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Elena's, San Francisco, CA

Elena's

4.6 (721)
$30 and under
Mexican
255 W Portal Ave, San Francisco, CA 94127-1401

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 154 times today

About this restaurant

  • Lively
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Hot spot
Welcome to Elena's -- a place where a family’s love for authentic Mexican food is celebrated and combined with California-inspired elements and signature Mexican-American dishes. We offer reservations for up to 8 guests via OpenTable. At the time of your reservation, we kindly request the entire party be present to be seated. Tables will be held for up to 10 minutes after the reservation time. For parties that arrive later, the table will be released but we will do our best to accommodate the reservation with the next available table. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you to Elena’s!

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri 11:30 am–11:00 pm Sat 10:30 am–11:00 pm Sun 10:30 am–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Delivery & takeout

What 721 people are saying

Elena's 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

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Francisco Bay Area

    Most Booked

  • San Francisco

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Elena's offers "outstanding food, service, and overall experience," with "delicious" Mexican dishes and a "vibrant" atmosphere. The restaurant is highly praised for its "amazing" margaritas, beautiful decor, and attentive staff, though reservations can be challenging to secure. It's a beloved spot for special occasions or casual dining alike.

721 Reviews
  1. Zach

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Steak fajitas were excellent, lots of really good options. Service was great.

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  2. JR

    San Francisco2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Our table was not leveled and kept shaking. One our cups was dirty and when we told the waiter he seemed bothered that we called it out and said “its just tajin” as if that was ok. He did replace it. Food was great but took really long! Out reservations was at 8p and didn’t eat until past 9p

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  3. Masa VIP

    San Francisco13 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Okay, so take home message, yes, it's a fun night. Our night however...they have big glass windows and if you're there before nightfall, the sun just beats right in your face. Our waiter even half-jokingly asked if we wanted him to stand and block it. A number of bar patrons were also hold up menus in their faces. Then the nickle-and-dime: I had told a server I was allergic to red salsa so asked for green. Great, he brought over a very small dish and all good. But then when the check came, they had charged me $2 for this (and hadn't told me it'd be extra). Super weak sauce, literally. The drinks are a bit expensive ($75 for a pitcher of nothing-super-special margarita) and one drink is more than their taco entrees. But we sort of expect this, gotta make money somehow. The food itself is above average, and the ambiance is nice. Not a lot else going on in West Portal, so glad to see them there. Oh, if you like the kids/family dining vibe, go there between 5-7 p.m. If not, be prepared. :)

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  4. Ingrid VIP

    New York City20 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The crab enchiladas and fresh guacamole were great

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  5. Kitti

    San Francisco32 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Every dish is consistently delicious and beautifully presented. Elena's margaritas are outstanding as well.

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  6. Caity

    New York City1 review

    3.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    I think you can go to any mexican spot in the Mission and get better mexican food without the expensive price tag. The place was beautiful, but I don't really think it was worth the amount we paid. The food runners and bussers were excellent; our server was pretty much nonexistent. Unsure I would go back there.

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  7. Nancy

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What an amazing add to this owners empire. Food was amazing, atmosphere made you feel like you were in Mexico, music and all. Elena hit a home run with this one!

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  8. Michael

    San Francisco5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Nice restaurant and very busy, hard to get a reservation. Would go back again.

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  9. Efrain

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding food, service, and overall experience! Best place in town!

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  10. Steven

    Ecuador1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Espectacular restaurant. The food incredible. Very good place to have dinner

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FAQs

You can order delivery directly from Elena's using the Order Online button.

Elena's is rated 4.6 stars by 721 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Francisco Bay Area
  4. San Francisco
  5. Forest Hill / West Portal

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 154 times today
Google Map for Elena's

255 W Portal Ave, San Francisco, CA 94127-1401

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Forest Hill / West Portal
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri 11:30 am–11:00 pm Sat 10:30 am–11:00 pm Sun 10:30 am–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
  • Additional
    Wheelchair Access
  • Delivery & takeout
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