CALDO DE RES!! this place has captured my heart with the caldo de res!! It's super flavor and has lovely chunks of veggies and meat that are delightful and delicious! My colleagues have also had the seafood Marisco plate and the pollo chicken plate . I look forward to coming here all the time and I love the music and their customer service is also very warm and welcoming. They have huge TV screens and have soccer usually playing . Highly recommend them and will definitely plan on coming back soon . Love it and will be back !! read more

Luna de Xelaju Restaurant - Inside - Latin American Near Me - San Rafael, California

Friendly Atmosphere, Average Food Overall Rating: 3/5 I've now tried a variety of dishes at Luna de Xelaju, and the experience is consistently middle-of-the-road. The Food Churrasco Chapin (3/5): The best thing I've had here. The beef was tender and the beans were good, though the salad was underwhelming and the "hot" sauce had no heat to it. Caldo de Res & Bistec (3/5): Both were decent, standard versions of the dishes--satisfying but not memorable. Enchiladas: These were a bit lower on the scale, specifically the beans (2/5). Service & Amenities Service: The staff is very warm and welcoming, which makes for a nice atmosphere, but they aren't very attentive. You might have to flag someone down if you need something during the meal. Drinks: A big drawback if you're health-conscious--they have no zero-sugar sodas or sparkling water options. Summary: Go for the Churrasco if you're in the neighborhood and want a friendly environment, but don't expect a culinary knockout or fast service. read more

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I had the garnachas and caldo de res. Because of the glowing reviews of the caldo de res, I came for that. Cute little Guatemalan flags accompanied the dishes. The garnachas which seemed to be similar to tostadas, were surprisingly soft but not too soggy, so it was great. The caldo de res ticked all the taste boxes. What I had a problem with was the texture of the beef...it was a little tough so I could not finish it. However, everything else about it was simply great. Luckily this restaurant is actually not far! The menu provided was entirely in Spanish, but there are pictures in case you find yourself lost. It was a nice Guatemalan restaurant experience, despite the parking not being the easiest. read more

Luna de Xelaju Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Honestly had a great experience with our server--Luis. We sat outside since it felt stuffy indoors because it was super busy. Super humble, nothing boujie here. No need to get all dressed up either lol Happy to find a Guatemalan restaurant! Hard to find them in Marin county! We bother ordered the chicken noodle soup-- "Caldo de Gallina." Comes with hand made fresh tortillas, flavored rice, sliced hot peppers, and lime wedge. Healthy af. The soup comes with carrots, zucchini and noodles. I have to come back again to try other items on their menu. Thanks Luis! read more

Luna de Xelaju Restaurant - Caldo de Gallina/organic chicken comes with hand made tortillas and ordered a side of fresh milk and strawberry smoothie. - Latin American Near Me - San Rafael, California

I came for the good reviews while I was getting my tires worked on around the corner. I just don't understand why the ratings are so high. It really lacked flavor. The mango agua Fresca was delicious and the only thing I would order again. The masa for the chuchito was much dryer and denser than my taste. The flavor was a bit sweet and mild. The guanachos had a strong cheap ground beef flavor and didn't have much seasoning. The beef flavor overpowered everything else and it didn't get saved by the hot sauce. They look so cute and delicious, but sadly they weren't enjoyable. I have half the order to a homeless man at the bus stop on my way back to the tire shop. Hopefully he enjoyed it more than I did. read more

Hoy fuimos a almorzar con mi familia y de verdad la sopa de pata de res estaba muy rica el tamal un poco salado para el gusto de mi hija. Aquí el disgusto es en los platos donde sirvieron la sopa estaban astillados y no solo un lado si no el mío tenía dos astilladuras y el de mi esposo tenía una eso se me hace de muy mal gusto pues es parte de la presentación del restaurante. Se que a veces suele pasar cuando los pones en los cestos donde los lavan pero debería tener cuidado el dishwasher al ponerlos y sacarlos pero especialmente el que esta sirviendo la comida también el que la lleva a la mesa. Si pudieran tener cuidado de no servir comida en platos que no se encuentren en buen estado sería muy apreciado. Muchas gracias read more

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I have always made an effort to try food from as many different cultures as I can find. Still when I saw this Guatemalan restaurant I had to do it despite being on a diet before it's the first time I had ever seen such a place. My wife and I shared the Pepian de pollo and the Guate Steak. Both were excellent. We also had Atoles which is a very unusual warm corn drink. It was like a hot cocoa but with sweet corn. I have a feeling this drink probably has ancient roots. read more

When I walked in and sat down I was like "okay this might be a good place to eat" I waited 35 Minutes. I ordered a smoothie and garnachas and I wanted 35 minutes, the smoothie wasn't cold it was really warm I didn't like it and the food was like 2/10 I didn't enjoy it. As a Latino I personally didn't like the food it's different every time but I'm here just traveling to SF but in the end I didn't personally love or enjoy this experience. Please improve in service and business overall the waiters were slow and this experience was BAD. I really don't understand the 4.5 stars they have. 3.5/10 Poggers Points Experience: 1.4 points Food: 2.1 points read more

Luna de Xelaju Restaurant - The food - Latin American Near Me - San Rafael, California

It is a good restaurant with decent food. Nice service but it gets hectic in the afternoon so I suggest early 12-5pm to get food faster. Kind people. read more

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Food came out fast and service was pretty good. The Garanachas and Mojarra were good. The chicken in the pelican de gallina criolla was so dry, it was hard to chew. They need to braise the chicken for much longer. I was also charged $1.50 more for my drink than listed on the menu. read more

Luna de Xelajú is a fantastic restaurant! My spouse is from Gutemala, and we can confirm that it is authentic and delicious! The service was excellent as well. We had a chuchito, which had a savory flavor and soft corn, atol de elote (piping hot corn drink with a touch of cinnamon - so yummy on a cold day!), and two plates of Pepián. The Pepián was incredibly flavorful and the sauce mixed perfectly with the soft veggie rice. The handmade tortillas were among the best we have had in the whole Bay Area, and the Russian side salad was light and a great complement to the meal. We can't recommend this place highly enough! Very Covid conscious too. read more

Luna de Xelaju Restaurant - Pepián plate! The veggie rice mixed well w/ the sauce. The Russian salad was light & complemented the meal perfectly. - Latin American Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Excellent Food and Service! 100% Authentic Nicaraguan Cousine. The servers are so friendly, nice and I love the Nicaraguan uniform that matches with the masks, the best masks I have seen in the whole bay area! The restaurant is so clean and it is nice to see that owners care about their employees and customers by providing good personal protective equipment to minimize the spread of COVID while providing a great service. It looks beautiful, harmonious and professional to see the employees with the same masks. read more

Luna de Xelaju Restaurant - Best Latin American Food in San Rafael. - Latin American Near Me - San Rafael, California

Wow! What can I say? I love trying new places and I really love Guatemalan food! This place created some fantastic comfort food for me and was outstanding. Service was great too and I think my co-worker I went with has found a new spot too! The food was all fresh, handmade corn tortillas were the bomb, and everything was seasoned well. Prices are fair for Marin, and the quality makes it worth it for sure. read more

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Great food! If you'd like to get a great taste of Southern Latin American food, this is the place! Check it out if you're in the area. Great customer service! Came in last minute but were well received! Kudos! read more

Luna de Xelaju Restaurant - Mar y Tierra - Latin American Near Me - San Rafael, California

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I really liked the ceviche tostada . My plate had chicken, steak, chorizo and shrimp. It was very good and the portions are large I had plenty to take home. Plus it comes with rice beans and salad. read more

Sunday afternoon seemed like the perfect time to get some food to go at this new Guatamalean restaurant. I chatted with a helpful waiter who recommended the Mar y Tierra with Garanachos as an appetizer. Such sweet people in there. I was treated to a warm corn drink as I waited. It tasted like horchata with corn and it was delicious. This place is cozy with two rooms to dine and several big screen TV'S. There were families, small groups, and they had a bar in there as well. When I got home and started in on my feast for two I was pleasantly pleased. Everything was cooked to perfection. The Garanachos were amazing. They included corn Masa Tamales and fresh tortillas with the meal. Nothing was dry. Everything was moist and tender. I was surprised by the burger Patty. It was seasoned and scrumptious. They included a coleslaw, a black beans, and a rice. This is a huge meal. It could easily feed 4 people. This food is different from Mexican food. Everything is very subtle in flavor and there is much emphasis on the actual preparation and freshness of ingredients. I'm impressed. Great job!! read more

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Delicious food and friendly service. My dad had the guate steak (puyazo) cooked medium and it was very tender. My mom had the moharra frita and it was very light. My friend and I ordered the caldo de gallina criolla to share and the sauce was wonderful. We all took turns trying each other's food and 3 dishes was plenty for the 4 of us as the servings were generous. The servers checked on us often, making sure everything was perfect for us and even entertained my broken Spanish. The couple who was sitting next to us was kind and friendly as well, which speaks to the family vibe we got from this place. When we left, I moved my car and pulled up to the entrance of the restaurant and a waiter rushed to open and hold the door for my elderly parents. We had a lovely time and will visit again soon with the rest of our family as this place is nestled into the Canal, where we grew up. read more

First time here and absolutely LOVED IT! I had the chuchito as an appetizer and for my entree I had their Chile relleno with a Michelada. The drink was made right and the food as well. The customer service was excellent very friendly staff clean facility nicely decorated the restroom are well maintained and clean. I highly recommend. I found my new place or Guatemalan food even if I have to travel from Newark. To bad they don't have locations in the Bay area but we'll worth the drive. read more

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I went here for the first time, I've never been to a Guatemalan restaurant before. I had heard good things about this spot and was I impressed. The service was good, they were prompt and reliable. The chicken pepian with handmade tortillas was amazing and then when I asked for something really spicy the waiter brought me a habanero/jalapeño concoction that really got my ball rolling, Downhill. The vibe was great, inexpensive and non pretentious. read more

I read all the reviews before trying Luna de Xelaaju. Based on what I tried I don't understand all the 5 stars. I wanted to try the fried chicken, but they use Canola oil to fry it and I won't eat anything with Canola oil. I ordered the Chile Relleno which came with whole black beans, rice and a salad. I found the entire meal to be bland including the hot sauce. The best thing I had was the Atol De Elote, a warm corn drink with cinnamon. read more

If you are looking for flavorful food this is the place to go. Very clean and nice staff. Love the music that is always playing. I have gone to a few Guatemalan restaurants but Luna De Xelaju beats them all with home made taste. read more

I've eaten here twice and been very pleased both times. The Mar Y Tiera is fantastic as are the many appetizers we've tried. Big portions. The Mar Y Tierra is enough for 2 people to have dinner and have leftovers. Have an ice cold Negro Modelo in a frosty mug if you're dining in. read more

The service, food, ambiance is like no other go experience it - enjoy the chicken soup, and the steak, chicken and shrimp combo is fantastic. read more

The service was not up to par today are away it was not paying attention was not give me silverware I had a wait about 10 minutes to receive silverware which I think was not right. read more

Luna de Xelaju Restaurant - the entrance to the restaurant - Latin American Near Me - San Rafael, California

Such a hidden gem in San Rafael. Have gotten takeout a few times from here during covid and enjoyed it every time. Highly recommend the garnachas - order more than you think you want, cuz you WILL wish you had more. Chuchito is excellent as well, especially with the provided salsa and pickled cabbage. I've also really enjoyed the chile relleno plate - it's different from a Mexican chile relleno, as it's filled with a flavorful minced meat and green bean filling rather than cheese. So good!! This place is always doing a brisk takeout business, so it seems popular among locals in the know! read more

Excellent!!!!;; . Full imaginative,fresh,authentic menu. Clean, bright, fun music. Super gracious wait staff and multi full screen TV's. Full beer and wine. So far have had ceviche tostada and radish _ superb! Ricisimo! Taking tamales and more incredibly fresh ceviche to go! Caldos seem very popular among the locals... Venga! Venga!!!!! read more

Luna de Xelaju Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - San Rafael, California

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I celebrated El 15 de septiembre yesterday at Luna de Xelaju, it was great! Friendly and welcoming service, all staff I spoke with were very nice, even though the restaurant was very busy! The food, delicious! Congratulations Luna de Xelaju! Looking forward to my return and wishing you much success #proudchapina read more

Feeling adventurous, I decided to order food to be delivered. I'm impressed. The order was perfect. I love how they packaged each meal. This food took me back to Guatemala. The portion size is pretty large but it was so good that risking a stomach ache, I ate it all! The 5 stars I'm giving them are definitely well deserved and they just gained a customer who will be ordering again and again. read more

We love this new (to us) restaurant! The food has a wonderful homemade taste, and there is plenty of space to sit outside in the fresh air. The staff are kind and welcoming, and we saw lots of folks picking up take out too. We'll definitely be back! read more

Found this Guatemalan gem by accident while waiting for car to be serviced. Ordered beef soup and it was amazing. Pretty new place, opened five months ago. Im glad i found this place! read more