Created a yelp account just to leave 5 stars for this place - Food was so good and our server Natasha was quite literally the best waitress I've ever had. 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

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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After reading some of the Yelp reviews, it seems that most of the negative comments are about reservation wait times and inconsistent service from some of the staff. Fortunately, our experience was quite the opposite. We came for an early dinner with friends on a Friday afternoon. As soon as you walk in, you're greeted by a grand dining room packed with guests. The décor is beautiful, the atmosphere is lively, and it was impressive to see such a large restaurant bustling at 3:30 p.m. There's a full bar on the left for bar seating. Street parking is available with meters, but finding a spot in West Portal can be challenging, especially later in the evening. The hostess greeted us immediately with a warm, friendly smile and made us feel welcome. We did wait a few minutes for our table, but considering how busy the restaurant was, it was understandable. For a restaurant of this size, it was impressive how efficiently everything was run. We ordered the Shredded Beef Enchiladas, Dungeness Crab Enchiladas, Combo Fajitas, House-Made Guacamole, and Margaritas. The Combo Fajitas, served with sautéed peppers and onions and skirt steak, were outstanding. Both enchilada dishes featured fresh ingredients and were full of flavor. The house-made guacamole was delicious, and the margaritas were excellent. Toward the end of our meal, we did feel a little rushed, but we had been at our table for nearly two hours, so it was understandable. Overall, the prices are a bit higher than what you'd typically expect for Mexican food, but the vibrant atmosphere, quality food, and welcoming service made it a very enjoyable dining experience. read more

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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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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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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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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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

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

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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Still packed and filled with happy eaters, I came here with a friend and my daughter. Elena's remains consistently great. From their free chips and salsa to ribeye aguachile to my order of ahi tostada, they were all delicious! A must-try is their coconut margarita for adults, mockarita for under 21yo. Clear communication at front desk, fast service, great atmosphere, clean restrooms - what more could one want? read more

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My wife and I celebrated our anniversary at Elena's and it was Fantastic ! Service was prompt and quick! Food was delicious! Started with halibut ceviche and the tinga empanada, we had pozole aand 2 entrees and the portions were HUGE . Had plenty left to pack for the next day, and my Carajillo martini was on point as always! Great vibes and love the decor. Definitely had a great anniversary dinner ! 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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The food is fresh and delicious. Really nice space. The service is very efficient and very friendly staff read more

Elena's Mexican Restaurant - Incredible food. Better than what I had in Mexico City - American Near Me - San Francisco, California

I really liked this restaurant, the cocktails were really good the food was amazing!! The decor is really nice and the staff is very attentive and friendly! I had the carnitas tacos and my friend had birrias, both really good! read more

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

Finally had a chance to try this place. It has been on my list since it opened and I have been fan of Original Joes. Made reservations about 1 month in advance and got there on time. We were seated right away. The decor inside was nice and reminded me of Little Original Joes location in Marina. Our server was very nice and kept checking on us to ensure we were good. Other staff constantly refilled our water, cleaned up dishes, and boxed up leftovers right away without being asked. Very amazing. We ordered the Branzino, crispy tacos, Crudo, and calamari. The calamari here was unilaterally to original Joe but honestly, way better! The batter was good and it had hints of heat. Branzino was also good but we wished the skin was crispier. My crispy taco was good, but I would order something different next time. Overall, loved the place and will be going back regularly. read more

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Get ready for a hot take! Elena's is mid... :/ Don't get me wrong, their service is amazing, ambiance is great! their food is also good. But it's 1000% not worth the hype (although rarely anything is!) and definitely not worth the price. It feels like it's meant for those who want good Mexican food who are "fearful of going out into the more questionable parts of the Mission". It's great for a girls night out, but if you just want good/decent Mexican food, I would suggest almost any other Mexican place that San Francisco has to offer. Overall, anything you get will be decent. It's decent food after all! And the interior is quite beautifully designed, fit for large crowds (if you get a reservation!) and a bit on the noisy side but at the end of the day, when San Francisco is a melting pot of delicious foods, oftentimes at cheaper prices or finer dishes, this restaurant falls flat of escaping the "kinda ok" threshold. read more

Came here visiting from Seattle, honestly everything was good, really good apps, churros dessert 10/10, service was amazing, they sung me happy birthday with the sparkler, inside is lively, vibes are high. Shout out to Jorge and Edwin for amazing service!! read more

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We finally went! It is darned difficult to get in here so we went for lunch. It is a splendid design and clean and smells amazing. The meats were pretty good. I ordered chile verde (more on that in a bit) we had a tri-tip appetizer and others had shrimp and the fajitas which I find to be altogether too much work. The tri-tip, while delicious, was not served hot...some say I have a peculiarity about food served hot, but that is how it should be, no? I was first brought chile relleno, much different than chile verde so I had to send it back and start eating after the others as I did not want their foods to get cold. Another peculiarity? Probably not. Rice and beans on the side-ordinary...easily more flavorful at less glamorous tacquerias which do not have months long wait lists for dinners. voila! read more

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I've been hearing great things about Elena's from friends, I finally got to try for myself. Located in West Portal, it was fairly easy to get to from the city since the Muni stop is right out front. Upscale Mexican spot with great food and drinks. I loved the ambience and the beautiful decor. Huge menu too, so there's definitely something for everyone. They start you off with complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were super fresh and the salsa was addicting. We also ordered the Esquites (Mexican street corn) for the table and that was a hit. For my entrée, I went with the skirt steak carne asada. The meat was cooked perfectly and I loved the salsa. Everyone at the table enjoyed their dishes, the Dungeness crab enchiladas were especially good. For drinks, definitely try the coconut margarita. ALSO, if you like desserts the churros with chocolate sauce were literally perfect. Already planning my return to Elena's... apparently the quesabirria tacos are a must-try next! read more

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We had been talking about coming here for Tim's birthday for days. finally got here two weeks after that day. Couldn't believe that after all we'd heard about parking problems, we literally parked right in front. Meters only go til 6, so not bad. The was a big group in front of the door at 5:00 already, but our reservation was at 5:45, so we walked around the neighborhood. The building is stunning, both inside and out. The side wall is mirrored giving the illusion of more space. The, noise was off the charts loud, and to make it even louder very loud music was plaing. Don't expect to be able to have a conversation. Our waitress was charming. Her handicap was that she was serving too many tables, so it was kind of slow. Here's what we got: MEZCAL NEGRONI · $16 : 4* very tasty although I'm not a fan of the big ice cube trend. It makes it hard to get every last drop. MEXICAN MULE · $16 : 3* tasted like it was missing any alcohol Combination dinner $44: 2* I got a crab enchilada which had a $8 up charge and a chile relleno. The crab was plentiful but If i had been blindfolded, I would have said there wasn't any in there. It was flavorless. The batter on the relleno was slightly too brown, the chile itself was underdone and almost crunchy and had so much cheese melted on top that I had to remove several tablespoons of it to taste the chile at all. Tim had the Chile Verde. $29: 3*. which is the standard by which he judges new Mexican restaurants. The sauces and salsas here are very mild, but with good fruitiness from the peppers in them. The pork was in big chunks, and I think it was a loin cut, because almost no fat. While his cardiologist would approve, it was a real minus for the texture of the meat which was dry and chewy. Food: 26/40 service:7/10 ambience: 8/10 intangibles: 7/10 value: 6/10 Overall: 57/100 read more

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This was my third time coming here, but my first time for lunch--and I'm glad I made a reservation a week in advance. I had no idea this place would be packed for lunch on a Saturday. Definitely make a reservation unless you're okay waiting 45 minutes to an hour for a table. Once again, the staff were incredible. Even though they were super busy, they were friendly, attentive, and always checking in on us. Our chips and salsa were refilled immediately without us even having to ask. The restaurant looks amazing during the daytime. I've only been here at night before, so it was nice to experience a totally different (but just as great) vibe during the day. The food was excellent, as always. I ordered the ribeye steak and it was absolutely delicious. The drinks were also really good--I could've had a few more, but I had to save my energy for the Niners game, so I held back. Overall, if you're thinking about coming here, make a reservation and be kind to the staff. They work hard and it shows. This place will not disappoint. read more

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Great ambience and food at this elevated Mexican restaurant in the Sunset district by West Portal. I visit this place probably at least once a month. Love the complimentary chips and salsa. The chips are thin and crispy, just the way I like them! I've tried most of the dishes here but my favorites are the steak fajitas, quesadilla, and slow braised carnitas. The steak fajitas come out on an iron plate and veggies and big enough for two to share. For starters, I suggest the calamari fritos which comes out with a HUGE plate, definitely enough to share for two to three. For desserts, my favorite is the churros which is made to order. For drinks, the frozen margaritas are exceptional but they are quite strong! The place is quite popular so I definitely suggest you try to book a reservation online. There is a bar area as well but that get's very crowded until maybe after 9 pm. read more

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Came here with a group for dinner and was seated next to the front window. It was really bright that day and unfortunately there wasn't any shade we could pull. It was a really busy crowd already at 6:30 PM but their servers and staff were on top of things and was always ready to answer any questions. The food was...okay. There was nothing we ordered that particularly wowed us and the protein in my dish was a little dry. I was told that brunch/breakfast was a lot better so I might try to come back during that time! read more

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So glad my husband found this delicious and delightful Mexican restaurant in west portal. A quick Bart + Muni ride and we are there! This place is very popular- book a reservation or get there early for a walk in. We have done both and the seating in the main dining area as well as the bar are equally enjoyable. Margaritas are super yummy! Great, fresh flavor. I also enjoyed the enchiladas and the ribeye aquachile is still making my mouth water as a type it out. Elena's is great for date night, solo dining, or a casual dinner with friends. House made guacamole should not be missed! read more

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

So I'm going to be completely honest right out the gate, amazing ambience but the food is pretty mid. Keep reading if you want but that summarizes my experience. For months, I had extremely high hopes going in. Elena's is all over social media as being one of best new restaurants in the city. The service was outstanding, our waiter was both incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. The drinks were amazing as well. But when it came down to the food, I've had so much better Mexican around SF. Very big portions that lack a lot of uniqueness and flavor. For drinks and the ambience, this is probably a fantastic happy hour. For food, you'd be better off finding a place in the mission rather than standing in line to eat here. read more

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

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Hmm .. where to begin. I really wanted to like Elena's and love the family chain of restaurants (Original Joe's, LOJ, etc.). The restaurant is truly beautiful with a great ambiance and vibe. I can see why people buy into the hype with the line out the door and the restaurant packed to the brim. Our server was friendly and attentive. The reason for two stars off is twofold. First, the food is just underwhelming - other reviews have called Elena's a glorified Chevy's which is harsh but accurate. And Chevy's doesn't leave a $117 hole in your pocket - everything we had is in the pictures I've posted. The portions were huge but nothing special. Second, we didn't have a reservation and the hostess DRASTICALLY understated the wait time for a table. It's on us for having no reso, but it's also very disrespectful of patrons' time to knowingly quote the wrong wait time - other reviews have noted this practice as well. I put our names down at 6, and was told we could be seated at 7:30 pm. We killed time at a bar in the west portal area and returned at the quoted time. We weren't seated until 8:15 pm (this is after checking in patiently again around 750 and being told "5 more minutes" - a lie). If the wait is 2+ hours, just say so - some people may wait and others will choose to patronize a different establishment. Glad we tried Elena's once but won't be back. read more

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

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Beautiful restaurant interior and ambiance, but go early to encounter less noise at the restaurant. Our party of 6 had the shrimp à la Diabla, Adobo braised short rib, fish tacos, combo fajitas of skirt steak and shrimp, crab enchiladas and churros. Everything was fresh and delicious! Service was attentive. Comped churros with an impressive sparkler for birthdays which is very generous of the restaurant. Open ovens concept, busy bar. Street parking was challenging. Come early to ensure street parking and less noise bc the restaurant can get very noisy. read more

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First time at Elena's Mexican Restaurant was for dinner with Alan and his mom on September 23, 2025. I was surprised to find that even on a Tuesday night, Elena's books up quickly. They didn't have availability on OpenTable during peak dinner hours, so I made a reservation via the app for our party of three for 4:15 PM. I later called the restaurant directly and, luckily, was able to get squeezed in at 6:45 PM, canceling our original 4:15 PM slot. I appreciated the time change accommodation. Elena's does not have a private lot, but I was able to find a parking spot just a block away from the restaurant...after driving around the block a couple of times. Alan and his mom had arrived just minutes before me. Once I got there, it was not a couple minutes more when we were seated at a spacious booth table. The dining room, bordered with arch windows, warm hues of creams and browns and colors of green popping out from the plants, felt like a packed and lively hacienda. I think that there were at least two groups celebrating birthdays that night. Below are what we ordered: CHILLED VEGETABLES ($10) - This was literally a bowl of raw baby carrots, jicama, cucumber, radish and butter lettuce leaves sitting on ice with a side of creamy tomatillo dip. Basically a crudité bowl. CRISPY TAQUITOS (shredded beef, $18) - This dish of three rolled tacos was as close to homemade as you can get which was great. The meat had some fat, though, which was not so great. CLASSIC QUESADILLA ($12) - A standard cheese quesadilla served with side scoops of guacomole and pico de gallo. BURRITO MOJADO DIVORCIADO ($18 with grilled chicken +$3) - The split of guajillo and creamy tomatillo sauce atop the burrito made for beautiful presentation. Alan's mom ordered this plate and split the burrito in half to share with me. It was creamy and delicious, probably my favourite of all the orders. HOUSE MADE PORK TAMALE ($9) - I ordered this A la Carta item. This was also yummy. CARLOTA DE LIMÓN ($14) - The three of us shared this Mexican icebox cake composed of galletas Marias and lime cream. Perfectly tart this dessert was. Table service started off as friendly. Later, Alan's mom was a little perturbed by our waitress when she seemed to become a bit impatient with us. In the server's defense, we did take quite a bit of time to order because we were so engulfed in conversation. My friend, Dan, lives nearby Elena's and when I told him that I dined here, he immediately said, "They're great!" I might need to meet up with him here as I would happily return, especially for the BURRITO MOJADO DIVORCIADO and HOUSE MADE TAMALES. I have also got my eye on GRACIE'S CRISPY TACOS. read more

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Came in on a Thursday evening and the place was PACKED. From the bar to the seating area, the wait was well over 2hrs. Thankfully, I was able to snag a high-top table. Good seating for just a drink and small bites, but given that I was with a friend and we ordered a few plates to share, it was tight. Nonetheless, the waiters were able to help accommodate when placing the plates. Service also was good, despite being so busy, our waters were constantly topped off and our food came out fairly quick. We started with their House Margarita - 5/5. Not too overpowering on anything, perfect mix of everything! I do wish they did a full rim of salt but that's just personal preference. For food, we got the Cesar Salad - 4.9/5. Loved that they topped it off with cotija cheese and the dressing to lettuce ratio was perfect. Only thing I would call out is that that lettuce leaves were "full" so it wasn't a 1-bite kind of situation (but again, personal preference). Second plate was the Sopes con pollo (chicken) 5/5! I really enjoyed this plate - shredded chicken paired so well with their frijoles and toppings. I added some of the salsa from the chips and dip and that just made it that much better! Lastly, we got the camarones à la diabla - 4/5. Really good plate, drenched in their chile which for me wasn't spicy (enough) but my friend would beg to differ. Served with white rice and a yummy salad along with tortillas. We got both the flour and corn tortillas and each one was 5/5! Their table chips y salsa was also really yummy! In-house tortilla chips which I always love and appreciate! Salsa was molcajete and not spicy at all, but very flavorful. Definitely recommend this restaurant! I myself will indeed be returning! read more

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Went again and it was great again. Got a table closer to rush hour and service was a little bit slower this time. A lot more waiting between drinks, putting in orders, and receiving the dishes, but I understand- This place is super busy. Esquites: This was well balanced and delicious. 8/10 Quesabirra tacos: Super filling. The meat, cheese, and tortilla are super dense. They give a lottt of meat, but I think it was a tad bit dry. 7/10 Pozole: This one had a kick, nothing you can't handle. I really enjoyed including the onions with the pozole. It's spicy, salty, umami, and a little acidic- the onions perfectly round this out with crunch and sweetness. 7.5/10 Quesadilla (not pictured): Exactly what you'd expect. Lots of cheese with a side of guac, sour cream, and pico de gallo. Tortilla was nice and crispy, but not too hard. 9/10 Churros: Handmade churro which was almost thin and crispy paired with a side of melted dark chocolate. I was pretty at this point, so I'd give it a 6.5/10 - I wish it had more chew in the center. Tres Leches: Our choice of birthday cake. Honestly can't remember it since I was so full. No rating, but a little tip - the sparkler is HOT, so please wait for it to cool. Passionfruit mocktail: Surprisingly sour. I couldn't taste much of the passion fruit. It was more a lemonade to me. 6.5/10 Ambiance as usual was amazing. The dishes are beautiful. The food is presented well. The room feels elegant with nice warm lighting that isn't too harsh. They changed the decorations for Christmas and it looks great. read more

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In general I agree with most of the reviews saying this place is good, but a bit overpriced. I had a dinner reservation here, and the entire night the restaurant was packed. I love the open kitchen layout, and the service was great. To start, the chips & salsa were terrific, no edits. For mains, I shared some chicken enchiladas and carnitas tacos. Both were great, but I was a bigger fan of the enchiladas - I found the carnitas tacos to be a tiny bit dry, but still really good. For dessert, we got the churros. IMO these are a must-get after any visit here. The churros were so flavorful and the chocolate dipping sauce was also amazing, and didn't taste syrupy. Would definitely recommend getting a reservation and checking this place out, but be prepared for the bill to be a bit more than your typical tex-mex restaurant. read more

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Loved the atmosphere of this restaurant! Formal/business casual-vibe dining (but no dress code). The staff was super kind and checked in appropriately. Enjoyed the design of the tabling, and perfect for a date night or dinner out with friends! 5/5 - Calamari - Very crunchy and well-salted! Sauce was a perfect compliment to the dish, and we were served a very generous portion. Definitely recommend this appetizer for your party! 5/5 - Chips and Salsa - One of the best starting appetizers I've had at a Mexican restaurant. The chips are also well-salted, cooked and served warm and fresh! Our group kept requesting more servings. 5/5 - Slow Braised Carnitas - The best of the dishes we tried. Carnitas were very tender and almost "melt-in-your-mouth" level. The green sauce, onion, and cilantro are perfect complements to the meat in this dish. Other sides (rice, lime, etc.) positively complemented the dish as well. 4/5 - Grilled Chicken Fajitas - The chicken was juicy, tender, and well-seasoned. I would have preferred it to be slightly more tender and juicy, but overall is complemented well by the bell peppers, chili, cilantro, and onions. The dish is served on a a metal plate so the sides were presented separately, but make no mistake - definitely eat it altogether! 3.5/5 - Shredded Beef Enchiladas (not pictured) - While you could taste the components of the enchilada - tortilla and beef - it didn't seem outstanding in complementing each other. Beef could have been more tender, speaking relatively to the other dishes we ordered. Otherwise, if you have a fix for enchiladas, this should satisfy your craving. read more

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Elena's is a beautiful restaurant that always has a line out the door! Book your reservation now! Just the chips and salsa alone will get you excited for your entree! I highly recommend ordering an appetizer or two. Everything they do here is packed full of flavor and care. The guacamole was fresh and just right. The chicken tings empanadas were so satisfying! Don't forget to ask for their house hot sauce - it is fermented and for me, not super spicy but more flavorful. It adds a nice zing to balance the richness of the food. My chile relleno was so rich and delicious! Paired with fresh tortillas, rice, and beans the dish is well balanced and beyond comforting. The drinks are also well made and very delicious. They pack a punch! Parking can be a bit rough but muni is right there. Plus lots of cute shops nearby! Make it a day and enjoy this incredible restaurant. read more

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3 & 1/2 stars The Duggan family, who own Original Joe's north beach, Joe's of Westlake, & Little Original Joe's marina, now bring you...Mexican food? Everything they touch seemingly turns to gold, so why not? As a thousand other peeps have mentioned, making reservations is nearly impossible unless you plan way ahead, or you don't mind eating dinner at 10:30. Before our visit, a friend had told me that her husband had said these were the best enchiladas he's ever had. Big shoes!!! Duly noted and they were added to my must order list. Chips & salsa...homemade chips. Win. Salsa above par. Win. We ordered the homemade guacamole as well. It was undeniably fresh, but much too chunky for my taste. I know I know; I just love a super smooth guac. Hubs ordered the beef tacos. I ordered the combo enchilada plate; I chose ground beef & crab. I was literally filled with glee when I saw ground beef was an option. Why oh why does every Mexican restaurant insist on only offering shredded beef enchiladas?! Whyyyyyyyyyy? Ground beef enchiladas are as old school as it gets, people. Paired with an above average enchilada sauce, you've got a match made in enchilada heaven. This enchilada sauce was way above average, & honestly I thought they were superior to the crab enchiladas & my hubby's beef tacos. Of course, his tacos were shredded beef. Seeeee? Had they been ground beef then they might've had a fighting chance at being the best dish on our table. I did mention the guac was clearly fresh, but actually that's true of everything on our table. Fresh, quality ingredients always make the best ingredients, so the food was an easy 4 stars. What made our visit to Elena's a 3 & 1/2 star visit? It was the combination of the wait (even with a reservation), and where we were seated. When I booked through open table, I said that this was a special occasion. And I had booked more than 2 weeks ahead of time. So guess where they sat us? You know the tiny table that is adjacent to the service station? So you have servers literally overlooking your table, every time they need to place an order, check an order, add to an order, get the bill...so, constantly? THAT table. It's the table that absolutely no one wants. It's the worst table in the restaurant 2nd only to being seated at the closest table to the restrooms. I asked if a better table was available, & they did go & check, but we were told that this was it. Truth be told, there should never be a table adjacent to the service station. (Ditto for close to the restrooms). It's just a hard fail. But that greedy churn & burn mentality prevails. The food is delicious. But we won't be going out of our way to return. 3 & 1/2 stars read more

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

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