Celia's

Fresh daily salsa, guacamole, and handmade tamales with skinless chicken.

Celia's on Peninsula Avenue offers the kind of Mexican menu that makes a group dinner easy to imagine. We like the combination plates, which let you pair enchiladas, tacos, tamales, and chile rellenos rather than settle on one favorite. The San Mateo restaurant also gives fajitas a full section of their own, with steak, chicken, shrimp, and a vegetable version built around mushrooms, onions, carrots, and bell peppers. There is plenty to explore beyond those familiar plates. Chicken mole enchiladas, chile verde, garlic-sautéed prawns, and crab enchiladas each bring a different sauce or filling into the mix. The Expresso Burrito gathers rice, beans, cheese, and a choice of meat into one substantial order, while tortilla soup offers a different starting point. Celia's appeals to us for its breadth and the ease of finding a Mexican comfort-food favorite for each person at the table.