This. Place. Is. Bomb!!!! I didn't know what I was in for with the quesabirria but it blew all of my expectations out of the water. The tortilla was perfectly crispy, the birria meat was so flavorful and the broth was amazing too. I would have been satisfied with just this, but of course my husband and I over ordered and got flautas, chiquitas, and plantains too. The flautas were the best I've ever had, with a really nice crema and fresh salad on the side. I have flautas often so this is big praise. They were perfectly crispy on the outside and wonderfully soft on the inside. The plantains came with a bean dip that was delicious - the combo here was a killer combo! All of that food for just over $30 and perfectly packaged for my take out. I'm so excited to come back!! read more

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The fish tacos are good here and big in size. Ceviche was bland and the steak fries weren't worth the $17.50. I added jack cheese but there was barely any cheese... another nuance was that there was no utensils included in our take out order. I was struggling to find parking on a Saturday due to the location and farmers market on a Saturday! Maybe 20 mins or so... so if you want to try this place just take in consideration going on a day when the farmers market is not happening. read more

Don't waste your money at this place! I spent over 150.00 on food here only to receive food that seem like it was days old and they just reheat to sell and gave to us!! Large Ceviche was nasty, shrimp in it taste awful, and the chips were staled! All the bags of chips were staled! Their steak burritos (we ordered 3) tasted nasty! Literally we could not take another bite! We had to trash everything! The only thing that was OK was the 2 chicken quesadilla we ordered for our kids! Their rice was not cooked all the way it was literally crunchy, also went to trash! Their Baja fish taco...in the garbage as well. Never again will we eat here, ever!! read more

Abby and Alex are such a wonderful and friendly server. Very attentive with a smile my kids like them I am new in Alameda moved in 2 months ago and trying out places to eat. The food here are so good and mouth watering, when my fam and i crave for Mexican food this the to go to... I brought my best friend here to try it out and she liked it too im not a big fan of horchata but this place makes it good, kids loves it! Alex makes my mimosa so good I like how Abby calls my little one princess she loves that a lot highly recommend this place. Friendly and attentive servers with delicious food read more

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You were unsure if it was even open due to no one being inside or outside eating. But we decided to give it a chance. The food was so so some options were better than others. I asked for a sauce for my burrito and without telling me that it was a $3 charge the guy brought it out to me and then charged me $3 and then when we brought it to his attention he was pretty much just like oh well nothing I can do and that alone will have us never going back read more

I came on a Saturday for bottomless mimosas. I got here before my friends so I was taking my time drinking.. once they got here, my friend asked what time bottomless mimosas ended and the server told her it's by the hour. Very disappointing, had I known that, I would've drank faster.. and also most places have set hours, so that was unusual. The server took a long time to bring the drinks out, too, so an hour is ridiculous for bottomless. The food was delicious at least - I got birria tacos with cheese and that did not disappoint. read more

I wanted to like this place, but I didn't. Nachos overloaded with sauce...not good. Servers were nice enough. The only redeeming factor was that they have an outside space and the people were receptive to feedback. read more

I was a fan of the old CK restaurant. When I heard they were switching to Mexican, I was skeptical because there's already competition on the island. I thought "they'd have to be really good to stand out." Well... they're REALLY GOOD! First, no place on the island offered Birria tacos/Quesabirria. I really enjoyed my quesabirria. It was juicy and had a lot of flavor. Second, it's rare to find a good and fresh ceviche at any restaurant.. they knocked it out the park. My only feedback would be that I wish they included more chips. My girlfriend got the Carne Asada Super burrito and the carne was nice and juicy. I'm so excited to have this place on the island and I'll definitely be returning and recommending to others! read more

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Canasta Kitchen has some tasty grub! My husband enjoyed the Quesabirrias (mexican stew in quesadilla form, deep fried with cheese...or so it appears.) Just a heads up: onions aren't listed in the ingredient list, but they are on there. I love them, hubby dislikes them...you make your own decision. Team Onion? Team no onion? Team who cares? The Queso Fundido was good, but would be better coming right off the grill (damn you, Covid!) The salsas are SPICY, but the chips are good. And the horchata? Some of the best I've had. I look forward to trying the empanadas, tacos, and taco salad. Happy to have a yummy option just down the road. read more

Canasta Kitchen - Queso fundido & Horchata - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California

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1. Is the birriatacos quesabirrias suppose to be sloppy soggy with oil? 2. The super burrito birria meat was bland and I couldn't really taste the authenticity I imagined. Pretty much tasted like the birria meat was used for stew and it's flavor has left into the soup. The dipping soup was aite. 3. I had Flautas many times before from other restaurants. They're usually crunchy but the ones here tasted like it's been soaked in oil and has not been fully fried. Honestly, I am disappointed and not sure how it's overall rating is 4.5 stars? read more

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I would like to come back to this place post-pandemic, as it seems they have a nice setup. We ordered a chicken super burrito, and a pastor regular burrito. Man, they were huge! (didn't stop us from eating them all though!) I had the chicken one. It was good in that the chicken tasted really fresh-grilled, so that was nice. I thought the burrito needed a little more salt or cheese though (didn't seem as enhanced from regular to super burrito as it should've been). However, the sauces they gave us to go with our burritos were crazy good. I think salsa verde, maybe a red sauce, and I think another was a habanero sauce - wooh, that one was really good! I'd like to give them another try, next time I'm in Alameda. Have to try to quesabirria. And sure would like to try their sit down service. read more

I'm hesitant to write this because I know more people will come and eat all the good food and I hope they save some for me. We come here almost weekly because it is so fresh, flavorful, friendly, and clean. My wife loves the tacos Governador, the kids love the tacos, and I love the burritos. Honestly you can't go wrong with anything. It's a perfect Mexican food vibe with El Salvador influence. Today I tried a new thing because I'm on Keto so I asked for the tacos to be made with a cheese shell and they blew my mind with how delicious. Ariel helped me and made sure I was satisfied. I hope this place stays open regardless of the shutdowns in Alameda because I can't live without it. read more

Canasta Kitchen - Asada/steak and pollo/chicken tacos with a cheese shell to be keto friendly. Sooooo good!!! - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California

The first time I was at Canasta, Alex took my order and was very informative and explained what tacos are $2 and which ones aren't for Taco Tuesdays - thumbs up. Today, the person who took my order said ALL tacos are $2. While waiting, I noticed that my receipt had full price on the veggie tacos (these were $2 last time I was here for Taco Tuesday) and fish. When I mentioned it to him, he brushed it off and said only certain ones are $2. Also, there was no birria sauce with our birria taco. I like Canasta, but let's be consistent with our information. read more

Canasta Kitchen - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California

They do not always have bottomless mimosas as stated online. I called two days prior to inquire if they still do bottomless mimosas on the weekends and was told they do. When my friend and I get there I was told they do not have bottomless mimosas because they did not have the juices for it. What?!?! So no one on the staff was like the weekend is coming let's check if we're ready for the weekend? The bottomless mimosas was the sole reason we decided to even try this place. Let's say everything after that detrimental fact was pretty substandard. I got the El puerquito and my friend got the chilaquiles. The burrito was beyond bland. It just tasted like bland mush. My friends chilaquiles was just a soggy mess. We both got a basic mimosas which they did have. It was just the cheapest champagne and super sugary orange juice. It was just an awful experience. Given the first red flag was the fact there was no one else there until we left an hour later and just one other couple came in. Customer service was okay. Food was awful. Drinks awful. Overpriced for the quality. Space is basic size for an Alameda business. Street parking. Just go somewhere else on this busy street. read more

I wanted to try out this place for Father's Day. It used to be CK Kitchen on Webster. Same owners, different food. We ordered the following for take out during this SIP: 1. Plantains-delicious. The small order was just enough for me, my husband, and 7 year old daughter. 2. Queso Fundido w/added chorizo-I don't think this is meant to be for takeout. I'm sure it's best when served on site in the hot skillet. At first I couldn't figure out whether it was a tortilla nestled in the melted cheese, but it turns out it was fried cheese which was really difficult to eat. I had to use my fingers to rip it apart into pieces. 3. Chicken Taquitos-good, with a lot of white meat chicken stuffed inside. We ordered for my daughter and will next time ask for no hot sauce, as I didn't know it came with sauce drizzled across the top. 4. Huarache with added carne asada-I don't think this was worth $16! For that price, I expected it to be bigger and actually oblong, like the actually shape of a sandal. Or at least have a side of rice and beans come with it on the side. Probably won't be ordering this again. 5. Birria taco-delicious and would probably be worth adding the cheese on there for $1 extra. I liked dipping it in the broth. 6. Quesabirria-THIS is what is going to make me come back to this place! It was sooo delicious. I've never had one before so have nothing to compare it to but yeah...I'm getting this again. It's a very rich dish when you dip it in the broth. The cheese, the meat, the broth...all go together nicely. It was excellent! 7. Horchata-got it free as part of their weekend special, when you order $20 or more. It was sweet and yummy. 8. Salsas-there were 3 different types that came with the complimentary bag of chips and all three were spicy and delicious. Green salsa (spicy), red salsa (super spicy) and a habanero salsa (hits the back of my throat and makes me cough spicy) Customer service was really great and as I was waiting for my order, I could hear lots of phone orders come through. I heard the manager/owner answer the phone to someone who called about something not being included in their order when it should have been. He told the customer he would actually go to their house and deliver it! That's awesome! I ordered for pickup through GrubHub, which I probably won't do next time because it didn't give me an accurate estimated time for pickup. I don't think their tracker actually works. I ended up having to wait at the restaurant for about 20 minutes, after Grubhub told me to head over there. I'll just call in directly to the restaurant next time. I'm so glad that this place is open because their food is different and delicious. I want to try their fish tacos one day too because those look good. Happy to see they had a lot of business despite opening up with their new menu during this SIP. read more

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Today, with a 20% tip, my vegan al pastor burrito was $23. It was good but... yeesh that's an expensive burrito. I understand that establishments can get away with charging a vegan premium, however, i don't understand why we can't get a little break when we have to remove cheese and sour cream from an order to make it vegan. They sell me cheese and sour cream and then, essentially get to re-sell it again because I can't eat it. Can we please just sub guacamole for cheese and sour cream without being charged $4. As is your impossible al pastor burrito is not vegan. Can you please sell it without cheese and sour cream? The food here is good, however, I can no longer recommend this place to my vegan friends or people that are giving vegan a try until these prices are reasonable. read more

Canasta Kitchen - Chips, salsa, margarita and the Vegan impossible al pastor burrito. - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California

Hey everyone! I just want to tell that I had a great time at this restaurant The service it was excellent, In went by the noon and the waiters were really nice to me. The food it was amazing, I wasn't excepting to have a Mexican meal that tasted like a really Mexican one, haha. I could recommend you the wet burrito or the taterrito, they're really tasteful. The drinks, are as good as well, I've tasted margaritas of so mane flavors and the "agua de horchata", they're something you should taste before you leave. About desserts, I would recommend you the flan or the platano macho, just simply wow. I'll definitely come back every time I miss México. read more

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Dinner Review date: December 2021 This is a branch of the same-named restaurant in Concord. It's located off the Webster St. tunnel. A small, casual space - not fancy, but sparkling clean. They check vaxx cards and the tables are distanced. Menus are on QR cards. Like most Cal-Mex places, customization is the order of the day. Canasta offers the following meat options: Birria $1, Asada $1; Carnitas, Chicken, Pastor, Cabeza, Chorizo, Lengua, Tripa, Shrimp $1.5; Fish $1.5, Veggies, Pastor Vegan $1.5 I asked the waiter was pastor vegan was. He said it was a soy imitation meat that they make pastor style. Shrimp Ceviche. Holy moly, this was huge! A large bowl full of good-sized, fresh tangy shrimp. It looked like almost a full pound and Spouse was surprised (but happy). Came with a scoop of guacamole, a nice addition. Good housemade chips, too. We don't mind thick chips, they're sturdier. Chiquitas: We ordered the lengua (tongue) in both corn and wheat tortillas. I confirmed with the waiter it came with pico de gallo, but when the plates arrived we were surprised to see they also come with an equal amount of good guacamole. They are well-stuffed with cheese and diced meat, and ordering both is the equivalent of a full entrée. Canasta does not salt the meat, so the flavor of the lengua was better appreciated in the wheat tortilla. The corn was good, but the meat (no matter what filling) needs to be salted to hold up against the more robust grain flavor and generous cheese. Crispy Taquitos Chicken, mild salsa verde. Mild is the default salsa here, unless you specify you want it hotter. The taquitos were well-stuffed with sliced chicken breast, but too dry from the deep-frying. Not bad, but not worth ordering again. With a fattier/juicier filling, perhaps a chorizo, they would be more appealing. Even salsa on the side wasn't enough to make these little rolls of interest to either of us. There are four to an order, corn tortillas about 4" long when rolled. Canastaco Fish Tacos: Although there was only two tacos on the platter, they were generously filled with fried battered fish. Spouse doesn't always care for crema but Canasta's pink-hued version, which is only mildly spicy, tasted like Thousand Island without the pickles, so he was fine with it. There was a double-sized cup of guacamole, which we appreciated. I liked the shredded lettuce instead of cabbage, as I'm not fond of slaw. Spouse was disappointed Canasta uses only whole pinto beans for the side of rice and beans. Despite the double tortilla wrapping, Canasta's fish portion is so generous it makes them hard to pick up neatly. I ate a couple of fish pieces separately before eating the last one in the tortilla shell. The fish was very good, fresh and nicely fried. Spouse and I shared this plate, but next time I wouldn't mind ordering one just for myself. We both liked that Canasta lightly griddles the corn tortillas, giving it just a bit of crispness. They don't have the decadent greasy spoon oiliness of Gordo's/Albany quesadilla tacos, but Canasta's healthier version doesn't hit your stomach like lead, either. Spouse had a Mexican coke and lime; I stuck with water. We were too full for dessert, but it might be interesting to try the mango panna cotta next time. We'll be back - next go-around, it'll be to try the carnitas. If we're really lucky, they'll have the cabeza - we love goat meat! read more

This is the mole con pollo? Chicken is hard! The rice is good the beans I don't even want to touch them. Yes I came back to try something else on the menu! Just because I gave the horchata a 1 star don't mean i wasn't going to come back and try something else. But don't worry after trying this Mole I won't be coming back. And as far as me posting a picture I don't want other people being disappointed like I was! It will save them money! Oh and when I walked in to pick up my order I seen your so call ( Fresh Horchata ) and the other 2 juices you have! NOT FRESH AT ALL! read more

Canasta Kitchen - Mole con pollo! - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California

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Holy cow food was delicious!! Amazing food, to think I live 3 mins away and haven't tried it til today. Wonderful experience and great service from Maggie!! Got the Quesabirria and a tater tot asada burrito!! Both amazing, full of flavor and tot was deep fried perfectly for the crunch, wife also got governado tacos and she loved it, and were both pretty picky. This place is a must try!! read more

Canasta Kitchen - Quesabirrias Flour tortilla - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California

There were a lot of good elements about the restaurant. When you walk in the ambiance is okay. Just an average place. Although the. Bathroom didn't look too good. A little cluttered. I ordered a regular chicken burrito. It was simple with some beans, rice, and chicken. Hard to mess up, but the chicken was awful. Tougher than leather and it weirdly tasted like fish. The beans and rice inside the burrito were actually tasty though. The salsa was top notch. They had a habanero one that was really good! If it wasn't for the service I would give them 1 star. The service was so attentive and nice I felt bad the food doesn't compliment the young man who helped me. Not going to lie I would not come back and I wish I had my money back for that awful chicken burrito. read more

Wow! So glad we decided to try this place - after months of passing by it on Webster it always interested me from its always full, lively patio but now I really had the chance to go. Initially drawn to the birria tacos, once the menu was in our hands it was clear that it would be a hard choice to decide what to get! We ended up ordering the tacos governador which comes with steak and shrimp. So amazing and the portions are HUGE. we could only finish one. I highly recommend the micheladas which is actually my favorite part of the meal. The guacamole was great as well, but comes already on the chips, vs on the side. Definitely will be coming back to try the birria, enchiladas and Chile relleno... breakfast too. So everything. Found our new go to! read more

Canasta Kitchen - Canasta Michelada Guacamole & Chips - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California

No. No. No. it might be good for people in Alameda but if you like flavor & know food....NO. Saw the reviews & placed a order. Ordered quesabirrias. Its not even tacos..it's like they took a flour burrito bread, browned it & put meat & cheese in it. The consomme is LITERALLY beef broth. I won't even go there with the burrito, green sauce didn't even help it. After the reviews I was hopeful, waste of money. read more

Canasta Kitchen - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California

Any native San Franciscans left out there? If so, we know that both the Mission and Excelsior Districts are the mecca for Latin Food! (as well as other cuisines from around the world). Canasta Kitchen is one of the FEW restaurants that go the extra mile to ensure your Falutas and Sopes are made with fresh masa and toppings. Chips and salsa: I appreciate the 3 salsa favors they bring out with the chips: My favorite the creamy habanero. And the Baja Fish Tacos? They are light, crispy, well balanced with the right amount of toppings and lime. Somehow they were able to capture the mood and essence of being in Baja CA (known for their battered fish tacos!) Favorite Libation: The Margaritas-- any of them. Again, all fresh ingredients! The staff are incredibly friendly and make you feel at home! When our families comes into town, it is the ONLY place we take them for Mexican food on the Island. read more

The chicken rice and beans were all flavorful. The staff was kind. Even walked outside to find me to hand me my to-go order. I like that they are open until 10pm too. I'll be back! read more

So good! We enjoyed the carnitas and Quesabirria. I haven't had a great one in a long time. Glad we visited. If you are looking great and friendly service stop by. Server was super cool. Otro día regreso por el pastel de tres leches. thanks guys. read more

It's an amazing experience/ honor when you meet the owners wife of one of your favorite restaurants and you can laugh and have fun with her and her best friend who also works there. The food is as always amazing with a great atmosphere. I love that it's a family owned business with their friends works with them. If you've never been here please go because it's a MUST try. read more

Stopped by mid day on a Friday. I really enjoyed both items and the staff was nice. Not sure what they're like in the evenings or during a busier part of the day but the food tasted great. read more

Canasta Kitchen - Shrimp Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California

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Delicious food and good service. We've never had a bad experience there. Canasta is always my first choice when it comes to getting Mexican food in Alameda. read more

Had a great experience. Party of 12 the server was really friendly and helpful. Thanks for the service we enjoy a lot the food! read more

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I like canasta. Customer service is good. Service is fast. And it's one of the better Mexican restaurants in Alameda. My only real complaint is that the food is really salty. Other than that, I've never had a dish I didn't like. read more

5th visit. Seafood and baja tacos, asada burritios and birria. All wonderful. Each time. Fast and friendly service. Yum. Worth it.

Poor customer service, waitresses are so clumsy. Restroom was gross. Food was tasteless. Never going again. read more

Get your quesabirria fix here! Came here for brunch last weekend, and got to try my very first birria. Savory, crispy, HUGE quesadilla stuffed with the most tender, fall-apart beef filling. Dipping the quesabirria in the savory broth was a real treat - so much umami going on! We also got the fish tacos made famous by their food truck - they are also HUGE. Really enjoyed the crispy and soft layers, and the fish was cooked perfectly. Definitely needed a knife and fork to eat this dish!! And a HUGE helping of tortilla chips loaded with guacamole and pico de gallo. They also brought some great hot sauce on the side - spicy and sweet at the same time. You might see a theme here - HUGE helpings!! Also enjoyed their regular margarita which had a cute dehydrated lime wheel in addition to the conventional lime wedge. Pleasant service, nice outdoor seating option. Masks mandatory while not eating or drinking. Would recommend to anyone looking for a casual lunch or dinner spot with ample outdoor seating options. read more

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Wonderful food and customer service and Maggie always knows exactly what I want- based on the night's palette. The chef and his team cook to order so the food is always fresh and delish!!! Thank you so much for coming g to Alameda and leaving up the quality so superior food and service. #alamedasbest read more

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I am so frustrated right now. I was excited to try their flautas. My husband says, "I think some salsa may have spilled in the bag." Nope-- just a pool of grease. Opened the container to find flautas sitting in a bunch of oil. Picked one up and it was dripping with oil. I ate most of one but the other three were absolutely inedible. It's a shame too, because the chipotle crema is delicious, as is the pork. I had this same issue when I got a quesadilla from them a few months ago. We aren't ever going back. read more

Canasta Kitchen - Container full of oil - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California

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Food: the food is amazing! Their birria quesadilla is a large serving of cheese melting goodness served with a side of consome. They also have good servings of meat inside so you really can taste all the flavors and tenderness of the birria. Their wet burritos are also super large but caution it is spicy however it is a good kick when you are feeling that type of thing. The empanada plate is always my go to. You get two empanadas, rice, and beans; but you can chose different kind of empanadas. The carnitas and cheese is my favorite but the shrimp and cheese is also really good as well. The dough had a good crisp crust and gave the food nice texture that complement the flavors. Drinks: margaritas is the way to go with your meal. The mango margarita is by far my favorite but I did not like whatever seasoning they had put on the rim. It looked like tajin or something of that sort but it was not that at all. The drink itself is pretty sweet but definitely had a good amount of alcohol to start the night off for a good time. Service: we had Maggie as our server. She was really nice and attentive. COVID: servers wear mask and there is indoor and outdoor dining. Indoor dining is spaced out pretty well. read more

Yesterday I had the Salmon, black beans, green beans it was delicious. I went with two friends from church. The discussion was passionate but it settled some questions hopefully. Staff is friendly and fast! read more

My new go-to in Alameda Tried -Quesabirria -2 fish tacos -California burrito -Nacho Macho Loved everything except the fish taco, fish wasn't big and had too much coleslaw I highly recommend anything with birria in it:)) read more

Canasta Kitchen - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California

I ordered Birria tacos and a side of beans and rice. The tacos are stuffed full of meat and the beans and rice are delicious. They also sent a little cup of consommé for the tacos. They also included a bag of chips with three different types of salsa. It is yummy read more

Canasta Kitchen - Birria Taco Combo 3 and side of rice and beans ! - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California