Maria Elena Mexican Restaurant resides in Alviso, one of the oldest cities in California, which reached the height of its glory during the gold rush of the 1800s.
Maria Elena’s red roofs and Mexican-woven café curtains bid a cheery hello to its jovial lunch crowd. There are no tricks here – good old Mexican food is what they’ve come for, nothing fancy or contrived. Maria Elena uses the same recipes handed down from her parents’ first Mexican restaurant, established over 40 years ago in downtown San Jose. You’ll find one-, two-, or three-item combinations of enchiladas (beef, pork, cheese, or chicken), chicken or beef tacos, tamales, flautas, or chile rellenos ($6.99 - $8.99), served with the familiar sidekicks of rice and beans.
Chile rellenos were perfectly fried in a delicate batter and oozed Monterey jack cheese. Flautas (meaning "flute") are corn tortillas tightly rolled around chicken or beef and deep fried. "Flauta" means "flute," so eat them with your fingers (resist blowing the filling at your neighbor). They are crunchy and lip-smacking. Tamales are large enough to tuck your sunglasses in. Chicken ones use dark meat for a juicier filling.
Specials of the house include Chicken Mole ($8.99) and Mexican Steak, a chopped steak with onions, tomatoes, and chiles, which is "prepared from scratch" but "worth the wait", as the menu modestly informs you ($9.29). Enchilada Suizas are smothered with a creamy, jade-hued sauce. They are served with guacamole and a tiny pile of mixed greens, topped with queso fresco, a crumbly Mexican cheese ($8.99). Maria Elena also offers a handful of daily specials. We tried the Shrimp Tostadas, three crisp, CD-sized discs plating a generous pile of tender-crisp shrimp. Cilantro and lime here are well-balanced, and the dish scores a low mess factor; I managed to eat one without the shell breaking into a hundred pieces.
Wash it all down with some of Lupe’s Special Blend Sangria or Los Cabos Margaritas (both $4 for a glass, $10.50 for a pitcher), spotted lining the tables of the larger parties.
Vegetarians are welcome. The menu comes with a separate insert of vegetarian options, like burritos (filled with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, $6.99) and tacos (filled with beans, $5.49).