Good quality food! Everything was made from scratch wich is awesome. Comparable to La Penca in Alameda. Definitely going back. read more

El Huarache Azteca - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

I love this place!! Lots of vegetarian options. Great fresh food, Recommend the huaraches, sopes, enchiladas or quesadillas w/ Flor de calabaza or huitlacoche (when in season). Brings me back to my Mexico City childhood with amazing flavors. We tend to have a lot of Tex-Mex in the bay (also yummy) but sometimes you just really want authentic Mexican cuisine. This place always hits the spot. read more

The food is so good. I came at lunchtime and got a large steak huarache, and I actually devoured it. This is probably not exactly accurate, but to me, Huaraches are Sort of like thin pupusas. They have crisp areas and soft areas. There is Mexican cheese and a sauce that you want to drink from a cup it is so yummy. Lots of food, lots of flavor. The family works so hard and is kind to each customer. They are such a part of the neighborhood. I feel so lucky to live near a part of Mexico crystallized in the food culture here in the Bay Area. Venture out and meet the world, supporting a beautiful local business. read more

After browsing through pictures and reading some of the reviews on Yelp, I wanted to check this place out.. The man and I came here on a Tuesday night. We walked in, picked a table and sat down. We were given menus, chips and salsa and put in our beverage order. He went for a Dos XX and I had the horchata. The horchata was a little too powdery for my taste, but still good. The menu is a little hard to follow! It's in both Spanish and English, pictures are all over the place, writings are all over the place - it was like a collage! It took us a while to figure out what we wanted - I ordered the pambazo (grilled while bread filled with chorizo (Mexican sausage), potatoes, lettuce, cheese and sour cream), huarache especial con costilla (a thick corn tortilla shaped like a sandal, stuffed with beans and topped with lettuce, cheese, onions and a thin slice of beef rib meat), and he had the enchiladas (with lengua and green sauce). Pambazo - the bread was yummy! Crispy, soft, fluffy and flavorful. After awhile, it was just too much bread, so I took one layer off and ate the rest. Huarache - the restaurant's signature item. The big ole slab of meat was pretty good! I'm not a big fan of onions or beans, but the tortilla itself was made fresh and pretty good. I would have wanted more sauce because it got sorta dry later on. Enchiladas - he ate and he ate with no complaints. He maybe had about 1/4 left of one of the three, but he also had rice and beans and ate some of the other stuff too. They have a special weekend menu that he wants to check out, so maybe we'll take another visit over the weekend. :) read more

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I had pozole delivered through DoorDash. Was expecting a long wait but it came very fast, the pozole was delicious. The pork was falling apart and off the bone all I had to do was add tapatio and lime and it was perfect! read more

El Huarache Azteca - Delicious pozole! - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

Had tortitas de camaron today. I've never tried them until today and all I gotta say is I'm happy I did! They were super yummy I loved them. It's comes with black beans, rice and salad. The beans were also super yummy. Definitely recommend this place. Two thumbs way up lol read more

El Huarache Azteca - So yummy #foodie - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

I've been enjoying the weekend menu at EHA for years now. The Barbacoa is excellent and unique, but it's the red pozole that first drew me, and I will continue to return to enjoy this tasty stew as long as I can. Just took a friend for the first time, and he's going to take his family. read more

Its definitely a bit of a road trip for me to get to this neighborhoood but there are some restaurants here that make it worth it. El Huarache is my favorite one of the Fruitvale restaurants I've been to and one of my favorite Meixcan restaurants in the Bay Area. They make really great huaraches, that is why I make the drive and that is what I always get. (Huaraches are extra extra thick corn tortillas with beans inside and then covered with various toppings). People also rave about the barbacoa but that is only available on Saturday and Sunday). read more

El Huarache Azteca - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

This is what I call REAL Authetic Mexican food. Amazingly Delicious! There is no need to travel to Mexico City to get a unique taste of piece of Mexico. Service was great and very friendly. read more

El Huarache Azteca - Incredible Delicious - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

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Talk about eclectic and authentic Mexican food, you've got to try this restaurant when in Oakland. The service is excellent and centrally located on International St. Foods like chiles en nogada, huaraches and the famous corn fungus (huitlacochi) which is suggested to try. read more

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Arrived for outdoor seating, they have about 8 small tables. They have only one waitress, we waited over an hour for our food. However, don't get me wrong the food is delicious but the service is HORRIBLE. The waitress got my drinks wrong, I had to wait another 10 minutes for it. This place has potential, but please get the waitress more help because you will be waiting here for a very long time to eat. read more

Another wonderful brunch at "El Huarache Azteca" My husband and I love coming to our old neighborhood. To see the graffiti ,the smell of the taco trucks and our good people. Thank you #fruitvaledistrict read more

Best Barbacoa de Borrego and Best Alambre in the whole Bay Area!!! I've been coming here since the day they opened and the flavor never changes!!! Always delicious!!! read more

El Huarache Azteca - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

If you don't mind being the only white guy in the room, this place rocks. Very authentic. The people were very friendly too. The chicken molè was excellent; the best I've had in a long time. The sopas appetizer platter was great. My wife said her smoked lamb was a little bland but my food was really good. read more

The best Tortas of the Bay Area. I have been going to El Huarache for the last 6 years. I love their torta cubanas and their barbacoa de Borrego. The staff at this restaurant are very nice and helpful. Get out of your Oakland stereotypes, visit this place and enjoy the most authentic mexican food in town. They are located only 4 blocks away from the Fruitvale BART. read more

If you are looking for your different type of Mexican cuisine look no further. This restaurant serves food know to Mexico City. Everything you order has an amazing taste. The only downfall is that the service is slow. Make sure to get here before you're past that stomach rumble i'm super hungry feeling and you'll be ok. And even if you do have to wait its worth it. read more

Real authentic Mexican Food!! Great courteous & professional customer service! And extremely clean!! Definitely coming back for more!

Camarones ala Diabla were the perfect level of spice, handmade tortillas and beans tasted fresh as well.

I love this place! It takes me closer to Puebla!! I love it! Tlacloyos are bomb, quesadillas de tinga. Huaraches love them all!!! read more

El Huarache Azteca - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

I was pleased to see the "Chile en Nogada" on the menu and I was assured it was done very well. Its an especially beautiful and delicious autumn dish. The cream sauce "nogada" that blankets the chile is the hallmark of the dish and is quite easy to make well. I would know, as I make them every autumn. I love for my friends to get to know this dish and to enjoy and appreciate its complex yet subtle flavors. Unfortunately, I was served a Chile en Nogada with a sauce where the cream had separated causing it to be watery, flavorless and pooled on the sides of the chile. The picadillo was okay, not very tasty. The chile was firm and nicely stuffed. Other than the chile, the dish was not presentable really. A shame that a restaurant would actually put such a lovely dish on the menu and serve such a flop. Que lástima! read more

El Huarache Azteca - This is the Chile en Nogada ... una lástima - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

RED ALERT!! I have found the BEST! MEXICAN! FOOD! (in America) of my life!!!! EL! HUARACHE! AZTECA!!!!!!!!!!! The gorditas are like God's pillows, if he's resting his big ol' magical head on a layer of beans and cotija cheese. We also had a quesadilla (there was LETTUCE in there but it totally WORKED) and a sope, and with every gaddang bite my eyes crossed in ecstasy. Virgen santa. It seems to me the style is a bit different from your regular taqueria fare, concentrating more on aforementioned holy pillows of masa and squash blossoms and crumbly cheese. CLARO QUE SI. I am an El Farolito devotee, but H.A. made E.F. look like a chump. read more

amidst the aztec murals on the walls, the ancient ritual of human sacrifice reminds one of daily ritual sacrifcies of toil for coins needed for survival. the murals are impressive as is the food here. everyone gets gratis fresh chips w/ green and red salsa to start off. i sampled the following and enjoyed them all except for the dessert. -alambre regular (11.25) - combination of carna asade, bell peppers, onions, sausage, cheese, etc. -flan napolitan(2.75)- a porous egg desert w/whippled cream and cherry. nothing spectacular -tamarind aqua fresa(listed as 1.50, bill at 2.00)real tamarind used, you can see the skin and pits. not too sweet, pretty nice. candy for dessert. definitely will repeat. read more

The wife and I stumbled upon this place during the Dia De Los Muertos Festival. We were on a beer drinking/taco eating crawl and this was our last stop. I honestly didn't think I was going to be able to eat anymore but once I surveyed the menu, my eyes went straight for the tinga. I haven't seen many restaurants that have this on the menu. I also wanted to try the huarache. My wife's eyes widened as well when she saw queso de puerco and pickled pork skin as meat choices. The tinga was great. Nice and spicy. The huarache was kinda boring and bland. my wife loved the pickled pork skin tostada and torta de queso de puerco. They also have yummy michelada's We will defintely come back here to try the green mole and all the other yummy items that we saw on the menu. read more

FIESTAS DE NAVIDAD - Christmas Day Meal.. El Huarache Azteca is one of my favorite Bay Area mexican restaurants and I believe the best at Mexico City style cuisine, steering away from tacos and burritos into much more interesting cuisine. Ever year this restaurant makes a traditional Christmas Meal, the Fiesta De Navidad, which you order in advance and traditionally pick up on Christmas Day. However if you give them three days notice, you can order it now through Christmas. It is a fantastic and culturally interesting meal and very different than usual Mexican fare. The meal includes Mole, Romeritos, Bacalao, Chiles En Nogada, Cochinita Pibil, Capirotada, Ensalada De Navidad, Tamales, Champurrado, and Atoles de Guyaba and Nuez. I went online to get explanations for each dish, including the cultural and religious significance of some of the Christmas foods: Mole - a complex multi-ingredient sauce/dip that is kind of like Mexican curry but not as spicy. Red mole features chocolate in this savory sauce, green mole features ground pumpkin seed, and the restuarant, El Hurache Azteca usually has these two types, but Mexico has dozens of regional moles that use different combinations of seeds, herbs, spices to create smooth, thick flavorful sauces that can be sauced over meat and poultry or used as a dip with chips. Romeritos are a Mexican dish from Mexico City , consisting of patties of dried shrimp, sprigs of a wild plant known as Romerito (Suaeda spp.) that resembles rosemary and potatoes served in a mole sauce. They are traditionally served at Christmastime and Lent. Bacalao - A traditional Christmas meal made with potatoes, bacalao (dried salted cod) tomatoes, onions, red bell pepper, olives and capers Chiles en nogada is a dish from Mexican cuisine. The name comes from the Spanish word for the walnut tree, nogal. It consists of poblano chiles filled with "picadillo" (a mixture usually containing chopped or ground meat, aromatics, fruits, and spices) topped with a walnut-based cream sauce and pomegranate seeds, giving it the three colors of the Mexican flag: green for the chili, white for the nut sauce and red for the pomegranate. Cochinita Pibil - a traditional Mexican slow-roasted pork dish from Yucatán Península. Preparation of traditional cochinita or puerco pibil involves marinating the meat in strongly acidic citrus juice, coloring it with annatto seed, and roasting the meat while it is wrapped in banana leaf. Capirotada (pronounced: Cah-pi-ro-ta-da) is a common Mexican bread pudding that is traditionally eaten during Lent. It is generally composed of toasted french bread soaked in a mulled syrup, sugar, cheese, raisins, and walnuts. The syrup is generally made with water, piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar), cinnamon, and nutmeg. It is best served warm, but many choose to let chill. These are identical ingredients to those used during the 1640s in New Spain to make breads and cakes. The ingredients and recipes have been recorded by the Holy Office of the Inquisition and saved to this day in the archives. The basic ingredients carry a rich symbolism to the Passion of Christ, and the dish is viewed by many Mexican and Mexican-American families as a reminder of the suffering of Christ on Good Friday. The bread is for the Body of Christ, the syrup is his blood, the raisins are the nails of the cross, and the whole cinnamon sticks are the wood of the cross. The melted cheese stands for the Holy Shroud. Ensalada de Navidad - (Christmas Salad) versions have endive, apple, walnut, beet, spinach, pomegranate, etc. Tamales - different ones, chicken, pork, cheese and squash blossom, etc. Champurrado - traditionally served with tamales during Christmas and Day of The Dead. A lovely Mexican atole hot chocolate infused with subtle flavors of anise and piloncillo. It is thickened wand whipped up using a wooden whisk called a molinillo (or, a blender). The whisk is held between the palms of the hands, then moved back and forth in the mixture until it is aerated and frothy. Atoles de Guayaba, (Guava and masa harina drink) Atole Nuez - condensed milk, pecans,cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, masa harina, vanilla and regular milk read more

It's in the barrio so it's gotta be awwright, right? Wait a minute! I don't see a whole lot of Latinos eating in here. If I'm in Chinatown, I'm eating where the Chinese people are eating. The same goes for the barrio.. um.. except w Latino people. The Latinos that were there were having big bowls of soup. But I gotta order a huarache don't I? I mean, it's in the NAME of the restaurant.. Huarache refers to a flat sandal or this bread shaped like it. There didn't seem to be much difference between the two, taste-wise... ya know, back when I used to gnaw my sandals for sustenance... The toppings atop said foot covering did not offend... or elate, but I kept wishing for a plain tortilla on my plate, and imagining putting the huaraches on my feet. "No Usamos Manteca?" ----HERESY!!! read more

I went here for lunch after seeing it featured on Check Please Bay Area on PBS. I tried one of their signature Huarache's with chicken mole. I have to say it was the best mole I ever had. I was kind of on the fence about my position on mole but after that experience, I can confidently admit I am fan of at least El Huarache Azteca's mole. I also tried a carnitas taco because that is kind of the litmus test for me - the carnitas. It passed the test. I don't venture into Fruitvale very often but El Huarache Azteca is a reason to change that. Update: I have fallen in love with their Alambre Aztec. It is a gathering of corn tortillas topped with sauteed onions, cactus, peppers, and choriso. Then on top of all of that is some melted cheese and sliced avocado. It is divine! read more

Mexican street food has its place, but give me an authentic sit down restaurant with plates of mole and chiles en nogada and I'll love you forever. A friend from south of the border tipped me off to try El Huarache Azteca. I tried it twice for good measure, with one trip more successful than the other. On my first trip I tried the alambres, a difficult to find concoction featuring multiple meats, onions, bell peppers with cheese layered on top, served with tortillas. Done right it's special and unique, and done wrong it's just another plate of fajitas. El Huarache's alambres fall somewhere in between, a good breakfast option after a late night if you're looking for a greasy boost to your morning. But despite its prominence on the menu and in other people's reviews, I probably wouldn't recommend them unless you haven't had them before. The huaraches, however, are where the action is. Just strap yourself in and order the huarache with mole and chicken. Mine was densely rich, chocolatey, and delicious. Frankly, you should just order the mole in whatever format you feel like eating it: enchiladas, huaraches, plato fuerte... doesn't matter. Just enjoy it. El Huarache also has fresh squeezed juices, like the Vampiro, with beets, carrots, and other healthy tidbits. You won't be paying International Blvd prices, though: a large juice will cost you a Marina-sized budget. In fact, a lot of the dishes here run pretty high, though the alambres at least will feed a small army. In other news, the chips and salsa are sadly forgettable... Go get your Mexican on, and watch some futbol while digging into a plate of mole at El Huarache Azteca. read more

Great food, very very tasty and satisfying. The posole and menudo (served on Sundays) are quite remarkable and the asada taco is awesome as well. With all that great stuff, get the guava drink to wash it all down. Aside from the food, everything else from the ambiance, good service, fair prices, and the lively mariachi band on the weekends make for a fun dining experience. read more

Interesting quesadillas to try: Corn fungus Pumpkin flower Nopales (cactus) All of these were good but my favorite is the corn fungus. Kind of like a large portion of diced portabello with a bit more earthiness. Huaraches - kind of like a papusa minus the filling. Chewier than your average flatbread but tasty. Did not remind me of eating my own sandals contrary to other reviews. Topped with lettuce, queso blanco cheese, and flat strips of beef. Tamales were weak - overcooked and slighty rubbery. They have BBQ lamb (barbacoa) on the weekends but other joints in the area do a better job of it. The nopales egg dishes are also pretty good. read more

I have been coming here for years, this is a RoRo (me) spot. The food is good, it's family owned and run, and the price is fair. The fruitvale (neighborhood) is flooded with nasty Mexican food, that makes me ashamed to be Mexican. This place takes Mexican food and gives it back it's dignity. Stop trying to please the gringos!!! just make it the way it is...This place is "Chilango" or Mexico City D.F. style. Mexican cusine is diverse and this style of food is not so common- the got huaraches, quesadillas done right, gorditas, tacos, soups, mmmmmmmm there is a lot of deep fried goodness so if you're on a diet, you will break it as soon as you walk in... everything is fresh, and yummy the decor is pretty awesome and it is a laid back place where you get some good food, at a fair price and you end up supporting local business. win win for everyone, now go and eat deep fried Mexican goodness! read more

I was here today for the second time in 48 hours. The deliciousness starts with their salsa. The red salsa is spicy, flavorful and not watered down at all, like most places. The green salsa is milder; you can taste the fresh tomatillos. I love their botana Azteca! It's a great sampler. You get small portions of four of their dishes; huaraches, chicken taquitos, potato pambazos and tostaditas with nopales. It's definitely big enough to share. [A huarache is made with masa (corn flour) and toppings like chicken, beans, lettuce and sour cream. A pambazo is like a torta/sandwich with thick Italian style bread]. Their tacos de pastòr are delicious. They're made with pineapple, so if you don't like it spicy and sweet, steer clear. The champurrado is hot, thick, and has a nice cinnamon aftertaste. Their chilaquiles are on point! They use real creama and fresh queso. Minus one star for slow service. read more

I think I'd get far more out of this place if I weren't vegetarian. So many dishes caught my eye but most involved meat. I expected that; nevertheless, it was great fun to sit in a new restaurant with a menu before me that offered never before seen/sampled taste combinations. This is not the typical (Jalisco) Mexican menu you find in most of California. I ordered the pared down huarache (topped with just lettuce, onion, cheese and cream) and borrowed my squash blossom and cactus toppings from the "quesadilla extras" listed just below. (The menu is very text-condensed in a Dr. Bonner soap container kind of way...but without the new age jabber.) The mashed pinto bean-filled tortilla really didn't do it for me -- kind of a dry, indistinguishable taste which too greatly affected the overall flavor of the dish-- and when I found the one, then two, three, four pieces of pork I had to stop. I traded dishes with a friend at the table and sampled the huitlacoche topping on her huarache. They call it "black corn - mushroom" on the menu and, while it is a fungus, it didn't taste like mushroom to me. A little sweet, a tiny bit earthy, a little tangy and just very different in a likeable way. We washed the food down with tamarind agua. The live music, decor and super friendly staff are other big pluses as is the colorful variety of textured business card giveaways (complete with 2007 calendar on reverse sides) found at the register. One of 'em even features the expired pope! Cool! A good little experience overall and I'm hoping I can play with the menu options a bit more next visit so I can sample more of what people are raving about below. read more

My most recent experience at this restaurant was utterly disappointing, we arrived at the restaurant on a Sunday around 12:45 and were seated. We placed our order right away, by 1:30 we still had not gotten our food, so I was ready to walk out but since we had consumed some aguas fresca I wanted to pay for the drinks. I walked up to the cashier and asked to pay for the drinks, and the owner first asked if we had anything else, to which i replied in Spanish, we placed the order but the food never came and we are ready to leave. He then did not want to let us go and was not allowing us to pay for the drinks, he instead insisted we would just go back to the table and wait because he claimed the food was coming, which was not true since i could see all the staff in the kitchen being completely lost and not knowing anything about our order. So I placed cash on the counter and walked out, His costumer service was ridiculous, if the costumer wants to leave because they have been waiting too long and instead of apologizing you proceed to force them to wait some more seems to be the worse you can do. NEVER COMING BACK. read more