I'd say this place has its pros and cons. Pros: food quantity is good, with my burrito I got "some" chips (5), they're open late, they have a good amount of seating, and they have a salsa bar with already packed salsas to-go. Cons: The beans and rice were very much the majority of my burrito, even though I ordered a carne asada burrito with extras guac and cheese. The beans and rice were not very flavorful either. I had come here almost a year ago but I didn't really recall my experience here, and the burrito confirmed it for me. Also I only got 5 chips with my burrito which is a travesty. Lastly and probably the most important personally was the extremely watery tomatillo salsa they had, it was lacking in flavor and heat. read more

I ordered from presumably the daughter of the owner and was surprised to find a bowl of lentil soup was 11.99 and added chorizo was 3.99. After taxes and tip my soup was close to astronomical 20 dollars. I asked for pan and mantequilla in the side and she said we don't do. I was like what? She said we don't have butter! Now what restaurant doesn't have butter. The vegetarian part of the soup was okay but the chorizo was burnt. The daughter alarmed informs her mother who looks at it and just says no that's well done. That's how we cook it. I wish I could get my money back but instead I'll just have to hope you don't waste 20 on the worst lentil soup of your life. I think the daughter stole 10 dollars from me because honestly when did soup cost more than 5 dollars? The free water is the only good thing. None of the food items showed up itemized. Just open food. I can't believe I got so scammed. No wonder the place was empty. read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Chorizo lentil soup - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Yummy margaritas! Good, hearty portions. Very satisfying. I also enjoyed eating in house because I loved the decor and vibes. Service was fast and friendly. There are many other similar places in the immediate area so I don't know that I'd come back any time soon but they're overall a solid choice to grab a bite to eat. read more

I got burritos and tacos for pickup. Everything was packaged beautifully, and the burritos were mondo. All the food tasted great. The inside of the restaurant was decorated with pictures and paintings of my favorite -- Frida Kahlo. The staff was friendly and there were lots of Hispanics eating there -- good sign. read more

Been here a couple times and overall some very good tacos. The key to ask for their hot sauce that they keep out back.. it's so good. While I would skip their their carne asada their carnitas are nice and crisp and the chorizo is well seasoned This last visit I had an agua de naranja which was wonderful as I was expecting watered down OJ but instead hit this refreshing orange drink read more

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Don't even think about it - get their Chicken Mole Burrito. Got this thanks to the raving Yelp reviews and it absolutely did not disappoint. I don't know if normal burritos will live up to this now that I've had their mole. It's so incredibly flavorful and all the filling mesh and melt together perfectly. I've been here a handful of times now and have never been disappointed. Service is efficient and there's plenty of parking in their lot. Takeout was super easy on this most recent visit. I called to place my order and service was super friendly. read more

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We came here at my aunts suggestion, but highly doubtful I'd come back. The food would definitely get 5 stars, the spice to the hot sauces was great. Everyone enjoyed the food. Only issue with the food was my aunt normally gets a normal amount of sour cream and lettuce with hers and it's like they sprinkled it on this time. And they charged $5 extra sour cream. Service would get maybe 1 star IF THAT. You see a number a people and you'd bring the right amount of silverware. We had to keep getting up and asking, the cashier rolled her eyes the first time she was asked for a spoon. So that set the way the service was the rest of the time. My aunt had to continuously ask for the coffee she ordered that was old anyway. The dude at the counter that replaced the rude cashier was more focused on his phone than anything. Ambiance was chill. Like I said it was the service that was horrible. read more

This used to be my go-to taqueria when I lived in the area. Whenever I'm in town, I like to treat myself to a carne asada super burrito with their spicy sauce & the last time I visited, the burrito did not taste the same. Not sure what it was but the flavor was lacking. Could've been a combination of the meat being under seasoned, the rice being a bit over cooked but all together I kept eating it hoping it would get better and, it just didn't. Also the chips texture was mixed between crunchy and soggy? Didn't know that was possible. I'm assuming I came in on a bad day which, I gotta say, has only happened one other time. Also, I really hope they go back to playing Mexican music instead of playing that terrible pop playlist. That threw me off a bit when I went there. Please, stick to the rancheras! read more

Cold rainy Sunday and you need a post run snack and bevvie? This will do the trick. Pleasant environment, there were people there around 5p but it wasn't crowded or noisy. Service was kind and helpful. Bean and cheese pupusas were very good, nachos stayed crispy but light on toppings and did not have the ooey gooey cheese, and margarita was light light on tequila. Chill spot. Gets it done. read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Nachos w.guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I'm sorry I'm advance, but this place is just not it. The Tortillas are not homemade, the rice is not cooked all the way, and the beans are just awful. I don't mean any disrespect, but the food here has really gone downhill. read more

So my husband and I are sitting in our hotel room killing some pastor tacos, arroz, frijoles, and asada....because thank you DoorDash! Ummm....I didn't expect the food to be this good!! Like...:it's bomb! I never eat pastor but they killed the game with this one! And the tacos are super stuffed! Like one taco is a mini meat buffet with the pickled jalapeño and carrots! Ooof! Like it was soo good I couldn't even take a picture, but let me say this: I just ate my last taco, and I'm stuffed to the point that I am burping up pastor, but best believe I am swallowing it right back down. I might dream about this place tonight.... instead of counting sheep, I'll be counting pieces of al pastor. Good night everyone. read more

Eh...I was unimpressed. But I also came on New Years Eve and apparently that is not a great time to get take out in the evening. Anywho. I kept seeing this place on DoorDash and it looked good so I decided to give it a try. As I mentioned, it was New Year's Eve, around 8:30pm. I called in my order and made my way to the restaurant to pick up. The person behind the counter was friendly, and the shop was small and clean. I ordered several things to try. It was a sad evening and I was eating the emotions of two sad people lol. I got a prawn taco to try....that was $7 bucks. We'll come back to that later. I also got 3 carnitas Street tacos and a chicken mole burrito. Let's start with the prawn taco. Prawns, avocado, a whole mess of black beans - more black beans and black bean sauce than anything. It was not good. The beans had a snap to them..like crunch. Didn't taste fresh. I couldn't get passed all the beans. It really was not good smh. The chicken mole burrito struck me as dry. The flavor on the mole was okay but not amazing. The 3 street tacos, not pictured, were probably best but there was a lot of grease running off the tortillas. Like I said, maybe it was an off evening, but I probably won't be returning. read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Cross section chicken mole burrito....looks dry huh - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I have been coming here for over a decade. Still my favorite burrito! And customer service is always great. There's also a parking lot right next to it so parking is really easy! read more

This taqueria is in really convenient location and has a parking lot! I ordered two orders of tacos dorado and they were ready in 10 min. I will say that even though they are called tacos they are rolled tacos. I loved them. You can get them in three or four. Lots of sauce on top with their crumbled cheese makes this dish. I topped it off with their red and green salsa and they were amazing. I almost forgot to take a picture lol I had one left. Great new spot. read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Outside - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Cute small place. Came here with my family for an afternoon lunch/early dinner. The service was friendly, and the horchata was really good But that's almost where it stops. My sister did not enjoy her pupusas, and I did not enjoy my tostada at all. In terms of my dish, it lacked so much flavor, the meat was very cold, and just overall it was hard to finish bc of how bland it tasted. Like it was drenched in sauces, but it tasted like nothing. My other sister got some kind of wet burrito that was suppose to have a spicy red sauce, but she said it wasn't spicy at all. We also ordered nachos for all of us, and that was also bland and tasteless despite all the toppings The dessert at least was good. We got a tres leches cake and the chocoflan Overall, probably won't come back here. If I do it would just be for the horchata and the cakes read more

Was excited to try these guys but, right off the bat we were missing items.. ordered 7 tacos and got 5! Forgot our chips and salsa too! The cheese enchiladas looked half eaten! The sauce was very spicy too! The rice/ beans was all mixed together! It was leaking everywhere! The tacos were okay but, some of the chicken was overcooked badly! The best part was the chips and guacamole! Horrible experience! I doubt we will order again! read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Looks like it was half eaten! - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Looking for a late night snack I came across this taqueria. No salsa bar which is a big downside if you need a variety of different salsas when eating Mexican food. If they fixed this issue I'm sure it would make a lot of people happy. Plenty of places for you to sit. There are high chairs available so kid friendly. Major plus is that they are open until midnight. The food was good. I ordered 2 tacos, one al pastor and chorizo. The chorizo was well cooked and not burnt. Good choice The al pastor was a little bit too crispy for my taste. Clean, friendly and tasty. read more

Great.Burritos. Carnitas. Asado and sirloin. Most taquerías load up burritos with beans and not with steak and that was super filling and healthy read more

I haven't been here in awhile... but the quality of the food still remains the same. It's been pretty chilly so I got one of their hefty bowls of Posolé Rojo to go. Sooo absolutely delicious! Huge chunks of pork. Flavorful as hell. Definitely kept me warm & satiated all afternoon. read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Posole Rojo - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Taqueria Monte Cristo is a small eatery nearby a mini Target. limited parking in small lot. offerings: same as any taqueria. no salsa bar. service fast casual. can order to go or eat in. eats: al pastor, carna asada tacos @3.25 -semi moist pieces of portein on grilled corn tortillas with cilantro, onions. meats semi chewy/tasty. choice of green/red salsa. -food better than average. -service friendly, quick 3.5 stars read more

Beautiful ambiance however we were a little disappointed given the fact that we had to pay for the salsa and chips which is normally provided for free at many taco shops/authentic Mexican restaraunts . In addition, the chorizo taco was mushy, tasteless and just spicy. The carnitas was really dry and I do have to point out that we visited this place on a Wednesday evening when it wasn't too busy, so not sure why the food wasn't cooked as authentic as it should've been. read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Carnitas, Asada and Chorizo taco with beans and rice. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is our neighborhood taqueria and we've made our way through much of the menu via takeout (we ate there a few times pre-pandemic). We particularly like that they have kid options. Our biggest complaint - and it's almost become laughable - is that every. single. time. they get something wrong with our order. It's usually minor (e. g. we added sour cream to a burrito but there doesn't end up being any, etc.), so we've taken to trying to check our order before we leave. They also always make things right if we flag an error. But it's delicious food, the folks there are nice, and they're usually able to fill our orders pretty quickly. read more

The food and service are great. If you're gonna order food for lunch, you can call the moment you leave your job and food will be ready by the time you get there. I recommend the fish. Oh yeah, they are very generous with the food portions. read more

I don't expect the world when it comes to a burrito, but I do expect no meat when I order a vegetarian burrito, and I prefer my burritos WITHOUT GLASS in them. Apparently that is too much to expect from this place. We gave them a second chance after they served me a "vegetarian" burrito sprinkled with pork, but their flippant response to my glass enhanced burrito was far too much. They are overpriced, rude, and could care less if you chew on glass while dining on their food. Go elsewhere unless you have no fear of internal bleeding. read more

BEST MEXICAN FOOD IN THE EAST BAY - I love this place. We come here quite often. You know you like a place when the people working the front know you on sight. The selection here is large enough to satisfy your cravings, but small enough so that it is not an unmanageable menu. Classics are here like burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. But there are plenty of other great things to get. FOOD: I almost always get the Monte Cristo quesadilla. It is just so well done. I get it with the carnitas in the middle and it is a beautiful savory mess in your mouth. Comes with this sauce that is just a tad spicy but wonderful. Almost like a remoulade. The tacos are good, but not much to speak about. They are just well done. But they are street tacos like you would expect from other places. I love their chips and guac! The chips are homemade so they are fresh, crunchy, and crispy in your mouth. The guacamole is also fresh and taste great. It is a wonderful complement to the food. They have good rice and beans, especially the beans. Are usually get refried and they are exactly what I am looking for. But recently I tried the burrito, which I really liked. I think I will have to get that more often. All in all a good selection on the menu and really good taste. SERVICE: The service here is really good. Everyone is always nice, and they get the food out to you in a pretty short amount of time. The only downside I would say is the location is a bit weird. Recently the property management company built this big black wall that blocks your view completely of the parking lot. So I have no idea why they would do that. It is unclear if you are allowed to park there because every space says office. But until I get a ticket, I guess we will park there assuming that it is for the offices where the restaurant is. COST: Very reasonable for all the food yet. Almost every time we go I am taking stuff home. The only thing that is slightly overpriced is the chips and guac. For eight dollars, you should probably get more guac. Don't get me wrong, it is more than enough for a meal. But I think I would rather pay something like four or five dollars for the same amount. Still, it is all homemade and so we get it every single time. Can't really complain too much. read more

I don't know what is happening here. I have been to this place quite a few times in the past and they were always pretty consistent, but I ordered a burrito from here a couple of days ago and the pandemic seems to be taking a toll on their cooking. I don't know if their regular chef is gone or something but this is not the same restaurant it was a couple of months ago. From the chicken being under seasoned to the guacamole not having tomatoes and just giant chunks of onion in it. I ordered sauce on it and my burrito was so dry even with guacamole in it. They used to give extra sauce on the side too but that has stopped as well. I don't want to order from this place again until things are back to their original standards. I placed this order through DoorDash and I really feel like I wasted my money. I don't recommend spending money here while they are really not able to cook like they used to. read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Pollo Asado burrito with guac and cheese (both cost extra) - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food tastes authentic. The service is quick and personable. The restaurant is clean and welcoming.

Really like this place, nice service and the food is always so delicious! They have the best salsas and Serrano Chile's on the side! For the 2 items below in the picture (the Chimichanga and Burrito +2 coffees not in the pic) it came out to about 35$. Prices being a little high I would say is why it's 4 instead of 5 stars. Really great place overall though! read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Chimichanga plate + Burrito de Pollo w Spinach Tortilla ! - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Went to lunch here today and was very pleasantly surprised. Private parking lot and fast service. We dined in and employees were friendly and helpful. Decor was great and the place was very clean. Prices were about he same as other similar places in the area. We ordered a prawn burrito, tacos dorados, and something else(i forgot the name but took a picture lol). My burrito was ok, wrapping was loose but flavor was great, prawns were a tad overdone. Complimentary chips and salsa were very good. Would go back to try other dishes especially since they have a private parking lot which is great being on university. read more

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The laziest and biggest rip-off of the Juan Romo restaurant empire that has a stranglehold on the Berkeley Mexican food scene. Cans of green chili sauce can clearly be seen in the kitchen. The papusas, which used to be the fare exclusive to Casa Latina, seem to be filled with nacho cheese, no discernable beans, and the revuelta stunk as if it had gone bad. $16 for two such gross papusas, a couple plantains, beans, and a tiny salad. The tacos are similarly extremely overpriced and neglected. Have come here out of necessity but I don't think I can handle it any longer. read more

I went to Monte Cristo last night bcuz I was craving a burrito, but I must have went on a bad night, bcuz I was one of couple of customers that came in while I was there. I ordered the Chicken Mole Burrito w/cheese and it was one of the driest and unflavorful burrito I had had in sometime. Maybe 40 yrs ago it was good. If you're going to make that "statement", make sure its the one item that's always on point. Normally I wouldn't have gone to a taqueria locally, unless it was in an area (e.g. Fruitvale, Mission) known for Mexican cuisine (e.g. Pancho Villa) If am craving a good sandwich, my go-to... Clove & Hoof or Gregoire, BBQ... Horn, Smoking Wood, Caribbean... Miss Ollie's, Kingston 11, Burger... True Burger, Park Burger, Chicken Sandwich... World Famous Hotboy's, Clove & Hoof, Bakesale Betty's read more

Fairly decent ingredients, generous portions, and reasonable prices. For Mexican food in Berkeley, most of which is absolutely terrible gringo slop, this place stands out. The staff clearly take pride in trying to provide good food and service to a wide array of clientele. This place is much better than many longstanding Berkeley "institutions" in burritos and tacos, all of which have worsened over time, especially since the pandemic. This place is a suitable alternative. read more

3.5 stars, rounded up. The burritos here are better than their sister restaurant a few blocks down, La Mission. They are expensive, but they are enormous. I can definitely stretch it out for two meals. Overstuffed with rice, but the rice is flavorful and not dry, at least. The beans are perfect. They have kids menu burritos, which I secretly love. They are the perfect size, with a better bean to rice ratio than the adult sized ones. I am already ordering them for my kids; I am tempted to get one for myself as well. There isn't a salsa bar. There is sangria and a few dessert offerings from their sister Casa Latina's kitchen. The chips are not great. Something notable about the decor--a mural with a huge naked woman is on the wall. It's not subtle. It's glorious, painted with care and ability, but it seems out of context. Is there a Monte Cristo backstory? I am so curious about this. Where else is there to stare while waiting for food? read more

We went here last night because it was Taco Wednesday but some of the menu photos are outdated as the tacos are now $3. That's not a taco Wednesday price; that's just a Wednesday price. The sizes of the taco were smaller than usual. The al pastor wasn't that great as it did have that typical smoky flavor but wasn't charred like they're supposed to and didn't have a pineapple. The saving grace was the carnitas as it had nice textural contrast with good flavor. But no radishes and pickled veggies made these tacos lackluster. Also, they had no salsa bar and they only had Tapatio as their hot sauce. The lady asked if we wanted some chips and salsa and the way she asked them made it sound complementary but they were $3 and they were pretty stale. I wasn't impressed with this place and am still looking for a quality taco in the East Bay. read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Have been coming here much more frequently during the time of covid and have discovered my new fave burrito: nopales. Not many places have it and this one is solid. You get choice of beans you want and they will ask you if you want sour cream, gauc, or cheese. You always get chips with your burritos now and they give you green and red salsa, both of which I find very spicy but I love it anyway. They are also open super late especially compared to other places during this time. My go-to place to fulfill my burrito cravings! read more

Montecristo Taqueria - Current hours - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great fish tacos. And their papusas are yummy. I get the bean and cheese. The papusas aren't greasy, like most other places. Their flan and horchata is great too. read more

Really three stars (or four because of the area?), but it's not a go-out-of-the-way destination (not from SF or Peninsula at least). This place is a bunch of hits and misses, nothing in between. But if in the area, I'll stop in again and try their list of breakfast items. Pros: - Brightly lit and inviting (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iFZugpjWw9qqJtuCBO51pA?select=AdMPM0Tu4lZvqWEJjIarlw). - Prices were cheaper than the Mission's. - Tasty version of al pastor. - Complimentary chips. - Tasty version of salsa. - The sangria had a nice kick. - Server came around with water, and refills. Cons: - Had to ask for in order to get complimentary chips. - Condiment stand (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iFZugpjWw9qqJtuCBO51pA?select=zop-kq3oFx40l7PLT69VTw) containers were barely full. - No limes. - No taqueria-style pickled carrots. - No condiments containers unless asked for them. - Carne asada order was really al pastor, but they would not acknowledge so. Very easy to find location, off of 80, on University. Different decor for a taqueria (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iFZugpjWw9qqJtuCBO51pA?select=eRRmfUwBibfzZpPAXTLNPQ). There was outdoor seating, but it was only one table and one chair. Hits and misses. read more

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Hands down this is my new favorite Taqueria. I have been here 4-5 times in the past two weeks and nope no pictures because all I could think about was eating. My 13 year old daughter taste buds are extremely pick however she have enjoyed several items from here. Custom service here is always warm and welcoming. I highly recommend this restaurant to all!! read more

Delicious enormous burritos with so much flavor! Plus, they get our really weird order correct every time.

I decided to try this place because of all the 5 star reviews. I ordered a shrimp quesadilla and a cactus taco. It was the worst. Could not pick up the taco to eat. The taco shell was broken into pieces, had to eat it with a knife and fork, lots of fillers in the taco. The quesadilla, the shrimp was over cooked. A bit pricy for what I got. I'm from the southwest and their taquerias are so much better. read more