This place is 5 stars on service alone. The staff is incredibly friendly, and you get the feeling that all of the employees here are family. They have great chips and salsa that are freshly made. The food is warm and comforting. I will definitely be back to try other stuff on the menu. read more

First time here, recommended by a coworker, and jesus having lived in berkeley for 8 years how have I not strayed away from the college campus Mexican restaurants (love you, LaBa and ) Service: Immediate welcome by the cook and server with water, menu/specials, (2) bowls of chips, (2) salsas, and guac! Did they know that this tiny body can fit that much for an appetizer, I think yes. Food: ordered the enchiladas relleno Juan's Special. Used to make chiles rellenos and enchiladas separately with my grandma, but to have them combined in one is beautiful! Just beautiful. I asked for mine with chicken. Also came with a generous amount of refried beans and rice. Price: I've got high expectations for high price-quantity-quality ratios, and this touches the tip. Don't let the menu prices fool you. This special plate was 13.95 before tip/tax and was well worth. Note: I did come on my lunch break, 2pm on a Wednesday, so this obviously was a huge factor but I'd come again since it's so close to my office. Recommend- getting tv's to show the game! You'd make a ton of business here. read more

Juan's Place - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

BIG FAN OF THEIR CHICKEN. And their chips! We discovered this old establishment via restaurant.com, which offers a coupon to the place. We had never seen it otherwise, as it's not on a main road or any other restaurants or shops. We dined in at 1:30pm on a Saturday and the roomy place only had about 3 other groups already there. While efficient, I thought the service was a little rough. No niceties. I would give the place 2 stars based on the ambiance and service, but am giving it 3 stars based on food. We had the FAJITA BURRITOS (dish comes with 2) and got one with chicken and the other with beef. Really good flavor and juicy too! The beef was okay, but the chicken was the star of the dish. It was cooked just right. Also big shout out to the free chips they serve. I don't think I've had chips like those before. They were thick, great tasting, and super addicting. read more

Juan's Place - FAJITA burritos with free chips on the side - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

I dropped in to get a burrito for my boyfriend, but I was really wowed by the friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere. Even though I was ordering to go, I was invited to have a seat and served chips and water during my wait. It's nice hearing folks being greeted warmly as well. I hope people continue to support this local business some experiences are hard to come by these days. I can't believe this was my first time here wish I was staying for dinner--it certainly won't be my last. read more

A bit scary here. Carry out Food was mediocre. Maybe we lost our appetite after the following events? While waiting we got to witness maroon Dodge Challenger do donuts in intersection then dude went into Juan's (a worker there). Across the street while waiting is an old man in a two car homeless encampment taking a dump and pee between his pickup truck and a flat tired black Lexus. He then proceeded to come across the street and chat with Juan's "help". Not sure if he washed his hands after that "expelling" event across the street. I am now concerned about disease transmission? Ugh... we used to like this place. Needs to be cleaned up??? read more

I've eaten in Mexico and at many domestic restaurants serving Mexican food around the U.S. and nothing compares to Juan's Place. I suggest you run not walk there. The call an enchiladas are simply world class. The serve 2 types of chips two salsas and guacamole just for showing up. I used to eat here when I lived in Berkeley back in the 80s. The food is as good now as it was then. Top ranking in my book. read more

I'm almost 50 and grew up with Juan's. Even had my wedding rehearsal dinner here (we were on a budget). I live in the South Bay now and still come by when I'm in the area. Beans and rice no cheese with corn tortilla chips, red salsa, to go. If dining in, fish or beef fajitas 1/2 order, with an extra order of beans and rice to go. So happy they survived the pandemic and ecstatic they're still family owned. read more

The restaurant has a home feeling cozy location. We got seated right away but took a very long time to order our food. We had a few different waiters serve us. Once we received our plates our meals were wrong. I had shrimp and steak fajitas but they brought chicken and steak. My son ordered two tacos and specifically said no onions and no cilantro and it came loaded with both on the tacos. I ordered a michelada, cup seemed warm had to add my left over ice from my water to cool it down and didn't even finish half of it. We ended up getting our bill wrong they corrected it and still ran the card wrong so than we had to wait until it was fixed. honestly don't think we will return. On the positive their salsas are yummy and the waiters were friendly. They did take my one year old son a plate of beans and rice before we ordered. so he didn't have to wait . read more

Juan's is not a place trying to impress with it's looks. Although, we did appreciate the iron work on the windows all around the building. Inside isn't much better. But it's the food you're going for, right? You won't be disappointed. We ordered the Dos Jesus dinner and a side of Chili relleno. Now here's where you can learn from our mistake. We didn't ask for our food to be of any certain heat. We should have. Yet, the flavors were fantastic. We would have enjoyed more heat, though. And I have to say, my test is always the refried beans. If the beans are right, probably the rest of the food is going to be good, too. The beans were perfect as was the rice. So all in all a really good meal. We know now to ask for some chili's in our food or on the side. Or both! A little out of the way, kind of an industrial area. But well worth the trip off the beaten path. read more

Portions are great!!!! The chicken enchilada had tons of meat. The tamales were also pretty big and generously filled.

Juan's is a long-standing Mexican sit-down joint that's tucked away in the residential area near the freeway. It's near impossible to see from the main street, but you'll know you've reached your destination by its neon lights and old school eclectic decorations. You're greeted with a duo of fresh chips and salsa as you get settled into your seats and peruse the menu. The flour tortilla chips were light and crispy and the corn tortilla chips offer your standard vehicle for salsa scooping. I was surprised to find the salsas were bland and not even mildly spicy - it definitely could be kicked up a notch with a little heat. We ordered the tamale dinner special and the carne asada super burrito for two. Tamale dinner was disappointing. Again, very bland in flavor and the meat was dry. Beans and rice were an ok complement to the dish, but couldn't salvage the tastelessness of the dish. WOW. Carne asada super burrito. When they say super, they mean MASSIVE! What is lacks in extravagant taste, it makes up in size. Burritophiles beware, this super burrito will put up a good fight for even the biggest of appetites. This place can get pretty packed during dinner and service was a bit slow and inattentive at times. We had to ask twice for hot sauce and our water glasses frequently reached empty before anybody came by to notice and refill. Juan's is a bit pricey for your everyday cravings, but it offers a nice throwback experience to Mexican dining. read more

Juan's Place - Super Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

We met our pals here today for lunch. They love this place, it is an institution to them. I love the ambiance....very cool dive. The service was good. The corn chips were a bit greasy for me, but the flour were great. We ordered a small guacamole to share....and it was soooo good. I tried their *Matador* basically a Flour Tortilla Flauta....and while the tortilla was great, and it had tons of yummy guacamole and sour cream, I was not in love with the sweet sauce the shredded beef was submerged in. Rice was pretty standard. Perhaps I ordered the wrong dish.... They served their stellar flour chips with cinnamon sugar with coffee....that was awesome!! Everyone else was at 4-5 stars....if I were to go back, I would try something else. read more

I was very disappointed with my experience here after seeing the good reviews & hearing from my brother & sister-in-law that the food was good. We got here & was seated by a somewhat irritated feeling waitress. She took our orders, but when they arrived, almost every one of them was wrong (they gave me mole enchilladas when I had just asked for the red ones, my dad asked for no sour cream & guac on his burrito but it came with it anyway, etc.) It just felt like the place was trying to get us in and out of there without giving us a very welcoming experience. That was a big disappointment. Even my brother & sister-in-law were complaining saying that this experience was not like the last time they were there. I hope my experience was an isolated one, but who knows. read more

I come here once a year with a dear family friend and her husband. It has become our yearly thing and I still appreciate this place. They have good basic food, a nice rosé, and beer for my husband. We'd probably come here more often except that my husband jokes that the meat comes from the Shelter. My husband is Mexican and loves to make jokes. Not nice and I totally don't believe it. But here's what I do know, 1) They have good beans and rice. I had beans, but eat theirs because they are good. 2) I worked for a nonprofit art center for adults with developmental disabilities and they used to host and annual Christmas lunch for the clients and the staff. I never knew why, because I would not have wanted to do it. At some point, a tray would crash to the ground with 4-6 plates of food, but the next year they were game. The trips stopped because the bus company which had donated their services stopped and also because our main point of contact passed away. RIP Pearl! 3) I first went here when I was in high school and liked it. The food is quite consistent, unlike some places. 4) They are quite knowledgeable about being gluten free and talk to you about their food and the ingredients in them. I love that. I enjoy our annual trip here and look forward to it year after year. read more

Best Mexican Restaurant in East Bay! Hands Down Juan's Place is the BEST Mexican restaurant in the East Bay. My husband and I have searched far and wide for great authentic Mexican restaurants and Juan's has surpassed all the others. As soon as you enter the joint you are greeted by their warm staff. You can tell the place is run by a family because of their hospitality. Not even after sitting down they bring chips and salsa. Not to mention two types of chips; corn and flour. And two types of salsa; green and red. If you are in the mood to party-they have have a full bar. The Chicken Enchilada Plate is delicious! Hearty portions of homemade rice and refried beans are served on the side of this pipping hot plate. The flavor is our of this world and you will not leave unhappy. You will leave with your belt buckle undone because you will be stuffed! read more

Juan's Place - I'm the Duchess! - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Juan's is the place! My boyfriend and I love coming here to stuff our faces after a few beers in the neighborhood. Definitely more of a dinner place since their portions are huge but they do offer half order pricing which is nice if you want to maintain some kind of control. Service is always quick, the last time we went we were brought chips, salsa, and water before we were even able to sit down. THE FLOUR CHIPS are like crack, I could just eat those all day. The corn chips are also good but why would you eat them when you have warm, crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth flour chips available? Salsas are tasty too. The burritos are enormous, enchiladas delicious, and tamales that are surely made by some lil old lady in the back. It's an old school joint that probably hasn't changed since it opened in 1971 and it doesn't need to. WE LOVE JUAN'S! read more

Juan's Place - Boyfriend with big burrito. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

I'm surprised I've never written a review about Juan's. I've been coming here for years, but it's only the last couple times that have just been so-so. I loved Juan's for years, we would come for brunch or lunch with friends. Yeah it's not fancy, but they make great chips. Regular Corn Chips and Flour Flakey Chips that other places don't serve. The salsa is okay, but the guacamole is on hit. Sometimes you might get a little complimentary guacamole with your meal. I brought my family here a few months ago for dinner. We were a large group with kids. We chose this place because the kids like beans and rice and Juan's usually serves them first. That didn't happen, the dishes came out all at different times with the kids dishes last. When we asked our server, he seemed to get upset. The food wasn't what I remembered, but I decided to let it go and give them another shot. The last time I was in, I brought people from out of town and just left thinking that it just wasn't that good. I ordered a taco ala carte, the meat was overcooked and dry. Everyone thought the food was just okay. Fifty dollars later, I felt like apologizing to my friends for dragging them there. I'm not sure if I'd come back, although I have been coming here for years. It makes me sad to think that while the prices go up, the quality of food and service isn't what it used to be. read more

This is the cutest little family owned restaurant! Did you know that Juan is still alive? He sits in the restaurant everyday. And all of the workers are family members (or married into the family). Walking into this restaurant is like walking into his home - everyone is so welcoming. Also, there is plenty of free parking right outside of the restaurant! The portions are big, the service is great, and they bring your their house made flour and corn tortilla chips to snack on. The food is good but the atmosphere makes it taste that much better. Something to note: they don't have a liquor license but I ordered a wine based margarita, which wasn't bad. read more

Honestly, the food at this place tastes wonderful. It just has very few vegetarian options. The rice is cooked with chicken broth and one of the two varieties of chips they give you as you walk in (piping hot, and delicious) is cooked with lard. Beans are all vegetarian, so you can get extra beans instead of rice, and guacamole comes with several of the dishes, so you can a couple items vegan if you try. Wait staff is friendly and attentively refilled water and chips. Good large serving sizes as well. read more

Juan's Place - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

We showed up at 11am and had the place to ourselves. Guess the lunchtime rush doesn't come till later. Parking was a breeze - Juan's sits in the commercial side of Berkeley - and street parking is abundant. Before even ordering, the waiter brought out warm tortilla chips with two different types of salsa - one was red-colored and mild, the other was green-colored and medium. The food came out within 7 minutes of ordering. I had the half order of Beef Flautas - so it was a Beef Flauta (no 's'). As he set my plate in front of me, he said the plate was very hot. Of course, the first thing I did was stupidly touch the plate to verify that it was in fact hot. After jumping my fingers off the scalding plate, I realized that what I had just done was pretty dumb. They must leave them in an oven or something because that plate was HOT. It came with a generous heaping of rice and re-fried beans. The beans had some mozzarella and cheddar cheese dribbled over it that was delicious. I got a 1/2 order and walked out stuffed. The portions are large here. This is a good, solid Berkeley Mexican spot hidden just enough away from all the major streets that it has become one of those gems known mainly to the locals. read more

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When I was growing up there were a lot more joints like this. While the food isn't mind blowing, particularly compared to some of the stuff you can get in say East San Jose it's really a place to bring a large group of people and pound some margaritas. And shots of tequila. And beer. It's great for thirsty groups (not in the twitter sense, well maybe in the twitter sense) and the portions are more than you'll eat. Juan's Place is a classic and a dying breed. Celebrate it... with some shots! read more

MEEEEEEHHHHHHH Seriously, that's all I gotta say. I don't like Mexican food that reminds me of elementary school cafeteria lunches. Not really into that. Super Burrito is definitely big, which is good. Taste-wise, it isn't necessarily bad, but the flavors just aren't enough to punch me in the face and scream, "I'M DELICIOUS!" It's just okay. Just food. Doesn't taste fresh at all. Definitely not something to get out of the house and drive over there for. Flour tortillla chips WERE pretty interesting and quite good, though. They're doing something right with those, for sure. But they're not enough to bring me back to this place. Meh. read more

Juan's Place - One half of a Super Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

If you're looking for healthy, fresh grilled, fake Mexican food this place is not. If your are looking for a good portioned, greasy and cheesy fried goodness place, Juan's is your spot! Huge portions and I love, love their chips and salsa. The green salsa has the perfect amount of tang to it. My fiance tried the lamb for the first time last time and it was super tasty and not gamy at all! Come hungry, and leave stuffed beyond means! Yum! read more

We just moved to the area & finally made it to Juan's. It's a real multigenerational authentic Mexican family establishment. We got the quesadilla platter -- the shredded chicken one was AMAZING. The chicken was tender and whatever they season the chicken with was just so flavorful & delicious we were in heaven. They served a little extra roll of warm corn and flour tortillas on the side so we could make mini-burritos from the decried beans and red rice. The green and red salsas were classic & yummy. It's comfort food that really hits the spot. Oh - and even though we were just there for takeout because of COVID, we chatted with the staff and they were so friendly. Took great care of us. Tip: If you're doing takeout & picking it up, call them directly or just pop by and place your order there & hang out looking at photos. Intermediary apps take 30%, and we want family businesses like this to get every hard-earned penny. read more

We came here on a Saturday afternoon. There was plenty of parking. The resturant wasn't very busy, so we were seated immediately. I ordered the shrimp fajitas without the veggies because I wanted a plate with just meat, beans, and rice; however, I did not want to order each item a la cart. My food was yummy. The shrimp was cooked thoroughly and well. The beans were topped off with cheese. And the rice was well seasoned. The chili Verde was delicious and was my favorite salsa there. It comes with the chips but I poured it over my meal as well. I would return to try other dishes. I was recommended the crab enchiladas, so next time, I might order that. read more

I haven't back in years but decided that we had to have the FLOUR chips. And YES they hit the spot!!! Nothing better than the decadent deep fried flour chip with their spice green salsa. The wait staff as attentive as we were among the only 3 tables occupied on a Sunday afternoon, strange but whatever it was about the chip. There is there two stars... No stars for the entrees we ordered a full order of nachos which had tons of beef but no flavor, what gives? We also had a couple of variations of the super burrito. No much chicken within. As other reviewers mentioned, not much flavor in anything. Can't say I'll be back too soon. read more

Juan's Place has the best chips and salsa! What I really enjoy about this establishment is that it almost feels like my grandma's house. Especially when I see the salsa set up. Just be mindful that this location can seem hidden. read more

The chips are insanely good.... just, like, ABSURDLY good. I couldn't believe it. They're thicker than the regular chip, and they were like fluffy, friend deliciousness. I ordered the Chili Verde because of Yelp! review, and it was tasty. But what really sent it over the edge was using it as a topping to the flour chips and making my own nachos. Homygawd. Popped over and got 10% off because I was getting my smog checked at the place right across the way. Juan's had me in and out and stuffed as a tick. Yum. read more

Juan's Place - Chili verde - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Juan's is one of those places where the food is consistent albeit not gourmet. A decent sized portion for a reasonable price. We've eaten at Juan's countless times over the years. The service is functional but not always particularly friendly or personable and accuracy can be questionable if it's busy, which it usually is at lunch or dinner time. When we entered, the restaurant was busy but not packed. We were told to wait a minute while they set up a table for our party of four. One of our party had been injured earlier in the day while playing soccer and was limping along with an ice pack on his knee and we asked for the open table just inside the front door. The cashier nodded her approval and we sat. The table was immediately set, water, menus, chips and salsas delivered. We got Chile Verde, Enchilada/Tostada Combination, Carnitas Plate, Chile Rellano, Ice Tea and Diet Coke. We all asked for Corn Tortillas on the side with butter. Everything was flavorful and delicious as expected although apparently I got the last order of Carnitas for the night. While some of the pork was moist and tender, some had been left ouf of sauce too long and got dried and jerky like. We ended up with two orders of flour tortillas and one of corn but we didn't care as we had enough to eat. The server checked by twice during our meal and I had to ask for drink refills but that wasn't a big deal. In my past experience here, the servers usually brought another glass or a pitcher before my tumbler was empty. The highlight of our meal was meeting Juan. He spent a lot of time near the cashier greeting diners as they were entering or leaving. read more

Food is good. Restaurant has been there forever. Chars and tables can you a little remodeling.

Food: 4/5 Price: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambience: 5/5 So happy there's a place that's open on NYE. Juan's is a big local Mexican restaurant with super friendly servers and well loved by local regular customers. As soon as you sit down, you are served with their homemade flour AND corn chips with 2 delicious salsa!!! The chips are super fresh and served warm. The flour chips are so crazy good, tasted like little pieces of freshly fried pizza dough. Portions here are huge! Also don't forget to check their daily special white board for more menu items Carnitas Super Burrito (special menu)- filled with rice, beans, tomato, onion, cheese, jalapenos, lettuce, guacamole and sour cream. This was crazy HUGE!!! We split it among 2 people and still cannot finish it. The flavor was ok, nothing too impressive but not bad either. Their carnitas was not like the regular carnitas, but little pieces of deep fried pork meat. Cheese Enchilada & Chili Relleno combo - served with rice & choice of beans. The entire plate was filled with a delicious red sauce, and the cheese enchilada was very cheesy and delicious! Favorites: * Carnitas Super Burrito ($11.99) * Cheese Enchilada & Chili Relleno combo ($13.99) read more

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Solid, authentic Mexican restaurant. The helpings are more than generous and you could realistically make 2-3 meals out of a full order of anything. It comes out piping HOT and the chips are super addictive...especially the flakey ones. Service is expedient and there's a normal dining area as well as a bar area for variety. read more

Came here on a Sunday for lunch. I consistently come here because I like their food. The location is a little off, but I actually don't mind that it's sorta in nowhere, so plenty of parking is available. The atmosphere is very homey-esque. The place is definitely not a looker and the place can be a little cleaner, so it's pretty much a hole-in-the-wall looking, I was just trying to be nice, but hey, I'm not here to enjoy their decor. The food, well, I like the fact that they have both flour and corn tortillas and chips. It's soooo good, but that really gets me, because I can get so bloated off those chips. Their salsa is not my favorite, but it does the job. Had their fish tacos and the piece of fish is nice and generous and not deep fried. It's tasty. The margarita was also on point. The service: Well, they came back around to check on us with water pretty consistently, so that's a plus. They brought us to-go boxes without us having to ask, so they know what they are doing. Overall: I'm coming back for sure. read more

Juan's Place - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

There's something strange about Juan's that feels stuck out of time and place. I noticed it from the outside: bars over all the windows, the long ramp that wraps around two sides of the front, the way the building takes up the whole corner of the block like a biker clubhouse or a hall where people have wedding receptions, the illuminated sign where the panes have different fonts. Juan's reminds me of a place, or maybe more like a fixture, that you'd find either in a neighborhood of a very big city like Los Angeles, or in a town of 600 people. The feeling that this restaurant doesn't quite fit is what brought me in the door, to the dining room with wood paneling on the walls and faux wood tables like you'd see at a breakfast diner. More anatopisms: it feels like you're somewhere off the highway that feeds truckers rather than in Berkeley. There's something charming about that. However, the food is not so interesting. It's also rather pricey considering it's nothing more than standard Tex-Mex--the kind where they wrap some carne asada in a flour tortilla and plop a gob of sour cream and some iceberg lettuce on top. An order of enchiladas will put you at nearly $20, and a draft Modelo costs almost $5. And it's not like they're making the tortillas by hand or anything like that. I ordered picadillo because it was on special, and while it was fine, I wouldn't want to spend more than $12 on an entree here. I did think the flour tortilla chips were a nice touch. As an oddity, I liked being in here. Next time, though, I think I'll stick to drinking at the bar. read more

A lot of yelp reviewers don't like this place. I have to say I don't think it's as bad as they say but I can understand some frustrations. One plus is that they give you two types of tortilla chips ( flour and corn ) when you sit down. Don't bother ordering the sangria. We had a half pitcher ( small pitcher ) that held several glasses worth in it but the only fruit in it was lemon. It seemed like watered down wine. My combo entree was good sized but a bit on the pricey side of $ 16. It included a tomale, chile relleno and enchilada. It was average tasting......after all it is Mexican food. It's good I had a certificate bought from restaurants.com. 3 stars. read more

Flautas, meet 5 year-old self. Self, meet small bites of deep-fried Heaven. I lived within walking distance of Juan's until I was 8. While other neighborhood kids jumped at the chance for Mickey Ds' golden "chicken" nuggets, I turned them -- and any other treat from any other restaurant -- down in favor of Juan's flautas. Two decades later, Juan's serves the same corn and flour chips and the same made-in-house salsa. The same smorgasbord of old neon beer ads, multi-colored ponchos, and knick-knacks adorn the walls. And I still go back for the same small bites of my childhood, the nostalgia of greasy flauta fingertips, and an ear-to-ear, flauta-induced grin. read more

They have been better in the past but the beer is good and they will not let you leave unhappy which is their strong suit. It's better to eat there and not for take out. read more

W We love Juan's great authentic Mexican food family owned and operated always fresh always delicious we are happy they survived covid shut down so happy to go eat there again. Love all the waiters! read more

I was craving Mexican and found this place on Yelp. The place is a hodgepodge of decor which makes it feel homely. The waiters were prompt but never came by to top off out drinks. The chips and salsa (verde is best) were good and I ordered the cheese enchilada and flauta. I liked the beef in the flauta and enchilada was good. Is go back! read more

Juan's Place - Cheese enchilada, rice and beans. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My home away from home. Meals always fresh, hot and plentiful. Family friendly environment. Family owned and been apart of the community for years!!! read more