The Story Behind Elena’s Mexican Restaurant, The Newest Venture By The Original Joe’s Family

Last month, San Francisco's West Portal neighborhood welcomed Elena's Mexican Restaurant, one of the buzziest and most anticipated restaurant openings of the season. The team behind it is none other than sibling duo Elena and John Duggan, third-generation co-owners of Original Joe's and Little Original Joe's, the latter also located in West Portal. The restaurant is a major change in direction from the traditional Italian-American cuisine that the family built their reputation on.

"This concept is definitely a big departure from what our family is largely publicly associated with," says owner, Elena Duggan. "But for my family personally, Mexican food is truly a staple in our lives and something that has shaped my daughters’ upbringing."

Elena's pays homage to her two oldest daughters — Catherine and Julia's — Mexican roots and their father’s side of the family which hails from San Bartolo Morelos. The restaurant celebrates everything her family has grown to love about authentic Mexican cuisine, and innovates the menu further with California-inspired elements, and signature Mexican-American dishes.

"This is a very personal project for me and my family," explains Elena. "Our inspiration was always my two eldest daughters who are half Mexican, we had a deep desire to celebrate their Mexican heritage much like we celebrate our Italian heritage with Original Joe’s, but it needed to be done in a way that felt thoughtful, familiar, and comfortable — a way that will make not only my daughters feel like they’re at home, but for all our guests to feel that same warmth and love, through the food, service, and atmosphere."

The menu features a range of house specialties like the Chile Colorado, a guajillo pork stew, and the Shrimp a la Diabla with tomato guajillo butter sauce; and traditional plates that include the House Made Tomales with your choice of pork or rajas and Chile Relleno topped with tomato caldillo, one of the owner's favorites.

Elena's even has a raw bar section offering dishes like Coctel De Camarones, Hamachi Crudo and Ceviche Tostadas. From a selection of enchiladas that includes Dungeness crab, to tacos ranging from quesabiria to fish, to fajitas with carne asada or chicken, this menu will have guests coming back more than once to try everything.

According to Elena, the extensive menu is somewhat a signature brand element with Original Joe’s, and she sought to bring that that same sense of excitement to Elena’s. The menu was a team effort that took years to craft, with input from not only the culinary team, but also her daughters and their father, and all of the family members in between.

It took countless menu tastings for months on end, she says, with many days trying a single dish four to five different ways, sometimes with minor tweaks and sometimes with entirely different preparations. It is a long process, but she contends that patience and practice are key.

The restaurant space itself is quite impressive and features a Mexico-meets-California ambiance weaving in notable Original Joe’s elements into the space like plush, spacious booth seating; an open kitchen; a gallery wall with family photos; pendant lighting and more.

"There is so much understated elegance in Mexico and I really wanted to bring that sophistication and femininity into the space," she states. "From the gas lanterns, warmth of the wood, arches and inset mirrors, to the three 15-foot tall ficus trees anchoring the dining room, to the kitchen tiling… it all has a purpose to help tell that story."

Elena herself curated much of the décor pieces in the restaurant including various artwork that she found personally in Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende. Highlights include a set of five-foot tall, antique wooden-carved angel wings that were recovered and restored from an abandoned tequila hacienda in the high sierras of Jalisco, Mexico, and a stunning olive green Otomi textile that was hand embroidered over muslin fabric in Sierra de Tenango, Hidalgo in central Mexico.

"In conjunction with the menu development, making sure all the design elements fit together in a meaningful way was my top priority."

We chatted with Elena Duggan, owner of Elena's Mexican Restaurant, on the inspiration of the menu, the journey to opening the restaurant, and more. Here's what she had to say.

Talk about the inspiration for the restaurant and the menu.

My daughters really helped shape this menu, and the foundation of it draws from their personal experiences from spending time visiting their family in San Bartolo Morelos. It’s a small, humble mountain town just above Mexico City where they visit their family every year. They’ve grown up learning from their Abuelita how to appreciate the beauty of a fresh, homemade tortilla and tamale and these items are really at the heart of the menu.

Our goal was to strike the right balance between what they’ve grown to love about their Abuelita’s home cooked Mexican food, while also incorporating Mexican-American favorites. We really wanted to have something for everyone and not take ourselves too seriously.

As for the name, well my daughters and family really pushed for “Elena’s,” they felt that it was the only way to really drive home how personal this project is for us. Anything else would have felt too forced.

What dishes are going to be signatures and are they family recipes?

This is a tough question, and of course it always comes down to individual preference. But some of my personal favorites include the Chile Relleno — it’s truly my ultimate comfort food. I also love our Pozole with traditional garnishes, House Made Pork Tamales, and our Whole Branzino (deboned, but head on – either fried or fire roasted… so delicious and comforting with our freshly made corn tortillas). The Ahi Tostadas and our Dungeness Crab Enchiladas are both becoming quick crowd pleasers.

We do have some family recipes – like the Ceviche Tostadas for example – which are a family favorite and household staple in San Bartolo Morelos. I do a lot of cooking at home, so you’ll find a variety of items on the menu that you can find any day of the week in our household.

But I would say most of our final recipes really stem from feedback and collaboration between myself, my girls, and our culinary team — it's truly a group effort to land on the perfect iteration of a dish. We won’t stop tweaking it until it’s right. I also wanted to make sure my daughters each had their favorite item prepared the way they like it.

Julia for example loves her Guacamole to be very simple — no tomato, lots of lime. And Catherine’s favorite dish is Carne Asada Tacos on a fresh corn tortilla with lots of lime, onion, cilantro and salt — no frills. My youngest, Gracie, loves the Mexican-American classic — crispy beef tacos — so I had to add that to the menu… another nod to not taking ourselves too seriously!

Talk about the beverage program. What are the highlights?

The bar program was always an important component for us and something we wanted to be very thoughtful about while also having some fun! We have a variety of margarita options — our Coconut Margarita is a quick crowd pleaser so far. It’s a fun twist on a tropical favorite… think pina colada meets classic margarita — not too sweet, very well balanced. We also have a frozen margarita machine with two options — our classic Elena’s Margarita and then a seasonal version.

Right now, it’s an Aperol Margarita which is a big hit so far. This Summer we’re hoping to debut a Dole Whip Margarita… again, adding to the fun element and not being so serious. We also offer a variety of classic cocktails with a twist — like our Oaxacan Old Fashioned that has both tequila and mezcal instead of whiskey, and our Mezcal Negroni for a twist on the Italian favorite.

We are one of two restaurants in West Portal that has a full bar, so we wanted to be sure we had something for everyone and not just catering to the tequila-mezcal-margarita crowd. In addition to an extensive tequila and mezcal list — that we continue adding to — we have an array of spirits available. So for those guests craving a classic Martini or Manhattan, they will not be left out. We also have a variety of Zero Proof options, draft and bottled beer, and a daily made Agua Fresca.

Talk about who is behind the design and decor, and what thought was put into it.

I definitely had a vision long before we even found the location. As soon as I stepped inside this space and saw the beautiful exposed wood beams and high ceilings, I knew it was the right location to bring that vision to life. I really wanted to create a space that felt like “home”… I wanted it to be welcoming, warm, lively, and comfortable, while also balancing elements of Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende that I have grown to love.

I even wanted our tableware to reflect the beauty of Mexican made products… All tequila-based drinks are served in beautifully recycled glassware, hand-etched with a delicate floral pattern, by Rose Anne Hall Designs from San Miguel de Allende, with most other beverages served in hand-blown glassware made in Mexico.

Menu items like the Chile Relleno and House Made Tamales are served on stunning terracotta and traditional Talavera decorated plates from Anfora. From the Mexican copper chip bowls, to the woven tulle tortilla baskets, to the salsa ramekins… I’ve always felt deeply about how the smallest of details can make the most impact and I really wanted to create that distinct significance with this project.

Mexican is obviously a huge departure from the Italian cuisine the OJs family is known for. Were there any hesitations before opening?

A long time coming, indeed! We certainly hit some bumps in the road, but that is to be expected, especially when you’re building a new restaurant from the ground up, in a space that was previously a retail store. And yes — there are always hesitations, but that comes with the territory.

Being able to create this space and celebrate their heritage is something we are all passionate about, and it’s really amazing to now be finally able to share it with our community. I think opening a new restaurant — whether it is a new concept or a repeat model — is always a nerve-wracking experience and always deeply personal.

There is a lot on the line and a lot of pressure to succeed in an environment that can change so quickly, as we know all too well now in this post-Covid era. But the support and passion that my family had really helped drive this vision. There will always be bumps in the road, but at this point, we are only looking forward and are so grateful for the overwhelming response we’ve received so far from our community.