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.“

“We often go here when we’re in the area. Good location and attractive place to eat. Noise level inside is hard to take.
I have had the street tacos often and usually love them. Last time they were a bit heavy handed with the salt. Same with the chicken tortilla soup…usually one of my favorites.“

“Amazing food and excellent service - highly recommend“

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

“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.“

“Amazing place to spend time with family! The patio is beautiful, it feels like you’re dining in your own garden. The food is absolutely delicious, and the prices are great too. Stop by and visit this amazing spot. You won’t be disappointed!“

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

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

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

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

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

“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.“

“amazing ! There is nothing quite like a massive, loaded burrito where the meat is so tender it practically melts apart—definitely a meal built for two or a very serious appetite.
​What's your go-to order when you head over? Are you all about the classic carne asada, or do you mix it up with something else?“

“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.“

“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.“

“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 💯💯💯“

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

“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! 😋“

“Great food and fast friendly service. A great place for burgers.“

“Everything was great. Waiters were friendly. Overall 5/5!“

“I can’t believe how delicious the food is here!! And the owner is an amazing guy! I found this place out of pure luck, and this week I came to here 3 times already. I tried breakfast burrito(x2) and super quesadilla. Both were amazing. Can’t wait to try more!“

“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.“

“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.“

“*Writing this review as I shove my shrimp burrito gluttonously into my face*

Customer service: The woman who greeted me was very sweet and made me feel welcomed.

Food: the shrimp burrito was very fresh and filling. You could taste the freshness of the lettuce and tomato. The salsa was really good too! Their hot salsa has peanuts in it and it gives it a unique flavor reminiscent of Vietnamese peanut sauce. The Jamaica was super refreshing and not too sweet.

Vibes: it’s a chill spot to enjoy your food, even eat in your vehicle. I was able to take my dog on a nice little walk around the block while I waited for my food & it was ready when we got back to Petra’s.

Def recommend giving it a try!
I wanna come back and order one of the desserts- the photos look so yummy 😋“

“La comida es super deliciosa 👌 y el servicio que ofrecen es excelente“

“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.“

“Great food and drinks. Free warm tortilla chips and salsa. Had the expresso chicken burrito with red sauce, pork expresso burrito with green sauce, and expresso chicken and steak burrito with red sauce all burritos topped with sour cream, guacamole, onions, and salsa. Had all el loco drink very refreshing and beers and their hot chicken wings served with ranch and Chile sauce along with carrot slices and celery very good. Restaurant very clean and service was great and quick.“

“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.“

“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!“

“favorite place to go with friends“

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

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

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

“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“

“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.“

“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.“

“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“

“There are two important reasons to go here: fish tacos.“

“Best tortas EVER!!!“

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

“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.“

“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“

“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.“