Stumbled upon this gem 8 months ago, I wasn't satisfied with any Mexican restaurants in the area. They all seemed to leave me craving for something more! I often found problems with service, or quality of consistency in the food. This changed from the moment I came here. I have tried now over 15 +dishes, and all of them I like. The staff is the best, I feel like family every time I come in. The drinks are phenomenal, the food is masterful, the service is amazing! read more

I live in SF which has plenty of great taquerias, so maybe I'm biased, but I've had some of the driest, least flavorful burritos here that I've had anywhere. The carne asada was flavorless and dry, I had ordered "spicy" but it didn't even reach the level of mild salsa, the other ingredients inside the burrito were cold (I ordered the California, which turns out to be about 2/3 french fries)...in a town with so many good taquerias I'm not going back. read more

The food is great. The quantity is generous and the staff are kind and respectful. And you can actually taste the alcohol in their margaritas! We also love the chips and salsa's. read more

I stumbled upon this restaurant when I was in the area. This was a nice surprise. The restaurant had amazing reviews and was located right by the University. The chips and salsa were good, very good! The salsa had a freshness and perfect balance of acidity and salt. I ordered the fish burrito which had beans, rice and mushrooms. The mushrooms were a perfect addition with the fish. I would definitely check it out again when I'm in the area. read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place was amazing. servings were huge!! food was delicious. The waiters were incredibly kind and patient. Love the decor inside. read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - California Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The most underrated restaurant in Berkeley! My boyfriend and I come here regularly and encourage all of our friends to go. They have the best house margarita on the rocks, delicious food, and the friendliest staff of any restaurant I have been to. Not to mention, they have fantastic happy hour deals every day! Our favorite is the $5 off pitchers of margaritas. Hands down the most welcoming environment and the best time. Highly recommend! read more

The best breakfast, lunch and dinner in town. It's always a nice place to relax and have a good meal in between classes. Great staff. I could easily eat here everyday. So many great choices on the menu. I highly recommend this restaurant if you haven't been yet, give it a try soon. read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Huevos Rancheros - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Delicious beef tacos in crispy homemade tortillas. I will be back! Nice staff. Vibrant and uplifting atmosphere read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Beef tacos in crispy home made tortillas - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Best Mexican restaurant in the Bay Area, and I have been to so many! Highlights: -great salsas (ask for all of them) -very tasty refried beans and rice (which are vegan) -wonderful vegan enchiladas and nachos. (Vegan nachos are a must try item) -great service, very friendly staff read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Vegan al pastor taco - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Obviously, this place is packed on Tuesdays. LIFE HACK: get the tequila flight...4 shots $20. Thank me later

The waitstaff at this restaurant were very friendly and frequently came by to check on how our meal was. They were proactive in refilling our complimentary chips and salsa, which were incredibly delicious and hard to stop eating. I ordered their Mexican tamale, which was extremely tasty. It had a good balance of lean meat and not too much fatty pork. Additionally, the addition of cheese on the outside added a lot of flavor to the dish. read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Tamale - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

I used to come here sometimes when it was Celia's Mexican restaurant - mostly because I wanted to have at least one table-service restaurant close to home. El Talpense is owned by people who worked for years at Celia's, but where before the food was okay, now it's excellent. The salsa at the table was well made, which was an encouraging start. The Chile Verde was different from others I've had - it was darker in color and flavor than others. Really good. Same with the carnitas and enchiladas. The shrimp fajitas were outstanding - perfectly cooked shrimp and veg. The ingredients - including the spices - seem fresher. We've really enjoyed their top-shelf margaritas, too. Quality ingredients, nicely balanced. My partner and I are so excited to have a place this good so close to us. It's way better than any other sit-down Mexican restaurant I've tried in the Berkeley area. read more

5 *s?? Yeah and the sky is pink. Dry meat, lackluster service. Don't try asking about the menu. never again and I mean Never. The waiter was super rude and I said glad you don't care because you'll get NO tip. Stop coming by asking me if things are OK then! This establishment is RACIST as well, especially to non Mexican customers, I know that's why I was treated poorly and I'll be passing that along to others. Leaving no tip felt amazing though. read more

I wanted to take my husband and kids here and the food was amazing and the severs are so nice I would highly recommend going especially if you might plan on just trying really good authentic food read more

The owner is very rude. I asked for a special order that I've gotten a hundred times and he just walked away while I was trying to explain to him. He just lost a very good customer and as an owner my business people as well. Thanks for ignoring me. read more

Best margaritas and Mexican food in town! Don't miss out, check it out. You won't be disappointed read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Best margaritas and food in town - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is an absolute staple for my friends and I. With the free chips, ah-mazing margarita pitchers, and killer quesadillas, this is the place to come to for a great time with friends. There are also plenty of vegan options which was a great surprise! Great for big groups, and for celebrations as well. I love the service here, and the owner is so great! He gave my friends and I an entire quesadilla plate for free once when we came for margaritas, which was so nice of him. I've also had the enchiladas, which were pretty good. Out of the margaritas, I've tried the strawberry, peach, and pineapple so far, and would definitely recommend the peach out of these. I'm definitely trying the Tamarindo next time! Definitely stop by during happy hour if you're looking for some fun! read more

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Ordered fish tacos, the fish was spoiled and the customer service was horrible. Came to celebrate my daughter birthday and really disappointed. Will not come back again and will let others know of experience read more

They have a great selection of margaritas both flavors (classic, mango, strawberry, tamarind, watermelon) and sizes (glass and pitchers) at very reasonable prices and they taste delicious. The food is also classic but good. Definitely be prepared to see a lot of undergraduates from UCB here when you go, therefore it is more a loud restaurant rather than sit down and catch up with your friend / friends at the end of the work day. Nothing wrong with the vibe, but just wanted to inform so you know what you're going to. read more

Last night my boyfriend and I came here for happy hour after having a terrible experience at Chevys in Emeryville. We were really in need of some good food and service and this place delivered just that! Our sever (Santiago) was immediately attentive and got our drinks super fast. From the happy hour menu we ordered $6 margaritas (that actually tasted good), their chicken flautas ($6.50) and their combination plate that came with quesadillas, 3 mini chimichangas, and nachos ($9.50). For the price, quality, and amount of food you get on happy hour is seriously some of the best in this area! The indoor aesthetic was just the cherry on top of a great experience. We will definitely be back! read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - $6 happy hour margarita and free chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I ordered a grilled chicken burrito. The food was good. I didn't have to wait long. It came with chips and mild salsa. I only tried the two red salsas and not the green or habanero. The salsas were ok, nothing super special. The food had a good flavor. I appreciate the option of black beans. The place was clean. The staff was friendly. Very nice atmosphere. While I have no complaints, the burrito could have been a little warmer and the mild salsa could have had a little more kick to it. The mild salsa looked great but a little on the watery side and the spicy red salsa had kick but was too thick. The chips were good, not stale and not too thick. A steaming hot burrito would have earned 5 stars. A little on the pricey side but the burrito was pretty big. read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Grilled chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is always so good. I come here after I get out of class for lunch and they honestly do not disappoint. The have a lot of tables so there's never a wait and the food comes out very quick and taste great! This is definitely my go to spot near UC Berkeley for some delicious authentic Mexican food. read more

Best vibes ever love all the employees YASS Good food bettter drinks Amazing love it read more

Great Mexican food and a heavily involved, caring owner. Tacos de birria, crab nachos are fire read more

This place has one of the best Mexican Chile Rellenos. The rice and beans and salad that come with it are all fantastic. It's located up on the Northside campus of Berkeley. A cute little restaurant where students and professors and workers come for lunch. The have intimate wooden booths so you can carry on a good conversation and they are very generous with their chips. I think it's a little gem of Berkeley. read more

This place is good! The steak burrito is the best I've had outside home made steak burritos. The salsa is spicy! Good indication of authenticity! read more

Aka celia's Mexican resturant. I wanted something good after a long day at Tilden. This was the best choice. It did not dissapoint. I ordered a 2 item plate Taco and Enchilada and it was amazingly good. Lots of flavor and crisp. Rice and beans were tasty. We both cleaned up oyr plates with no food left. I also ordered their house margarita quick and friendly service. Excellent food. Will be back next time I'm out that way! read more

Had a very enjoyable al pastor burrito, the pineapple added a great taste to it! The staff was also very kind and gave me extra salsa read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Al pastor burrito - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Many vegan options; a clearly marked vegan menu. I had the vegan nachos: delicious! Excellent margaritas. Very good salsa with the chips, and the guacamole was excellent. Service was good. Nice ambiance: pleasant. Want to come back and try other dishes. read more

Great food, good service. I genuiley think this restaurant is a good deal. I love a good California burrito and this place nails it. Try the Birria Quesadilla if you want heartburn. Angel Rodriguez, the owner from Cabanas Cafe, told me I should post more 5 star reviews. So here it is. Check out El Talpense for quality mexican food. 5 stars. read more

Nice authentic ambience! Appreciated the vegan menu - full of choices that included soy "meats" for additional protein. Has vegan cheese. We had the vegan ceviche tostada and guacamole. Ceviche plates was a huge portion. Soy "meat" was soaked in lemon so a tasty, tart flavor. The guacamole was a little bland but salt helped. Salsa was very mild but flavorful. read more

Ordered food using their preferred vendor Snackpass. It's been over an hour and I can't get an order tracking. And the restaurant won't pick up their phone. read more

Birria Taco Combo: BUSSINNN (cheese pull pictured) , 4.95 per taco and 1.50 for consommé, 10/10 read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Birria Combo - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great culture & energy. The story of this restaurant is special. After overcoming the pandemic, ownership depended on the Berkeley community to revitalize & sustain their business. North Berkeley delivered. The extensive vegetarian/vegan menu appeases both the curious and the sustainable diners. I went with with the birria tacos and was not disappointed. Will definitely be returning soon. read more

This restaurant is filled with so much love, and community! The food is excellent and the service could not be more wonderful! Their enchiladas are to die for and so are the fajitas! The ambiance is always so joyful, especially on Taco Tuesday's! Lots of students eat here but I also notice many community members eating here on the regular as well! Again, service could not be more perfect. The love the owners and employees have for their restaurant is infectious. Such a fun and delicious place to eat! read more

Food not very good plus a3% charge to use a credit card. La Burrita across the street for half the price is just as good. Will not return.

Great food, great staff, consistent deliciousness and good margaritas. I've been coming here for years (used to be Celia's, and now it has been taken over by longtime staff!) - a nice spot near campus with yummy food. I really like the Nachos Rancheros w chicken with some Modelos. Pedro and the rest of the team have been laying down great food and even better vibes for years, and I'm so happy that they are still keeping this Berkeley institution going! It's under new Ownership with a new name and a fresh vibe, but still has the same great food and warm hospitality. Can't wait to come back and support this legendary local small business! read more

For really great authentic Mexican, this is fabulous. Portions are huge. Good ala carte choices. Amazing happy hour 4-7pm everyday except Tuesday but I guess Tuesdays are for special taco deals. Very nice welcome and service. read more

Scammers, we ate here, split check, BOTH of us left an $8.50 tip, HOWEVER when we got out bank statements the tip on BOTH transactions were for $10.00, called restaurant and talked to them, they claim it was an "honest mistake", really an honest mistake on both transactions for the exact amount of $1.50 each. This is a new scam that bars and restaurants are doing, you leave a tip, they change it at the end of the night by anywhere from $1.00-$3.00 more, most people NEVER notice it. The restaurant offered to change it back and give us our $1.50 each back, but ONLY if we gave them our FULL debit/credit card information. NO THANK YOU. read more

I've been going to Celia's restaurants all around the Bay Area my whole life, and I was happy to hear that despite the name change, long-time employees are the new owners and that many recipes remain similar. I checked it out tonight and was so happy to have some old favorites. The mole enchiladas are excellent. Unlike a lot of places, the enchiladas use marinated shredded chicken that is delicious inside the sauce and tortillas. The salsas are flavorful, and the chips are plentiful! Definitely looking forward to going back for Taco Tuesdays in the future. read more