My wife and I tried Mesa Maguey for lunch last Sunday. We walked in...it wasn't crowded on a Sunday. We loved the decor. Very comfortable tables/seating. Friendly staff. We ordered rose sangria and 3 plates to share: ceviche, flautas, and empanadas. We didn't wait long for the drinks and food. The ceviche was excellent. The flautas and empanadas were good (we've had better elsewhere) so we'll likely try other dishes when we go here again. Good quality food at reasonable prices. Again, friendly, attentive staff. We enjoyed our lunch and visit to this restaurant. Looking forward to returning. Definitely going to try their mole. read more

Fridays at Mesa Maguey are very fun, there is a musician and the vibe is very happy. Service is good, the staff is amicable and always checking in. Their flautas and chilaquiles are delicious and their regular ceviche very flavorful. Prices are great. A little tip: always ask for the price of the specials, we ordered a special ceviche thinking the prices would be similar than the rest of the dishes and when we got the bill it was the most expensive dish of the whole menu, and we actually left more than half of the place because we didn't like it, we usually have a great experience here and is one of our quick and nice to go places, but this was a bit of a bummer. read more

Came here for dinner and a comedy show Monday night. First impression, it's a really cute spot. I love the decor, the colors, the ambiance, and the artwork in the back where the comedy show was held. Even the bathroom is so cute!! And that is saying something because I never take pictures of bathrooms for reviews lol. The food is just as pretty as the decor. Every plate we ordered came out looking beautiful. The 4 stars is really because although the food looks pretty, I would say everything tastes okay, nothing really stood out particularly in taste. If this review was based on food tastes alone, and not looks, vibes, and the great show, it would've been 3 stars. The flautas were a bit too hard for me. Ive had way better flautas at El Torito's in San Leandro. Although there were only like 6 of us total in the audience for the show, it was still really enjoyable. The host, Tony Parker has great energy, and a lot of the comics (I think were like 5 or 6) had us laughing throughout. No one was safe lol. All in all, a really cute place for date night and comedy show. Apparently they have them Sunday-Thursday nights, and they're free! read more

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Finally made it here after driving by for months! The restaurant is charming and despite it being packed on a Sunday night, service was pretty attentive. The food was great, but the real highlight for me was the mole sauce. I'm pretty particular about it, and it did not disappoint! I think I'll order something that comes with that on all future visits. read more

Mesa Maguey - Enmoladas - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

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What a treat..was in the area midweek, saw they have a happy hour, and stopped in. Received a warm welcome and joined a few folks at the bar. The place was wide open otherwise and they have lots of seating. Feels like you're in a cantina in Mexico - Very festive! Had a delicious tamarind marg. Ordered the carnitas memelas and was planning on ordering more but dayum those memelas were big and filling and delicious! My bill came out to under $25 (pre tip)! Will be back :) read more

Mesa Maguey - carnitas memelas; tamarind mexcalarita in the back - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

Overall, this place is pretty awesome especially for Happy Hour. I had the chicken mole and it was good. Not the best mole I have ever had but it was really solid. A little more guajillo forward than the typical mole. The guacamole was awesome. The service was a little chaotic but the owner was awesome/funny. Check it out. read more

Mesa Maguey - Guacamole and salsa - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

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Delicious authentic Mexican food! Vibe was intimate and colorful with cool local art. We were greeted warmly by our server and got seated by the window. Menu looked yummy! We got the memelitas with chorizo and carnitas, the beef soup special, and the 2 taco seafood plate with tempura fish and grilled shrimp, rice and refried black beans The food arrived beautifully made and all of it was flavorful and delicious. Homemade corn tortillas, freshly made meats, colorful veggies and creamy flavorful sauces. Lovely addition to Broadway. Service was great, prices were decent and there's street parking. I'd love to try the chilaquiles next! read more

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This Mexican restaurant in Oakland is AMAZING. I came here with my family for my graduation and it was the perfect spot. There was live music and colorful decor. The drinks were great and reasonably priced. I came in a group and all of us loved our entrees. The beef barbacoa was so juicy, tender, and flavorful. The portion sizes were great. I will definitely be coming back for drinks or a nice meal! read more

Mesa Maguey - Beef Barbacoa - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

It was Comedy Tuesday in Oaktown. The atmosphere was intimate and lively, a perfect date night in the Temescal neighborhood. We stuck with light meals like guacamole and chips with a trio of salsas. We also got Memelitas and Empanadas. Service was warm and attentive even while the show was going on and the staff even played along with some of the comedians. Mesa Maguey is definitely a hidden gem on Broadway. Tuesday nights are a blast and it may become your Tuesday night spot. 4.5 stars read more

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With the amount of taquerias and Mexican restaurants in the area, it's often difficult to find the motivation to visit a new one. I am glad I took a chance and paid them a visit this past weekend. Nestled in the former Copper Spoon space, Mesa Maguey specializes in Oaxacan cuisine, so some dishes are familiar, while others are a bit more uncommon at other local eateries. Their salsas and chips were excellent, the tlayuda we shared was like a top notch Mexican pizza, and the memelitas were super flavorful, and like sopes but softer. The service was a tad on the slow side, but the food will definitely bring me back to this place. read more

Mesa Maguey - Memelitas - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

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It may be in a forgotten part of Oakland but don't sleep on this spot! I'm always looking a good taco Tuesday spot and this place checks all the boxes! $10 for 3 tacos on Tuesdays and they were more elevated than you taco truck tacos. We had that as an appetizer, cuz I'm a sucker for mole, so I had to get the chicken mole plate. It was smackin! Rich, sweet, savory and tingling all my senses. Had to wash all that down with a pitcher of mezcal margs, get the passion fruit! Prices were very reasonable for a nice sit down Mexican joint with quality. If you're looking for a good taco Tuesday spot, this is it. Go go go! Adele! read more

Mesa Maguey - Chicken mole - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

Go-to place for happy hours! I love their prices for margaritas (tamarind, passion fruit flavors) and other yummy happy hour drinks. The interior is also cozy and colorful. Friendly staff and quick service as well. Was a big fan of their happy hour tacos and nachos. They also have a a house tequila brand that they gave out free samples for during one happy hour visit. Love the hospitality and happy hour, will definitely be back! read more

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Love the food This place has been booked marked for a while My friends and I came as a group to celebrate a birthday they have extra seating in the back of thw restaurant a good mezcal selection and the food was really good and large portions Their staff were attentive and provided food service They have events and spirit tasting sessions read more

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This place is really great. I must commend the staff. All the way around. From greeter, to waiter to bartender. Welcoming, friendly, funny. Just awesome. The food is fresh. Im guessing made to order bc ther was a little bit of a wait. And when the food came out it was hot. Both our meals were great, but I have to shed the spotlight on the fresh guacamole. Fantástico!! read more

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I recently stopped by for brunch and here's what we got: -Flautas (chicken & potato) -Ceviche -Tacos de asada -Nachos -Nicuatole -Mezcal cocktails I'd definitely order the flautas, ceviche, and tacos again -- the gelatin dessert wasn't really my thing; it was a bit too sweet for me. The cocktails were well-balanced. Our server Jerson was awesome. We happened to be there during a Dia de los Muertos cocktail contest, which made the vibe even more fun. They also offer mezcal tastings throughout the year. I'll definitely be back to try more of their menu. read more

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Tasty salsas. Quinoa salad was good. Service was lacking - we had to get things ourselves.

We went for a comedy event, which was ok. The issue was the food though. I ordered the seafood tacos, which came drowned in some kind of sweet salad dressing maybe to cover the fact that the vegetable were not fresh. I got food poisoning from whatever was under that blanket of sweet, unnecessary sauce. read more

Service, Ambiance & food definitely pass the vibe check. My significant other & i visited for authentic Oaxaca food & were so blessed by the atmosphere & mezcal open house. Smiles everywhere, friends, family & music in the background made me feel right at home. I can rant on & on about the food so i'll let the pictures do the talking. Ie: the aqua fresca cantaloupe was so refreshing i didn't know if i needed water lol read more

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So much potential ruined by some of the slowest service I've had in recent memory. The food was solid. Not gonna lie, taste wise, their Mole was well executed. Their cocktails lacked complexity but we're serviceable. The flip side thought, the service was glacial in pace. It took over 15 minutes to go from ordering a cocktail to getting it on our table. The restaurant was not full. The food itself took roughly 30 minutes and it took ten minutes to get my credit card back after giving it up for the check. So much potential, just ruined by the pace. read more

I can't like. This has been a red letter day in big-backtivity! I had a nice healthy lunch. Then I was watching videos about Oaxaca and remembering my time there. Then, I needed the food! Where was the nearest place? Mesa Maguey!!! I ordered: Jamaica Nicuatole Tlayuda I am stuffed but based off the Jamaica alone I will fiend for this place. I have literally not had better. The service is amazing and attentive even when short staffed. Gerson helped me. He shared that the jamaica is homemade!!! Allegedly they host live entertainment occasionally. I'm definitely coming back. BTW If you'renin read more

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Oh Oaxaca... How I miss you so. Grateful there's a wealth of cuisine diversity in the bay. My partner and I were craving some traditional Mexican fare. Stopped by for a light dinner. Staff were so welcoming and cared for us with incredible hospitality. FLAUTAS (potato, chicken): Standard, no notes. Crispy, flavorful, and filling. MAMELITAS: Staff kindly made these for us without meat! Amazing. QQ, flavorful corn patties and fresh toppings. I'm impressed ^_^ First time trying Oaxacan food in Oakland. Mesa Maguey took me back! read more

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I was really disappointed with my experience at Mesa Maguey. The service was incredibly slow and inattentive from start to finish. We spent far too much time waiting, and it felt like our table was an afterthought the entire meal. Unfortunately, the food didn't make up for it. It was mediocre at best, nothing stood out, and the flavors were underwhelming, especially considering the price. I was expecting a memorable meal, but everything felt average and uninspired. There are too many great Mexican and Oaxacan restaurants in the area to settle for poor service and forgettable food. I won't be returning, and I can't recommend it based on my experience. read more

I was here last night(Thursday night) for the Comedy show! The comedy, the crowd, the cocktails, and the host made the drive worth it! Order dinner 30 minutes before the show starts and get their margarita flight; that should last you the entire show. The comedy happens in the very back of the restaurant. read more

Good food and happy hour. Great Mezcalritas. Friendly team. Nice neighborhood atmosphere read more

Mesa Maguey - Mezcalrita - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

Spectacular Oaxacan restaurant in Oakland!!! We tried the taquitos and queso fundido with chorizo for appetizers. Both were fresh and delicious. For main entrees we had the carnitas, mole rojo and enmoladas. Both moles were so flavorful perfectly savory and authentic Oaxacan flavors. The cocktails were also really well balanced so much that I ordered two haha highly recommend Mesa Maguey when craving Oaxacan food and also for your catering needs!!! read more

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Spanglish review!!! Absolutely Delicioso... la comida estuvo very tasty! Disfrutamos much del mole, we loved the tlayuda. It was warm. One mild suggestion : necesita queso Oaxaca desmenuzado too make it bomb! But overall it was delicious. Also the drinks were incredible. We enjoyed the Huatulco bay, La mezcalrita de tamarindo was a favorite. The mezcal Negroni!!! Great drink. También disfrutamos mucho de los appetizers Memelitas y Empanadas. Takeaway : after going many Oaxaca's restaurants... some in San Jose, one Santa Cruz called Copan . This was the very best! Authentic flavors . Gerson took amazing care of us! Absolutely great Servicio al cliente! read more

Mesa Maguey - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

We had a milestone birthday dinner here a week ago and we absolutely loved the ambiance and service. Service really stood out as our waitress took a note of all our dietary needs and took care of it perfectly. Drinks were great especially the margaritas, mezcal drinks. Food was a hit or miss, we loved the enchiladas, chile rellano and our friends loved their shrimp dish. We were not impressed with the appetizers including the guac, taquitos, cheese dip. They could have been more flavorful read more

On the surface, this place seems like a 'step above' type of place with fancier than normal Mexican food and good cocktails, etc. BUT, I came here last week and that night after dining here, I had severe stomach illness for about 48 hours to the point that I could not leave the house (use your imagination, or don't). They served me something here that was tainted... read more

If you're looking for a Mexican spot that gets everything right -- vibes, food, and drinks -- this is it. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere pulled us in -- fun, welcoming, and filled with cool art that really adds to the whole experience. The place has personality in the best way. Service was top-notch. Ruben checked in on us throughout the night and made sure we were always taken care of without ever feeling rushed. We ordered tacos, memelitas, and the margarita flights -- all so good. The tacos were flavorful, the memelitas were perfectly crispy and fresh, and the margarita flight was delicious and super fun to try. Honestly, I'd go back in a heartbeat. Highly recommend! read more

Mesa Maguey - Drink menu - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

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Such a fun, welcoming spot in the Temescal neighborhood! The staff are really friendly. The decor is vibrant and inviting, and the large bar makes it a great place to hang out. The fresh watermelon margaritas were amazing so refreshing and perfectly balanced. The fish and shrimp tacos were packed with flavor and definitely a must try. I also had the ceviche, which I'd highly recommend. The only downside is that parking in the area can be tricky, so plan ahead. read more

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Our family popped in on a lively and busy Saturday evening to enjoy dinner. The live music and buzzy crowd made for nice ambiance. Our server stated the kitchen was busy and service would be slower as a result. We expected this given the lack of empty tables. We ordered guacamole and empanadas to start. The empanadas tasted somewhat bland but we enjoyed the different drinks and guacamole. When orders arrived a few items were incorrect - three of us requested no beans and one of those specific orders was without extra rice. It didn't ruin the meal, but we noticed. I had the enmoladas and eagerly anticipated tasting the mole - it was sweeter than anticipated, which felt somewhat disappointing. We each had enough to eat and service was initially attentive but became slower despite the thinning crowd. Maybe it was an off night? Perhaps another visit at another time, because I adore Oaxacan food! read more

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great happy hour spot in oakland. the cocktails here are great, and they have a wide variety of mezcals to choose from. my favorite item from the HH menu is the chips and guac, as the chips are fresh and not hard to crunch. it's the perfect balance of flakey and crunchy. it can get quite noisy as it is a very small restaurant with tight seating. they have live music occasionally and it varies how well it meshes with the ambience. service is usually good and i can tell the owner works very hard to keep the spirits high of the patrons. i will definitely return. read more

Mesa Maguey - Plato De Tasajo - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

We had a wonderful date here! Every item of food ordered was delicious. Here's what we ordered: Flautas (with potatoes) as an appetizer. They came out crispy and light. My boyfriend who always ordered the meat option was impressed by the vegetarian version despite himself. Chochinita Pibil: this was ordered at the server's recommendation. And it was a great recommendation! This was the boyfriend's entree. He wouldn't have ordered it on his own but was really glad that he chose something outside his comfort zone. The pork was super tender and delicious. It was a much more exciting dinner than enchiladas would have been. Chef's special; seared albacore and potatoes: once again, our server made an excellent recommendation. This item wasn't on the menu, but it was on the restaurants instagram story. The potatoes were sort of like a gratin and the seared albacore reminded me a lot of seared ahi. Which in hindsight is sort of obvious, as I subsequently learned that albacore is a type of tuna. The light fish and heavy potatoes paired really well together, every bite was perfect. I loved the lime crema because it cure through the heaviness of the potatoes and tied them well together with the albacore. Drinks: did you know this restaurant has a house made ginger beer? I'm really glad I ordered it because it was much less sweet than your typical grocery store ginger beer and it was a perfect refreshing compliment to my entree. Boyfriend ordered the hibiscus agua fresca and it was also delicious. His drink was sweet and super flavorful read more

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I had this restaurant bookmarked for some time and I finally made it here !! I really, REALLY wanted to like this place but ummmm It's a no for me Mainly cus the drinks were not too good and the service was super slow Inside is nicely decorated They have happy hour There is a full bar A back room with more seating Parking is street parking only and kind of hard to come by Menu has lots of options Drinks have a cute name Iykyk Food was good My friends did not complain about the food Quality is good Price is good and ingredients are fresh It's the service and the drinks TBH NO ONE WANTS TO RETURN A DRINK so you just suck it up for the team Initially service was decent but as more patrons arrived the service was non existent We came to scout this venue for our upcoming Galentines event and we collectively agreed to pass read more

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Eh. Food was okay, every dish arrived at the table as if it had sitting under a heat lamp for 10 minutes. The presentation definitely put did the taste of each dish. Atmosphere was fun, I appreciate the live music, and drunken regulars. However, the acoustics are not good so everything sounds a lot louder than it is making it hard to hear the person across from you. It was the end of the night so floors, tables, bathroom handles were sticky. The cocktails were decent I can see this more as a happy hour/ drinks with co-workers kinda spot. Paid on street parking, do read signs carefully. read more

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Pretty good food, I liked the shrimp (2 seafood taco plate) tacos the most, they were really good The place is nice and the service is great too The other tacos, burritos, and guacamole were alright read more

The food was very delicious rich with melted cheese,. My appetizer was queso fundido I couldn't even finish 1/3 of it. It is very very filling. Then my entrée was Tlayuda. I barely touched it and packed the rest to go. Service was excellent. Ambience is great as well. The only thing is, it was too fatty, felt very heavy afterwards. read more

We have passed this spot a bunch of times and finally tried it today. Definitely worth checking out if you have never been! It is a really nice space on the inside and we had a great meal. The burrito was awesome, I don't usually love carrots in the burrito but it wasn't too much. The margaritas were also delicious! Service was super fast and the waiters/bartenders are all very friendly! We will be back! read more

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I checked out this place yesterday. Got some fish tacos... These are some of the best tacos I ever had in my life. These fish tacos were super fresh and super delicious. Thank you so much. I will be back definitely read more

Probably my favorite Mexican food in the East Bay right now. Great service and great food. Habanero salsa is good. Happy Hour is where it's at. Tacos, Flautas, Nachos. Love the think crunchy tortilla on the tacos. I think the Nachos are probably the best deal. I did like carnitas on the tacos and chicken on the tacos. I would personally pass on the queso fundido. But everything else was so good it didn't matter. read more

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