I ordered a quesadilla with carne asada, and expected tough, overcooked meat typical of taquerias; but to my surprise, the meat was well-seasoned, had a great edible texture, and there was plenty of it. We also ordered a full serving of guacamole with what looked like homemade chips. There were some sauces I had never had before and they had great complimentary flavor. The salsas were good. read more

Holy mole! I love this food. Their meats are delicious and flavorful. Their moles are superb, comparable to the ones I enjoyed in Oaxaca. I love to order their tacos. read more

Favorite Mexican restaurant in the area - a go-to for takeout. Mole poblano chicken is the best. Pozole is really good. Everything is delicious :) read more

Great food. Best Mexican in Berkeley? Hard to say whether I like Gordo more. Depends on the day I guess.

At the recommendation of a friend, my wife and I tried out this place for the first time. We both ordered tacos and mine was the Taco Grande with grilled chicken. The portion was just right for me, colorful in presentation, and as good to eat as it looked! My wife enjoyed her fish taco as well. Everything is fresh, the place is clean and colorful, and level of flavor from the kitchen was amazing. The price was right too, and the person serving us from behind the counter was friendly and got our order out very quickly. For a quick, casual Mexican meal that's made from high quality ingredients, it's hard to beat this place! We'll definitely be coming back to sample other menu items. read more

Great chile colorado. Take a pass on the chips and guac.

The best Mexican food I've had in the Berkeley/Albany area. All of the braised meats that I've tried--carnitas, chile colorado (pork), and al pastor--have been excellent, and the grilled chicken salad was very good, too. read more

Delicious. The burritos are huge and always really satisfying. Good horchata too!

Excellent, authentic Mexican food on Solano Ave. Bravo!

Excellent. Classic Mexican food that finds a perfect middle ground between the heavy "authentic" kind and the fresher, lighter stuff out there. Service has always been friendly in my experience, and the pricing is comparable to any normal burrito place (5-7 dollars), plus, free chips and an awesome salsa bar! This place consistently offers the best Mexican food I've had in Berkeley so far. read more

The meals here are always good, whether you get fajitas, mole, chimichanga or Connie Asada (OK I know that should be carne asada but that's autoCorrect for you) .. The food is fresh and tasty. The salsas are good, but not great. The prices are good, and the people work their a$$ off when it's really busy so tip well. The atmosphere is meh, but the outdoor tables are good. Place your to go order and drink a beer or sangria while you wait. read more

Burritos are lackluster. Sometimes it feels like they make them without any attention. Other things are good. Great salsa and chips. But Gordos is down the street and they burrito game is on lockdown. Seriously I had a burrito so dry from talavera that I would have liked to dunk the whole thing in salsa. But instead I choked on the dry rice and tortilla till it was 2/3 gone. read more

Hands down the BEST mole poblano I've ever tasted ... Ever. Friendly, family atmosphere. Wide array of salsa from mild and subtle to 4 alarm. Fresh ingredients, prepared with care and skill. Menu offers a wide selection of platos, burritos, tacos, nachos, etc. Nice selection of beers, sangria, and agua fresca. Only thing missing is margaritas. Try Talavera. You won't be disappointed. read more

This is our favorite Mexican place. We drive across the bay JUST to eat here. Especially love the beef tacos with amazingly sweet grilled onions, tortilla soup, Santa Fe salad, and shrimp tacos fajita style. Family owned and operated. Oh and the salsa, guacamole, and chips are super fresh and tasty! read more

Went in there randomly to pick up something for dinner and we were in love. We had the mole burritos and they were awesome...probably the best I've ever had. The burritos are around $8-9, but they're a pretty good deal considering the size and freshness of the ingredients. Mmmm...getting hungry just thinking about it! read more

I was picking up food to go and noticed the chandelers covered in a thick layer of dust. NOt good for the appetite or health of the restaurant. read more

Fresh, delicious, great mexican food. I think this is my favorite mexican place in the area. Try the 3 tacos!

My husband and I stopped in for an early dinner because we were craving tasty down home mexican food. I have heard and read many good things about Taqueria Talavera and we were excited to give them a try. We split a chicken mole burrito that did not disappoint ! It was very very close in flavor to my mother and grandmothers mole so I was very pleased and will be back for this again. We also shared a fish taco which was just okay and it may have been that I was in love with my burrito and wish I had it all to my self and plus it got cold on us because we ate it last. The salsa bar is keep very neat and clean and all the salsas were yummy. The only complaint is they charge $1.60 for chips and salsa , but who can blame them I'm sure the rent in the Berkeley hills is not cheap!! read more

They are open late for a Berkeley restaurant. Nicely decorated, fairly comfortable, plus outdoor seating. I'm a 'one menu item' type of guy and I usually settle on a specific dish from any of my favorite restaurants. I love!!! the pork mole plate you'll find at the top of the menu (the large is big enough to share) I think the mole is called Guajillo. I wouldn't bother with the burritos.. big, but expensive. for the price, you might as well get what they're best at.. the plates! read more

One of my favorite local restaurants. Tortilla soup is a great choice if you're feeling under the weather. And the horchata is the best I've had. Definitely a treat. read more

This is the best Mexican food in Berkeley! The food is delicious and authentic. The service is polite and prompt. They are great for dine-in or take-out. They also have a great salsa bar. My favorite are the Talavera Nachos. read more

The food is pretty good, the service on take-out is awful. I called and placed an order. I offered to give my name but the check-out girl said there's no need for that. When I showed up 15 minutes later to pick up my order, they had sold it to someone else. Apparently the check-out girl asks each new customer "did you order XXX". Some customer who did not want to wait just said "Yes, that's my order", paid for it, and left with it. I'm particularly angry because this has happened twice in the past three months. Because of their attitude when I complained, I will never set foot in this place again. read more

The mole is delicious and the pickled vegetables/salsas at the bar are top notch. Everything is fresh and tasty. Our go-to place for Mexican food. If it's not hot out, the upstairs is a great place for a quiet private dinner. read more

A few years back I live in El Cerrito and would make the trip on my days off up to Solano Ave. At first I tried Gordo's off some suggestions from friends as being the best Mexican Food place in the area. It was sadly disappointing, the taste was bland, the Carne Asada was NOT skirt steak as it should be. After my visit to Gordo's though, I noticed that Solano Ave, has a GREAT variety of restaurants in such a small area. One night me and some friends went to Montero's on the corner of Solano and San Pablo. It was absolutely fantastic. I came to find out that the owners also own a Taqueria further up the street. The next day off I had to check it out. I ordered my favorite, Carne Asada Burrito. The one thing I loved about this Taqueria compared to all others, they actually have healthy substitutes for their tortillas and beans. I am a health nut and it was such a surprise to me. After my first bite I was hooked. I have never seen a Taqueria actually make a Tomatillo Salsa and other special salsas to compliment the meat in your meal. I go back on a constant basis. I finally found a place in the Bay that actually makes good Mexican Food, and I did not have to drive out to Rohnert Park for some El Tapatio's. I have got every friend I have brought there hooked. They are now regular customers themselves. read more

Frequently when I'm getting ready to head home out of Berkeley I'll phone in an order for their molé burrito. While Berkeley has a number of places that have good offerings, this is my favorite place for these. read more

If you are looking for a taqueria, you are not likely to find better than Talavera, and thus they get five stars. Besides having a bright pleasant and truly Mexican ambience (with gorgeous talavera ceramic tiles all around), and good music, not too loud, the food is excellent. I am pretty fussy about Mexican food, which I have been eating and cooking for decades at home and in Mexico. The portions are generous too, which makes the slightly higher prices well worth it. I have sometimes shared a plate with my partner when we are not all that hungry. There is no table service, which generally I don't care for, but at Talavera, I am happy to line up. The wait staff are helpful and friendly and they do bring your food to the table most of the time, and thus deserve generous tips. Our favorite dish is the chile relleno, but with mole sauce (costs extra) and black beans. Also their sandia (watermelon juice) refresco is yummy and pairs well with spicy. Will be returning again soon. read more