Despite living in the neighborhood we've been holding off on going to Elena's because we wanted to wait for when our friend was in town for it to be a special occasion and now all I can think about is going back and having more of their delicious steak fajitas. The ambiance of the restaurant is amazing. It's gorgeous, lively, and I can see why it's always booked out for months in advance! Our waitress Natalia was amazing and sweet and made our visit so unforgettable so thank you so much for that! Onto the food though! Oh my goddess the Carnitas were melt in your mouth delicious, the Chile Relleno was stuffed with cheese to perfection, the enchilada was a miss compared to the rest in my opinion but the STEAK FAJITAS. Oh my goodness. If you have to get anything please get this. So flavorful and delicious and you will not regret it. And the margaritas are STRONG and delicious. Will definitely be returning when we can snag another reservation!

Honest Review from a Local, yes we have been waiting for a while: We were happily surprised we were able to get a table for two last minute Tuesday evening but even more impressive Elena's host was able to accommodate our 7-year old daughter. Very much appreciated. The beautiful interior Cali Coastal-decor sets the stage for a special dining experience. Although very busy the seating arrangement makes for easy flow for staff and customers. A pronounced bar sits proud facing the dining area with a hustling kitchen in the background. Very impressive! Lilly was our server and she was attentive, helpful and knowledgeable with the food/menu. We especially appreciated that she picked up on small details...extremely professional with a smile! Food: The food was exceptional with spot on Mexican flavors in each dish. Definitely try the chips and margaritas! Towards the end of our dinner and ordering dessert Lily surprised my daughter with an awesome flaming candle on her dessert. An attention to detail we mentioned when we sat down. Thanks Lily! I can see the dining experience that Elena's showcases in their restaurant and the staff from Lily helping us and David clearing the table was an exceptional dining experience. We recommend and will be back! Cheers!

After waiting months and months we were finally able to get a reservation here! And it happened to be on my birthday! When I walked in I was impressed by the architecture and design of the place. They did a really nice job. We were greeted promptly and were shown to our table. The chips and salsa that they serve are amazing and served right when you are seated. The menu has plenty of options for food, wine, and cocktails. While I'm not into tequila, they have plenty of margarita options and spins on other cocktails. I ordered a Manhattan that was made perfectly. We ordered the Mexican street corn as an appetizer which was delicious. It had a little kick to it as well. We both ordered fajitas (one chicken and one shrimp). The fajitas were delicious. And since it was my birthday we ordered the churros which came with a big sparkling candle. The service was amazing all evening. Our server was attentive and friendly. She helped us decide on our selections and knew the menu well. For two cocktails, appetizer, two entrees, and a dessert it came to about $178 including tip. I feel like it was well worth the money. Great service, excellent food, and nice atmosphere. I will definitely be back!

I've seen this place all over tik tok and was so excited to finally go over the weekend. We came on a sunday for brunch so we were prepared for the long wait. Once we arrived we were told the wait would be about an hour so we decided to grab a drink by the bar. All bar seating is first come first serve so we got lucky that people were leaving as we arrived. I got the kinda skinny margarita which was pretty solid. Once we were sat we managed to get booth seating which was super spacious. I ordered the fajitas which were so delicious. They were brought out with homemade tortillas. I also had the coconut margarita that the server recommended and it was one of the best margaritas i've had in a while. We were celebrating a birthday and brought in a cake which they were super chill about. Once we finished eating they took the cake to the back and cut up a slice for us which they brought out with a firework sparkler as they sang happy birthday. Overall great atmosphere, they played a lot of Spanish classics and we had a ton of fun.

Reservations generally fill up pretty fast but we got lucky on the day of and were able to get a dinner res. Parking can be hard to find in the immediate area but there's a residential area close by that has a ton of parking. The actual restaurant itself is pretty crowded and honestly it can be even hard to hear the other people at your table. Free chips and salsa were 5/5. I loved the thin but crispy chips and the salsa had nice heat and flavor. Esquites: 2/5 Definitely our least favorite thing. We weren't a fan of how watery/liquidy it was and i was hoping it would be a creamier sauce. The sauce on it was a tad spicier than i would have liked and i didn't like the flavor that much. Calamari: 4.5/5 I loved the light breading and fry on these pieces and they give you a ton of pieces. I've definitely had better calamari with a better crunch so, but these were close to perfect. Ceviche Tostadas: 4/5 These were good although pretty small. Good fresh seafood with a nice sour lime kick. Next time i'd probably skip them since it was like one bite for each one. Taquitoes: 4.5/5 Another crowd favorite, we liked the guac, sour cream, sauce and the shredded lettuce. The taquito filling was good and the shell had a nice crunch. Fajitas: 4/5 Steak and shrimp were cooked and seasoned well, and they provided us with 4 tortillas. Pretty standard but nothing mindblowing. Overall the prices are a bit expensive but the portions are pretty big so it's not wasted. We enjoyed it but i would recommend getting a res as i don't think i would line up and wait 1-2 hours for this place.

Standouts: beautiful and airy inside, good vibes, amazing 11/10 service Food was 3/5 but I will say that everything had such a clean finish. Fish tacos were offensively bland but I loved their tostadas (although they were very small as seen in the photos), esquites (sweet with a good kick), and pork tamales. Fajitas were fine but overall I think fajitas are hard to mess up. Order rare steak since the meat will cook as you wait. Their drinks are HUGE. And a lot of alcohol in a single drink. That's great if you want to get wasted but I'd appreciate a more balanced cocktail, where I can taste the drink. Cute presentation though. Our server was so sweet! She even brought a small sample for us to try when we were having a hard time deciding which drinks to get. Super attentive staff, but be warned--they will bring more chips and salsa once they see it's empty! The chips were one of the best parts-- so thin and crispy.

Got lucky on a weekday during peak lunchtime hours and got seated at a window seat. Full menu is still available to folks who sit here and you get a nice view of the gorgeous restaurant. A bit narrow but nothing terrible! Just requires a little more coordination when sharing food lol Service was phenomenal and food was much better than expected. While on the pricier side, the servings are massive and can definitely stretch to another meal. Loved every dish we got - empanadas, cheesy/crispy shrimp tacos, and BOMB steak fajitas - flavorful and huge. Even the complimentary chips and salsa were delicious.

Elena's is the latest restaurant offering from the Original Joes family, the Duggans. It's a home run in many ways. Ambiance. They have done a great job of making the place on brand mexican and modern as well. It's beautiful. Service. Exceeded expectations. It was bustling and we had no reservation. They told us 45 minutes but ended up giving us a table in 4. In spite of the fact that all of the servers are new, they were knowledgeable. The food came out lightning fast. Food. All of it was good. The simplest stuff was the best. The Chilled Vegetables and Dip were awesome. Baja Fish Tacos were huge and delicious. I had the Chicken Enchiladas were a solid B+. Next time, i will go with the specialties and see if they deliver. Expect they will. In general, first venture into a new genre for this restaurant family. It's a success and will only get better

It was our 2nd time here and we had the pleasure of having Flora as our waitress. I am picky eater and she was attentive to all my picky needs. Such a sweetheart. Aside from the amazing service, the food was amazing. I highly recommend the ceviche, Gracie's tacos,tortilla soup and Zanzies Cheesecake. Such a cute restaurant perfect for date night.