El Santo in New Westminster

Good place to eat real good place to relax and eat

Had the tasting menu! It was amazing! The server was on point! She explained what each dish was and warned us of the very spicy sauce. Will definitely be back!

We had the best time last night at El Santo in New West. Our server, Arianna, only made our experience that much sweeter. The food is always great we ate the All night HH menu de la casa with tequila pairings. But the amazing smile and enthusiasm that Arianna provided all night was infectious. Her presence only added to our dining experience, and we looked forward to her descriptions of each dish and tequila. Thank you, El Santo and Arianna, for making our celebration dinner the best of our year.

We had a group of 18, dinner was family style. The food and service were superb and the specialty cocktails were all outstanding. Cath

Excellent food. Highly recommend

Authentic Mexican food with a twist, Beautiful romantic setting atmosphere is outstanding most amazing food menu, tequila bar is top-notch. We love our Weekday date nights and weekend, brunch and family dinners. Parking is always easy around The restaurant. I highly recommend the La Falda de la Casa a perfectly aged 18-day Black Barrel Wagyu flank served with silky pomme purée, morita chili chimichurri, and grilled broccolini.

We used to go to this place all the time and its great. Traffic grid lock and lack of parking. New Westminster is absolute grid lock at all times of the day and there is never parking. In addition the city is putting in bike lanes everywhere and taking away more parking. If your going to go here for dinner I suggest you take public transportation or you will arrive and turn around due to traffic and parking as we did this evening. I feel for this business, they are in unfortunately an business unfriendly city.

I came in with two friends this evening for the all night happy hour menu after a friend recommended this place to me. It took over an hour to get our drinks (one sangria and one michelada) and over 90 minutes for my friend to get her non-alcoholic juice. Many mistakes were made this evening, including providing the wrong drink at the beginning (mezcal margarita in place of the michelada), not providing Clamato for the michelada as originally requested and having to ask a couple more times, and putting in the wrong order of tacos (this was corrected before the food came out -- we had ordered pastor and were told our fish tacos would be coming out in four minutes). While I understand that it was a very busy Monday evening, the attention to detail was unfortunately not there. The waitress did apologize but when we asked about the status of our various food and drink items, she kept responding with its coming with very long wait times. She did give us a free dessert and plate of sprouts that was accidentally prepared for another table, which was a lovely gesture. The pastor tacos and Basque style cheesecake were very good. As I understand, they were short staffed with some people on vacation. However, due to the experience this evening, I will not be returning or recommending this restaurant to others.

Definitely, we will go back next time when we are in New Westminster.

Our 4 course set menu meal took longer than expected and we were disappointed by the slow service and kitchen speed. It seemed to take 30+ min for each of our courses to come out after the previous plates were cleared, and they were small portions per course so it didnt make sense to me that they would take so long. My husband had finished his sangria and waited 30 min before a waitress came and he had to ask for another; by a different waitress. I saw the floor manager walking about talking jovially to other tables, he glanced at our table and silently came to refill our waters and didnt say a word- did not ask how our food was so far or if we were enjoying ourselves. We asked for the bill after our main course plates were cleared so we could pay and eat dessert and leave on time for our show. Our waitress was sweet enough, though she seemed a bit stressed or distracted. She served us a side of chips and salsa as an apology for the courses taking so long and to her credit she made sure we got out on time as I mentioned we needed to leave by 9 pm. The food was good, could use a touch more salt but the components were well thought out and plated nicely. Sadly, it will be unlikely that we return, as the slow service, loud atmosphere and lackluster approach of the floor manager left us feeling underwhelmed overall.

My rating is slightly higher thanks to the cornbread it really saved the night. I visited with my boyfriend and waited 40 minutes just to get seated at the bar. Then, it took another 40 minutes to receive two incorrect drinks. Five minutes later, we finally got the drinks we had originally ordered. At this point, we noticed the same issues happening with all four tables around us: long waits for food and drinks, and when the food finally arrived, it was incorrect. This was at 9:30 PM well past the dinner rush. When our food arrived, the portions were very small, though the taste was decent. After the server handed us the dessert menu, we waited another 30 minutes to place an order but eventually gave up and just asked for the bill. The hostess, unfortunately, was unaccommodating, rude, and unprofessional when we inquired about getting a table instead of bar seats, especially after waiting 40 minutes. Overall, not the experience we were hoping for.

I wish I were exaggerating, but this was truly the worst service I ve ever experienced. Our reservation was at 7:45pm for a group of five my partner, three friends, and myself. My partner and I ordered an appetizer, four tacos to share, and a drink each. We arrived on time and were seated right away, but 20 minutes passed without our server greeting us or taking our order. We finally placed our order at 8:10. Our appetizer didn t arrive until 45 minutes after we were seated, and during that time, we still hadn t received our drinks. When we asked about the drinks, the server told us the bartenders were too drunk from margaritas to keep up with orders. Honestly, what? After we followed up, our drinks came out almost immediately but were clearly rushed and poorly made. Would we have even gotten them if we hadn t asked? One of our entrées (two tacos) finally arrived an hour and a half after we were seated. When we asked about the other tacos, the server replied in a passive-aggressive tone, saying something like, I ll bring it when the kitchen puts it out. The attitude was unnecessary and caught us off guard. By this point, we were late for a show, so we asked for the bill. The server brought it but didn t return with the card machine. After waiting another 10 minutes, we finally got up and went to the POS system to pay, where another server had to help us. As former restaurant workers, we understand how challenging the job can be. But there s no excuse for service to be this bad. On top of everything, the food was overpriced and mediocre. I regret wasting my time and money here.

Terrible Service

Not real authentic Mexican food overpriced for not real Mexican food and not much food to choose from mostly just drinking if you like a bar weighted over an hour to get the food and even worse the food was very salty and disappointing had to pay for another hour for parking on top of that I would not recommend this place or go here ever again they should change their name to not a Mexican restaurant Kid-friendliness: Not really kid friendly kids menu over price no free refills for kids no french fries available for kids

Had very few vegetarian options, so I got the Brussels sprout taco. It was so bad. You need to get that off the menu or make it so theres something else that goes inside the taco instead of just bread and Brussels sprouts. Everything else was very lovely though.

I love their churros Tacos were great also but churros was star of the night Food

i love the ambience, it s very nice. the food is also delicious, i loved everything i ordered the tacos and churros were absolutely amazing. the staff were also very attentive and welcoming. will definitely come back!!

This is how they wrap and prepare food for delivery . Absolutely ridiculous mess that is being thrown out . Ill be coming in for my refund since Uber wont refund this . If you refuse to refund this you will be taken to court and sued for alot .ore than the refund

Amazing food with great gluten free variety! Very Kind staff.

Came here for a celebratory dinner with my girlfriends and it was such a lovely experience. One of them is gluten intolerant so I made that note in the reservation and as soon as we arrived the host checked in with her about it, the menu also has the gluten-free items clearly marked. We ordered the trio of salsas, chili relleno, el pastor tacos (they come with two, we added a third for $5), and it was plenty of food for the three of us. For drinks, I got La Condesa which has an infusion of palo alto smoke highly recommend!

This is hands down my favourite Mexican restaurant in the Greater Vancouver. Everything was good. Will definitely come again.

I now know that a Brussels sprout taco not only is possible, but with the right sauce, it can be tasty af. Throw in a classic margarita, trio of guac and some fish tacos and youve got an ideal meal. We look forward to treating ourselves again in the future.

Just moved to New West, first time here and food was delicious. Great Tequila selection. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Dietary restrictions: Lots of GF options

Great mexican food and drinks, decent service, and cool modern atmosphere.

Strong recommand - Costillita Benedict.

Authentic and delicious, with great cocktails I always tell people to check this place out as they have something for everyone.

We got the Pollo Con Mole since the waitstaff hyped it up, said they take 3 days to make the sauce. I found the chicken was really dry and not fun at all. The sauce was good but not good enough to overcome the dryness of the chicken. They just gave 4 tortillas for this half a chicken. There was no freshness to cut through the monotone.

We were disappointed as went for my birthday celebration at 1 pm and were immediately told the kitchen closes at 3pm. Not only once but thrice the staff repeated the same thing. We decided to stay and order no matter and my friends were asking to explain the vegetarian menu (only 2 dishes ) but were told by the staff that it would take a day to explain it all which of course was quite rude. By this point, we were all a bit upset but since it was my celebration we decided to let that go. The food came in and the salsa was not fresh and overall it was not a good experience for us.

Firstly, I have to say this place has really gone downhill. I always order the queso fundido the last couple of visits here it wasnt as good. This past time it was awful. Greasy and bland it didnt taste like a blend of cheese. It was just a pan of greasy melted cheese, which was under cooked so it was lacking the usual crispy bits. The server never came to ask how it was. I ate two chips and stopped eating. The guac trio was also starting to brown and was very oniony in comparison to other visits here. I officially have to break up with El Santo, I can no longer accept how mediocre a once rad restaurant has become.

I recently left a review for El Santo after dining there, noting that while the food was delicious and the ambiance enjoyable, I was disappointed with how a minor issue with the dessert was handled. Specifically, a charge of 50¢ for an additional container of dulce de leche when we requested one, as the small portion provided was not sufficient for two people sharing. The owner s response to my review was surprisingly defensive, focusing more on justifying the charge than addressing the broader concern I raised. It s not about the 50¢ it s about the principle. When dining out, especially at a place known for its quality, guests appreciate gestures that show management cares about the overall experience, rather than strict adherence to charges that feel unnecessary in context. Unfortunately, the tone of the response has left me feeling that my feedback wasn t taken constructively. While I thoroughly enjoyed the food, the attitude displayed in the management s reply makes me hesitant to return. It s important for any business to take critical feedback positively and see it as an opportunity for growth, rather than as something to defend against. I hope the management at El Santo will consider this perspective and use it to enhance their approach to customer service. Previous review: I recently dined at El Santo with a friend, and overall, we had a pleasant experience. The ambiance was vibrant, and the food was flavorful, with the appetizers, entrees, and drinks all leaving a positive impression. We each spent around $60, which felt reasonable for the quality of the food and drinks. However, I was a bit disappointed with how the dessert situation was handled. We ordered the churros, which were delicious and perfect for sharing. The dish came with a small container of dulce de leche as the dipping sauce. Unfortunately, the portion of sauce provided was quite small, especially considering we were sharing, and when I requested a second dipping sauce, I was informed that there would be a $0.50 charge. I understand that costs need to be managed, but it felt like a bit of a surprise, especially when sharing is encouraged. It would have been a more guest-friendly gesture to offer an additional sauce without charge, particularly given the context of a shared dessert. Little things like this can make a difference in the dining experience. Overall, El Santo is a good spot for Mexican cuisine, but I hope they consider being more generous with their condiments in the future. More stars would have been selected, with regards to the food in this case.

Our team met for lunch at Thai wonderful restaurant! We sure enjoyed the menu choices, food was hot and healthy! The young lady was super kind! Very enjoyable and clean!!

August 30 th , time 7:15 pm The staff were unfriendly and did not provide a warm welcome. When I arrived with a reservation, they initially claimed there was no reservation under my name, despite showing confirmation on my phone. Eventually, they seated us, but the service was disappointing. Customers who arrived after us were served and received their food before we did. Given that were in Canada in the 21st century, I expected better treatment. My family was shocked by this experience, and I feel embarrassed. Ill be sharing this feedback on Google Reviews. I made the reservation through my Outlook account, and the overall experience was awful.

Felt race discrimination , came with family . I think as a different race may be that is the reason . Didnt feel welcomed, service wasnt up-to the point .

Upscale place for having Mexican food. The seating area is ideal for having a conversation. The food tasted quite good and happy with the servers.

Service was poor. Server charged for a large glass of wine and didn t ask what size we wanted. Multiple times our empty plates and dishes sat on the table when the server came by with new food or to check on us. The chicken empanadas had no flavour, the food waits were very long. The fish tacos were really good as were the tacos.

The server did an amazing job. Firstly, the menu is difficult to navigate. With no organization between mains and appetizers, it was just randomly scattered throughout the page. We order 3 dishes to our table. Pollo con mole, brussle sprouts tacos and grilled fish. We all agreed these were some of the worst meals we have eaten at a restaurant. The Mole was nothing close to what mole is intended to be. It came out pretty much black and tasted nothing more than spicy and burnt smothered over dried out chicken. I have had mole many times in southern mexico, this was a disappointment. The fish was also over cooked and tacos had no flavor, just Brussels on a tortilla. Do not recommend.

I went to this restaurant when I was on vacation in Vancouver with my family, the food is very delicious, they have very varied dishes, first-class service and a very welcoming atmosphere, it is worth ordering the house menu, I highly recommend it without a doubt I would go again, its 5

Good food and good service

This is a very stylish restaurant and bar. We sat at the bar to eat and the owner himself came up to us and asked us how everything was. He was incredibly nice and professional. The decor here is probably the coolest in New West. My husband had the chile relleno and I had a mole dish. The mole was as good as I had in Oaxaca once. The staff were nice and attentive. I have been here many times and will continue to come back.

Great food! Great people!

Excellent tacos!

Excellent restaurant! A cuisine that stands out and quality service.

Met a friend and ended up staying 3 hrs. Their happy hour appetizers were delicious and their main plate too. GLUTEN FREE!!

Carne Ahumada and the risotto were really good. Good vibes and friendly staff. Service was great.

Good food and service.

Great authentic food, but inside of the Resturant full of noise and the patio did not design well .

House menu was discounted for a Sunday night which was a nice surprise. Food was delicious and great portions. Service could have been a bit quicker but was still good. Enjoyable night

Was one of my favourite places to eat. I hadn t been there is a while but the food seems to have degraded. Hope it was just an off night.

Very good service and good place.

The place is very rich. The shepherd is very rich. The guacamole is delicious but there should be a spicier option. Excellent tortilla soup. The drinks are Mexican, there is Mexican coca and rice horchata. The service is very friendly and fast

Beautifully decorated, with plenty of upscale Mexican dishes to choose from, this New West eatery definitely needs to be experienced to be believed. The food here is on a whole different level, I promise you wont be disappointed.

We really enjoyed it! Great food and atmosphere. Service was friendly and helpful! Wed love to back next time we visit. Dietary restrictions: So many gluten free options and they were great working with us to make things dairy free as well. Kid-friendliness: Awesome kids menu and we felt very comfortable there with our daughter .

Ive eaten here a few times and its great. Vegan & gluten free options that the staff are well educated on, tasty food, large portions & good esthetics. Today I went with two friends for their first time and they both loved it too. Will be back

Great atmosphere good food

The person working at the front was incredibly rude, one of the worst customer service experiences ever.

Gisele was lovely, the brussel sprouts were the best either of us ever had, and the tacos were fantastic (vegetarian/cauliflower and de pastor). Absolutely wonderful!

If youre from California, this is some strange Mexican Food. Stale chips, some of the guacamole was bit old (in the trio), and some odd salsas. Fish tacos are okay and the corn bread is tiny but ok. Great that they have a patio but plenty of crack heads about.

Authentic molé

I asked to look at the menu, not coming here before, and the hostess took the time to show me different things that I may like, and that accommodates too, my dietary restrictions. The server was amazing too. My meal was amazing and I regretfully ate it before I had the chance to take a photo that was worthy of posting Dietary restrictions: They can accommodate to gluten-free, Vegetarian options and sub almost anything to accommodate to peoples restrictions Parking: Free street parking till noon

Excellent service and atmosphere. I had fish and chicken taco. It was ok. Again the servers and atmosphere was lit

Food was delicious! One of the best Tequila selections in town offered here, as well service was exceptional!! Highly recommend

Upscale eatery with a short menu but extensive drink list. Tasty food and artistic presentation but very small portions. Our server was pleasant and attentive but the main course was very slow coming out (more than 30 minutes for tacos?).

My girlfriend and I dined here due to the outstanding reputation of being one of the best restaurants in New West. The food was decent but highly overpriced for what you get not to mention, we had arrived for happy hour pricing but had to advise another server of the discrepancy and didn t even get acknowledged by our original server about the error. When the happy hour price was adjusted, it was $1 more than what it was on both the website and on the info postcard given at the table. Speaking of service, when we arrived, the hostess seemed to be very distracted or didn t even enjoy being there. Our server seemed to be attentive to other guests needs and never asked about how we were enjoying our meal. Tough to say, if we d ever go here again.

The daily menu is amazing!

Good and service were great. Very reasonably priced.

Overall, the food was very mediocre and overpriced for Mexican food. I ordered the ceviche and the fish came out very overcooked and chewy. It was inedible. The server was very slow and not attentive. She did not apologize for the dish or offer any support or alternatives to the dish. Would not recommend or return back.

Love everything about them..tried both lunch and dinner menu at 2 different days. Love the food and vibe

Wheelchair accessibility: barrier free entrance Food

This is my 2nd visit and I am always impressed by how good the food tasted. I had the wagyu when I first visited and was so happy that I had to go back and share the experience with my son. On my 2nd visit, I had the Chile Relleno and that too was so good. We also got the Guac Trio and our fave mix was the chicharon, followed by mango and lastly the orange. For drink I had the mangonada and it brought me back to my days when mangonada shake was life. Added plus it just a 7 min walk from our place!!!

Good food. Was doing great at first and food were coming out quick, but as soon as it got busy, our dessert took 20mins to come out.

The chef is absolutely amazing!! The food was so delicious, there arent enough stars to give. The staff and service were wonderful and the owner is a really nice, personable man. Definitely recommend!!

Truly authentic high class Mexican food. The birria consume was to die for and the barbacoa brought me back home to Mexico.

I was in the mood for some Mexican food and found this place was on my way home. I am so glad I gave this place a shot! Staff was Hella friendly and helped me decide on the best tacos I have had in a while! Get their hot sauce! Everything made in house, so the tortillas are fresh and had the perfect consistency. Had to try their dessert menu and their mango sorbet and churros were something else. Intimate atmosphere. Check it out!

I really enjoyed my visit here! The food is A1 and so is the service.

Friendly service, delicious food, interesting and diverse menu paired with a great selection of tequilas, mezcal and great cocktails! Returning every time with pleasure and excitement

I had my bachelorette dinner and drinks at the restaurant last night. I cannot recommend El Santo enough. Great food, great service, and a fun atmosphere. Perfect for every day meals or celebrations. I have been twice now and will definitely be back!!

I have been here twice and had pescado tacos both times. I forgot how much I didn t like the taste of the tacos the first time and was reminded of that the moment i took a bite. It s not too bad, i have just had better tacos.

The food and atmosphere was fantastic on a Saturday night

2nd time back, small wonder it s popular and difficult to reserve a table at peak times. Food is fantastic and ambience is spectacular. A refined upscale take on exquisite Mexican cuisine. Definitely a worthwhile visit.

My kids took us to El Santo on a rec6trip to visit them in Nw Westminster. What a wonderful place. Great service, a lively atmosphere, and one of a kind flavours. I will definitely be back!

Food and services are absolutely amazing, I recommend the course menu very much, ordered the Mac&Cheese, pork tacos and Wagyu. HOWEVER, one thing I found a bit bothering is that, there s no telephone signal inside the restaurant? You may feel isolated from the outside world sitting inside the restaurant. If this doesn t bother you, it s gonna be an amazing experience.

Took my husband for his birthday and had a fantastic meal! We got the salsa trio and fish tacos. Also got the oaxaca old fashioned and loved it. Service was great too. Highly recommend!

A surprising little treat my partner and my self stumbled upon. Delicious food, surprisingly reasonable prices, and does a fantastic job of walking the line of authentic Mexican (hard as hell to get here) and locally sourced ingredients. Cant wait to come back for their brunch and dinner menus!

Went for a quick bite and was greeted coldly by the host who seemed too bothered to seat us. The service was slow and we werent greeted by the server for around 10 mins. When she came she was nice but never quality checked the food and didnt seem to know anything about the menu and what they even had for drinks. The prices are absurd for what we were given. The sangria was clearly very cheap wine and incredibly sour. Then when came time for the check the tipping options were 25% minimum. Not sorry to say I would never go back.

Nice atmosphere and good service. Food was good but I found the brussel sprouts to be a bit over salted. Steak was great though and so was the octopus

First time coming here and realized my mistake of holding off.. I should have come in sooner. Ambience is good, cozy. Staff is friendly and attentive. Food is great.

The nacho appetizer and pork tacos are a must have. Very good experience every time. Parking: Street parking, free after 8pm

Give the brussels sprouts tacos a go, I m a very proud meat eater but I could go vegetarian for a night with the options they have here.

Went to El Santo for the first time and loved it. The food, service, and atmosphere were all great! I don t know of many authentic Mexican spots in the area, so I was excited to stumble upon El Santo!

BEWARE this is NOT your typical Mexican place, it is a different type of restaurant. This is a Mexican place that does NOT have burritos, nachos, enchiladas, etc I STRONGLY advise you double check the food menu before ordering or going there at all. 2 tiny tacos cost $ 16. Service and place are good, just make sure this is the place you want to go.

Best brussel sprouts Ive ever had! Margaritas were delicious. Service was excellent. Dietary restrictions: So many gluten-free options!

We really enjoyed our meal at El Santo. It s has a perfect balanced elevated atmosphere here. The food was outstanding. We can sense the care from the chef and the staffs to ensure we have the best dining experience. We especially enjoyed the masa crusted rockfish and the wagyu steak.

A very busy and electric Mexican dining experience. Their liquor pages have wonderful and unique offerings!!

Wow! What a great experience Staff was delightful Food was delicious Great spot I really recommend everyone stop in.

Celebrated my husbands birthday here. Our first time at El Santos. What a wonderful experience! The service was great. At first they wanted to seat us at a high table (we were a party of 8) that didnt work for me, as I have a disability. They quickly corrected the situation and we got seating at a lower table. The server was amazing. Drinks were brought rapidly. Water was brought in a bottle and refreshed when needed. The menu, while not extensive, had great variety and there were lots of choices for everyone. Prices, while a little on the higher side than what we are used to for Mexican food. The old adage you get what you pay for highly applies here. Any explanation of dishes, or requests for changes etc. were accommodated and provided. Clearly a family owned and run establishment and ran with pride. Our order was taken, appetizers were served quickly, they were hot, well presented and tasted delicious. When the main course came, the food was well prepared and again presented very nicely. Waitress checked back several times to ensure everything was good. Brought more drinks etc. We didnt get the chance to try the dessert menu, as we had our own birthday cake, but Im pretty certain it was equally good. I highly recommend this restaurant and we will definitely return. I do suggest making a reservation though. They are super busy, and rightfully deserved

Went in a group of 7 people , server confirmed my order but not receiving my food after 45 mins , i got to know the kitchen never made it. Good luck going here.

The only Mexican restaurant to where I would bring my parents, original Mexican food made in a very fine way.

Food is bad, service is worse, and the attitude is incredible. Dont eat here when you can eat literally anywhere else-

Food was good but way over priced for the portions. Mexican would roll over in their graves if they knew what was going on here. Don t call your business a Mexican Restaurant ! I have never paid $18 for two a silver dollar tacos or $24 for two small empanadas. Four tacos and two empanadas $100. Recommended if you go there with a full stomach and lots of money. Don t waist your time ! Go somewhere that will actually feed you !

We had an amazing anniversary dinner here last night. We had the fixed price menu and my husband ordered an entree so we could try a few different things. He had a chicken tortilla soup, which was lovely. It tasted fresh and healthy and somehow the tortillas didnt get soggy. The chile relleno was gorgeous and the best Ive ever had. They prepare it layered like a cake and the sauce was fresh and lovely. Smoky tomato with a bit of a kick. The drinks were absolutely beautiful. I had La Medicina and my husband had a Magdalena. They were smooth and rich with deep flavours. When you order cocktails, this is what you want. In fact, the Magdalena is essentially an elevated Pisco Sour and even my Chilean husband couldnt deny it. It was delicious. The ceviche was mind-blowing. There is something in the juice that adds so much depth but we couldnt quite figure it out. Honestly, the food was amazing and priced so well I felt like I was stealing. We drove almost an hour to get there and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Nice place. Was there for a business dinner. Food was great.

Food was delicious and the service attentive. The dining room was a bit dark and noisy Parking: Parking is tricky there. Be prepared to pay and walk a couple of blocks

Very expensive for what you get. Portions are very small, tacos only come in 2 are from what I recall 16-18$ and 2 empanadas were 24$ that seemed to be only a touch bigger than a pierogi. The churos also come with the smallest bowl of Dulce de leche that is supposed to be for 6 decent sized churos. As far as taste goes, would say its just average. Our waitress was good but food and drinks took a VERY long time even with empty tables. Drinks took 30min or longer, food took over an hour. This is simply an honest review of my thoughts and experience here

Interesting place. Nice ambience. Kitchen crew is full of great energy. I was happy with the quality and presentation of my meal. Looking forward to going back and exploring the menu Food

Went to El Santo for Happy Hour Tuesday. The Brussel Sprouts were amazing. Love the food here so much. The Happy Hour Margarita is extremely small for $12. Luckily, the Brussels and the soup size make up for the small drink size.

Went here for the first time with a friend. The place is quite upscale for a Mexican restaurant and gives off a different vibe than other places Ive been to. It was not too busy when we first came in but by the time we started to eat it was packed so reservations may be needed. We got the chips and salsa and some tacos and they were very good albeit very expensive for what you get. 3 tacos here is about $22 so be prepared. Drinks were also really good but equally expensive at $15 per drink. My real only complaint was the service was very slow and where we were seated in the little alcove in the back was extremely loud. I could barely hear myself due to the reverb in the area. Overall I would recommend but only as a treat, its a bit expensive for Mexican food but was good nonetheless.

Weve been here a number of times and weve had excellent food everytime. The service was top notch and everything was delicious.

The staff was super nice, but the food was just okay.

Amazing! The Dine out menu was great!

I love churros

Katrina deboned our fish perfectly! Thank you! It was a great evening. Our friend has an amazing bday dinner there.

Food was good. excellent service and wonderful atmosphere. Worth to give it a try.

After carefully reflecting on my experience at El Santo, I am providing an honest review. My partners Christmas staff dinner, a 15-person event, was held here. The restaurant asked for advance orders to prepare the kitchen. Despite this, the service fell short. My appetizer arrived 10 minutes late while others at my table had already been served. This issue repeated with my entree, where I found it unusual that all orders for our table werent served simultaneously. The service issues continued with dessert. We ordered five churros for the table, but only three were served initially. By the time my churros arrived, after two reminders to the staff, everyone at our table had finished eating, had already paid and was ready to leave, so I was forced to take them to go. Overall, the experience was disappointing. The staffs foreknowledge of our orders and schedule didnt translate to efficient service. The frustration was compounded by the lack of communication and failure to acknowledge delays or offer an apology

We were 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.

Great place for Mexican eatry in New Westminster. We had the Sweet corn and Poblano soup, Wagyu steak and the dishes were all incredible! Generous drink selection and food. Alejandro and his staffs were all amazing! Will definitely be back!

We organized a surprise birthday party here. It was an excellent time with great food, and service. Will definitely plan more events here.

Really good service; place is too busy and loud and we went early (545). Get a reservation! The Mole was amazing; the beef tacos were okay. Can t hear a thing; have to yell. Really dim lighting at the back. Attractive decor.

We went for Valentine s Day dinner. Booked a table that went well they were busy which is fine i understand. Nice looking place. Chips and salsa was good took a while but again it s a busy day. Had pork tacos and the gf had a chicken dish in a liquified refried beans sauce sadly was not good. Got a discount on the chicken my gf didn t finish. Tacos were ok very dry and greasy. Wouldn t recommend took 2 hours and we left pretty much as soon as possible.

We ordered relatively fast, but waited nearly an hour for the first course. We waited for almost another hour before the next course came. We were there for 2.5 hours. Whoever was expediting in the kitchen was clearly struggling. There were two other tables who arrived after us and left way earlier. They also ordered almost the same stuff as us and got it way sooner. Also, the miso steak was burnt, not charred. Our waitress was trying to make it a good valentines day and really sweet but the kitchen was really bad.

We had a wonderful time at El Santo. The food was beautiful - most tender duck Ive ever had - and the service was fantastic. Our server (Tova, I believe) was kind, knowledgable about the food and drinks, and very attentive. Couldnt ask for a better experience. Dietary restrictions: They were very aware and considerate of my food allergy.

Loved eating here. The service was excellent and the food was so tasty. The brussel sprout tacos were phenomenal and I will definitely be back for more!

Great cocktails!

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

Have been here 3 times now. There are a few good dishes but overall not the best value. For what it is, it s expensive. The cocktails are probably the best part of the place. The service was lackluster everytime, slow and unattentive. Atmosphere is good, nothing stand out. I d recommend it maybe once for a date but wouldn t say it s worthy to frequent often.

They are trying to be an upscale Mexican restaurant, but nothing about the food justifies the price. They want 8 dollars for a taco? The flavours arent there and the service was mediocre. Do yourself a favor and go to Playa Tropical instead. El Santo is a joke.

Phenomenal food. Excellent service and increasing portion sizes. This place is the best of the best. We love to go for brunch. Benedict cornbreads, lamb dish, queso fundido, it s all fantastic! Recommended dishes

The food is amazing here, even though it took a bit long to come, the staff definitely goes above and beyond to make sure everyone is happy.

Great food! Amazing flavors and quality and unique. I find service is great but often slow. Wheelchair accessibility: Yes

Canceled food that was ordered for take out after about an hour of waiting. Horrible experience.

Bustling, noisy and pretty, the negatives I had are in part my fault. Cilantro is a very polarizing herb, and unfortunately I am unlucky enough to have the gene where is tastes like metallic soap. Unfortunately its very popular in Mexican food, and I get used to skipping out in things like the salsa, where they batch make it with it inside. El Santo has cilantro in the meat marinades, so your options are either a nacho and cheese plate or one of the fish dishes. Unfortunately the nacho plate is poorly constructed - the crisp chips are too solid and thick, without an easy crunch and the cheese is not a sauce/dip, just a solid chunk of baked cheese. They suggested the addition of a braised beef that didnt have cilantro (?) which was wildly over salted. To their credit they took it off my bill, but the textures on this dish are all wrong. The cornbread and jalepeno jam is pleasant, and my dining companions seemed delighted with theirs. Unfortunately the noisy atmosphere makes it hard to hear staff explain dishes and there were little service oopsies, like missing that a double order had been made of the corn bread - it was brought out and removed before it was placed on the table as one waiter told the other no. Similarly, the cilantro in everything problem was communicated as if I was a silly enough to try to eat Mexican with a chili allergy. And theres also the usual tip inflation - the default starts at 18%, but cost of living is what it is. I wont stiff staff over my gamble, but I definitely dont see giving them a second shot. All that being said, they would be a great place for a celiacs. The cant accomodate cilantro tasters, but pretty much everyday is flagged as safe in that way. Dietary restrictions: Celiac friendly

Ambient space with authentic food. Service is top tier.

Overall, the food was great. Portion size was a little small on a few of the tasting menu dishes. But the biggest complaint was the noise in the restaurant. Ive been in a lot of large, full restaurants, but this one was by far, the noisiest. Even talking with a person sitting right beside me was a challenge. I dont know whether it was where we were sitting or just the acoustics in the restaurant. But Im sorry to say that it really took away from the experience. In fact, our server was having trouble hearing us to get our drink orders.

Food and atmosphere are fairly decent but if you go on a busy night, service will go downhill and it seems they are understaffed and not prepared for such high activity of orders.

Tacos were amazing. Highly recommend a tequila flight. 10/10, will be back again soon. I dont care where you live in the lower mainland. Its worth the drive.

Went here for a Dine Out Vancouver dinner and...where to even begin. Sticking with the 3 main categories of service, food, and atmosphere, its hard to rank any of these beyond 2 stars. Service - the biggest take away we can give anyone thinking of coming here is that EXPECT TO WAIT. The amount of time we sat waiting for anything was unbelievably long. Even upon being seated it took 30 minutes for us to get water and a menu. Waiting for any type of service or what we ordered was painfully too long. Every single patron near us expressed the same frustrations and began requesting to go for their orders instead. Food - the ONLY reason we would give this place above a single star is because of the entrées. The cornbread and scallop risotto were delicious, although it took an eternity to actually even receive this part of our meal. I ordered the Leek ash rubbed Wagyu steak and it was the saddest excuse for steak Ive ever experienced. First, it was incredibly cold given how long the service takes here. But most importantly the stake lacked any depth or flavour of any sort. This place makes a Dennys steak look like Gordon Ramsay cooked it. Atmosphere - The terrible service certainly made the atmosphere feel much worse, but overall it felt like an energetic room. Despite everyone around us complaining about slow service and mediocre food, I enjoyed the fact that our surrounding company tried to make the best of it.

Has got to be one of the best Mexican restaurants in the Lower Mainland. Owner Alejandro Diaz is a very engaging host and the service from his team is exceptional. The El Vincente is a must have cocktail. Would also highly recommend the Barbacoa and Risotto Con Callo De Hacha. The evening of course would not be complete without trying the Churros with dulche de leche, all made in-house.

Great food, nice place

The food was pretty good, and the waitress was really nice. The drinks were a bit pricey over $16

We used to love coming here but since they literally doubled the prices in less that 2 years we are going to pass.

Great food. Perfect for parties

The service was great and the food was good as well, but prices were pretty steep for what it is. Don t get me wrong, the brussels sprouts were good, but not $24 good. I also note that the tipping starts at 25% as it s first option, descending down to 18% as its third.

I asked for a fix menu for a dinner of six. Lots of open discussion about the menu. We arrived and the food kept coming. I honestly thought there would not be enough but there was so much food and all different. A fantastic tour of the menu and very different to what people expect from Mexican food. Well done !!! If you like cocktails try the el diablo.

El Santo was recently recommended to me. It lived up to the high praise. The business of the restaurant provides a fun-loving atmosphere. The staff are attentive, gave great suggestions, and our server (Isabella) was awesome. The food was fresh and delicious. The cocktails were great as well. We will certainly be back again! Thanks for having us!

The food is okay, but everything is way overpriced. The place is shooting for upscale, but is really just decent casual food and drinks. Should be about half the price, which it would be at pretty much any authentic Mexican place of similar or better quality in the US. Shame.

Overall, there were some outstanding dishes, service was somewhat slow, and the bill on the pricey side. However, we still thought it was worth the experience and would likely recommend others to try it out (I probably wouldnt go back myself). We ordered the guac trio, fish tacos, grilled cheese with chorizo, tacos al pastor, and 3 horchatas. Total bill: well over 100, without any cocktails or alcoholic drinks. The guac trio was disappointing and quite expensive for what it was. The horchatas were on the bland side and quite expensive too. We didnt love the fish tacos and were definitely not worth the price tag. However, the Tacos al Pastor were absolutely outstanding, hands down the star of the night, and the grilled cheese with chorizo was fabulous too. These two dishes made our dining experience worthy regardless of the somewhat slow service.

The food was delicious. In house Nachos with the moorish blend of cheeses were scrumptious. Cauliflower tacos were oh so tasty! Fresh juices too - I had Guava which was super refreshing. Staff friendly and accommodating too. One note: The churros just came out of the fryer but could have possibly done with a little longer cook time as was a bit squidgy inside rather than the meant to be doughnut texture.

Ive been coming here for drinks and food every now and then since this place pretty much opened. I was pretty disappointed with the experience I had last week. I brought a friend to have drinks, and we sat at our table for a good 15 minutes before anyone came around. We waited another 15 after ordering our drinks before we got them - it wasnt that busy, the drinks were simple, and most people had their beverages. For our second round, I got the caesar, which something I usually order, and this time all I could taste was the hot sauce (and I like hot sauce). But I was more disappointed in the service. We had a change of servers (which was fine obviously), and then when it was last call and we had said we were good, our server just left the restaurant! We didnt even get a bill. Every patron had left, and then I flagged down the hostess and asked for her our bill (the rest of the staff were just doing their thing). $70 for 4 drinks is quite a bit, so youd expect some quality acknowledgement from the staff. I thought El Santo was a great staple of New West, but I feel like dive bars are the place to be at this point. Might as well get some down-to-earth service while someone makes you a drink!

Great Mexican spot in the heart of New West. Good food and drinks. Excellent vibe.

Love love love!! You have to try the Pechuga de Pato Chamuscada!! Spruce tip cured Fraser Valley duck breast, fried Morita chile salsa, platanos frito, charcoal roasted cabbage Food : 5/5

Great place!

Both my wife and I had some stomach pain after eating here, overall the food was just okay. Overall the food was a just average especially for the price. The brussel sprouts were actually much better than I wouldve assumed, fish tacos, Agua Chile de camaron and the cheese skillet were all quite boring. The aguachile especially was very small and lacked flavour. Service however was really good, drinks were good.

I remember this is my first restaurant back from the second shut down of COVID and I went in with a reservation, as one does more often now because of COVID. The place was STILL packed when we arrived, with each table filled with their own bubble; instead of being placed beside another table, we were seated in their little out cove with my party of 4 friends. The hostess was extremely nice and you can totally see that smizing action, she was totally working it. I was looking forward to a cup of Horchata, but because of COVID they didnt have Horchata, which was what I was looking forward to, but instead I ordered a Jarritos, tamarind flavour. I wasnt planning to drink that night since I drove. For those who dont know what Horchata is, it is a sweet rice cinnamon milk. We started off with the Ceviche as we waited for everyone to get ready to order for the night. I have been searching for a good ceviche place my whole life in Vancouver, and this place was not it. I was a little disappointed, and looks like a proper ceviche place wasnt going to happen. Oh and note, their portion from Ceviche to Tortia Chip ratio was perfect. I ordered a plate of Brussel Sprouts on the side for everyone to share too, and it wasnt that good. I might have wanted something better from it, but it was just ok. Would not order again. Each of my party ordered 3 tacos each since it seemed like they only had the tacos that night. I realized they were not prepared at all that night, but it is okay since we are during a period of the pandemic. I had the Lengua (Beef Toungue), Pollo (chicken) and the Barbacoa. The tongue was diced into smaller pieces and I felt like they could have just sliced it instead to still give a proper texture, but it is okay, it is their style. The Barbacoa is perfectly spiced, and extremely smooth, braised to the perfection. And the chicken was surprisingly different, it could be their haberno salsa, which gives it that delicious bite, but it wasnt that bad. Overall, the night went ok and I had a fantastic time seeing all my close friends again over some delicious tacos and a small little reunion.

Great food and atmosphere!

We had a large group in the private back room. The very friendly staff took excellent care of us. Shoutout to their taco math allowing us to get more variety. The food was incredible and everything was top notch. Absolutely recommend!

We made a reservation! Got a great table. But being in the restaurant industry for many years, I could tell they over booked their floor plan. We were mid appetizer and the host asked us if we wanted to move tables.. The server was slow, forgetful because of how busy she was, the bar took 15-20 minutes to get us our drinks (all 3 rounds) Asked for things, they never came. I have been at this restaurant before and had an great experience. But hopefully they reflect after this Saturday night and don t over book, or staff appropriately!

I was super disappointed by the burrito i had here. It was expensive, there was almost no meat, and the rest was mostly rice. The small nibbles of meat that i did have were excellent, genuinely thought it was a window into greatness but the burrito on the whole was just so poorly balanced that all it left me with was regret. I have also had drinks here and its a fun spot for that. If you want a downtown cocktail bar, i think el santo is a solid choice to have a sophisticated night out with a significant other or big date. Just dont order a burrito.

Really enjoyed dining here. The food was pretty good except for the cauliflower tacos which was a little too sweet and didnt have a lot of flavours. Other than that everything we tried was delicious. The cocktails we tried were pretty good. I also recommend their non alcoholic drinks menu. My favourite was the tamarind drink and the horchata was creamy and yummy. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Came in for lunch on a Monday with wife. The menu was incredibly limited. Most lights were off despite the place being half full. Out of the choices on the menu, I ordered the rice bowl. It was 2/3s rice, with some meat that did not taste fresh and a few small toppings on top. The meat was clearly from the day before and reheated, and the rice was pretty plain. The dish was absolutely terrible. We left with a 70$ bill and had the pleasure of seeing the absurd tip options expected for this amazing dining experience. Ive eaten here before in the evening, and the food was decent, but clearly, their lunch offering is absolutely abysmall. Avoid them.

Second time here, service is slow. Prepare to take atleast 2 hours. Got the El tazon (bowl) .just pure mush. No other texture. Not much flavour besides beans. Guacamole and chips are really good! Tacos are really good!

Very yummy

Great vegetarian options. I want to try a few other items on the menu. Ambiance is good Ps - The churros for desert are a must!