordered different plates; fajitas, burritos, carne asada plate, mixed combo plate and sopes and it was just okay. The enchiladas were not good, maybe it was the sauce it was tangy the cheese tasted generic and sour maybe it was the tortilla but definitely the combination of the flavors was not good. Our server brought our drinks and food and then disappeared till we asked for the check. I've for sure had better and will not return. read more

Excellent Mexican food. Hands down, best in San Mateo. I ordered to go and was ready in 15 mins.

Disgusting. Not one thing at this place is good or authentic. Meat was burnt and beans were gross just everything was overpriced & nasty. As well as bad service!! One person taking orders, serving food, and bartending !! The only type of customers they get are people who have probably never had decent Mexican food or who aren't from the area. Real stuffy no air flow & just bad experience wish I could give it 0 stars. Not even the chips and salsa are okay AND MY FOOD TOOK 30 MINUTES ALL WE ORDERED WERE TWO TACOS AND A TORTA THOSE ARE THE FASTEST THINGS POSSIBLE !!! you're better off eating at a taco truck please save your money. And no where to park. Terrible terrible terrible. read more

Staff is rude. Food is crap. The steak chimichanga was full of fat pieces and disgusting. We ordered one food to share and the waiter didn't like it and told us we need to order two. We didn't even finish one food because it was horrible. read more

Never again. Average food and poor customer service. I'll take my business elsewhere. Too many other choices.

My favorite Mexican food in San Mateo, best margaritas I've had at a restaurant in the area and awesome homemade tortillas. I've had so far: Fajitas Sinaloense, Coctail de Cameron, Chicken and Mushrooms, Asada, and more. Everything is excellent! And full bar!!! read more

See all

Why-o-why did I waste my time and money here :( Ordered the carnitas tortes, ceviche and a chicken super burrito. The torte had literally a teaspoon of meat on it, half a slice of tomato, wilted iceberg lettuce and a sliver of onion and avocado. For $8.25 I expected a lot more. Bread was thick and dry. Very disappointed! The chicken burrito was bland beyond belief. Shrimp ceviche was bland. Not enough acid or spice. I really wanted to like this place because it's very close to home and we love Mexican food. Recent reviews seemed like the food has improved, so I gave it a try. Honestly, I'm not sure how they get away with calling this authentic Mexican food. Will not be back! read more

This place is pricey, but the food is top notch. I came with a group to eat the Fajitas Sinaloanza, Steak and Shrimp Super Burrito (I asked for no tortilla) and Chimichanga. All three were perfect. The steak was tender with a bit of crisp, shrimp were plump and juicy, and salsa was a bit hotter than normal but perfect to add to the food. The food was plentiful. Atmosphere a bit loud with Mexican band music, sports on TV, yet intimate enough atmosphere. Totally worth eating til you explode! read more

On our roadtrip through California we stopped in San Mateo. I was searching around on yelp for some good Mexican food with dine in options. When we got to this place it was quaint. Everything was set up outside and we were waited on promptly. The enchiladas were delicious and my margaritas were strong/tasty. This is a great place to go and be outside while eating. Awesome experience and good food. read more

This place has awesome fajitas and they were very nice when we made healthy substitutes to the fajitas sides. The staff is very courteous and if it's your birthday they go all out. The lights go off and there is a hilarious song that plays and it's the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Also recommend anything on the menu especially the wet burrito or enchiladas. Really great salsa and sauces as well. read more

Delicious carne asada plate , burrito and tacos! Everything here is very good can't wait to have it again.

I have driven by this restaurant for years and because of covid19 I've been trying out a lot of local restaurants to support them. This one had great reviews of mole burrito so I got it as a special treat for my birthday. I was sadly disappointed- not a lot of flavor to it. The service was poor as other reviews have mentioned but together it makes it unlikely for me to return. They also need to get with the times and have Apple Pay so you don't need to it can be a touch less process. I wish them luck with the outside seating area that they have added but the food needs to improve for me to spend the $$. read more

I unfortunately came here on my birthday and did not like the taste of my food. I wish I had ordered something else but my waiter was too pushy & had to decide pronto. It's a shame I didn't like my food or experience even though I had heard such good things about this place.. oh well. read more

El Sinaloense - Both dishes very basic for a pretty high price - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

This is our favorite Mexican restaurant. They have some dishes that other nearby restaurants do not have on the menu. The salsa is delicious. I love the chicken with mushrooms. Great children's menu too. read more

I absolutely love Sanloense. Best food ever. Margaritas are great too. Service is the best. Cannot say enough about this restaurant. Best part, I live just down the street. read more

Not sure why yelp has it marked as closed. Just got some today! They usually just close early when they run out

poor service, food fair, but expensive for the quality. There are much better Mexican places in San Mateo.

Got take out during Covid and it was great. Safe location, good packaging and delicious. It's a real hidden gem!

Went to El Sinaloense for lunch recently and found it to be just about ok. The food tasted pretty good and quite fresh, however, it took a really long time to come and was on the pricier side compared to other places that serve similar food. The service was quite a let down and I have taken off one star for that. We had ordered a second drink that never arrived, water glasses weren't refilled, no-one came to check on us while we were eating. We had to wait and wait and wait to get the check. Our server just avoided making eye contact and I had to finally flag down the host to get the check. Expected better after reading such great reviews. read more

This was my second time trying this restaurant, the first time I was not really impressed. This time it was much better. Food was good. The tortillas were fresh. The service is just OK. read more