Danny K.

For the last dinner of my visitors from out of the country, I decided to take them to El Comal in Los Altos. My partner and I had a great experience back when they first opened in early 2025. I was one of the first Yelpers to review them and enthusiastically recommended El Comal to quite a few friends and work colleagues this past year. Last night got off to a bit of a strange start when our reserved table for five was not prepared in advance unlike the two seat table by the window which already had a reserved sign on it, ready for a couple that arrived 10-15 minutes after my party. They dragged over a 2 top and a couple chairs to complete our table. Once seated, we noticed right away that the menu had changed significantly. The beet salad that was the main dish my partner wanted to order...gone from the menu. The Sopa Azteca that I was looking forward to...also gone, and the "Soup of the Day" listed on the menu was not available at all. The light and airy tricolored tortilla chips were also gone, with denser and less crispy chips in their place. Even the mashed avocados in the guacamole had a slightly darker greyish color rather than the bright green you'd see in a fresh guacamole. My partner asked for a salad with no onions or cucumbers. Unexpectedly, the waitress quickly brought out a salad that had lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and onions. With no Sopa Azteca available, I ordered Enchiladas with Roja sauce. I was really puzzled when what was served was a cooled dish of Enmoladas topped with Mole sauce. Now I may not be Latino, but I know there's a huge difference between a roja sauce and a complex mole sauce. At first, I thought they may have misheard me when I ordered enchiladas. So when the waiter, who I believe is also one of the owners, tried to explain to me that they were similar and that they substituted enmoladas because they ran out of enchiladas, I had a few thoughts that I kept to myself. To his credit he offered to take the enmoladas back and let me order something else. But I very rarely send fully-prepared dishes back to the kitchen because it is wasteful and I'm not the type to openly complain. But if they had run out of enchiladas, I would expect that most restaurants would send someone to let me know before preparing and serving a completely different dish. That way I would have been able to order something else instead of getting a fully cooked dish that I wouldn't have ordered. I also didn't want to cause a fuss in front of my visiting guests so I kept the enmoladas and ate them in disbelief. The waiter brought by another dish (Bocolitos, I believe) on the house as we were nearing the end of our meal, which was a kind gesture. But the whole experience was such a letdown compared to the previous visits that I felt the need to update my review to better reflect the current state of the restaurant. One can only speculate about what's happening behind the scenes but based on our experience last night, there's been a noticeable decline in the selection and quality of the dishes as well as the service. In all likelihood, we won't be returning to El Comal after this sad turn of events.

Devi K.

We really enjoyed this very welcome addition to Los Altos downtown! We started with the chips and guac. The chips are made in house and excellent. The various house salsas were delicious, esp the the salsa verde and the guajillo. We also ordered the days special - a salmon sashimi tostada with a delicious sauce, chilies and orange zest - very delicious! For our entrees, we had tacos (huitlacoche, quesabirria and veggie) and the veggie enchiladas. The red sauce on the enchiladas was amazing. The only let down was the tres leches, but the rest of the meal was excellent! Friendly service, too!

A S.

Another amazing experience here at El Comal. We're usually enjoying our food too much to stop and take pictures but this review is long overdue. Coming from Mexican & Afro-Latin families that COOK, my partner and I are rarely impressed enough to write one. However, the ambiance, quality of service AND food at El Comal are worth the visit! Tacos, sopes, soups, birria all delicious. Tortillas are handmade fresh when ordered and their menudo & posole are about as authentic as you can get. The staff is phenomenal and responsive, even when they're super busy. The menu changes to reflect what they have fresh/on hand which is commendable & more sustainable [wish more places did this]. The only downsides are chips n salsa are extra (understandable with the cost of things right now), they don't always have hominy or cabbage on hand for the menudo/posole, no dessert options without wheat/GF. Still, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Ruth R.

Looking for authentic high end Mexican food? You've come to the right place! On Saturday morning, we finally made it to El Comal where we were greeted by Fernando who provided us with exceptional service. We were in search of a nice Mexican brunch and saw their old menu showed chilaquiles. While no longer on their actual menu, we asked if they still made them. They whipped us up two fresh batches! They were delicious and very authentic. The best chilaquiles I've had recently in the Bay Area. Our only suggestion since they open at 10am on Saturdays: it would be great if they did offer a weekend brunch menu from 10am-2pm before changing to their dinner/day menu. They could keep it simple with typical Mexican brunch food items and offer fresh squeezed orange juice, mimosas, etc. We'll definitely go back!

John D.

Holy Mole Brand-new Mexican restaurant located along the main drag in Downtown Los Altos, and features dishes from the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Yucatán. The owners are the furthest thing from the restaurant biz, as one owns a plumbing company and the other owns a construction company. Oddly enough they met after both being scammed out of money by the same man, and a partnership was born. Normally restaurants that are owned by first-time restaurant owners don't fare well, but they seem to have done a good job hiring the right people. The Good: *Gorgeous interior décor *Dog-friendly shaded outdoor dining *Terrific service by "Server H" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ *For being open less than a month, they had a pretty smooth operation. *They just got their liquor license so they have beer, micheladas, wine, and cocktails. *Complimentary Chips and Salsa! Their salsa is really good fwiw. *Mole was fantastic and had a nice depth of flavor with just the right amount of chocolatey sweetness. I also really appreciated the fresh, well-dresssed salad that accompanied it instead of rice or beans. My one complaint was the chicken breasts were a touch dry, but otherwise an almost flawless dish. *Carissa really enjoyed her salmon salad, but we wish it had a little more Mexi flair to it. *Molletes were fantastic! Right ratio of cheese to beans, and the bread had a nice sourdough flavor. The Meh: *Street parking is free but can be tough to find. *It would be nice to see some craft beers available, beyond the stereotypical Corona, Modelo, and such, but I get it. The Ugly: *They need better exterior signage so that diners can know they exist as they walk across the street or drive-by. Conclusion: Fantastic authentic Mexi eats in a great location. Highly recommended.

Denise. L.

Great lunch of enchiladas and chilaquiles. Service was warm and friendly. Love this place!

I finally made it to El Comal, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. I came with a friend and her son--both originally from Mexico--plus my own son, so this was a table with very high standards for Mexican food. Everyone left happy. We started with the guac and chips, which were incredibly fresh with the perfect balance of lime, salt, and cilantro. The ceviche was bright and vibrant--clean citrus, just the right amount of heat, and beautifully balanced. You could really taste the quality of the ingredients. For mains, we ordered a bit of everything: chicken mole, salmon, and a mushroom taco. The mole was outstanding--deep, complex, and rich without being overly heavy. You could taste the layers of spice and chocolate the way a proper mole should be. The salmon was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the mushroom taco was surprisingly one of my favorites--earthy, savory, and packed with flavor. The micheladas were spot on--refreshing, tangy, and perfectly spiced. Even the kids' meals impressed us. The chicken tenders and fries were actually good quality (not an afterthought like at a lot of places), and the mocktails made the kids feel special and included. The service was excellent. We were checked on personally by the owner several times, which really added a warm, welcoming touch. Dining out with kids can sometimes be a bit chaotic, but the staff handled it with such kindness and patience. They brought the kids a coloring mat, which kept them happily occupied for a while--always appreciated by parents. The restaurant felt very family-friendly and even dog-friendly, which made the whole experience relaxed and comfortable. What really stood out was how authentic everything tasted. The seasoning, spice level, and flavor balance were exactly right--nothing watered down, nothing overdone. When you're dining with people from Mexico and they're nodding approvingly after every bite, you know the kitchen is doing something right. Great food, great drinks, fantastic service, and a genuinely welcoming atmosphere. We'll definitely be back!!!

Jasmine A.

We were excited to welcome a new Mexican restaurant to the neighborhood. Positives Cute interior Nice service Tortillas were very good Moles was tasty Negatives Restaurant was empty when we got there at 7pm Menu was limited. Not the menu pictured on Yelp My entree was luke warm. Not hot at all No chips, no salsa, no rice, no beans. You can get chips and guacamole for $14 $72 was steep for what we ordered Also, they turned away a single diner at 7:30pm so not sure what time they really close. I'm not sure they are building a local, regular customer base which is what a Los Altos neighborhood restaurant needs in order to survive

Montse S.

Casually walked by on a wednesday and they had taco specials, I had three different kinds all for under $25 a Paloma, which they specially made for me not being too sweet and honestly, I went at a slow time so the one Server was taking care of the entire restaurant and she was very attentive. Join in at the patio, it's beautiful.

I found myself in Palo Alto at dinner time, and Mexican food sounded good, so I gave El Comal a try. I got enmoladas and a michelada. The michelada was very tasty, with tajin on the rim and a lime wedge. I'd never had enmoladas before, so I was excited to try them. They're essentially chicken enchiladas with mole on top. The mole was one of the tastiest I've ever had, and the meal was really good. My only complaint is that the enmoladas were not as warm (physically, not spice-wise) as I would expect, which detracted a bit from the meal. I look forward to eating there next time I'm in the area to try some more things on the menu.

You K.

El chile relleno is exactly how it should be made and taste. You can tell the tortillas are freshly made as well and we really enjoyed their rice, tasted very home made; even brought back memories of my family's cooking. Well done El Comal. Service was great and respectful. We even got to see their machine that makes the tortillas on the spot as our waiter was very kind to give us a mini walkthrough. We did arrive on a Saturday around 1pm so it wasn't busy, as they close at 2 and re-open at 4. Sat outside, it was peaceful and you are able to carry a conversation without any noise distractions.

Peter M.

Quality food & service. Found this place walking around Los Altos looking for traditional Mexican food that isn't just a taqueria.

Stopped by for the first time for lunch today. We came at the right time because it wasn't long before there was a wait. Had the ceviche to start. Absolutely perfect. My son ordered from the brunch menu and loved his food. I had the mole chicken enmoladas and they were heaven on a plate. (It's a large portion - I ended up taking 1/2 of it home!) The mole is housemade three times a week. It was spicy and complex. Loved it. Shared the chocolate flan dessert. Unique and delicious.