So so good! Food was A+. Absolutely loved the crunch of the filling, tanginess of the lemon, perfectly made quesadilla and tacos with the amazing salsa. Would come back here a 100%. Was tricky to find this spot. It's snuggled inside Stevie's bar and grill. Gabe came by our table for a quick conversation. He was so nice! I wish them good luck to open more and more stores! read more

It's soo good gimmie 14 of em. This hidden gem is literally hidden inside of Stevies bar in a shopping center in San Jose, but the food speaks for itself. Great customer service. The guys behind the counter aare always so helpful with suggestions that never fail. The food is so fresh, made to order, crispy and most importantly made with love and pride. You can literally taste the difference in the food. We drove 2.5 hours and stumbled upon this place a few months ago on the way to Santa Cruz. It was so good we decided to come back! Another 2 hours later and wasn't disappointed. We got the fish tacos which were crispy well seasoned and fresh. No fishy taste at all and the slaw on top was chef's kiss. I also got the steak taco which literally melted in my mouth. Seasoned to perfection with kind of a korean flare. My husband got the pork belly tacos he couldn't stop smacking about. With mango slices it was gone in 2 bites lol. My favorite part would have to be the fresh homemade tortilla shells they coat everything in. So soft, fresh, and flavorful. Needless to say I'd drivie a thousand miles to have this again . Don't sleep on ABVE The Basics you will regret it!! read more

ABVE The Basics - Fish tacos, pork belly tacos and steak tacos - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Jose, California

We tried deep fried elote, fish tacos, pork belly tacos and chicken plate. I loved deep fried elote. Combination of fried corn and cream cheese was delicious. Pork belly tacos were delicious as pork belly pieces were grilled to perfection. Fish tacos were okay. We had to go and pick up food once buzzer rings. Food prep time was quick. Ambiance was decent as it is inside a sports bar with loud music. I wasn't in a mood for loud music that day. Overall good experience and I would go again for deep fried elote and pork belly tacos. read more

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Drove down from Sac Town and it was worth the drive. ABVE did not disappoint. I'm already thinking about what I'm going to order the next time. As the photos show, the tacos were delicioso. My least favorite was the steak and they were out of the pork belly. When it comes to dessert, just get the churro donuts. I could have ate ten of those. The establishment at Stevie's Bar was nice. Music in the background, pool tables, outdoor seating, and clean restrooms. Highly recommended!!! read more

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I happened onto this food truck while checking out the Los Gatos Fiesta de Artes. There was another Mexican food truck next to it but menu here was interesting and different. I ended ordering their Pork Belly Street Bowl. After waiting some minutes, my number was called. While peering through the plastic lid, I saw French Fries and thought they had given me the wrong food item. It turns out they had substituted the Tater Tots with the fries. No warning and what a bummer right? So, in a went to eat it at a nearby brewery. Everything tasted great and the diversity of textures kept each bite interesting. However, the number of bites was much less than I expected considering how much the dish cost me. read more

(It is located inside of Stevie's Bar & Grill) The food was amazing! We got the surf and turf burrito which didn't disappoint. We also got the fish and shrimp tacos and it had lots of flavor. The chips that came with the burrito and tacos were so good and crunchy. The person working was also very friendly. read more

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the photos look exactly, if not even better what u get, the customer service is great too very friendly staff. Not traditional carne asada fries but this is really unique and brings out a lot of flavors found my new spot for carne asada fries. read more

ABVE The Basics - Large carne asada fries - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Jose, California

Finally got around to trying this place, and it was so worth the wait. The surf and turf burrito was fire. My gf had the asada tacos and those were great as well. Can't wait to have this place again, thank you for the hospitality and great tasting food! read more

The food is unreal. Unreasonably yummy. Service was amazing you can tell they are very passionate about making good food. A little price but don't let that stop you from trying it. Absolutely worth the premium! read more

We came to Above the Basics to treat ourselves to something nice on a day that has taken me for a rough ride. Above the Basics is located on the second floor of RecRoom. The interior is dimly lit with a dive bar style ambiance with moderately loud music. The service is excellent. The workers are super approachable and friendly and keep you updated on your orders. We got 4 churros for checking in on yelp. We ordered the deep fried elote and 1 shrimp, 1 fish taco and 2 pork belly tacos. Everything was amaaaazing! The pork belly is deeply marinated and topped with fresh arugula. The shrimp has a delicious bounce with plenty of toppings and sauce! Same with the fish taco! The churros also came warm and extremely fresh. I give this a 5/5 for excellent, friendly service, great vibe, wonderful food, and being the highlight of the day! read more

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First of all shame on me for not reviewing these guys when they were in Stevie's Bar in Cambrian area. I happened upon them and had a pork belly taco and fish taco and the elote (all by myself, and managed bcuz too good to waste). I loved them so much that I kept telling my friends "seriously, the fish taco was better than in Mexico". COVID interrupted my ability to go there. I kept calling Stevie's looking for them to come back as when we did open up from COVID, they hadn't returned. So take it from a person raised in a restaurant family, the person who created their items has a gift. Flavors are just special. Memorable. The taco shell itself is not average...I gotta ask the owner what's the secret. They don't fall apart for one, great texture. The fish is a big generous piece. Solid choice that fish taco. So you know how you start to think is it just me? But I've been wanting to go back, take friends for like a year at least. So when it popped up on Yelp, I made myself a promise to go. I did takeout and got fish tacos again and a steak taco. Deep fried Oreos too. Took them home and distributed everything. So I look at my guy eating the fish taco and ask "am I right?" Solid nod with mouth full, big eyes finally squeaking out "you were right". Then my other friend texts me his response (he was eating his in the back 40 of my house)..."Best taco ever in my life, Just like you said, savory every bite." Ok, I have been validated. Lol. ‍ Seriously, take time to check them out. I met the owner Gabe last night. dude. I want them to stick around, so get out and eat some of the best tasting creations you've ever tried. COVID killed some of my favorite go to's. If they did yours too, add this to your list. They do not disappoint. I literally want to go back and start trying everything I haven't had. read more

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I submitted an online inquiry to have ABVE the Basics cater a party at my home last weekend. I received a quick response back from Gabe, who was concerned that picking up a large to-go order could compromise the quality of his food. He offered to come to my home and cook the same amount of food, on-demand, for my guests. I loved the idea, and it really added a nice personalized touch to the party. Gabe was prompt, super friendly and flexible with his setup (given that it was raining and we had to move him under our porch overhang at the last minute). But above all, his food was INCREDIBLE! I'm embarrassed to admit how times I went back to his grill to ask for more... I can't speak for the brick & mortar location since I have never actually been, but if you're looking for someone to cater your next party, give Gabe a call. You will not be disappointed. Can't wait to drop in on him at the SAP center next week. By then, we will have torn through all of our leftovers and craving more of his delicious tacos! Fun fact: word on the street is that Gabe also caters for our favorite NFL wide receiver. read more

Accessibility issue: upstairs only unless it's Friday or Saturday I believe. Which was a little daunting because the stairs are steep and they don't have an elevator. I made it up on my crutches okay. We ordered the steak fries and the surf and turf burrito but I ended up just taking it home since the stools were uncomfortable. We came on a Thursday night and there were a few people there having fun already. The good rating is mostly because the food was delicious, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The staff were all super friendly and kind too. The burrito was comparable to ones I had in SoCal. And price is decent. Also parking was crazy there, took about 15 minutes to find a spot. read more

ABVE The Basics - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Jose, California

Dear ABVE the Basics, How dare you make a burrito so big and filling that I don't have room for anything else. Have you no shame? Maybe I want a pork belly taco as well as the surf and turf burrito? Joking aside, I absolutely love this truck. The above paragraph is my constant struggle. Each and every time I get the Surf and Turf burrito and think, yeah, I'll get a taco too. It's just ONE little taco after all. The good news is that the burrito reheats well. Let's talk about these freshly made tortillas though. I would bathe in them. I would use them a currency in the event of an apocalypse. I've never had bad service at the truck. They've been super busy and always took time to offer a kind word and a smile. The ambiance is... well, it's a nice looking food truck. But let's be honest, you don't go to a food truck for ambiance. One day I'll try something new here.... that's a lie. I will always make the mistake of getting too much because it's so good. read more

One of our absolute favorite places to come and eat! The portions are very generous and they only use high quality meats! Their Mexican pizza is the bomb!! The owner is a young hard working kid that is going places, if you're in the area I highly recommended and if you're not make it a point to stop by! Cheers read more

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This spot is located inside the Rec rm. I've tried their food before when they were inside Stevie's bar and it was definitely a hit. I tried the fish taco when I was here last week and absolutely loved it. I debated getting another taco but noticed all of them are pretty much the same, just with a different protein. The best part was the portions are very decently sized, not street taco style. I also loved the tortilla chips and salsa that came with the taco, though I will say the salsa had a bit of a bite because of the raw garlic- still super tasty. I also tried the fried elote and while I'm glad I tried it, it wasn't anything I felt I needed to order again. I'm looking forward to coming back to a bite and some drinks. read more

ABVE The Basics - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Jose, California

We had to try this place after looking at all the photos online. We ordered delivery twice and both times they were super stingy with their amazing salsa. Both times I got a teaspoon size dollop in my to go container. (Maybe in person experience is different) Anyhow, that and the fact my carnitas was flavorless are my only complaints. Well, I take that back. Telling me I have a choice of meat then charging me extra for them is also annoying. I digress, it was worth every penny. The surf n turf burrito con carne was amazing, super flavorful and well portioned servings. The thing is fat! It was a dinner / lunch the next day situation for sure. Just wish I had some more salsa to go with it. I'm going to venture in one day to see if I am able to serve my own salsa servings. Yes, I'm still talking about the salsa. It should be a crime to make something that freaking delicious and only provide a sampler. So good. My new favorite restaurant. read more

ABVE The Basics - Carnitas Quesadilla - dollop of salsa and pickled onion. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Jose, California

The photos and menu drew me in. We picked up the food from the window inside Steve's bar. The food smelled so good in the car and it was hard to wait. We ordered the fries, fried elote, and churros. The fries were curly so that added more flavor and fun. The fries and carne were protected from getting soggy from the guacamole, pico de gallo, crema, chimichuri, and cheese by a fried tortilla. The fried and battered corn in the elote added an interesting crunch. We ended up adding it to the fries and it was a great texture addition. I wasn't sure if I would like the churros but if I wasn't already super full after eating all the fried food, I would have eaten all the churros because they were so good. The regular and caramel filled churros are both worth getting. They taste very similar to the churros at the "happiest place on earth." Overall I will be back for heavy snack food that reminds me of my college days. read more

Great taco spot inside a bar. The bar has pool tables, tvs, and a dark board. Awesome spot! We order - steak - chicken - fish - pork belly All were tasty and well balanced in flavor! read more

Tacos are really flavorful. Price is good as taco size is big. Had asked for no cilantro and meat tacos both had cilantro and would have liked lime instead of lemon but no big deal. Took 30 minutes to get 5 tacos, a bit slow. Ambiance inside is sports bar (dark, loud, smelly). read more

It all started with a food truck, and the rest is history. Everything on the menu is amazing. The pork belly bowl is my absolute favorite. The service is amazing. They are always excited to see you. The bar is friendly. ABVE is just a vibe read more

Oh em gee - one of the BEST tacos I've had!! We ordered on the second floor of Rec Room, which was perfect since we were able to grab our favorite drink - Como De Flor or something like that with prickly pear - YUM! The staffs were accommodating to my taters on the side request since I wanted to reheat them when we got home. Tacos, quesadilla, and chips & salsa hit the SPOT. I loved how they only used one tortilla, not too greasy, super flavorful, and just one of the best! Can't wait to try the other goodies :D read more

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Instagram and Yelp led me to ABVE The Basics. The food looked so good online that I was excited to tell friends about the place, but boy was this place a huge letdown. We were catfished. We arrived at the place and was really confused because it led us to Stevie's Bar and Grill. After a couple minutes, I found their small sign outside the white tent. We realized that they were actually located INSIDE Stevie's Bar and Grill! The place isn't you're typical restaurant setting. It pretty much is an old dingy bar with ample tables inside along with patio seating. The interior is pretty dark and the menu is really small. You'll have to order though a tiny narrow window, pay, and you'll be given a buzzer to let you know when your food is ready. We ordered their Mexican Pizza, Surf and Turf burrito, and 2 cokes (drinks are only a buck through their bar!). We were also able to use their Yelp check-in for a free churro, woo hoo! The Rundown: Complimentary churro - Complimentary if you check-in through Yelp! The churro was nice and warm. The sugars they used to coat the churro was delicious! Surf and Turf Burrito - Presentation looked really good but was told that it was pretty bad. There was barely any meat and shrimp. Pretty much ripped open the burrito just to pick and find the actual meat. He wasn't a huge fan of the curly fries and the green sauce. The chips that came with the burrito was pretty stale as well. Mexican Pizza - Man I was soooo stoked to try this. I love Mexican Pizza but this was a huge letdown. Again, the presentation looked absolutely amazing but all I had was lots and lots of cheese, refried beans, and sour cream. There was no "seasoned beef" to be found. I basically just ate a fried tortilla with different sauces. I finished it because I was hungry but I will never ever order this again. The guys that work there were really cool and friendly but the food just didn't cut it for both of us. Will probably give this place a try again sometime in the future to try something else but for now solid 2 stars. read more

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Amazing Amex style food!! We ordered the fried Oreos which were DELICIOUS and the fried elote was great as well. Pork belly tacos were super fatty and steak bowl had tater tots and yummy sauce. Ube horchata was super special and unique tasting too. Got all food pretty fast from taco truck. Very excited to come back!! read more

ABVE The Basics - Fried Elote - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Jose, California

Food is good and guy taking the order was nice. The place is inside a bar so it is dark and smells like a bar. Food is expensive and portions are not very big. You order at the window so the table service is extremely limited and like most places the screen goes to the tip screen when paying. If tips are for service and their model is essentially self serve, what is the tip for? read more

The food was good, service was friendly and fast, and enjoyed the music from the bar. I do wish they had other drink options. I think they only had lemonade and assumed that since it's in a bar they didn't have much because of it. I would like to see some horchata or tamarindo. read more

Still epic. Still tasty. I'm not the dive bar type, so we take food to go often. When I'm in the mood for filling Mexican comfort food, this is my first choice. read more

We catered lunch for a birthday party with Gabe and it was incredible!! The tacos were amazing we had steak, chicken, shrimp and vegetarian as well as quesadillas. All the salsas and toppings were great too! He was so professional and friendly and made sure all the guests had an amazing time. He was punctual, super clean. Would highly recommend him for events. Great food catering/live food service! read more

Update: Business reached out to apologize. Came here on a Saturday night for dinner and a drink with friends. Now I'm here with a fever, nausea, and non-stop other things. 3/3 of us ending up sick. We ordered tacos, steak fries, Mexican pizza, and the deep friend elote. What sucks is that everything was delicious - except the steak friend. We gave this to a homeless person and I hope he's okay. Def not eating here again. read more

All I have to say is, these are some of THEE BEST crispy fish tacos I've ever had in the bay. Seriously. I ordered 2 & it was definitely more than enough food. The orange sauce on top of these tacos... shmack. The plate also came w a side of chips & salsa which was nice. The owner brought our food to the bar & then came back to ask us how everything was. So sweet. They're located inside of Stevie's bar & grill which is dope bc you're able to eat, drink & play pool all at the same damn time. read more

ABVE The Basics - a plate of nachos and a drink - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Jose, California

This food is transcendental. Picked up one of each fish and steak taco, both were divine. The fish taco though, probably the best I've had in my life no lie. I've missed getting my fish taco fix from Taco Nazo in east LA. Nothing compares. This clobbers that mainstay with a lot more flavor and awesome execution. Rolling in a pesto cilantro sauce along with those familiar flavors took it to the next level with a nice day of freshness. The steak taco was fantastic, they do this garlic/chipotle aioli that truly shines. Plus the meats tender and the accoutrements we're executed to perfection. Truly an awesome take on Mexican Fusion. If you're somewhere they're cooking and reading this review, stop reading and just get something to eat. Initially, thought the prices were a bit high for 'just' two tacos but for me it was perfect and I'm full so Ill admit I was wrong lol. Pricing was spot on with what you should expect. Last thing I'll say, was these guys' knife cuts and overall composition were next level. I might have to drive down to SJ (from Fremont) just to get their food it's that good. 12 out of 10, would recommend. read more

ABVE The Basics - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Jose, California

This food did not hit for me but maybe for someone else. The cashier was friendly. Music playing was good.

I love the food here so much! The surf and turf burrito is my favorite by far. It's so much food for the price. The tacos are also huge and so good. Gabe the owner is so gracious and takes care of his customers. They recently started selling smash burgers so I've been excited to try them out. read more

Decent selection of beer and food was so good! Inside was dark, grungy type of bar, but we sat outside and it was cool. All their foods were perfect finger foods to share. Our favorites were the Mexican pizza, cali steak fries, and fried elotes. The churros and taco were skippable. read more

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Awesome tacos. I had pork belly and shrimp. My son had the surf and turf burrito. All excellent Happy Hour M-F until 7 read more

ABVE The Basics - Tacos - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Jose, California

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I've been eyeing this spot for a while. Finally had the chance to stop by. Had to call the place twice because I couldn't locate them. They are inside a bar. Wish I knew before hand because I had my son and my friend had her daughter. Parking is a little small. Thankfully I was able to find parking after 5 minutes of driving around. I decided to go with the Mexican Pizza. It looked really good in the pictures. Very surprised with the portion. It was pretty big. Taste wise, I was disappointed. Barely any beef. No flavor. My son on the other hand enjoyed his quesadilla. It was way better than my pizza and my friends taco put together. We got some free churros when you checked in on Yelp. Those were a hit. The sugar was perfectly coated. Nice and warm. The staff were super friendly though. Maybe we will come back and try it again. read more

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We read the reviews and saw the photos of the pork belly taco that looks like there is a cheese shell or at least a tortilla with some crispy cooked cheese on it and decided we needed to try this place. We ordered one pork belly taco, one Cali Fish taco and an order of the Deep-fried Elote. They brought out our order but both tacos were on one plate, I'm sure an honest mistake. Both tacos were delicious,But the pork belly is on a regular tortilla with no cheese at all. The fried Elote was yummy but the topping is a little heavy. Because they put both tacos on one plate they only had one side of chips and salsa (6 chips and a 2 oz salsa cup) and when we asked for the other chips and salsa that they are supposed to be served with the guy was seemingly very annoyed to be asked and then when he brought it out we said thank you and he turned away with nothing to say. The other gentleman working was very pleasant when he came out to clear our plates. read more

ABVE The Basics - Deep fried Elote - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Jose, California

OMG this was so good. We had the Bay Area Surf N Turf burrito, fish taco, shrimp taco, and churros. The shrimp taco was good, the fish taco was really good (nice and crispy), and the burrito was amazing. The service was fantastic as well. We'll be back! read more

At first this place was really hard to find because theres just a small sign on the fence but its actually located inside the bar of Stevies. I think its pretty cool that theres a bar available for you while you wait for you food. Theres plenty of seating and good for groups of 6. ABVE The Basics has it down! If you want an amazing burrito, get the surf and turf... ITS A MUST! They add chimichurri and a generous amount of protein instead of just rice and beans. Its so flavorful! The portion is pretty big with a side of chips and salsa. I halfed it with my boyfriend and we were both pretty full (well he was full after half a burrito and a street taco). We also ordered the Carne Asada street taco and it was fireee! They make the tortilla crispy with cheese and again, generous amount of protein. Their guac is also very good. Definitely would come again and eat here and try their other items on the menu! read more

ABVE The Basics - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Jose, California

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My friend and I tried this place today and it was delicious! We had the pork belly, fish Taco, the carnitas fries and the churro donuts and everything was super tasty. The pork belly and carnitas were definitely the highlight. Gabe provided great suggestions and the best customer service. Super helpful and nice. Overall, we enjoyed the food and service and would definitely come back. Highly recommend! read more

ABVE The Basics - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Jose, California