This is my second review. After multiple visits and reading the 1 star reviews, I have to give this place a 5 star review. I will preface my review with the caveat that if you are in a hurry, order ahead for pickup or choose to go somewhere else. Busy times of the day could mean longer waits. I have been living in Contra Costa county for almost 4 years. Finding Mexican food to our liking has been difficult until we found this place. Here are the reasons why we like it. 1. Everything is house made. Chips and salsa both freshly made and salsa has a kick. The restaurant doesn't charge you for these delicious snacks. 2. Best ever skinny margaritas which means they don't use a premade mix and the house blanco tequila is decent. 3. The choices for protein are good. Not many places have a ground beef burrito. 4. Choice of beans. I like whole pinto, and they are great here. 5. I have never encountered any server or bartender to be anything but kind and pleasant. Whenever we are in Benecia, we choose Elvarita's for Mexican food. read more

We dined here on tamales, taco salad, and enchiladas. I asked for red sauce on my enchilada but it tasted like mole. The taco salad was skimpy. The refried beans were too thick and the Spanish rice was soft like pearl rice. The pork in the tamale tasted odd but the masa was light and freshly made. I had the Elvisritas margarita and honestly it was better than my meal! I really liked the salsa though. It was delicious! The servers were present and attentive. read more

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Bad service - we waited 30 minutes and our server was doing other things besides taking care of the table . We sat , got our drinks and waited - a 6 too came in- got their drinks then took their order right away. We sat some more and then asked to have our order taken the. A server was reminded and came over. The food was average , tons and I mean tons of cheese on the burrito bowl - I thought I had a cheese bowl. The street tacos were very oily. Drinks weak- bland iced tea like it was all water or from a mix, the lemonade was all sugar. Very interesting concepts. They need a de do - or an uno card to restart this business. Years ago - under another name - it was a very good place to eat- lively- friendly- now it's kinda - blah - just my opinion based on past good experiences. read more

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This place is great for lunch or dinner. Have been coming here for years and they know exactly what we want. The service is always amazing when Lori or Matt is in the house. Taylor and Adriana are also excellent. Definitely worth making the time to try this place. read more

Went on a Wednesday for lunch: The waiter was half asleep, seemed bothered that 3 of us came in to eat, place was EMPTY! The food was bland; chicken had no flavor, had to pour a ton of low flavor salsa on a burrito bowl that was a sleeper. There are eight Mexican restaurants in Benicia, and this one just became a NO! I think an alcohol buzz is needed to give this place 2 stars read more

First time customers here to Elvia Rita's and we will definitely be continuing customers! This casual and clean restaurant was perfect for us. I read the reviews before we came here and was expecting the service to be subpar but it was absolutely the opposite. The server was friendly and prompt and personable. Busy Wednesday night it seemed as the place was packed but food and drinks came quickly. Had Skinny Margaritas with chips and homemade salsa (which we bought extra salsa to take home it was the best!) I had a chicken tostada and it was a huge portion for al a carte! Delicious! Craig has the chicken verde wet burrito and devoured half as it was enormously huge! Prices were what you expect these days. Not low but not extremely high. I think my tostada was $16. read more

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Elvia Rita's Mexican restaurant is in the heart of picturesque and fun Downtown Benicia. It's in a good location right on Main Street. Lunch was delicious and the service was great. The waiter was friendly and attentive. It's a good place to meet friends, family or that special someone. read more

Elvia Ritas - Chile relleno, and a taco salad with carnitas. - Mexican Near Me - Benicia, California

We love Elvia Ritas - and go most Tuesdays. In fact, their great street tacos and generous chips and salsa and the Christmas season inspired me to write this. 'Twas dos nights before Navidad, When at Elvaritas bright, The taco crew gathered At 5 o'clock Tuesday night. The chips were endless, the salsa divine, The $2 street tacos? A heavenly sign. "Dos tacos, por favor!" rang out through the room, As Christmas cheer followed each crunch and each boom. There was Terri and me, Randy and Eve (still showing up true, No Norman Dogs, no ranch -- and he still comes through), Linda and Ed with spirits so merry, Steve and Risa, smiles bright and cherry. Sheri and Alan, Lorie in tow, Add Kathy and Andy -- now look at us go! So here's to tradition, to laughter, to cheer, Because Taco Tuesday with friends is the best time of year. Now dash to Elvaritas, don't text, don't delay -- Merry Taco Tuesday to all, and to all... ¡olé! read more

Came to this restaurant with low expectations due to other yelp reviews, however I was pleasantly surprised! Our first waiter was very shy and forgot our drink order multiple times. He came back 3 times to ask us what our order was and then brought us the wrong drinks. After this we had a new waitress who apologized for the previous waiter and then continued to elevated our experience. As for the food I can say that it's the biggest portions I've ever seen!! The nachos were amazing and stacked with meat. Everyone left full and satisfied. Would highly recommend. read more

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The pros: 1. Food is pretty tasty here I love the chips and chili. The cons: 1. Service sucks, you have to look for your waiter for everything. 2. Drinks are meh! 3. Wait time sucks for your meals. read more

we were recommended this spot by a coworker who resides in benicia. he mentioned the Chile Verde was the best he had ever had - no contest. we went on a saturday morning after a hike and ordered Chicken Flautas, Beef toastada, street tacos (al pastor and chicken), quesadilla from the children menu and lunch special (green chile verde). waiting staff was prompt and super welcoming. dos equis black and pacifico, chips and salsa (salsa was a spicy and home made). great spot to relax on 1st St! read more

Elvia Ritas - lunch special chile verde - Mexican Near Me - Benicia, California

ok food, but nothing special. i also was very surprised and disappointed that my "to go" bag did not contain any hot sauce or napkins. (indeed, it also did not include sour cream or flour tortillas, both of which were explicitly included with my dinner, and verbally confirmed by me when i ordered!) so meh food and crappy service. what more could you ask for? (a lot, actually, but you won't get it here.). i won't be back. read more

I would not recommend this place to anyone. Walked in looked pretty busy ordered a drink, which was good!! But then are order was taken and we ordered a Beef Quesadilla 1 item. We were waiting for a long time for our order, when I finally said something to the bartender. I said we've been waiting for our food for 40 mins...can we get it to go now. She said let me check on it. She came back and was very defensive, and commented so your order was keyed in at 6:12 and it's 6:38 which is 26 mins and that's our average time for food to come out. It's being worked on now and will be brought out shortly. I said can you have it packed up to go, she says no but I can bring you boxes. WoW...so she went and got the food and a box, dropped it on the table and went to go get our check. Ok we left with our food and when we got home warmed it up and preceed to eat. It tasted like bad water, salty, and disgusting. I am so surprised that Benicia would even have such a restaurant like this in their neighborhood and on Main Street. read more

The food was wonderful ......large portions.....great margaritas.... But mostly the wait staff ....8 of us celebrating an 85th bd and they were terrific and even broke down our tabs for 7 of us including 1/7 of the bd girls lunch .......never had someone do that w/o fuss! I say all in all 5 stars read more

Love the food ! The ground beef enchiladas were deeeelicious the service was great nice atmosphere and the prices are decent

I love Elvia Rita's and always will! The food is always amazing and the staff is wonderful! They have an excellent selection of beers on tap too. The ambiance is nice and good vibes always read more

Elvia Ritas - Delicious chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Benicia, California

Hit or miss here. We are currently sitting here and hearing others talk about how awful their food is tasting. We have been here for 40 minutes and still no food yet. Took forever for them to take our order. Also no air conditioning. They have a fan by the front door that is powerful but still doesn't do the job. It only blows your napkin off of the table. One of the waiters is incredibly slow and forgets your requests. His name starts with a J. We asked for an item and he literally just stood there in the back and did not bring it. We had to ask someone else to get it. As I am writing this, people are starting to leave. Just a mess. read more

Stopped in for a late lunch (first time). It was moderately busy. Our server was EXCELLENT! Unfortunately, I don't recall his name, but he was extremely prompt and attentive throughout our meal, checking in regularly to make sure everything was okay. When I mentioned I was vegetarian, he immediately asked about certain ingredients to make sure I was happy with them and offered to swap out the refried beans for black beans. The guacamole was very good! My friend and I both enjoyed our choices, which were quite large - enough to take half home for another meal. Next time we're traveling through Benicia, we'll definitely drop by again! read more

Stopped in with my grandmother because it looked like it was busy, and usually busy is a good indicator of quality. How disappointed we were. The service was terrible and the food was even worse. We had 3 different servers/bussers come by our table. None of them ever told us their names or came to check on us after our order was taken. She ordered enchiladas and they came out burnt and dry. My Chile Verde burrito was also burned under the heat lamps or salamander. But it was also so salty that it was completely inedible. I had to actually go find the server, who was nice enough and ordered a replacement Carne Asada burrito at no charge. However, that was also excessively salty and dry without much actual flavor. In all, the beer I had was the best thing on the menu. Don't recommend at all. Especially with so many other great choices in downtown Benicia. read more

Food was cold! My wife waited 30 minutes for hot sauce that was requested twice!!! This place really needs a leader to take over and make changes!!! If they turn that fan on- I want a free meal!!! Damn so sad!! read more

Elvia Ritas - Dirt and dust is what's in this photo!!!! - Mexican Near Me - Benicia, California

I came here with my grandma and aunt after a morning of running around... We had never been, it appeared to be open seating so we sat down... The waitress walked by us 3 times didn't make eye contact or acknowledge we were there. Two other people came in behind us and formed a line at the bar... apparently that's how you order. So we looked up the menu on my phone so that my aunt and grandma wouldn't have to go stand in line to read the menu. (Not really the most convenient) I went up and ordered the food for us.. Now I will say I waffled back and forth on 3 or 4 stars because the service was not good, but she was the only server. The reason I went with 4 stars is the taco I had was delicious! The chicken was juicy and full of flavor! I was pleasantly surprised at how good the taco was. The tea left a lot to be desired I would honestly bring in a bottle of water if I went back. When we were leaving we saw the sign on the ground that says order at the bar... I think that needs to be on the door or right when you walk in. All three of us missed it. read more

Elvia Ritas - Chicken taco, beans and rice - Mexican Near Me - Benicia, California

I love their spicy salsa and chips. Their chili verde enchiladas, black beans and rice are SO good. The inside has been remodeled and I like that they still have outdoor seating for those beautiful Benicia days. The servers are really nice as well. read more

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Nice taqueria spot in Downtown Benicia. On a nice sunny day, the outdoor seating is perfect to enjoy the weather and good food. Modelo on tap is excellent with a big plate of nachos! read more

Elvia Ritas - Modelo on tap! - Mexican Near Me - Benicia, California

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Don't believe the prices listed on the online menu. I went there tonight and was charged several dollars more. I showed them their own web page and even the manager claimed she had never seen it. Really? I have buying dinners for several years and always paid the website prices. Good food but terrible everything else. read more

Slow service, gross greasy food. We let them know we did not like the burrito due to its greasy, soupy like texture (see image), and they didn't take it off the bill. We will never be coming back here again. read more

Elvia Ritas - Gross burrito - Mexican Near Me - Benicia, California

Friendly staff. However,a house margarita in a plastic cup for $11.00 is a rip off. This was a Sunday evening and jus one person, not a group. I ordered a tostada to go. I got home & it looked delicious. Not much chicken though. Ensenada is better at helpings and I haven't had a drink there yet but will try soon. Again I had asked the lead server why do much for the drink and she didn't say much. read more

So far, haven't had anything bad. Love the food and service! A bit small and loud but I guess that's what to be expected.

I can see now why this place only has 3 stars! I thought I'd give it a try with a friend so we went on a Thursday night and it wasn't busy took them 30 minutes to bring out our food. Then they over charged me for my order and when I questioned it the server got combative. I will never go back there! The food was not even good and bad service. read more

Staff is always super kind and get to know the regulars. Everything I've ordered is super good, especially the lunch tacos

Definitely a step up from last time!! I ordered a Super Chicken burrito again and had no surprises. Food wasn't bad. But the real take away this night was the service. I forget what her name was but she had glasses and was extremely nice to me and my group. I was on the fence about getting a margarita and she let me sample one. Everything she did was stellar that night and it probably the best service I've ever had there!! read more

Elvia Ritas - Super Chicken Burrito w/ extra Sour Cream - Mexican Near Me - Benicia, California

We have had Kylie wait on us the past two times in Elviaritas. She is thoughtful, caring, and extremely hard working. She moves fast and is so efficient with her follow-up. We loved the food and the fact that multiple people came by our table to ask if we needed anything. We had been going elsewhere in the past and decided to try Elviaritas again. Great decision. Chips and salsa have been an awesome start to our meals. Way to go Kylie, keep up the great work. You are an inspiration for all with your work ethic and demeanor. John N. read more

Service has really declined and the liquor for one of my favorite drinks had bad. I asked Matt to order a new bottle and a month later, still the same. So sad to see what was once a favorite of mine is now so bad! read more

The best Chili rellano and enchiladas I've had since moving to California 10 years ago

Inedible. The nachos were mixed melted gruel. The chips in the nachos came out liquified. Not possible if remotely fresh.

Only giving a star because there's no '0' stars. Rude manager- bad service- shitty food. Do not go there- they will rip you off and then be rude to you about it. read more

I have been a long time customer. Always had a great experience! Their chips and salsa are the best! The chicken enchiladas with the green sauce... so good. read more

This place is cute and has good margaritas. Chips and salsa are on the house and they host taco Tuesdays. Recommend if you want Mexican food in Benicia. read more

Recently went for lunch. Had the shrimp tacos and house margarita!! Everything was delicious

Best Mexican food in town! I tried this restaurant a few years back and didn't care for the food but I recently went again with friends and family and I don't know what they did but the food was amazing! The Al pastor was the best I've ever had from a restaurant. The chips and salsa were excellent. Everything everyone ordered was so good there were no leftovers and the service was awesome. It was busy and we had young children and lots of special requests and the waitresses were very attentive and patient. We will definitely be returning read more

Having dinner at El Viaritas Mexican restaurant with my daughters. Such good food and the two people that took our order and made my margaritas, Matt and Kylie, were awesome. Will be coming back read more