This place is lovely with great food. I'll definitely come back again.

We were in town from Ohio and couldn't have picked a better place for dinner. Very authentic flavors and extremely good service. Will definitely go again if in the area.

This has been the best shrimp burrito I ever had in my life and the best service I ever had in all California! Thanks Julio for making my day so happy with your service!!🩵

We showed up without a reservation, about 5 bags, and were headed to the airport right after, and ended up adding 3 more to our party and having a business meeting. Despite keeping them open far longer than they would have liked, the service was top notch and nothing but warm and welcoming. The food was without a doubt some of the best traditional Mexican fare I have ever eaten. I had the Enchiladas de Mole and it is out of this world. No one at the table had anything to say but extremely positive reviews. Not to mention the margaritas we ordered were exactly how I like them: strong. I'm pretty sure it was equal parts tequila, lime juice and ice. I cannot recommend this place enough. We will definitely be back the next time we are in the area. Thanks again to the staff for being excellent. Highly recommended.

It's a hidden gem! Vegan Food Review: YUM. It's not what they serve by default, but they made it happen for me and it was good. I had chips, salsa, and a burrito. Everything was solid. Love the salsa. Drinks: They have a small bar, with the basics and some nice tequila. The bartender made a mean margarita. It was well balanced, not too much sweet and not too much booze. It went well with a beer and the food. Atmosphere: Solid. It's a strip mall kind of place but feels pretty nice instead of divey. No complaints at all! Staff: Friendly, attentive, quick service. Definitely going back.

I’ve been in the Bay Area for years and am glad to report I’ve finally found the best Mexican restaurant. The food is perfect, the vibes are lively and the drinks are flowing! Add in excellent service and great prices and you have El Sinaloense!

The food is absolutely amazing! The atmosphere is great, and the staff is nice and friendly. But the food... OMG ... Is the best I've had.

All I can say is this neighborhood spot is busy and well liked. The food is tasty and portions are decent. But service is slow and could be better. Give Thai place a shot. The Chile Renellos Is awesome.

Was given a referral for super good micheladas and yes yes yes it was right. Bit then I ordered food and was triple blown away not a bad item on menu. Yes we will be coming back here alot and I suggest everyone give them a try.

A super sweet local place with an extensive menu with an emphasis on seafood. Super friendly staff. We cone here all the time. The food is special.

This was my first time here for lunch, and the service was great, the food was delicious we ordered a Molcajete to share and the fish ceviche was great! Highly recommend it t as it got close to early dinner two families with bday parties showed up, so it was a bit loud!

The best neighborhood restaurant! We have been several times over the past year since moving to the area, and have had great experiences over and over. Our favorite thing is to walk in and immediately receive a pitcher of spicy margs. The service and quality is unmatched. We have tried many different things on the menu, and have never been disappointed. We will keep going back!

My go to spot in the area. Very good food. Friendly staff and great atmosphere. Reminds me of restaurant in Playa Del Carmen. Highly recommended

Great food with tons of options om the menu.

Totally recommend El Sinaloense they serve delicious food and have a great service , very friendly and attentive.

The Ceviche was awesome, next level with Mayonnaise WOW. The Sizzling molcajete!! Amazing! Get your ice water first. The hot bowl keeps things very hot for a long time amazing. Super tasty, Going back next week. Camarones a La Diabla perfecto...

Came and had dinner here with 2 of my friends. We’re familiar with this restaurant because at one point in time it was on the corner of 25th Ave and we frequented it a lot then. We sat in the outdoor area as it was a nice day. The food was really good. I had a surf and turf burrito w/ chips and guacamole. It was tasty and hit the spot. The staff was really nice and checked on us regularly. Didn’t get any dessert because I was stuffed but I’ll definitely visit again next time I’m in San Mateo.

I love this place, really great Mexican food outside downtown San Mateo.

Update: The best salsa and chips. I have to stop myself from filling my belly because the salsa is so good. Ask for some to take home, delicious with your morning weekend eggs! Thank you! Excellent Mexican food with a large menu. Service is always excellent, and there is never a wait, even though the place is usually full most evenings. I highly recommend this place

This place has some of the best seafood I’ve ever had in the Bay. Be adventurous and try some regional mexican food, you can get a burrito at other places. But here try the ceviche and shrimp dishes

I stop by at this Mexican restaurant and tried the ceviche and margaritas ! omg best food and drinks ever ! Highly recommended !!

I went to El Sinaloense today for lunch with a party of three, and once again, it did not disappoint. We started with the Ostiones en su concha as an appetizer—fresh, flavorful, and the perfect way to kick off the meal. Each of us ordered a different main entrée, and everything was absolutely delicious. You can really taste the authenticity and care in every bite. The customer service was excellent—friendly, attentive, and welcoming. This was my second time visiting, and I’m already looking forward to coming back again to explore more of their outstanding Sinaloense cuisine. The location is great, with a nice atmosphere and easy parking, which makes the whole experience even better. Highly recommend this spot if you're craving high-quality Mexican seafood in the San Mateo area!

Great authentic Mexican food. Loved the double Margarita and the chips and salsa. Went there twice in the week I stayed in town.

Great food and environment, Mario and Sonia are a great person! it makes you feel like a home Thank you! :)

+2

Nice portions, great atmosphere. Definitely coming back for more.

Great dining experience. The food tastes home cooked. Seafood is fresh. Service is wonderful!

We had my husband’s party birthday at El Sinaloense. It was a lot of fun - great food and fantastic margaritas. Everyone had a great time!

Great everything! Authentic, fresh with a personal touch. Portion sizes are generous!

W.O.W!!!! Hands down the best Pollo en mole y salsa I’ve had in the area! Mario and Jesus could not be more friendly. The margaritas are delicious and the atmosphere is fun!

The ceviche was one of the best I have ever had. My colleagues and I thoroughly enjoyed our meals. I just wished I had saved room for some dessert.

Fantastic drinks and ceviche! Have gone many times and will go again in the future.

Absolutely loved El Sinaloense! The ceviche was fresh and the margaritas were made perfectly. I will be back!

Love the tocino y queso plate! This plate has bacon-wrapped prawns with cheese inside. So good!

When I want burrito, I come here and get their massive jumbo sized shrimp burrito. They pack it full of shrimp and it’s super flavorful. I usually only get take out so order ahead and it’s pretty easy to pick up. Better go with someone so they can wait in the car while you go in. Parking is a bit tough. I am a repeat customer.

Great food! I never been before this so delicious! Yummy!

Highly recommend this spot. Food is incredible. The Molcajetes are excellent but my favorite might be the ceviche with pulpo. I think I can say it’s my #1 favorite ceviche spot.

Stopped for chips salsa & margaritas, had fish n shrimp albondigas soup, best I've ever had. Great place would highly recommend!!

Fast service, very friendly, seating available. Full bar, parking & most important very good food!

They have the best aguachiles in town. We tried the guava Margarita with tajin and it was amazing. Thank you for the great service!

Fast, friendly and delicious. Random pick rolling through town. Came up all Aces. Went for for the Al Pastor and had zero regrets. The beans were excellent.

Went with friends and we all enjoyed our meals. I had a fish plate that came with rice and vegetables with a light sauce. One friend had chili relleno the other had a shrimp cocktail. I liked my leftovers herbs were even more flavorful after reheating. Nice Mexican style restaurant.

Jack Finnegan

Visited El Sinaloense in a pounding rain storm via Uber from a hotel near the SFO Airport. Absolutely the highlight of our day! We were welcomed, we'll served, and the food. We can't get this authentic Mexican food in Pennsylvania! Enjoyed the Ceviche, Tamales, Chili Relleno and more. Was so interesting watching the restaurant workers interact. Must be a family! Obviously a "locals" place that want "the real thing!" Again, made our day! Don't pass this neighborhood place slip by!

TMR (TMR-AVO)

The service was amazing. The atmosphere and food was authentic enough to feel like I was on vacation. Highly recommended.

Lorne A

We came all the way from Australia and had an awesome meal. Kid friendly, great food, great service, and the margaritas were excellent! 100% recommend!

Stacy Luther

The food was delicious and the new tuna appetizer special is AMAZING! I'll definitely be back!

Lourdes Langa

Excellent service and better food! Mario’s attention to detail is outstanding. We came with our small kids and they loved him!

Juda Tolmasoff

I love this restaurant. I have been going to El Sinaloense Mexican Restaurant for over a decade and have enjoyed the food and experience every time. The food and service are always superb! Today at lunch, I went traditional with chicken enchiladas, the meat was so tender, delicious! One of my favorite choices for dinner has been their Mazatlan plate, a seafood specialty with sautéed peppers and onions, along with the traditional sides. Fantastic! The staff are always friendly and helpful. It’s a great place to meet a friend for a meal or have a family or co-worker party, too. I’ve done both!

Dominic Celillo

Food is phenomenal, bartender is hilarious to chat with and the Modelos just hit different here.

MrMaverick256

Me and family came all the way from Canada and was searching for Mexican food and we hit the jackpot the food was amazing as well as the ambience I would rate this place 10 stars if I could!

Angel Velarde

Great mariscos. Sinaloa style. Great drinks and reasonably priced.

Angel Abernathy

Food was delicious. Very friendly and quick service.

Natalia Zumaya

Food is delicious and well served went as walking for dinner great customer service.

+1

J L

The Topolobampo was a nice seafood medley. Didn't expect octopus and shrimps on a fish fillet but it was good. Liked how the broccoli and rice soaked up the sauce Mole had a nice earthy sweetness, enjoyed it on the chicken enchiladas. I guess mole is always with chicken I didn't care for the flan, it was kind of bubbly and hard, prefer it silky but I think that's a personal preference thing The salsa was very aromatic

Alicia Gorgani

I can't believe I haven't tried this restaurant before. DELICIOUS. The molcajete is beyond words, and I didn't think I like churros until my friend had me try one here. I enjoyed my margarita, and their ceviche was scrumptious as well. As I told the awesome wait staff, I will be back with my friends and family!

Candice S

Hearty and flavorful food with big portions and friendly staff. The free salsa was amazing too. The bisteck ranchero con camaron’s sauce was savory and tangy and the meats were cooked perfectly. Would love to go back and try more of the menu.

Lindsey Backman

Some of the best Mexican food I have ever had. Everything we had was unbelievably delicious (my personal favorite were the enchiladas). We thought we ordered too much food, but had to eat every bite because it was all so amazing... and the margaritas made it even more fun! We will absolutely visit again next time I come to San Francisco.

KC FERNANDEZ

A return visit to this wonderful neighborhood restaurant because we loved it so much the first time, we had to come back to explore more of the menu. We were not disappointed at all on this visit, and absolutely everything was delicious! Not pictured is the delicious guacamole, salsa, and fresh chips, and extremely tasty mango margaritas because we were so famished that we devoured them as soon as they were placed in front of us 😏. The service is impeccable and the food savory and mouthwatering. This will be our regular go-to treat for us to enjoy with out family and friends!

+1

We had a very enjoyable meal, especially thanks to the staff. They helped point me to suitable dishes for a vegetarian and made some adjustments to meet my requirements. They even had special meat-free beans. And the prices are very modest.

This is a hidden gem. The food here has good portions and it tastes like you best friend's mom (or your Tia's) cooking. You really can't go wrong with the selection here and the margaritas are pretty strong and delicious. Mario, the owner is an amazing person as is the rest of the staff. Say hello to them and be nice and everyone will treat you like family

The Fajita El Sinaloense special is my favorite and good for two!

This is a great place to go Mario the owner has special drinks like spicy Margaritas yum yum! It's kind of like a little Mexico restaurant. The food is great and they also have a small section for vegetarians. But I think you'll really like this place it gets pretty crowded sometimes but other than that that's the only drawback

Great food. Service needs improvements

Food was good. Birthday song and light show was loud yet fun.

Great hidden gem! Never knew about this place it was an awesome experience overall.

+2

Very nice friendly staff. Fast service. Delicious food

Great service and food. I need to return to try more food and desert

The food was good. I had the fajitas and I felt it could have a little more flavor. My friends food was really good.

Great Mexican place on a not so lighted street (at night). Parking maybe difficult (unmetered Street parking) but the food is great. It's not cheap, with many of their specialities running over $20 but they have a wide variety of dishes for everyone's taste and budget. Kids dishes are $6.75. Definitely worth a visit. We tried the molcajete, grilled fish with pepper, tomatoes and onion, and the beef Colorado plate.

Happy Cinco de Mayo. This is an authentic Sinaloense restaurant for its clientele, seafood, and ambiance. A very casual but spirited place with fresh seafood, beer, margaritas. It's a bit hidden, but memorable for tasty seafood!

+1

The food was okay, relatively normal portion size I would say. Didn’t particularly like the Tacos Dorados.

It's been some years since my last trip to tha Bay Area. But after discovering this place, I usually included a dinner here, even if it was a bit of a drive. I think I generally ordered enchiladas, but maybe a burrito. The service was very good. On-street parking was fairly close, too. Walkable from the Caltrain stop (Hayward Park) for most.

Shawn C.

Liked the service (although it seemed like only one very busy server for the whole restaurant the night we went), the festive atmosphere, and the chili relleno/carnitas combo plate. Didn't like the bland steak and shrimp burrito. Where were the seasonings and spices?

Nichole M.

Guacamole! I liked the food here. The server was really great. An older man at the next table asked the server “Hey, where’s my food? I got places to go!” And the server was very calm and respectful. Honestly it didn’t take long for our food to be prepared. Kind of random, but I loved how flavorful the tomatoes were. Just fresh, diced tomatoes… they must seek out the best produce. Edited 1 month later: Went again and it was even BETTER than the first time!

G G

I've been here a few times now and it always feels like a fiesta. We walked in just when the lights dimmed, then came back on to party lights with music playing "feliz cumpleanos" to a family in the dining room. So fun! My partner and I grabbed a seat at the bar. A few minutes later, a tequila tasting was being set up. We were quickly served by our bartender. We ordered the sizzling fajitas which the two of us shared. The steak and chicken were super tender and the seasoning gave it that perfect grilled flavoring. For gluten-free, they served me soft corn tortillas and my partner the flour ones. My tortillas were a good size nor did it taste chalky. Margaritas are always so big, and as a lightweight drinker one was enough. The guys at the tequila tasting served us some free shots, my favorite is shown. What a great place for happy hour!

+2

soumalya pyne

This place is great for their complimentary nachos and salsa. It is must try if you are staying around Palm avenue, San Mateo. In the main course, I went for Tamales. To be honest, I did not like it too much may be it's an acauired taste but the staffs of the restaurant are very polite and welcoming. Great hospitality, great atmosphere and delicious nacho-salsa combo make this place a must-try mexican cuisine of Burlingame

Good Mexican place, not very busy when we went, overall okay food. I had higher expectations based in the reviews. Carne asada was over cooked and very dry, (maybe chef was on a lunch break 😜) Tacos were good. I will try other places next time.

The food makes this place pretty damn great. The chalupas and the sides were delicious. The other dishes were fairly big enough portions for the rest of us. Only problem was the fact that I got dirty glasses to drink out of and everyone was concerned about the game with Mexico vs Cost Rica. Couldn't get service until the waiter passed through to check on his tables after he took his attention off the game like the rest of the staff.

order chicken enchiladas and a pork tamale with rice and beans. The beans portion was so small, probably 2 tablespoons and it was all watery no taste at all. The chicken in the quesadillas were little cubes probably left in water for long time, and the tamale was the only thing that was somewhat flavorful but the sauce was like tomato blended in water. I was very disappointed. Don't know what happened here. Ordered through doordash, so the doordash service was good.

I ordered a beef Milanese and I asked for a hibiscus water and they sent me a horchata water, the meat is very over-fried, I just bought it

They stay open for you to finish up eating an extra 45mins. However, the Kitchen apparently stops taking orders @2115, 915pm. According to the server that I spoke to when I attempted to make a togo order.

Food is good, chips are great. In addition to the regular Mexican beers, they offer large pints of Lagunitas IPA on draft, for $7.50! : ) Service is hit and miss, mainly miss lately . Sam the bartender seems to hold the place together, and he's not always there. I've seen people walk out due to lack of service... tonight, it was me! Decor is tacky, to the point of being cute! A real South of the border experience! If somebody's celebrating a birthday, you'll need earplugs for about 2 minutes.🤔 You'll see, and hear!!🤣

Two stars because the food was amazing, but that's it. But the service is bad. The guy kept looking at our table but walking past, repeatedly, and serving every other table. We waited a long time to place our orders and then my friend and I waited a long time for them to come ask if we wanted boxes or a check. The place was definitely not busy when we walked in. And other tables were checked in on.

Worst Mexican meal I have ever had. : ( My friend and I waited for 10 minutes and then I went into the restaurant to ask server to wait on us. It appeared the restaurant was understaffed. We started with chips and guacamole. Both the chips and guac were bland. The chips had no salt and tasted like cardboard. We then ordered fajitas...mine was beef and my friend's was chicken. Sorry I didn't order the chicken as the beef...which was supposed to be steak...appeared to be a round steak cut into small pieces. It was grisly, dry and tough to chew and sauteed in some sort of tomato-based sauce. I have never had fajitas served like that. The side plates of beans and rice arrived lukewarm. And again, no seasoning on either. To top it off, we spent $35 each without alcohol...way overpriced as far as I am concerned. It was also dark on the sidewalk and it wasn't until we were about finished that they turned on the floodlights to light up our food. Tiny votives would have been a nice touch. The place was busy so perhaps it was an off night. But we certainly won't return.

Super disappointed in quality of food, especially for the high prices. The salsa was good, but chips were dry, straight out of a bag. Won't be back.

Food is good, but the service needs some improvement. We ask about non spice sauce and the waiter didn't bring, we had to ask the bill, and we had to go to cashier to pay, no one showed up. The music ends all time and didn't com back. And the menu is too expensive for the place and service. It was not busy, only two tables. Never again.

I ordered quesadilla vampiro, guacamole and tacos with pork. Everything was tasty except the quesadilla vampiro was dry, on an almost burnt tortilla, which was okay, but there was no cheese anywhere on it. I asked the waiter Where's the cheese? He pointed under the burnt tortilla. It wasn't under there but I figured they just made a mistake. I never got silverware, but I ate like in Mexico, with just tortillas. I ordered three margaritas (one single, two doubles, all patron silver) $90.00 for the drinks alone. I paid less at the Cerulean towers, an exclusive high rise downtown in Tokyo. I'm sure the food is great here, although I only ordered a few simple sides. Over all, I'll never go back, it just didn't add up right. The plate on the right was called a quesadilla vampira. I guess I got bit.

Owner, or someone who acts like the owner, is quite rude if you do not speak Spanish. He also often wears open toed shoes in his kitchen, which is a major food violation. Unfortunately will not be going back

Food is good, service is lousy. Waiters walk by table several times and don't stop to take order. Waiters stand around talking to each other with somewhat arrogant attitude. Music VERY LOUD; too loud for comfort. They don't like to describe the food. They expect you to just order without asking questions. They need competition; maybe that would motivate them to give better service.

Im writing this review because I went to pick up my food I ordered at the correct time but ended up waiting there for over 20 minutes. I asked one of the workers and he said that he didn't know what time my food was going to be ready. He also said "we serve our customers first", does that mean I'm not a customer as well? I was frustrated and the guy told me I can cancel it online. I ended up leaving and tried to cancel my order online but it wouldn't let me. So in the end they stole my money and I never received the food I bought. I hope this brings awareness to others and the staff to be better.

The kitchen on Saturday night can’t follow instructions. The order ticket clearly says the instructions for each item. Requested Spinach tortillas burrito with no cheese and half rice half beans. Received flour tortillas and ton of cheese. Ruined my dinner! I will avoid ordering from this place.