Reviews of El Santo (Restaurant)

Thomas Cybucki

I say without exaggeration that this is one of the best restaurants I've eaten at. A beautiful aesthetic, kind wait staff that go above and beyond, an interesting and thoughtful drink menu, and delicious food. Order the brussels sprouts and bask in the glory.

Wayne T

Came in today after having a rough morning and was lucky enough to get Britannia as our waitress she has an amazing smile and personality and took care of us recommending the perfect lunch entrees for me and my coworker and she brightened my day... The food and service was exceeding the standard nothing prepackaged everything was perfect and it's definitely quality over quantity which I prefer. The coffee came in a nice big french press with cane sugar cubes and creamer and you MUST get the chiros they are to die for... First time won't be my last were even thinking of having a staff lunch there....

Burk Schmidt

So good, best mexican place I've been to!! The only problem I had was how loud it was. I went on a Friday evening, and I know how busy restaurants can get. But with the extremely loud music and a full house, my partner and I had to yell to have a conversation with each other. And we were sitting right in front of each other too. It doesn't have to be ear-splitting loud to be fun.

Kenneth Lindemere

First time to El Santo this evening, for supper. Was a great experience with excellent service, tasty food and drinks. Servers were helpful and friendly. I had the Chamorro (pork hock) & highly recommend it!

Raelene Thomas

Amazing food, decor and ambience. Best Mexican restaurant in the lower mainland. Try the flank steak and any of the tacos. You really can't go wrong with their menu.

Coral Gonzalez

Food was great, enjoyed my drink, and the bite of dessert I tried. Place has a fun feel too, live music, (when I was there at least) but you can still hear the conversation at the table. I'd go again.

Jerrold Wilson

Waited about an eternity to get a seat for two Staff was friendly The price to portion to quality ratio is way off, could easily get more for your moneys worth else where nearby Food itself was nothing spectacular, presentation was nice The overall vibes appeared that this place is more for show than for an actual foodie. If you're into trendy hip places that'll look great on camera then this is your joint

Greg Durocher

Absolutely delicious food! I go every Friday and I haven’t tried anything I didn’t like. The wild boar tacos and the carne ahumada are amazing. Service is always great, atmosphere is funky and fun, really nothing bad to say about this place. Their drink menu is great too, so many creative drinks to try. I think the price matches what you get with food and service so if you’re looking for a nice place to go in New west this is the choice :)

Jay Kin

Food is consistently good and I love their after dinner marshmallows. Huge tequila list! Expanding their whisky selection ????

Sukh Aujla

Not an authentic Mexican joint, do not go there expecting that. Overpriced hipster mess, hardly anything Mexican about this place. 'Pretentious' fare focused more on the looks (plating and ambiance) than actual food taste/quality. The service was actually quite decent and friendly. The place was comfortable. The stars are for the waiters and presentation. Convenient location too, I guess.

shadepixie

I have been there 3 times over the last few years so feel I can give a honest review. I don’t understand what the fuss is about with this place. The menu is very limited and the options that you do have are just okay and it is very expensive for what you get. I have been underwhelmed every time that I have been there. Unless it’s for drinks (the tequila selection is pretty impressive), I won’t be going back.

Talid Jalbout

Just wow! Went for a work dinner outing and the food and the service was fantastic. Have been a few times before for later evening snacks and cocktails so I knew I was in for a good time. The set meal for our group was amazing, and I especially loved the braised beef, so tender I assume it was done by magic! Shout out to Sam for being a spectacular chef, and the whole team is great!

calvin wong

Food wasn't spectacular, prices fairly steep for the actual quality and taste. Churros were good. Neat atmosphere and decor, but gets busy and loud. Staff were friendly.

Lakshmi Foreveryoung

By far one of the best Mexican food restaurants in the Lower Mainland. Huge tequila menu, has live music some nights? Another fabulous addition to downtown New West.

Luke L'sk

One of my favourite places in New West. Tasty drinks and delicious food, especially the El Santo Huevo. Owner is a wonderful kind person who always makes sure everyone is happy. Can't recommend El Santo more!

David H

Nice room and staff. Overall portions are small. Ordered the Chili Relleno and it is not a Chile Relleno. More of a layered rice dish. Menu and staff should let you know this ahead of time that it is not a traditional Chili Relleno.

Paulina

Absolutely fantastic! The staff are wonderful, so friendly and attentive. The food is amazing and they make the best margaritas! I've recommended this place to everyone I know.

John K

Me and my friends came here to eat at the bar for happy hour. We weren't impressed with the small portions, the ceviche wasn't real ceviche so don't bother ordering that plus it's way overpriced for what you get. When it came time for the bill our server screwed up and charged us regular prices for our drinks, and tried to overcharge one of my friends, good thing we noticed or we would have overpayed!!

T. Keeping

Delicious food. Met the owner who is genuinely amazing guy. They do a lot of work with Autism support and charities. Def recommended.

Bat Girl

Nice place, has a good collection of Mexican beer and a LOT of tequila.

Emily C

Great service and vibe but a little overpriced for the size of dish. The food is generally pretty good though. A recommended spot.

Saurabh Patel

Elsanto is such elivated Mexican Cusine. They put such love and passion into every dish and coctail. On weekends they even have bennys on mini cornbread skillets. I highly recomend checking out this Gem.

Meg R

Food was a little bit bland. Not much depth in flavours for Mexican cuisine. And you would assume most Mexican restaurants would have a variety of hot sauces or at least one. Good variety of tequila though!

Tyler Grusendorf

Good enviorment and an awesome tequila selection. The staff seem like they take a long time before coming back to check in on you. My food was a bit bland but it could have been what I ordered. I will come back for sure but maybe for something else.

Jessica Friesen

This place is one of the best higher end restaurants in New West. Beautiful interiors and great live bands. Service is wonderful and efficient. The food could use some improvement to amp it up. Flavours can sometimes be slightly bland. It's not about the salt factor but rather the spices use. I feel most of the dishes play it safe.

David Howard

Went there in a Saturday night and the place was packed. I gave 3 out of 5 for 2 reasons. 1 star off for the service. Our server was cranky and unfriendly from the second she got to our table to the end of the day. It was noticed by everyone at the table. Second star off for the price. The food was good but portion size was tiny so combined with the price the value was way off. Prices should be 10 to 20 percent lower based on quality and portion size comparable to many other restaurants.

Erik M

Fun atmosphere with live music. Delicious food. Divine drinks. Make this your next date night or outing with friends! Lots of menu choices for carnivores and vegetarians alike. Plenty of share plates and small bites as well as entrees. Try the roasted veggie tacos! Best I've had!

ashley macneil

I tried green Salad (starter), Braised short rib with Huitlacoche polenta chili Relleno (main course) and Churros (dessert) ... just can't say how delicious the main course was and how well presented it was. I've regretted not to take a photo of that delicious black. Well I ll definitely go there again and add its photo. Salad was also awesome. I enjoyed the friendly and cozy vibe and totally all all i ate and drank including beer and coffee were perfect but Churros was heavily sugary, I couldn't eat it more than one bite. Recommended!

Brenda Garzon

Phenomenal! Delicious food, wide selection of drinks, amazing tequila options including flights and tasting, unique cocktails and awesome feel. Super trendy and interesting without having to go all the way downtown. This is a wonderful establishment right in the new west downtown

Celina Wright

This is a fancy Mexican tapas-type joint. The one-page menu is mostly small plates, but even the larger plates are clearly meant for sharing. Don't expect to come here for typical Mexican entrees in large personal portions. Everything we tried was delicious. Flavours are much more nuanced than you might expect from Mexi food. The drink menu is much longer than the food menu and there's lots of variety there. There is a kid's menu. The room is dim and modern. Ask for booth seating if you're making a reservation. The tables in back can get too noisy to hold a conversation when it's busy, due to the lower ceiling in that part of the restaurant. Service has been friendly and attentive both times we've been. My only gripe is that some portions really are quite small for the price. It's not always clear how much food you should order for a decent amount of variety. The servers can help with decision making. We spent $120 for two adults and a child including two cocktails and two beers. We were stuffed when we left. El Santo is a treat.

Andrew Mansell

Fantastic experience! The food, service and atmosphere were all top notch. Braised beef ribs and churros were the two highlights of the meal.

Kevin Stokely

Nice place in downtown New Westminster. Our waitress was pleasant. Nice place in general, a must try.

Matthew Griffeth

WOW!!!!! what an amazing restaurant. They have taken my favorite Mexican dishes and made them into something new. Not sure how they do it, but they take old Mexico and combine it with the latest and greatest culinary techniques. New West should be proud to have this jewel as part of the Royal City!!!

Jasdip Mundi

Delicious food, excellent service, and great location. I recommend ordering the cacao tea with a shot of kahlua! The decor is something to admire as well.

B Pardo

I had never been here before and wanted to try drinks and tacos. The wait staff took at least 5 minutes to get to me but it wasn't busy so I was a little confused if they were short handed? Anyway. I was seated but it took a ridiculous amount of time for someone to take my order. The food came out immediately. It wasnt incredible, just basic tacos. The wait staff is weird and takes a long time, but the kitchen and the bartender are quick

Craig Rodrigues

Put simply, this place has good food, neat drinks, awesome live music, and friendly service. I first came here on a whim and was not disappointed. Now I come here anytime I want to show my friends a cool place.

LowerMainland Reviews

Great atmosphere, great food, and a great drink menu. Food is the right price too! I'd recommend a reservation as it can be very busy.

Clara Han

Delicious, absolutely delicious. Best guacamole I've had anywhere before and their Tostadas are to die for. Ambiance was lovely and service felt good and covid safe

Coley

Went for lunch. Atmosphere was homey and comfortable, service was excellent. The tortilla chips were perfectly seasoned, although the potatoes were overcooked. Quite satisfying overall.

Robin MacDonald

After much hype from family and friends we finally came to try out El Santo. Started off well, great Mojito’s and the salsa and chips were good. Service was a bit odd with 4-5 servers coming to help, for the 2 orders of tacos to the. Take 30 mins was odd. Especially when the table beside us who sat down 15 mins after us got their tacos at the same time... we couldn’t wait to sink our teeth into them, but when we did, we were left very unsatisfied. Braised beef cheeks were bland and the fish tacos were just simply okay. We also found it strange that no server came to check to see how everything tasted. And when we left one of the beef tacos, not one comment about it was made. For the price, we likely won’t be back.

julie van westen

I went for a quiet weekday lunch and it had nice atmosphere and good service. Food was disappointing however; I tried gluten-free a way's back and this reminded me of the whole miserable experience. Gluten-free soft-taco shells and enchiladas are not an experience I care to repeat. And even if they'd remembered to put cheese on the enchiladas I still wouldn't describe it as adequate. The dry chicken inside made me feel like I was on a diet. Finally, this isn't like a typical Mexican restaurant I'd been to in the states where the portions are generous and tasty; there wasn't a re-fried bean or grain of rice in sight.

Hunar Mancoo

Friendly service and super efficient on the phone when we called to order. However, they forgot our papas, the burrito was overcooked (no rice or beans inside), the enchiladas were spicy but lacked flavour, and the churros were undercooked and doughy. My goodness! How disappointing to pay $60 for this experience. Edit: The owner, Alejandro, contacted us about an hour after I posted this to apologize. I didn't talk to him myself, but I appreciated the followup discussion. We will give it another try in the near future!

Maru Kim

Staff is incredibly unaccomadating. Brunch ends at 3pm, I walked in a couple of minutes before it ended and asked to order an item off the brunch menu as that’s the reason I came- kitchen said “they had shut everything down for brunch” after I asked the hostess if she wouldn’t mind personally asking the kitchen for me. I just ended up leaving. Super disappointing, as I brought friends with me just to try their brunch.

Jason York (Jork21)

Amazing food and even better drinks! The service was incredible. My new favourite spot.

Michelle Van Balkom

Great atmosphere, quick service. Delicious in-house made salsas. The tacos looked like they were small portions, but were immensely filling.

Aristidis Kappos

Great place for brunch. We had a selection of items on the menu and everything was delicious. The Benedicts and huevos rancheros were specially tasty.

Lezlie Suyte

Great service, staff were very attentive and professional! I like the decor touches, and the cutlery & dishes fit each of the menu choices perfectly - that’s rare even in high end restaurants. Price is decent, about expected for brunch. I had a pulled pork hash, served with a nice garnish of greens and onion, along with perfectly poached eggs and a nice Mexican style hollandaise sauce. Overall I’m very impressed with this place and will be back for sure.

Tyler Riddle

My boyfriend and I came here for a date night after a couple friends recommended it to us, the food was awesome (the trio of salsas was so good). Our server was great, she was super understanding and helpful. The drinks were great too! We will definitely be back!

Alice Chang

Shareable dishes like tapas at decent price. Customer service is very good. Nice modern interior. Great place to stop by for food and drinks with friends.

Derek Brigham

Good food and atmosphere. Cornbread is next level delicious

Michael Morgan Bain

Had chirzo with chicken and veggies tasted like it came from the can. Chirzo and chicken had no flavor. Will try again and hope it won't be the same. So much talk about great food and I can say it was not. Had better Mexican food other places

cjd randoms

This is often my go-to restaurant when I want to take me wife on a date or celebrate an important milestone. They have great food and drinks , and the atmosphere is relaxed and enjoyable. You can often judge a place by its guacamole and here it's A++

Shane Cossever

I the enjoyed the cocktails and atmosphere. But the food was not that tasty. It is over priced for what you get & the portions were small .

Kevin Schwantje

Food is okay, but the tequila selection is wonderful. Highly recommend the tasting flights, especially the Mezcal. Great staff and it's always busy so it's a fun spot for dinner or drinks.

Karen Rickards

Good place for a date night. I really enjoyed my steak! They have all the tequila you could ever want to try.

Steve B.

A little over priced, would be great to have a bit more food choices and more fully prepared meals? Not a huge fan of going to a restaurant just to have to prep/compile my own food anyways. Other than that vibe is great. Live music cool.

J Lee

Great food with pleasant service. The room was extremely noisy making conversation hard. Extensive cocktail menu too.

Alan Lee

Very disappointing, overpriced food. Chicken tacos and enchiladas were super dry (like many reviews point out) and tortillas were broken so it was a mess. The place is super unorganized as well. Won’t be going back.

Paul Friesen

Great Mexican food but be prepared for a steep bill. Nice to have a restaurant like this in New West. Can get extremely noisy and if you're sat in the back you'll likely lose cellphone reception completely. Great ambiance otherwise!

Daniel Brookshire

Let me start by saying I love this place and would rate it at least 4 stars. Not so much last night. The food was great. The service was good considering how busy they were and our server was much more pleasant that the ones we have had in the past. What ruined the night was the noise. Now this place is not ever a quiet place to go and we know and accept that. What made it so bad last night was someone had the bright idea to bring in a music trio. So now we have the unusually high crowd noise and added to that musicians playing at a fairly high volume. Added to that, they weren't very good so to even try to ask each other a simple question wass an excercise in futility. So, to the back of house - Bravo! To the front of house - great job on a busy night. To the Jr. Genius who thought it was a stellar idea to add to the noise level - you need to find a different line of work.

Pinchoffat

Throughly enjoyed the food and drinks. We live in New west so happy to support a local business.

Clayton C.

Great food but they don’t deliver on service or value. Came after work on a week night with group of about 12. Some of us came early and were told that happy hour doesn’t apply because we were with a large group. Ended up going to the bar to order some drinks and bartender stated the same policy. They definitely aren’t thinking this through with the customer in mind. Food was good, drinks overpriced, margarita underwhelming, service slow. 2/5 stars.

Michael Holtz

It's nothing special. dishes are a little expensive, and very small. very few veg options to choose from. I tried a few things and neither was special. Fried cauliflower taco was good, but Risotto was pointless. I would never go back. They are selling service and atmosphere, not food (I prefer food).

Clayton Stout

Went for Dine Out Vancouver and found the food to be very good. The starter cachete de cochino had really nice flavours, the main course of Carnitas de Jabali was mouthwatering deliciousness in heavenly little tortilla wraps. The churros were a nice surprise for dessert. The only thing that fell short was the order of ceviche. Very under seasoned beyond the lemon. Needed more salt and jalapenos.

David Gagnon

Outstanding Restaurant! Superb service. Our server Vanessa was extremely helpful and friendly. Knowledgeable and there when needed without hovering. The food was top notch and so fresh and flavorful. Portions were large and the meals arrived quickly. Don't forget to have some dessert (try the Empanadas). It's in a great location, right on Wedding Row and the decor is definitely not Taqueria and pleasantly modern. There's an awesome selection of Tequilas a decent wine list. French press coffee and some delicious mocktails top off a wonderful dining experience. This is not a discount diner so, plan to spend a little more than at a family restaurant. It's well worth it!

Ronnie Fuentes

Dinner

Francisco Javier Barrios Babilonia

Went for drinks and was a first visit. So no remarks on the food. They were still setting up shop to get it running post reopening But my experience was not the best, they had a limited menu from which we ordered, the drink was more a show than a taste/flavour proposition. Also the drink felt overpriced based on the finished product.

Tatiana Komaricheva

Excellent spot to try numerous tequilas or mezcal, and have a delicious snack, or meal, at the same time. Great service, knowledgeable staff! The owner Alejandro is very interesting and runs the restaurant the way it should be run. Give it a try without the high prices for parking in the city. ????

Olexandr Frantsen

I recently brought out of town guests to El Santos for dinner, and we were all very impressed. The ambiance is great, the service is stellar and every bite we ate was delicious. I highly recommend the lamb riblets.This is just what New Westminster needs, an upscale, interesting restaurant with a modern vibe. I'll be back for a birthday celebration in late February.

Mandy M

This is my go to Mexican restaurant if money is no object ???? Prices are a little high and portions on the smaller side but the food is great and quality very good. They also have a very extensive tequila and mezcal selection which I haven't quite seen anywhere else. They have taken a bit of a Western approach with regards to the ambiance and food being served. So I wouldn't call it totally authentic. But that is not a bad thing, it's just a matter of preference. Staff are generally friendly. I would say service is overall average. I love the live Mexican inspired music they have on weekends! Came here for a large dinner party and we all had a great time. Space is a little on the smaller side so seating is limited. In summary, I'd recommend you try them for their food and experience.

Darcey Kaspick

(previously no comment, and only 2 stars) Edit: It a small cozy restuarant focus on a more upscale version of mexican (in comparison to the 'sterotypical' mexican food you may initially think of). The first few times we went - I was definitely not a fan. However, since then they have updated their menu and no question, it's much better. They serve smaller dishes as well as entrees. Normally, the two of us will get 3 or 4 small dishes and share them. Their idea to do Tequila flights was genius! I've never seen that done before and it was great to taste a variety. Don't leave without having a margarita!

Greg Irvine

This is my second time visiting El Santo. The prices are on the higher end which would give you the impression that the food is exceptional. Moreover, the portion sizes are smaller which would mean that each bite should be memorable. Unfortunately, the experience was underwhelming and did not deliver. You are better off going to a hole in a wall restaurant that would deliver a more tasty experience (at a bargain)... or cooking it at home. Pros -- good service, a nice location & the tequila list is an impressive one.

Lissa Buckler

Amazing experience! The servers are friendly, knowledgeable, and genuine. The food is contemporary and imaginative yet approachable and classic. The cocktails are top notch. But El Santo is more than the sum of its parts! It's easy to see that this brilliant restaurant is about to become a local landmark.

Ramon Ortega

The atmosphere here is really fun and enjoyable and it's always really busy. Love the drink selection and if you're into tequila this is definitely a great place for you. The portion sizes are a bit small but the food is really good - can't recommend the ceviche unfortunately as it was pretty bland and tasteless. The churros, however, are definitely worth it!

Allen Madsen

Great food. Great ambience.

Madeline Hendricks-Clark-LaJoie

Place is wayyyyyyyy overpriced. Three taco styles to choose from???? Fish, beef and vegetarian. Where’s the chicken and pork??? Three pages of booze to chose from the so that’s good when I’m craving Mexican food.......... four little tacos and civeche cost me 41 dollars. Don’t waste your hard earned money at this place it’s a rip off. Go to the two other Mexican restaurants in New Westminster. Better portions and quality for the price.

Sapna Sharma

Very enjoyable experience. Food and service was great. We will definitely plan to come again on our next visit to the area.

Rnold Smith

Wonderful place. Food is really interesting - very Mexican, not your traditional "Tex -Mex cheese on tortillas" Mexican. The flavours are more refined, sometimes made with local ingredients to keep the dish fresh and vibrant. Baby kale salad was a highlight, as was their take on a "Caesar Salad", Tijuana 1924 - giving respect to where and when the classic was invented. They grill the romaine, and serve it with charred lemon. Brilliant and complex. The Pescado Veracruz was astonishing, enough for 4 people, beautiful sauce, cooked perfectly. Last was a fall special, beef tongue Tacos, which were rich, unctuous and with a bit of crunch. Glorious habanero salsa with some agave (?) to brighten it up. Fabulous. Add in my favorite Mexican drink, a Paloma and a couple of amazing margaritas (chili powder /salt rim!) AND a live duo playing great Mexican influenced music, what a wonderful night!

Andrew Yang

A secret treasure of New West! Though not a well kept secret this place gets packed! And for a good reason! Somehow they manage to be both the perfect appies bar and a delicious restaurant. The drink menu is extensive and the bartender skilled. The food menu is smaller and is top notch quality. Skipping the chips at this place is not an option. We ended up with 3 types of guacamole and 3 salsas and i couldve eaten just that all night! The restaurant is a bit pricier but not unreasonable. Even when its packed we recieved friendly and timely service. The smaller sized mains are packed with flavour and after all those chips you arent going to want a huge dish!

Tiana Geukdjian

Good food, Good service and good atmosphere. There was also a live band. As a Celiac there is no dedicated fryer which was surprising for a restaurant with so many GF items. So I was unable to enjoy the taco chips with salsa and guacamole. But they are knowledgeable about allergies.

Arin Zandbergen

Came here for an impromptu dinner and despite the restaurant being packed we were seated right away. Really cozy spot, they have a good amount of seating and the decor is really cozy. Huge drink menu (3/4 of the menu is drinks!) And they have lots of good choices. I had the sangria and it was really nice. Their old fashioned has a hint of smoke to it. As for the food, they have a decent selection of meals and sides. I was hesitant on the tacos because of their price and I assumed they would be pretty small but they are actually a good size. The cornbread appetizer is quite small however, about the size of a small cupcake. The side orders of potatoes and beans come as a huge portion. The service we had was okay, I had questions about the drink menu and our server seemed unfamiliar and unsure of it, which was a bit disappointing. Overall, I look forward to coming back to try out some more of their food, and even more of their drinks.

Caroline F

Food is amazing and the service is great. Their selection of tequila is awesome. Alejandro is always there and really cares about his restaurant and the quality of food. Overall, one of the best Mexican places I've ever been to. Their brunch is definitely worth a try.

Adam Lloyd

Finally got a chance to check this out, and it was very delicious and affordable! Looking forward to trying more taco combos next time!

Connor

Great experience! The food's authentic but modern. Not your run-of-the-mill Tex Mex kind of place. Live music started around 7:30 pm, which added to the great vibe in the room. This is worth visiting in New West. Super close to transit and affordable parking ($3.50 for two hours), too.

Bryan Kenney

Great for tequila and mezcal selection. Menu is fun for first visit but gets tired if you don't find a favourite dish. Sit at the bar for the best service. Best cocktails in New West. A touch pricey.

TooMuchFire

This place is fairly new to New West. This is not your typical cheap Mexican food joint. We tried a bunch of different tacos (they come as two but they come with an extra shell and there was enough filling in there for 4) and the guacamole plate. All the food was very tasty and the service here was friendly.

amar jitla

In a city inundated with hipster 'gastro pubs' cosplaying as Mexican restaurants, the value and quality of tacos and cocktails available at El Santo does not dissapoint. Hopefully they will return to hosting jazz bands again soon. Friendly staff. Some outdoor seating available.

Lisa D

Wow! Fantastic food and drinks. Great staff

Darren Head

Tried the wagyu steak here and it was pretty good. Not the same level of marbling as in Japan but still great in its own right.

Barbie Zipp

So nice this time, the attention was pretty good and we loved the food!!

M C

Was looking for a quick late night meal. Arrived at 10:30pm, closing time online was 11:00pm. Unfortunately, they informed us the kitchen was closed and they were doing last call for drinks. Disappointing, as this was our first visit. Arrive at least an hour before closing if you expect to be served. Update: Came back again during brunch. Got the "Al Pastor" tacos for $9, and one of the brunch options (sorry forgot the name, see pictures). He and I both enjoyed our meals. You only get two tacos, so I was still hungry after and you can not mix and match them. Tacos are better eaten as a light meal. Over all very nice restaurant and decor. They even gave us little marshmallows after, which was nice. Would go again.

Walter Sawan

Food was sub par service was poor the portion size big enough for a small mouse, with a high price I can not believe that this place still has customers. It is a crime that el Santos charges this much for this little amount of food. Never coming backto this terrible restaurant . Please save your money for any other better restaurant on Columbia street

Cheylene Rondpre

Not your Tex Mex eatery, but modern Mexican food and fantastic drinks! Must have: churros with apple butter caramel sauce????

Alston Chen

Yes ....awesome it's not too far from new West and Columbia SkyTrain .....food is really good and staff super friendly ...decor is very contemporary ..

Anthony Kirby

From the hosts to the waitress the service was super attentive and friendly. Food was delish, especially the barbacoa tacos. Best part of the meal was the churros that were part of the kid's meals. ????????

Lia Fadeeva

We stopped by this place while walking around New West, and we weren't disappointed! They were very accommodating to celiacs and had so many gluten free options! My ceaser was vegan, which was really cool to try. The food was absolutely amazing! We will definitely be going back :)

Jason Kent

Good Mexican food; however, I am a hungry man and the meals El Santo serve are proportionate and small, compare to what I usually eat. It is a great occasion place

Adam McDonald

Over priced. Food ok. Menu Ítem “Tijuana 1924” is not described well. It has two whole medium size Romain lettuce heads with barely any cheese and a few scattered seeds. That for $12 dollars! ???? according with the waitress I was the first ever customer to get confused once the dish arrived. I suggested that they improve the description of the dish and/or add a picture.

rachel macpherson

Went here on a recommendation from a friend. Wow! Thank you! Loved it!

James Tanliao

A lot of reviews mention that the price/quantity ratio is off here. I don't care about that as much as I do the quality of the food. I have given El Santo three tries and have yet to find anything worthwhile on their menu. It seems the food comes in two varieties: bland or an overwhelming pastiche of flavours that don't go together. Yet another place that doesn't live up to the hype.

Julianne King

I absolutely loved this place. It's a very pretty restaurant, the live music was lovely, but the food was the best thing. I'm Mexican and this place has amazing creations and super authentic flavors. I truly felt as if I was in a gourmet restaurant in mexico.

Silvia Martinez

Everything was delicious, it's amazing cuisine, people and atmosphere!

Matthew Craig

Not what I'd call Mexican (nor would my Mexican roommate), but it was okay, bit overpriced. Cool space with live music. 3 stars=okay but won't go back, wouldn't recommend to friends

Carlos Miranda

Excellent food and drinks. A very interesting twist to Mexican cuisine. I love that they update their menu constantly, adding interesting and delicious options every time. Drinks are awesome, too. If you get to go, try "El Padrino" (The Godfather)!

Alyssa Deville

I love this place! I have been for both dinner/drinks and brunch and it was a fantastic experience for both. The food is delicious (you MUST try brunch here!!) And the service is prompt and friendly. The handmade tortillas are a great touch to your meal.

J C

Just the best food (I could go on about the tacos and cornbread), but honestly, also just the most incredible service. After we finished dinner, I needed to wait outside with my grandma for our ride to arrive. The owner noticed us standing down the street and brought out a chair for my grandma to sit in while we waited. All the staff are so personable, and you can tell this is something held in high value by the owner and all. Love this place so much ❤️

Adrian Milford

Ordered take out, veggie tacos were great but the fish ones had a bad combo of flavours and the fish was dry and over battered

David Metcalfe

The food was fantastic. Our server was friendly and very attentive. Honestly, I would give 5 stars but the noise level is VERY loud. 7 of us were there to celebrate a special family event. We couldn't even hear the people sitting at the other end of the table. My ears were ringing when we left - no exaggeration. If you are looking for a quiet meal, this is not the place for you. If you don't mind the very noisy environment then the food is definitely worth it.

Chelsea McKenzie

Amazing! I truly enjoyed the authentic Mexican food. The trio of guacamole was delicious and the Tacos were a great value. I could have stopped at that as I was full. But no.. continued on with the ribs which were tender and flavourful. Margaritas were exactly as I love them to be. The entertainment was perfect and a lovely surprise. A great addition to New West.

Nicole Kosloski

Exquisite, authentic Mexican cuisine. I'm usually not fond of pork, but the wild boar shoulder was absolutely enlightening. Live music and a glass of wine sealed the experience. Would absolutely return.

Holly Kennedy

I've been here twice now. Someone told us we needed to give the place a second chance. The vegetarian food, both times, was very bland tasting. The cocktails are watery and expensive.

katherine menjivar

Great atmosphere, can get really loud for a fancy restaurant. Prices definitely reflect fancy small portion food. Food was good. Had the guacamole, tacos and chicken dish.

Kaytlin Bradbury

Why haven't you been here yet?! Honestly. This place has incredible food! You may scoff at "elevated tacos" or "fancy mole", but this place delivers delicious food every single time. Pretty solid Happy Hour if you want to try a few things on the cheap before committing to a full dinner (we usually spend about $45-$55 per person at dinner, depending on drinks). OH! And always go for the chips + 3 salsas to start. You won't regret it *drool*

Nada Ismaiel

Nice decor and the fish tacos were excellent! The zero alcohol drinks were also delicious! The churros were also a great dessert at the end!

Greg Hamilton

Incredibly delicious food! Mexican Nouvelle Cuisine in a charming atmosphere. Portions are modest, but you can order a variety of plates to share. Great place for a date night!Be sure to make reservations if going for dinner on Friday or Saturday night, this place gets busy!

Tamara Newell

The food was really good. This is not your taco and enchilada joint, the food is higher end Mexican with local ingredients and flair. I'll go back the next time I'm in New Westminster for a night for sure.

James Ferris

Upscale Mexican fusion. Nice atmosphere. Not much Mexican vibe but lively. Service was good but food took a long time. No nachos served while you wait. Not your typical Mexican entrees. Most Main meals were $22-30+

Marina Craig

This place is dynamite. The food and drinks were fantastic. Have an El Diablo you won't regret it. What a great addition to a great neighborhood

Carrie Spencer

This restaurant is fantastic and the service is exemplary. They have created a place to linger and talk and enjoy a fantastic meal. Small little touches throughout from the well thought out seating plan to the gorgeous water jugs used for serving, to the delicious chocolate Chili marshmallows brought with the bill. We thoroughly enjoyed everything we tried from the delicious rock fish to the chicken to the lamb. Every dish was fantastic and artfully presented. Don't leave without sampling the churros! They are divine! I highly recommend a cafe tequila to finish off the night! Go as soon as you can! This place is amazing!

More Memorable Events

Good quality ingredients. The chicken in the taco could use a little more flavour. Not a lot of social distancing, if that’s important to you. For sure I would go back

Brett Gagnon

This restaurant was a big disappointment since it gets good reviews. We started with taco chips and three salsas...all bottled!! They would have been better off using the salsa you get at Costco if they can't be bothered to make their own. I had the ' crispy pork belly ' which wasn't crispy and the very small piece came on a pile of soggy taco chips???? Don't know what that was about!!! The only positive thing about my visit was the good service. This restaurant is over rated and over priced. I won't be leaving my money there again.

Tristan Dickson

I can't say enough good things about this place. It has become my favorite restaurant. The food is amazing and the menu is constantly evolving. The staff is very friendly and always makes sure your experience is the best possible. The live music talent on the weekends never disappoints.

Atamjit Bassi

It was honestly just Ok; I had higher expectations. The meat was a bit dry, the egg was good, the drink was good but not jaw dropping. Aesthetic was nice. Loved the textured concrete looking stitched walls.

Ene Ochigbano

The food was great and very well presented. The service was impeccable. I went on a Friday night and it was busy but not crowded. They have a live jazz band on Friday and Saturday nights, setting a great atmosphere. Would go back.

LJ Schuster

A great overall experience. Our server was super helpful, the food was delicious and the price was very reasonable for the fare. I strongly recommend a reservation as the wait without one looked to be long.

Grant Regier

One of the best restaurants in New West. Delicious food, interesting cocktails, and great atmosphere. Try their margaritas

Jason Czorna

What a lovely evening! Sam the Chef sent us an appt and came out to see us a few times to explain our dishes. So educational and exciting....although I was stuffed, I left dreaming what my next order would be ????

julien crible.

Was assured there'd be enough time to make the show after dinner given a reservation 15 minutes later than requested. It was so loud that the server missed a drink order and than took forever to bring it. Food came out in staggered delayed fashion. Try promising less and delivering more next time. If you have an event to go to and your starting here, give yourself extra extra time.

Ben Hitchcock

I came here for the first time a week ago and I ordered some tacos and the fried egg. Definitely ORDER the fried egg appertizer. I wish I have more! We had the bone marrow taco as well, it is very tasty.

Sarah Nicholson

Delicious food, seems like it’s homely cooked. Nice touch of presentation and flavours. Great customer service!! Good selection of drinks. Something unique about this place. Hidden gem for sure. Went for brunch perhaps dinner would be more lively and fun? They have a vegetarian and Gluten free options. Update 2019: Dinner is a bit crowded and the menu seems limited it’s mostly for the bar as their drinks seems extravagant. My second time here after 10 months and the food was mediocre expensive but service was prompt.

Christine Yablonka

Lovely date night for #dineoutvancouver2018. My half was a grilled romaine salad with machego and pumpkin seeds, deconstructed chilli rellanos, and a Mezcal flan. Everything was unique and flavourful. Staff was friendly and the pacing of the meal was relaxing.

Andrew Tang

Love the ambiance and food that is best shared

Ronnie Hung

The food was amazing; each dish we ordered was so delicious (especially the tacos)! Ambiance is also very nice - great for date nights and get-togethers!

Karina Daukaeva

I really wanted to love this place but... The aesthetic of this place is great, but honestly the food is overpriced and did not taste amazing. Yeah it was good, but I wouldn't want to go back and pay for an over priced, mediocre taco again. Definitely recommend checking this place out if you're curious, but I know I won't be going back, unfortunately.

Kendra S T

We were really excited to try this restaurant as it had been recommended by friends. The hostess asked if we could be out by 7pm, we showed up at 6pm. Yup, no problem, I get turn over a reservations. So we were a walk in. We were seated and then were asked to move to another section, ok, no worries. We were sat at a 4 top and there were only two of us so, I got that too. Our server was not strong in service. Did not check in, I had to ask another server for cutlery, side plate, napkins. Didn't check in when we got.our meals. I asked the other server for a second drink. Still our server ignored us. Literally, had her back to us as she served the table next to us without checking in. We also had to ask for the bill for the other server. As we were leaving, we passed our server and she didn't make eye contact, say thanks or anything... maybe she was new? The server that ended up picking up when we asked, was great! Food... 3/5 - chicken tacos were super dry, pescado tacos had too much chunky slaw. Potatoes were delicious as were the trio of salsa. Drinks... delicious. Service... our original server was very lack luster. But the other gal was great Ambience was great. Vibrant and happening place to be. We ended up buying a gift card for our friends. I am hoping this was a one off experience and hope we have better luck next time.

Jennifer Navin

food was very good. very original flavors. service was excellent. small menu with out the traditional burritos,and refried beans options. but something there for all tastes. my friend and I shared the trio guacamole starter( they make their own chips. yummy) and two different types of tacos. ( 2 per order) . very tasty. I have never seen a menu so big for cocktails and spirits. a very nice evening out.

Tess Ackerman

Great atmosphere and good upscale Mexican food.

Violet Vonkatz Young

Delicious! Niche Mexican food with flair. Really good guacamole and tacos. The house margarita is great and my wife loves the sangria

v l

This is probably Mexican-Pacific Northwest fusion fare at its finest (and it doesn't involve tacos). We started with chicharron and queso fundido to whet our appetites (although we found the former a bit chewy than crispy). For mains, we had the carne ahumada (medium-rare Wagyu beef) and salmon al adobo. Both didn't disappoint. Portions were big enough to satisfy, leaving us room for dessert: churros. We recommend washing down these treats with cacao husk tea. (Also a must try: Sangria soda with your entrée) If you're looking for a Mexican restaurant that serves more than tacos, quesadillas, and burritos, then El Santo is it.

Abby Mikkelson

My wife loves it, I'm not a fan, so I settled on 3 stars. I find it load and overly crowded with people looking for gourmet Mexican cuisine; three words I thought I would never hear strung together. I find it pretentious and very expensive. Lines are typically long and service is usually slow. Make sure you have lots of time.

Brooke

Delicious food and great ambiance! A little pricey, but worthwhile during their happy hour and for tacos. Great option for those in New West or Richmond. Comparable restaurants in Vancouver. We had requested a booth for our 5:30 pm reservation, when we arrived we were given a small table (there were 3/4 booths available). We requested the booth again in-person and the hostess went to check if this was allowed. They ended up offering a booth but we had to be finished our meal at 7:30 pm which was definitely doable. They should've just mentioned this in the beginning instead of disregarding the initial booth request and seating us at a table. Made for an awkward encounter, and seemed frivolous to keep 3 booths remaining empty and reserved for a booking in 2 hours' time.

Andy Beerwald

I lived in Mexico for two years, and my wife and I live very close to this restaurant, so we have been wanting to try it for a while. The place was busy around 5 on St. Valentine's Day, so we popped in for happy hour. The first impression--a very serious looking guy in a black sweater by the door. No smile. No welcome. We got a table in the back and had some appetizers, drinks and tacos. While the totopos (chips) with the guacamole trio were very good and authentic, the guacamole itself was under-salted and to be honest--all 3 tasted the same. Most of the better guac. in Mexico is not blender-smooth. Tacos were reasonably good and service was fine. No thank you on the way out from Señor Serious. We'll probably go back to Tacqueiria Playa next time on 6th--which (although not perfect) seems to have more of the 'espiritu de Mexico'.

Kevin Woolf

Very nice place but we waited about 35-40 min for 6 tacos

M H

Good place for drinks but not authentic Mexican food. The lady bartender was amazing. While mixing drinks and still able to get our order right. And she was pumping out drinks

Natalie M

Good service but the food was weak and overpriced. Ordered the Tijuana as a starter and it was 2 lettuce heads with some seeds and oil, should have been grilled much longer, probably costed them a dollar and two minutes to make (it was cold). If I wanted hamster food I would have went to a pet store. Ordered the chilaquiles and the plate was hot but the food and tortillas were very cold. Tasted okay but I'm not sure why the food was so cold? The tortillas came to me very soggy as well and it just wasn't my jam, but the pork belly was cooked well. The party that I went with had the same experience. Probably won't be coming back (honestly I preferred chronic tacos over this restaurant). It's unfortunate to see the food being so sub-par as I really liked the cozy atmosphere (there was Mexican/jazz music, played not too loud). They really need to narrow down their meals and get rid of certain items on the menu that bring down the restaurant.

Nathan john-gill

Amazing ambience. Food is so-so. Our server came to check on his a lot too many times.

Justine Roo

Food was very nice, specially the PESCADO taco ???? the place is ok but the service was not the best

Pavel Filippov

Our server was and amazing! Great place for modern mexican food

Banafshe ft

Food was delicious, drinks were tasty, and staff are friendly. Bit of an oversell on being dog -friendly in that they're welcome, but not on the patio, just tied outside. Other than that, great spot. ????????

K G

I usually don't like mexican food but the food here was fantastic. Portions are small so be prepared to order two or more items. Best thing to do is to order and share as a group. Try the chipotle salsa it's the best. The green salsa is also good but if you eat too much your mouth will feel awfully sour :p.

Dylan Kirby

This is my favourite Mexican restaurant, whenever I feel like going out to have a nicer meal but don't wanna go all the way to dt, El Santo is my go to choice. Came here 3 times alredy for dinner or happy hour, never disappointed. Especially love the live music performance at night, nice touch to the experience.

Maria Mainart

My friends and I are there on Saturday night around 530pm and the place was totally packed. There was 7 of us so we had made a reservation but even if it was 2 people it’s best to call ahead for sure. We had the trio of guacamole and Sopa Azteca to start. Both were great. The soup was the best tortilla soup I’ve had in a long time. It was really thick and not you typical style, more hearty. For a starter it’s really big and filling. The homemade chips were really tasty and the guac was good but they all tasted the same to me. Our friends had the ceviche and it was really nice a refreshing. For our main my husband and 2 others and the Ling Cod tacos that were really yummy. You get 2 but they are fairly large. I And another friend had the wagyu flank steak. Super tasty, it came to our table covered and When they waitress started to describe the fish she uncovered it and a plume of smoke came out that smelled like a campfire. It was fantastic! our friends Had the pork loin which was a huge portion! Enough for 2 for sure. The drinks were also on point! The service was fast, very nice And she was great describing everything. I didn’t have desert or coffee but my friends did and I had a bite of the tres leches and it was darn good. An appy and main is a lot of food and I had left overs to take home. It’s a little pricey but you get a lot of food and the all stunning. The cocktail menu is huge! There is a whole page of just tequilas! I have a tequila ceased and it was exactly what I wanted it to be. I highly suggest you check this place out. Every time a plate went by us to another table I wanted to try what the other tables were eating too! I can’t say any thing but great things about this place

Greg Domville

Yummy authentic food, large variety of tequila options. Well designed\ decorated room. Street parking outside. Tortilla maker in kitchen, which means fresh handmade corn tortillas. Horchata served here. 3 stars for informing us an hour into our meal at 6:56 we would have to move tables immediately at 7pm or leave for another reservation! ???? Came back, sat at the bar and worked, had a great experience! Good food, better service.

SHERI DANKO

My buddy invited me to this spot because he was performing a live show with his band. I got curious about the restaurant, so I drove all the way to see what makes it worth the trip. I nearly got lost until he showed me where the door is, and so I settled myself at a table where his family is sitting down. We tried out the cuisine, starting from the guacamole all the way to the churros. Wow! I wish I knew about this spot sooner. It also helped that the music gives the restaurant a stellar atmosphere. If you guys are trying to get in a fancy restaurant without going bankrupt, this is as close as it gets.

Stephen Carl O'Shea

Fun atmosphere with delicious food. Come here for your next date night. Lots of menu choices for carnivores and vegetarians. Plenty of share plates and small bites as well as entrees.

Jenna McLatchy

Good spot. Like to go for a few drinks before heading off to diner elsewhere. The atmosphere is great and it'd be a great place to take a date just bear in mind the price is a bit high and the portions are on the small side.

Jeevan Grewal

If "taste is king" then this place has nailed it. The food is delicious! Excellent service, even for large groups--which we were. Expect a buzzing atmosphere that can be borderline noisy at times; the prices are extravagant for the portion size but not for the quality--So, if you equate value to quantity, then don't get your hopes up; but, if you appreciate complex flavours that are true to their ethnic roots, you'll be happy.

HARI UDAYAKUMAR

Feeling disappointed about our first experience here. The service was very slow and the restaurant was not full. The portions were small, which wouldn't have been a problem if the food had been exceptional in quality. We were given complimentary churros to make up for the slow service, but even these were not delicious. I don't think I would return, nor would I recommend that others try this place.

Jason

I’ve been here a few times now and this last visit by far was the best. The food was incredible! I had the wagyu steak and my boyfriend had the pork belly. Best steak I’ve had in a while, and I’m comparing it to Atlas, Hy’s and Gotham’s. The staff were all friendly and helpful. The food was fast and delicious. We can’t wait to come back!

A. T.

Great food quality and reasonable good portion for a Dine out Vancouver 2020 menu. The only set-back in my opinion was the noise. There was lovely live performance but the audio was very loud, we couldn't hear each other across the table.

Dheeraj Shetty

Over sold under served Service was good and the place looks well done but the food was comically small and even served with miniature spoons as for flavor it was bland to the point of the taco shell overpowering the flavor. All in all if you are hungry this is not the place to go.

Ashley Marie

Great place for Mexican food lovers, small menu but everything really tasty. Happy hour is always a great choice as well.

Joseph San Jose

El Santo has a very welcoming environment. It's cozy, calming, and exciting at the same time. The staff are very friendly, and pretty intuitive with your needs. Don't get me started on their cocktails! They're like a whole new experience of flavours. I tried four different cocktails, each one was unique in what they did to my taste palette. I had a chance to have a couple appetizers, and they were an explosion of well blended flavours as well. Just go, you'll love it. ????

rafael sanson

A unique Mexican atmosphere. Food & service was excellent. We appreciated their attention to covid protocol.

Eduardo Esteban Garibaldi

We had a big group that ate at El Santo and I think everyone enjoyed their food. The food are full of flavor and had a good pallette of taste. The waitress are very friendly and prompt on assisting us if there's anything we need. They also have a wide variety of tequila which I regret not trying one. Overall, very happy with my experience and will definitely be back.

Karl Hallquist

Fantastic service, delicious food, great drinks and decor has been updated and makes for fancy night out.... And no matter what you do, get the cornbread. After sharing one we wanted to order another but we missed last call at the kitchen!

Karin

Place is very beautiful, very good staff, clean place. About the food, if you are Mexican really don’t recommend this place, flavors are not authentic. My suggestion is to take care of the tortilla flavor and warm it up, don’t serve it cold, specially in tacos. Horchata water is good, I do recommend it. Salsa is sweet and there is no sweetness in Mexican salsas. I understand that must be hard to get tortillas here at Vancouver but you can always consider the option of making your own.

K L

Loved everything about this place. Attention to every detail and the food was absolutely delicious. Live music too. Highly recommend for a sexy date night or group gathering. The other reviews that said the food was small should have ordered some chips and salsa. They will bring you chips all night. I even had leftovers to take home.

Amberly T

Great Mexican food. Nice size restaurant with a cozy atmosphere. Server and manager are really helpful when you need to chose a dish although menu is one page long you want to try everything because it all seems amazing. The chips and salsa a thin and crispy and they will bring you more chips for free if you need. The soupe was perfectly balanced with lots of fresh ingredients. Fish tacos were great. Steak was good great flavor. The pork Hogg is the to go for. Their is a lot of food and it melting tender juicy. The reason of my 4 star is because of the Jamaica, for 6$ I was expecting something with way more flavor and not having a glass full of ice. I will for sure go back.

Amanda Cameron

Held an engagement dinner here and it was fantastic! The food and service was high quality. The environment is amazing from the decor all the way to the live jazz band. This place is a must go if you are wanting a place that has great Mexican food and great atmosphere. I highly recommend and I will be coming back again! Btw you gotta try the tequila infused coffee ????

A. L.

I love the food these guys make, haven't had a bad dish yet! We have followed them to all sorts of locations in and around Edmonton! I love that they do a monthly special as well! Try it all, you can't go wrong!

April Kristine Stagat

Dined at El Santo on a Saturday night. Wife and I could only get seats at the bar, but the seats were very comfy. Guacamole was excellent and so were the tacos. Staff was friendly and efficient. We will be coming back for sure. I wouldn't say it's expensive, our bill was $50 (after tax) and we were stuffed. Probably one taco too many for me, in fact.

JP Velasco

Ordered the azteca soup from here, I think regardless if you pick the large size (and pay more) or the small size you get the same amount. The avocado that came with the soup was too hard. I've ordered from here before and I do like their food. And I do appreciate the good will gestures the owner has done for the community when the restaurant was closed during the height of the pandemic so that's why I give them 4 stars. I didn't benefit from whatever they were doing I just read about it from the news.

Paulyene Rodrigues

I contacted them to ask if they had any main meal vegan options. They replied with vegetarian options claiming they were vegan. Please don’t claim you have inherently vegan options when you don’t. Vegetarian and vegan aren’t the same thing. Also their food is highly over priced for what you get.

Sharlyn Abogado

This place was excellent. Food is over the top. Beyond what I expected. Margaritas were very nicely balanced. We had the mussels and the risotto. To die for. Go there now!!

Tyler Dovey

Excellent food and service. I was not familiar with the menu and the waitress was very pleasant! She took her time to explain items from the menu. Yes the portions were a little smaller but the food was high quality! It was definitely upscale. We really enjoyed the restaurant and would recommend it! Must try the chilaquiles and churros!

Dylan Casola

Great food and place. Service was all over the place however. Seemed like servers had too many tables but staff were always filling water glasses etc quickly. Didn't get a drink I ordered and empty plates stuck around too long as well. Perhaps a staffing issue tonight so will try again

Alexander Clark

This is a modern, trendy and romantic looking bar/restaurant. Mexican. Beautiful environment for dinner or late night snack. Brunch menu looks great with several gluten free options.

Ankit Mitra

Food was average. They do justice with cocktails. Very busy and noisy place. 100 people seating capacity. Outdoor seating also available. Service standards are good. Located on a busy road. Paid parking.

Gerard Pietrykiewicz

Nice service and presentation but lacking flavourings. Surprisingly and disappointly bland.

Gabriel Bauman

Good was good, portions were minuscule bit quality was good. Not memorable. Ate in a group. Total bill was $200 for dinner and drinks for 4 people. It's nice to take a date if you want to impress her with your knowledge of Mexican alcohols or some harder to find dishes in the lower mainland, but definately not a quick bite type of restaurant.

Silvia Barbosa

One of the best Latin American restaurants in Lower Mainland. I was reading the bad reviews, because I was curious, and I found it funny that Taqueria Playa Tropical was referenced as better... I had to chuckle because Taqueria Playa Tropical is like a truck stop diner in comparison to El Santo in food and presentation. Taqueria Playa Tropical is inexpensive good latin food, but El Santo is high quality fancy food from quality ingredients. I would imagine Chef Gordon Ramsey being impressed with El Santo and wanting to shut down Taqueria Playa Tropical. I wouldn't be surprised that Taqueria Playa Tropical writes bad reviews on El Santo's review page. El santo is like 9.5/10 and Taqueria Playa Tropical is 7.5/10, both worth their value. ps: Not a fan of El Santo's tacos compared to Taco Fino, I would prefer a more basic or different chicken taco. Perhaps some how incorporate guac?

Doug Hallett

Food is delicious. Customer service is great..

Bette Festing

Great place to get away for a beer, tequila, or just to snack on so many variety of fuse Latin american cuisine. I had a great experience as a customer, I also got the chance to chat with the staff at a personal level, and they are very passionate in their roles and give out such a friendly atmosphere to the place. I highly recommend this place and hope to go back again soon.

Evan Danyliuk

Nachos with guac was a good appy. Mango guac ftw. Wagyu was yummy. Great ambiance with attentive servers. Cocktail list was mexican inspired.

El Unico Gio

Came to this beautiful city for a few weeks and dropped by this great spot, felt welcomed right away! Had some ceviche, had some horchata and for the platos grandes ordered the pollo con chorizo which was amazing! Ending it with the churros! It was all delicious! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ definitely a 5 star, Great staff! ????????????

K

El Santo is a welcome addition to the burgeoning New West food scene. It has been open for a while now, but I wanted to go a couple of times before reviewing. The quality of the food at El Santo is impressive. They have a flavorful guacamole trio, and a rotating ceviche option that are both very fresh and tasty. I've also really enjoyed all the larger plates and plates to share. The service I've had at the table has always been very pleasant, and servers are knowledgeable about the menu. Where things have been less consistent is at the front of house. This is improving, certainly, but a couple of times, we were almost turned away by the hosts who said there weren't any available tables, until a manager came by and explained that the table would be free for an hour and a half before the group with the reservation would be arriving. After the hiccups at the door, the rest of my experiences have been very positive.

Esther Kow

This is one of my favourite places to go in New West! They have always been very accommodating of large groups and the service is excellent. Their prices are a little bit higher than nearby restaurants but it is absolutely worth it. The food is very good and the cocktails and tequila are stellar.

Deepali Raiththa

Can’t believe anyone would give this place anything other than 5 stars. The service was immaculate, the food was exquisite, and the tequila selection was extensive. We came on a Sunday night and there was live music from an excellent musician. Would go back again in a heartbeat!

Kayvon Motamed

Nice ambiance and helpful service to help navigate the great menu. A bit of class combined with comfort. Great place in New West. Not the "typical" fair found in most Mexican fast food joints. Expect adventurous fusion to delight the palate with the pleasantly unexpected. Would go again to try other dishes.

Jessica McCallum

place for brunch and dinner. Huge selection of alcoholic drinks and cocktails. The tortillas made in place and fresh. We order the 3 guacamole dip, chilaquiles, tacos and diablo cocktail that was great. Was very fun to come in the evening with friends .

V

Visited with a friend and we shared the Lengua taco for starters.. the meat was tender and very tasty. main course was the Chile Relleno... so delicious with the blended cheese and pepper; and enchiladas don mole... texture of the mole is quite thick and tastes like dark chocolate but still quite delicious regardless. I will certainly be back ;)

Pam Berg

Food was quite delicious and would go back if it wasn't extremely expensive given the small portions. The drinks were also very expensive. Otherwise decor is very nice and unique considering it's in New West. Recommend a visit but won't be going back regularly.

Lisa Tam

Had a variety of dishes. The food overall was just ok; nothing to rave about and nothing really stood out. Some of the dishes we ordered was dry. There is room for improvement. The server we had on the patio was great and very attentive.

Tina Peng

Wide variety of Mexican dishes and drinks. Nice interior but also kid friendly. So far it is the nicest restaurant I've been to in New Westminster. Have had dinner a few times and even NYE.

Chris Sim

We stopped in for a quick bite to eat. The food was really good but a little on the dry side, I was a little surprised that they did not give any house salsa with the tachos. Nonetheless over all experience and the service was very nice. They have really good margaritas!!! will go back for sure.

Tom Kane

Went to El Santo for Dine-out... WELL!! El Santo was AWESOME LOVED the beef tongue so tender! , and the duck, Delicious. The tres leches cake was the most unique take on a tres leches I've ever had, and the BEST!! My hubby had chile relleno and WOW, SOoo good as well (and different) OMG everything was amazing :O) Sooo sad to hear they aren't on the regular menu! Hoping that'll change, Will HAVE to come back and try other dishes for sure. Sam Fabbro has created some truly unique and amazing meals here!! I can't wait to try his Vegan dishes at Amaranthus now. (Never thought I'd be excited to eat vegan! hahaha) Way to go Sam!

Trevor Dsouza

I had meaning to come here for a year. Finally went this evening with my wife. There were tons of available tables but they made us wait 30 min. We were sat. The decor and ambiance was nice but the place was extremely loud. I’ve never been to a Mexican restaurant that charged $14 for chips and guacamole. We didn’t want it. The server was nice. The menu was so over priced, the portions incredibly small! This is New West. Not Downtown Vancouver. They charged roughly $30 each for our entrees that had 4 tiny slivers of meat per plate! We joked about going somewhere else after for a 2nd meal as everything was so small. We shared the chicken and the steak. Food was alright but nothing that wowed. We tried a Mexican Cheese dish as the appetizer. We also had two beers. Our bill was $82. Over $90 with tip. Mexican Food is supposed to be Fun, Filling and Reasonable. This place is Pretentious, Un-Filling, and Very Expensive.

Elizabeth Zepedeo

Absolutely one of my favorite places in New West! Fantastic food and excellent cocktails, and the menu gets updated seasonally. Great for dinner and also for brunch, and with live music on Friday nights. Servers are excellent, always get everything right, and nothing takes too long, even when it's busy. That said, definitely recommend reservations on busy nights.

Kris Wong

The azteca soup was perfect, tacos good but a little expensive, live music nice, but very laud, this is not the place to enjoy the company of people that you want to share time with. Impossible to talk or hear the person who is beside you.

Eschelle Westwood

The room is nice, but a bit boomy/loud. Everything on the menu sounded excellent I had a hard time choosing. I opted for the short rib Benny which was quite good. Service was excellent. I’ll be back.

Reema Weglo

Delicious food. Some of the best I’ve had. There is a section of the restaurant that has a much lower ceiling than the rest. That’s where were seated and it was far far too loud and hot, and that took away from the experience. Great service though. If you go here call ahead of time and ask to be seated under the taller ceiling.

Valerie Yuen

Very good tacos, chicken dish that I'm going to dream about, friendly staff and cool decor. We sat outside and had drinks. It's awesome they have kids meals. Churros for dessert. Skip the empanadas.

Chris Lago

Great service, food and experience. Love this place

Elya Shaw

Amazing food. I enjoyed every bite of it. I would definitely recommend for folk who want to try Mexican other than the one commercialized by the fast food

Jade Fawkes

El Santo is amazing! I come here quite often for special occasions or if I am just craving some authentic Mexican dishes. They have live music some evenings which is amazing and I love the cozy atmosphere! Everyone I have brought here loves it too! It is a higher-end version of Mexican food so expect to pay a little more, but it’s amazing quality so you get what you pay for! I would definitely recommend!

Jeanine Fynn

The only way to eat real Mexican food going to Mexico or maybe some places in California. The food here has nothing to do with the real thing. Sadly the people that have never been to Mexico are deceived by this restaurants. Throwing small pieces of Jalapeño into the food doesn't make it Mexican. The food is good but portions too small which makes it overpriced. Just another "mexican" restaurant with local creations.

Peppe Ciampa

Maybe it's not bad for new Westminster, but sub par compared to Vancouver restaurants. Went on dine-out was a little disappointed compared to other restaurants that set the bar high.

Zee “delight007” A.

Delicious food; very impressed with the quality! We really enjoyed our experience here - shared some tacos and small plates with our Corona and Sangria. The guac and chips were to die for. Great place to go for food and drinks during a hot summer evening.

Mykhaylo Yaremchuk

High scale taco place! Tacos were amazing and generous but can be a bit pricey. Service was fast and friend. Their beef taco is a must try!

Tracy Frazer

So happy to have been introduced to this excellent Mexican/Latin restaurant! The menu was varied and very interesting. I could find no fault with anything from the perfectly made traditional margarita (there are many to choose from), to the savory Aztec soup, to the amazing deconstructed chili rellenos, topped off with their oh-so-good home made marshmallows (pineapple habernero that day). The service was outstanding as well. I will be back!

Curtis Matthias

It's as flavourful as it is expensive. Jokes aside, the food is truly delicious but pricey. I would caution the salmon adobo albeit tasty, is not good value for money. Tacos on the other hand are more reasonably priced. Make sure to order the churros at the end, they're among the best I've had.

heidi klassen

Yummy happy hour. Delicious margarita and salsa trio. Chips were so fresh and crispy. Tacos and chiles rellenos were very good. Torta was a bit too toasty but still tasty. Service was attentive and knowledgable.

Jennifer Chu

Higher end Mexican food and Tequila bar. Plates are not huge and most things are more than $10. Don't expect your regular tacos and burritos here.

Roland Haynes

Food was delicious service was excellent excited to go back when we can dine in ????

Peter George

We came for brunch. I had the costillita benny. Unfortunately my short rib was mostly chewy fat so was disappointed but the rest of the dish was really tasty. I wouldn't order it again though. We shared an assortment of tacos at the table. They were very good. Simple and flavourful. Coffee was on point too. It was my first time at El Santo. I would probably try it again for dinner and drinks next time.

Susana Rodriguez Reyes

Delicious food, great atmosphere. The churros were so good I found my "dessert" stomach ready and willing.

Shawn H

The food is excellent, although they are pricey. The main downside is that we had to wait for a long time for our churros to arrive. We told our server while we were still eating our tacos that we’d like to have our churros in about 5 minutes so they’ll have time to get them ready, but it seemed as though she didn’t put our order in for the churros and we ended up waiting for so long. Overall waiting time was quite long. Other than that, the ambience and the live music was amazing.

Christopher Nadeau

The food was on par with similar establishments like Tacofino, La Taqueria, and Cuchillo. The downfall being the cost. It's very pricey and being outside of Vancouver, one would expect a lesser bill. Food came out quickly. The service started initially with prompt efficient service and slowly diminished nearing the end of our stay. Getting a debit machine took longer than getting the food. Lacks the common courtesy chips and salsa at other establishments. Would we return? Probably not unless someone is having a function or the prices are revised. Just being honest.

Kurtis Dolezsar - heythatsdolly

The food and service was very good. Its a very modern vancouver style Mexican resturant. Prices are alittle higher and the salsa or any other sauce comes in very tiny bowls.

Sasha Passaglia

Best tacos and tequila list you can find. Their tortilla chips are homemade and taste like Mexico! You cannot go wrong here - perfect for a girls night, birthday, or date night!

Jonathan Benson

Prompt and polite service. The food was top notch though I was starving so that took it up a notch. Craft beer offering was spot on. When it was time for my bill they brought it with a hibiscus marshmallow! Not my style but it tasted damn fine. I was hoping the food would be good and it was excellent -what made my meal was the music: sorta Mexican upbeat fusion. Perfect.

Mark Romain

Wouldn't go back. It took forever for our food to arrive and when it did, the taste was average at best. The staff were great though and we weren't charged for one entree because of the wait. Free tequila shots were a nice touch since it was my wife's birthday.

Tyra Campbell

Food was good and so were the cocktails but you don't get a lot of bang for your buck. 2 tacos for 15 dollars and the cocktails are average 15 dollars. They are good but it can end up being a very expensive night.

Leanne Anderson

It's a Fancy Taco Bell / Cactus Club

Kevin Gordon

Food was tasty and decor was nice.

Nikki Berreth

Excellent cornbread. Rockfish was amazing but they no longer have it on their menu. My experience with their rotating seasonal menu has been hit and miss. Expect mid to high prices for upscale Mexican food. Nice to come here maybe once a year.

Felix “The Cat”

Local place in New West. Lowlight cool music cool guy/gal atmosphere. Good place for a date, birthday, or to catch up. Food is well portioned and tasty. The menu is mexican but done up a notch. Lots of variety and enough things caught my eye that I will go back.

Rhandi Neal

Was pleasantly surprised with this 'upscale' mexican menu'ed restaurant. Sat at the bar and had a tremendously experience bartender who was the perfect mix of attentive and knowledgeable blended with great efficiency. Food was very good, from homemade chips for their 3 salsa plate to the pork belly tacos that were outstanding. places like this become cornerstones in areas

65choco

We're here right now (Jan 12). I understand we're a party of 12, but the food shouldn't take over 1 hr to arrive. - Group arrived at 630 - Orders placed close to 7 - Drinks and Appetizers arrived shortly - It's past 815 now and entrees aren't here yet We followed up twice and we we're told just a few minutes. I would think twice about coming back. It's too bad because the place looks decent and it's packed.

Gagan Brar

Not really sure why they are trying to re-invent the wheel here. Mexican food is supposed to be quick and folky. The hipster vibe is strong with this place. So if that's your thing then you will enjoy over paying for what is actually yummy food. Consider though that there are other Mexican restaurants in New West where you pay MUCH less for better food.

Kirk Chantraine

Terrible acoustics; walls, floor, and ceiling all smooth concrete, can hear all conversations but your own. Food and service five stars tho, would return.

Tatiana Reales

Great service and amazing food! Will definitely come back to try the rest of the menu!

Neil Maharaj

Attractive interior, tasty food, and helpful staff. The area is well-lit overall, though the rear of the restaurant has extra tables that are in a far darker area. One criticism of the menu items is that while the food is tasty and unoffensive to the palate, I feel like the cooks could experiment more with the flavours and aim for more complexity. Some of the items, while tasty, seemed unremarkable and lacking something that would give it more punch.

Shawna DC

Always a fantastic experience, but every visit wishing for more dairy free options and gluten free modifications. Best wine selection in new westminster and despite not having many gluten free dairy free options, it is still a place I am proud to take guests because of the establishment genuinely offering a pure quality dinning experience in New Westminster that starts when you walk in. I have been coming since the restaurant has opened and my biggest concern is the more recent staff turn over. I will be visiting to see if the consistency and quality stays the same with new hires for what I refer to as a blissful "El Santo experience" despite having dietary modifications. It's worth it and new westminster will be at a loss if the quality is to waiver.

Michelle VanB

Do they have something against beef? Don't see any on the menu.

Doodle

Cute decor in a small room. Sat at the bar to gaze longingly at the mezcal / tequila selection. This is for next time. I Just arrived back from Cancun the day before, so this place fit the bill. We came in for a quick bite before the movie, and left satisfied and wanting to come back. We got out in under our 20 minute timeline. Had the fish tacos (pescado) and beef cheek (cachete) which were loaded and tasty; two tacos per order so yeah a bit pricey. Each came with a different mini-salsa. My suggestion would be to fill a little less, and make it four tacos each order. For example: pescado tacos had two generous pieces of fish each, plus a bounty of slaw n' stuff. Spread that out over four tacos, which requires no more fish and a little more slaw, and BOOM! you've got value. Four tacos for under ten bucks? Heckya! Also had the guacamole trio, which satisfied the guac craving I was having. That being said, the three guacamole were too similar to differentiate, and needed more salt.

Zimmer Sso

This place is amazing! The food is fresh and authentic and the live music really adds to the ambience. Their service is on point and I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for delicious food.

Tia Dawson

We had a lovely late lunch at El Santo. The food and drinks were delicious! The home made peppermint marshmallows at the end of the meal, with the bill, were a nice touch.

Christy M Kuettel

Pretty good Mexican place near us, that was recommended. Went for happy hour so we could enjoy some margaritas, which were good. I wish they had some flavoured ones other than lime, but still good. Really enjoyed the beef tacos, the chicken was alright, not a fan of the fish personally. They have good salsas for tortilla chips, and the soft boiled eggs wrapped with chorizo and batter accompanied with an apple salsa jam was pretty tasty. El Santo should make something where they showcase their chorizo more, because it gets masked a bit with the jam. Very happy to have found this place near home. Will go back in the future.

Robert Cole

#metoo Was hit on by the main chef Sam Felt so uncomfortable the whole time Food portioning was so small Cold atmosphere If you want to feel uncomfortable and uninvited go here. I recommend new menu new staff

Yunlei Z

The food was flavourless, and the food was overpriced. Furthermore, I was disappointed by the service since the server took away our plates while we were still eating and even reached over my plate while I was eating. Also, the server also asked if we wanted a dessert, which we said no to, and she stepped away. We tried to get someone's attention to pay for our bill right after, but no one came to check up on us for 15 minutes even though our table was all cleared. Maybe the server wasn't having a great day, but it was a terrible experience for us.

Phil

Live the romantic atmosphere and the food is very reasonably priced for the quality. The service was above and beyond. Warm, knowledgeable and dedicated.

Michelle Edmundson

New Westminster is changing. Normally you’ll only find a place like this in Gastown but no more. This place has top quality drinks, decor and food. Love band on some nights too

Kristin Dorey

Amazing food and great Wall art. Brilliant staff and atmosphere is super friendly. Good for casual date nights and dinner with friends!

Wanda K

I am all for second chances but I have been here twice, both times I ordered different baked fish were undercooked (flesh sticking to the bones). The inside of the fish was not cleaned properly, there was dried blood all near the head which made the fish taste bitter. Pushy staff and slow drink service. There won't be a third time at this place.

Candy Wang

Great drinks with a huge selection. Food was ok and service was good. Parking can be a little tricky and is pay parking. Feels like the perfect place for drinks and appy's more than to go for dinner. Ambience was very good and place was clea.

Abhay Verma

Nice ambiance Staff very friendly and accommodating as we were a large group even though one waitress mixed up the dishes. Place was busy as there was a dine out going on as well I ordered the soup of the day and was pleasantly surprised how good it was. I got the chicken for main entree and was moist and flavorful The sweet and spicy flan dessert was really refreshing I would go again

Danijela Mihajlovic

Absolutely delicious high end Mexican. Great atmosphere, service and food. I have tried 2 of the tequila flights and I reccomend them... but probably not at lunch time! ;-)

Cyberscribe Solutions

We met some friends for dinner at El Santo last week and were so impressed. What a beautiful, comfortable restaurant with the most delicious food. Not just your typical Mexican food at all. Absolutely wonderful!

Vanco P

Fantastic tequila and taco selection. If you are a tequila lover this is the place for you, they also have delicious cocktails. We had the guacamole trio to start and it was absolutely fabulous. Highly recommend, I will be returning to try their dinner offerings! Thanks for a fun meal!

Ryan Jamieson

Happy hour arrival, no reservation, seated immediately. Shared plates with my wife, had a couple of drinks. Eventually we tried mezcal and then ate a taco. We ended the 2 hour affair off with churros with the BEST dulce de leche I've ever tasted. Also, you MUST try the brussel sprouts. AMAZING! Great service, water never empty and chips never empty. All around great way to eat/drink/visit.

Zahf Paroo

Great atmosphere. Large menu of drinks so it's perfect place if you feel really thristy. For eat I recommend the sopa de tortilla, and tacos specially tacos de cachete, tinga de pollo and taco fish.

Hiro

Thanks! I was part of the 'Sight' crew and met you personally, thank you so much, great venue and delicious menu items

Hope Fooo

One of the few great restaurant in the heart of the New Westminster Occasionally they have live music performance. It is a great location for date a friend gathering for drinks highly commended to make reservation before going

Richard G.

This place is cute, modern and lively. We recently came for a VERY rare night out with friends (yay for our babysitter!) For dinner and drinks. We had reservations (you need them! This place was packed!) and were seated in a nice corner table pretty much right away. The guac trio was yummy, as was the salsa trio. Our friends had the perch and stuffed chillis, which they said were delicious. My husband had the risotto which was very good. I had the chilaquiles... now, I've had this dish in various parts of Mexico and at other authentic restaurants in Canada. These were... not good. But, what keeps this rating at 5 stars, is the service. They only charged me 50% of the cost (there was nothing wrong with them, I just did not like them at all, so this was very kind) and were so wonderful about asking for specifics on what could be improved, etc. To replace my entree, I ordered the soup on their happy menu. And WOW was it delicious. To top it off, the bill comes with small house-made marshmallows for each guest! Would 100% reccomend a visit. Just not the chilaquiles.

Derek F

Service was pretty good, server made herself present. Took a bit long to get the second course, but was really good when it came. Would love to mix and match individual tacos, sometimes 4 is too much if an individual wants to try different ones.

Rich Aguiar

Food quality was good. Prices are way to high for the very small portion sizes. I mean $8 for a piece of cornbread that is literally smaller than a hockey puck. And we had to ask the servers to stop topping up our water. At one point, 3 different servers topped up our water in a 5 minute period. I like good service, but this was over the top.

Spencer Perry

What a great restaurant. It’s New West’s hidden gem for sure. Stopped in for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The space is nicely decorated, the service is friendly and upbeat, and the food was really flavourful! We had the tamale and the chile relleno and both were very well prepared. The chile relleno is a little different in appearance than what you are probably used to, but the favours are very well put together. They use traditional recipes/flavours and present them in a modern style which works in appearance and taste. Would highly recommend!

rudy couto

Food was really good. Lunch menu was a little sparse. Had the enchiladas and they were really tasty, especially the accompanying rice. Would definitely go back and try the dinner menu!

Daryl Shaw

El Santo... overhyped & overpriced, period. For the prices they're charging the food quality doesn't match. The portions are small and the taste leaves something to be desired. I swear their "daily" items on the Happy Hour menu are just whatever the cooks need to get rid of -- what I ate felt disorganized and bland, I regret it. I ordered a margarita which was criminally small and the tacos were tiny as well -- for what you're paying, it's robbery. Writing this review I'm still hungry and I was there literally 15 minutes ago -- it's ridiculous. The only redeeming factor is the interior, but I'd rather a small 'hole in the wall' spot with delicious food and reasonable prices -- El Santo is bland food, gouging prices and waiting 20 minutes for two mini tacos. I won't be returning, I won't be recommending this place ever, and if you're looking for some authentic Mexican food, look elsewhere -- this place is a facade.

John Kurz

Solidly good Mexican food with a small flair of the west coast with regional ingredients. Shame they were out of bone marrow tacos.The food was delicious, the mains are quite large portioned. My only negative, the guacamole in the trio were a little too citrusy for my liking. Amaizing list of cocktail and an even more impressive collection of tequilas and mezcal. One note we were told not to order just yet as the kitchen was backed up, odd.. but still had a wonderful time.

Vanessa Darwin

My wife's favorite New West venue. She is Mexican so maybe a bit bias but it's deserved. Great food selection that always changes for variety. Service is decent. Love that owner comes to table to say hi when he notices you have returned. Great job. New West needs you

KB Valley

Mexican fine dining type of food style. The food was delicious, but portions were smaller than expected.

Krystal Gnome

Expensive and small portions so expect to eat lightly or spend a lot. Everything is crazy delicious though, and all the staff are delightful. Plus it's beautiful inside and the patio is dog friendly!

Carson Rerup

It is an awesome place with amazing food. I like the look and feel if the place, it is well thought out. The menu has something for everyone, small and big portions. Pricing is rather standard for a restaurant. Good place for a date dinner or a drink with friends. My highest recommendations.

Jenny Holzbecher

Good food. Tacos a bit in small portions. Nice ambience. Good service. I just find the server to kind of in a rush to clear the table for us. Like literally a second after you put the last piece in your mouth, she'll come to get the empty stuff in your table. Still was great overall.

Collin Sluggett

Calm and quiet at 1:30 pm on a Saturday. The costillita Benedict was incredibly delicious (and filling). If you're a fan of corn bread, you'll ♡love♡ this. The huevos rancheros were excellent as well (three small tortillas with plenty of toppings). The soup was a bit heavy on the smoke for my taste but very rich and well-prepared. The small bowl was very filling. The caesar (cocktail) was very disappointing, though: off-the-shelf commercial premix :( made it brown, not red, and it tasted really bitter. Too much Worchestershire and nowhere near enough Clamato. Not recommended.

Johanna Núñez

Great atmosphere and staff. VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY options. Food was really tasty, especially loved the mole with mushrooms (shared between 4). The portion is a good size for sharing between 2-4 as an appy. The Kale salad with roast cauliflower was also quite nice. Loved the tamale! ~$15-20/p.

Edward Molinar

I've been twice. The place is very nice inside. Unfortunately, service isn't very good. Last time I went they placed us in the back of the not full restaurant, and then quickly sat 3 more tables in the server's section. This created a poor customer experience due to poor seating. Service was then slowed down to the point where it took 15 minutes to get a water. Food is good but I find it a little overpriced and portions are inconsistent. Still a young restaurant, hope to see it grow. Happy hour is a plus. I still want to try that egg though. So I will return.

Randy Clarke

Wow. Top shelf Mexican. A bit of Coal Harbour / Yaletown to n New West. Fantastic cocktails with a very extensive tequila and Guava inventory.

William Lau

Good service. Server name by often to check on us before our food came and then again as people were finishing. She was maybe asked once to ask to replace the water bottle but was otherwise on the ball for servicing our table. Our party was large enough for a gratuity, but I think she earned it. Food was good. The Wagyu Flank steak was delicious, although maybe it was left to cool a little too long (slightly on the cool side). I loved that smokiness that this dish had. Not sure if this is liquid smoke (beef black on the exterior) or it was smoked before service but that smoke flavour was very evident after dish was uncovered (dish served with bowl covering it which makes me think they used smoking gun). Parking in this part of downtown seems all paid parking. I parked way East of 4th as free Street parking found starting there. It was as maybe a 7 min walk to the restaurant from the car. Near the end of the night, some people were worried about their parking while I was cool as a cucumber.

Christopher Diaz

Always good food and good service. It's a beautiful space but can be a little loud. I recommended this restaurant to everyone in New West!

Leona Zheng

Inventive dishes, cool vibe all around...and they really get it in terms of finer details. We were enamoured with the tastiness and presentation of all the food we had. The salad...the tacos...and even the coffee was presented beautifully. We will be back and we will be bringing friends with us!

Kevin McKeen (Soundwave)

Delicious food. Such nice ambience.

Brian Nichols

Take a stop here for some great drinks, relaxing atmosphere, and flavorful food. I always get the Chile Relleno, by far one of the best dishes (and highly regarded as the best dish among the staff). I looks like a big slab of lasagna and I always somehow forget what it's called when ordering. I just ask the servers for the dish that looks like a slab of lasagna and they know exactly what i'm talking about. Also, you'll want to go ahead and try the Tuetano bone marrow taco (mouth watering!). Comes with whole cloves of garlic for your garlic lovers such as myself. Service has always been top-notch when I go and the staff are really nice and great with suggesting dishes. Check them out!

Edward Zhou

My first time eating here. Nice atmosphere. Good service. The food is good and perfect for sharing. Tapas style. You must try their churros for dessert though. So good!!!

Ella W.

If you want a high end experience of what white people assume Mexican food is like, then yes, this is the place to be. The food is descent but does not match up to the high end prices. One of their most expensive dishes is basically a whole fried fish, with some cilantro rice with a red line of what I think is a mix of tobasco and siriachi? I couldn't tell, all I noticed is that the whole thing was missing flavor. The place is beautiful though, great location, great presentation, a diverse menu and by all means it looks very elegant all around. It just doesn't have anything that I would call "an authentic Mexican experience"

Kuldip Gill

The portions were tiny. 2 tacos were tiny medallions. After 3 for $15 I was still starving. Literally 10 bites. Insane prices for what you get. The service was slow. Food came before drinks and it was about 25 minutes. Kids food was tiny and expensive for what you get. There was no music on the patio. The service was slow, I'm writing this while waiting for a taco refill and it's been another 20 minutes. Update: we asked for the bill after waiting 30 minutes after ordering more tacos because we were hungry. The food never came. I asked the waitress if they were on the bill and the manager came to deal with us. She said if theres nothing I need to take off the bill then I'll get the machine. The point of having someone order food and It never arrived, would have been nice to have a reduction in the over $100 bill. We left and went to get tacos elsewhere because we were still hungry. After paying more than $100 for 2 adults and a child, you should not be hungry. I dont recommend this place. The ceviche was not authentic ceviche. Although the flavors were ok and the chips were homemade, it was not how you are supposed to make it. Same with the micheladas. Not authentic.

Sahar Kanani

Pretty decent Mexican spot in new west. Compared to restaurants in the Vancouver downtown area, 2 main pros would be that it’s easier to find parking nearby and get a table. The service is a hit or miss, as some of the staff isn’t familiar with the menu, but at least the kitchen staff looks legit. The drinks could be better, but I highly recommend the carnitas de jabali, chile relleno, and churros for dessert, the flan on the other hand wasn’t very tasty and had a weird texture.

John B.

I was eerie on the pricing thinking they were for one taco but it was actually for 2. The tacos were very fulling when we got two orders. I would suggest when the daily taco is pork belly to get it, it was really good.

Damaris Kazor

I hardly ever give 5 stars to a restaurant, but this one truly deserve 5 stars! Delicious food, friendly staff and super cozy place. This restaurant is definately on my top 3 restaurants in BC.

Bev Riehn

Can you say pretentious? I don't know if I've ever felt more uncomfortable or out of place in a restaurant. The food was fine, but extremely overpriced. Another key term: appropriation. This is what happens when we get our hands on something from another country. Instead of ordering nachos, your order guacamole or salsa. That would be like ordering ketchup or mustard instead of a hotdog. Why does food have to be such a show? I just want to eat a taco.

Gee

Yup, this place is pretty good!!! Set in the old town of new Westminster along the downtown streets of Columbia comes an upscale Mexican restaurant with all the right fusionistic twists of modern and classic Mexican food. The service is outstanding, the ambiance is up to date and the food..... outstanding. The only bad thing I can say is that I wish there were more food to price ratio but other than that, no complaints whatsoever. I have even come here for a few cocktails a couple of times and even thought there is nothing too special or fancy that I have found so far, they are certainly made with love and are pretty tasty. El Santos is a great place to stop by for a night cap or even to fuel up the night. I recommend El Santos to anybody cruising through the neighborhood of New Westminster for a little treat in this beautiful ever growing city

Willem Toorenburgh

Surprisingly good experience! Because of mixed reviews wasn't sure what to expect before visiting. Ordered tacos, nacho, crackling (appy), potatoes (appy), enchiladas and enjoyed them very much. Roasted tomato salsa was really good!! Service was attentive and quick enough. And very important for us, clean and felt safe inside. Really wanna go back to try their brunch menu!

Mark Estrada

5 years ago I gave this place 3 stars and said it was a nice atmosphere but the food was only ok. I have since had many great meals here and been treated well by the staff. The owner is a nice fellow who’s worked hard to keep things going during the pandemic while providing a safe environment and other options. The take home margarita kit was a nice thing during those hard early days. I still think that only some of the menu items are really terrific, but there are a few undeniably great options along with some that are only ok. The fish tacos are amazing. Best ever. They make an eggs Benny on cornbread that is likely my favourite item there, although only available for brunch which I don’t think is happening right now. They make their own chips, which are great - especially with the ceviche. So, maybe I didn’t order the right things at first or maybe they got better over time, but now it’s a great spot I have pretty fond feelings for.

Robbin Risley

I want to love this place and I've been there 5 times over 2 years. The drinks are great and so are the many guacs, salsas, house-made tortilla chips and wild boar croquettes. I had a fish dish on a previous visit that was delicious. Last night my husband & I had the mussels - ugh - the chef needs to ensure that the seafood is top notch. Especially when charging $22/plate. The bartender also seemed a bit stressed but we appreciated her hussle. If you are going to charge Vancouver prices then ensure your staff are happy and care about the food they are serving.

Alex Wilson

Booked on a Friday night. Dinner service started out with host sending us to the table right beside the bathroom, while there were still a few empty tables across the room. Ordered 3 dinner items. When I requested something to dip the masa wrapped egg in (to eat the egg yolk), the server failed to suggest any items on the menu. The egg yolk was perfectly done, but we couldn't taste the chorizo. The taco portion was ok given the price, but lacked a wow factor, not expected from a restaurant highly rated by VanMag. The Carne Ahumada, suggested by the server, had a cool Smokey presentation when served; however, the "wagyu flank" was tough and stringy. Unless given a good reason to re-visit, I will be rating it a 3-star, nothing out of the ordinary.

Mike M

We went for brunch on Sunday, Place is nicely decorated and service was good. However their food was off. The food presentation is good and taste is decent, but after 3-4 bites in both my wife and I start to have some funny feeling in stomach. The corn bread on the bottom, while delicious it become too heavy and bland after half way through. The meal left us full but not comfortable in stomach for the rest of the day. This is big contrast from good brunch place that source fresh ingredient.

HS Madan

Cocktails, food, atmosphere, staff, all are fantastic! Never been disappointed! Tip of the day: you get 2 tacos but there's enough stuff on your plate to make 4

Caitlyn Bogaerts

Wow! Try the guac trio as well as the tacos- Fish, pork and especially the cauliflower. Everyone in our party of 5 loved the food and the variety of spirits and drinks. Service was very good- staff were on their game. We will be going back soon!!

Falina Stack

We did a skip order and was expecting good Mexican food. What we got was exceptional Mexican food!! This place is amazing, the enchiladas were phenomenal as were the Tacos. The churros however were out of this world! Never in my life have tears come to my eyes from eating a churro. Can't recommend El Santo enough!!!

Shannon Howald

Dine in

Sean Lynott

Absolutely the worst "Mexican" restaurant I have ever & will never go too again. Service was slow, meals were small, prices were overpriced for what you get. What mexican restaurant does not serve naxos or tortilla chips? veggie enchalada? terrible menu. worst, absolutely the worst margueritta I have ever had in my life! I left hungry, go to taco time!

Sam Ess

This place is always super busy which is a good sign! Food is fresh and full of flavour! Authentic dishes with a modern twist - so many new things to try each time we go. The decor is one of my favourite parts as well - just makes the who dining experience special

Minal C.

Great atmosphere with nice booth seating available for bigger groups. A huge variety of beverages and the tacos are amazing. This is a must try for New Westminster eating.

Char McC

We reserved a seat on Valentine's day a few days before going, they gave us the worst seat and wouldn't switch for us. Tiny portions and extremely pricy however very delicious and beautiful decor. If you have money to burn and want to try something different I would suggest it.

Mayette Ostonal

This dessert is my favourite! I don't remember the name now but something with corn. Amazing taste I can call this as blonde soufle! I didn't like the mole so much, there should be chicken version instead of the beans ...

Billy Lam

An excellent dining experience! Everything from delicious cocktails, to excellent appetizers, great mains and fabulous desserts to complete the evening! We shared everything with 4 people which have ya the chance to try quite a few items on the menu. We especially liked the boar croquettes, the Wagyu beef (the mushrooms with it were an excellent touch) and it was a toss up between the ling cod and the beef tacos. The Tres Leches cake with Charcoal was perfection and a great way to finish an excellent evening! Thanks for the great service and amazing food!

Bill Tzetzos

I've had two experiences at El Santo, and both were negative. The first time, a co-worker and I visited for lunch. His meal was served with 'soft' tortillas so stale he could knock them on the table like sticks. I ordered churros for takeaway, and the dulce de leche was a sort of lump that was impenetrable by the itty bitty churro pieces without serious force. (I started eating them as we walked back to work, so this wasn't the result of me waiting too long and it getting cold.) The second experience was during Columbia StrEAT Truck Festival. Two friends and I came in to escape the heat and get drinks. Service was painfully slow, over 20 minutes to get bottles of beer even though there were several empty tables. My mom joined us, and at no point did anyone come to ask her if she wanted anything. Our server didn't return, even when our drinks were empty. A large line built up outside the door. While people queued for tables, still no one came to ask us if we wanted more drinks, or to deliver our bill. Our server passed by multiple times, avoiding eye contact and attempts to flag her down. At one point I had my head down on the table, my arm up in the air with my credit card in hand, completely exasperated after over an hour of sitting there with people staring at us wondering why we were hogging the table. Finally, the poor host came over and took our payment so we could leave. I would not go back, and I'm sorry I ever strayed from Taqueria Playa Tropical.

Monique Mazereeuw

It has the flavours of a good Mexican recipe but not worth the price at all. Went during happy hour, friend got tacos of the day - two very small ones for $8 & I got the torta of the day, also $8 but was the half the size of a normal sandwich. If you want to be full after a meal, I wouldn't pick this place.

Akash L.

Two wrongs don't make a right, but put two rights together and you get something exponentially worth more. Executive Chef Sam Fabbro paired up with Jay Jones to create one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. Sam and Jay Sunday's launched yesterday and I can't wait for next months treats. Do yourself a favour, circle the last Sunday of the next few months and enjoy! Starting off was octopus, chorizo and nugget potatoes with deep fried hibiscus( which looked like tiny calamari swimming around the perfectly cooked octopus) and pair it up with a pisco sour complete with a little fire wafirewater, dehydrated jalapeno pepper and you've just spiced up your evening. But follow that up with the freshest Halibut in a corn sauce with Nasturtiums and a Huracãn (pisco, Steel and Oak IPA, orgeat, lemon and Pernod), and you just know you made the best decision of the day! I should have, but didn't do the third course. It was a truly a memorable meal, made by people who are passionate about their abilities to kick things up to a new level.

Joe Ong

Called last night to order take out. The gentlemen who answered the phone was very rude and his tone was very abrasive as he explained they do Not do take out orders. I assume they were really busy but I work in customer service and despite how busy we get there is a certain level of phone etiquette required when dealing with communicating to your clients.

Rachel Ludwig

They delivered the worst service that I have ever experienced in Vancouver. I’m such a big fan of Mexican cuisine so I tried out this restaurant with my Mexican friend and other friends as the reviews were quite decent. We were all disappointed in the place so much. The place is well decorated and the atmosphere was great. However, the servers were not friendly at all. When we entered the restaurant, the host kept talking to another hostess for at least 5 minutes right in front of us. We waited for a cup of water and salt for at least ten minutes (it wasn’t busy) and our cup was never refilled. No one server asked if we needed anything else. In addition, we were still eating but they just took away all the dishes from our table without asking us. Plus, the taste wasn’t as decent as we expected it was going to be.

A. C.

Lovely date night for #dineoutvancouver2018. My half was a grilled romaine salad with machego and pumpkin seeds, deconstructed chilli rellanos, and a Mezcal flan. Everything was unique and flavourful. Staff was friendly and the pacing of the meal was relaxing.

Andrés R. M.

This was the second time I dined at El Santos. Happy Mothers day. Ambiance is fantastic. Love the way they used Edison lights throughout. Decor was modern Mexican with a hint of old school Mexico. It felt very good. Service was average. Our server forgot a few things we asked for. Food was amazing though. Should you have a craving for upscale Mexican cuisine, El Santo should be on the top of mind if you are around the New Westminster area.

Firecatcher3000

Great date spot. Excellent cocktails and live music. Portions are fairly small. You may have to order 2 or more servings if you are hungry. Probably my favorite restaurant in New Westminster.

Pablo A

Downtown Upscale Modern Mexican! Service was prompt and helpful. She knew the menu and had great suggestions. Portions were right-sized for one or for sharing. Tacos were yummy and creative. Favorite dish was the smoked mushrooms CHILAQUILES! Excellent selection of shrooms and amazing flavors. Coffee loving wife loved french-press coffee. Would definitely recommend and will return!

Kyle

Great service and amazing food. Always enjoy the staff when visiting El Santos. If it's for dinner or just to stop in for a drink and churros, they are friendly and respectful and tonight was no different. From the lady at the door that greeted us, to our waiter that serviced our table. The food is amazing to go with the great service of El Santos.

Roshan parsi

The bad reviews on here are fake news. Sorry it isn't tacos and fajitas for the regular Vancouver folk. Food is great, along with the atmosphere. Prices are reasonable and also on the menu so hard to believe one lady was shocked when they ran up their tab to a hundo. Oh well. Hope the complainers don't come back, they really bring down the vibe! Great mezcal selection as well. Salut!

Geoff McLennan

This place is not celiac friendly, and there was very little I could eat. Portions were very small, the main plates were appetizer size. Very frustrating as I called ahead to ask about options. The service was shocking. We had made a reservation for my birthday, and when we arrived the entire front half of the restaurant was empty. We were seated in the tightly packed back half of the restaurant next to a family with loud messy kids. When we asked to be moved, we were told that the front half was to remain empty. To top it off, the server dropped salsa which showed my date's pants, and we had to ask for a towel as they didn't offer one. After that they didn't offer a comp or anything! I will say that the cocktails were good. Not worth it to eat there.

Paul S.

The food is mediocre. The drinks are delicious! The chips and salsa are good. I go there at happy hour for the best price.

Graham Butler

Went to El Santo for lunch and enjoyed the meal. The flavours are good but there is some room for improvement. 1. They have three types of tacos but no option to have a tasting plate of each taco, so you end up with three tacos of all the same kind. Not bad if you are sharing but sucks if you aren’t. This is an easy fix too! 2. The tacos are just tacos, no sides or accompaniment. The taco didn’t even have cabbage or mango salsa or onion or nothing. Just a sprig/leaf of cilantro. Come on! 3. You are better off getting the sandwiches 4. The beer is good but selection is pretty bland. Overall not bad Mexican food but left feeling a little unsatisfied.

Rhys Dardis

Every time... So fantastic! As a chef... This is where chefs should go to experience what good chefs can do. Simple, elegant and sophisticated flavours for those who actually appreciate good food technique.

Adrian L

Very friendly staff..Delicious food. Nice atmosphere

Mark Rademaker

What a great experience in this hidden gem of a Mexican restaurant. Recently went for a friend's birthday and we found the food absolutely amazing. Very bold cohesive flavours in all the dishes we tried. Nothing came out bland or overcooked, it was all just right. If you're a fan of sipping tequila this is the place to go with a whole page of the menu dedicated to their very impressive array of tequila. Sometimes have live music which definitely livens up the atmosphere. Service was great with really attentive staff and knowledgeable bartenders. Thanks for the great time El Santo!

Timtwoface (Timtwoface)

Great fusion Mexican restaurant. Hey! They have tequila flights for crying out loud and lots of choices . Great service, easy parking, however it's $1.75 per hour, but it's a smaller community. And no paybyphone meters either, but not a problem. Would definitely recommend this place for a unique experience, other that the traditional but very yummy Mexican cuisine.

Joyce Cochrane

We went on a Friday evening and were very thankful we made a reservation. There was a three-piece band playing in the corner and the energy in the restaurant made me glad I didn't jam on plans. We started with the salsa and guac trios. I couldn't get enough of the tortilla chips. I ordered the Chilaquiles de Cochino for dinner and it was so delicious (and it comes with more tortilla chips). Needless to say, I was too full to try either of the desserts, which I guess means I just have to go back.

jacqui jordan

We had a lovely evening. The food was good as always and we especially loved the duck. Glad that it is on the menu. Missed the slow smoked yummy meat dish I had last year but it is important to change up the menu and El Santo always has great, tasty and interesting flavors. Staff was really fun and we loved the barrel aged cocktail!

Kaitlin Troy

Friendly staff. Good food. Can be busy but have a text and call service when table ready. Support local :)

sukhi dhaliwal

If you enjoy yelling at the top of your voice so that your dining companions can hear you, if you are thrilled by slow service and delighted by delicious food served in small portions at exorbitant prices, El Santos is the place for you! I give 3 out of 5 stars because the food I sampled was absolutely on point, the Kitchen deserves recognition for a very well executed menu.

Tina Whyte

I have only had brunch at El Santo, however, it was fantastic and I'm planning to come back to try the dinner menu! Super trendy and good service too!

MILANIE SARCIRON

Quite disappointed with the food. Service was good to excellent. The menu is quite difficult to interpret with the dishes very poorly described. Get ready for a lot of chips - chips come with everything! ZERO heat in the salsas, or the ceviche. The chilaquiles were WAY too sour due to an over-powering tamarind sauce. My advice? Add some heat and some spice, dial back the sourness and re-write your menu so that it actually describes what you serve.

Sam Cager

Great food quality and service. Be aware that this is upscale style cuisine so your portions are going to be smaller than the typical place in New West.

J W

great food, good service. a lil noise tho.. I left my umbrella with a waitress cuz she asked if she can take it. I really should've kept it with me cuz when I left, it wasn't there. someone took it and I had to walk 2 blocks in pouring rain with strong wind.. I was soaked when I got my car.... was great experience till then....

Ez Nirmalan

Amazing fish tacos and cool atmosphere

Scott Tunnicliffe

Horrible customer service. We were told that the wait was 20 minutes, sure that's fine we will wait. Then after 25 minutes I asked again how much longer and with a EXTREMELY rude attitude the hostess responded with "I don't know, do you want me to go talk to the people at the table and ask them when they are going to leave?" Wow! Seriously?! That is the type of customer service you provide to your customer? No thanks, I will not come here again. Better work on your soft skills if you are going to be working in this industry. Update: Midway through our dinner, the owner Alejandro personally came to our table and apologized for the earlier incident. It was definitely a nice gesture (along with the complimentary dessert) and I respect him for that. Thanks for paying attention to your customers and valuing their experiences at your restaurant.

Earl MacDonald

So I just had dinner there tonight and I ordered a dish that I found out I did not like. The waitress there was absolutely amazing and understanding and brought me my second option, which turned out delicious! I couldn't of asked for better service and delicious food! Thank you!

Richard Han

We enjoyed a great dinner here last night. The food and service were fantastic and the manager, Alejandro was very attentive and made sure we enjoyed our experience. Will definitely be back!

Jim Knechtel

Sadly has become a victim of their own success. Busy location and poor staff coordination not terribly focused on service. Loud band makes difficult to enjoy dining experience. Poorly air conditioned on hot days.

g garry

Something has changed here. Last time (about 6 months ago) the band played, service and food was excellent, the crowd was fun ... But now, things are 2/5 and that is stretching it. Not sure why, just a different vibe to the place. Perhaps missing the classiness it once had.

EL Roly

Tasty tacos, friendly staff & creative decor. Every time I go to El Santo, each dish I taste I have been satisfied. It is on the pricier side considering the amount you get, but you can tell its fresh ingredients. In the menu food is limited to one page, whereas drinks have 3 pages (which I found strange).

Yoshi Yellow

Delcious spot in New West for mexican food and drinks. Our favourite dish is the whole rock fish with green rice. They also have tacos, ceviche, chips and dip and a large selection of shareable plates. Furthermore, if you like tequila, they offer flights!

Diana Chiu

The food lacks flavor.. had the cod tacos.. not good. The drinks are overpriced. The only good thing about this place is the vibe and the nice servers!

Arturo Tejuco

New west needs more of these little gems ! Cute trendy space along the Main strip on Columbia. Food is consistently tasty and their water service is on point ! We had the rabbit served wrapped in its juices along with tortillas, great share plate! They also have live music Thursday to Sunday. Tasty cocktails and dessert.

shadowman8855

Great service. Food and drinks were delicious.

Glenn Rowett

I ordered the mole enchiladas, I was expecting more out of this dish, the tortillas came out cold and the mole was very standard it didn't wow me. The other dishes that came out for other people in my party looked good, perhaps if I had ordered something else. The Churros were good.

jennifer hoang

Amazing service. Went with an 11 year old who is particular about what they eat. The staff were friendly and extremely accomodating. The food was so tasty with wonderful flavours. The portions looked small, but when you are done you could eat no more. Thank you for a lovely experience.

Christy Cheung

Although Vancouver is not well-known for Mexican cuisine, we have a select few in and around the city! El Santo is a great spot to try a variety of Mexican dishes, from your classic taco options to your larger plates. …

OD62

Was a bit slow to get water to our a table, once the waiter showed up though the service was great. The food is excellent! Tried the tostaditas they are great would order them again and recommend. Definitely going to be coming back.

C Castro

Fantastic little place with nice decor! We especially were happy to see staff rocking masks (not something that every restaurant is doing these days). Soup, fish tacos and ceviche were amazing!

Ashley Wheeler

I had previously given this place a lower rating but my last visit was excellent. The servers were great and the food delicious. The only downside is that the parking is difficult.

Shyanne Boudreau

Foos was unexpected for what we would normally think of as Mexican. Food was great, nicely presented, service was great, and the ambiance was industrial chic. Prices were lower than expected. A definite go again.

Olivier Martineau

Really great authentic Mexican menu. Went with Mexican partner and she was very very impressed. Had the chilaquiles and enchiladas with mole

Thus Oner

Such an amazing restaurant. For the beautiful decor to phenomenal service. El Santo delivers on every aspect. I've never had such amazing food im my life. El Santos is deffinetly one of the best resturants in the lower mainland, and in B.C.

Rene Fee

Really cozy and nice restaurant. Great selection of Tequila and Metzcal, amazing tapas and sharing plates. The food is really tasty Staff really friendly, really welcoming and knowledgeable Manager (Johnny).

Peter L

Good food and great service on a busy Saturday night. We were seated right away for our 7:30 reservation. Food taste and quality is good. Portion size may be little small. As I was expecting 3 tacos and could pay $12. But got 2 for $10. Ambience is good with nice decor. A little loud for me. Overall good experience and worth visiting.

Neil Warwicker

Great place to get mexican food. I love that their beef is free range, pasture raised as health and ethics are important to us. The staff is always pleasant and grienfly. Gets a little busy on weekends.

S. Duke

Went for dine out - even though our meal was delayed since we were waiting for one more person they still brought us complementary guac trio (which was sooooo good) and a round of tequila cocktails. The food was delicious. Our table was a bit cold (right at the front), otherwise the atmosphere was great. Will definitely be back & bring my other half for dinner.

Debbie Wang

The food, drinks, service and vibes were excellent!

Karen Lizeth

One of my fav Mexican restaurants in BC. Highly recommend the chile relleno and enchiladas suizas. Also the guac and ceviche!!

Rob Start

Food was great! Portions are small. Staff was friendly.

Skip Swain

Came to check it out, the hostess looked at us and said the wait is 2 1/2 hours "sorry" , no follow through or explanation as to what they could do or encouraging us to come back. For a first impression it was not good. I'm not rating the food as we didn't even get a chance to try it I'm sure it's great, but after reading reviews and hearing portions are small that tells me not to bother going back. To bad.

Thalia Barrett

Very hipster and a great place to grab some upscale Mexican food. You have to have the Cesar with mezcal...sooooo good! Always try the chef's special taco if they have it because it is great representation of what the chef can do. The atmosphere is great and the guac is also choice!

Dave Brook

We have passed by this restaurant many times and decided to give it a shot. It was a nice ambience with a live band and beautiful interior decor.We ordered the tortilla chips and three different salsas which were great. Chips tasted fresh abd crispy. Our server seemed very tired as she kept yawning. She didnt really have great suggestions of what to try. For entrees: We decided to try the Pollo Asado which was very very dry and lacked flavour. It needed some sort of sauce and spices as it was disappointing. Portion size was very small. Second entree we ordered was the Lomo De Cerdo Asado which had not charred but BURNT and was flipped over so we could not tell it was burnt. However, when we took a bite, OMG BURNT TASTE!! Not impressed. Our waitress tried to tell us this is how it is supposed to be but after i explained it us not charred and to look closely she agreed. Pork loin was not bad but lacked flavour. Our entrees took 30 min and there was no explanation. We were very patient as we thought, maybe itll be worth the wait. Boy were we wrong. Being here for the first time, very disappointing. Stephanie, the supervisor came to our table and apologized. Once we got our bill, she only gave us 30% off considering i had less than 50% of my entree due to the bland taste and not very good, and the pork loin dish was medicore considering all scallions were completely burnt. After all this we stil had to pay $63!! Not happy at all. The supervisor could have done a lot more especially with the lack of service and food that was received. Supervisor brought churros to take home but we were not really interested. When the server took our plates once we paid the bill, she was seen talking about us which was very unprofessional and unacceptable. Not sure i would try this restaurant again as it was overall very disappointing...

scott French

A delightful experience. We got to chat a little with Alejandro about the dishes and he was a lovely host. Definitely coming back soon. We do recommend booking a table for busy nights such as Friday night, when we went. Drinks are delicious, food is marvelous, atmosphere with good music.

Jennifer Marie Luce

It's good for having drinks but the food is kinda bad and consequently a little expensive. I'm knowledgeable about Mexican food and the "Oaxaca style mole" was terrible, pretty sure they added beans or something weird to thicken the sauce. Also I am not sure if these folks pay the copyright for the "El Santo" name. Anyway, if you end up here don't expect it to be even close to mexican food and stick to the "tacos" and drinks. Cheers

Geoff B

This is an amazing restaurant. Mexican fusion with a lot of low fat options. Not typical rice and bean fare. The wagyu beef is amazing. Beef cheeks and boar all really good. Ceviche and Brussel sprouts to die for! Very warm and inviting restaurant. Server was so nice and accommodating. Will definitely go back

gagan johal

If you're a Mexican food fan this is a place to go in new West! Servers are extremely friendly and the atmosphere is great. Prices are quite reasonable and the drinks are fantastic. Will definitely be telling people about this place.

Amelia Tremblay

Delicious churros and fruit juice. I didn't like the soups, ceviche. Tongue tacos were acceptable.

quetzalli cruz

The food was really good and so were the drinks. Unfortunately we didn't have as good a time as we would have liked as our server was fairly absent and when she did appear it was very obvious she didn't want to be there. The food makes us want to back but the service left a bad taste.

Will Davis

Drinks were very good although the food lacked balance. The meat was very good, but there were no fresh elements, leaving the whole meal feeling heavy and myself a bit gross. I might go back for drinks and an appetizer but not a full meal.

D S

I expected more choices in entrees or at least some of the Mexican basics. The Sunday we went was quiet(covid?) But they were out of chicken enchiladas. So the only Mexican fare were tacos and Chile rellenos. They had a salmon mole which is not my idea of mole, deep fried fish and flank steak. Appies did include chips and guac and Aztec soupa. I ended up having a risotto that was undercooked and not tasting anything remotely Mexican. I guess if you want someplace fusion then you would be ok. I'd rather have tried and true Mexico. And it's not cheap which would be ok if the food was better. The menu had loads of drinks but very few food choices.

Daria Tatarnikova

Food was tasty and inspired but smallish portions. Mains took forever to arrive and came at different times. Service was very good. Total cost for 2 people was $50 without alcohol.

Tommy Suits

Inaccurate hours, I tried to come here at 1:00pm on a Sunday and was turned away and was told they open at 4. Both on here and their website said they would be open at this time… A bit annoying because me and my friend met here halfway from our own houses which was about 45mins for each of us to commute.

David Jacks

I went to this restaurant yesterday in a big group and I had high expectations. The ambiance is lovely and the decor makes you feel like you are at a swanky restaurant downtown. It is nice that that style of restaurant has come to New Westminster. However, the food portions were unbelievably small considering the price and I would not come back. I ordered the pescado tacos (fish tacos) and they were smaller than my palm. They were also tasteless. I ordered a margarita which was pretty good, but at $11 for a small drink it was a bit steep. My husband and I shared two plates of tacos and another share plate and our bill came to $78. We were in a large group and they charged a mandatory 18% gratuity. We both were starving afterwards and moved our large party to a pub nearby. Taqueria Playa up 6th street is much better food and MUCH better value. If you eat like a bird and like paying Yaletown prices you might like this place. I won't be coming back to El Santo.

Wade Murray

I wanted to like this place so badly. The decor is beautiful, it's so trendy and always busy, loud and full of music and all the things. New West needed a hip eatery like this. Unfortunately, the food was just a miss for me. Beautiful presentation but bland, bland, bland. So bland. It pales in comparison to the flavour of the much less fancy Taqueria Playa Tropical up the hill. There was nothing "wow" about my meal other than the little tiny cornbread in the little tiny skillet, which was delicious, moist and sweet. The waitress was lovely, the decor is lovely, the location is lovely, but without good food (especially at these prices) I can't recommend it. Such a shame.

Donna Adams

Great service, and great food. One thing to be aware of is the the portion sizes are inconsistent. I've been a couple times, the enchiladas was on the smaller side, but the braised ham was an absolute unit. Both delicious. If your concerned about the size just ask your server beforehand

L G

Love the atmosphere. Amazing staff and food is to die for. Best churros in town ????

Andrea Martens

Food was delicious. The only reason I am giving 4 star is because we had fruit fly in my cocktail. They have lot of Gluten free and vegetarian options which is nice. Would definitely go there again and will recommend other to try as well.

Amber L

Came here for dinner and ordered the bone marrow tacos (TACOS DE TUETANO) for $14. Literally the smallest portion you will ever get for a meal. Small amount of bone marrow and 4 whole cloves of garlic all sitting in a pool of oil. They give you six taco shells yet the entire portion will fit on 1 taco shell with room to spare. My parents ordered chicken dishes and the waitress asked what they would like for their sides: potatoes or beans. When the bill came they were charged extra for the sides. At no point did the waitress say there would be an extra charge and the wording she used made it seem like the sides came with the dish. Bad business to not disclose to the customers when ordering if there will be an extra charge for something. Bad service, non disclosure and misrepresentation and small portion sizes. We will not be returning to this restaurant. Very disappointed.

shiraz thobani

Came here with a few friends for some drinks and tapa style food. I was not disappointed! I would definitely recommend the tuna appetizer with the avocado spread, as well as their fish tacos. Very trendy restaurant with beautiful food presentation , good for a night out with friends!

Bradley Ellert

Worst food I’ve ever had in my life !! Food was overly priced and Flavours were not authentic. It confuses me that their hot sauce was actually sweet . Mexican is one of my favourite cuisines and this place makes me scared to try any other new place.

jesusloco187

El Santo is always delicious and the service is always great. I think it's the best upper scale Mexican food in the area! Definitely recommend trying their Sopa Azteca.

S Basi

Overpriced dishes with small portions. Food was over seasoned. The arugula on my main dish was so heavily salted, I had to send it back to be remade.

M

Swanky local, food presentation was excellent. Friendly staff. Overall taste, not as authentic as I was expecting. Fish tacos were very bland. Ordered churros too and were over cooked on the outside and too mushy on the inside. Food is also waaay too over priced. A nice one time experience but not a favorite for our family.

Carol Price

My friend and I two of us ordered a salsa and 3 tacos. Tacos were good but I don't think it was that good that worth $5 per piece. The most disappointed item of the night was sangria. We ordered large white wine sangria to share (750ml/$17) and it was pretty waterdown and I am a cheap drunk person I usually only need one glass of wine to get tipsy and I had 3 glasses of their sangria and I didn't feel a thing. It's like drinking nice refreshing juice. If you want a fancy juice this would be your choice. The staff are friendly. Live music was mediocre. Will I return? No.

JT CW

Food (You have many gluten free options!!) /atmosphere/staff all great! Only downside are drinks are a bit on the pricey side and there are limited street parking available. But overall, will definitely revisit!!

K'shin Gendron

I am vegetarian and This is one of the best Mexican food I ever had. I wanted to thank the chef personally. Really delicious.

P

We love this place. The service and the food is always on point. A gem of a find in New Westminster. Thanks Alejandro for the wonderful experience every time we come in. See you again soon.

Grant Morrison

Fantastic service! Basically went there pre-wedding with a bunch of other insane groomsmen. Our demeanor was more than a little roudy, and they handled us well with exceptional service and meals!

Fa R-O

El Santo is my favourite restaurant, period. Not only is the food always excellent, the service is wonderful, and it really just feels like a second home, and the staff feel like family. The chef's table is not to be missed! This place really knows how to deliver an awesome experience.

Robin Jones

Once you come in you feel at home, wanting to stay all night tasting all the different tequilas and eating all the delicious tacos. Great atmosphere, great food, great drinks, and excellent people serving there.

Bryan Stocking

Great place for brunch. I came here for a quick bite and it was delicious. There was a little bit of a wait, it was worth it though. The food tasted great and the portions were just right.

Z K

Fresh , the food and the decor. Great plates to share. Staff knowledgeable about the menu and willing to offer suggestions. Good portions, just the right size so you can enjoy the full menu from appetizers to dessert, price is reasonable when you consider you are sharing. Fun touch with the delivery of the bill, won't spoil it for you.

Tracy Halllier

Great addition to the New Westminster food scene. Easily accessible by the skytrain. Reservations are recommended. Portions are a bit on the smaller side for the price, but the food is really good. Live music on Friday and Saturday.

Jacqueline Clark

I've been to El Santo a couple of times - once for lunch and once during happy hour around 4pm. The food was good and I enjoyed the atmosphere - based on this, I was excited to celebrate my birthday dinner there with a handful of friends. My husband made the reservation on April 3rd for April 19th @ 7pm, and on April 16th we called again to confirm the reservation. On April 19 we arrived around 650 and were told (by the manager, I believe?) to wait about 10mins. The entrance was packed, so we stood outside...thankfully it wasn't raining! At 7pm my husband poked his head in the door and was told that they were just setting our table. Finally, at 10 past 7, we were seated. Unfortunately, they had also just seated two other large groups. Our table of 7 was sandwiched between a large group in the semi-private dining area behind us, and another large group across from us. Within the first 10 minutes of being seated, it became clear that this would not be a comfortable dining experience. I was there to celebrate my birthday with friends, and I couldn't even hear the person next to me, let alone have a conversation with the people across from me. Extremely frustrated and disappointed, we got up and left...and neither the servers or the manager at the front seemed to care. Even after my husband went back to talk to him and provide some feedback, the response was extremely lackluster...not to mention the fact that it was embarrassing for me having chosen this place, only to be left with trying to find another restaurant that might have room for us at 7pm on a Saturday night. I understand that restaurants get busy, especially on weekends, but l have been to plenty of busy restaurants and this is the first time that I have ever walked out due to excessive noise. The people who run El Santo must be aware of how noisy it gets, especially at the back where all of the noise is funnelled from the front due to the design of the room, so why on earth would you pack 3 groups together in such a small space? That level of noise can't be enjoyable for anyone and is indicative of extremely poor planning. Apparently live music was starting at 8:30 - I can't even imagine the level of noise at that point. My reservation was made over 2 weeks in advance, and if someone had reached out and let me know that two other groups were booked for the same time, I would have happily moved my reservation time rather than put myself and my friends through that...but it seems that customer comfort was not considered at all. I guess the most important thing is packing in as many people as possible in order to make as much money as possible. There are no shortage of restaurants in the greater Vancouver area, but as a New Westminster resident, I choose to support a restaurant in my own neighborhood. Maybe losing the business of a group of 7 people isn't a big deal, but every group, no matter the size, is worthy of consideration. The food is good, but El Santo has definitely lost my business for the foreseeable future.

tricia wone

Beautiful atmosphere, wonderful staff. Not to mention the food and drink is phenomenal. Tacos are worth it everytime!

Bea fong

Beautiful interior Great service Bland food. Small portions and pricey My fish tostadas had soggy ice berg lettuce. Fish had no flavour Cornbread was ok, tiny tiny portion

Nicole J

WOW I was very pleasantly surprised at how good this place turned out to be, went here on a whim and the food and atmosphere were amazing. The menu was a bit intimidating as my Spanish is out to lunch but nothing Google couldn't make it easy to order, check this place out !!!!!

Kristopher Susilo

Delicious food and friendly staff! Highly recommend this place!

Tal Bernstein

My #1 date night restaurant in New Westminster. The food is fanatic. The staff always manages to create a wonderful experience. Can't wait to go back and have the Carne Ahumada and a El Vicente.

Carlos SB

Amazing ... simply amazing. Alejandro and his team have hit a homerun with this place. Definitely call for reservations but it's still worth the wait if you must. Try the anejo tequila flight. *best in New Westminster

Joshua Fernandes

Excellent high end Mexican restaurant. Reservations are a must and dining is leisurely. We shared most of the dishes and ate for almost 2 hours. All of the food is freshly made on site, tortilla chips as well. A large part of the menu is gluten free as corn flour is mainly used. Great service as well.

S McEwan

Nice ambiance. Cool decor. Excellent food. Awesome drink selection. The verdita washed down the tequila nicely

Tabitha Marie Geraghty

The food and service was great. The location is very convenient and the inside is bigger than it appears. And there's plenty of techilia to choose from :)

Brent Sellers

Best mexican food that I've ever had in the lower mainland. We tried the short ribs (feature on special), shrimp tacos, nachos with guacamole and churros. Attention to details and elegance in the execution were visible in all the dishes. In few words a culinary experience.

Norman Petkau

Great authentic food and fantastic service. Alejandro - the owner - pays detail attention to every table and ensures everything is perfect. Live music on Friday nights is the gravy on top. The chorros and the caramel dip were devine!!

Mike Reviews

Alejandro the owner is first class in how he treats his customers. My partners and I decide to make a trip down to visit as we heard a lot of good things about this restaurant. I have to say the food and experience lived up to the hype. We ordered 3 appetitizers (we liked the tacos the most) others were good to but we of course had our favorite We ordered 3 entrees, our highlight was the steak but in fairness all 3 were great. The service was super friendly and attentive and the restaurant was covid friendly and safe. Best Mexican style food that I've had yet. I will definitely return :)

Brad Tanner

Best Mexican restaurant I have tasted in Vancouver Lower Mainland! Very high-quality original creations. My personal favourites are the Chile relleno, beef cheek tacos and the whole huachinango fish.

Nancy Chan

Came here after seeing the good reviews and hearing friend’s recommendations. Unfortunately, we were largely underwhelmed by the quality of the dishes. Ordered 6 plates to share. The guacamole was pretty bland. The Brussels sprouts were good but too salty. The queso fundido was a little rubbery. The dishes didn’t taste like they were made to order, but pre made and reheated. The churros were dense and heavily sugared. The decor was nice and the staff and service were fantastic. Also enjoyed one of the two cocktails. Good drink list. Wish it was a better experience. We have definitely had better at another restaurant with similar menu.

Katherine Harrison

This restaurant has been consistently innovative and good over the years. The owner and staff are all top flight. Super chill place to have some beer and Mezcal in the afternoon.

Scott Boonyodom

The service is great and attentive but the food I found to overpowering and try-hard. It is not exactly the Mexican taco menu I have pictured. The long list of liquor choice makes it a great hang-out spot in downtown new west. I enjoy the conversation and ambience more than the food ordered.

SR

Nice little spot, tasty Mexican food. Very authentic, feels like you are in a cantina in Mexico. We got the nachos appy , highly recommend. Will be back!

James Higgins

Great staff and speedy to seat. Live music very nice environment. We loved it. Only thing that somethings we wanted were no onger on the menu or available during a certain time. Overall it was great!

Juridico Tulipanes

We were looking for authentic Mexican food...tacos with beef, chicken, shredded lettuce etc., burritos, quesadilla's and found only over priced cactus club type food that was extremely over priced with ingredients which I'm sure aren't used in any true Mexican restaurants in Mexico. Drinks are very overpriced as well. This restaurant shouldn't come up as "Mexican" food... Truly disappointed!!

Evelyn Liu

What an amazing surprise ! I have never hearts of this place before and I was just looking for someplace to eat in New West, and I will go back again and again!! They had amazing food, service and Live music

azin etesami

Great local Mexican style restaurant. Bright and bold flavor prepared with modern flair and presentation. A welcome surprise !

J A

Happy hour is a great deal for drinks. Their sangria is amazing. So delicious. Had their tacos, guac, salsa. All amazing. Atmosphere has a chill vibe is location is central and easily accessible by transit. Prices are relatively high but considering the atmosphere and quality of food, it is fair. Ask for the tequila hot sauce, it was so delicious.

Jenn Smith

This was our second attempt - the first was underwhelming and expensive, this time we met friends for brunch. Firstly they didnt even have the specials ready, with 12 staff wandering around no one really attended to our table, I had to send my food back as it was wrong, i asked for extra sauce and was charged 2 dollars (after it was wrong and I waited for it to be re-made while everyone else ate), half the party felt ill afterwards, they didnt have enough change for cash payment -''sorry about that but do you really need that 20cents?' Seriously!!?? I have no idea how this place survives and why its rated so high.

Chrissy Thiel

Overall great experience with them this afternoon! Friendly staff, decent atmosphere, good portion food, and remarkable Mexican dishes. Though it is a little on the pricey side.

Kav Kav

Great decor, atmosphere and wait staff. I had, what I think was some sort of roasted whole rockfish with an amazing sauce that was out of this world good, though I don't see it on the menu anymore. Fun cocktails with a latin twist, wasn't crazy about the taco's and they seem to have raised their prices, on wine at least. Oh and they have octopus!

Arzina -

Nice place. Buzzing atmosphere and great vibes. food is goood. Not authentic mexican but decent.

Gabriel A.

This place blew my mind. Mexican flavours but in an updated and elevated way I will be returning for sure

Antonella Gennusa

Delicious and well thought out flavour combinations. We had a variety of menu items that were each flavourful and presented pleasingly.The sauteed and marinated mushroom Appy is delish and the roasted cauliflower tacos were wicked too. . I definitely want to try more of their tasty creations.

K Q

Very good place. Good bar, good service, good food. The chile rellano was a different take than I've ever had, but very good. My wife had the carne ahumado, also very good. Best dinner out that we've had in a while. Will definitely return.

David Coutu

[Updated to add more images and info] This place opened in downtown New Westminster (about 3 years ago). In two words it's "upscale mexican". Decor is really cool at this place. There was a live jazz band when we went on Friday. Candle lit and comfortable. Good atmosphere. They have small and large dining tables able to accommodate family/groups. The drink selection is great and they have mezcal. The food was good and tastes authentic. There's whole fish and other unique dishes. I appreciate the salsas and sauces ???? and I often come by here when I get the chance (:

Jeremy Freeman

Food (tacos, seviche and watermelon) were great. Excellent choice of tequilas. Delicious cocktails. Slightly on a pricier side. Service was a bit inconsistent. Good place otherwise

Bryan Blackall

Great cocktails, attentive staff, this place is pretty cool.

Mereille Kay

Excellent dinner experience. The staff was extremely helpful and willing to explain individual dishes to us. Beautiful restaurant and delicious food. I will definitely be returning soon!

Jill K

Great food and nothing like I have ever tried before. Unfortunately, the menu was quite confusing for us and our waitress was very absent (but we were visiting on a busy night). We booked a reservation but our table wasn't available on time, so we waited quite a while. There was a live jazz band that was absolutely amazing. Hopefully the staff will be more organized next time, as we will likely visit again because the atmosphere and food were so spectacular.

Scott Irvine

It was a cool summer evening - my wife and I decided to try El Santo as we had heard nothing but good things for a long time about the restaurant. For the most part, it was excellent. Our drinks: sangrias and margaritas, were delicious. My wife could not rave on long enough about her sangria. I had two margaritas, one mezcal and one regular. The mezcal wasn't bad, but their non-mezcal was better. We ordered guacamole and chips for an appetizer, followed by our dinners, Carne Ahumada from their regular menu, and a Quesadilla from the Happy Hour menu. The guacamole was incredibly delicious, probably some of the best we've had, and that includes two trips to Mexico. The only real issue I had was that I ordered the Carne Ahumada medium rare, but it came out somewhere between medium and medium well, which was unimpressive. It was delicious, but I imagine it would have only been better if cooked the way it was ordered. Everything else was excellent. So really, it was one issue but the rest made up for it.

Bruce Shaver

Really tasty mexican food with a little fancier restaurant than the usuall places. I go here often and have tried a lot on the menu and everything has be delicious. Friendly place with good atmosphere. It does get busy at peak times/ week ends. Service has always been excellent never any issues.

Gavan

Best Mexican restaurant I have been to! First, the food is DYNAMITE! You can't go wrong with any selection, and their menu rotates throughout the year. The staff are always friendly and knowledgeable. The drinks are amazing! I recommend making a reservation as the restaurant can fill up quickly. It does tend to get quite noisy when the restaurant is full, but you will not be disappointed with the food and the atmosphere. They do a lot within the community and supporting many different programs. They're exactly the type of business that New Westminster needs! Great for a date night out and they have a semi-private room to accommodate large groups. I have a gluten allergy and they are always able to accommodate. One of my favourite restaurants hands down!

Kelly irwin

Such a great spot. Food is different, high quality, and delicious. Service is always excellent. Always leave satisfied, and my guests are always impressed.

Safir Kassam

Location is nice, has a lot of seating available. Prices were a bit high . Only tried the churros and a sangria Churros were good but the only problem was that they had too much sugar. We had to keep on dusting it off because it got excessive . The "homemade sangria" Was really poor, it was more like a lemonade than a sangria. For the cost it was not worth it . Would like to go back to try out the actual entrees at the restaurant .

Gordon Gordon

One of those bougie taco places. Dont bother coming here if you’re looking for authentic Mexican food. We could barely understand the menu and it took us over 30 mins to learn and decide what to order. Our server wasn’t that helpful either. I personally really enjoyed the drinks & my chicken tacos but my bf who is a vegetarian did not enjoy the enchiladas. They were extremely bland.

Donna Kwan

I had the chili relleno and the pan bread to start, both were very tasty. I was impressed that the pan bread came in a hot mini cast iron pan. The bartender made a very good cocktail. I would recommend the restaurant if you're in the area

Neena P

Great food, the menu is not too overwhelming but has plenty of options for many different pallets. So many choices of Tequila from the bar and they always give you marshmallows that are made in house after your meal. Also to note, this place is a more upscale restaurant in the area, but is still a great place for kids and offers a kids menu.

Gen Gstar

Best mexican restaurant. Really nice ambiance and great food.

Kathryn Matts

We have ate here a few times and it has been very excellent. We have tried around half of the main plates and they have been such a delicious and unique experience, each time! We have also tried the tacos and some of the starters (namely chips) and they have all been tasty. I had both the margarita Guey and La Marea (actually officially addicted to this flavor) which were both yum! Only cons were the host who is a man has been very unfriendly and almost awkward during our few visits. Also it can be quite warm inside in the summer, so dress in layers or something cool if you run hot.

Trevor Yee

Food was great! Their churros are to die for - so good! Benedict on skillet was on point too

Pilar G

The food is pretty amazing, the prices aren't over the top, the portions are alright, it's not super loud so you can actual communicate with the person sitting across from you. I enjoyed the atmosphere, and the staff was great.

K W

I went here after reading about El Santo in the Globe and Mail. This is an awesome restaurant that is a great addition to New Westminster. The staff was very friendly and the food was great. I can't wait to go back.

Bobby Dubeau

This place has amazing food. It's got a great drink list and a really awesome funky vibe going on. It's a little on the pricier side but the portions are pretty fair and I definitely left feeling satisfied.

Dylan Weichel

Flavours were delicious. However, I didn't feel I got best value for my money, as portions were quite small -- two small tacos for $10, three for $15. They were good, but not out-of-this-world good. Cocktails are unique and tasty, and the decor is nice, not too dark. Music was a little loud and I found I needed to raise my voice to have good conversation. It was also really warm in there!

Denis

When arriving on a Friday at around 6 or so my group to follow would be a fair few people (it was just my gf and I however 5 more would follow). It took them ten minutes to even tell us how long the wait was. Then advised us that it would be another 20 minutes. When finally seated the server advised us that there's another reservation for 8pm.. Most of my group wouldn't get there until 7 or 730 so I left, not impressed and won't bother coming back. If the advised us off the bat that there was another reservation and they would basically kick us out after that I wouldn't have stayed and waited for so long. Not cool.

Jessica C

We met our friends here for a double date, since they are from New West they highly recommended El Santo as they have been before. We ordered drinks and decided to share 5 dishes and dessert. My boyfriend and I had never tried Wagyu beef before so we included it in our order. It was the first dish to arrive & when the bowl on top was removed, I was surprised to see a plate with the entire contents appearing to be black as night. The beef wasn't too bad but the sunchokes were so dry and hard. We weren't sure if this was how it was supposed to be served having never eaten either foods before. When I got home to check the other reviews and photos I realized it was nothing like what I saw from past customers posting and praising. My friends even messaged us later apologizing for the beef being "charred to the core" even though they didn't make it.

Meg Sequeira

I love this place. Food is all fantastic. I'm a big fan of the soup, the tacos and the whole fish! The decoré is pretty nice and has a pretty fancy feel to it. Great for date nights!

bill harper

Went for brunch and food was amazing! Ordered the Costillita Benedict which contains corn bread, short ribs, poached eggs and chipotle hollandaise. This dish is absolutely delicious and a must to order if you dine here. My favourite meal out of any restaurant (at the moment) and I will be going back to order again. Thanks Jenna for the fabulous service - you rock!

Becky Williams

Tough to be fair to this place. They messed up the seating, the the process to pay was like it was their first time. Our group was told there was unpaid for food... But no one had a bill yet... It took over an hour to pay. Serious. The food was pretty good.... A bit basic (pork belly has no vegetables). It's pricy... But nice atmosphere. I think it has good owners but lacking a solid team to run it.

Michelle Hillock

First of all, I was pleasantly surprised that when I ordered tacos, two came per order. But how was the taste? It wasn’t the best. It was good but I’ve had better. Perhaps my taste is more westcoast than authentic Mexican. The salsas were not something I enjoyed either. The chips though were really fresh and they were good. They offered free refills as well. The menu is difficult to decode but the server was knowledgeable to explain what things were. Good to try but I probably won’t be back.

Prairie Wolfe

Pros: Friendly, spacious and food was presented good. Highly Disappointed: The main course " SHAREABLE OR NOT SHAREABLE in menu" was smaller than a snack. We ordered a CARNITAS DE PATO & A PESCADO A LA VERACRUZANA. I checked with the supervisor before ordering. He advised to order two dishes and said it will be good enough to share between 3 people. What we received was no where nearby. It was a surprise to have a snack for the price we paid. I personally feel... for the value of money we paid and what we were offered can be described as "rip-off".

Tomb

We went to El Santos mid week and although it was busy were seated immediately. It is very loud and I think too loud for the up-scale restaurant they are trying to be. The design pretty much ensures it'll be loud and boomy. A lot of restaurants are that way now-a-days though so it doesn't loose any points for it, it just doesn't gain any. The tortilla chips are made in house and are excellent - just the right amount of salt and a great texture. The salsa, pico de galo and guacamole, also all made in house, are all excellent although a bit of a strain through cheese cloth would get rid of the bitterness down near the bottom of the serving where there is a lot of liquid. Five stars for the chips and various 'dips'. We tried a variety of other appetizers and main dishes. They were all just a little disappointing although nothing that couldn't evolve over time. You must head into this understanding that this isn't Tex-Mex, it is intended to be more traditional Mexican. I like Tex-Mex like you get down the coast of California but it's a completely different experience than a well prepared traditional Mexican meal which is always a treat. At el Santos, the dishes that incorporated cheese were a far from perfect texture. All of the dishes served up really indistinct flavors. Plating and presentation needs a little work too. The selection and menu has potential and I think will do well if they survive the first few months and work on the dishes to improve the flavor and eye appeal. Average here three stars, maybe three and a half or four when you consider that most of the staff are friendly and, we thought, really trying. The killer though, and I'm afraid this is inexcusable for any restaurant in my books, is that we were all ill by morning. For me it took only an hour or so. I'm guessing it was some rancid fat in the excessively fatty lamb from which the silver skin had not been properly removed. It didn't taste any worse than the other dishes so it could have been any of them masking a problem. Whatever it was, the cooks or chefs should have detected it and should not have served it. To wrap it up, I agree with others that it's expensive for what they are trying to deliver but dining is an experience and there's more to the value and the perception of value than just the quantity. If el Santos can work on the prep and the flavors I don't think the pricing is going to be big problem for them. Enough people won't mind the noise level that it shouldn't hold them back. They are going to need to fix a few things very quickly though or I don't think New Westminster will give them enough of a chance to evolve into one of the badly needed fine dining experiences the market is looking for here. Food that is unsafe to eat gets a zero. There is no excuse for it in a well managed kitchen. I'll give it a few months and maybe try it again late spring if there are no other reviews where people get ill from eating there. If the texture, taste and presentation come up to an acceptable level I'd probably go every few months but I think there would need to be a lot of changes beyond just the food to make it a Vancouver style mid to upper scale dining experience. Unfortunately, el Santos deserves, at best, a single star in my books even though there were a few bright points. I didn't like the word "hate" in the rating so gave it two - a DEFINITE dislike, we're still suffering the experience.

Samantha Yastremski

Amazing flavours and really nice veg dishes. The owner has fully said "you can't just take meat out of a dish and call it vegetarian" so they put effort into the compilation of each dish... I like their style. A lot.

M BD

Friendly and attentive staff. Loud place, sections of restaurant very hot. Food ok bit not real traditional Mexican. If you like fusion and pretty plates its ok. Chile releno a joke, like lasagna but little poblano flavor. Burrito ok, better at other places. Enchilados ok, nothing to write home about. 1st pitcher of sangria tasty, 2nd very bitter. Street parking under construction.

kirsten Sutton

I thought the higher price didn't quite match my expectation in taste. I think the food taste good, but the price tag didn't quite justify it for me. Just a personal preference. It's at a very convenient location for me and I would go back if it's one of those super lazy days and I'm REALLY craving Mexican food. The ambiance is pretty nice. A little moody, but also quite loud. It was difficult to carry on a conversation with the person in front of me. It was a tad dark to read the menu when I went for dinner. My eye sight is good. The wait staff was great though. Very friendly and attentive. Overall I liked it and would recommend trying it out.

Janine Solanki

Had an amazing lunch with my good friends today. The service was impeccable and the food was brilliant. The cocktails were perfect. Just the right mix of alcohol and mixes and the flights of Tequila were amazing. Smoky, maple and pure. Thanks El Santos.

Aaron McCullagh

Failed attempt at modern style Mexican. The portion sizes were tiny for how much they cost, and the taste was bland. The menu had very few options for food. The lighting in the restaurant was really dark. We asked to be moved to a seat that had more lighting and the server forgot and never moved us. Won’t be returning.

Michelle Lim

Absolutely wonderful dining experience. The staff were most hospitable and the boozy horchata was perfect. The tacos are also fantastic.

aldemar infante torres

There are much better Mexican restaurants that have better customer service.The lady at the front door to our server all seemed in a bad mood. Or maybe this is what customer service is now ..?? Food was good but the service could have been better.

Jasmeet Lail

This is my review from last years Dine Out- don’t need to change a word for this year!: Was very happy with my experience here- had the Dine Out menu and it was excellent! Decor is very nice- kind of a Yaletown feel- and the service was top notch: personable without being overbearing.

Aubree M

This is the place where you feel local and at home. El Santo represents everything New West is about: fun, friendly, diverse & cozy. The food is amazing, service is outstanding and Alejandro is so dedicated to his restaurant that he almost seems to live here as he always greets you at the door with a big smile.

Kenneth Perez

Had a small issue with our dinner order, the manager, waitress and the owner came by to apologize for the delay and offered us free desserts. Situation was rectified to our satisfaction, food was great and fairly priced. Will definitely go again.

Ashley De Artola

Really solid mid-level Mexican food. Chips and different guacamoles are great, and the tacos are all fantastic (in case you're as derp as us and thought the prices were steep, you actually scoop half the filling from the two tacos onto the extra two shells underneath to make four. Duh). I don't recommend the mains, they weren't super memorable, and the tacos are much better. After dinner coffee is a must, their churros are a little sugary but freshly made. Every bill comes with homemade marshmallows in a unique flavour. Drinks are also interesting and well-made. Make a reservation if looking for dinner.

N T

Great atmosphere, yummy cocktails, spicy snacks and mains. Can't wait for the expanded menu to return for a repeat visit!

pxnification

I was really excited to try El Santo because I had heard great things. Long story short, I wasn’t impressed and I won’t be back. My coworkers went for a work lunch (thankful I didn’t have to pay) and it came to $120 for the four of us. The food is just okay, but not at all worth the price. The portions are also very small for the price (and we were actually charged incorrectly for one item -the menu and receipt listed different prices- but didn’t bother to ask for the difference because we just wanted to get out of there). I had fish tacos and they were decent but I can make better ones at home. We shared the guacamole trio and it was the first time in my life I didn’t like guacamole. The chips were delicious though. We all had different mains and all of us were underwhelmed with them. Definitely not the worst food I’ve eaten but far from the best. The service was okay. The decor is quite nice but doesn’t exactly scream “Mexican restaurant” (besides the cork luchador mask which I thought was pretty cool).

Brian Hayes

Trendy Mexican spot in the main strip of the Westminster Quay area. Was quite busy so reservations are a must. The drink menu was about 4 pages, so great place to sit and eat along with a few drinks. Food was quite tasty... was a bit more on the pricey side...

Chloe P.

The food and drinks were amazing. It was a little busy so it took a while for the food to come out. Overall I would say it was a very good dining experience. I would go there again.

Yeiji

Best gastronomic experience in the lower mainland! We had the set menu from Dine-out Vancouver and absolutely everything exceeded our expectations.

Pav Shroff

I was really looking forward to visiting El Santo. While the food was ok it wasn’t anything to write home about but what really did them in, was their terrible service. Our appetizer order arrived wrong at first, and it took much longer than necessary to arrive correct (chips and guac) and it was a different waitress who brought it with no explanation. The waitresses continued to revolve through the night. when we asked for our bill it also came wrong including the incorrect appetizer; despite us not having ordered it or eaten it. When we asked for a new bill it took 20 minutes of waiting we finally had to go in and ask for the bill neither of the staff seemed to care and when we brought up how upset we were they were dismissive and rude. I will not be returning and I genuinely don’t recommend the place the food may be ok but the service makes it completely unpalatable.

James Gill

Great Mexican food in New West. Been here twice now for brunch and would highly recommend the brisket Benedict. Best I've had. A nicely decorated room with the old warehouse feel. Service feels like family and you're in their home - very good. Will be back and recommend El Santo.

Robert Shirley

Beautiful space and excellent wait staff. The food is well presented and innovative but each dish we ordered seemed to miss a certain something. The churros though!!! COME FOR THE CHURROS AND DIE HAPPY!

Krista Chalifour

Don't get the poĺlo dinner plate.... i am still hungry after that and my bf 9 tacos plate ... tacos are good but over priced big time. The chicken came with 4 pieces of 2x2 chunks with like 20 little corns .. thats alll!! No rice, no salad no tortillas!! For 26$$$ NO THANKS

Julie Artis

Service amazing, Drinks OK, but food….no flavor at all.

Danielle S

Dropped in here as we were passing by looking for somewhere to eat before an escape room. Sat at the bar as the place was completely full. Bartender promptly served us a couple perfectly made margheritas. After talking to her about her recommendations, we settled on the trio of guacamole, chille rellano and cornbread. The taste of each dish was amazing. We want to go back and try everything there now.

Caitlyn L

Our server last night was fantastic. Made excellent drink selections. She pronounced everything on the menu so elegantly. The food was phenomenal. The steak was so juicy tender and flavourful. Since we can’t travel to Mexico right now this gives your taste buds the feeling like you have.

Gino Shay

This place is sooooo good! Our server was Virgina and she did a fabulous job! I had the Enchildas Suizas which is gluten free, and my husband had the Carne Ahumada both were absolutely delicious. My only small complaint is that the rice is a bit bland. Could use some spice . My enchiladas sauce was nice and spicy. Everything is so good!

Ray Sols

the restaurant had a nice interior but the food I was a bit disappointed with. Tacos didn’t have much flavor compared to other places half the price. Priced at $10 for 2 tacos. Don’t think I’d be in a rush to head back

Christine Stephenson

Food was spectacular!! Do yourself a favour and check this place out...

Khai Hong

Delicious mouth watering menu (and we tried a lot). Superior service. Amazing Tequila selection. Good thing Skytrain Station is nearby.

Courtney Kassem

Everything was great except the food. The atmosphere, the price, the service, I couldn't complain. They even had live music. The food wasn't impressive at all. We ordered all the tacos. The tortilla was dry, fried fish was too crisp and hard, the beef and chicken were tough and gamey. Compared to tacos in downtown Vancouver, they were sub par.

Tiffany Bound

The menu was confusing have never had that experience with any other mexican place.. food was over priced, portions were tiny.. and did not taste well overall... Also the sangria was a fail because it tasted like some one put orange fanta/mango juice in wine with 10 blueberries it. 1/5. 1 is for the decor. ps. had to go to olive garden! to enjoy and feel satisfied right after.

Kane Van Laare

Great service, food, drink, everything was excellent! If you're craving some high end Mexican, this is your place.

Alan Zheng

Meal type

Shikha Samra

Pollo Asado: 3 nugget sized pieces of chicken, one piece was slightly pink inside. The mild sweet yogurty cream sauce had a stronger flavour than the spices on this bland chicken. Grilled fennel was nice but I didn't pay $26 for this. I also got the papas Mexicanas because I was worried it was not enough food for me. This was also bland, only tasted like potatoes. I was so hungry that I immediately went to another restaurant after to fill my stomach.

Ryan Beaudoin

I only write reviews when the experience was bad--my prerogative. For the one person who doesn't get it. We finally tried this place over the weekend. First thing that turned us off was the super loud music. We had to scream at one another or use body language in order to communicate. It's one of those typical places that is designed to fool the common consumer--insult their intelligence while emptying their wallets. The Formula: establishment spends a bit of money on decor, they figure, "'Hick' new westers never been to a fancy place like this." Everything is over priced, but don't fret, that's what the alcohol is for. And as the night grows long, things become hazy, you start ordering more of the extremely small portioned, bland tasting, over dressed food cause you're still very hungry, and the conversation with the people at your table is delightful. You order more drinks because the extremely loud music and the alcohol in your system is causing your heart to palpitate. Once the drinks start doing their magic, you think you're having an awesome time; the boom in your chest tells you so. You finally leave the place thinking, "Man, that was righteously awesome!" You go home and write a blazing 5 star review but you know for sure these are not Michelin stars--far far from it. Next morning, you've got a pounding headache--not from the hangover but from the receipt you found in your wallet. This did not happen to us, but.... In short, greeter was a bit rude; server was better; music was loud; prices were high; food was dressed like a hooker who tried her darndest, but just didn't perform. We used to live in California and there was this small humble family run mexican place that was absolutely divine. At meal times, the lines would be more than a block long, but people waited quietly and patiently. The food was prepared so simply but with heart and thus making it the best thing we ever put into our mouths. We always left feeling happy, full, and cared for--never insulted. This family served the people in all aspects of the business with honesty and the people loved them back. I'm not asking people to cogitate over the aforementioned, but I really do wish businesses like the one in California would move into New West. I see the elsanto owner contacts bad reviewers. Please don't do this; it's douchey while being phoney. I just like to give an honest account of my experience without feedback. That's what this is for. Despite what others do...hoping for New West to do above all. Don't fall for "The Formula."

Giz “Giz” Ma

We where told of its great dishes unfortunately it was a little disappointing, the food wasn’t great. Service was very nice, the restaurants design was interesting. The light lamps seemed to be problematic as you would hit your head on them anytime you stood up and it wasn’t only a problem for the customer but also the servers. Seemed like an unnecessary hazard.

Teagan S

Thoroughly disappointed. Went here for a birthday dinner, and although seated quickly, there were a couple of large parties in the back. The chili rellenos was just strange, made with a hard cheese that was cold in the centre. The wagyu beef was unpleasant as it tasted like it was rolled in charcoal. Also cold. Meals took over an hour to arrive and were not that great. Had no idea who our server was, as three different people came by the table. Speaks to bad management if you can't staff when there are large reservations to get the food out in a reasonable time frame. Also restaurant is very loud. Constantly had to ask people to speak up or repeat. A total waste of $80, and I can't recommend. Get real, decent Mexican at Playa or Ole Ole instead. It'll be tastier and cheaper. I'm latino, folks, I know what Mexican food is all about, and this place isn't it.

Nadira Ramdass

Nice enough food but it's one of those menus that just lists ingredients without a useful description. They also serve the coffee and tea in an overcomplicated way and forgot to bring several things we ordered. I guess I'm too old-fashioned for this trendy taco place.

Stephanie Smith

One of my favorites. Definately at the top of my Mexican list.

Debbie Bernard

The food was delicious! As soon as we took our first bite, it became one of those “shh don’t talk to me, just let me appreciate and experience my food” moments.

Susan Lee

Lots of positive reviews made decide to visit this place. The front desk guy was fast in giving us menu and a booth. Then, the trouble started. We decided to try the Dine Out deal $30. per person for three course meal. Then, we waited, waited for somebody to come and take our orders. There were at least three women, each one of them did not even try to make eye contact with you. Waited some more minutes, finally, the front desk guy came near me and I raised my voice. "WHO WILL TAKE OUR ORDER?.. The food was quite different but it could be frustrating. Work on your customer service. Learn from Cactus Club.

JKB

The portions here are ridiculously small, to the point we still make fun of it. It was dollhouse food. It tasted good, but not great. I've been to similar restaurants where you get small portions, but the food is so rich and delicious it feels worth it. I wouldn't say that for El Santo. You're paying for the atmosphere and beautiful decor. I would go back for the atmosphere, but I'd get full somewhere else first.

Mario Lopez

We had a great meal there tonight ! The food was fresh and flavorful, nice setting and the service was great.Very friendly staff who made good suggestions which we very much enjoyed. Will be back for sure!

Rob McCallum

Amazing restaurant. Impeccable taste and service. Price is great for the quality. New favourite restaurant in New Westminster

Remzi Xhemalce

Went later in the night and all the different taco meats were DRY. The liquor list is EXTENSIVE with lots of options. Atmosphere was cool. Initially wanted to try other items, but was not impressed enough to return.

Monsieur Sanyshyn

Came here on late on a Wednesday night and had a great meal. Never heard of the place before so I was pleasantly surprised. Ordered the trio salsa, cornbread, risotto con huitlacoche and the carne ahumada. All of them were great, portion size is not massive but it's still decent sized, the risotto is heavy, the taste for the food overall was great. Definitely a place I suggest trying. Service was great, server was knowledgeable and friendly!

Braedon C

Rude hostess - we didn’t realize they stopped serving food from 2PM-3:30PM, so we got turned down. I kindly explained that on their website, hours state they should be open, and on OpenTable it was possible to make reservations between 2PM-3:30PM. When we were standing outside to look for another place, the girl comes out to bring in some furniture, and was talking smack about us, and how “iT literally says on the door!!!!” My mistake for not calling and confirming, but a serious lack of compassion and professionalism ????????‍♀️

Aziz Dhamani

Had a good time at El Santo eventhough they do not offer Brunch Menu right now. Maybe coming back later in the future. Great food, attentive servers and nice decor.

Belbel P

Excellent food and ambience... disappointed only due to bar lady skimping on soda - served me flat soda out of leftover soda can twice. I rarely try cocktails but this one was delish... the soda helped spritz it up!

Martin From BC

Food: The menu was challenging as it was hard to determine what you were ordering just by reading the menu but the waitress helped immensely to understand each dish. Food was delicious; the tortilla chips (nachos) with pork belly was the perfect start although the pork belly is an acquired taste but it was cooked perfectly and tender. The tacos were soft tacos and loaded with the toppings, they are served double wrapped so you can essentially get 4 tacos by spreading the filling into the 4 shells and still have stuffed tacos. Even the vegetarion one was delicious as the cauliflower balanced with the lightness of the other vegetables Service: The service was 15/10 the waitress explained all the elements of the menu and what they were and what she had to say about each one, she answered questions gave suggestions on food and drinks, we got seated immediately super friendly always refilling water checking up on us etc.. arguably the gold standard for service and the other staff were able to help us with other things like more utensils, extra sauces etc.. Don't remember the waitress' name but she was awesome! Ambiance: Live band playing was good music a little loud though so talking was slightly challenging, but we were near where they were playing so back of the restaurant may be quieter Price: A little on the pricey side at first glance but once you see the food you get and the portion size and how tasty it is its is worth it for the price, we did not leave hungry Drinks: There is 3 pages of drinks one of just tequilas so you would not be short on selection but a little on the pricier side. Overall recommendation: highly recommend

Mark McDonald

My review based in around 10 times in this place. $$$, small dishes, some salty, loud, background music is horrible. Good location, service is very good, good drinks, I think it's the place to come with friends and hang out. I won't bring my first date here.

D M

Apparently this place doesn’t like kids. We were really excited to try this place few days ago and it was my birthday. The waitress never had one single smile at us and at one point she just covered her ears and walked away from our table. We didn’t even bother take the cake out since the waitress want us gone ASAP. Still tipped her tho because the host was nice.

George Koay

First time trying El Santo, and was super happy they were able to accommodate a party of 14. Was great having a private room in back (heads up cel signal is super low back there). As most reviews have said, menu is a class up from your traditional places with burritos and tacos. Food was great even with what looks like a small menu. Place was busy 630 Saturday night, but service was timely and friendly (Thanks Kim & staff!), each dish was given a description as it was brought to our table. Negatives: atmosphere can be loud for some, tort chips were abit on salty side (probably fine if yer having beers) and they were sold out of 4 flavours for the Jarrito sodas :p

Shelby Page

Costillita Benedict is sooo good! Layer's of flavors that makes any table quiet well they savor them. Eggs cooked perfectly with chipotle sauce, green onions, braised short rib and delicious corn bread on the bottom.

Be clear Media

Ambiance was amazing, food & cocktails were perfect - chilli rellenos were delicious as were the authentic margaritas. Service was perfect - owner came by to touch base. Highly recommend!!

J D

Service is great. Food tastes fresh but lacks flavor..will give it one more go. Maybe I picked wrong item.

Britt Fingzies

Service