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Elena's Mexican Restaurant San Francisco Reviews
A Great Experience ~ From the moment we entered the
A Great Experience ~ From the moment we entered the restaurant, we were impressed with the decor and ambiance. That was only the beginning. We happened to be there on Mexican Independence Day, which included entertainment by an outstanding Mariachi band. The service was outstanding, the waitress so friendly and perfect bringing the food at the appropriate time. We started with the guacamole dip, which is a large amount and so tasty. The thin good tasting chips kept coming. Then onto the main entrees of enchiladas and tamales, which were so tasty and large portions. We will definitely be returning.
Last Saturday we dined at Elena's to celebrate my younger
Last Saturday we dined at Elena's to celebrate my younger daughter's birthday. We were party of 6. This was my 4th time dining here but first time with my family. We arrived on time for our reservation at 1 pm. They liked the ambiance with high ceilings. We got seated 15 minutes after. I could understand with the delay as the restaurant was busy with diners celebrating many birthdays that day. The manager came to our table & said the they were giving us the guacamole free as we were patiently waiting. That was a nice gesture. Looking through the drinks menu, we got Frozen Dole Whip Margarita as recommended by the server Michelle, Passion Fruit Mocktails, & Sprite for drinks. The rest just had water. I tasted the margarita & it was refreshing & juicy flavor. The guacamole came with tortilla chips & salsa which was flavorful without being spicy. We ordered calamari for the table. For the main menu, we had the enchiladas combo like shredded beef & chicken & crabs. We also had the skirt steak carne asada tacos & quesabirra tacos. They served the enchiladas in large portion & flavorsome. The highlight was the sparkler dessert for the birthday with the house made churros. The service was exemplary. The food was delicious and the ambiance was amazing. I will definitely be back to try more dishes.
We were really excited to try out Elena's! We heard so many
We were really excited to try out Elena's! We heard so many good things about this place and it always looks so packed! Well, we were disappointed. The food portions are relatively big but it seemed as though our server was getting confused on some of our orders. 2 steak bowls, both with no beans. One came with beans, the other without. The one with beans was literally half beans and 1/4 the other ingredients. We got the burrito bowl instead and when it didn't come out with the guajillo and creamy tomatillo sauce, we were confused. Our server said it didn't come with it but she would give us a "sample" to try at no charge. My husband asked why it said it on the menu as a listed ingredient but she didn't respond, just smiled, and said she would bring us a "sample". We also ordered a chicken burrito but when it came out, the worker who brought the food put it on the table and so we gave it to the person that ordered the chicken burrito. He said "this is not the chicken burrito". We were confused and asked again, getting the same response, so we gave it to someone else who had ordered a chicken dish. Our server came by and said that that was the chicken burrito. We were even more confused because one person said it wasn't while our server said it was. We ordered a side of guac and a side pico de gallo. The guac was not salted at all. Literally just mashed up avocados. The pico came out in one of those metal tins that you would put ketchup in at a burger place. The quesabirria tacos were really good though! The overall vibe at Elena's is good but not good enough to make me want to come back.
Wow! We had a time, such a wonderful experience at Elena's.
Everything was tasty starting from the drinks. Expresso martini and spicy margarita was refreshing. My favorite main dish was the crab enchiladas. They served big portions and shared it with my partner. Calamari was the perfect appetizer. We got every dessert on the menu and they were delicious but our favorite was the carlota de limon and tres leche. The way it was recreated to perfection. Our waitress was the best, very informative, fun, and loves her job!
My favorite spot in sf.
Great service, great interior design, great serving dishes, and incredible food. I've come back many times and never been disappointed with the overall quality and attention to flavor. The general theme of everything blends so flawlessly together you could only imagine how long it took to create a place like this. The complimentary chips and salsa are the perfect addition, with their light and crispy material to the not so spicy but well-savory salsa that keeps you wanting more, even the workers are willing to let you take a whole box and more of it home. The huge portion sizes make up for the fact that the prices seem a little daunting. I don't have much notes, but everyone should come here at least once, and try a new dish each time. Coming here genuinely makes my day.
Came here for an anniversary dinner after hearing so many
Came here for an anniversary dinner after hearing so many good things about the place. The interior of the restaurant is gorgeous with golden lighting and beautiful plates. Our waiter was very friendly and loved to chat with us. I got the Shredded Chicken Enchiladas and a Spicy Margarita. We also got a Carlota de Limón to share for dessert. Shredded Chicken Enchiladas: 4/5, a giant serving! The chicken was good, and I was surprised how much I liked the beans. Spicy Margarita: 3/5, just a hint of spice but the margarita itself was good with a strong lime flavor. Carlota de Limón: 4/5, love a good icebox cake. The lime flavor was so delicious, and the cake really held its shape even as we dug into it. A very pretty place to have a nice dinner. If you're in West Portal, you should try this place at least once.
The restaurant is beautifully designed and welcoming.
All the staff are attentive, friendly, and helpful. We ordered multiple dishes to share and all were fabulous. We had a few drinks and they were both delicious. The steak fajitas were cooked to perfection. All the flavors and garnishes added to the experience and we greatly enjoyed our meal. Reservations definitely recommended, it was a hot spot for a Friday. We would definitely come back!
Didnt have a reservation on a Saturday at noon, but sat at
Didnt have a reservation on a Saturday at noon, but sat at the bar no problem. Would have been a 2 hr wait for an opening. The chips and salsa were great. I ate the Chicken Fajitas, so good!
My friends and I had a good Sunday dinner at Elena's.
We shared the mixed green salad, combo crudo, house made guacamole, crispy tacos, steak/shrimp fajitas and the chocoflan. The guacamole and the combo crudo were excellent. The crispy tacos and steak/shrimp fajitas were good entrees. The chocoflan is a good dessert - unique texture and not sweet at all. We were really full at the end of this meal. Service was on the slow side. The restaurant is nice and open but gets really loud and busy. With tax and tip, this was about $85 per person - it's good value these days in SF. Elena's is definitely worth a visit if you are craving good Mexican cuisine.
I came here about a week back for the first time.
The food was amazing. The steak was very big and enough to split between two people, it was absolutely delicious and tasteful. Their chips and salsa had a lot of flavor and quite a spicy to it. Their corn was to die for, it was an immediate favorite appetizer for us. Our waiter (Blake) was very kind and attentive. The environment is beautiful with nice surrounding music. It's a bit busy but it's worth the visit. I'll definitely be coming back again. 10/10 recommend.
Father's Day Brunch
Such a great experience. Really good food and great ambiance. Reservation is tough but suggest using Opentable alert.
Overhyped but attractive restaurant
After month of waiting we finally arrived. Being long time fans of the original joes family of restaurants we were anxious to try Elena’s. Wait time with a 5:45 reservation was minimal. We were seated by the front door on a bitterly cold night. Every time the door opened it was unpleasantly cold. Our cheery waitperson arrived about 15 minutes after we were seated. Ordered house margaritas which were decent enough but took another 15 minutes. Placed our order and waited another 20 minutes for a fair plate of veggies and dip . Then we waited while the table next to us got got their drink pans food orders well before us….no big deal. Now the food while ok was very salty. And boring. The meat in the Chili Colorado was ok but so salty as well as the chicken taco and chili relleno salty salty. Waitress disappeared after we ordered another margarita. Her replacement came by about 20 minutes later and she was overwhelmed. Dessert didn’t seem very appealing. Sorry but this place is way overhyped and expensive and does not seem very organized.
VERY DISAPPOINTING!!!
VERY disappointing lunch. Table of 5 asked us to move to the bar cuz they needed the table( they will cover first round of drinks), we accepted. After we moved they gave us a bill for 3 drinks. It was going away for our friends moving out of State. We asked why the bill, after the fact, the maitre d said(who asked us to move to the bar) said it was only for the 2 going away (remind you a table of 5, bill was over $500) and tried to sympathized by saying she had a "gay girlfriend". VERY SAD sent off. On a good note ask for Andres section. Great waiter!!!! BTW I live in the neighborhood.
Good but could be Great
After letting the chaos of their opening die down a bit, we decided to give it a try for my mom's 91st birthday -- and overall, we're glad we did. The food was really tasty, and though it was pricey ($16 for guac -- but it was delicious), the portions were generous and everything felt authentic. The ambiance was on point: loud, fun, and thoughtfully decorated. The service was also good: we came on a Tuesday night, but it was packed and yet the courses came quickly, including the beverages. The only thing it lacked was a sort of "finesse": I know it's not fine dining, but it's also not your neighborhood taqueria, so it would've been nice to get a smile from the host team, some acknowledgement that we're there, some appreciation for my business. An example: the hosts and our server knew that it was a special occasion, and though there were three of us, we just decided to order one dessert to share. Would it have been nice if that $13 plate of churros was comped? Yeah, it sure would've. Not too much to ask, I don't think, considering how much we spent overall. And that type of finesse would've been enough to encourage me to come back and even send friends there. Their $13 would've come back to them several times over. We go to their sister restaurant, Joe's of Westlake, quite often, and the Elena's team should spend a little more time learning from the team there.
Upscale and Festive Lunch for Two
Fantastic upscale lunch spot that will become a regular spot for my husband and me. The food was excellent and flavorful — we ordered the carnitas and squash tacos and the mixed salad. We struggled to choose what to order with so many appetizing options. The service was punctual and friendly. The atmosphere was festive and upscale. We can’t wait to return!
Great if you a party of 5 or more
I don't get the negative reviews here. I have eaten at Elena's 3 times and found it good....not great but good and better than the reviews here so far posted. I found it's prices reasonable as well for S.F. Having said that the biggest problem for me is it is not set for solo dinners. Not at all. True you can sit at the bar but in 3 times I have been there the bar has always been full and not with solo dinners but mostly groups waiting to be seated. So I would recommend but only if you are not alone. Alone, you are just not accommodated much. It just isn't a place for solo dinners.
Pricey and Flashy but Food Mediocre
Wanted to try and arriving a bit before 1800 we had a 1.75 hour wait which was not worth the food quality. Food was oversalted and I have had better for 1/4 the price in the Mission. Service was good so my complements to our waitress and the hostess staff but a $200 plus bill for mediocre Mexican food is not sustainable (once the hype of a new dining experience has worn thin). Either improve the food quality and portions or focus on your bar customers.
Over priced, small portions, no flavor
Overpriced. Terribly small portions. Watered down drinks. Lunch for 2 was over $125.00. Not worth it. You can find a great Mexican restaurant in the Mission and feed your whole family.
So wanted to like Elena’s
This very large and attractive restaurant is a shot in the arm for our West Portal, SF area. It was and is hyped as the new in spot. The restaurant build out must have been enormously expensive, so a lot is riding on their success. And by all looks they are successful. But I fear that the food as served now will ultimately create diner’s like myself. A couple of tries (3) and enough. Not going back. With a heavy influence on the bar and the sheer amount of food being made has lead to in my opinion a “sad” dining experience. Having gone three times, dinner and two lunches I was taken aback by how poor the food quality was. I suspect that there is no way to create great food at this volume. The fact that you can tell that products come from cans is enough to turn one off. Our last effort to merely get a taco salad and tamales was a failure. The taco bowl was stale, the tamales were dried and had chunks of pork (over-cooked?). The saving grace was an excellent Fresca which leads me to believe they could self correct. Our friend was dining there and said “I wish I had ordered the shrimp dish, this is not so good”. So I am not alone in my observation. Go for the restaurant ambiance and the bar. The food will leave you wanting.
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AppointmentTrader is a community-driven platform where users can exchange their reservations or leverage their personal relationships with Elena's Mexican Restaurant San Francisco. Buyers can make informed decisions using automated seller ratings, which reflect past transactions and reliability.
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the user has and how many percent of their transactions resulted in them issuing a refund.
If there is no user posting that fits your schedule, you can bid on your preferred time.
Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to Elena's Mexican Restaurant San Francisco at 6 PM the same day.
He checks the restaurant's website and sees that no reservations are available. He then looks at the Elena's Mexican Restaurant San Francisco page on AppointmentTrader, but finds that there are no user postings either.
That's where the community-driven bid process comes in.
Peter can place a bid on AppointmentTrader, which serves as a reward for any community member who chooses to work on securing the reservation. AT then notifies experienced users who may be able to help.
Step-by-Step Process
1.) Setting a Reward (Bid)
* AppointmentTrader uses historical data to recommend a reasonable reward amount for securing a reservation - let's say $5.
* Peter really wants to go, so he increases the bid (or reward) to $5.
* At this stage, the reservation does not exist yet.
2.) A Community User Picks Up the Bid
* EternalAnt36, an experienced AT user, has a strong track record of successfully securing reservations and low refund requests, they receive a notification about Peter's bid.
* EternalAnt36 picks up the bid, meaning they will now work on securing the reservation.
* Peter can now talk to EternalAnt36 for any questions Peter may have as EternalAnt36 user fills the bid.
3.) Finding the Reservation
* EternalAnt36 now uses their connections at Elena's Mexican Restaurant San Francisco to secure the table.
* If they successfully get the 6 PM table for four, Peter receives a confirmation that the reservation has been secured.
* If EternalAnt36 fails to secure the reservation, the bid is returned to the pool so another user can try.
4.) Payment & Protection
* Once the reservation is secured, EternalAnt36 receives the $5 reward which is credited to EternalAnt36's AT balance, where users manage their own funds and can withdraw via available payout options such as bank transfer, PayPal, or Zelle.
* Peter can now enjoy the dinner with his friends at Elena's Mexican Restaurant San Francisco!
* As with all transactions on AT, disputes and no-show fees are handled through the platform's community-driven resolution system. Users with a strong track record are incentivized to fulfill bids successfully, and community members can report issues to maintain trust in the marketplace.
