Flores San Mateo

I've been here a few times and it's pretty good. The carnitas are the best! Thechicken mole is another favorite. I used to LOVE their flautas but I feel like they changed them. The only thing I have not been a fan of is their quesabrilla tacos. I don't think mine actually had any cheese and they were very floppy. Very nice for San Mateo, cute & trendy atmosphere. Service has been spotty. Sometimes it's great and other times you wait forever to be checked on, the bill to be brought, etc. Warning because I know this is a turn off for some: they charge for chips & salsa. They do give you these veggie (I think) puffs when you're seated and that's a nice new touch. They take reservations and also have a room for private groups.

This is the second time I've eaten at this restaurant and this time was a lot better than the first. I ordered the Pescado a la Veracruzana. It was a pretty good serving and tasted amazing! The sauce was so good, I tried some of my friend's tacos and dipped it in this sauce. We also ordered a side of platanos and churros. So good! The Pescado definitely made the meal. Would be back again for this dish and maybe flan next time. Ambiance was chill, server was also great and offered great service. Wish I got his name, but want to thank him for his humor and keeping up with some of my coworkers who can be a handful sometimes LOL. (Thank you!)

I'm torn writing this because the first 2 times I visited, I LOVED it. However, the last 3 times I visited were not up to the same standard. I've tried to give them chances to remedy, but it's just not worth it to go here anymore. The first two visits we got the ceviche, queso fundido, duck enchiladas, tacos (steak, pork, and fish), and carnitas for 2. The ceviche came with this wonderful, fluffy, thick corn fritter that was unbelievable! The queso fundido looked super oily at first, but the flavor was really good. Out of the tacos, my favorites were the steak and pork, both were tender and moist. Duck enchiladas were good and it was exciting to see a different protein on the menu. We also loved the carnitas. It came with rice, tortillas, salsa verde, and beans. Very fresh, quality ingredients. Now, the 3rd and 4th time I visited, I was very disappointed. I again got the ceviche both times. The fish was good, but the 3rd time, the fritter was paper thin and all you could taste was fried batter. The 4th time, to my dismay, they didn't even do a whole fritter! Now they just sprinkle fritter crumbs over the ceviche. They were kind enough to make me a whole fritter when I asked why it was only crumbs this time, but it makes me sad to know the level of quality went down with this very special menu item. I again got the steak and pork tacos, but this time, the pork was very dry. I also got the skirt steak, which was super thin, couldn't even cook that medium rare if you tried and it was soooo salty. You can pass on the desserts. I've had the tres leches, which wasn't very moist and the churros, which were pretty tough.

We started off with the guac and chips. The chips were fresh and crispy. It was served with 3 side salsas, I didn't think that they had much flavor or heat. The guacamole didn't taste like they made it fresh to order. It tasted premade and had too much cheese on top. The drinks that we ordered were tasty and under $20. Lots of ice so the drink was gone within a few sips. We split an order for 6 tacos. The chicken tinga tacos were skimpy. The fish tacos were probably the best out of the options that we ordered. To me the price does not match the quality or taste, way too overpriced for what we ordered. The service was great as well as the ambiance. Maybe a good spot to come sit at the bar and just order a drink. I'd skip the food.

Grabbed dinner here as a group of 5 a couple weeks ago and I had a great time! Parking was nearby in a garage (no charge!). The service was great. Everyone was super helpful and nice. I grabbed two drinks and the pozole verde (yum!). I would definitely come back in the future.

Came here early on a Saturday evening with a friend and was seated immediately. We ordered some light eats - chips and guac and the corn. Both were very fresh and light! It hit the spot for a snack. I also had their passion cocktail, which was so refreshing I had to stop myself from ordering another. I definitely want to come back, hopefully for their happy hour!

Great food. Came for Happy Hour, 3-6PM M-F. Had carne asada tacos (3) and 1 Carnitas. The carnitas was crispy and juicy. Nice fat content. Tortilla was filled. The Carne Asada was my favorite. After eating one I ordered 2 more. Cooked well lots of flavor and not too chewy. The pickled carrots and onions on the side was a nice touch. The star was the salsa. Not too hot. Nice lime and cilantro flavor. I also ordered 6 oysters. Nothing too special. Prices were ok. $5 a taco. $2 per oyster. I will be back.

Trying to save another weekend by going out at the last Monet lol - laziness is just a way of life some weekends - can't get off the couch after sleeping in both days, and not doing the laundry or dishes lol - well we decided to try the no longer new, but new to us, Flores, at the mall. Then hostess asked if we had a reservation though the place was half empty on Sunday at 2pm - ok - she was polite and gave us a nice circular booth - guess she thought the teenagers wanted their space lol - the cocktails were tasty but not strong - I'd ask for a double alcohol next time but still good, and the food was perfectly comment. We went about a month ago but only getting around to this review now. Actually, writing about it has reminded me that I should go back and try more of their food. The kids liked it as did the parents - there was enough food for leftover for the kids to eat about an hour later, before dinner. You should try this place. It's fresher and a little unusual and delicious. The waitstaff was emotive and personable. Actually, I think we will go for tonight's dinner!

6/16/24 After attending the yelp event that Flores hosted, I really wanted to take my fiancée here since he loves Hispanic cuisine. Flores San Mateo is located at Hillsdale Mall. With patience, You can find parking in the parking lots. We opted for outdoor seating since we had our fur baby with us too. I guess when you sit outside, you can only place your order through the QR code that is provided on the table. Here's what we got:- guac and chips (to share)- carne asada bowl (mine)- oxaca cheese (to share)- enchiladas (his)The guac was really good and the chips were sturdy and crunchy. The oxaca cheese dip was super cheesy and actually very filling that we were almost full by the time our entrees came. The carne asada bowl is a well proportioned meal of meat, salad and beans. Zach said that he enjoyed the enchiladas but we took half of it home since he was pretty full from the appetizers.Overall, everything we got tasted great. Flores is a bit on the pricier side, but you can tell that the ingredients are fresh and of high quality. Would return for more delicious food!

Food 10/10 Service 100/10 Everything was awesome, Braulio did a great job, we had an excellent time here