I hate giving 2 stars, I do. And let me say I'd come back and try again if a friend wanted to meetup or I had a reason to return. However... a recent lunch left something to be desired. By no means was it bad, it just was not good. We left not feeling any sort of value for the money. The space is lovely. We went mid week lunch, later in the afternoon, and it was empty and service was fine. We went with the queso (on a happy hour menu), shrimp tacos and the steak plate. The shrimp taco was the best out of the three, but had its own flaws, and the other items were just a let down. The queso: not the Tex mex kind, let's get that out there. It was a stringy cheese that wasn't necessarily served warm topped with room temp, crumbled charred chorizo and a side of generic corn tortillas. Nothing about this was good and it wasn't cheap, even at happy hour prices. It mostly went untouched after initial bites. The steak plate, which I've had iterations of this at other Mexican spots, was also a let down. The steak was pounded so thin resulting in a terrible consistency and it lacked any sort of flavor. It came with vegetables, also bland, a little side of rice and beans and a grilled halloumi style Oaxacan cheese. Again, not a a cheap dish and did not live up to the price tag. My dining partner and I just were not fans. The shrimp tacos were solid. Messy, as it was almost more like a tostada. Shrimp atop a thicker grilled corn tortilla (this one seemingly better quality than the ones served with the queso). It was topped with the aioli and slaw (and cheese, which I asked for without) and it was fine. It was a large taco, a light meal in itself, but also priced at $7+. Overall, prices were higher than quality of food and preparation warranted. A pass for me. Margs and chips and guac may be the move here. read more

Mesa Maguey - Queso with chorizo - not creamy, but more of a stringy cheese - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

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We had a great time here. Quick and efficient service with a very attentive and friendly server. Delicious food and drinks. There was live music all the while, and apparently they do comedy and dance sessions! Highly recommend! read more

Mesa Maguey - 2 Tacos plate - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

Tried two tacos and the tamarind margarita. Very refreshing and tasty drink! The tacos were good too, but this is a great place for a date night or for mezcal aficionados. read more

Mesa Maguey - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

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Happy Hour! Currently they have happy hour 7 days a week from open until 6pm Food: The food came fast, was hot, and delicious! I had never had memelas before but I would definitely get them again. The green sauce that comes on the tacos and the memelas has a nice little kick which I appreciated, but if you are sensitive to spice you might want it on the side. Service/Ambiance: I went on a Monday and it was quiet, but they have a lot of space! They have a small TV in the corner which was nice to watch the Niner game, they told me they are installing a second TV soon (just in time for football season). Service was fast and friendly. read more

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Food unfortunately wasn't great and I had high hopes for this place. I ordered a vegetarian large taco and it had absolutely no flavor at all and the restaurant said they didn't know how to make it more flavorful which seemed odd in a Mexican restaurant. I ended up squeezing loads of lime and adding lots of salsa but even that wasn't very good and I endee up leaving half of it. The best part of the meal was the churros, but I probably wouldn't go back again read more

We live nearby so I really wanted this place to be good AND IT WAS. Loved the happy hour menu. I got the carnitas happy hour tacos and a turmeric margarita and everything was sublime. My wife got a carne asada plate. The steak was perfect and I loved the rice. Didn't love the beans so much but I'm sure it's a personal preference thing. You might love them. I've heard great things about the watermelon margaritas but they were out of watermelon today. I look forward to trying one on my next visit. The service was friendly and efficient. This place is absolutely on our list. Great full bar if you just want to come in for drinks and a really inviting dining room as well. Just a fabulous dining option on a block that has several. read more

Mesa Maguey - Great margaritas on the rocks. - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

What a wonderful dining experience we had at Mesa Maguey tonight. Started with delicious,sour margaritas accompanied by guacamole with three additional sauces. Of course there was plenty of fresh, crisp corn tortilla chips. We both had delicious enchiladas. I had two cheese ones and my partner had a chicken and a cheese. Sides included a well prepared portion of sautéed veggies, plus black beans and rice. Service was prompt and courteous. The restaurant itself was clean and welcoming with a wonderful long bar. Highly recommended for dinners, appetizers and drinks. read more

Mesa Maguey - Enchilada plate. - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

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Leo amazing owner greatly acknowledged about Mezcals from Oaxaca great food good happy hour is most tried if you are in the neighborhood or plan a date with your lady or family. Also if you want to learn about Mezcals just asked the bartender they are well-trained & knowledgeable SALUD!! read more

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Cochinita pibil was amazing! it was juicy and flavorful and nuanced. Ambiance and service were also great.

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. Went for dinner on a Sat night Seated right away. We'll be back. Good times.

You had me at microgreens. The guacamole - seasoned perfectly, loved the hollowed jalapeño, fresh radishes and the finishing oil also. Bright green and all the fresh garnishes - super. Chips and salsa - paper thin and sprinkled with salt, the salsas had a good amount of acid and heat. Memelitas - satisfying toppings on toothsome tortillas. Really impressed with this spot. Tastes like real handmade food. Can't wait to order again or eat in at some point. Delicious. read more

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Was wildly surprised by how delicious the food was here. Some of the freshest guac I've had in the Bay, delicious fish and shrimp tacos, and a solid range of cocktails and mocktails. I went with a regular and dry Paloma, and both were great. Ate at the bar, and if you're able to get a spot in the front section, I'd highly reco for a good, easy/low key date night spot. read more

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Absolutely amazing food we inhaled it before I could even get a pic no joke, I was in Mexico a couple weeks ago and DARE I say this was better. Do not skip this spot. Service was amazing, vibes inside are on point, 10/10 will be coming back! read more

The food here is always top-tier for a great price point. I love the ceviche, mole, enchiladas, and shrimp dish. The mescal drinks are also incredible. Service has been great every time too! Highly recommend this place for some great authentic Mexican food. read more

Great food, service and ambiance. Excellent selection of mezcal and tequila. Deserts made fresh. The choco-flan was the bomb. read more

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Growing up in SoCal, there are a lot of Mexican restaurants with booths and such. I miss the ambiance of those types of establishments. Mesa Maguey isn't quite in that realm, but that's okay. This place is run by Mexican natives who know how to treat you right. Really quality folks who know their food and drink, particularly tequila. Love this place. read more

The margarita flight is amazing. Recently I had a spicy cucumber margarita and it was perfection. The happy hour menu has some great selections for appetizers. Highly recommend for date night and/or group events! read more

Very fresh, traditional, authentic Mexican some of which are hard to find elsewhere. Very welcoming warm service. Love the local art and the festive atmosphere. Great place for groups, families, happy hour etc. read more

great food, great service. Nice atmosphere. Very comfortable seating. Ambience is casual and feels like fun! read more

Food: The tlayuda was good! The tasajo could use a bit more flavour but was still very good! Ginger beer was great! super interesting notes of lime and mint! Would come back. Service: The staff was friendly and helpful Ambiance: Music was a bit loud. Beautiful interior. Parking was difficult. read more

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Nice looking. Great tasting! Interesting name. We went on Valentine's Day... service was slow and they were packed but friendly and accurate on our order. Give em a whirl. read more

Such a good happy hour! I had a watermelon margarita, which was made with real, fresh watermelon, then shared a few plates with a friend including the nachos, queso fundido and chicken flautas. Everything was delicious, the cream sauce seemed to have a little kick to it, and I absolutely love refried black beans on nachos. read more

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We had a terrific dinner for three at Mesa Maguey yesterday. Food was very good - Oaxacan Mex (not TexMex) - so mole' chicken, chile rellenos, Tlayuda ("Oaxacan Pizza"!), etc. The three of us split a wonderful beet salad (unique among beet salads!), a chicken mole' and a chile relleno ... plenty of food! GREAT mescal bar! and drinks, good happy hour. Friendly staff. Nice, festive decor, clean, airy and open. Service - was a little bit slow given that the restaurant was only about 1/3 full on a Sunday evening. But = we recommend highly and will go back! read more

The the food here was delicious. We stopped by for lunch on a weekday and it wasn't really very busy. I had the fish and shrimp tacos. That were absolutely delicious. The tortilla was seasoned a bit differently than what I've ever had before. It was really tasty. My mom had the potato flautas and my dad had the chicken enchiladas. They both enjoyed the food as well. My baby was all over the place crawling but the server was very patient and helped bring some food for him as well. Overall really great place and I'm so happy it's so close to my house. read more

This place was recommended by a coworker and I was not disappointed! The food was spot on and well seasoned! The drinks were well flavored. But because of my tolerance with alcohol I'll have to to go up a few shelves from the house alcohol! Lol. Overall was a very nice experience for my date and I. read more

So yummy! Everything was super tasty and cooked to perfection. We will be back! Fun place for sure. read more

I've had the pleasure of trying this place two times now. Their happy hour is fantastic and fairly priced and runs 7 days a week. Great place to bring friends or coworkers for week night drinks and bites. Good attentive service too !! read more

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The Best drinks! Best staff, best food, beautiful music as well as many traditional decorations. They are truly so of the kindest people i've ever meet! read more

Great spot! We used the back room for a holiday party and it was excellent! The space is really great; we were 30 and had plenty of space, easily could fit another 8-10 people. Ruben was very responsive when organizing the party/food. The food was so delicious and the drinks are top! What stood out was the service. Romero and Leo were so attentive and fun, and helped keep the vibes very festive. Would highly recommend Mesa Maguey! read more

Fantastic dinner. The mole was especially delicious. Friendly staff and delightful bar. Loved the mezcal manhattan.

We had an amazing experience at this spot! The food, service and overall experience was one of a kind. Leo was so kind and it's been a while since I have been treated this well in an Oakland restaurant. The queso fundido was delicious. The Barbacoa (not pictured) was so flavorful. The dinks and dessert were also amazing. This place has all good vibes and deserves all the praise! read more

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Fresh, fast and delicious food! We were greeted right away and seated near the front. We could feel the breeze from outside as we sipped on our passion fruit mescalritas and with their lively music in the background. Then the food came out, we inhaled our dishes - very fresh & light. A perfect Friday afternoon! read more

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This was the best Mexican food I had this year. Fresh, tasty and authentic. Although it was busy the service was great. Guservo (hope I spelled it right) was so nice. My drink was superb! Ambiance is colorful and cozy. I suggest making a reservation they get busy! Definitely will be back! read more

Amazing from the moment we walked in. The service was exceptional. The margarita flights were perfect. The food was phenomenal in presentation and taste! I can't wait to return. I highly recommend. read more

I'll start with the most important part of the whole experience: the nicuatole. The whole reason I even went in there was because I was craving some flan. I asked the server and he said they don't have regular flan. It's either chocolate flan or something called Nicuatole which is very similar, so I thought I'd try something new, take a risk. It was easily the worst dessert I've ever had, and tasted absolutely nothing like flan. The texture, the taste, the toppings, everything about it sucked. Even the appearance and gray color was unappetizing! Other than that - Nice ambiance/vibes. Everyone was super nice. Finding parking was a bit difficult. Service was good, I especially enjoyed talking to the friendly bartender when I asked him what the name means. The menu is pretty limited though. After staring at it for a while I ended up getting shrimp tacos which were kinda small for the price, but not that crazy by Bay Area standards I suppose. All delicious, but I think my favorite was the side of rice, which is strange cuz that was definitely not the main attraction, but it's one of the most deliciously prepared rice I've had in a while. The tamarind margarita was tasty but not sure how strong it was - we got a pitcher between the 2 of us and left with just a light buzz. read more

Mesa Maguey - Drink Menu 3/18/25 - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

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Came here for dinner as a party of 4 on a Saturday night: truly a great experience. The place had a wonderful atmosphere and really nice and welcoming service! There was no wait- and the food was extremely delicious. We started with the guacamole plate, and we finished it incredibly quickly, a testament to how great it was. I ordered the two taco plate, one with the beef barbacoa and one with the pork carnitas. The carnitas were delicious, but the barbacoa was definitely my favorite. It was incredibly flavorful and topped with delicious pickled onions. A friend of mine ordered the Plato De Tasajo and raved about it- so I recommend that dish as well! Great place to try if you're looking for Mexican food in the area. read more

Mesa Maguey - Tacos Near Me - Oakland, California

This is the best sit down Mexican place in Oakland. They have an amazing Happy Hour, and the staff is really friendly. I find their prices very reasonable, especially for this area. They also have a room in the back for private events. If you can make it for Cinco de Mayo, they have special events. read more

My partner and I visited from El Cerrito, first timers and will definitely be coming back. The cocktails were perfect through and through, I highly recommend the Paloma. Though I only ordered the Tinga tostadas and didn't get to explore the menu as much as I would've wanted, they were also a hit. Beautifully garnished. And we loved the gentleman that was singing music tonight, his voice was beautiful, a delight to listen to. Service was well rounded, every server was warm and friendly. Some downsides were that the happy hour prices weren't impressive, at an average being 2 dollars cheaper than the original price- so might as well try what you want on the original menu. Also, the choco flan did not impress. I'll order a different dessert next time. read more

This place gets ALL the stars and I can't figure out why this place isn't always packed. Excellent Oaxacan food, well stocked tequila/mezcal bar, reasonable prices, 2pm happy hour, even the desserts are amazing. Highly recommended! My neighborhood goto, especially for happy hour! read more

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The food is excellent. I appreciate the variety of menu items not always available elsewhere.