This was overall one of the best restaurants I have been to. My birthday dinner was amazing. Delicious food. Amazing customer service. The most friendly staff. Everything, I mean everything was on point.

We thought it was an awesome place. Great design; appropriate atmosphere, decor, and music. Food is excellent with hearty portions. Delicious, fresh, authentic, and built with a sophisticated style. This is not your typical slop things on a plate and call it Mexican. It’s also not at all pretentious or getting playful with food. Everything is prepared with nice presentation, but my main call outs are the outstanding flavors, overall taste, quality ingredients, careful preparation, and a strong value for what you’re getting here. We were very impressed, liked it a lot, and there’s no doubt we’ll be back. Service was also outstanding. We shared a tortilla soup to start and they brought us a cute little bowl, ladle, and lime wedge so we can split it more civilized. lol By the way, all their dishwater, glassware, and everything is carefully picked and great. Nice presentation and useful but not overly done. Yeah, we notice all of these great touches. Speaking of the tortilla soup, it was awesome. Great flavor, ingredients, right amount and size of tortilla strips, and nice amount of heat/slice.

I was lucky to score a reservation yesterday for the only time available for 10:30 am today (Sunday). We're found parking in the front since it was early. We got seated right away. The smbiance is beautiful and the service was outstanding. We were served the complimentary house made chips which are thin and crispy along with their salsa which was not spicy at all, but delicious. I ordered the green chicken enchiladas. The tomatillo sauce was very tangy which I liked served with rice and beans. My kid got the chicken burrito bowl which she loved and my husband got the Elena's chopped salad which had chicken and tortilla strips along with a nice tangy cumin tasting vinaigrette. We got the chicken tinga empanadas for appetizer and they were so good. We had so many leftovers and our waitress packed them up so nicely. We didn't get any special drinks today but maybe next time when we can score a dinner reservation. We'll definitely be back!

My wife and I had a wonderful dinner experience at Elena’s Mexican Restaurant. From the moment we arrived, the hospitality stood out. We were waiting for a table at the bar with our service animal when Guillermo, who I believe is a manager, noticed us and went out of his way to accommodate us and find a table right away. His kindness and attentiveness truly set the tone for the evening. We were lucky to have Alma as our server, and she was absolutely fantastic—warm, attentive, and made sure everything was perfect throughout our meal. The food was incredible, full of rich flavors and clearly made with care. The drinks were equally impressive, and the ambiance was vibrant yet welcoming. Elena’s is the kind of place where you feel taken care of and can really enjoy a great night out. We’ll definitely be back!

Abel Tirado

Came here for my mother's birthday and everything was top tier. One of the best restaurants I've been to in a long time. Our server, Natasha, was absolutely incredible. She was very knowledgeable about the menu, very willing to make accomodations or changes where needed, and incredibly warm and attentive without feeling like she was rushing us at all. For Natasha's service alone I would absolutely come back. The food was fantastic. We got several appetizers, with the ceviche being a standout. The holiday drinks were phenomenal, with a favorite for the party being a carajillo. The ribeye was perfectly medium rare, and the churros were perfectly crisp and sweet. Shout out to the entire staff, management, and Natasha for making my mother's dinner special.

JSN N

Salsa is amazing I filled up on it! Incredible spicy cilantro margarita! I had the Caesar salad and added steak and the Quesa Beria tacos. Tacos were good but I’ve had better. Atmosphere is lovely at lunch. Sat at the bar and service was wonderful. They do at a 6% facility fee to your check whatever that is. No description anywhere about it. I’d much rather they raise prices of entrees and drinks than add that surprise fee. Overall would come back.

Michael Nader Musleh

Clean good food that felt fresh and light, it was perfect. Open air feel and all employees were nice and intuitive. Had the spicy shrimp with white rice based on waitress recommendations. Shrimp was real spicy so I enjoyed that. Had the fish taco and that was fluffy and good as well. Tortilla, avo and salsa, all good. Spicy margarita, thats a nice twist. It was enjoyable and the atmosphere felt comfortable. Flan Flan for dessert, I would take the flan alone with out a chocolate cake on the bottom it takes from that good flan flavor, flan was better than tres leches in my opinion. Good Job

Kyle Olney

Total gem / local hot-spot in West Portal. Apparently owned by the same family behind Original Joe's. Food is all delivious & very well plated / presented. Super vibey interior decorations. Beautiful cocktails. Incredible salsa. Probably the best chilaquiles in San Francisco! Awesome place to come celebrate an occasion with family or pony up to the bar and enjoy brunch while you watch a game.

janette casolary

Went for brunch and ordered the pork tamale Benedict! I wasnt sure what to expect- there was no hollandaise- think pork tamales with sauce, beans and perfectly cooked eggs on top and IT WAS BOMB! So full of flavor and delicious! I highly recommend. The chips and salsa was also great and the cheesy tater tots were soooo cheesy and good!

Ashley Chin

This was overall one of the best restaurants I have been to. My birthday dinner was amazing. Delicious food. Amazing customer service. The most friendly staff. Everything, I mean everything was on point.

Ali Mohamed

I walked into Elena’s hungry and walked out wondering if I could legally change my address to one of their booths. The salsa alone should be registered as an addictive substance, and I’m pretty sure their guacamole has healing properties because I felt my soul regenerate with every chip. The enchiladas were so good I briefly considered proposing marriage to them, but then the tacos arrived and I realized I’m actually polyamorous when it comes to Mexican food. The staff was incredibly friendly even when I asked if I could just live there now, and they didn’t even blink when I ordered a second round of everything “for the road” (it did not make it to any road).

Shawn Shafai

We thought it was an awesome place. Great design; appropriate atmosphere, decor, and music. Food is excellent with hearty portions. Delicious, fresh, authentic, and built with a sophisticated style. This is not your typical slop things on a plate and call it Mexican. It’s also not at all pretentious or getting playful with food. Everything is prepared with nice presentation, but my main call outs are the outstanding flavors, overall taste, quality ingredients, careful preparation, and a strong value for what you’re getting here. We were very impressed, liked it a lot, and there’s no doubt we’ll be back. Service was also outstanding. We shared a tortilla soup to start and they brought us a cute little bowl, ladle, and lime wedge so we can split it more civilized. lol By the way, all their dishwater, glassware, and everything is carefully picked and great. Nice presentation and useful but not overly done. Yeah, we notice all of these great touches. Speaking of the tortilla soup, it was awesome. Great flavor, ingredients, right amount and size of tortilla strips, and nice amount of heat/slice.

Jasmine S.

I was lucky to score a reservation yesterday for the only time available for 10:30 am today (Sunday). We're found parking in the front since it was early. We got seated right away. The smbiance is beautiful and the service was outstanding. We were served the complimentary house made chips which are thin and crispy along with their salsa which was not spicy at all, but delicious. I ordered the green chicken enchiladas. The tomatillo sauce was very tangy which I liked served with rice and beans. My kid got the chicken burrito bowl which she loved and my husband got the Elena's chopped salad which had chicken and tortilla strips along with a nice tangy cumin tasting vinaigrette. We got the chicken tinga empanadas for appetizer and they were so good. We had so many leftovers and our waitress packed them up so nicely. We didn't get any special drinks today but maybe next time when we can score a dinner reservation. We'll definitely be back!

Benjamin Faber

Elena’s delivered a standout meal from drinks to dessert (well, we didn’t need dessert after this feast!). The Classic Skinny (Tommy’s-style) margarita was bright and perfectly balanced, Cool as a Cuke was ultra-refreshing, and Elena’s Tequila Margarita had a clean, agave-forward finish. For food, the ribeye aguachiles were tender with lively citrus-chile heat, the calamari fritos came out crisp and light, and the combination platter was comfort on a plate—shredded-chicken enchilada with creamy tomatillo sauce, a crispy ground-beef taco, and a house-made pork tamale. Friendly, attentive service and well-paced courses rounded it out. Excellent value and flavor—we’ll be back soon.

Wendy Zhuo

Even the silverware was stunning. I loved the ambience and interior of the restaurant! The servers were very attentive and the food came piping hot and fresh. The steak fajitas were some of the best I’ve had; the queso and salsa were good but nothing to write home about. The prices were reasonable for the caliber and portion sizes- but note that there are extra charges for large groups. This is a great place for large groups!

Marven M.

My wife and I had a wonderful dinner experience at Elena’s Mexican Restaurant. From the moment we arrived, the hospitality stood out. We were waiting for a table at the bar with our service animal when Guillermo, who I believe is a manager, noticed us and went out of his way to accommodate us and find a table right away. His kindness and attentiveness truly set the tone for the evening. We were lucky to have Alma as our server, and she was absolutely fantastic—warm, attentive, and made sure everything was perfect throughout our meal. The food was incredible, full of rich flavors and clearly made with care. The drinks were equally impressive, and the ambiance was vibrant yet welcoming. Elena’s is the kind of place where you feel taken care of and can really enjoy a great night out. We’ll definitely be back!

The food was delicious and the portions were good. We ordered the 3 Item Combination Plate, Skirt Steak Fajitas, and Fish Tacos. Our server (I forgot her name) was amazing. She was really friendly and checked on us a good amount. Other servers also helped out as well, which is something you don't see at other restaurants. They were good at refilling drinks, chips and salsa, and cleaning up. It can get a little loud here at times, so make sure you are ready for that. Pro-tip: Make sure to make a reservation if you are coming anytime after 4:00 PM on weekdays or anytime on weekends. I will definitely come back.

Steven

The food was delicious and the portions were good. We ordered the 3 Item Combination Plate, Skirt Steak Fajitas, and Fish Tacos. Our server (I forgot her name) was amazing. She was really friendly and checked on us a good amount. Other servers also helped out as well, which is something you don't see at other restaurants. They were good at refilling drinks, chips and salsa, and cleaning up. It can get a little loud here at times, so make sure you are ready for that. Pro-tip: Make sure to make a reservation if you are coming anytime after 4:00 PM on weekdays or anytime on weekends. I will definitely come back.

Elena's is a very busy, dynamic and happening place. I could not get reservations and so we luckily found a table at the bar area. We ordered some drinks, some chips and salsa and guacamole and then ordered some food. The food was good and the service was amazing. The decor and atmosphere are electric and inviting. The food was good, but I think I enjoyed the atmosphere and drinks more. Definitely check out this happening place. Try to get reservations if you can so that you don't have to wait. I would definitely come back again for appetizers and drinks.

We had lunch here on a Saturday afternoon. All the dishes were delicious! The atmosphere is a little loud , but that is okay as it feels lively. One of the best Mexican food I ever had ! Will come back for more.

Is it worth a 3 hour wait? No. Is it worth a 4 week reservation in advance? No. Is it acceptable to have to wait 30 minutes after your 4 week in advance reservation? No. Are they working with a detrimentally extremely small space? Yes! The food and service was excellent! It just takes a masters degree in patience to get to that point. The chicken tinga empanadas starter was the highlight of our night.

Sam

Elena's is a very busy, dynamic and happening place. I could not get reservations and so we luckily found a table at the bar area. We ordered some drinks, some chips and salsa and guacamole and then ordered some food. The food was good and the service was amazing. The decor and atmosphere are electric and inviting. The food was good, but I think I enjoyed the atmosphere and drinks more. Definitely check out this happening place. Try to get reservations if you can so that you don't have to wait. I would definitely come back again for appetizers and drinks.

James Mitchel

Is it worth a 3 hour wait? No. Is it worth a 4 week reservation in advance? No. Is it acceptable to have to wait 30 minutes after your 4 week in advance reservation? No. Are they working with a detrimentally extremely small space? Yes! The food and service was excellent! It just takes a masters degree in patience to get to that point. The chicken tinga empanadas starter was the highlight of our night.

N K

Heard about the hype of this place for a while and tried for the first time. I liked the good vibe and friendly staff but the food was B-. Still curious about other dishes and the drinks so I would come back to give one more shot

Sarah Jane Bland

I liked it but didn't love it, maybe it didn't live up to the hype. I think we most enjoyed the cocktails which were memorably good, and the chips (thin and perfect) and the salsa (also perfect). Shrimp fajitas were close to being on the mark except the shrimp were a bit oversalted. Crab enchiladas were a miss, the chile sauce drowns out the delicate flavor of crab, they could have been stuffed with anything. If it were more affordable I would cut them more slack but entrees at ~$40 better be perfect. Portions are really large with rice and beans, we didn't have room for dessert. The atmosphere for dinner on a Saturday was lively but too loud, we had to shout across the table a bit. Service was slowish, just barely fast enough to not become annoying. It took a full 2 hours for only drinks and entrees. Reservations are a must. I might go back just for the cocktails.

E T

I only rate on the quality of the food and i thought this place was just ok. But its would be good for a date night because the atmosphere and service was better than the food. I had the chili verde, I forget what everyone else had but i guess that just shows it wasn’t memorable. But id go back for a casual date night.

Went here for my three year anniversary with my boyfriend, we are a young couple (19 and 20) on the reservation there was options for a special occasion so I selected the anniversary one and as the description I wrote three year anniversary. We came in at 3:35 and it wasn't very busy, the receptionist was very kind but the good experience ended after that. The hostess gave us a very bad table. Sat in poor lighting and next to plants that were overlapping onto our table and touching our shoulders. The table was extremely wobbly and very small. The service from our server and the workers refilling our water was terrible as well. When our server introduced himself he asked if this was our first time coming to elena's, we said yes and he said “Perfect!” and proceeded to tell us nothing about the restaurant or the food. From that point we were treated like children the entire time. When the nachos and salsa was brought out i had said thank you and got no response back, same thing with the water. Our server took about 10-15 minutes to come and take our order, we got the skirt steak fajitas and shredded beef enchiladas. Once the food came the steak was on a sizzling plate. And the first bite was very juicy and good but then you realize the hot plate is still cooking the steak so by the time you go for more the bottom of the steak is burnt and ruins the taste and it went from a perfect medium rare to well done. And the enchiladas were nothing special. We never got a congratulations or happy anniversary, not that was expecting anything special but why have that option if we don’t get acknowledged for it? I’m very disappointed and sad this special occasion for me and my boyfriend was wasted on this poor service and mediocre food. 80 dollars wasted for just two plates of “authentic Mexican” food.

Looks Upscale, Feels Like Fast Food: I live in the West Portal area and was really excited to take my family out to dinner at Elena’s. I had been there once before with my wife; we sat at the bar, the service was decent, though we did wait over 10 minutes just to get tortillas with our fajitas. Still, I wanted to give it another shot with my family. To be fair, the receptionist and hostess are great: very communicative and willing to do their best to get you a reservation at the time you request. Unfortunately, once you’re seated, that’s where the good ends. Our server clearly needed more training. He started with our drink order, which was fine, but while we were reviewing the menu, a busser dropped off chips and salsa and, strangely, took one of our menus. When the waiter came back for our meal order, he noticed one menu missing and immediately got upset, assuming we had taken it, which was almost hilarious. We explained a busser picked it up, but his attitude set the wrong tone. We brushed it off and tried to enjoy our evening. As we were sipping drinks and enjoying appetizers, the server and busser returned to announce our meals would be out in 5 minutes, even though we weren’t close to finished. Then they took our appetizers away while we rushed to eat, only to bring out 3 of the 4 meals. The last plate didn’t arrive for nearly 15 minutes. My family eats together, so everything sat on the table getting cold, and I completely lost my appetite. When we finally asked for the manager, instead of apologizing and fixing the issue, he wanted specific names of the staff members involved and pressed us to discuss the situation right then and there, while our food was sitting in front of us. That made the whole situation worse. Yes, he comped some drinks and a few items, but the damage was done. The entire dinner was uncomfortable and frustrating. Elena’s markets itself as fine dining, but in reality it feels like a dressed-up Chevys, except Chevys had better service. The food is just “American Mexican,” nothing special, and very overpriced for the quality and service. I’ve since heard from neighbors and local business owners that this rushed, dismissive treatment is common here, sometimes even being handed the check halfway through the meal. I really wanted to like this place, but the service was absolutely terrible, the food underwhelming, and the overall experience one of the worst I’ve had in a long time. I truly hope they get better because our neighborhood could really use a restaurant like this done right. A well-run Elena’s could be something special and might even inspire more great restaurants to come to West Portal.

Eliza Zetino

Looks Upscale, Feels Like Fast Food: I live in the West Portal area and was really excited to take my family out to dinner at Elena’s. I had been there once before with my wife; we sat at the bar, the service was decent, though we did wait over 10 minutes just to get tortillas with our fajitas. Still, I wanted to give it another shot with my family. To be fair, the receptionist and hostess are great: very communicative and willing to do their best to get you a reservation at the time you request. Unfortunately, once you’re seated, that’s where the good ends. Our server clearly needed more training. He started with our drink order, which was fine, but while we were reviewing the menu, a busser dropped off chips and salsa and, strangely, took one of our menus. When the waiter came back for our meal order, he noticed one menu missing and immediately got upset, assuming we had taken it, which was almost hilarious. We explained a busser picked it up, but his attitude set the wrong tone. We brushed it off and tried to enjoy our evening. As we were sipping drinks and enjoying appetizers, the server and busser returned to announce our meals would be out in 5 minutes, even though we weren’t close to finished. Then they took our appetizers away while we rushed to eat, only to bring out 3 of the 4 meals. The last plate didn’t arrive for nearly 15 minutes. My family eats together, so everything sat on the table getting cold, and I completely lost my appetite. When we finally asked for the manager, instead of apologizing and fixing the issue, he wanted specific names of the staff members involved and pressed us to discuss the situation right then and there, while our food was sitting in front of us. That made the whole situation worse. Yes, he comped some drinks and a few items, but the damage was done. The entire dinner was uncomfortable and frustrating. Elena’s markets itself as fine dining, but in reality it feels like a dressed-up Chevys, except Chevys had better service. The food is just “American Mexican,” nothing special, and very overpriced for the quality and service. I’ve since heard from neighbors and local business owners that this rushed, dismissive treatment is common here, sometimes even being handed the check halfway through the meal. I really wanted to like this place, but the service was absolutely terrible, the food underwhelming, and the overall experience one of the worst I’ve had in a long time. I truly hope they get better because our neighborhood could really use a restaurant like this done right. A well-run Elena’s could be something special and might even inspire more great restaurants to come to West Portal.

alena gonzalez

Went here for my three year anniversary with my boyfriend, we are a young couple (19 and 20) on the reservation there was options for a special occasion so I selected the anniversary one and as the description I wrote three year anniversary. We came in at 3:35 and it wasn't very busy, the receptionist was very kind but the good experience ended after that. The hostess gave us a very bad table. Sat in poor lighting and next to plants that were overlapping onto our table and touching our shoulders. The table was extremely wobbly and very small. The service from our server and the workers refilling our water was terrible as well. When our server introduced himself he asked if this was our first time coming to elena's, we said yes and he said “Perfect!” and proceeded to tell us nothing about the restaurant or the food. From that point we were treated like children the entire time. When the nachos and salsa was brought out i had said thank you and got no response back, same thing with the water. Our server took about 10-15 minutes to come and take our order, we got the skirt steak fajitas and shredded beef enchiladas. Once the food came the steak was on a sizzling plate. And the first bite was very juicy and good but then you realize the hot plate is still cooking the steak so by the time you go for more the bottom of the steak is burnt and ruins the taste and it went from a perfect medium rare to well done. And the enchiladas were nothing special. We never got a congratulations or happy anniversary, not that was expecting anything special but why have that option if we don’t get acknowledged for it? I’m very disappointed and sad this special occasion for me and my boyfriend was wasted on this poor service and mediocre food. 80 dollars wasted for just two plates of “authentic Mexican” food.