Where do I began!?! not a hospitable atmosphere. you walk in and one line is for take out the other is dine-in. The idea is to order your food before you sit down. I came here with My Aunt and Grandma having high hopes of eating some great Mexican food. When I got my Nachos, The cheese was dried and my chips were really stale when i got them. On top of that my beans were on the bottom of the plate instead OF ON TOP of my nachos. My aunt then order the Verde Enchiladas, She said they were soggy. She couldn't tell if the chicken was fresh or not, It was very bland, plainish. When we were finished they came and picked up our plates instead of asking if we were done. read more

Wow, I was looking for a quick bite to eat and found a real gem. Great food, tacos were wonderful and the corn tortillas must have just been made. Generous portions, friendly staff and easy to park. read more

Meh. Ordered takeout online -- it took more than twice as long as quoted and was lukewarm when they eventually brought it out. After a spin in the microwave the food was pretty good . . . read more

I have been going here for all my life (I'm in 7th grade). I get chips and guac, super nachos with chicken, Agua Fresca, and pinto beans and rice every time and it is always so good that I want to come back the very next day. The outdoor seating is really cool and I am looking forward to them opening the new interior which should be super cool. read more

Honestly I never give 1 star ratings, but I really feel this place deserves it. The first time I went was back in June, we made the drive to Berkeley from the city with Picante as one of our highly anticipated spots to visit. My boyfriend grew up going here every week about 25 years ago and said it was one of his favorite childhood restaurants with the best Mexican food. First time we went, I ordered steak fajitas (one of my favorite dishes) -- it came completely cold, ice cold. For fear of bumming him out, I stayed quiet, soon to find out that his burrito was also freezing cold and not very flavorful. By this point, we had filled up on chips and decided we'd rather just leave than do anything about it... Fast forward to this past weekend, we decided Picante had a bad day and I wanted to give it another shot for my boyfriend. Really bad decision.. I ordered a wet bean and cheese burrito (thinking that was easy to make, WRONG). The red sauce had absolutely no flavor, the bean and cheese burrito was HORRIBLE. No flavor at all and yes, it was COLD. When I opened up the tortilla the cheese was not melted at all, I showed one of the waiters who apologized and was shocked, he took it back, when another waiter returned it who seemed to be a manager, he said, "sometimes the cheese doesn't melt".. um?? If you put cheese next to hot refried beans, shouldn't it melt? Very shocking. My boyfriend's on the other hand arrived with the wrong beans, no cheese, and no flavor (he only ate half which is saying something). I forgot to mention, I spent $15 on this bean and cheese burrito. Would not recommend by any sense of the imagination. read more

Pretty festive looking from the outside and a decent amount of parking for a parking-challenged area of Berkeley. Large menu of fairly standard Mexican fare that we ordered at the counter. My fish burrito was fresh tasting, but a little bland. My friend enjoyed his pozole. Pinapple Agua Fresca was a nice addition to lunch. Since I live in the South Bay, not sure when I'll be back but certainly seems worth another visit. read more

After a few minuets of reading mixed reviews, I decided the only way to know for sure is to eat there myself. Plus I had also received a voucher towards my meal in the mail. At first glance: great curb appeal, it definitely will get your attention. The seating outside with umbrellas and strung lights you'll want to sit outside. They do have a parking lot on the corner. It was an early dinner around 7pm and extremely busy, I was kind of shocked to see so many patrons dinning in and even the take out line was long. You place your order before you seat yourself. Ordered: Taco Shrimp Diabla Salad with pinto beans Empanadas ( are overpriced for not having any MEAT in them ) Flan one of their house specialty juices ( sorry I forgot the name ) Taste: Flan was just okay, could use more of the sweet syrup Shrimp Salad - Is HUGE!!!! only a few pieces of taco chips were found beneath all the toppings. I was expecting a taco shell like bowl... Empanadas - with no meat, veggie ! nice size but I would not order those again. Juice - I cant recall the name just remember it was sweet and a deep red/purple like color Service was awesome, super quick at bringing out dishes and host at the counters taking the orders are very friendly. Everything ordered could be shared between two people. read more

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Delicious mouth-watering Mexican cuisine. Quick service, great for hungry children. Colorful, festive decor. AMAZING restaurant I 100% recommend. read more

This place is a long time favorite! The best Carne Asada burrito around the entire East Bay! And also the most expensive super burrito I've ever seen at 17.25. But it is deleicious! My other favorites include the Tostada Salad ( Vegetarian, Pollo Asada and Carne Asada) all three are very very good and fresh vegetables and full of flavor. The Sopa Azteca is also very tasty, as well as the Tamales. I would give Picantes 5 stars but I have to admit they have grown to become very expensive and because of that I can not take my kids there as often as I used to. $$$ read more

Aside from having amazing food, Picante has the best covid-friendly online ordering and pick-up system that I've experience so far. I ordered lunch online and within 15 minutes, my food was brought out to me - I didn't even have to leave my car. The fam and I ordered a steak burrito, carnitas burrito, steak tacos, and fish tacos. Everything we ordered was delicious. Other restaurants should take note of how curbside pick up is supposed to be. read more

Worst burrito of my life. No flavor & served cold. The steak was really low quality and had lots of fat and gristle. And no flavor none.I was really looking forward to a burrito today and Picante has always had really delicious food. This food tasted like it's been sitting around a long time and lost all of its flavor. I'm wondering if during Covid they have not been doing very much business and they're not keeping track of their food and just letting it sit around and lose taste. I am so sad to give a review like this because I have always loved Picante. I arrived a few minutes before my order was done and when they finally gave me the order the food was cold and no flavor. I couldn't even eat it I had to throw it away read more

For what this is, it is really wonderful. The atmosphere is delightful, with the tile murals on the walls of Marin & local wildlife. The food is very delicious and a good fair price. The chicken is always grilled beautifully. And I love the fact that locals, compadres, eat here with their families and watch the international soccer games. It is a working class joint, with no pretensions. Super casual, people in work clothes, shorts, hiking gear etc. read more

Well 14 years ago I guess the burrito was blah or maybe I was having a bad day. I'd say this is one of the best Mexican food places in the area. Ingredients are fresh and delicious. Chips are great! I just had a burrito there yesterday and it' was perfection. I'm sort of daydreaming about eating another one now. Try ordering on the website and drive up to pick up your food. It's awesome. read more

This place had five-star service in terms of ease of pickup and new client promotion. They very kindly welcomed me to the neighborhood with a coupon for free lunch/dinner up to $25 which was much appreciated !! In terms of ambiance, this place is drive up only but as far as takeout situations go, their curbside pickup is awesome!! I deducted one star because I think there's room for improvement in their steak burrito recipe- the meat was good but I wasn't loving the salsa. I also tried the chicken burrito and it was great! I'll be returning to try more food from their extensive menu :) read more

Green Sauce should become my middle name. I am positively in delight over the green sauce served on my Enchiladas. Rachel H. invited Baby John and I out for lunch. It was my last Thursday off before finally going back to work from maternity leave. I couldn't think of a better time than go out with some yelp budday's. We came here because of the kid friendliness. Rachel H. does not lie about this in her review. This is the most kid friendly adult type restaurant Ive been in. In regards to my Green Sauce love, I had the Enchiladas, Verdes Chicken in corn tortillas with tomatillo-serrano sauce. It came with rice and beans. All were very, very good. Tomatillos look like an alien pooped it out to me. Ive never gotten up the gusto to actually try and cook one and make my own green sauce. Why should I anyway when I can come to places like this and eat it. Her little human, Baby H. got to sit in the big boy high chair. While little John passed out in my arms and kind of made it hard for me to eat. They also have a full bar. So mental note for mommy, possible future daddy mommy day here. We had a great lunch, great conversation and the cutest kids that yelp have ever seen. read more

Picante - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

First order of business when returning from 2 weeks in Spain where one has been eating nothing but cured meat, potatoes, and chocolate - and drinking almost nothing but sangria and vino tinto y blanco: Vegetarian tostada at Picante with a side of warm chips and delicious guacamole, washed down with a cold glass of strawberry agua fresca. I don't care how "Anglicized" people think this place is, they make the best goddam tostada I've ever had. read more

Picante - Most Fabulous Tostada Ever - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Update....Although my experience wasn't the best. The owner reached out to me personally addressing my experience. To me that says a lot! I appreciate that. Customer service/satisfaction is all but non existent these days. I definitely will give picante another shot when Im in the area. This update was of my own free will. I wasn't asked for it. My honest update. Had the nachos. Plate full of chips decent amount of steak, but hardly any cheese. Arrived cold had to send it back second order also very little cheese. Decent portion way over priced. So so food. Friendly staff! Won't return. read more

Good Mexican food, good prices. Last time I went, their dining room was still closed, but they have turned a parking lot into a nice, large outdoor eating space. read more

This is one of those yuppie places where things seem like they should taste better than they do. I always stuck to the soft tacos with rojas (chili pepper strips) that were good, but not amazing. They have a station where you can watch them make tortillas, and I've heard they have a nice patio. read more

Just another weekday evening out & about, the girlfriend rattled off her short list of places she'd like to have dinner. For her, anytime in, around, or near Berkeley, Picante is on that list. I was also up for it this particular time as I do like the place, just not as fanatically as she does. Picante is colorfully decorated, has plenty of seating inside, some outdoor seating in front & just feels nice & comfortable throughout. Service is mostly like fast food. There is a line to order. Food is ordered & paid for at a counter where drinks are also served. Food is brought to the table when it's ready. The food, however, is nothing like fast food. The sight of fresh made tortillas is always a good thing. The girlfriend & I both ordered tamales (1 pork & 1 chicken) with black beans & rice. It was all very good, not too heavy/ oily/ greasy & freshly handmade. Excellent food especially considering how quickly it was served after ordering. Picante is a good spot in Berkeley for Mexican food. For me, not quite as good as a couple other places I've been. But all things considered, Picante is the best option for Mexican food in, around, or near Berkeley. read more

Lets play the adjective game kiddies!!!! Colorful: http://media1.px.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/corT_66bLhGdegt6dbxJNQ/l ooooohhhhhhh ahhhhh Nifty and Useful: http://media1.px.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/CfJLqGAf1YJ4cfZMKThxcQ/l (basically tells the server where u are sitting, insert paddle once and put on the side) Tasty: http://media1.px.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/-KuFw_h-KjaYthbCm2by3w/l Habanero salsa was not spicy enuff!!! Smart: http://media1.px.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/IEL48K8iDDFiVts9aIzEGg/l (refering to the lil stickers) Yummers: http://media1.px.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/e2mIvYMga0WGcxixd9cC2w/l Homemade: http://media1.px.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/25CtAc7gUSE4jJKxtoDLtA/l Overall experience: 3.5 stars. Picante is a nice place to have a quick lunch but overall it didn't wow me. Some pluses were the homemade corn tortillas and the homemade salsa. read more

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The good: great for families (lots of seating, both indoors and out- with heat lamps), refillable water, parking lot across the street, large portions, serves beer on tap (which may also be good for families, depending on who you are!), bottomless salsa (green tomatillo is the best; habanero is not that spicy, chipotle is mediocre), freshly fried chips, lots of vegetarian & kid friendly options, $15 off coupon if you've just moved here. The average: food (the carnitas burrito we got, while large, had its ingredients clumped together- several bites were full of guac and sour cream but lacking meat); ambience, price- not cheap but not expensive, waiting in line to order (but quick to receive food; the take out ordering line is faster) Wish they: had free chips and salsa, made the water and salsa easier to find! Bottom line, great "go-to" dependable Mex joint with average prices, good for groups, and average (but not memorable) food. read more

two words: SOPA AZTECA. Try it!!!

I have been eating at Picante for as long as I can remember, and always been delighted when my family would decide to go there for dinner (or after a soccer game when I was a wee one--I used to practice/play at Fielding Field, right nearby). I am sad that a burrito now costs $11 with tax. This makes no sense. We are not in rural Alaska---Picante is not the only taqueria around and there is nothing about a burrito that should cost so much. Same price for a vegetable tostada: ridiculous. The food is more than 3 stars, but the robbery means that unless Picante can convince Cactus to join the overpriced monopoly, I'll be sticking to $5-7 burritos anywhere but here from now on. I sincerely lament the loss. RIP. read more

I used to love coming to Picante before the pandemic. They were always a bit overpriced but they made up for it with large portions and good flavor. After they re-opened, I was excited to support Picante again, but everything seems a bit off. Ordered a normal chicken burrito and it was severely lacking in flavor. I also splurged and got the guacamole and chips for $10. Their idea of guacamole is tomatillo sauce with a few small chunks of avocado. To their credit, they refunded my account for the guacamole but I am a bit disappointed for their lackluster flavor and declining quality. I have been back since then, thinking maybe it was an off day but the burritos just don't taste yummy. read more

Posole rojo!!! you know a good 48h+ went into making this delicious stew.. .perfect for these winter days and super filling. Gotta love their (homemade, BTW) sauces, makes every bite different. Be sure to grab their chips, too! read more

Mmm.....think I may have just found another place to visit more often :) My boss treated my self and some fellow colleagues here recently for lunch, and I could not have been happier with their choice. They raved highly about it ( apparently some are a little addicted) and I now can see why. The ambiance certainly exudes that classic bright, lively Mexican atmosphere-the restaurant is also quite spacious providing plenty of indoor as well as out door seating. The menu has a very impressive selection of dishes to choose from which all sound extremely delicious. Sticking to my usual lower carb diet, I decided upon the Sopa De Mariscos ($16.95) this soup consists of spicy seafood soup of rockfish, shrimp, mussels and clams, it also comes with a baguette, however, I opted out on it. This soup was also highly recommended by a fellow colleague. We ordered and paid at the counter, and waited for our food to be served. Everyone's food arrived fairly promptly, looking absolutely delicious. My soup was ginormous in portion, though did not lack in taste the slightest.-Authentic and absolutely abundant in savory flavor; not too mention the heaping portions of seafood included- soup was spicy, though bearable and just all over very tasty. Everyone else s dishes also looked fantastic. Service from most of the staff was also extremely friendly and professional. I absolutely cannot wait to come back here to try some of the other dishes, and maybe, just maybe, a margarita :) read more

Picante - Spicy seafood soup - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Picante is one of my all time favorite Mexican restaurants in California...or even in all of the US. I have been coming here for many years, and the food is consistently delicious and the variety of options is incredible. Being from Mexico City, I know my Mexican food, and Picante is one of the only Mexican restaurants I have been to with genuinely authentic dishes, flavors and ingredients. They make their delicious tortillas by hand, and all of their sauces (made in house as well), remind me so much of my hometown. The staff is ALWAYS kind, friendly and smiling. They have a beautiful, colorful decor with indoor and outdoor seating. If you haven't been to Picante yet, I HIGHLY recommend taking a trip for a delicious meal and some good company--you will not be disappointed! read more

Call me biased but I don't believe in overpriced Mexican food. I believe that unless you're eating at one of Rick Bayless' restaurants, Mexican food shouldn't be expensive especially when it comes to the normal tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and empanadas served with beans and rice. Despite the crowds, this is my main complaint for Picante. The food itself wasn't bad. It just didn't match the price. We tried the chips and guacamole, carnitas, fish tacos with a mango salsa, alambres tacos, and the manchamanteles burrito. Everything was just okay to me but I did appreciate that there were some items on the menu that I hadn't seen before. For the price point, I was expecting a fiesta in my mouth but instead got a siesta. Picante caters to a certain type of demographic - the type that probably has never step foot in a real taqueria. Even though it's San Fran, there are plenty of other taquerias where you can get the same quality food if not better for less. read more

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I've come here a handful of times. Experience goes something like this... - Park in the nearby lots or street. Plenty available. - Order food at the counter. Grab a buzzer, as they'll bring the food to your table. - Self serve yourself to unlimited salsa (4 varieties), water, silverware, and take out packaging. They're well stocked. - Find a table indoors or outdoors; there's always a good crowd but it's never difficult finding a seating. - EAT! Good variety of options- burritos, tacos, soups, salads, plates, seafood, etc. Lots of vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. Usually I get a soup or salad, but today I had the tostada de tingas. Another person got a chicken tamales with mole sauce. i had a bite, and I'll be getting that next time. Picante is a great place for families and children. Quick service, efficient, and solid food. I don't eat Mexican food enough to say whether it's "authentic" or not. But I know the food is always tasty, as there's always fresh ingredients and flavors, read more

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Picante amazed me in many ways: 1. Their expansive menu! There are so many options to choose from here--I had an extremely hard time picking a dish to eat. The line was long so I had a lot of time to mull over the menus. 2. That's right...menus. Plural. They had a separate vegetarian menu AND a brunch menu (which I think is only served Friday-Sunday until 3pm). 3. SO MUCH SEATING! The space is huge! 4. Considering the number of people their service was surprisingly fast. 5. Their Margaritas are incredibly strong. 6. Portions are generous and fair given the price of some dishes. 7. I love the number of signs they have to help make the self service of salsa, water and utensils easier. Whenever I thought "Where is...", there was a sign to help me out. As far as food goes: I ordered the Mexican City Style torta. It was decent on it's own (I wasn't expecting a whole slab of queso fresco) but once I topped it with pico de gallo and a variety of salsa it was a treat for the tastebuds. The chips and guacamole were also splendid (do NOT miss the chips here)! Note: Parking is tough when it's busy. Their designated lots get full so it becomes a hunt for street parking. I'm definitely coming back to try more items on their menu and bar! read more

Picante - Mexican City Style Torta. Chips and guacamole in the background. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Food is ultra yummy here. I've been maybe 3 or 4 times and haven't been disappointed at all. On my most recent visit, I came with my brother at 1:30pm on a Wednesday. It was packed! We didn't have to wait for a seat but we had to scan the restaurant pretty thoroughly to find a table. I ordered the Papas con Rajas tostada Salad with corn tortillas (vegan+gluten free) and was really happy with my salad. It was a tad spicy but I gobbled up as much as I could and took the rest home as leftovers. Pros: + lots of parking on the streets and Picante has their own parking lots. They are located at the end of the block on which Picante is situated and then another one across the street. +yummy food (duh). Very fresh ingredients and good sauces. +do-it-yourself to-go container section, and water area. +big seating area Cons: - pricey. We ordered a side of chips and guacamole which was $7. The portion wasn't big; I guess I was expecting more. 1 can of soda is also $2. read more

I like Picante. It isn't the best Mexican food I've ever had, but it's good and they have a wide variety of menu items including margaritas. The portions are huge. All of the entrees come with rice and beans (yum, refried beans!). I had the fish tacos which consisted of three fairly large tortillas filled with tons of lightly fried fish. We ordered guacamole, but I guess they missed it in order. They were kind of enough to bring it out to us free of charge. There are plenty of tables and they do a lot of take-out business which keeps the area by the curb busy. read more

Can I just say this has been my go to spot now?! I'm always here now. Ordering my margaritas ... Delicious! They're fast and always have excellent customer service! I recently tried the chicken flautas can I say delicious! I was missing the rice but it's okay it was so so good! Definitely satisfied me throughout the day! Honestly craving it again right now hah! The outside seating is the best especially the patio area at night! Lovely. It's excellent for groups and for a date. I can't get enough of this place now. Hooked lol read more

I work nearby where there aren't many options for a quick bite for lunch within walking distance. I come to Picante and am always satisfied -- not enthused, and not disgusted -- with my food, but always get a bit irritated at how much I spend here for lunch. I once ordered nachos and decided to add everything (guac, sour cream, salsa, steak) and it came up to around $20. It was good. Worth $20? Nope. I ordered a super steak burrito with a side of chips and the total was $14. It was good. Worth $14? Nope (but I admit, the chips here are really good). The burrito was actually rather small and skinny, definitely not similar to the SF style burritos I love. Maybe I'm just ordering the wrong things -- I always look around to see people's tacos and rice plates and they all look delicious, with a lot more bang for your buck. This seems like a good place to grab lunch with a big party, or with coworkers/friends (although it can get loud). The service is also very fast, so it's perfect for when I need to get something quick. Overall, I've never had a bad experience here, but my wallet disagrees. I'm just not used to spending so much for what is usually a fairly cheap meal at other places! read more

Picante - Steak super burrito - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Everyone has preferences for their pozole, so I'll outline what this pozole, which is tasty in its own right, is like: -broth is on the thicker side, and tastes more ancho Chile-based than guajillo -hearty -cabbage (instead of lettuce, but I bet you can ask for a switch) -big portion! With a good amount of pork meat and hominy -accompanied with fried tortilla strips to garnish Not traditional pozole, but very tasty. I would definitely try other items on their menu! read more

Interesting location because it's smack dab in the middle of industrial warehouses and across from homes. There's a parking lot a short distance from the restaurant but you should have no problem finding parking on the street. Out of the 4 Mexican restaurants that we've tried so far, the food probably tasted the best here. I had ordered the Rajas tacos - roasted poblano chile strips with onions and queso while my husband ordered the pollo asado plate. We did take-out b/c the restaurant was packed to the gills on a Fri. evening at about 8:30 pm. The tacos were bland. Rice was good and the beans were beans. My husband really enjoyed his order. Once the chicken tastes good, he's happy with his plate. We also ordered the chips and salsa. Salsa is solid and I applaud them making homemade chips but tooooo oily! I'd like to come back again when's it's not so crazy and order maybe some meat dishes. read more

I was able to dine here again last night and went to dinner with 6 others. Ok.... so I'm sort of seein' it... I can understand all the makings that highlight this location, so aptly described by Wanugee N, which is such a hotspot. I'm just selfishly happy that it's close to my house, in case the whim hits. Hard. I ordered a small super nachos that ran $6 and ended up boxing half of it, as I was not very hungry. The plate is small, but the fixings run large, and will quickly stuff you. Imagine lots of homemade guac, jalapenos (promptly gave those away), drizzled with mexican cream. Beans are baked on the bottom of the plate, to keep them hot, and the fresh, homemade tortillas made in-house are cut to strips and fried. Yes, yes, they are fresh, but I find that they are too packed and solid. I prefer lighter tortilla chips and would have loved it if they would let a bit of air in that corn dough there; I think even the fryer agrees! Overall, nice ambiance. We ate outside (choose in front, or on the side) and if one tuned out all the noise, you could almost feign that you were dining in Mx somewhere. Now element itself was absolutely delightful.... The caramel flan was a nice touch (we all shared one.. thx A!), and there are aguas frescas with fun flavors like papaya and watermelon... I still maintain that this restaurant/classy taqueria's popularity is not warranted by the quality of the food. Price: portion ratio is not so hot either, though the ingredients appear a higher grade than, of course, a taco truck. read more

Food: 2/5 Price: 2.5/5 Service: 3.5/5 Ambience: 4.5/5 Picante is a popular local Mexican spot in Berkeley that's slightly upscale in terms of price. You order by the counter, grab a beeper, and the waiter will serve your food to the table. Everything else is self serve - utensils, plates, salsa... There is a open counter where a lady is making fresh corn tortillas - they are good!! Food selection is huge, but the taste was just ok and didn't live up to my high expectations considering they are featured on many TV shows and awards. Guac & corn tortilla chips - BEST DISH! The chips are not complementary but it's so worth it. Freshly made, then fried to perfection. It has a nice thickness but also fluffy at the same time. The guac is fresh and seasoned nicely. Fish burrito - beer battered true cod filet with mango-jicama salsa. Manchammanteles - tablecloth stainer chicken in a grilled-pineapple red mole, served with mexican red rice, black beans, and 4 handmade corn tortillas. Interesting chicken mole dish, the flavor was unique - not bad but not great. Favorites: * Guac & corn tortilla chips ($8.45) Others: * Fish burrito ($11.20) * Manchammanteles ($15.25) read more

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Picante was a go to before Covid. Now you sit in outside under a tent and eat with plastic forks out of togo containers. Once a great weekly dinner has become overpriced priced Mexican food in a parking lot. read more