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El Santo, New Westminster, BC

El Santo

4.4 (1677)
CAN$30 and under
Mexican
680 Columbia St, New Westminster, BC V3M 1A9

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 13 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Good for special occasions
Welcome to el Santo, a restaurant experience that’s uniquely New West. This is a place for you to unwind. To connect with good friends over cocktails. To experience Chef Sam Fabbro’s sustainable menu. And most importantly, to leave satisfied and happy. Get ready to redefine everything you think you know about Mexican cuisine. Come in to our home, fellow luchadores. We’ve got something special for you.

We are excited to announced that el Santo was recently awarded best latin restaurant in Vancouver by Vancouver Magazine.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    CAN$30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu 11:30 am–2:15 pm Tue–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Brunch Fri–Sun 11:30 am–2:15 pm Dinner Mon 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Sam Fabbro
  • Neighborhood
    New Westminster
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    One block away from both Columbia and New Westminster Sky train station
  • Additional
    Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 1,677 people are saying

El Santo reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Vancouver Suburbs

    Gluten-free-friendly

  • Vancouver Suburbs

    Great for creative cocktails

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
El Santo offers an "absolutely extraordinary experience" with its authentic and delicious Mexican cuisine. While some dishes may vary in quality, standout items include the carne ahumada and birria hash. The service is generally friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is vibrant, making it "a must-try spot" for both brunch and dinner.
1,677 Reviews
  1. Sebastien

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    J’ai adoré la nourriture et l’excellent service reçu . Personnellement, j’aurais pris une plus grande portion 😁

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  2. Roxana

    Vancouver / British Columbia2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 21, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    The first time I came to El Santo it was an amazing experience. The food was incredible, the service was great. The second visit was a let down. We had the same set menu as the first time, however it was not the same. It took over 30 minutes for the second course to come, and the third course was also late. I ordered the duck which I had tried before. It was nothing like the first time. It was undercooked inside, flavorless, with overcooked skin. The server replaced it with the smoked meat and that was fantastic. The flan was more like an eggy desert. Flan is one of my favourite deserts and I have had many over the years. The one at El Santo was not good. The mushroom taco and the quesobirria were delicious. The cocktails were also yummy. Our server did not proactively checkin when the food was obviously very delayed and when we approach her she offered a small bowl of chips. When her shift ended she was walked out and no one checked in on our table until we asked for help. 2 other tables came in, ate and left before our 3rd course came. Our final bills had to be fixed 3 times because of the errors made by the server. The last server we dealt with was great. She apologized for all the shortfalls and provided a discount which we definitely appreciated. We had really looked forward to returning to El Santo. Too bad this was the return experience.

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  3. Dernizo

    Vancouver / British Columbia1 review

    3.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    El Santo – Great Service, Disappointing Food This past Sunday, my family and I decided to go out for Mexican food and chose El Santo, a place we had visited before and remembered as a pleasant spot. When we arrived, we were promptly seated, and the staff was extremely friendly and welcoming. The service throughout was quick, polite, and attentive – truly one of the best parts of the experience. Even though we're quite familiar with Mexican cuisine, we found it surprisingly hard to choose our meals. In the end, the food left us disappointed (even the tacos). The presentation was just okay, nothing impressive, and the flavors didn’t deliver. What really stood out was the mismatch between the price and the quality. The prices are above average, but the food was well below average. That gap made the whole experience feel unbalanced. I use a simple test for restaurants: Would I come back? Unfortunately, despite the amazing service, the answer is no. The food simply doesn't justify the cost. In short: top-notch service, but the food and value need serious work.

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  4. Stephen

    Vancouver / British Columbia2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    I've been for dinner a few times, but tried their brunch for the first time this past weekend. We had the Costillita Benedict and the Birria Hash. Both were terrific. The hash was tender, rich, and meaty, and nicely seasoned. The cornbread was crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle, and a great companion to the tender ribs, with a nice little kick of chipotle and ancho. The eggs in both dishes were poached to perfection. The ceviche was good, but not great. I wouldn't say it was a disappointment, as the flavour was good, but it was a little heavy on veg and light on fish. The drinks were very good. The margarita was a classic recipe, nicely mixed and presented. I tried a mezcal wheat beer that was very refreshing and just the right amount of smoky. It was pretty busy, but the service was still prompt and friendly. The room is nicely decorated, and the ambiance is relaxed. It's a bit echo-ey, so hard to have a quiet conversation. Kid/family friendly atmosphere. Would definitely have their brunch again. ¡Gracias, y Bien hecho!

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  5. cristal

    Vancouver / British Columbia3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Father’s Day brunch; food and service were outstanding and it was a quieter period in the day so noise level was good. We love this place, one of the best in New West!

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  6. Antonios VIP

    Vancouver / British Columbia7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always great food at El Santo paired with some great margaritas. The carne ahumada is one of our favourites but honestly we ve never tried something we didn’t find exceptional. Shout out to Kate for the service.

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  7. Zammariah

    Vancouver / British Columbia1 review

    2.0

    Dined on June 13, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    To be completely honest, I’d say the decoration and ambiance is probably a 4/5, they had good seating and really nice decoration. When it comes to service, the staff were professional and nice. Now the actual food itself was mid at best. It had little to no seasoning I was really disappointed because the food looked good. I would say the one really good thing would probably be their chips and dip either with queso or guac. If I was to go there again, it would definitely be just for drinks because their drinks are actually really good which I was really happy about they have a really good tequila.

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  8. Ferin

    Vancouver / British Columbia5 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    Went to celebrate a friends birthday. Arrived on time for our reservation. There were three larger groups already seated with drinks. We waited almost 40 minutes to order drinks (at which point we also ordered food because we were *very* ready). Food came out over the course of 2 hours. In total we were there for 3 hours which was disappointing because we had planned to go to another place but because the service was so slow and seemed to be directed toward the larger groups. We were only served two drinks (if we knew we would be unable to make it anywhere else we would have ordered more). Food was good, but brussel sprouts were very salty. Very very loud. Servers were very friendly but seemed overwhelmed or preoccupied. Overall, I’d come back for a drink and appies, but would not come back for a dinner out.

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  9. Chris

    Vancouver / British Columbia16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Super nice location, food was epic and our server helped customize my friend’s vegetarian dish. Definitely adding it to my approved restaurant list!

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  10. Katherine

    Vancouver / British Columbia1 review

    4.0

    Dined on May 29, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was great, it took a little longer to come out than we expected but we were there for a birthday lunch and had time. Would be nice if chips and salsa weren’t so expensive, they cost almost much as a meal, but that’s how things are these days. Overall, a very enjoyable experience. We will be back.

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FAQs

El Santo does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. El Santo also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (604) 553-1849.

El Santo is rated 4.4 stars by 1677 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. Canada
  3. Vancouver / British Columbia
  4. Vancouver Suburbs
  5. New Westminster

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 13 times today
Google Map for El Santo

680 Columbia St, New Westminster, BC V3M 1A9

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    New Westminster
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Thu 11:30 am–2:15 pm Tue–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Brunch Fri–Sun 11:30 am–2:15 pm Dinner Mon 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:30 pm
  • Price
    CAN$30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    One block away from both Columbia and New Westminster Sky train station
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Sam Fabbro
  • Additional
    Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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