Went to this Mexican restaurant with my family. It could definitely use some improvement. My mom told me that she felt that a meal at Taco Bell, (when she used to take the grandkids), was better. My dad, who eats anything gleefully, was not impressed either. My meal was ok, that's about it. As for the ambiance... The employees were preparing for the next day, at the table across from us. Clanking and then packing silverware in napkins, for about a half hour. We couldn't really talk peacefully at our table. Didn't feel like complaining, but I kept looking over at them, and they were oblivious to us and the disturbance. We are still seaching for our future favorite Mexican restaurant. read more

The food here was great, I would give it 4 stars. But the customer service was a bit lacking, the dude at the bar must be having a bad day, bc it felt like we were bothering him when we picked up our order. read more

Amazing ceviche and fantastic mole! Next time I'd add mango to my ceviche because that looked great too!

Everyone is so friendly and they have one of the best salsas!! Rolled tacos were really good too!

Never a disappointment. Great customer service and strong margaritas. Clean, with outdoor seating and heat lamps. A weekly visit satisfies my soul. Thank you Mario and Juan for your strong margaritas and making me feel at home with your great phone order skills and happy hour jokes (they don't offer a happy hour menu but their service alone is worth going there to eat). read more

El Sinaloense - When you go to dinner and ask for your 2nd drink to go. You get a sippy cup of fun. - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

Absolutely loved El Sinaloense! The ceviche was fresh and the margaritas were made perfectly. I will be back! read more

El Sinaloense - El Sinaloense Mexican Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

Best Mexican Restaurant OF ALL TIME!!! The food is amazing and they the service is impeccable! Great restaurant atmosphere and overall amazing food. read more

El Sinaloense - Torta Mexican Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

Love the shrimp and beef burrito. It's the bomb. It's pretty sizable so if you don't have a big appetite, you can eat only 1/2. Love getting take out from here. read more

Excellent pollo en mole. Everything came hot and fresh. Thumbs up! Love their chips and salsa too. read more

El Sinaloense - a plate of mexican food - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

The food here is so fresh & delicious... the ceviche was amazing & the prawn tacos were really good. The service was great... they came by to check if all was ok & you needed anything regularly & our meals can out in no time. We celebrated a birthday & the lights went off & the music came on singing Happy Birthday... everyone clapped & sang & it was so much fun! So nice to see everyone so happy & enjoying the ambiance & their meals. I will definitely go back! read more

Came and ordered a tamale, molejete and a pineapple shrimp squid seafood dish and a cerviche. Tamalate and molejete seemed microwaved. Warm but dry and crusty parts. No flavor. The beef in the molejete had no flavor, dry, burnt ends . Funky smell too . Cerviche was avg. I've had better at taco shops. Overall, a miss. Nothing special about this place and def not worth the cost. Service wasn't good either. read more

We are back again! This place by far has the best Mexican food in the area. It all taste so fresh and homemade. read more

El Sinaloense - Michelada and Aguachile - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

Dined in here last week. Was pretty packed at dinner time. Chips and salsa is a must and their salsa was delicious. Had a carne asada super burrito which was really good. Priced very reasonable. Will definitely be back. read more

El Sinaloense - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

This is one of the best places to get Mexican food/specifically Mexican seafood. My favorite dishes are 1. Aguachiles: raw shrimp swimming in lime that has jalapeño (or another green chile) blended in -served with cucumber and red onion. They're so good eaten with chips 2. Berna Special: shrimp cooked in a spicy chile sauce. The shrimps have the head on which is my favorite part. Served with lime juice for dipping 3. Filete al Ajo: filet of fish pan seared with a buttery garlic sauce over the top. Me and my husband always get a salsa a la diabla on the side to dip it in. It comes with veggies but I opt for refried beans. I save the lime juice from the Berna Special and dip my fish in it. It is the best! 3. Molcajete: the proteins are carne asada, seared chicken, shrimp cooked in a spicy sauce. There is a cheese they use that gets nice and melted too. Green onions also included. On the side is a plate of beans, rice, guac, sour cream, lettuce and pico. Eat it with flour tortillas! 4. My kids love their beans and rice and my 8 year old really enjoys their nachos 4. My husband always gets their michelada! The staff is super friendly. The owner Mario is outgoing, welcoming and is always in the best mood! read more

We were craving good mexican food after the beach and decided to try El Sinaloense and Im so glad we did. We sat outside. Plenty of tables, clean, and family friendly. And looks like a local favorite as some of the other tables seemed to know the staff. The chips was warm and the salsa was nice and spicy. I ordered the Camarones Chipotle and it was so creamy and flavorful. My husband ordered the Molcajete which they're know for from the reviews and it didn't disappoint. My kids ordered chicken burrito and carne asada and they were also good. Oh and of course Jamaica juice...perfect and not too sweet. I would eat here regularly if I were local. read more

El Sinaloense - Molcajete - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

See all

La torre de mariscos lo mejor k puedes probar The tower of mariscos it's the best tasting read more

Omg are you kidding me? Wow I walked in and I'm astonished the food is not dried up Rice. The food is such great quality. I am so fortunate. I live in San Mateo where I can actually how to go to Whole Foods and get a stupid plate like spend like 75 bucks on a meal for myself. This is the most fabulous pies you don't even know how fortunate you are to live in San Mateo county but I'm letting you know this please I swear to God you're gonna love it. By the way, best mannerism after Covid people are not nice. When you go to restaurants, they act like they do you a favor. These people are amazing. I'm astonished I'm sucked into this joint. You guys can take it or leave it.!!! read more

The servers were all very friendly but the food was average. The steak on my taco salad did not taste fresh. It was cut in small pieces and meat was fatty. The chili colorado was also average. It was a bit watered down. The ambiance was good. Maybe we will try again and order something different. read more

Food is below average. Service is okay I guess. Ambiance seems dusty. I would not recommend. Quality is 2.5/5

A great place to eat. Service is great and friendly. Can get loud when crowded. Definitely

As you know the fires around the state (thank you firefighters) have caused us all to live in a orange gloom of doom. A few friends of mine went up to Too of The World in Hillsborough to peep the scene and take some photos. Afterwards we were famished. We searched for a place to grab some tacos and stumbled upon El Sinaloense. When we arrived the area was desolate. I wasn't sure if they were open but tried the door anyway. I was greeted by a kind man who went to check if they would be able to accommodate us. Thankfully they were prepared and kindly wiped the ash off the table outside and served us. The owner was a bit weary of my dog but once I assured him she just looks big her warmed up to her. Brought her some water and even gave it to her. (Points!!!) We started with chicken Nachos and some drinks then moved onto tacos and quesadillas for our entrees. The food was yummy. We were given a few different salsas. The hot was my fav. If you're in the area, hungry for some good authentic Mexican food, want some chill vibes, you should definitely go here. I will be back the next time I am in the area. read more

See all

We've had really yummy food here, sometimes with great service and sometimes with mediocre service. It was overly loud last time we were in and we could smell smoke somehow (maybe coming in through the back door?), which was somewhat off putting. Haven't been back yet, but I'm sure we will when I want their garlic shrimp again :) read more

Food was delicious, large portions. Service was excellent. Cute atmosphere and lots of people enjoying themselves

Amazing and tasty food topped with an attentive and warm service. I loved the fact that they keep it very authentic, we ordered the same things we loved while on vacation in Puerto Vallarta and they tasted the same. Definitely the star for us was the molcajete, so rich in taste but not heavy at all. The queso fundido was very good too, with a nice texture. Please don't leave without having their churros, absolutely addictive!!! We can't wait to go back!! read more

See all

Just what I needed Healthy fresh food I asked for something very specific and they didn't give me a hard time but rather were super nice about it Came out exactly as I order it Thanks read more

Always delicious and the folks there are so, so, nice! Margaritas are amazing. It's a family favorite.

OMG - Molcajete!!! Is a MUST try dish here!! Served in a HOT stone grillware tool (molcajete) its a dish made with chicken shrimp n nopal with cheese n salsa... but they must add crack because its soooo good!!! Amazing Magaritas!! Top shelf cause thats how we role! I was sucking in that straw to get every last drop soooo good. Great service, my friend waned HOT spicy salsa and they cam back twice because it wasnt hot enough. They also are know for the best ceviche. No joke (i love my hubby's ceviche) but theirs was totally yummy..unique twist a side of may which gave a a creamy / extra vinegar to the lime. Love the octopus (pulpo)! Great service! Only street parking is the downside but there is plenty so not too bad. read more

See all

We recently returned to this place due to COVID restrictions and the food is a as delicious as we remember. They have a nice setup for outdoor dinning so it was very comfortable. We ordered 5 steak tacos and a wet burrito. I didn't like my burrito too much but the tacos were really good. Service was on point and the staff wore masks. Had a really nice dinner here. Will come again! read more

El Sinaloense - Tacos - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

See all

Tucked away behind the safeway, good place to get takeout Tried a few things. The mole chicken was good. Strips of pulled chicken in a slightly sweet mole sauce. Chalupa was a little stale, not that exciting. It's some iceberg lettuce with choice of meet on a thick tortilla Enchilada was satisfying but a bit run of the mill All in all, good place to get a quick takeout meal read more

It's been ~4 years since I last reviewed this place, so I figured I would add an updated Yelp review. We got takeout from El Sinaloense last week and it was just as delicious as we remembered. We haven't been doing a ton of takeout due to COVID, but this was one of our first takeout stops when we started venturing out again. Since we were doing takeout, we decided to try something different and ordered the following: Mole Burrito: AMAZING! I had been craving their mole for the last year and this didn't disappoint. I didn't get the super burrito, as I didn't want to overpower the mole taste with sour cream, etc. but I'm sure that would be just as good! If you come here, you must order one of their mole dishes! Steak Torta: OMG, was even better than expected. The steak had a deep charred flavor and was super tender. So good! Highly recommend for a quick, delicious takeout experience! read more

We've been here 3 times and each time we always ordered the Molcajete. It's that good. Molcajete has chicken, steak & shrimp slow cooked with Nopal, served with cheese and onions in a special sauce. During the last visit, we also ordered Filete Encebollado (grilled fish fillet sauteed in garlic butter and onion), which was very tender and delicious. With drinks, the bill with tip for two people was $96 which was a bit pricey for lunch, but the portions are huge and we were able to make 2 meals out of it. read more

If you think about ordering takeout from this place, don't. The bartender is an asshole and will place your business last over his stuff, the owner aren't in much of the interest in filling your order either. read more

Their warm chips and spicy salsa are bomb, as is their chicken mole: tender cuts of chicken with a cozy sweet thick dark mole sauce served with warm tortillas. Service with a smile, always. Wish their guacamole had the same level of heat as their salsa. This restaurant is spacious but tucked away - located in there residential area behind the Safeway on El Camino. Sometimes they turn the music up so loud you can't converse with people at your table, but it is overall a good place to meet up with friends without having to make reservations or stress about parking. read more

El Sinaloense - Chips and salsa and guacamole. Salsa was spicy - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

See all

The food is probably closer to 3 stars, but the service was so slow and awful that we would still be hesitant to return even if the food were good. They are located behind the Safeway plaza on El Camino, in a tiny section of restaurants/businesses. We came for dinner on a Monday night, and it wasn't that busy around 6pm. We tried: -Complimentary Chips & Salsa: Really good, and one of the better items we had this meal. The salsa was really flavorful and the chips were thin and crispy. -Guacamole (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=OGUaPqiWSVcE8wXkOn6IWA&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Not that great, and bland. This version of guacamole was just mashed avocado without any other ingredients. -Ceviche ($16, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=jh9lHOAP2ZEhxfmXwX0mcQ&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): I didn't like the combination of ingredients. At least none of us had stomach issues after, but I believe they used shrimp in this ceviche? I wouldn't order this again. -Sinaloense Tropical (Shrimp & Fish in Special Sauce in a Pineapple, Green Onions, Garlic, Vegetables, Spanish Rice, $25, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=qQdb98q4jlX6xp6c2Bf6TQ&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): The sauce had good flavor, but it needed more spice. The shrimp were very small and overcooked, and it seemed like they used canned pineapple even though this dish was served in a fresh pineapple- skip! -Molcajete (Chicken, Steak, Shrimp, w/Nopal, Served w/Cheese & Onions in Special Sauce, $23, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=mDotb6nVhbhUBGMk7qOvtA&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=XuOoKhkwnnJN-54JsEJfdQ&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): This was the best dish of the meal, and very unique for the Bay Area. The steak was the most flavorful of the proteins, but it was very chewy. The sauce was good, and we all loved the melted cheese. I would order this again with just the steak. -Churros (Served w/Chocolate Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=34rb75RL_2JDn7UadStwTw&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Not that great. The churros needed to be crispier, and there needed to be more cinnamon sugar. The chocolate sauce also wasn't very good, and the ice cream was the best part- skip! The service was the worst part about this dining experience- it seemed like they only had one main server for the entire restaurant! Needless to say, he was absent for the majority of our meal, and we had to flag him down to refill the water. Our entrees also took a really long time to come. What was also random is that there was a birthday at another table, and they turned off all the lights in the restaurant and turned on a disco ball. They then played a very strange automated Happy Birthday song that repeated at least 3 times. So strange. I will definitely not be returning. Parking in this street seemed ok, and there were a few spots available. read more

See all

The first time I came to this restaurant I was very impressed the service is great and the food was great but..... The second time we went back we had a margarita that was premixed too sweet. I had ordered Chile renello that was horrible! It was bits and pieces of chiles, the cheese was old and to top it off it wasn't battered in egg and fried, it was wrapped in some kind of egg. then to top it off I love my tip in cash and they charge my card more money for the tip, what a rip off I will never go back again!!! read more

Only tried this place once and I ordered a torta, it was pretty good. Only complaint is staff seems to be sitting around eating/drinking having a blast talking up a storm when attentiveness could be 100%. Please go do that where customers can't see... read more

El Sinaloense - Staff, eating and working - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

Comida mexicana genérica. Sinaloense No lo creo, estamos todos decepcionados. No estoy seguro si alguna de estas personas sabe cómo es un taco de Mazatlán. Generic Mexican food.Sinaloense I don't think so, we're all disappointed. Im not sure if any of these folks know what a taco from Mazatlan looks like. read more

We came back as we said. This time we brought the parental unit. I order the Tacos Dorados and let me tell you all, they were delicious. Very well served. They are filled of pureed potato with, by choice, shredded meat. They do not skimp. My other half had a shrimp coctail, also well served. The parental unit had Enchiladas de Mole and Bistek Ranchero. Thumbs up for the enchiladas, but the father said he needed a meat detector to find the meat, although the dish was well seasoned. Again, this place is great for families, but it does get pretty crowded on a Saturday evening. We shall return. read more

See all

The food was excellent and the service was great. I'm not sure about the negative reviews regarding staff. Be kind and don't be a jerk and you'll get good service. We had tacos and they were fantastic and tasty. The chips and salsa were plentiful and fresh. We ended with the buñuelos with ice cream, yum! We'll definitely go again. read more

This is probably one of the best taquerias in San Mateo and I think if it was in Downtown or like on 25th st or something, more people would know about it. But it's in kind of a random location. Anyways, I love the burritos here and have been meaning to get more of their sitdown stuff (like molcajetes which are not common in the area). The last burrito i had was a steak and shrimp one and it was totally solid. read more