El Comal

I found out about El Comal after reading a local article about two former contractors Jaime Valle and David Sotelo who decided to open their own restaurant in Los Altos, incorporating traditional Oaxacan and Yucatán-style Mexican dishes such as cochinita pibil and mole. There was a large group being seated ahead of us as they opened for dinner around 5pm. The interior is very nice and spacious with polished concrete floors and gallery-style track lighting. I noticed the copper pipes above the front window were assembled to resemble an Aztec pattern, which was a nice symbolic tribute to the co-owners' past as contractors and their culture. Me and my partner decided to try some of the basics such as ceviche, Sopa Azteca and a trio of tacos: carne asada, al pastor and cochinita pibil. The Sopa Azteca was hearty and full of flavor with tons of queso, bits of fresh avocado and lots of tortilla strips. The ceviche came with three thick pieces of tortilla. It tasted very fresh, with less lime juice and no pico de gallo which was a bit different than we are used to. The tacos were served on metal taco holders to retain their shape. The carna asada had a nice grilled flavor and the tortillas were fresh and perfect. I topped it with onion, cilantro and some salsa verde. There was some really spicy pinkish orange-colored jabanero salsa next to it that I took one taste of and it left a burning patch on my tongue for a few minutes. I was impressed with the cochinita pibil. The achiote-marinated pork and pickled red onions in a tortilla was packed with plenty of flavor. Definitely could go for more of those. There is also a $30 dollar entree version of it. Some entrees are quite expensive, but it seemed easy enough to order other dishes and appetizers to get better value. I look forward to returning with friends and family to El Comal. By the time we left, every table was occupied so plenty of people already seem to know about this place.

My shrimp taco was delicious. But I can’t say the same for the chicken and beef fajitas. The meat was very rubbery and very bland. The seasoning was missing and we didn’t enjoy the fajitas. Also surprising that it didn’t come any salsas or dips.

I thought the food at El Comal was okay. We have been to several Mexican restaurants in the Bay Area and I like the ones in East Palo Alto a little better. This restaurant was good though. The selection of items was limited

All the food was authentic and delicious, I have not had an aztec soup this good in the Bay Area! , shrimp fajitas were perfectly seasoned too. They were very accommodating as we came with a big stroller, they found us the perfect spacious sit. The Michelada mix was also 👌

Visited on a weekday for lunch. Chips & salsa arrived quickly. The red and green chips shocked me but the salsa was delightful. We ordered the pulled pork (generous portion and delicious) - 5 stars and the veggie fajitas. Unfortunately the veggies in the fajitas were not the asparagus, broccolini, mushrooms, etc. as described in the menu but squash, bell pepper and onion. I remarked on this to our friendly and kind server and they allowed me to change my order to a veggie chile relleno - 4 stars. I knocked a star off the atmosphere score because the chairs have these metal bars on the sides that make it difficult to sit against the back support unless you are a size 4 (or have smallish hips).

Cute restaurant. It was empty when my husband and I arrived at around 6pm during the week. The menu was not the same menu that was posted on Yelp -- the menu was much more limited. My enmolada dish was lukewarm. My husband's dish was very cheesy and small. No chips, no salsa, no drinks ordered -- small, lukewarm, mediocre dishes and the bill was over $70. I've lived in Los Altos for over 20 years and I think this is the worst Los Altos restaurant I've ever dined at. Disappointing.

Inventive, high-quality, and truly excellent Mexican food. Friendly staff and a lovely setting. Highly recommended for a relaxing lunch or fun night out!

I used to go to this restaurant because my good friend David recommended it to me, and it immediately became one of my favorites, but unfortunately, the quality has declined in almost every aspect. The dishes have changed noticeably, and not for the better. The mole, once one of the best I've ever tasted, no longer has the same flavor or quality. They've also eliminated traditional dishes like chiles rellenos and tres leches cake, which many of us appreciated for their authenticity. The service has also declined. The staff is not friendly, and in several cases, the service has been unprofessional. The manager does not project a professional image, and some employees don't speak English, causing confusion and discomfort for many diners. I'm writing this review in the hope that you'll take my comments seriously. This place had a lot to offer and could still offer more if they improve.

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

Great new addition to Downtown Los Altos. Service was great. Restaurant was clean and super cute inside. Food was good. Portions are smallish, and not cheap, but it's to be expected in Downtown Los Altos. The server chatted with us a bunch and I suggested that the huitlacoche taco needed a grilled jalapeno. To our surprise, he brought us another taco with a grilled jalapeno to try! It was perfect. -1 star for portion size vs price, but will be back for sure.

Disappointing Experience -- Two Tries, Still the Wrong Dish I came specifically for the Chile en Nogada -- a dish I was genuinely looking forward to. Instead, they first brought out Cochinita Pibil. I let them know it was the wrong order, and they replaced it... but with a different chile dish, not the Nogada. At that point, my family had already finished eating and gone to the farmers market. I didn't say anything the second time. I just ate the wrong dish. It tasted good -- but what's the point of good taste if it's not what you ordered? No one checked in. No apology. No acknowledgment of the mistake. Just silence. And a bill that still hadn't arrived by the time I finished. Mistakes happen, but the lack of care or accountability left a bad impression.

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

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

I found out about El Comal after reading a local article about two former contractors Jaime Valle and David Sotelo who decided to open their own restaurant in Los Altos, incorporating traditional Oaxacan and Yucatán-style Mexican dishes such as cochinita pibil and mole. There was a large group being seated ahead of us as they opened for dinner around 5pm. The interior is very nice and spacious with polished concrete floors and gallery-style track lighting. I noticed the copper pipes above the front window were assembled to resemble an Aztec pattern, which was a nice symbolic tribute to the co-owners' past as contractors and their culture. Me and my partner decided to try some of the basics such as ceviche, Sopa Azteca and a trio of tacos: carne asada, al pastor and cochinita pibil. The Sopa Azteca was hearty and full of flavor with tons of queso, bits of fresh avocado and lots of tortilla strips. The ceviche came with three thick pieces of tortilla. It tasted very fresh, with less lime juice and no pico de gallo which was a bit different than we are used to. The tacos were served on metal taco holders to retain their shape. The carna asada had a nice grilled flavor and the tortillas were fresh and perfect. I topped it with onion, cilantro and some salsa verde. There was some really spicy pinkish orange-colored jabanero salsa next to it that I took one taste of and it left a burning patch on my tongue for a few minutes. I was impressed with the cochinita pibil. The achiote-marinated pork and pickled red onions in a tortilla was packed with plenty of flavor. Definitely could go for more of those. There is also a $30 dollar entree version of it. Some entrees are quite expensive, but it seemed easy enough to order other dishes and appetizers to get better value. I look forward to returning with friends and family to El Comal. By the time we left, every table was occupied so plenty of people already seem to know about this place.

We brought our son who is visiting from his home in Barcelona for Mexican food. He loves Mexican food (no, Spanish is not even close). We sat outside, very lovely evening, great service, and really delicious food. We came at the happy hour time (3-6) and have 5$ taco's. Also the tuna salad was delicous and crude ? It was raw Halibut and really delcious! This is our second time here, we love it. The service is also excellent.

A great new addition to downtown Los Altos. Solid tacos but I would prefer the chips they serve with the guacamole were the same as the complimentary chips offered. The complimentary chips are multi colored tortilla chips and the chips that come with the guacamole are not and taste better.

Upscale Mexican authentic Mexican food with super friendly service. Located right next to Tre Monte makes a nice add to downtown. Don't sleep on the agave cocktails (my wife loved hers!), but sounds like they will have a full liquor license soon.

Food was well presented and with generous portions but unfortunately pretty bland. Did not particularly care for the chips and salsa, either. Attractive restaurant with attentive service, though.

For months, I had seen the coming soon sign, and they just opened a few weeks ago in downtown Los Altos. El Comal here is not to be confused with the East Bay El Comal. Drinks: beer and wine only. I got a house sangria, which was good, and it sounds like they're hoping for a liquor license. They start you off with colored tortilla chips and house salsa, and they have a kids' menu with crayons and an activity page, which is a nice touch. The menu has standard items like tacos, burritos, and enchiladas, but they also have dishes like mole and cochinita pibil. Per an article, the focus is Oaxacan and Yucatán cuisine. - Mole: chicken breast with mole, salad, and rice. The mole was great, but I wish I had more of it! - Cochinita pibil: great flavor, extra complex with the salsa, comes with corn tortillas - Kids' chicken quesadilla: comes with rice and beans They have lots of vegetarian options and an appealing brunch menu. Reservations are currently by phone, and it was actually mostly full inside on a Saturday night, but they had some outdoor seating available (with heat lamps). El Comal is a welcome new addition to downtown Los Altos!

Food is tasty and spicy which I like. But if not, there's no description or choices. Rice could be a more moist. I also suggest photos of what is on menu as the descriptions are brief. I had the chilling relleno meal and I enjoyed all of it. Very different than most that I've had here in California in a good way.

Tastefully decorated New Mexican restaurant! But, looks like the food lacked Mexican-ness The Everyday salad was meh, very well arranged, on the plate, but the salad leaves hidden below were warm. The chicken enchiladas ordered with green sauce were a huge disappointment!!!! Stuffed with tasteless boiled chicken meat, 3 corn tortillas doused with some sauce and topped with cheese and stuff didn't taste good at all!!!! Please make the food tasty and flavorful - for this restaurant to survive - the main attraction should be 'delicious' food not run of the mill items!!! The staff is very friendly, our waitress was super helpful and attentive but, the food is meh.

Fresh , flavorful food. Friendly service. We will definitely be back. Can't wait for them to get their alcohol license!

Food and ambiance were great. Upscale and quality Mexican food in great, new surroundings. The vegan and gluten free burrito with chicken or shrimp tasted great fabulous.

Service was great, the food was delicious and the margaritas were incredible! There's not really a place like this in the area and it made me happy that it was bustling on a Saturday night.

Not impressed! Better Mexican options in downtown Los Altos. You are basically paying for fancy plates lacking flavor.

Came in for the grand opening of the restaurant tonight and will definitely be back. The food was PHE-NO-ME-NAL. Everything tasted so flavorful and fresh. We got the Quesa Birria tacos and the enchiladas suiza, both were soooo good. We also got the beet salad which was so fresh and beautifully plated but we were too full to finish. Oh and the jimaica aqua fresca was so refreshing, it was just lightly sweetened and went so well with the flavors of the food. The owner of the restaurant came by our table several times to check in on us and the service was great. It was really packed for a first night so a bit of waiting was to be expected but the food more than made up for it. We came with 2 young kids and they were entertained with coloring pages and crayons. The ambiance was lively and the restaurant was well lit and beautifully decorated. There is an open kitchen so you can see the food being prepped which was cool. Overall, we had an amazing experience and I can't stop thinking about the food! Will definitely be back and will be recommending to friends!

Nice space, but the food wasn't good, other than the guacamole. The chips were stale and overly greasy. The tortillas looked like they came from a different table, had food on them and one was bit. The server didn't care. The meat was overly seasoned, didn't taste good. Don't waste your time, there's much better Mexican places within walking distance from there.

This place is amazing. Great food! You must try the Chile en nogato. Everything was delicious and the service was outstanding.

Not Mexican for sure . If you're craving for the topical Mexican dish with great flavors good portions ? This is not the place . I will compare this place to a place call Aqui in Cupertino. Mexican, American, with multicolored chips .

Delicious authentic food, very friendly staff. We tried the mole, chilaquiles and huitlacoche taco. Recommend without hesitation. Will return!

We had lunch outdoors--enjoyed excellent service and delicious chicken fajitas, sublime torta (sandwich stuffed with yummy mysterious veggie mixture, with best French fries ever. There was so much we took home enough for dinner.

Their food is good! We've been there 3 times now and liked all their food so far. It felt unique compared to other Mexican restaurants in Downtown Los Altos.

They finally got their liquor license, all drinks where delicious!! Will definitely be coming back soon.

Went last night .. curious to see what was offered and it is was any good.. I ordered the chile relleno, my husband the carne asada.. total desilution. My chille came swimming in red sauce with some green salad and a small ball of white rice. He did not touch the meat.. that hard.. we spent almost 100 dollars and a large pizza from any los altos pizza would have been better.. I came home with diarrhea!!!! It's a new place.. there was only one server for all the customers Era with kept coming I guess to check it out too... next time I want Mexican I will go to casa Lupe a bit further up on the other side of main

Stopped by the first weekend it was open - food was fresh and super flavorful. Service was great. We will definitely be back.

Very friendly staff, great food and reasonable prices. It was my friend's birthday and after mentioning it before she arrived they remembered and brought us a dulce de Leche cake with a candle. Enjoyable evening! Thank you!

Fabulous new contemporary Mexican restaurant in Los Altos. Incredible food - ceviche was super fresh, beautiful presentation and large portion: enchiladas with the best red sauce I've ever had. Fernando is the quasi manager who enthusiastically tells the story of how it started. Highly recommend!

Amazingly fresh taste in an otherwise repetitive food scene in downtown Los Altos! The restaurant was clean and well decorated, music was soothing, and the server was very attentive. What more could you ask for?

Great new spot! The food tastes delicious. Ambience is great! Homey but at the same time modern and elegant. We had a bit of a glitch with our seating as another party decided that they would move tables without informing the staff. Fernando and his team were very gracious and took care of us. 5 stars for customer service!

Glad to find this new spot in the neighborhood! Really tasty, with fresh, high quality ingredients. A nice combo of relaxed, casual environment and friendly staff with refined, well presented food. Shrimp enchiladas and chicken mole were both delicious, tortillas were fresh and piping hot, and chips and salsa were flavorful. It's pricy but I think worth it for the quality of the food. It is a small space and was crowded on a Friday night so make a reservation or be ready to wait a bit.

Nice space and friendly staff but the food lacked any flavor. Even the salsa, beans and rice were completely bland. I hope they can add some flavor and maybe at least offer some spicy options for salsa. Would like to see them succeed!

Walked by here with our baby and three dogs. Greeter was super friendly and so we dropped the dogs off in the car and went back in with the baby. Good thing we did, we really loved the mole, the chicken breast was tender, and not too dry as is often the case. Spice level was mild to medium and flavors were complex with not too much chocolate notes. The fish taco was nicely fried and very tasty, at least to our 15 month old! But my favorite or the tortillas... Super soft and fresh and tasty. I guess that makes sense given the places name, but they did it very well. Interior was very clean, modern, and pretty casual, but definitely a step up from a Taqueria. Hope this restaurant does well, would definitely be back!