One of my favorite Mexican foods is the Chile Relleno (read more about it in my previous post) – a mix of “wake-you-up yet not-too-spicy” pepper, cheese, egg batter and sauce. When I visit a new Mexican restaurant, chances are that if they serve Chile Relleno, then I will try it. This is a log of such experiences. The top rating is three

Como Esta? Taqueria in Palo Alto has a Chile Relleno burrito, which has smaller chiles alongside beans and rice. Downside, if memory serves correctly, is that the stems are still attached (and are too tough to eat). (~2015)

I tried the chile relleno at the Whole Foods hot food bar today for lunch but it was a bit underwhelming. Delicious? Sure. But was a tad soggy and the “nothing special” peppers still had the hard stems attached. (24 Jul 2019)

On my way to do some hiking in the Sierras, I stopped at Cocina Michoacana for lunch in Oakdale, CA. Their version of chile relleno had plenty of cheese and an egg batter. The main difference is that they covered it with your choice of red or green sauce. Though the peppers didn’t really stand out as much as I prefer, it was yummy nonetheless. (17 Aug 2019)

Agave Mexican Bistro on Castro Street in Mountain View has a chile relleno bowl option. While quite healthy – it was packed with good veggies – the peppers and sauce were not quite highlighted as much as I’d prefer. (19 Aug 2019)

La Hacienda on Laurel Street in San Carlos is a cozy, traditional (think tiled floors/walls and oven-warmed plates topped with melted cheese) family-run Mexican restaurant. They serve chile relleno as a plato fuerte (main dish). The egg-battered peppers come as a delicious amalgam, mixing with beans, rice and sauce. The peppers were mild yet still packed plenty of flavor. (21 Mar 2020)

I tried a chile relleno as part of a combination (with enchilada) from Casa Azteca in Milpitas, and sadly was a bit disappointed. The relleno was soggy and the flavor did not standout. (03 Sep 2020)

LuLu’s on Main Street in Los Altos offers chile relleno in a plate or a la cart. It’s a large pasilla pepper, which along with the sauce has just enough spice to make me sweat (the right amount). Deliciosa! (25 Sep 2020)

Lolo in San Francisco‘s Mission offered a sizable chile relleno plate, with a battered poblano pepper stuffed with cheese, shrimp and bacon. It was accompanied modest amount of sauce and veggies. It was enough to share along with a few other dishes, or could be one diner’s main dish. A little spicy without being overwhelming, I would definitely eat it again. (28 Aug 2021)

Fiesta Vallarta in Los Altos makes a delicious chile relleno – a battered poblano pepper loaded with cheese. It came with a medium spicy sauce on top. I would definitely like to go back and order it again. (02 May 2022)

Santa Cruz‘s El Palomar Mexican restaurant is in a lovely historic building with high ceilings. I went there after a fun day at the beach and walking around. The chile relleno was delicious and filling – it surely hit the spot – and yet it was a little soggy and didn’t have a strong flavor profile. I’d go there again but next time I’ll try something else – maybe the seafood. (July 2022)

Rico’s Mexican Food in Portola, CA was a welcome place to stop during my travels in the area. I had a generously sized jamaica agua fresca to go along with the free chips and salsa and the chile relleno plate. The relleno was crisp on the outside, had gooey cheese and a delicious sauce. The chile itself was a little thin and didn’t have a strong flavor of its own. (June 2026)

TJ’s Roadhouse in Colfax, CA, as the name suggests, is directly off of Interstate 80 between Auburn and Truckee. The classic and homely interior will take you back in time. Not quite as kitschy as a 1950s style diner, but they definitely have a unique taste with dim lighting, deer heads mounted on the wall along side oil paintings of landscapes. I was very surprised to see the “Chili Relleno Sandwich” as an option on the menu – “Cheese stuffed poblano pepper deep fried served with green sauce on sourdough bread”. Naturally I had to try it and it did not disappoint. It was very scrumptious and I really liked the crispy crunch of the sourdough bread in the same bite as the cheese & pepper. The extra green sauce was a good touch – although I prefer red sauce. Although the top slice of bread stayed crispy, it quickly became an eat with knife & fork type of sandwich. My only complaints are that the pepper retained the stem (which I bit – oops) and the natural flavor of the poblano, if present, was covered by the green sauce. (July 2026) (2.5)

After a hike I stopped in for dinner at Celia’s Mexican Restaurant in San Mateo. I ordered combination A-1 of enchilada, chile relleno and crispy taco. It was a lot of delicious food and thanks to the free chips I filled up and brought some leftovers home. The chile relleno had good gooey cheese and sauce in a somewhat-thin but effective batter. The flavor of the chile relleno was enhanced by the red ranchera sauce from the enchilada. I would get the relleno again next time, perhaps as a plate (Aug 2026)

Various chile relleno photos below!