Elena’s is a welcome addition to the San Francisco and West Portal Mexican food repertoire. The food is fresh, delicious and authentic. The staff is friendly and welcoming. I have eaten too much each time I visited - not a complaint! I am told the desserts are wonderful. Maybe, someday, I will leave room to try them.
Ninette Bavaro-Latronica
The Jewel of West Portal. Elena’s is by far one of the best Mexican restaurants I’ve been to. It’s another one of the Rodin/Duggan restaurants; much like Original Joes in NorthBeach, and Westlake it has perfected an inviting ambiance, friendly, efficient and helpful staff, as well as delicious food from a huge menu. The difference is is Elena’s menu has the best Mexican food. Much like Original Joe’s, attention is paid to detail…from the staff, decor, atmosphere, and most of all the food. With reasonable prices, I recommend Elena’s, whether you’re eating alone, with a romantic partner, out with friends, or in my case, having dinner with my grandchildren.
Erik H.
What a great place and I wouldn't have expected any less and actually got more than expected from the originators of Original Joe's! Had been hearing for months all about Elenas! The wait, the food, the prices, etc. Honestly my friends who went all had said it was wonderful and those who hadn't were saying they wanted to go. Came here the Friday before St. Patrick's Day at 4:30 pm and walked in to find the hostess saying it was a 2.5 hour wait! Well it turns out that the Patriarch of the restaurant, had just been feted as Hibernian of the Year, Mayor Breed had said she could 't wait to go, again it was a Friday afternoon, AND people were getting an early start on the drinking holiday. Ran into an old acquaintance who said it was excellent, walked around West Portal for an alternative and then decided to get some drinks and wait at the packed bar.. Found out if you can get a seat at the bar you can order there. Ordered some of Elena's Classic margaritas as well as a Coconut margarita... and after 45 minute we got 2 seats at the bar and ordered. At the recommendation of friends and the bartender I got the surf and turf fajitas. They were excellent. Meat was tender and the shrimp were perfectly cooked and tasty.. All around it was a great meal and the best part was just the aura and atmosphere. While not authentic Mexican cuisine it was done perfectly. Now if you ate looking for authentic cuisine don't go here, but if you are looking to hang with San Francisco natives looking for a clean upscale place to have a drink and spend a night out with friends this is it. I'm not kidding when I say I ran into people I hadn't seen in decades as well as friends of my family. The West Portal neighborhood is still a classic San Francisco old school neighborhood and Elenas fits in perfectly. If you are a fan of Original Joes but with more of a Mexican twist that is the best way to explain its appeal. I will be back!!
Jeff S.
I have been wanting to write a review of this place since we went there a week ago. Elena's is a new restaurant in SF and it is fantastic. The atmosphere and decor are well done and the service was incredible. So much so we actually commented to the manager about the over all great experience. The food was fresh and incredible. I highly recommend this place and can't wait to return.
Jami G.
Finally had the chance to try this place out. The ambiance is beautiful a great addition to West Portal. Flora was our server and she was the best. If you want great service ask for Flora. Very amiable. Whenever I go I'll be sure to go when she's working. :) We got many dishes. The most memorable ones were definitely the ceviche and desserts. For cocktails get the high roller. Drink definitely packs a punch.
Yall the food is amazing, is it overpriced? Yes but when you're there you will understand why it is, it is sooooo good. The staff was amazing, loved every one of them. What l will say is there is not enough privacy, everyone is right next to everyone, and u can Here every ones business but l Will say u will spend more time loving the food with the people you came with and tune them out
D K R
Every moment of our meal was fantastic. The service was efficient and joyful and the food was incredible. Already have our next reservation made!
This is a brand new hot spot in San Francisco for good reason. We went there late on a Monday night, and the restaurant was full and vibrant. Beautiful interiors with exposed rafters and an open kitchen with Mexican-tiled walls are on full display. The bar is huge--it spans nearly the entire side of the space. And the gas lamp sconces are a nice touch. But let's talk about the food. To start, we ordered the esquites and rancherita. The corn was fresh and was highlighted by the perfect balance of spices and acid, and the carnitas on the rancherita were succulently moist and flavorful--probably some of the best carnitas I've had outside of Mexico City. For entrees, we had the combination platter with chicken enchilada & chile relleno and the burrito mojado divorciado with carne asada. We were blown away by the punches of flavor in everything we ate. Everything was well-seasoned and well-balanced. The sauces were rich and smooth, and the proteins somehow tasted meatier and delicious. We had such an amazing experience that we've already made reservations for next month.
The ambiance is great. Food is ok, my Chili Reano was a disappointment. Not a lot of flavor and the pepper was tough. Other members of our group stated the tamales were not very good., The enchiladas were good and some of the calamari was rubbery. Rice was very good and so were the refried beans but it would have been nice to be able to substitute whole beans. Salsa was excellent.
SauvignonBlonde
Wow! What an incredible addition to West Portal. After reading non-stop amazing reviews of Elena's I was able to snag a reservation for a late lunch. We walked into the restaurant and were wowed by the decor and ambiance. It's very "now" but traditional too. The finishes are beautiful and you can tell that great thought went into everything inside. The food menu is huge. I could have chosen 95% of the menu. The drinks all looked amazing. I chose the spicy margarita and my friend chose a coconut margarita. Both were excellent. I decided to go a little non-traditional and ordered the Ahi Tostadas. They were so good. Cute little round tortillas with delicious "poke"on top. My friend ordered a more traditional Mexican dish. I cannot remember what it was but she was in heaven!! The service was excellent. Our server, Jan, was friendly and fun. She had great recommendations for us. I absolutely cannot wait to get back and share this wonderful restaurant with friends..
We had an amazing girls night here, cocktails and food were super good and the staff was attentive and friendly, definitely worth the wait on the reservation and I will definitely be coming here again!!! Thanks for a super fun night!
Foody
We were excited to try Elena's. The restaurant itself is gorgeous and open with a festive and bright ambiance. The staff and service were excellent. However, after waiting to try it, we 6 thought the food and drinks were just ok. Colibri's in the Presidio is still our favorite for amazing food and delicious cocktails. Glad we tried it but with the reservations and parking challenges and food just ok, not sure we would go back.
Soroosh P.
3.5 out 5 rounding up to 4 due to the ambiance. This restaurant is well located and finishes, attention to detail as it relates to atmosphere is quite nice which makes it worthy for a special occasion. I like the indoor plants and the eternal burning flame and the thick cups, the plates are also decorative and reflective of the type of upscale cuisine Elena's serves. The service is good, able to provide decent recommendations but not great or exceptional. Drinks were good- but nothing extraordinary, the Estrella Jalisco was a nice beer. My wife's Habanero Magarita was a a little too sweet. The esquites, chips and salsa were above average. The esquites had a nice kick. The mains were a little disappointing. We got the Enchilada, brazino and three item combo. Some items were better than others, but nothing was memorable in terms of flavor profile or taste, presentation was decent. I asked for a spicy habanero based salsa but was told the spiciest thing they had was Arbol which tasted less spicy than raw jalapeños. Overall this spot is decent but the food isn't going to blow you away. It's not worth a detour or a wait/hype.
Chris C.
I've been to Elena's 3 times all at the bar so my 4-star review is a mix of ratings from those visits. Pros: the bar is great where the bartenders are attentive and the margaritas are on point! The chips and salsa are homemade and are solid. The ambience and price points are great for a restaurant of this class. I love the decor and the menu has a lot of options. Cons: While the drink service has been great, the food service is consistently slow. My first visit they forgot my meal entirely and only when I asked about it did it get entered into the system. They were very nice about it and comp'd drinks which I sincerely appreciated. It is also extremely popular so finding a reservation can be tricky. But if you are 1-2 people then just go to the bar where there's been zero wait the 3 times I've gone during lunch time. Pozole: I loved this dish. By far the best thing I've gotten there. One small suggestion is they need to offer fresh cilantro. I'll ask for it next time. Hamburguesa: a solid choice, I was very satisfied with the flavor of the beef and the condiments and bun. Only minor complaint is the meat to bun coverage was incomplete where the patty only covered about 80% of the inside of the bun. Either extend the patty or shrink the bun! No one likes having the dumb end piece of a bun because there wasn't enough beef in their burger. Cheese Enchilada plate: this was a huge disappointment on all levels. The cheese enchilada plate is my baseline dish on which I first judge every Mexican restaurant. The cheese was too firm, not sure if they put too much, didn't melt it enough, or the cheese might have been the wrong choice for an enchilada since I expect the cheese to be gooey and stringy when you pull your bites off. There was no stringiness, just firm chunks of white cheese inside. Sad face y soy muy triste. The red sauce was also not balanced. There wasn't enough flavor, and too much smokiness from what I assume are chilis and/or chile powder. Finally, the rice and refried beans were not seasoned enough either. The beans needed more salt and probably some bacon grease or other fat. The texture was too thick and gloopy as well. The rice was lacking in flavor as well. Overall, while it's hard for me to patronize a place whose rice and beans I don't like, thankfully Elena's compensates by having other great dishes, and the drinks and drink service are on point. Food service is slow, but hopefully they iron that out. The ambiance and decor are gorgeous and the staff are all very friendly. I'll be back!
Elena’s is a welcome addition to the San Francisco and West Portal Mexican food repertoire. The food is fresh, delicious and authentic. The staff is friendly and welcoming. I have eaten too much each time I visited - not a complaint! I am told the desserts are wonderful. Maybe, someday, I will leave room to try them.
The Jewel of West Portal. Elena’s is by far one of the best Mexican restaurants I’ve been to. It’s another one of the Rodin/Duggan restaurants; much like Original Joes in NorthBeach, and Westlake it has perfected an inviting ambiance, friendly, efficient and helpful staff, as well as delicious food from a huge menu. The difference is is Elena’s menu has the best Mexican food. Much like Original Joe’s, attention is paid to detail…from the staff, decor, atmosphere, and most of all the food. With reasonable prices, I recommend Elena’s, whether you’re eating alone, with a romantic partner, out with friends, or in my case, having dinner with my grandchildren.
What a great place and I wouldn't have expected any less and actually got more than expected from the originators of Original Joe's! Had been hearing for months all about Elenas! The wait, the food, the prices, etc. Honestly my friends who went all had said it was wonderful and those who hadn't were saying they wanted to go. Came here the Friday before St. Patrick's Day at 4:30 pm and walked in to find the hostess saying it was a 2.5 hour wait! Well it turns out that the Patriarch of the restaurant, had just been feted as Hibernian of the Year, Mayor Breed had said she could 't wait to go, again it was a Friday afternoon, AND people were getting an early start on the drinking holiday. Ran into an old acquaintance who said it was excellent, walked around West Portal for an alternative and then decided to get some drinks and wait at the packed bar.. Found out if you can get a seat at the bar you can order there. Ordered some of Elena's Classic margaritas as well as a Coconut margarita... and after 45 minute we got 2 seats at the bar and ordered. At the recommendation of friends and the bartender I got the surf and turf fajitas. They were excellent. Meat was tender and the shrimp were perfectly cooked and tasty.. All around it was a great meal and the best part was just the aura and atmosphere. While not authentic Mexican cuisine it was done perfectly. Now if you ate looking for authentic cuisine don't go here, but if you are looking to hang with San Francisco natives looking for a clean upscale place to have a drink and spend a night out with friends this is it. I'm not kidding when I say I ran into people I hadn't seen in decades as well as friends of my family. The West Portal neighborhood is still a classic San Francisco old school neighborhood and Elenas fits in perfectly. If you are a fan of Original Joes but with more of a Mexican twist that is the best way to explain its appeal. I will be back!!
I have been wanting to write a review of this place since we went there a week ago. Elena's is a new restaurant in SF and it is fantastic. The atmosphere and decor are well done and the service was incredible. So much so we actually commented to the manager about the over all great experience. The food was fresh and incredible. I highly recommend this place and can't wait to return.
Finally had the chance to try this place out. The ambiance is beautiful a great addition to West Portal. Flora was our server and she was the best. If you want great service ask for Flora. Very amiable. Whenever I go I'll be sure to go when she's working. :) We got many dishes. The most memorable ones were definitely the ceviche and desserts. For cocktails get the high roller. Drink definitely packs a punch.
Yall the food is amazing, is it overpriced? Yes but when you're there you will understand why it is, it is sooooo good. The staff was amazing, loved every one of them. What l will say is there is not enough privacy, everyone is right next to everyone, and u can Here every ones business but l Will say u will spend more time loving the food with the people you came with and tune them out
Every moment of our meal was fantastic. The service was efficient and joyful and the food was incredible. Already have our next reservation made!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carnitas, Enchilada Combo, Chile Relleno
This is a brand new hot spot in San Francisco for good reason. We went there late on a Monday night, and the restaurant was full and vibrant. Beautiful interiors with exposed rafters and an open kitchen with Mexican-tiled walls are on full display. The bar is huge--it spans nearly the entire side of the space. And the gas lamp sconces are a nice touch. But let's talk about the food. To start, we ordered the esquites and rancherita. The corn was fresh and was highlighted by the perfect balance of spices and acid, and the carnitas on the rancherita were succulently moist and flavorful--probably some of the best carnitas I've had outside of Mexico City. For entrees, we had the combination platter with chicken enchilada & chile relleno and the burrito mojado divorciado with carne asada. We were blown away by the punches of flavor in everything we ate. Everything was well-seasoned and well-balanced. The sauces were rich and smooth, and the proteins somehow tasted meatier and delicious. We had such an amazing experience that we've already made reservations for next month.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carnitas, Enchilada Combo, Chile Relleno
The ambiance is great. Food is ok, my Chili Reano was a disappointment. Not a lot of flavor and the pepper was tough. Other members of our group stated the tamales were not very good., The enchiladas were good and some of the calamari was rubbery. Rice was very good and so were the refried beans but it would have been nice to be able to substitute whole beans. Salsa was excellent.
Wow! What an incredible addition to West Portal. After reading non-stop amazing reviews of Elena's I was able to snag a reservation for a late lunch. We walked into the restaurant and were wowed by the decor and ambiance. It's very "now" but traditional too. The finishes are beautiful and you can tell that great thought went into everything inside. The food menu is huge. I could have chosen 95% of the menu. The drinks all looked amazing. I chose the spicy margarita and my friend chose a coconut margarita. Both were excellent. I decided to go a little non-traditional and ordered the Ahi Tostadas. They were so good. Cute little round tortillas with delicious "poke"on top. My friend ordered a more traditional Mexican dish. I cannot remember what it was but she was in heaven!! The service was excellent. Our server, Jan, was friendly and fun. She had great recommendations for us. I absolutely cannot wait to get back and share this wonderful restaurant with friends..
Restaurantji Recommends
We had an amazing girls night here, cocktails and food were super good and the staff was attentive and friendly, definitely worth the wait on the reservation and I will definitely be coming here again!!! Thanks for a super fun night!
We were excited to try Elena's. The restaurant itself is gorgeous and open with a festive and bright ambiance. The staff and service were excellent. However, after waiting to try it, we 6 thought the food and drinks were just ok. Colibri's in the Presidio is still our favorite for amazing food and delicious cocktails. Glad we tried it but with the reservations and parking challenges and food just ok, not sure we would go back.
3.5 out 5 rounding up to 4 due to the ambiance. This restaurant is well located and finishes, attention to detail as it relates to atmosphere is quite nice which makes it worthy for a special occasion. I like the indoor plants and the eternal burning flame and the thick cups, the plates are also decorative and reflective of the type of upscale cuisine Elena's serves. The service is good, able to provide decent recommendations but not great or exceptional. Drinks were good- but nothing extraordinary, the Estrella Jalisco was a nice beer. My wife's Habanero Magarita was a a little too sweet. The esquites, chips and salsa were above average. The esquites had a nice kick. The mains were a little disappointing. We got the Enchilada, brazino and three item combo. Some items were better than others, but nothing was memorable in terms of flavor profile or taste, presentation was decent. I asked for a spicy habanero based salsa but was told the spiciest thing they had was Arbol which tasted less spicy than raw jalapeños. Overall this spot is decent but the food isn't going to blow you away. It's not worth a detour or a wait/hype.
I've been to Elena's 3 times all at the bar so my 4-star review is a mix of ratings from those visits. Pros: the bar is great where the bartenders are attentive and the margaritas are on point! The chips and salsa are homemade and are solid. The ambience and price points are great for a restaurant of this class. I love the decor and the menu has a lot of options. Cons: While the drink service has been great, the food service is consistently slow. My first visit they forgot my meal entirely and only when I asked about it did it get entered into the system. They were very nice about it and comp'd drinks which I sincerely appreciated. It is also extremely popular so finding a reservation can be tricky. But if you are 1-2 people then just go to the bar where there's been zero wait the 3 times I've gone during lunch time. Pozole: I loved this dish. By far the best thing I've gotten there. One small suggestion is they need to offer fresh cilantro. I'll ask for it next time. Hamburguesa: a solid choice, I was very satisfied with the flavor of the beef and the condiments and bun. Only minor complaint is the meat to bun coverage was incomplete where the patty only covered about 80% of the inside of the bun. Either extend the patty or shrink the bun! No one likes having the dumb end piece of a bun because there wasn't enough beef in their burger. Cheese Enchilada plate: this was a huge disappointment on all levels. The cheese enchilada plate is my baseline dish on which I first judge every Mexican restaurant. The cheese was too firm, not sure if they put too much, didn't melt it enough, or the cheese might have been the wrong choice for an enchilada since I expect the cheese to be gooey and stringy when you pull your bites off. There was no stringiness, just firm chunks of white cheese inside. Sad face y soy muy triste. The red sauce was also not balanced. There wasn't enough flavor, and too much smokiness from what I assume are chilis and/or chile powder. Finally, the rice and refried beans were not seasoned enough either. The beans needed more salt and probably some bacon grease or other fat. The texture was too thick and gloopy as well. The rice was lacking in flavor as well. Overall, while it's hard for me to patronize a place whose rice and beans I don't like, thankfully Elena's compensates by having other great dishes, and the drinks and drink service are on point. Food service is slow, but hopefully they iron that out. The ambiance and decor are gorgeous and the staff are all very friendly. I'll be back!
Best restaurant in West Portal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5