I want to love this place. It's down the street from the place I stay, in Berkeley. It's open late. The salsas are tasty. The fish tacos, shrimp, ceviche, & chicken tacos & burritos are solid renditions. But the carne asada is off, every time I taste it. Maybe it's the cut, maybe the preparation. Sorry. Dog food. If you've ever eaten even a little canned dog food, you know the taste. If they improved the beef, I'd give them 2 more stars. It's that bad. The restroom was clean, the Modelo was cold. Harris or Neiman ranch need to do an intervention. read more

I came here for work purposes and I saw this place while shopping at target so I decided to try something new. We went inside and looked at the menu for a while and finally placed a order. In total it was more than a hundred dollars for six people. We waited for around twenty minutes and finally got the food. We got two horchatas and hibiscus water, the horchatas were powdery and had no flavor. The hibiscus water also tasted like nothing. The food was terrible the enchiladas were absolutely terrifying. The green sauce had the texture of baby food. The sope had beans inside of it and it didn't have much flavor as well. The burrito was ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. The only good part about it was the pork. In conclusion if you want authentic Mexican food don't come here. This is far from authentic. read more

They have a Taco Wednesday deal - $3 street tacos, $4 beer, and $5 sangria or margaritas. Their tacos are quality and extremely flavorful, and their salsa is really good (you just have to ask for it on the side). Unfortunately, the tacos are on the small side for the price, and there are no free chips and salsa. You're paying for the quality and flavor. Definitely a solid place though! read more

They This is the worst Mexican restaurant. Zero customer service and no one answer their phone and if you place an order by phone good luck to get an ans read more

Our experience with customer service was great. They did miss the guacamole the first time around, but we eventually got it and it was worth the wait! The food here is really good and reasonably priced. We also had our 1 year old with us and he loved the children's options and the high chair. They made room for us and didn't rush us out which is always great when you have a little one. We'll be dreaming of their burritos and horchata for a while :) read more

Super great and reasonably priced authentic Mexican food. Totally went to this place on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. The horchata was the perfect blend of sweet and cinnamon-y, and the mole negro plate I had was satisfying and delicious. The mole was smoky and spicy, without being overpowering. They have a nice array of fresh salsas, ranging from mild to hot nad you can pay a little extra for some chips, which I recommend. The restaurant is super cute and has a great look. Would love to come here again to try some more! read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Pollo con mole negro! - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

I ordered a vegetarian burrito from here recently. It was late. I was hungry. The burrito arrived. It was disappointing. I was sad. To start, I asked for a vegetarian burrito without lettuce in a whole wheat tortilla (I know, I know). What I got was a burrito with lettuce in a spinach tortilla. Inside the burrito were large pieces of pepper. That's honestly not a good way to describe them. It was like they sliced a few peppers in half the long way and weirdly stuck them all in there. Despite the large jalapeño pepper halves, the burrito wasn't too tasty. Once I got past the lettuce and the pepper halves, I was left with a textureless mush of ingredients. A few bites in, I gave up. In the end, I went to bed hungry. read more

Hands down.. the best Mexican restaurant EVER. Quality. Fresh. Well-proportioned. Fast. Hospitable! Open til midnight! I order a veggie burrito every other day from them. The decor is artsy, but classy. Best in the bay. read more

My fiancé and I were in the Berkeley area running some errands. We were in the mood for some Mexican food. We love burritos, so after leaving the neighborhood Target across from this restaurant we decided to try it. We both ordered 2 chorizo and papas burrito. OMG, was it one of the tastiest chorizo burritos we've ever had. So, definitely recommend this place and that specific burrito. read more

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this is my first time here! Good ambiance, the decor is really pretty. Extensive menu, food smells really good. They have nice swingy music as well. Great spot to hangout and eat in the afternoon! read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

I order takeout, usually burritos, from this taqueria once or twice a month. I get different burritos often and they're ALWAYS delicious. Could use more heat for me, but I manage just fine with hot sauce at home. Highly recommend this spot. read more

LONG TIME PATRON REVIEW VEGETARIAN REVIEW I've been coming to Montecristo since 1996 - long time! It used to be about as good as Taqueria's can get, but as others have noted, some things have changed that are indicative of questionable management decisions. They have removed the Salsa bar and are now giving you two choices in a squirt bottle. I think they are the only Mexican restaurant I know of that doesn't serve salsa in a saucer of some sort (who squirts salsa on chips??) They also used to give you a few complimentary chips with your order, but no more....you pay now! IN addition, they used to keep the silver out, then they hid it behind the bar, now they put out a fork and knife for you. It's like they are trying to cut costs at every corner, but they are decreasing the customers' dining experience to cut expense, and the diners are noticing it. ABOUT THE FOOD: The food is still decent, if you don't mind the ambiance becoming more "McDonald's - like" with the above mentions. VEGETARIANS BEWARE!! - they serve "VEGGIE" items (like the vegetarian burrito,) but they cook ALL their rice in chicken stock (this comes straight from the chef's mouth.) Hey owners, be careful....you are inviting a lawsuit by advertising veggie items with contents that are cooked with meat stock, just FYI. I ate for years thinking it was actually veggie, and it's not! (As of 2018, they seem to have changed their rice recipe to make it veggie safe, thank you Monte Cristo!!) ABOUT THE HOSTS: The friendliest people in the universe are "Chello" and "Reuben." If management was smart (and I run a business) they would keep those two VERY happy! Alas, I keep missing Chello's work schedule, and there is a rotation of new people who just don't have that vibe (which also tells me that management has changed,) Reuben is still there and he is still a smiling face, but miss his schedule as well. I would come in just to know they are working :) CONCLUSION: This USED to be my "go to" taqueria. I would drive for miles to get to it. Now I'm hunting for another (maybe Cancun, their salsa bar is AMAZING!) Owners should take note that you are decreasing the customers experience with recent 'cost-saving' decisions and we are noticing. The people are getting less friendly, your items should actually BE vegetarian (It's SO easy to make veggie rice!) and you are about the ONLY Mexican restaurant I know of that DOESN'T comp a few chips with a burrito order (besides Chipotle!) ... even Berkeley Bowl does that! 2018 UDPATE: they have made changes and seem to be addressing some of the above concerns, so I've changed my rating to reflect that. The food is good, and hopefully the salsa bar is coming back! Thanks for listening, Monte Cristo! read more

I think their food is very average. There is nothing about the flavor of their food that stands out to me . My family who can't cook at all and likes flavorless food goes there for lunch . I have tried to like their food but it all taste the same to me ... boring. And the waiters didn't even ask me how my food was because she could tell I was not enjoying it . read more

So my friend refused to tell me where we would be eating today, as she knew I'd consult Yelp before accepting the lunch location. Gawd damn her! I really needed to see the 1 & 2 star ratings, as they aren't kidding. This place is super average, if that. -The salsa had NO heat.. like seriously, why make it if you're not going to add some peppers to it? It's fuckin tomato sauce w/a dash of cilantro! Like eww -The chips were all portioned & sitting out in little bowls, getting crumbled up. I like my chips nice & full por favor! -The strawberry agua fresca was watered down with a few real strawberries smashed in there, very bland. I tried adding sugar but, it just sucked. -My burrito was just a waste of money. I hated the rice in it and the beans didn't have that authentic taste. Non-authentic beans make me angry. The place was pretty packed, so Berkley folks must either really dig this place, or they've just never been to the Barrios of Oakland or the Mission to get real Taqueria food. I tried not to complain too much about how crappy the food was as I caught up with my pal. But seriously, non-yelpers, you all just need to recognize we have a system in place and it always calls for a pre-warning from the masses. I'm w/Nate M, I'm never coming back and my burrito wasn't worth $7. The food here is edible, but it's so so far from fabulous. read more

I always come here with my boyfriend for quick Mexican food on the go. It's right off University so we often stop here lunch before getting on the 80 freeway. My boyfriend loves the chile relleno burrito and I love the carne asada burrito and platanos maduros. Note** They dont have the complimentary salsa bar anymore, and they charge 1.80 for guac, and .35 each for cheese and sour cream. Still yummy! They have $2 taco Wednesday and specials on Tuesday. Check it out! read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Carne asada burrito - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This is my favorite taqueria in Berkeley!! The price is definitely worth it! You get a good amount of meat for your tacos AND any other plate that I've had will definitely fill you up! If you want some tacos, they have Taco Wednesdays where tacos are $2 (they're usually $3) They also have tacos de papa and they are bomb AF! Nonetheless, I love the fact that they close late, I've gone there on night runs for their Mexican mocha and for their flan! I think flan is a bit over priced at $5 (I think) but it is absolutely worth it! read more

The morning after a night of drinking is the best because of two reasons: 1. piecing together what happened during said drunken times is always hilarious (and sometimes cringeworthy) 2. getting some oily, flavorful, Mexican food makes my belly happy My friends and I decided to check out Taqueria Monte Cristo because it was located just walking distance away from us. Since it was pretty early in the morning, we were the only diners there. Their Breakfast Enchiladas ($12) dish is huge. Actually, most of their dishes are huge, so come with a big appetite! Their burritos are a size of a little baby! They only had one cook, so all the food came out one by one. Since I was the last one to order (party of 5), I didn't get my dish until 30 minutes later. And by then, all my friends were done eating. That was a bit awkward... Taco Wednesdays offer $2 tacos, so that must be popular! They do have a salsa bar, but chips aren't free with your meal. read more

As a vegetarian, I'm always on the lookout for a good Mexican food place and Taquieria Monte Cristo is some of the best I've had in the East Bay. The food wasn't laden with cheese, or swimming in oil like a lot of veggie options at Mexican food restaurants. Rather, TMC serves super solid veggie plates with good flavor and substantial portions. The woman working the counter was crazy patient with my gringo @$$ and helped explain some dishes I'd never seen before without making me feel dumb. Also, she was wearing a killer lipstick shade, so style points. read more

Friendly staff, consistently delicious food and take out orders have always been on time.

Had lunch here with my little sister and grandma today never disappoints and my grandma is a tough person to please when it comes to eating out the food is so good margaritas perfect and salsa is bomb read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Whaat? An average of less than 5 stars? Another reason crowdsourced reviews are dubious at best. Their tacos are the bomb a.k.a. the best tacos this side of the Mexican border. And their salsa. Yumm! Taco Wedesdays. $2 tacos. $4 sangria. Open till midnight. Find me another place like that in Berkeley... then we'll talk. read more

Excellent. Remember to pick up your utensils at the door. Great tasting food, fast service. read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

.: Tacos dorados :. Today seemed to be the worst day to go to Monte Cristo in Berkeley. It wasnt too busy either and i feel like everything was rushed or forgot. I came with my two workers Young and @frank_a415 and met up with my wife who will probably not return due the experience. The Flan was great and her mole platter was great. The tortillas came super late once she was already close to being done and i was told that there were noore chips. It was weird because when i was finishing up my dorados tacos i saw a customer eating the chips and i told the server oh man u guys have chips and she said yah we do now.... i was soooo confused plus somehow there was no change for my coworker frank who only wanted horcahata. After asking the server if he could just order a horchata from her since the line was long, she replied sure you just gotta pay later. So he waited for her to deliver so he could pay but no drink. Super random day all we could do was laugh but apparently other customers felt the unorganized ability of the staff today and voiced their complaints. Totally gonna think twice before coming back now. Food was good but the weird vibe about today hella put me off. #notschmackin read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Flan was great definitelty a huge slice - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This review is not for the food I've been coming here almost 7 years and on my last visit I was asked if I wanted chips and salas, my answer "yes". I recall they always ask you if you do and just don't hand them out, but this time I was charged $2.00, REALLY. I'm okay paying for something, but if you change the rules you need to let the customer know this. You need to say would you like to ADD chips and salsa for $2.00. A veggie burrito with guac. (rice, beans, salas, lettece, and guac.) NO drink $8.75, that is not cheap people. It seems there are new owners since the staff has changed? I really like this place but I won't be back. Honesty goes a LONG way. read more

20 minutes waiting for a burrito only to find it had been sitting on the counter for at least 10 minutes. When I went to the counter they handed it to me and I asked how long it had been there they stuck the cashier stuck her un-washed hand in the bag and said "it's still warm". I started toward my car and decided it really was not very warm. So, I returned and insisted that they remake it. 5 minutes later I had a hot burrito in my hands. While eating it, I realized that the filling was all mixed together rather than the usual layers and it had random pieces of corn, which I don't believe are supposed to be in a burrito. They hadn't made me a fresh burrito but, had only reheated the old filling and put it in a new tortilla, Not cool. In fact, I stopped eating once, I realized that it had other ingredients from who knows where. The other disappointment of this was being charged extra for chips and salsa on a to go order. And they didn't even give me salsa. The burrito was certainly nothing special. Not likely that I'll return or recommend this place to anyone. read more

This is as good as it gets! I have been to Monte Cristo about seven times and it has never disappointed me (or any of the other folks I take with me :) We went there for brunch today and I got a Mexican Mocha (homemade and amazing), fresh squeezed orange juice, and the breakfast enchiladas. Everything is always so fresh and the flavors are so clean and distinct. The dinner/lunch is also amazing. I love the shredded chicken burrito smothered in their spicy and rich sauce (wet burrito)...it is true bliss. The decor is also beautiful and clean and the staff is nice. You are missing out if you skip this place. read more

Took A long walk and ordered a burrito After waiting 20 minutes I went up and the burrito had been sitting for so long it was cold It was not busy maybe 3 customers. Couldn't eat the burrito cold and without flavor Much better taquerias around Sad for this experience The lady said I could have a free burrito when I come back but not planning to dine there any time soon read more

This place is great. I've had the carne asada taco, carne asada torta, carne asada burrito, and carne asada quesadilla they were all delicious. The carne asada in all these items are tender and flavorful. Basically great tasting food, but a little bit on the higher end on the price. read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Carne asada quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have been going to la taqueria monte cristo for 8.5 months. Across the board, the food is fantastic. Unreal tacos, soups, burritos. The homemade chips and salsa are the best in the west coast. Wednesday night is $2 dollar tacos, $3 beers (negra modelo and pacifico included). Service is top notch, friendly, and always with a smile. 100 percent recommended read more

First lets start by saying I ate at this place about 5 times a couple years ago. I tried last night around 9pm. I ordered a steak burrito w/ light rice, light beans, guac, sour cream, cheese and tomatoes. Drove home 15-20 minutes later only to find out that the Burrito was created disasterously. Hardly no steak, it was minced up so fine that all the other ingredients was basically mushed and mixed together that I had to split the burrito and pick thru the insides to attempt to make the meal edible. Here it is 10:15 the next morning and lets just say I just left the restroom and hopefully got it all out of me. Subway here I come at lunch. Go to Juan's Place: 941 Carleton St, Berkeley, CA 94710, I should have took the drive over. Taqueria Monte Cristo's hostess's were superb, so I got to blame it on the kitchen. read more

The crappiest most disgusting place to ever eat Mexican food in Berkeley. It reeks of ineptitude and hostility towards patrons. I am generally a fan of mexican culture and food and my two best friends are both mexicans, however this place is a disgrace to be even called out in the same sentence as even decent mexican food. I ordered a traditional chicken burrito and all they gave me was rice, beans and an extremely small portion (and i mean really really really small) of chicken. I ignored this and took a bite and blehhhh, I WANTED TO VOMIT ALL OVER THE PLACE (which it already smells like). I ate here just 10 minutes ago and I would never go back. They have no condiments available and the salsa's were just terrible. I would advise no one to go here unless they want to pay a lot of money for crappy , disgusting food that wil make you stop loving mexican food. read more

Loved this place!!! I ordered a shrimp burrito and loved it. Their shrimp was nice and succulent :) The burrito was huge and most of all I loved the salsa :) Please note, they charge you for extra chips which is not cool. They only give you about a handful to begin with. Also, they could be a little on the pricey side :) My burrito was about $11 :( read more

Wonderful surprise!!! Food was soo good. I had a quesadilla with chicken. It came with two AMAZING sauces (cilanto pesto and chipotle sour cream). Hubby got the Monte Cristo bunch. He said "It taste so good it feels like a sin" Our son enjoyed half of a kids burrito. (Big portion). Margaritas were so good. Now to dessert. Our son wanted Churros. We all enjoyed them, they were piping hot and had a yummy sauce. He decided to use his toothfairy money to buy another order of churros to go. Thank you Monte Cristo we will see you again. read more

PRICEY MEXICAN FOOD. Those two words should never belong together. Wow...eating here is really bad for your wallet. They charge an extra $2 for ordering carne asada and to get chips and salsa, its an extra $1.50. You get maybe 6-7 chips? Agua fresca comes in one size is $3.75. I'll echo what other yelpers have said, the food here is not bad. The portions are sizable and the salsa bar is plentiful. Although they seem stingy on giving you plastic salsa containers and napkins. I've had the steak fajitas here and the sopes plates. With a drink, I can never walk out of here without spending at least $15. The steak fajitas were kind of oily. It came with rice and beans and also a tortilla. The sopes plate was a lot of food. We got shredded chicken (carne asada was an extra $2) and the sopes were topped with guacamole. I really liked how the sopes were cooked. The interior was fluffy like bread but also had a crispy exterior. I shared the plate with my friend was we were stuffed! Horchata always taste powdery here. Not a fan. While I can appreciate the spacious, clean, well-lighted interior and the fact that Monte Cristo is open late, I don't think I can come here often. It is just way too pricey in general, regardless of the cuisine. read more

Wow. How did this place end up with 3&1/2 stars in a city teeming with VASTLY superior Mexican eateries occupying every level of the market? The chips were just horrible, horrible -- not to mention that the bowl they were served to in was tiny and chipped, despite the fact that I paid some ridiculous amount to have "guacamole and chips". In fact, as I looked at my guacamole and my bowl of chicken soup (sopa azteca) and realized I had paid more than $10 to order this food at a counter, I felt like a mark; and, that was before I tasted the soup! Shite -- did these people just dump a friggin' cannister of salt in here? Seriously, I like my food salty - friends will testify to that; people have even looked at me disapprovingly as I salted, actually, soup; but this was inedible. I couldn't even finish it. I was sad when I finished my meal. I hate wasting money AND eating opportunity. read more

I got a burrito, it was good. Pretty much what I expected. There were only two things I would change but nothing to take stars away for, it didn't really effect the quality just more of personal preference. I added sour cream, next time I'll say light sour cream & they went a little heavy on the beans. I'll order here again, I'll try tacos next time & that delicious looking cheesecake they had on display. read more

Why you no have 5 stars yet?! I LOVE this place. The food tastes fresh and delicious. The carnitas tacos are by far the best I have ever had, and I think their borracha salsa is the best I have ever had. I am always happy walking out of here, and I can't recommend it enough. The Good: tacos! Especially carnitas. The Bad: they are stingy with their chips. Give us more chips, and you will get more stars! Pro Tip: mix some of the spicy red salsa in the borracha for a flavor explosion that will blast you into into another dimension. read more

One of our new fav mexican food restaurant in Berkeley. The food here is really good and the service is great. They serve alcohol too. This place worked out great for my boyfriend's birthday dinner party. read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Chicken tacos dorado and chile rellano plate. Soo good. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Good burritos. Salsa bar has delicious choices. Chips were good. Absolutely no complaints. Food was prepared quickly and staff was friendly. Good prices as well. Will definitely be back. read more

I love everything about this place! The music, staff, salsa bar, prices, freshness!!! The food is just so authentic & delicious! They have sooooo many vegan options you can play with. If you are in a rush, the food comes out fast! read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Vegan taco with watermelon aquas frescas! - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California