Lousy food. Beans were old and dry. Steak tacos also old and dry. Service remarkably unfriendly. One guy literally just shoved my drink at me. The people seemed unhappy. On the upside they were generous with their chips. For what I paid, I would hope so. I'll stick with Los Moles down the street. read more

I first started going to Juan's Place in late 70's. It isn't fancy, but they have good food and lots of chips. They also are good to take young children, which we did. My wife and I hadn't been there for a 8 or 10 yrs and decided to go there again, and it didn't disappoint. read more

Down home Mexican food. Good price for stick-to-your-ribs tasty Mexican. Old school dated interior that in my opinion adds to the charm. Ask for the flour chips if you are hungry. Not a common thing in Mexican restaurants...more like California style Mexican food. Get the mole chicken enchiladas!! read more

Always great to come back to Juan's place. Have been coming here for more than 30 years, since back when I was a student at Cal. The food was excellent, service was better. Addicted to the flour tortilla chips and almost always order the "Matadors". Only had a half order "con pollo" this time. An old man has to know his limitations. Plenty of good food, rice and refried beans. Attentive and friendly service. Was sad that there was not a bigger crowd, but it was kind of mid-afternoon. Go Bears! And Go to Juan's!!! read more

They have Super Burritos that take up an entire plate. The taste is out of this world amazing. Staff is friendly. Place is clean and inviting. Great place for a small party! I went there for my birthday. read more

Juan's has become a bit of a tradition to come to after Cal football games, and our group and I have become regulars. The best thing about Juan's is the service. Everyone is friendly, and I even saw them going out of their way to make sure that a group of sight-impaired folks were able to find their way to the restroom, and could catch their ride sharing cars back home - how awesome is that? I love that they have flour and corn chips, and mixed with the guacamole is always a great starter. Their burrito is pretty enormous, but my favorite would have to be the mole enchiladas. Make sure to take a look at the chalkboard to see what specials there are too! read more

Authentic Mexican food hosted,cooked and served by a Berkeley family that has great food!

Me and Juan go way, way, way back - all the way to my undergrad days at Cal when coming here was considered a treat after mid-terms. Not so much after finals when all I wanted to do was get out of Dodge rather than have a seafood feast at Spenger's. I had the bright idea of taking Jamie W. here after taking a seaside stroll around Cesar Chavez Park. It wasn't busy and full of blue-collar buddies downing brewskies. Certainly not the strawberry margaritas that I would have sipped as a late blooming teenager. Those were scratched off our personal menu this evening. But finding nutritional options has always been a challenge at Juan's, especially when they plop two bowls of their thick, deep-fried tortilla chips (photo: http://bit.ly/2Hr46LW). They could not be ignored even with the open jars of slightly congealed salsa. Jamie decided to go for the $10.99 Vegetarian Super Burrito which came with a plop of sour cream and a plop of guacamole on top of it (photo: http://bit.ly/2vJH5CW). Inside was a lot of rice, a few refried beans, not too much cheese, and barely any evidence of vegetation (photo: http://bit.ly/2Hk2U0V). All in all, it satisfied Jamie's minimal standards for a bean burrito just barely. I tried to order healthy with the $13 Grilled Shrimp Salad, but I kinda blew it by having the 1,000 island dressing on the side. There were plenty of shrimp, fifteen according to my count and they definitely hit the griddle. It's just that they had that unmistakable flash-frozen taste. They came on top of chopped Romaine lettuce, red peppers, tomato slices, and broccoli florets (photo: http://bit.ly/2qPOZoq). It was probably the best I could do at Juan's, though it made me realize that you have to go there with gluttony as your goal because everyone else was getting plates of saucy enchiladas and gooey quesadillas. Nos vemos mas tarde, Juan. FOOD - 3 stars...healthy is not the best option AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...still the same cantina from days of yore SERVICE - 3 stars...like they've done it thousands of times before TOTAL - 3 stars...nostalgic Mexican food for those who miss it read more

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Juan's Place is kinda tucked away, nestled a few blocks from the San Pablo Ave corridor in a converted corner house (not my pic https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juans-place-berkeley?select=Ff7iEzr67YtW_oG_9ZSZ9A). I tried the carnitas plate which has a pile of chopped pork doused in a mild red salsa (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juans-place-berkeley?select=bqYBBdjx-ZahUgrz8f46rg) and comes with some flour tortillas on the side (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juans-place-berkeley?select=t5X6pgrIut1RJJATInw3cQ). The carnitas were OK, but not the rave-worthy protein that some reviews wax over. The meat was tender enough, but more of a chopped, roasted prep than what I was expecting (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juans-place-berkeley?select=FM-TWbzgcLNFNi1vDHIZmA) What did stand out was the flour tortilla chips, which come out alongside some corn chips and a couple of salsas (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juans-place-berkeley?select=Tmu7NWCBXViv-SHCmd3PkQ). This was the first that I can remember having these flaky morsels (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juans-place-berkeley?select=XPS9DjqmfF6ZNz_4bkyLug) and I was hooked. Though not enough to make me a regular here . . . ;-) read more

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Old school Mexican food...Been coming here for years. My grandmother won't eat here because they cook with Lard. I stopped talking to her over it. That's just code for " Trump Voter " so I disassociated. Just old school with rope vibes here. read more

Got the fish fajitas and asada/steak nachos. Definitely recommend! Great portions and delicious. Appreciate the various options, either to stay authentic and have healthier options available. read more

Juan's Place - Steak Full Order of Nachos with Meat - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We visited Juan's Place about a year ago, and had a pleasant experience. It's not the nicest place, but the chips and salsa were good (they still are), and the food was good, too. So we decided to go back yesterday, Saturday, at about 1 p.m. We walked in, and nobody else was there. We were seated by an older man who didn't seem like he wanted to be there. After a few minutes of waiting, he brought some chips, salsa and water. He then spilled water all over our table (it happens), but he didn't even say anything, he just cleaned it up, and walked away. Then, we waited, and waited, and waited and waited. Let me remind you that we were the only ones in the restaurant. After about 10-15 minutes, another family comes in, and they were seated. The two men working seemed like they knew the family that came in, because they were immediately given chips and salsa, and their drink order was taken. Our drink order hadn't been taken, yet. So they brought them drinks, including what looked like blended margaritas. All before our drink order was even taken. So we just got up and walked out. It was very frustrating. Not to mention the price of everything is ridiculously high. 2 tacos with beans and rice is around $25? The picture of the menu on Yelp is out-dated. Prices have since gone up. We might go back just for the chips and salsa and maybe a drink, but we're not wasting our money on trying to get good service or ordering any crazy expensive food. read more

Juan's is our favorite restaurant, and not just in Berkeley. Why? It's because good fresh homemade authentic Mexican food is so hard to find these days. Juans pays attention to every part of their delicious food. Don't believe me?Consider something as simple as black beans. I thought (stupidly!) that they just used large size cans of black beans. Or maybe also added some seasonings after perhaps. But Juan's makes them the old-fashioned way from scratch starting with dried beans and then slow cooking them for hours with garlic and their own concoction of special herbs including epazote. Say what? Apparently epazote is used in everyday cooking in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca and the Yucatan Peninsula and has notes of oregano, anise, citrus and mint. Epazote is also purported to reduce the gas and bloating experienced by many when eating beans and cruciferous vegetables. How many other restaurants would think of slow cooking with an ingredient as tasty and beneficial as this aromatic herb to their black beans?! These loving details run through all of their cooking from the chili rellenos with lots of egg to the garlic shrimp with tons of garlic. Even their chips are homemade with both corn and flour chips. But be sure to get a side order of guacamole made from ripe avocados. And of course you get corn and flour tortillas with every meal. Lastly, we've never been to Juans without getting a pitcher of blended margaritas. These are wine margaritas, since Juan's only can serve beer and wine but we like the tangy lime flavor much better. Cheers, and see you there! read more

Juan's Place - The aromatic herb Epazote, added to Juan's black beans. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I love this place. The front of house staff are so friendly and the chefs whip up some delicious plates of authentic California-style Mexican food. It's not flashy but it's damn good. Sometimes you want to sit down and have a huge plate of Chili Verde and some delicious Rice and Beans. Or some steaming hot Enchiladas. Go to Juan's. Make it a regular occurrence like I do. read more

My parents would take our family here when I was very young, and we continued to go until pretty recently. I'd visit from out of state (before I moved back to the Bay) and request to go here for my Mexican food fix, because let's be honest-- CA has the best Mexican food and nothing beat Juan's for years. Unfortunately, they've gone a bit down hill. The same staff who has always been there still works there, which is cool, but they may be on their way to retirement. Whether you get the enchiladas, red or green sauce, the chile rellenos... it's all still quite good (4/5 stars easily) but not what it used to be. It might be that the sauce is on the watery side, or the meat is a teeny bit dry... just not perfect anymore. Still worth trying it out, though for a satisfying meal. read more

Absolutely my favorite restaurant ever! I've been eating at Juan's for fifty years and it's never disappointed.

We came from Sacramento to celebrate my daughter's 52nd birthday and we were not disappointed. The food was as good as I remembered when I last came here many years ago. There was only one waitress working today and she went all out to make our meal enjoyable. Thank you so much for a great afternoon! read more

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

Great Mexican cuisine in Berkeley! Very homely feeling for decades. Love this place, the food and the help. The bar is great with a couple TVs to watch the games. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. It's all good here! Try the Chile Colorado and chicken soup and you will be stuffed and your taste buds will thank you. Enchiladas and chili rellano are also in my top 5 along with the tacos. read more

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

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Chips are excellent. They changed the menu. Quite pricy now. Over $90 for quick lunch for 3!!! Main entree has always been just average. read more

Fantastic lil spot I discovered when I had to get my tire changed a few blocks away. Service was amazing, I couldn't make up my mind i I wanted a tamale or burrito so they made me both. Delicious. Definitely coming back. read more

Great food, fun atmosphere. Out of the way part of Berkeley means plenty of street parking.

Went to lunch here with the coworkers before checking out the humane society across the street. Parking is street and wasn't too hard to find. Building didn't look like a restaurant or bar and we were confused to where the entrance was lol. Decor is old but the employees were friendly and attentive. Anyways I'm glad we found our way in because the food was good and had a great home type feeling which was was satisfying. We ordered a grilled chicken burrito, carnitas nachos, grilled shrimp salad, and an enchilada plate. The complimentary chips and salsa were amazing! Flour and corn chips and red and green salsa. I had the nachos which was enough to share with everyone(but i didn't haha)The carnitas were nice huge chunks cooked to perfection and tasted awesome. Everyone else agreed their orders were great and the mole was tasty. The burrito was huge! Would definitely go back again. read more

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Servers were rushing me! I didn't sit down for 2 minutes! Hey was already asking me for my order. Steak fajitas was burnt! I asked for flour tortillas they gave me corn Never going here again! They seem to reuse the salsa bowls FOR EACH CUSTOMER BE CAREFUL ! read more

Decently priced food, came with a large party. Served us a variety of complimentary (or so we thought) salsas, hot sauces, tortilla chips, and guacamole. Food was great (not pictured) ranging from classic burritos to Mole and quesadillas. Their flan was also a good deal, around $3. Food and service aside, the off-putting event of the night was when we realized we had gotten significantly overcharged at the end of the night. Perhaps our fault too for over trusting and not calculating, but this may be the reason I may not come back, although aside from this the food was good. D Food (taste + good deal?) - 4/5 Service - 4.5/5 Realizing charges don't add up - 0/5 read more

Great service. Great food. One of the only places in the bay that still serves complimentary chips and salsa. They have a full bar and also offer sangria and wine margaritas. The waiters are always so nice and attentive. This place is family-owned and just so authentic and good. It's so annoying to sift through taqueria after taqueria. This is a Mexican Restaurant, and it's my fave! P.S. the flaky chips are to die for! read more

Juan's Place - Flaky, wonderful, complimentary chips with two salsa! Complimentary chips and salsa is uncommon in the bay Juan's has it though - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

UNCOMPROMISING OLD SCHOOL After a Friday night, which was a day before the Big Game between Cal and Stanford, when I didn't enjoy my sour beer at The Rare Barrel I wanted to get something to eat for dinner. Instead of driving all around Berkeley I was hoping to find something close by. Luckily there was a place that was walking distance. I never have been at Juan's Place before. I didn't know what to expect. Unlike the modern setting at The Rare Barrel the décor inside Juan's Place has an old school feel with its wood paneling wall. That type of atmosphere weeds out unwanted customers who want to be pampered. When you look at the menu there is no modern take on Mexican cuisine. It's food that is served probably since when Juan's Place opened. I ordered the chunky beef crispy tacos. I was hesitant of ordering them as they might seem like tacos that are sold in Taco Bell. However I rarely order crispy tacos so I decided to order them. The crispy tacos at Juan's Place aren't the skimpy crispy taco shells at Taco Bell. Each crispy taco was a size of sandwich. They were delicious and filling. What really stood out was the portions of my dish - the tacos were filled with meat, letter, and sour cream while my plate was full of rice and beans. I don't really review places due to their chips. However these chips served were exceptional. There were flour and corn chips to reveal the different type of textures. What made these chips exceptional was they were oily - the way old school chips served in Mexican restaurants should be. I just love oily chips at a Mexican restaurant - none of this vegan chips serve in Berkeley. I don't mind change when it comes to food. In fact I believe it's important that change is needed if it's for the better. However I like things that are simply made. I also like eateries that are uncompromising to attract the new, young customers. I'm not saying Juan's Place is the best Mexican eatery I ever ate at, but I like how simple the food is. If you want to take the family out to eat a Mexican restaurant without the interruptions of loud, young crowd I suggest eating at Juan's Place. read more

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Starting to not want to patronize this place. They always rush you to order. I finally said something today, so dam annoying. Yes I'm going to order I didn't come here to moonlight!! And the male waiter always gets too close to you and a bit touchy. It's just too much. After today I think I'm done. I'm trying to sit and eat go bother some other body man!! And had the audacity to start cleaning the tables with a strong chemical spray. I'm calling my credit card company, I couldn't even finish what I paid for! They need to be shut down!! From another recent review I know I'm not the only woman who experienced this crap! read more

Not for foodies or people that want to take photos of fancifully plated dishes. Juan's Place is for people who want lots of authentic Mexican comfort food. Corn and flour tortilla chips. Red and green salsas. The black beans are the best I've ever had. The guacamole is actually creamy, though dairy free. The grilled fajita burritos are the only burrito one should order here. One of my all-time favorite Mexican joints, though it took about 30 years for the staff to begin recognizing me. :) read more

Juan's Place - Guacamole tostada with black beans and a red cheese enchilada. Yum. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Shit service on a Sunday afternoon. Walked in around 1:30pm. Two people at the bar and two people seated at a table. I grab a seat at the bar and scroll through my phone waiting for service. Five minutes go by and no one comes out. Finally a little old lady comes out with some food for the table and scurries back not the kitchen. No acknowledgment. She comes back out again after a couple of minutes and returns back to the kitchen. I leave after 10 not waiting. Don't waste your time here. I won't waste my time here again. read more

You walk into a suburban Tex-Mex place from the year 1978. I assume that if you got this far, you expected that and it is a plus rather than a minus. The service is cheerful if basic. The food, on the other hand, is pretty bland and heavy. Ingredients were a bit fresher than they would have been in 1978, but we had enchiladas and chiles rellenos and all of it was mostly a big puddle next to the refried beans. I left with a lot of affection for Juan's, and I want it to stay open so I can retrieve a car after hours from Oceanworks. I wonder if there is any way they could update the taste and structure of the food just a tad without compromising our collective memory and whether I would even want them to? read more

I was pretty hungry from a long trip... and this was the first restaurant I saw once I got to my destination. It was pretty slow at this time of day. Walked in and it had that very distinct old corner bar smell and every wall was decorated with pictures or beer tin tackers. The service was awesome and quick. They gave me two types of chips and two types of salsa. I ordered a huge burrito with no onions but every few bites I could take an onion. At first I thought maybe it was from the guacamole but these bites were not on that side. I had water, but instead of getting me a larger cup they just refilled the small baby one 6 or 7 times. The meat in the burrito was pretty darn tasty (Al Pastor) and can imagine it being amazing in a taco. Overall, I would probably stop here again. Solid food with good service. I can see it getting really loud if its full, not a terribly large space but they optimize what they have. read more

Juan's Place - Two different types of chips - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Great service, amazing food and kind waiters. I am all about service and let me tell you they are amazing!! Their green salsa is good and their quesadillas were fresh and hot. read more

Long time customer. I love the chiles rellenos plate!

Totally standard, old-school, American-style Mexican food. Creamy, pale guacamole. Tacos are assumed to be crispy. Not terrible. read more

Juan's Place - Rice and Beans a la Carte - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Maybe this place used to be good, back in the day?I sure wouldn't recommend it now.. I've been here a couple of times and the only good things are the chips and salsas. My most recent visit i ordered the shrimp enchilada, and i couldn't finish it. The shrimp was not fresh & it tasted horrible like refrigerator.. the refried beans taste like they are from a can, and margarita is just that cheap premade mix. The staff is nice, but with so many other options for Mexican food in the bay, just avoid this place and go somewhere better. read more

My boyfriend and I ordered the shrimp fajitas dinner. It had lots of veggies and shrimp plus sides of beans with cheese and rice including corn tortillas. We enjoyed every bite. I personally don't eat a whole lot and I was able to make three meals out of it . I recommend this place and it has the old school family owned vibe. We loved it!! read more

The food is amazing, but the service is exceptional! I had the carnitas and they were the best I've had. We were just visiting or we would be back weekly. read more

I have been going to Juan's since it opened in 1972. Juan was very engaging Until his passing. The torch has been passed to his two sons. Spent time with Tony yesterday and shared memories. The best salsa and chips and Mexican food on the planet. We moved away a few years ago and we continue to make it a must stop when we are in town. All I can say is that it amazing and I am great full Juan's Place is in good hands and doing well. read more

It's been here forever. The prices remind me of the 70s. The food is the SoCal style I remember from childhood. Served by someone's Tio. All good. read more

The nastiest Mexican food I have ever ate I wish I can rate this place -0. One of the waiters was smoking outside of the restaurant the goes back inside doesn't wash his hands and starts handing out silverware to the customers. I wanted to puke absolutely disgusting. read more