Celia’s Mexican Restaurant was a delicious but generally forgettable experience, with great service and tasty menu items.
Located on Campus Drive just across from the College of San Mateo, Celia’s is a cozy family restaurant with home-style Mexican food. Celia’s offers a wide variety of classic Mexican dishes including tacos, burritos, fajitas, and flautas.
Although the waiters served an unlimited bowl of chips and salsa free of cost, as many Mexican restaurants tend to do, my party chose the Combo Appetizer ($8.95) to begin with. I ordered the Two Flautas plate ($12.45) as my main course. The rest of my party ordered dishes such as the Fajita ($11.95), Carnitas de Pollo ($13.95), and the Enchilada and Tostada plate ($12.45).
The Combo Appetizer platter contained a mix of the restaurant’s best, with quesadillas, guacamole, lettuce, chimichanguitas, and nachos with cheese and salsa.
The nachos were nice and crispy even though they were coated with a thin layer of cheese and salsa. The quesadillas were very cheesy and had a melt-in-your mouth factor that is perfect for cheese lovers. The chimichanguitas proved to be just as tasty as the rest, with a perfect balance of chicken and cheese wrapped inside a small crunchy shell.
Next came the Two Flautas dish, which consisted of two flautas with guacamole and sour cream on top, and with beans and rice on the side. Similar to the chimichanguitas in the appetizer, the flautas delivered a satisfying crunch and were flavored nicely with thinly sliced chicken inside. The beans and rice were mediocre, but the flautas themselves made up for it.
The waiter delivered each dish piping hot to our table, which greatly satisfied my party.
The main concern regarding each course was portion size. Each dish had far too much for one person; it was as if the plate was made for two, or even three people to eat. Naturally, the appetizer was put together for a party of people to share, but the main courses were simply too much for one person. Each person in my party ended up taking nearly half of their plate home in a to-go box.
Celia’s had great service to complement their tasty dishes. My party took some time in deciding what to order, but the server was very patient. He remained friendly throughout the entire meal and checked back at our table frequently, creating a nice atmosphere.
The décor was very casual, with hanging lights and Hispanic paintings and textiles. However, one might consider it too informal for a restaurant.
After receiving feedback from the rest of my party, we agreed that the food was appetizing, but the portions were far too large for the average person.
Overall, Celia’s did not leave a lasting impression due to the fact that many Mexican restaurants today are just as enticing and enjoyable. However, it is a nice place to go for those seeking casual home-cooked style Mexican meal.
Price: $$
Food: 3/5
Service: 5/5
Location: 3190 Campus Drive, San Mateo
Telephone: (650) 349-0165
