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Selenita Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
22 reviews for Selenita Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Love the guacamole and salsas."
(in 7 reviews)
"This ain't no tex-mex place."
(in 3 reviews)
"This is the best Mexican food that we've had since moving..."
(in 3 reviews)
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22 reviews in English
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Review from Todd D.
Pompton Lakes, NJ
1/7/2012 1 photo
I'm a local resident and have driven by this restaurant many times over the years. It does look like a hole in the wall from outside. However, while others have said the decor is tacky, and it is, I entered with friends and found yes it was tacky but also quirky and fun. We ordered nachos, which we delightfully not chips smothered in 5 lb.s of cheese. They were not what I expected - MUCH better. The guacamole was also great.
Our dinners were all excellent. I ordered a steak "mexican style" served with jalepenos, onions, tomatoes, and of course beans and rice. The steak was cooked excellently. The presentation of the food was definitely the nicest I've ever experienced in a mexican restaurant. Our server, Iris, took the time to talk to us and make recommendations which were quite helpful. I will be going back. -
Review from Bunsy S.
1/30/2012
We came here for a birthday this past weekend. It's a small very authentic looking Mexican restaurant in the heart of Pompton Lakes. The decorations are interesting enough. There's seating for maybe 35 people and there were more than 15 of us.
The chips were really good and both the green and red salsa are delicious. The green salsa is extremely spicy but in a good way! The guacamole on the other hand had very little flavor and could've used both more lime, salt, and fresh tomatoes.
There is no tweaking the menu. Also, there was only 1 waitress working in the entire restaurant on a busy Saturay night. She had to seat everyone, get the drinks, take the orders, bring out the food, clean up and take our payment at the end of the night. Also, she did not speak very good English.
After mingling and muting on chips we were ready to have our order taken. It must be hard taking an order for that many people especially while most of us had been drinking. My boyfriend tried to order a bean burrito and she "told" him that he was getting cheese quesadillas. I was going to get a veggie enchilada and the last minute I decided on the cheese quesadillas also.
The portion sizes are huge and the prices are not bad at all. My bf really enjoyed the quesadilla, and everyone else said the food was really tasty as well. It is BYOB so we were having all types of tequila shots, sangria and beer. Haven't been to a something like that in awhile and it was a ton of fun.
Overall, I would wait to come back here. I've had some really good Mexican at other places lately. However, their habenoro salsa can be bottled up and sent over to my house! -
Review from Terri C.
Haskell, NJ
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fantastic. We ate inside, maybe the place was cheesy but coming from California, I was used to it, I didn't mind it at all. The service was excellent. I love the guacamole. I had the chicken in the Selenita sauce, very very good. Overall a pleasant experience and we will be back.
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Review from Sid G.
New York, NY
11/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Best real Mexican food since California, San Francisco, Mission/Valencia Streets.
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Review from Daniel D.
Pompton Lakes, NJ
7/5/2011
I tried this place out on Yelp recommendations. I am local to Pompton Lakes, NJ so I have surely tried any place that has settled in the nearby area. I'll start off by saying- the restaurant isn't much to look at from the outside. It's reminiscent of a "hole-in-the-wall" kind of place. It recently added a new awning due to its recent success however so they stand out a little bit more. Inside the decor is a little tacky. I have to agree with most of the reviews. It has mirrors, lots of stainless steel- needless to say the owners have a funny way of expressing themselves. However, we should all recognize- this is a restaurant- if I wanted a view or wonderful decor- I would of went to the local state park or Bed, Bath, and Beyond. The key is the food. Let me get to it.
I arrived with my girlfriend on a weekday night. It was silent and empty. It's refreshing to find a place empty sometimes I must say. I'm not the kind of person that runs to the most popular places or to the place where I set my reservation a month ahead of time. I like the personal touch. I like the family pride in a restaurant and the attention to detail.
Our waitress approached us quickly and we sat down. She opened up our Coronas that we had brought (LOVE BYOB) and quickly sliced is up some limes for them as well. We quickly ordered Guacamole. My girlfriend and I both love to make our own homemade Guacamole so we tend to try it at every restaurant we go to. This order was delicious and above- average. It had flavor, depth, thickness and never was overwhelming. The presentation was done very well also.
Next, we went the way that we usually go when ordering food at a new restaurant. We ordered a few of the smaller dishes including some tacos, tortas, and enchiladas in a variety of different meats or just plain veggie. Everything came out timely, was nicely presented, had great flavor, had all the trimmings and has Homemade Mexican written allllll over it. The dinner advanced very well- we were not bothered too much by the waitresses or the traffic coming in. We had even chatted with the waitress when we ordered some Guacamole to go- she said they just got an order of 50 guacamole orders from a local business. They must be a hit!
Last but not least we ordered the Flan. Wow. #1 It was very large. #2 It was well flavored and exactly what I was desiring after our meal.
Overall I really enjoyed my visit to Selenita and have since gone back a few times. They are very friendly, courteous, genuine, and wonderful. Soon enough- with enough success- hopefully they can get around to changing the decor. Until then I will still be there enjoying the delicious fare they have to offer in quiet downtown Pompton Lakes, NJ.
CHECK IT OUT! -
Review from Kimberly S.
Manhattan, NY
6/12/2011
I have slowly eaten my way through 60% of the menu. A few highlights:
-I loved the goat. Get it when you can.
-I expected the nachos to be bigger, but it was still good.
-The sandwiches are great.
-Love the guacamole and salsas. Very fresh.
-I'm really al pastor picky. This wasn't bad, but not the best I've had either.
With that said, honestly, it's the best Mexican food I've had since leaving the West. I don't know if that really makes this place great or just better than the majority I've had in the Tri-State area that is truly awful. -
Review from Jennifer C.
Pompton Lakes, NJ
11/26/2011
My younger son and I tried this restaurant recently during a promotion that Pompton Lakes had in order to bring customers into the town to try the restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised. The decor is a bit tacky and over the top but the food was very good. Especially the chicken enchiladas.
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Review from Magda B.
Bloomingdale, NJ
11/1/2011
We used to live in LA. This is the best Mexican food that we've had since moving back. Quiet, calm atmosphere. Personal service. Not much from the outside, but great food on the inside! Byob
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Review from Robert R.
Wanaque, NJ
5/3/2011
In a sentence, i didn't really care for this place. I went on a weekday and the place was completely empty. Maybe you can call it "fun-tacky", but the decor is still tacky, and the NO customers, and the novella playing on the snowy-reception Zenith television...it was just not my type of place.
Unfortunately this place was not the great little local secret I was hoping it would be. If it had been ridiculously cheap or food was amazing I would have considered going back.
Doesn't matter anyway. This place survives exclusively on locals and immigrants. I'm sure no one is driving from Bergen or Hudson County to eat here. -
Review from Iris A.
East Hanover, NJ
10/26/2011 18 photos
Come to selenita restaurant to enjoy delicious food....BYOB wont be disappointed Yummie food
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Review from Jaime M.
Posole is excellent. Tacos Al Pastor, Excellent real Mexican food, Very North Mexican street vendor type offerings, Tortas, Tacos, Cemitas, Burritos, Enchiladas, Barbacoa! (goat), the platillos are great as well.
They have Mexican coca-cola (real sugar), yum.
I highly recommend... This ain't no tex-mex place. -
Review from Wendy P.
Wanaque, NJ
I thought this little place was great. Service was nice, BYOB. Chicken fayitas awesome and enchiladas great.. The mexican dessert was really good too... Cant wait to go again.. PS guacamole was fantastic...
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Review from Candida W.
West Milford, NJ
7/14/2011 2 photos
Over all good food but I found a veggie product sticker in my food!
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Review from Brian B.
New York, NY
1/27/2009 3 photos
This is one of those hole in the wall, family-owned restaurants that cooks amazing food.. and you'll never find unless you happen to be passing by, and want to roll the dice on a place that doesn't look like much.
But the tacos, my god, the tacos. And the guacamole, and the freshly fried chips; great, now I'm hungry and I haven't even finished my coffee. I always get the softies and never have I tasted tacos more delicious. They come on ~5" tortillas so I usually get 5+. I like my Mexican food to be light and fresh; burritos are nice but sometimes it's just too heavy for me. The fajitas are also great too, usually what my company has.
So if you're in the mood for amazing food for under $10 with Christmas lights and pinatas, and possibly the owner's kids running around, this is your place.
Of note: it's BYOB, so if you're jones'in for a Corona, better bring it with you. Also, they do not serve tap water :-( so if you ask for aqua, expect a Poland Springs.Listed in: Dirty Jersey
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Review from Dossy S.
Butler, NJ
3/29/2007
Are you looking for incredible, authentic Mexican (not Tex-Mex!) food, prepared by a professional chef? Then get yourself down to Selena's!
From the outside, you'd never know what a culinary treasure this place is on the inside ... the facade of the building is nondescript and frankly, it looks like a little hole in the wall. But, don't let looks fool you--the food here is incredible.
If you don't speak Spanish, ordering might be a challenge as the wait staff seem to speak only a little English. However, the owner, whose name is Tabo, does ... and he knows his food. Often when we go, we simply tell him to make some recommendations on what specials he has that day based on what he knows we like, and we are never disappointed.
Don't expect fancy service or upmarket restaurant decor, but if you judge solely based on the happiness your stomach experiences, this will be the ONLY Mexican restaurant you'll ever want to eat in.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Jarrod L.
8/22/2009
This is the best Mexican food I've had outside of Mexico.
The chips are made in-house from purchased tortillas. The salsa was clearly made from scratch and very delicious. There are no fountain drinks, and even water comes bottled. They have Mexican Coke, some various Jarritos, and some other sodas. You can BYOB beer and wine if you like.
Made with ~5 inch tortillas, the tacos are surprisingly big for the price ($1); I've been to other taquerias where 3 inch tacos are $1.50 or more. The chorizo was tasty, but not as greasy as I expected it; they were out of lengua so I couldn't try that. The burritos are folded into a square instead of a long tube, so you have to fork and knife them, but that's ok. The puerco filling was subtly seasoned with many spices, but not picante. The rice and beans were also fabulous; I'm unsure if the beans were vegetarian or not. -
Review from Shannon B.
West Milford, NJ
6/21/2010
Went here with my boyfriend a few months ago. The food was excellent! The only negative I can think of is the fact that they don't accept credit cards....but they give you the check in one of those black books which advertises credit cards! haha
Excellent food though...check it out if you are in the area. It looks like a hole in the wall but its worth it! -
Review from P M.
Roseland, NJ
10/14/2009
As others have said, this is a cute little place and is traditional Mexican. On a recent holiday off from work / school, the little family of four had a craving for 100% traditional Mexican and we did not feel like making the trek back to Jackson Heights in NY for the good stuff. We saw the reviews for Selena and were very excited since it is much closer to home.
Upon arrival, we were the only gringos in the place - and that's a good sign. We were very welcome. Ever go to a Chinese restaurant and all you see are Americans? That's not a good thing. You gotta eat where the locals eat (in this case, where the Mexicans eat). Home made chips and yummy home made salsa hit the spot. Cheesy Mexican TV and jukebox only added to the traditional ambiance. Add to that a novena statue with candles and you're right at home south of the border. They've only got one high chair for kids (and no booster seats) so bring your own if you need more than one. And BYOB too! Bathroom is clean and smells pretty.
Now on to the food. Upon seeing the menu, I was very excited. None of that American Mexican food like you get at Chevy's. No burritos, no enchiladas. There were tortas, cemitas, tacos, Jarritos, Mexican (sugar cane) Coke, etc. I was excited to order lengua, tripe and al pastor tacos. Then the linguistically-challenged waitress interrupted after the entire order was placed to tell me that there was no lengua, tripe nor al pastor today. Uggh. Okay, so may I have the barbacoa, bifstek and pollo? Other reviews talk about the grande size of these tacos for $1 each. Don't focus on those details - there's nothing enormous about them. and now they are $2. In fact, the menu lists 2 size tacos - $1 and $2 versions. After ordering 6 of the $1 version, she informed me that they only had "large", which were not really very large at all. The meat was chopped and obviously rewarmed from earlier in the day or yesterday. I'm a HUGE taco aficionado and these were nothing overly memorable. Topped with the standard raw onions and cilantro. The wife ordered a pollo milenesa cemita. When delivered - it was a carne milenesa. Okay, we are not drama queens so we kept the order. Decent sandwich, nothing to write home about. Had to ask FOUR times for our drinks. While the waitress was extremely pleasant, she could not get the orders straight. The check arrived in one of those black folders with the American Express logo on the outside and all the Visa/Mastercard/Diners Club/Discover logos on the inside. I placed my credit card in to pay the check and.... you guessed it - cash only. Then why confuse us gringos by giving me the folder with the credit card logos? Growing up in New York, I always carry cash when going out to eat. I learned that lesson eons ago.
If you don't feel like driving a distance for Mexican, this is probably a decent place to got. Will I come back? Eh, maybe... unless I can get a line on a good traditional Mexican joint in Passaic, Paterson or Clifton. Selenas is definitely better than Chevy's or other dreck like that. If you can make it to Taqueria Coatzingo in Queens, NY, you'll never want to go anywhere else. I judge all other Mexican restaurants by Coatzingo.
And yes, they did have the obligatory picture of Selena up on the wall. -
Review from Darren R.
Morris Plains, NJ
Updated - 11/23/2009
So I returned, and this place gets its five deserving stars. Please listen...this is AUTHENTIC Mexican. No "Tex-Mex" or other Americanized chain style. Not only is it authentic, its really really good.
I still would have liked it much spicier; but then again, it was almost too spicy for my mother. So I am a mutant with spice. Perhaps after noticing my face, we'll have a better relationship and he'll unleash the real spices. But let me tell you about the spice...
My fajitas were sauteed with a long-sliced green spicy chili. Excellent! My mother's burrito was spiced with sliced jalapenos. Each meal is distinctive. No shake-on spice or dried substitute. This, again, is REAL Mexican food.
Again, the guacamole was magnificent and everything is made at the restaurant (salsas as well). I no longer live in this area, but this is my to-go spot when I am around the area visiting. I'm a Thai fan and it beats the local Thai by far. If you like Mexican food, or just like expanding horizons with ethnic foods, this is a must try place. And if the menu is not too appealing, the chef has no problem making special requests. This place is all too great.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/9/2009
I actually been here before not even knowing the name. I'm mistaken in saying all spots around here… Read more »
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Review from Sava P.
New York, NY
12/14/2010
I'm from Pompton Lakes and I was home for X-mas. I decided to check out this place during a frigid winter day. I am all for supporting local businesses, and love any kind of authentic cuisine. The food was delicious, but food always tastes better when its cheaper. i didn't like that you couldn't order tacos al a carte. You couldn't order singles either. The minimum you could order was 4, which cost $8.00. So I only wanted to spend like $3-5 for 4 tacos, but I ended up having to buy 8 tacos (my wife didn't want the same ones I wanted) so the total bill with drinks was $21.00. i thought we'd split the 4 taco order but with a few exceptions you can't order for example 2 al pastor and 2 chicken tacos, they all have to be the same type. A burrito there costs $10.00. And its not a "combo plate" it doesn't come with rice and beans. So overall, the food itself and the presentation were good, but if you're looking for a quick, cheap bite, this isn't the place for you.
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Review from Diana H.
Riverdale, NJ
4/29/2009
My husband found this restaurant by reading diner's comments. Thank you Diners. It is not the fanciest of all, but it is clean and full of character. You feel as if you are eating at a friend's home, not a restaurant. Food was beyond expectations. The tacos and fajitas were great. Guacamole was fresh as was the chips. Best of all was it didn't cost an arm and leg. No liquor or beer, but BYO. Best kept secret in Northern New Jersey. Can't go wrong...great food, wonderful staff, clean, and abundant parking. YOU MUST GO! We are going to be steady clients!
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Review from Patty E.
Morris Plains, NJ
12/13/2009
We recently relocated to NJ from Southern California where you can get great Mexican food, so we've been cautious about seeking it out here. After reading the reviews from others, we decided to give this place a try. This is the real deal so be prepared...don't let a non- descript sign, plastic table cloths and Spanish menus and Mexican music and TV on in the background. intimidate you. Food was great. Thick tortilla chips and salsa and fresh guacamole. Highlights were the chicken mole and steak burrito. Tacos are simple, cheap and tasty. Bring your own beer. $48 fed our family of four.
