We were finally able to visit and experience Elena's. Upon arrival we were warmly greeted and advised I would receive a text once our table is ready. Since we did arrive early, we went and sat at the bar area. First glance of the bar and dining area resembled a bright and beautiful mom and pop places I visited in Mexico. Shortly after, one of service team members greeted us providing chips and salsa, glasses of water, and the menu. We mentioned it was our first time so he gave us some insights and suggestions which happened to be on our radar. We were seated on time and Francisco greeted us introducing himself. He too was very nice and helped answer our questions. He gave us a few min to decide. We ended up deciding to order multiple dishes to enjoy. If you're looking for a nice place to enjoy some really delicious Mexican food I highly suggest to give Elena's a try, you won't be disappointed! read more

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No walk-in tables available on a Friday, but we were able to be seated easily at the bar. The ambiance and service were amazing. The place is so lively but also cozy. Loved the decor so much. Portions were great! Loved the Crudo, chicken fajitas, and quesabirria. read more

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Sopas, enchiladas, ceviches, tamales, and never forget, margaritas! Great service, nice ambiance and consistently good food. They have a special Mexican celebrations menu out right now. read more

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This was my first time here and it was a wonderful experience. Parked a few blocks away in the residential area and had an early dinner. The restaurant is pretty small but they don't cram you in. We had wonderful service and they had a lot of patience as we tried to decide what to order. The free chips and salsa was delicious! So flavorful. The coconut margarita was amazing and I wish I could have that all the time. The veggie tacos were really filling and the rice and beans were also flavorful. I'm excited to go back, I really enjoyed it! read more

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The ambience is so modern and beautiful inside. The interior design is phenomenal! The service was very friendly and attentive. Ordered the empanadas and pozole. Amazing I don't even like pozole like that and it was very bc old when we went so I ordered a pozole and it was definitely 11/10 so flavorful! Meat was tender great portion size read more

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Came here for a birthday dinner and it was great! The interior decor is nice, so you could come for a special occasion or a casual meal. Noise is relatively loud, but you can still hear each other. We got the calamari and fajitas (carne asada) to share, both of which had the right amount of crisp and meat tenderness. The green shishito peppers that came with the calamari were not spicy, but the big green pepper that came with the fajitas was spicy AF - one piece got me teary eyed with hiccups, the spiciest jalapeno I've ever had! They said it was flash fried so it's pretty much at max jalapeno spice level. Excellent, 6/5 attentive service from Natasha. She crouched down to eye level upon first speaking to us, provided great recommendations, and checked in on us several times for reassurance when food took longer than expected. When bringing over our dessert with the celebratory sparkler, she began to sing happy birthday, but since mentioning that we like to stay low-key, she switched to a whisper-volume happy birthday song, which was kinda funny and had a nice personal touch to it. Her genuine positivity was the highlight of our evening! 5/5 overall, but have to dock a star for the reservation system. For a Monday evening: on the first phone call, we were told the first available time was for 7:30pm, but the Yelp waitlist got us a table at 5:00pm. But at 5pm, we got a text that said our table was ready, followed by a call from a host that said the first table would be available at 6:00pm. Confused, we just decided to drive over and walk in at 5:15pm, upon which we were seated immediately. That's a 2.5 hour seating time frame with uncertainty, and this almost derailed the rest of our evening plans switching things around. Best tip = don't call, just walk in. read more

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I finally got the chance to try this place! We had a reservation for 8 people. We were seated as soon as our entire party arrived. Our waiter was very kind and attentive. We ordered our drinks and they arrived pretty quickly, and all together - which I appreciate. I ordered the Carajillo. It was delicious. I loved the big ice cube with the fancy "E" on it. Cute detail! My boyfriend ordered the Oaxacan Old Fashioned. Wow, so unique and tasty. Next, we ordered our food. The food took a little while to come out, but the restaurant was packed, so that was totally fine. And, the food was worth the wait. I ordered the Slow Braised Carnitas. The meat was tender, moist, and perfectly flavored. They didn't skimp out, either. That was a FULL plate. The handmade tortillas were delicious. The rest of the table was very happy with their food. We ordered desserts since we were celebrating a birthday. The wait staff came by to sing happy birthday to my mother-in-law. We ordered churros, tres leches cake, and the fresas con crema. The churros were a bit dry. They weren't our favorite. The tres leches cake, on the other hand...WOW. SOOO delicious. I would definitely order the cake again. Overall we had a lovely time and the food was yummy. read more

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We've been trying to make it out to Elena's for a long time and my wife's birthday was the perfect opportunitiy. It was a Monday evening so I thought it may be a little less packed but the energy was on a high, people were having a good time, and the design and decor of the restaurant is also very fun. The drinks were SO good. I get the hype. Even just the regular margarita was everything you wanted and it felt like being on vacation. They also have a decent corkage fee if you wanted to bring your own wine. The food was overall very good. We started with the Chili Con Queso and the Esquites, both of which were very tasty. For mains I did a combo with a cheese enchilada and a chile releno and I thought it was very good as well. The sauce is the one you remember from tex mex growing up, the rice and beans were great and the cheese had flavor! Around the table everyone else had burritos, tacos, and overall enjoyed as well but the one knock was unfortunately the service. Multiple times they had forgotten a drink or an item, multiple times they brought us the wrong tables food/drinks. I know it was a busy night but after a few times that did seem a little weird. Still, I know we'll be back!! read more

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Ordered Spicy, Mezcal, and standard margarita. The first two were the best and were packaged without ice in the cutest to-go glass bottles. The chips and salsa side was a very generous portion. The chips are the best tortilla chips I have had to date. Perfect amount of thickness to lightness and crunchy but not hard. Salted perfectly. The salsa was the perfect texture as well. The corn salad dish had an interesting tang to it and the as not for me but was well prepared. This place is always packed with people and parking is limited - plan to park a block to two away and walk up. This is a bustling neighborhood and there is often many intoxicated bar hoppers out on the sidewalks, mixed in with families and their small children. The train runs right through the center of the street with limited crosswalks. Inside the restaurant it is well decorated and has lovely tall ceilings. Service is prompt and efficient. read more

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I booked Elena's for a large party (of 14) on a Monday night for a birthday celebration which they happily accommodated. I confirmed the reservation twice, once online and then they called me 30 minutes prior to confirm again. Unfortunately, I do think they gave away part of our sections seating because even though my entire party arrived on time, they could not seat us until 30 minutes after our reservation time. They did however compensate us with some appetizers which was appreciated. Overall, it is difficult to serve such a large party so I give them credit but it was a bit chaotic, not taking everyone's drink order, not bringing silverware with meals, etc. For the most part, they were able to bring out everyone's main meal at the same time, and the food is fairly good. Everyone seemed to enjoy their mains, but I would say it's pretty standard for Mexican. The drinks are excellent though, I got the coconut rum drink. We also brought a cake which they placed a large sparkler candle in which was fun! The ambiance on the inside is nice low lighting with an open kitchen, so visually very nice! Overall it was good and the staff were nice but I wouldn't be motivated to come back here any time soon. read more

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Cute place to grab Mexican food with amazing chips and salsa as well as tasty margarita. I thought the prices were on the high side. My beef enchilada was good but $31 seemed steep. I can get it at other trendy Mexican places in LA for $20 so it must just be a bay area pricing. The guac was also good but again, the price point was high at $19 but good. The service, however was impreccable. Very attentive team - server was wondeful. The food runner was just as good. The ambiance of the restaurant is really cute and I do think it's a great stop in if you're in the West Portal area - very cute! read more

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Came here for an anniversary dinner as my partner has been wanting to take me here for a while now. It's a very in-demand restaurant that is super busy and filled with corporate boomers in my honest opinion. The inside and ambiance was nice I would say, very up-class and fancy-like. The food was decent in my opinion. I'd say it's just a fancy Mexican restaurant but food-wise it's very similar as what you'd get at a normal Mexican restaurant. Only difference is there choice of alcohol as their cocktails were pretty good. We tried the seasonal ones and they tasted good and did the job. I got the combination platter with the dungeness crab enchilada, ground beef taco, and pork tamale. Pretty mediocre but it was a very interesting experience having a crab enchilada. It wasn't good nor it wasn't bad, just interesting. My partner got the steak fajitas which was pleasantly good. For a starter, we got the $20 guacamole which was good but not good for the price of it. Then the two seasonal cocktails. Paid just over $200 including tip for it all. Would I come back? No, I'd rather take myself to El Farolito and support the smaller business while saving a lot of $. read more

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Delicious Mexican food in the West Portal area. We loved the quesadilla and combo fajitas. Service was quick and waiters were on top of filling water glasses. Some of the dishes were a bit salty. Chill yet classy ambiance. Worth a visit for delicious Mexican food read more

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I've been wanting to try this place for a while and came on my birthday. We had a group of 9 and made a reservation easily. Our waitress was awesome! Very sweet, attentive and was on top of things. Drinks were fantastic! We got several different margaritas, not pictured that I got was the strawberry sour, and others. Highly recommend picking one of their seasonal drinks! Food was a good size portion. The fish tacos were probably the least favorite. Highly recommend the carne asada fajitas! Steak was really really good! Dessert - we did the churros and they were perfect. They brought out a huge sparkler for my birthday and just something different and a nice touch! read more

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We came here on a Thursday for lunch after flying into San Francisco. The waiter was great, patient, and helpful when we had questions about the menu. The ground beef enchiladas were delicious. I did change out the pinto beans for black beans and I am satisfied with that choice. They don't do itemized receipts, so keep that in mind if you come with a large group. read more

Elena's Mexican Restaurant - Ground beef enchiladas - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Elena's is a beautiful restaurant with great service and a well-run operation. I'm always impressed to see a large restaurant operate with this level of efficiency. We were seated in a great spot, and the waitstaff was engaging, attentive, and friendly. Our food arrived hot, fresh, and in a timely manner. While the food was good, I think it has the potential to be great given the high standard the restaurant sets in every other aspect. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. BB read more

Elena's Mexican Restaurant - Chile Verde - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Lively upscale Mexican restaurant with beautiful decor! We stopped by for brunch on a Saturday morning and the wait for 2 people was going to be 1 hour. However, you can freely sit at the bar and receive full service so we did that and sat down right away. Note that you can make reservations so i highly recommend it! The staff is very friendly. The decor definitely gives an upscale vibe, perfect for a nice brunch or date, and the restaurant has a nice bar space. We got the Huevos Rancheros and Classic Quesadilla. with Chicken. Huevos Rancheros is usually my go to but it didn't quite hit the spot this time. The sauce had a little too much lemon to me. I also wish there was less rice and maybe another side or something. The quesadilla was good. It was a hearty portion filled with a decent amount of meat (added cost). We've been here before and overall, the food is solid. read more

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Best tamales of my long, complicated existence. The coconut margarita was so good I got two. The chips are so thin they shatter on contact, and they're served with one of the best salsas I've ever tasted. I now understand why people wait with bated breath every morning for this place to open its doors. Dear god. read more

Elena's Mexican Restaurant - Actual heaven on earth - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

10/10 Great food Good vibe Awesome service The only downside is parking had to go around the block about 5 times to get a spot read more

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Once you pop the fun dont stop! I can't believe I've never been here. It could be the fact that it's incredibly challenging to get a reservation or sit at the bar, but I think that's indicative of how good this place is. Ambiance is off the charts: 100/10 - perfect for a date, birthday, family brunch, anything. So beautiful. Food doesn't disappoint either. The guacamole is $19 but is the entire bowl. Like 20 servings so worth it and great value. 1. Chicken tamale 10/10 2. Chile relleno 5/10 3. Fish tacos - deep fried 10/10 4. Dungeness crab enchiladas 8/10 5. Elote 9/10 6. Queso with chorizo 10/10 They also serve you hefty portions of salsa with your chips and that's the kind of ratio I'm looking for in life. read more

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The restaurant vibes, drinks, service, and chips and salsa are great. What was disappointing was a vegetarian / vegan options. They seemed like an afterthought. The Vegeterian fajitas was very bland. It is not difficult to add tofu or any vegan meat to a vegetarian dish to make it more filling and add protein. This was just an over priced dish with only what feels like leftover vegetables rather than well-designed dish you expect from an upscale restaurant. read more

Super popular and surprisingly packed on a weekday evening on the normally quiet West Portal strip. Reservations online (and even with a reservation, you'll have to wait). Loud, lively ambiance, warm from the open kitchen and gas lanterns lining the wall. Beautiful interior, with several tall trees in the center under the high peaked ceiling. Complimentary thin house tortilla chips and tasty slightly spicy roasted salsa. Delicious. Housemade tamale side was delicious, and I'd definitely get again. Esquites (street corn) was fresh off the cob which was nice, however it was in a soup of too much mayo--pass. Ceviche and octopus appetizers were delicious, and go well with the complimentary tortilla chips (I prefer thin over the thicker accompanying chips). Short rib was tender in a tasty mojo sauce and comes with warm tortillas so you can make your own little tacos. I still preferred the tamale though. Agua fresca good and horchata fresh, however definitely smaller than what you may be used to. Overall good visit. Will be back when we're in the mood for this type of Mexican food. Though having grown up in SoCal, college in SD, worked a bit in East LA...I generally prefer hole in the wall comfort Mexican food. read more

This is the first time we have come here for dinner. Both other times was for lunch. The restaurant was packed with patrons at 6:00pm. It's a beautiful restaurant. The 4 of us shared all our dishes. I was disappointed Elena's chopped salad was not on the dinner menu and only served during lunch. Our waitress was Laurel. She was very sweet and accommodating as we were celebrating two wedding anniversaries. We shared Baja fish tacos, steak quesadillas, enchiladas and carnitas. We Should have ordered one less entree and maybe the corn as we had too much food and didn't order a salad. My hubby raved about the steak quesadillas. I think we went more for the ambience. There was a lot of refried beans and rice. I loved the chips and salsa. The chips were so thin and crispy. I had a frozen dole whip margarita which was a little too frothy for me. I think I'll order the frozen margarita next time. I did really enjoy the limon Box cake. It had a limey tart flavor like key lime pie. Laurel was kind enough to put two sparklers on it. A lot of people was celebrating birthdays with sparklers. Elena's is definitely a high end Mexican restaurant. read more

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As much as I love West Portal for its small town main street sort of charm and its collection of historically mom and pop businesses, it was pretty exciting when news broke about Elena's opening up here. Not only has West Portal been attracting more and more new eateries and restaurants, but the neighborhood has never really had a legitimately trendy spot like this before either! Owned by the same folks as Original Joe's and Little Original Joe's down the street, the look and feel of Elena's is definitely a lot more upscale than most other places along West Portal. Between the high ceilings, modern decor, and overall cozy vibe, Elena's is equal parts "nice" and approachable. Not so coincidentally, the menu is very much the same with higher end dishes and refined versions of classic staples alongside familiar favorites. So, among their starters, soups, salads, seafood dishes, fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, entrees, and specialties, you'll find the likes of ribeye aguachile, dungeness crab enchiladas, and a whole branzino mixed in with ground beef crispy tacos, steak fajitas, house made tamales, and a burrito. -- MEXICAN MULE - Espolon Reposado Tequila, Fresh Lime, Blood Orange Ginger Beer, Orange...$16 This was pretty good! Love the Mexican twist on a classic mule, but what won me over the most was the orange twist from the blood orange ginger beer and the orange juice. Yum! -- CEVICHE TOSTADA - Halibut, Avocado, Tomato, Cucumber, White Onion, Cilantro, and Mayonnaise...$18 Although this wasn't the ceviche I've had, this was pretty solid. There was a decent amount of halibut, there was a good balance of the accompaniments, and this wasn't overly acidic. -- WHOLE CRISPY BRANZINO with Cucumber Radish Salad, Salsa Morita, and Flour Tortillas...$44 As good as this looked, it was a bit of a miss. On the plus side, I loved that the fish was moist and deboned. However, while the outside was crispy, it also felt chalky/dry and the fish, as a whole, needed more seasoning. -- ESQUITES - Mexican Street Corn with Jalapenos, Arbol Lime Aioli, Cotija, and Cilantro...$15 All in all, this was pretty solid. Part of me wishes this was cheesier, like Korean cheesy corn, but I loved how well the different spices, cojita, and lime aioli mixed together. -- DUNGENESS CRAB TOSTADAS with Avocado and Grapefruit Slices...$21 (+$7 for an extra one) Not bad, but, surprisingly, not as good as the ceviche tostadas. Mostly, I didn't find the crab meat to be as flavorful (nor plentiful) as I thought it would be. -- SHREDDED BEEF ENCHILADA with Guajillo Chili Sauce and Served with Rice and Refried Pinto Beans Topped with Cheese, White Onion, and Cilantro...$31 Ehh...this was fine. Thankfully, the shredded beef was still tender and not nearly as chewy as I feared it'd be. I also thought the enchilada sauce was pretty good, but everything else was no different than what you can find elsewhere. -- QUESABIRRIA TACO - Slow Cooked Beef, Melted Cheese, Consomme...$22 Easily, the best thing I've had here. Although the tortillas felt a little slick (Inherent to quesabirria), the meat was flavorful, the cheese was gooey with crispy edges, and the consomme tasted great and wasn't too thin. In addition to the dishes I've tried, Elena's complimentary chips and salsa is terrific - both are similar in style to what Chevy's offers, but a whole lot better. Plus, the service here is pretty solid as well. The hostesses do a good job of managing the line and every server I've had has been super friendly and helpful. However, as many of my fellow Yelpers have already done so, I'd be remiss not to acknowledge that the prices here are undeniably higher than your average Mexican restaurant. I'm sorry, but $31 for shredded beef enchiladas is hefty, regardless of how much better it is than a typical ground beef one. Based purely on taste alone, I don't think it'd be unreasonable to say Elena's is a four star spot (or close to it). However, when you factor in price and the wait (if you don't have a reservation), I'm not sure the food is "worth" the time and money relative to what you can find elsewhere. While they might be worth the occasional splurge, like for their quesabirria, THREE AND A HALF STARS rounded down feels about right. read more

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Such a wonderful ambiance. The interior design is simply wonderful and grand with the ultra tall ceilings, large booth seating and very open concept. Love it! The food is good but I honesty have not had anything that blows off my socks. The drinks are tasty and there is a good variety to choose from. Great place for date night, brunch, celebrations or just casual Mexican on a week day. read more

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Foodie Mexican gem hidden in West Portal neighborhood of SF. Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Cost to worth it rating: 3 (tacos $20, apps $16-30) Opentableable: yes Return worthiness: yes Eve award: best tortilla chips Highlights: - Tortilla chips: I took the whole lunch to figure out what was so life changing about these chips. Thin but held up to the salsa, crispy, just the right amount of salt, and another bonus flavor that reminded me of either browned butter or aged hard cheese. Roasted salsa was a perfect compliment. Incredible. 5 stars - Rib eye aguachile: as my local friend said "this is a non-negotiable." Tender decent sized slices of quality steak in a wonderful garlic ponzu sauce with serrano and jalapeño peppers topped with full slices of fresh avocado. First time having a non-fish aguachile and it was out of this world. 5 stars - Empanadas: crispy masa exterior but not greasy with shredded chicken tunga and cheese inside. Liked it with the avocado salsa on top. 4.5 stars - Margarita: served in a half tumbler glass with a punch of pure marg flavor. 4.5 stars - Carne asada tacos: fresh corn tortillas with small diced cubes of skirt steak. Smokey red salsa that had a kick but not too much. Liked the roasted full pepper on the side I cut up to add in. Solid. Warning, my friend said the frozen ones can be dangerous. 4.25 stars - Parking: decent street parking available with meters - Atmosphere: beautiful upscale space with high ceilings lined with Mexican paper decor hanging down, lovely foliage, long bar, tables, semi circle booths, and banquettes. Staff: kind, professional, and on top of it Lowlights: - I don't live here so bit harder to get to or I would be a regular like my friend ;-) read more

Second time here and came with a big hungry girl group. So we got everything! Was only able to grab a couple pics before everything was devoured. This is an excellent place for a group for drinks and catching up. The new things that I tried: crab enchiladas, beef augachile, and the tres leches. We also order drinks. All the zero proofs were super refreshing and tasty. Guacamole and esquites for the table along with the table chips and salsa. We also ordered the skirt steak carne asada and ceviche. The only thing about this spot I'd take note on, is the noise level. You walk in and you're instantly hit with chatting and music. So I wouldn't recommend for a quiet romantic dinner. Can't wait to go back! read more

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I've been to Elena's a few times, and have really enjoyed the food and atmosphere every time I've gone. There are several dishes that I really like here. The seafood cocktail is very high quality: the ingredients are fresh, and that makes the flavors really pop. I also have had the pozole which is very well seasoned; it's uniquely tasty and not at all greasy. I've also had the carnitas plate here, and the pork was perfectly cooked and the sides were great: the rice was fluffy, and I could eat the homemade tortillas forever. Cocktails are also very good from here: I've had the mezcal margarita and the skinny girl margarita: both were really tasty. The salsa they provide with the chips here is also really good. They even let me take some home and i was grateful: it was standout. One dish here that was good but not any better than what you can generally get were the enchiladas. Again, they were good, but no better or different than what one could get at any Mexican restaurant. What is notable about Elena's is the interior of the restaurant. It is really, really nice. There's a large floral arrangement in the middle of the restaurant, the floors are a beautiful tile, the light fixtures are really cool. It is probably the nicest Mexican restaurant I've been to in SF since Cala closed. read more

Elena's Mexican Restaurant - Pozole - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

I frequent Elena's quite a bit and some of the staff actually recognize me when I come in . I've never had a bad meal or unfortunate experience in all the times I've brought family and friends there. Staff are so helpful and I always feel taken care of there, besides the fact that it has great food. Last time I was there no tables so I put my name list and then had a drink at the bar. I ended up ordering food at the bar but before I had ordered , the hostess Amy thoughtfully remembered up to tell me there was a cancellation and a table was ready for me if I wanted it. . It was very thoughtful.but I are at the bar and let some others have the table. No matter where I sit, it's always a great experience with excellent food My favorite restaurant by far. read more

Beautiful restaurant with energetic vibe and fresh food. Their leche cake was the best dessert I've had in years. Fun for groups.

Came here for my bday and had such a great experience! The staff is so nice and the food - amazing!! The decor is beautiful and a great atmosphere. We sat by the front windows and were greeted with complimentary chips and salsa. Ordered the crudo, esquite, fajitas, and enchilada plate. The fajitas we ordered were a bit delayed (not by much) and the staff was very apologetic. Turns out THE Elena was sitting next to us the whole time and noticed the delay in my order so she personally apologized and had my dish, drinks, and dessert comped. It was totally not necessary but very much appreciated. She and the staff were great and the meal was perfect! Can't wait to go back! read more

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A group of 10 of us to celebrate a birthday. It was hard to get a reservation so we took the last one available for a party of 10. It was on a Sunday at 10:30 am when they opened. By the time we got our food it was after 11 am so it turned out well. We ended up finishing close to noon. The service was very attentive, keeping our water glasses full and very accommodating. Must of the group loved the dishes they chose. I had two beef enchiladas that came with rice and beans (both were light and refreshing). My wife had the grilled fish that she said was cooked perfectly and didn't have any bones. Here is everything we ordered: Chili Colorado 3 Whole Market Fish 5 Chicken Tinga Empanadas 4 Chilaquiles Burrito 4 Chili Relleno 3 Lucha's Chilaquiles 4 Shredded Beef Enchiladas 4 Chicken Fajitas 3 Pozole 4 Guacamole 4 Zanze's Cajeta Cheesecake 5 Alcoholic Drinks 4 All of the servings are good sized, came temperature hot and fresh ingredients, Elena's is on our list for our go-to upper end Mexican restaurant with good food, drinks, ambiance and service. $627 for 10 of us, included a Surcharge of 6% and we added 20% on the total including tax and the surcharge. read more

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Came for a birthday dinner and were luckily able to snag a reservation. Staff were super friendly and accommodating. Very beautiful dining area and nice decor. Drinks and food were all so delicious! I think the carne asada skirt steak fajitas and the coconut margarita stood out the most to me. We enjoyed our experience at Elena's! read more

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Perfect place for a special day or evening. Wonderful gas lighting as in New Orleans; however, it is also very noisy and you have to shout if u r even three feet from the server or fellow guest. Great food offerings and I routinely order Guac & two hard tacos. The bathrooms are tidy & clean nice lighting of the kitchen which can be viewed from when u first enter. Parking impossible so either walk or Uber. read more

Elena's Mexican Restaurant - Guac use a fork to put the Guac on. - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

DELICIOUS FOOD!!!! bartenders were great, but beware: do not fill up on chips and salsa!!! Save room for the great food. It was a great service, always had water in my cup and nice staff. Ambiance was lovely as well even though it was only a weekday. read more

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Great vibes! Super busy spot that is good for groups and a fun place for celebrations. Unfortunately, we found the food to be fairly average. I wish the dishes had more of a spicy kick or stronger flavor overall. As a group of six, we tried a variety of dishes. *Esquites: Mexican street corn that we really enjoyed. *Chicken tinga empanadas: Crispy with good flavor from the chicken and cheese filling. *Grilled octopus: Quite tender! Would get this again. *Two item combo fajitas: We chose steak and shrimp. The amount of meat was a bit minimal. It does come with tortillas, salsa, beans, and rice which was nice. *Chicken enchiladas: Pretty standard enchiladas. Nothing bad, but nothing particularly memorable either. *Slow braised carnitas: The pork shoulder was tender but slightly salty. *Complimentary chips and salsa: The salsa was very fresh and honestly one of the favorites for our table. Overall, this is a fun place to check out for a special occasion. Wishing them the best! read more

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Came during brunch and they had chicken chilaquiles, very flavorful. Service was excellent and nice ambiance. Came with free chips/salsa read more

Elena's Mexican Restaurant - C- Skirt Steak Carne Asada Fajitas - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Good food. Nice chips and dip included. Solid drinks. Lovely atmosphere and always crowded. Very expensive for what it is - eg $35 for chicken fajitas 6% fee added on pre-tax. Unethical hidden fees should be part of the price. read more

Elena's Mexican Restaurant - Dining area - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Lovely spot! High ceilings, great light, tasty food (legit spicy), very tasty cocktails. Free 2-hour parking found a few minutes' walk away across Portola Dr. They were pretty packed on a Wednesday at noon! I was glad we had reservations. MARGARITAS La Maracuya ($18) - 4 stars. Legit spicy. Frozen Dol Whip Margarita ($19) - 4 stars. FOR THE TABLE Crispy shredded beef taquitos ($18) - 3 stars. Not too flavorful, beef dry. Esquites ($15) - 4 stars. Nice! Also spicy. FROM THE SEA Grilled Octopus ($25) - 4 stars. Nice texture! I took a gamble, it's hard to get octopus right and not be rubbery. They did well. The pico de gallo was quite spicy. TACOS Fish Tacos baja style ($21) - 3.5 stars. Fish + breading was good, but the taco could have used more sauce. DESSERT Carlota de Limon ($14) - 4 stars. Tasty. You get a sparkler if it's your birthday. Total cost $174 for lunch for two. read more

Has gone downhill. We tried to get a seat at the bar for drinks - there was one open spot, but the guy next to me deliberately crowded us out so that I couldn't sit down. Worst part was the wait staff saw it happen and didn't or felt like they couldn't move him to accommodate us. Spoke to the manager, and all I got was an apology. Then, they said they could get us a table, but only if we ordered food. The spot has obviously gotten too cool for the Neighbourhood and they don't need locals. It's open seating and clearly the service here doesn't extend to common courtesy. Doesn't matter how good the food is we won't be coming back. read more