50 Best Mexican Restaurants near Portola Valley

“Great and hopping busy cafe serving excellent Mexican food at decent prices! Tons of construction workers, cyclists and office workers showing how a good Mexican restaurant can be extremely popular! Free water, nice bathroom and decent salsa bar. Service is quick despite being busy!! We had a pork burrito which was very good! Four tables inside and four outside.“

“Amigos in Portola Valley totally won me over. We went on a busy Sunday and even with the crowd, the service was quick and super friendly. The dog-friendly patio was a huge plus—such a nice spot to hang out, especially on a sunny day.

The food was great across the board. I had the chicken mole and some tacos, and both were packed with flavor. The mole had that rich, layered taste you hope for, and the tacos were super fresh. Their homemade hot sauce is seriously next level—spicy, balanced, and honestly something I’d buy if they bottled it.

The vibe was really relaxed and fun. There were a bunch of people watching the game, but it didn’t feel like a sports bar—just good energy, not too loud, and still felt like a place to enjoy a proper meal.

Can’t wait to come back, especially when the weather’s nice again. Definitely a new favorite for a casual, delicious meal with a chill atmosphere.“

“Amazing food and excellent service - highly recommend“

“I love Cuco’s!! All women staff. They do everything right.“

“Just happened upon Paper Platez, so very glad we did!! Food was phenomenal service was great. It was fun talking to the owners.“

“The portions are large and cooked with love. Everything on the menu is fantastic. The staff is friendly and actually cares about their customers. A really fantastic secret little jewel to go enjoy“

“Got a burrito was really good. Our server , Sylvia recommended a margarita…it was great. So…great food, great drinks and great service.“

“This small Mexican cafè is unusual and authentic. It is a house converted into a restaurant. Not fancy, but the food is very good! My usual is the Supreme Borito which is big enough for two maybe three people, but I never stop eating until it is completely gone. That is easy to do because it is the real stuff. It is in an ethic neighborhood, and the conversation is mostly Spanish. I come to the area once a month and 4 out of 5 times I get my lunch there. That is not going chance any time soon.“

“The food was really very tasty. The staff were very humble and courteous. Food was served in an excellent way.“

“I loved my experience there - great food and cocktails.“

“Great tacos! The buche, carnitas, and cabeza were all really good (and large/meaty). Each one had a different delightful texture but cabeza was my favorite.... so tender! Fresh salsa bar and free chips are a huge plus. Also the free deep fried jalapenos was a nice touch. Next time I've gotta tried that awesome looking giant fried fish plate.“

“I’ve been there a few times and is always very good I highly recommend“

“este es lo mejor de lo que probado la recomiendo por editor de facebook el bagabundo i ueces el cobi 19 i Rigoberto Muñoz ochoa ide las páginas del amor de mi vid“

“Excellent food. If you're not from the area, it can be difficult to find, especially with confusing directions from both Waze and G maps. We enjoyed the carne asada and the tacos. Wherever I travel I research yelp and Google reviews and this time it was spot on. Great recommendation and we will definitely go back when we visit Bay Area again.“

“Cute location and was able to find street parking fairly easily on a Sunday. Appears to be family owned business and customer service was great.

The majority of their dishes are elote based. They do not have your typical tacos and burritos but I have an obsession with all types of street corn so I had to give it a shot.

I got the papa elote with steak. It was HUGE and delicious. I added a bit of salt but other than that I loved it. I did not finish it at lunch but had more for dinner that night. It reheats well. I still have some leftover and will likely bring it with me for my work lunch tomorrow!

I only gave the food 5 stars because a) the price (20 bucks for the potato with steak, I think it was 14 or 15 without). Although, in retrospect, since this is now going to be 3 meals for me, the price is fairly reasonable !!! B) the lack of other options. While I'm really into street corn, the rest of my family is not. So this will prevent me for visiting this establishment more frequently.“

“The food is delicious. The sauces really stand out here at Palo Alto Sol. See my review at EssentialPaloAltoRestaurants.com“

“Husband and wife team are very friendly and take the time to talk to you. Food is very good. I would highly recommend this little restaurant to anyone.“

“Got takeout for a family dinner and it was delicious. The burritos were huge and we couldn’t finish them. I would probably order a Baby Burrito next time because they’re so big. The meats were perfectly prepared and very tasty, as were the nachos.“

“The bistek asado. omg! soooo tender. we ordered it medium. it was perfect. We also ordered the pollo rostisado con mole. it was tender and tasty. Thank you for accommodating us with no reservations. make reservations. place gets packed quick.“

“buenísimo 👍lo recomiendo 💯💯💯“

“The gentleman had amazing customer service and the food was delicious 🤤 super burrito 🌯 was 💣 and the tacos were on point 🔥 the area was a little interesting but overall the visit was great and for future appointments at the Stanford specialty clinics, we'll definitely be returning“

“delicious food. very kind staff. will definitely be back.“

“Good food taste and great service.“

“I had a regular burrito at Mexcal Taqueria and it definitely hit the spot. The tortilla tasted fresh, the ingredients were well balanced, and everything was packed with flavor without being overdone. You can tell they care about the quality of the food. Portions were solid for the price, and the salsa had a nice kick to it.

Service was quick and friendly, and the whole place had a relaxed, authentic vibe. I’ll definitely be back to try more of the menu.“

“Beautiful place, nice service! It’s my first this place,maybe soon again!“

“Astoundingly delicious and gigantic Shrimp burrito (with generous shrimps!), perfectly hot and fresh thick-cut fries, and super friendly service. At $20 flat all-in with a drink, can’t beat the value. Yummy mild burrito side sauce too. Zero complaints, I’ll be going back!“

“This is the place I recommend to friends if they want tacos and the place we take visitors from outside of California to get tacos. Good traditional cuisine that stays busy, is priced reasonably, and has great salsa selections. We usually get multiples of the 8-taco plate“

“I saw a worker from another place come back from break holding a churro. I had to ask where, this shop was two doors down. First I ordered the churro and then I saw the fun ice cream varieties. Settled on a refreshing soursop, it had seeds! My friend got a dried fruit and he said that grew on him. There are many other flavors to try next time. Service was nice, there are a couple of tables to sit and eat other snacks that they make as well. PS the churros were OK, crispy and sweet but the middle was not as crispy as fresh out of a fry vat in Mexico.“

“Not fancy just great Mexican food done right I go from San Jose just to eat here. The best and I mean best tripa and lengua tacos in the bay. Get extra green sauce and a little red to go. And carrots and lemon. Squeeze the lemon. Hit the salsa and enjoy“

“Talk about a hidden gem. I am not from the area but the line outside the establishment was enough for me to stop, park and get in line. I wish I knew the line was for dine in, because I waited in it not knowing it was for dine in! You know a place is good for menudo and birria when the Mexicans are lining up on Sunday for the crudo! If you know you know. It is Morelia style birria and to me, it is very affordable for quality food.
The meat was sooooo tender let me tell you. And the consome, perfect. They have a wide variety of items on the menu but they are known for the birria here so just get that. It's even served with hand made tortillas so you know this is the real deal.
The cold tall mugs of agua frescas looked sooo mouthwatering. The wait for the food after ordering was about 10 minutes but let me tell you, it's worth it!“

“First time in Palo Alto. Had been at Stanford Hospital all day and we were craving tacos. Easy place to find.. Staff was friendly and the food we ordered was yummy!! The large Nachos can feed 2-3 people. As for the tacos, love a taqueria that's not skimpy on the meat! Definitely coming back! 😋“

“favorite place to go with friends“

“Tasty and authentic 🇲🇽 with reasonable prices. Family-run business 😍“

“The carnitas was wonderfully flavorful, juicy, and smoky BUT a little too salty on its own. I liked their taco as I think everything is more balanced—would absolutely recommend. Combo #3 was overall too salty to be enjoyable for me as I found the sides of #3 to be quite salty, which was too much in addition to the salty carnitas.“

“For $16 in current times the burrito I had was a good value. Very big (enough for a second meal for me) and good quality. I loved the grilling of the shell to make it crispy. That said, having mayonnaise or some kind of creamy sauce on my fish burrito destroyed it for me.“

“We love this place - best tortillas so fresh! This friendly family oriented and super flavorful business deserves your business. Enjoy! ❤️“

“Wow! First time here and I was blown away by the excellent food I was served. I was not expecting this level given the location and the humble appearance of the restaurant.

Out of their huge menu, I selected three dishes and they all came out within 10 min! All the food tasted delicious. Seasoned perfectly. Cooked perfectly. The orchata drink w/ coconut was excellent too and loved that it was lightly sweet.

I ate half of everything and took the other half home in clear plastic containers. I ordered a second orchata to go. I never take food home from a restaurant. NEVER. I always leave a lot of food behind and let it get thrown away. Always. But I scrapped the plates clean off of all the food that was left because I wanted to eat it all later for dinner. It was all that good. The only thing I left behind was the massive random onion (?).

Overall, outstanding food.

The waitresses and bartender were welcoming and courteous and always ready/available.

Will definitely return.“

“The Bay Area has some of the fiercest competitive markets for Americanized Mexican food in the world. Of the many fine burrito-centric establishments I have tried here, Alva's is one of the best.

In other words, you can step up to a truck and minutes later be enjoying literally one of the best burritos in the world. Truly a silver lining of the modern world.

Bonus: Quesabirria and churros on demand.“

“absolutely love the enchilada and guacamole here, price is very reasonable too! idk whats in the orange sauce or whats it called but its very delicious. also love the freeflow nachos station. nacho chips are light and crispy, and the grilled onions, wow! couldnt stop eating them. the bright green salsa is also so refreshing and delicious“

“When a place has been around as long as this, there must be something good there! That's the case here. Been coming here for years and won't stop coming since we always have a great experience, great service and delicious food. Came here for an early dinner so right when the opened and allowed us to get great service, enjoy the outside patio and the quietness of the street.

Great dinner, will be back again“

“We hosted our barbershop holiday party at El Comal Restaurant in Los Altos, and the experience was outstanding from start to finish. The food was absolutely delicious, and the service was top-notch.

David and Jaime, the owners, along with their entire staff, went above and beyond to make sure our group was taken care of. Everything was well-organized, welcoming, and seamless, which made the night even more enjoyable for our whole team.

We truly appreciated the hospitality and attention to detail. Highly recommend El Comal for group events, celebrations, or just an amazing meal.“

“I have to say, they have one of the best Authentic Pupusas I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. I am very picky with my food and I got to say man, they make one of the best if not the best pupusas in the entire Bay Area. They also offer quite the variety of food! It’s like a mix of Salvadorian and Mexican cuisine. Not to mention that the owners and staff are always very clean and they are very professional! I will definitely be back here soon. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“My wife and I have come here 4 times in the last year. Each time they have treated us well, food is fast and great!, and drinks are even better. The lime margarita is the best I've ever had. Thank you Celia's for a wonderful experience.“

“Holy underrated spot. 27 lived here my whole life and never been here til today. The chicken spot next door is legendary but this is overlooked. Big tortillas made by hand and good prices. 2 tacos here is 4 anywhere else and flavors are bomb. Maybe it's just a well kept secret but had to let yall know. Goated birria too“

“Excelente atención los tacos 🌮 de pastor y zuadero riquísimo el agua de horchata riquísima 100%recomendado“

“food was good, bu the person seating people was very rude ! like you were bothering him when we asked if the patio was available, other service was good.“

“The food is solid… I’ve tried tacos, quesadillas, burritos, etc and all are delicious. For me, the green salsa served with chips/meals is amazing!!! Many places serve chips and salsa, but I will always go back because of the green salsa served… not sure if it’s called verde or tomatillo, but it makes the restaurant for me.“

“Fresh delicious pupusas and tasty, good sized burritos at a reasonable price.“

“A lovely afternoon at LULU's. The food so refined in delicious Springtime bites; the drinks complimenting through individual choices; the staff, warm, friendly, in the present, not over shadowing. Nathan Ray, Maitre d', accommodated, facilitated in managing in the most professional styling. A true magnificent afternoon. In Gratitude and Thanks, Susan“