Estrada’s Restaurant

Estrada’s will never disappointed me. They are able to keep up with excellent food quality for many years.
If you grew up in this town, you have seen lots of places come and go since the ‘70s. This joint has been here for ever, and has always been known to serve you up well whether you’re eating or drinking. This place is historical and can not believe is up and running from th1917? WOW!
«This is exactly the type of place I like to go when everybody else goes to all the mainstream chain restaurants that are so packed, that unless you made a reservation ahead of time, then you are SOL!!! Lines, headaches, waiting, you name it. Estrada’s is perfect! No long lines, a friendly warm welcome, and a table soon after you walk in. A minute after you’re seated there’s water and lots of chips and two types of salsa. I LOVE this place! I work a few blocks away and find their dishes to be so tasty. Superb, friendly customer service too! My compliments to their chef. Everything he makes is delicious! The restaurant is really nice and stylish — The décor and lighting are great, servers are friendly and the overall atmosphere is nice.
One of my favorite spot in Daly City.

What did I walk into? I thought that this restaurant was supposed to have gotten a makeover.
It smelled inside. Usually, that’s my first indication of a bad deal and I don’t walk in any further. I should have listened to my gut… but I was so hungry. The menus and the table was dirty even though the waitress gave it her version of a wipe down. The décor is grand and tasteful but completely undermined by the trashy bar area playing DMX while I’m trying to have a nice dinner.
Even without the house music blasting, the food was gross. Stale chips and enchiladas that were no better than frozen. Worse, I became ill after eating the food and spent the latter part of the night in the bathroom.
It was a little later in the night that we’d stepped in and I think that the waitress and the kitchen was a bit antsy to go home.
The service, food and environment– all terrible.
Really disappointed and I don’t think I’ll chance it here again.

Just came here since i work next door wanted to order to go since i was working. The waitress and owner Bernadette was by herself so it took a little while to order. Once i was able to order after calling in got my food pretty fast which was nice. The lady Bernadette is really a sweetheart she kept apologizing but once my food was ordered i really didn’t wait that long for it to come. I got the chicken enchiladas they were good could use more cheese but good. A little pricey for me since i live in east bay but hey its sf so whatever. Bernadette was very sweet and has good customer service made me feel welcome even though i was a little bitchy to her. I will come back again on valentines with my husband.

My teen son’s review: Really great service and Mexican food, probably the best Caribbean I have ever had. I’ve eaten here many times and this place is the best. The two salsas (red and green) are really good with really fresh chips, the owner is a really nice man. Enchiladas were very good, huge generous portions, and the sports bar is nice. Great relaxed atmosphere perfect for family and friends! :)

Our server was good, very pleasant. Party of four on a Thursday. Three of us had combo plates, tamales, tacos were good and fresh. Only issue was the rice was dry and bland. I had the roasted pork dinner which was excellent. The main complaint is the bar patrons are too loud, literally screeching/​laughing their drunk selves into oblivion. I highly suggest that they put up a door and windows to separate the bar from the dining room.

Our family was really in the mood for great Mexican food. We were unsure what to expect with Estrada’s food but were impressed.
The food was fantastic! The staff went out of their way to make us comfortable. This is a must try!

We live in the neighborhood & finally stopped in for an early dinner around 4:30pm. We didn’t know about Estrada’s interior makeover on «Restaurant Impossible» a few years ago, so we were taken aback by the mismatch between dingy exterior and lovely interior.
We were seated promptly, drinks came out quickly, not a long wait for our meals. I had quesadillas, husband had a steak with cherry tomatoes, mint, cilantro etc. We both thought things were delicious.
The chips & salsas were very good, just the right amount of spicy for me. If you prefer strongly spiced, you might be a little disappointed.
We were offered & brought refills on chips & salsas & our drinks at a nice point in our meal but no one hovered or made us feel rushed. I was impressed that our waiter offered to take my plate to the kitchen to box up the rest of my quesadilla; it’s less common but I appreciate the courtesy.
4 stars not 5 because it was very very dim for just 4:30… I’m not yet 40 and shouldn’t have to work so hard to read a menu! I just read in another Unilocal review response that they will turn up the lights on request, but I would have felt really awkward doing that. I also had to sort of guess and squint to find the light switch in the restroom. It’s not near the door, and was a little fickle to turn on. No biggie. Everything was clean and nice.
I’m sure we’ll head back there again sometime. Check it out!

Really delicious restaurant. The chimichangas are definitely amazing! Staff is courteous, attentive, and friendly!

My friend and I stopped in for a late lunch.
Service was good — the food took some time to arrive but well worth it.
I had a steak quesadilla — fantastic. My friend had cheese enchiladas which came sizzling hot. Once they cooled a bit they were terrific.
The staff was friendly the chips/​salsa and our entrée’s were all fresh and made to order. I’ll definitely be back to try the other menu items.
Thumbs way up for Estrada’s really good experience.

Wow what an amazing experience, Excellent experience!
Love this place cant wait to b back!!!

I like this place a lot and I would love to write a good review but I cant get over the fact that lately the restaurant has been filthy. During my last visit I found a bug in my meal, enough for me to leave on the spot. I won’t come back.

First let me say, Estrada is not your typical Mexican restaurant. New owners are Dominican and the recipes reflect that
Enchiladas were good and the service excellent
Beef Tamale was not good and a bit cold
They want your experience to be great but the food just isn’t
Try the enchiladas or stay in the Mission for great Mexican

Was a little to dark for my liking. Service was horrible ordered a chimichanga and took 30 min to me to get it and friend I was with got his 15 min later. Food over all was good but service could’ve been better

Celebrated my son’s and nieces birthday here. The staff was wonderful as we were immediately greeted as we walked in. The place was nicely renovated since the last time I’ve been there. It’s a lot better than it was. More elegant even with the giant screen projector TV in the back. The sound system for the music was also great.
As for the food, it was very good. Portions were huge and the service was excellent. It was a great birthday celebration dinner. Thanks Estradas!

Amanda does karaōke here, she rocks and she’s very awesome.
She does karaōke every Thursday night.
That’s why I come here, but I also enjoy the margaritas and pina coladas.
There’s a lot of space inside and the parking is great.

Realmente rrecomendable las perzonas k t atienden son muy amable la comida rrikisima es un lugar espetacular

Great people, great service
We went for cinco de mayo for a large party– 45 people. Everything went perfectly. Thank you to all the staff!

This place was amazing! We were staying across the street and wanted to get some food without driving. The décor is lovely and the service is very good! The chef came to the table and asked us how the food was. He told us he was actually from the Dominican Republic and that the pork was his grandmother’s recipe.
I got the steak with watermelon relish. I probably wouldn’t get it again as it wasn’t actually the chef’s recipe, and my fiancé’s chicken fajitas were *amazing*.
We’ll definitely be going back!

First off, important to know that this is in a bit of a food desert. I decided to stay in the nearby Hampton Inn and take BART into the financial district to save money on a recent business trip. That worked out just great, except there are practically no restaurants near the hotel. This place is walking distance to the BART, but still a good 5 – 10 minute hike.
The ambiance is nice. I was there on a weeknight, a bit later (like 7−8pm). They had nice background music and lighting, and it had a good vibe. There were just a handful of other people there. There was a bar with a few folks sitting there, but the restaurant section was nice.
Free wifi. And fast. They didn’t seem to mind me breaking out my laptop and catching some neflix (with headphones) while I ate. They also had a basketball game on TV (without sound) — it wasn’t too distracting.
The food was good. I wish they had beer on tap (they just had bottles). Service was good.
Maybe if there were more competition I’d drop down to 3 stars — it wasn’t amazing. But given that there is no competition, I’d say this is a great choice.

We came here because of restaurant impossible. The décor was nice and the service was very nice.
The food was ok. The chips were not fresh nor was the salsa :/​
However, the chicken tortilla soup was really good and so was the mojito :)
Not sure if I would come here again for dinner, as I think for the price, I might prefer to try it for lunch.

I love Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine (ok, I love his guido muscles). And, I love his British accent. Why can’t Asian accents sound that hot? I swear when my mom talks, she sounds like a fighting Foster Farm’s chicken (I mean that in the nicest possible way).
Ok, before I offend any more people, back to the review. When I read that Food Network’s «Restaurant: Impossible» would be taking over Estrada’s, I knew had to go to see the reveal as I’m a huge fan of the show.
We came to Estrada’s yesterday at 2 pm and thankfully we came right before several groups did because they have major service issues. More on that later.
Even though it’s Colma, parking is a bit tough in this area if you aren’t able to snag one of the six spots in front of Estrada’s. Do not park at the donut shop next door unless you want your beep beep towed.
I’ve never been to Estrada’s, nor would I ever if it weren’t for the show given the horrendously bad reviews and food pictures posted. If Chevy’s were to cater at San Quentin, I’m pretty sure the food would look and taste like Estrada’s. Reviewing the old menu online, it was all over the place serving typical Mexican fare of enchiladas and tacos to caesar salad, jalapeño poppers, burgers, panini, and pasta.
An obligatory basket of chips and salsa roja arrived as we perused the new menu:
. The salsa was fresh with a nice kick but we didn’t like the chips as they tasted like cardboard:
.
The new [much smaller] menu and presentation of dishes looked great and reminded me of a upscale Mexican-​Caribbean fusion bistro. However, I’m not sure if it suits the demographics and regulars who seem to like their former Chevyesque food and large portions.
As recommended by one of the waitresses, we ordered the Toasted Coconut Shrimp ($ 8.95) which was fantastic:
! Encrusted in deliciously sweet and toasty coconut shreds, the shrimp was perfectly plump and juicy. The accompanying pickled red onions gave it a nice acidic punch. A must order!
Skip the Housemade Guacamole ($ 7.95) as there was too much pico de gallo mixed in and then topped with even more which hindered the butteryness of the avocado:
. It was also very bland. No kick. No tang.
I love Jerk Chicken ($ 15.95) so I decided to order that as the Mexican items on the menu seemed too Americanized for me. I was given the Asada Steak by accident:
. At the time, I was glad I didn’t order that because it was well done and looked very dry. When I received the correct order, I wished I didn’t order the jerk chicken either.
I think the kitchen staff had trouble properly executing Irvine’s menu because the jerk chicken was very grainy:
. Each bite felt like I was eating a mouthful of spice rub. The sauce needed to be cooked longer and in more liquid to break down the spices. Not sure what that mystery gravy on top of the chicken was but it didn’t do anything for it.
My dining companion had the Mango BBQ Mahi Mahi ($ 15.95) which fared much better:
. The fish was flaky albeit a tad overcooked. The tangy BBQ sauce along with the lime butter and sweet corn kernels packed a lot of flavor.
Food was about a 3.5 but service was a 2. We didn’t have a dedicated waitress but the younger waitress was on top of it and carried the weight for the entire restaurant. She absolutely rocked but the older waitress desperately needs intensive training. She didn’t know the menu and seemed confused when we asked her simple questions. There were three types of guacamole and when I asked what the vegetable escabeche was, I got a blank stare with no response. She wrote down our order yet she forgot our guacamole and got my order wrong. Bless her heart but my goodness, we were the only people who placed an order (other 2 tables were leaving) before the other parties started arriving.
The kitchen staff seemed to have a hard time getting the orders out in a timely fashion. It took 50 minutes to get our entrees so thank gawd we had cardboard chips to munch on.
We saw the owner pass by several times and given the new reveal of Estrada’s, it would have been nice to see him to take the time and effort to greet customers. Just my 2 cents if you want repeat customers.
The pictures of the old décor looked like a piñata threw up; it was cheezy and the color scheme was nauseating. The only thing mustard yellow should be on is in a bottle and on a hotdog. Irvine and his team did an excellent job transforming Estrada’s. The new décor was inviting with a contemporary country rustic ambiance with Spanish paintings for that Latin flair:
.
3 solid stars because of the awesome younger waitress (give her a raise!), the bomb coconut shrimp, and in hopes the owner steps it up and takes full advantage of Estrada’s second chance.
Salud!