I love this spot, big plates, good service from sweet thick pretty ladies, nice ambience, prices are a little bit high tho :(.. Be sure to get a Michelada. Good food! read more

Hello Yelpers and People in the know. I was visiting a friend at Kaiser and on my way home I called La Piñata and asked if I could come in to eat it was close to closing about 20 minutes and they said I could come in and order food to go. So I did and when I got home I was surprised and disappointed. This is Not the experience I've had in the past but I eat inside the Restaurant. The Super Famoso Burrito looked great on the outside but on the inside I was disappointment a little Meat and mostly Rice at $19.00 I received the Salsa, sour cream and guacamole on the side with Chips and the photos show what I received. I do like this Restaurant and Will go back for their Shrimp Cocktail. Thank You for Reading. Reviews help Consumers. read more

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REVIEW YOUR RECEIPTS. I've gone here 2x now for the past 2 months with a big group (10-13 people). On both occasions, I noticed they include the tax when calculating the tip. Last time we were there, tax was calculated at 13%. Then they added that tax to the subtotal to calculate for the supposedly 18% tip for a large group. I brought the issue to their attention. The receipt got revised and the difference in cost got marked as Discount. We tip more than what is printed for a big group. We like the food, the ambiance, the big space and totally appreciate the service. We want to patronize businesses like this. However, their charging practices is not acceptable. read more

The decor is specifically and overwhelming on theme. It's very colorful and cute. The service was very good. The food is expensive, but the portions are huge. The food also tastes good. La Piñata is a chain restaurant, so you always know what you're getting. read more

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You have to sit in the bar and ask for Maria- she make the whole dinning experience worthwhile!!! Maria you are of great asset at La Piñata. read more

La Piñata - San Leandro - Two item combo Gallina en Mole Long Island Ice Tea Pacifico $77 - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

I love the decor, service, and taste! Highly recommend this restaurant if you're into Mexican food! read more

La Piñata - San Leandro - Burrito bowl - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

Solid, Familiar, With a Split Personality La Piñata in San Leandro is one of those long-standing spots that delivers a dependable experience. It's a restaurant with two very distinct vibes under one roof. Ambience: One of the more interesting aspects is the clear divide in atmosphere. The right side feels like a traditional family-style Mexican restaurant--warm, casual, and comfortable, perfect for groups, kids, and relaxed sit-down meals. The left side, however, shifts gears into a more modern bar setting with moodier lighting and a livelier feel. Food: The menu sticks to classic Mexican-American staples. Portions are generous and flavors are familiar, though not particularly bold or elevated. Everything we tried was good, satisfying, and consistent--but nothing truly surprised us. You come here knowing exactly what you're getting, which isn't a bad thing, but at this point it feels more reliable than exciting. Service: Service lands right in the middle. Staff were friendly and professional, but the pacing felt a bit uneven--some moments very attentive, others slightly slow. Nothing was outright wrong, just not the kind of service that leaves a lasting impression. Overall: La Piñata earns its stars by being solid across the board without excelling in any single category. It's a dependable choice for a casual family meal or a laid-back drink at the bar, especially if you value familiarity and consistency. Overall, a respectable neighborhood staple. read more

La Piñata - San Leandro - La Piñata Platter, #9 - 2 Small Flautas & 1 Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

Been coming here over 20 years. I usually come to this restaurant at least twice a month for good Pescado, drinks and service. Spend anywhere from $80 to $100 plus. Today was the worst experience I've ever had. My female server sucked, she was rude and obnoxious. I was clear with my order and she still f'kd it up. She was lazy and spent most of her time behind the bar drinking and talking to the bartender while I waited 35 min for all of my food to be brought out all together including salad, salsa and chips. I had to go to the bar to get water and order a drink. After my food was served she didn't check back until nearly 20 min later. I spoke to the manager to vent and he was very polite and offered nothing. He said the server name was Sophia when I asked to include her in this post but when the tab came out it said the employee name is Deborah. I had no problem with paying my bill but because of her service and non chalant attitude I will be spending my coins and business elsewhere. Totally unacceptable. I must add the men service (Bartender/male servers) there is awesome it's mostly females that's non English speaking and with attitude which is a no go in customer service environment. read more

I've never been, but my boyfriend used to come here a lot and we were really craving Mexican. On a Saturday night, the restaurant wasn't packed, but had plenty of patrons dining in. Our server was nice, but was stretched thin with her parties. We only saw her before the meal, and afterwards. I got an order of steak fajitas and thought it was yummy, the steak had a nice char and flavor and all the fixings on the side such as guac, pico, and beans/rice really made each bite delicious. My boyfriend ordered a burrito and thought it was good too, he was glad that the flavors haven't changed since the last time he visited. Comes with housemade chips and salsa, really appreciated that the salsa had a kick of spice to it. read more

La Piñata - San Leandro - Guacamole - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

I went back. It was a slower Sunday afternoon. It was a different experience. Prompt service and good micheladas! It's not cheap but much better experience, read more

I met a family friend that I had not seen in 10 years for lunch. She lives in Fremont and I flew into OAK, so LP was conveniently located. She ordered carne asada, while I had the carnitas (each about $30). TBH at first I thought the meal would be mediocre: The chips were stale. However, when the platters arrived, I started changing my mind - It was a lot of food! Her platter also had french fries, in addition to the traditional beans & rice. My carnitas was moist and nicely seasoned. I ate both of my hand made tortillas, and I barely put a dent in my portion: I had a lot of sobras (leftovers). Maybe it was bc she gave me half her steak, that was nicely charred and seasoned. The only downside to the platters was the price. Regarding the ambiance, they have plenty of tables and booths. Some high school grads dropped by with large parties. There is also a separate bar area past the restrooms. The service from Herbierto was excelente. He took good care of us, and didn't mind we occupied the table for two hours to catch up. We both raised a glass of tequila to our late fathers, who were close friends and drinking buddies. I would definitely return to LP to have good Mexican food and excellent service. They really make you feel at home here. read more

La Piñata - San Leandro - Carnitas (~$30) very good, big portion but high price - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

It's been awhile since I've been here, nothing really change. The food is always good, customer service is awesome. I'm glad we are here. It was a good call. read more

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Food is delicious , service is always great, ambience great overall. My favorite platter is "camarones a la diabla" their recipe style is unique, i have not been able to find another restaurant that can simulate this recipe. read more

We were in the area and we decided to come here for dinner, This will be my last time coming. I order a single shrimp taco ala carte and a side salad . The salad was really old mine and my husband, it was just old wet and saggy lettuce with croutons, we ask them to change it, the second one was still the same I got charge 5 dollars for it I try one piece and left it it was nasty, my shrimp taco was basically a big hand made tortilla with 8o% tomatoes and 15% Tiny pieces of shrimp a couple pieces of cabbage, all I could taste was tomato's that has been sitting for a while, my husband food was flavorless and the hand made tortillas where hard, I would not be coming here again. read more

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Great spot to grab some Mexican food after hitting the links & Monarch Bay Golf Club! Their housemate chips & salsa have a kick to it & come out quickly. The bar area has some nice decor as well, perfect to enjoy a wet burrito with some fire wings! read more

Every employee is very polite and hard working. Food was delicious. The restaurant is very clean. Thanks for the great food.

Food - 4.5/5, Price: $$, Drinks - 4/5, Service 5/5 We celebrated a family birthday at Piñata's on a Monday night. It was a spacious dining area with plenty of seating. I got the carnitas dinner platter which could honestly feed 2-3 people, and came with rice, beans, and jalapeños. The carnitas were super tasty. One of my dinner mates got al pastor tacos, which were good but very sweet. Another got the sopes dinner with chicken and carne asada - she asked for refried beans on top (they normally come on the side) and the sopes masa was thick and fluffy yet light. The fajitas were also generously portioned and tasty as well. For drinks we got two margaritas and two virgin piña coladas. They were good, and the waiter asked if we wanted seconds. I could see how drinks would add up to a $$$ bill. Overall, I like that the restaurant is family owned and family oriented as well. Would come again on a weeknight. read more

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Sometimes you just want some menudo Or perhaps you are craving some lengua Or maybe you just want a lovely breakfast that is a blend of American and Mexican favorites This is your spot. Ample parking. Great service. A staff that seeks to make sure you enjoy the meal and your time at the restaurant. read more

Just recently steeped into La Piñata after nearly 7 years! Baby, the wet burrito was I order a shredded chicken wet burrito, and the proposition of rice, to beans, to meat, to cheese was pure perfection!!!! The burrito was huge. And yes, of course I added a margarita and a side of chips and salsa! The service was excellent, and super quick. Winner winner, burrito dinner! read more

Ordered through DoorDash an enchilada dinner & chips with salsa. Only received chips and salsa after waiting an hour for my food. Never ordering from here, how do you forget the main entree? read more

La Piñata - San Leandro - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

I just want to thank you ! We had a party for 45 people. The food was outstanding and the service was excellent. They took good care of us from the beginning to the end. We will definitely return and tell others. Thank you ! Thank you！ read more

La Piñata - San Leandro - Surprise Birthday Celebration - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

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Came here with my family for my birthday dinner. I hadn't been here in years. The spot was clean and well decorated for the holidays. The customer service started off bad. We went a while with no service to refill drinks or chips while we were figuring out what to order. But the service was excellent after that. I ordered the cheese enchilada dinner with a side order of corn tortillas. This was excellent. Flavors brought t back to my childhood when I would visit the original La Piñata in Hayward. So good. I was upset that the order of corn tortillas is now only two tortillas. When it used to be three tortillas for a long time growing up. read more

La Piñata - San Leandro - Cheese Enchiladas - Dinner (2 Items) - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

Two of us order the crab enchilada and could not find the meat. Two others ordered the breakfast chili verde and the egg was hard. Others in our group of 9 had tacos, burritos and carnitos. The food was plenty but was lacking in flavor, very bland. They also added the tip to the bill and then asked for additional tipping? read more

So I call in at 6:21pm, ordered 2 burritos. No big deal. Gave me an ETA of 10 minutes. Get here at 6:40pm. Food should be ready by now. I gave them 20 minutes instead of the 10 minutes they gave me. Paid for food, they said it's almost done. Ok no problem. About 4 people came in and picked up their orders that were ready when they got there. Great! Well it's now 7pm. I asked if the food was ready, guess what they said. - "oh it's almost done" are you f'n serious??? They weren't even busy inside!!!! How tf can you mess up this little order of 2 burritos and a bag of chips. Yall were my favorite for a while. But for some reason, yall suck with time management. Done with yall! read more

La Piñata - San Leandro - The reciept - I paid at 6:42pm - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

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Service is hit and miss. We treated our friends to dinner. We were seated in a corner to the right with a wobbly table. I asked the server for a booth. She nodded, walked away. She pointed to a both table that needed to be cleaned and cleared. We stood there about 10 minutes. The servers walked all around us as we were waiting for our table. My guest approached a server and told her we are waiting...finally a tall guy came and cleared the table. I felt really bad that my guests had to experience this treatment. So we sat down got menus, 15 minutes later same guy took our order. The food was good. After we ate, I asked for the manager, the same tall middle age guy came to table. I politely recounted our experience as he just glared at me. I told him this was the first time our guest dined here and I'm disappointed in the service. He mumbled something and walked away. I paid the bill, left a small tip and note on the receipt. Note: 4 African American seniors. I hope management reads reviews and improve sevice. read more

La Piñata is consistent and good. I don't think it's the best Mexican place I've ever had but it's tried and true. I mostly like coming here for happy hour, or apps and drink kind of night. The restaurant is large, I like the bar area that to the left of the restaurant after entering. It's pretty cute with couches, and high tables. They have fun flavored margaritas. We like to share to share the sample platter with quesadillas, wings, nachos, etc. again I've had better food elsewhere but it goes well with their tasty margaritas and some chisme with the girlies. Recommend if you want a quick simple hour. Service is attentive! read more

La Piñata - San Leandro - La Pinata Platter - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

La Pinata has has been around for ages but only visited the San Leandro location (recently) for work happy hour. No special menu or pricing just menu of appetizers, entrees, desserts (not all available) and of course, drinks. Ended up sitting in the bar area with lounge seating (2 couches and a coffee table) which made for relaxed get together...that is, for maybe an hour or 2. Since we ended up being there for 3.5 hours til closing, 9pm (as former colleague had lots to say) it can get a bit uncomfortable. Items ordered 3 - 3.5 stars: LA PINATA PLATTER - $26 Quesadilla, jalapeño poppers, potato skins chicken wings, mini chimichangas, nachos with sour cream and guacamole and nachos....Great for sharing and all decent but the chicken wings were super salty! STEAK NACHOS - $16 - pinto beans, Monterey Jack with cheese, jalapeños, guacamole and sour cream - simple and satisfies the nacho crave CHURROS with ICE CREAM - fried nicely and delivered hot - perfect Drinks were good but pricey (hmmm...pina colada $16) and 5 dessert options on the menu but only 2 were available. Our server would return each time saying "we don't have it".... Service attentive and efficient which elevated rating to another star. Plenty of lot parking with outside dining available but no table service. Order inside and food brought out. read more

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I was unimpressed !! I used to go all the time now it just sucks the food does And the service did too honestly! I don't See myself going there ever again ! It's overpriced and the carne asada was like Billy goat or worse! When asked how it was we answered terrible and he was like that's good !! It was like 80 For three of us and. Two of the meals were Hardly eaten. Very very disappointing ! Taco Bell would be better even their steak is!! That's pretty sad read more

Been going here for 42 years. The food is very rich, with amazing flavors and thick sauces. This is not a taqueria, this is hearty plates and traditional food. read more

I've always heard many stories about La Piñata being the go to place. I finally had a chance to try it. I wasn't impressed. The location wasn't very clean and the staff weren't very friendly. The menu had many options but I tried things A La Carte. I had Chicken Flautas, a tamale and my partner had a burrito. He enjoyed his burritos however I didn't enjoy my food it tasted premade. We ordered cocktails and they were on the sweeter side. We paid the bill and headed out but I wouldn't return. read more

We were a table of seven. Service was spot on. Food was good. Because this was a business group, I did not take pictures but everyone appeared to enjoy their food. I ordered a Combination #13, which is an Enchilada (I got chicken), Chili Relleno, Rice & Beans. Delicious! read more

Friendly table service. Delicious Mexican food. The ambiance was authentic. This is a family favorite. The servings are worth the price. read more

La Piñata - San Leandro - #5 - 1 Enchilada, 1 Chile Relleno & 1 Taco - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

This is the first time that I have had a bad experience with the quality of the food. We had out of town visitors and decided to go have dinner at La Piñata. I was so embarrassed because we had ordered menudo and there was no flavor whatsoever. We tried doctoring it with the onions, crushed chili flakes and salt but it still had no flavor. We ended up sending it all back. Not sure if there was a new cook or it was just leftover from the previous day. read more

La Piñata was a disappointing choice for lunch on our way to the marina for our power walk. The food was bland, and the corn tortilla was inedible. Nachos would have been a better option. Unfortunately, I ordered the red snapper street tacos and regrettably cannot request a refund. But the upside of the experience, the customer service was decent. There was a beautiful rose on the table that looks to be thriving and out of the corner of my eye the bar looked a little bright and jazzy. So today we have to give them three thumbs down. My lunch companion did enjoy their burrito. But how can you really go wrong with a burrito? Don't my food look gross!! read more

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I have been dining here for over 20 years. The other day my granddaughter ordered shrimp fajitas. The shrimp was grey. Still chilly. Clearly frozen. DO BETTER! read more

Yes. My go to for Cadillac margaritas. They also make a purple Cadillac margarita that is a must have. Try their street tacos alongside. Yum. read more

La Piñata - San Leandro - Cadillac Margarita, outta control. - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

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Really low quality food. I don't know how Mexican food can be this bad in California. Flavor, presentation, service...short of the tortillas chips that were purchased elsewhere, none of that can be found here. read more

Stopped coming for years. Decided to try again and was not disappointed. We got the shredded beef famoso. Came with more than enough meat this time. Very delicious hope its back to the way it was read more

My Number #1 place since I was young, So nostalgic!! Always got amazing service, The rice here is SO soft and flavourful same with the Salsa, if I could I would buy a months supply of It read more

We recently celebrated my mom's 73rd birthday at La Piñata Restaurant in San Leandro this past May 2025, and we had a wonderful experience! From start to finish, the staff made us feel so welcome and taken care of. Our waiters were incredibly kind and attentive, and the service truly stood out. We enjoyed some delicious margaritas and ordered the fajitas...which were excellent...and the carnitas, which were absolutely spectacular. Toward the end of the meal, the staff came over to sing to my mom and brought out a lovely dessert to celebrate. It was such a thoughtful touch that made her day even more special. Thank you so much to everyone at La Piñata for the amazing hospitality. We will definitely be back! read more

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