El Sinaloense, San Mateo

Reviewer: Foodnut.com

El Sinaloense

1622 Palm Ave

San Mateo, CA 94402

650-345-1180

El Sinaloense Website

Why did we dine here? – El Sinaloense is a hidden gem of a Mexican restaurant in San Mateo that few know about, but those that come, return. Tucked away behind a Safeway, this place is one of the top Mexican restaurants in San Mateo, if not the best. Lots of locals and families come here for dinner. A friend recommended this spot, so we gave it a try. It is actually difficult to find a good Mexican restaurant. Forget about recommending Chevy’s.

Insider Tip – Service can be slow, so do not come in a hurry.

Cuisine – Mexican
Location – San Mateo
Opened – 2005

Service – El Sinaloense had acceptable service that was slow at times. We had to hail the waiter to get several things done. It is not a big restaurant, so they are not staffed up.
Verdict – El Sinaloense serves up the usual classics plus a wide variety of seafood and other specialties. Give it a try if you want some quality Mexican food on the Peninsula. Better than famous Pancho Villa.  Be sure to check our Taco truck Tacos Peralta in San Mateo.

Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Yes. 30 minute? Maybe. 1 Hour? Maybe.

El Sinaloense Signature Dishes – Molcajete, Camarones, Filete, Coctel de Camaron

El Sinaloense’s Menu is wide ranging with fast food classic and lots of authentic Mexican dishes.

Website El Sinaloense Menu

El Sinaloense Food Picks:

El Sinaloense San Mateo House Margarita

House Margarita ($8.25) was strong and on the sour side. No need to pay more and get the fancy margaritas. Top Shelf Margarita ($12) is more but a little better.

El Sinaloense San Mateo Guacamole

Guacamole ($6.70) was tiny but well made. Lots of fresh chips that are a lot better than the free chips.

El Sinaloense San Mateo Molcajete

Molcajete ($18) Chicken, meat & shrimp slow cooked with Nopal, served with cheese, onions and jalapenos in a special sauce – This is one of their signature dishes. A hearty dish served in a stylish kiln. The sauce was bold and flavorful. The beef was the best part. Shrimp and chicken were average.

El Sinaloense San Mateo Pollo en Mole

Pollo en Mole ($12.20) Chicken in mole sauce served with rice and beans. Sweeter than most, this should hit the mark for mole fans.

Fajita Sinaloa ($21) is a stir fry of chicken, steak, and shrimp.  Well done although they were very skimpy with meat. No El Torito quality food here!

Fajita Vegetarian ($16) looks like a miss mash of veggies tossed together.

El Sinaloense San Mateo Quesadilla

Corn Quesadilla With Meat ($5.50) again shows the quality they put into fast food. Good ingredients and healthy portion size.

Regular Burrito ($5.99) Choice of meat with rice, beans and salsa in flour tortilla. Also very good. The carne asada burrito was pretty massive. Beware that this place can get busy during lunch. Order ahead.

El Sinaloense San Mateo Bunuelitos

Bunuelitos ($6) Freshly fried cinnamon crisps with two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Fab! You do not find this on many menus.

OK: (Order if you like this dish)
None

Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)
None

Do you agree with our review? Have you found other similar restaurants that are better?

Restaurant Map:


El Sinaloense Overall Rating: (Very Good 2.5)

Come Back?

Atmosphere Rating: (Good)
Value Rating: (Good)
Alcohol:Full Bar
Attire:Casual
Parking:Street
Reservations:Yes

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