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    ABVE The Basics

    4.4 (393 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Order ABVE The Basics Takeout or Delivery

    Services - ABVE The Basics

    Allergy-friendly catering

    Catering

    Gluten-free catering

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    ABVE The Basics Photos

    ABVE THE BASICS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - ABVE The Basics

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    Fried elote: both crispy and juicy
    Kelly N.

    It was tasty! Located inside a bar, they have darts, TVs, pool tables, 2 bathrooms. Definitely divey vibes and dark. Service was friendly, and fried fish taco was flavorful. Salsas were tasted authentic (like those from my local taco spots in SoCal). Fried elote was both crisy and soft at the same time: it was weird but also tasty and a generous portion, so would recommend sharing. Plenty of parking in the plaza. A decent spot on the way from the airport to Santa Cruz/Monterey, but probably would not go out of my way to eat here.

    Tostada
    Elizabeth M.

    Came here for the first time. Wasn't really sure where the location was since this spot is located inside the bar. Glad I found the spot. After carefully viewing the menu/pictures on yelp we decided to order. what we ordered: - deep fried oreos: 2/5, Oreos were ok, and they tasted like churro. If ordered eat them on the spot. we made that mistake taking them home and is just not the same reheating them. - cali burrito:2/5. Burrito was descent, and large. Meat was good just had too much seasoning for my like. - tostada 3/5. the tostada was good and big. had great taste. probably the best dish here. overall, was a fun experience. played some music in the juke box. customer service was ok. Expensive for what it is!

    Cali Style Surf N Turf Burrito
    Lena S.

    Was a bit skeptical about stopping in for lunch because some reviewers mentioned it's in a bar. Wasn't sure what the crowd was like. But lunch time it's chill. They have music going but it's not loud. It was a nice day so they had the doors open. They also have pool tables if you want to play while waiting for your food. They do have seating inside. They have self service water or you can order a drink or soda at the bar. Food was delicious. Surf and turf burrito was so good. But the shrimp taco was the clear winner. So flavorful, seasoned so well. They also provide chips with your meal! The salsa wasn't hot, mild maybe?--goes well with the chips. I'd skip the Mexican garlic fries. Good but not worth it. The steak taco was also good. Honestly, no real complaints here. We came from out of town and we'd probably stop in here again if we're ever in San Jose. That memorable, that good. Highly recommend.

    Deep fried oreos 7pc
    Rachelle J.

    Stopped by for lunch on a Friday and tried the Bay Area Surf n Turf burrito ($19) and the 7-piece fried Oreos ($11). The steak in the burrito was chopped really fine instead of cubed like in the photos, and the tortilla was a bit burnt. Not a huge deal though -- after peeling off some of the burnt parts, it was still really tasty and full of flavor. Unfortunately, the Oreos were a letdown. The batter was bland, hard, and chewy, and the Oreo inside tasted stale -- the whole thing was like biting into a hockey puck. I'd definitely give the burrito another shot, but I'll skip the Oreos next time. Edit: Added pics of my burrito vs. the menu photo. Still tasty--simply pointing out the difference. I'd also suggest chopping the shrimp (at least in half) for a better filling ratio. Lastly, as someone who eats a lot of fried food, I opened the plastic container right away in the car to avoid sogginess from condensation--but the Oreos were already hard and stale. Appreciate the response though!

    Bay Area surf and Cali Style Surf N Turf Burrito
    Ilana V.

    Happened upon ABVE the basics for lunch one day and am so excited to know of it! Service was pretty quick and friendly. The menu is extensive and food tasted flavorful and fresh. We tried the surf n turf burrito as well as the pork belly street bowl and were very happy (and very full) from their delicious plates and large portions. Feels like they use good quality ingredients and everything is made from scratch. Will definitely be cooking to try more things; also enjoy that's they're inside of a bar; nice way to get a great casual lunch and drink!

    Chris D.

    Was craving mexican and saw this saucy looking tacos on yelp so had to stop by. Fried Elote: This was really delicious. Corn was individually fried and were extremely crispy. All the sauce along with cheese and chili made each bite really flavor packed. However the oil that it was fried in might be old bc I could taste it in the elote. A little lime on yhe side would be nice to help cut the creaminess by a little to balance the elote. Overall still delicious. 4.5/5 Cali Pork Belly/Fish Tacos: Super flavorful and saucy. Fish was fried to perfection and pork belly was grilled to where you could taste the char but meat was still juicy. I will say that I was misled from the yelp photos since it seemed like their shell was crusted with cheese. 4.5/5 Surf and Turf Taco: Not bad but compared to the other ones we had, this one was lacking. I didn't like that there was rice in this one and the overall flavor was lacking. Didn't see any sauce. Meat portion was small compared to the shrimp that was given. 2/5 Mexican Garlic Fries: The portion was HUGE. We were expecting like a medium order of fries but there was a lot of fries. Fries were a little undercooked and not crispy. They doused the fries in garlic and cotija cheese but it honestly just felt like too much. The seasoning didn't really stick to the fries and overall just a mess. 1/5 Despite the minor things, the food here was really good and I see myself coming back. Definitely recommend their Fried Elote and Cali Fish/Pork Belly tacos.

    Fish Tacos in front, Steak Quesadilla in the back
    Kalkidan A.

    I decided to try this place again today. I went on a Saturday morning. It's located inside Stevie's Bar & Grill still. I got the Carnitas Street Taco, Fish Street Taco, and 4 churros. The carnitas were crispy but there were burnt pieces in there. After I was done eating it, it left a burnt taste in my mouth. Fish was crispy as well and a bit salty, but overall flavor was okay. Churros were okay as well. All in all okay place.

    Carnitas Street Bowl - white rice instead of cilantro rice.
    Angie A.

    4/10 Review - came back for more and the star review still holds. The fish taco is exactly what a fish taco should be. Fresh fish, grilled to perfection, spicy, crunchy cabbage, fresh thick corn tortillas that hold together perfectly. The surf & turf tacos were exceptional. The shrimp taco is delicious and fresh, also holding together like a champ! The veggie tacos are super flavorful with a nice smoky flavor. The taco has a kick to it and it's perfect. The smashburger was good but the Mexican food is really the star of the show. Worthy of continued visits for more! Don't be in a hurry because it takes time to make delicious food.

    Quesadilla and Cali fries
    Kristin P.

    Possibly the best quesadilla that I have EVER had. They cook the cheese down so it's somewhat crispy throughout and it's LIFE-CHANGING! This spot is located in a bar, but during a weekday dinner the place was chill and absolutely worth going to!

    Quyen H.

    Food was pretty good but would I crave it, probably not. I think it's on the pricier end but it had good flavors. It's also nestled in a restaurant that serves a wide selection of beer. So good food option to pair with your drinks. Not pictured is the churros I orders. I was not very impressed with it but still not bad. It just didn't satisfy the churro cravings for me. Maybe needed to be more crispy? It had a lot of sugar coating though. Overall not a bad place to chill and grab some food.

    Priscilla D.

    *First and last time ordering* I ordered as soon as they opened today (11:30am). I kept seeing their ads on DoorDash and looked them up on Yelp prior to ordering. I ordered a Mexican pizza, elote and churros. Mexican pizza: about 3 oz of meat in total, pinto beans (whole) and onions. The problem? Barely any meat, the listing says refried beans but I got whole beans and they added onions which wasn't listed. A few onions is awesome but this thing was primarily cheese, whole beans and onions that wasn't on the listing. Big sloppy $17.50 mess that is going in the trash. Elote - this is fried. And when it says fried, believe them. It's essentially pockets of oil. They deep fry each individual kernel. Kernels are tiny therefore it ends up being little pockets of grease. This was my bad having wishful thinking-- I wish they had a fresh option. Churros - $8 for 1 churro. It's cut up into 8 pieces to look like a better value but just go to your local Mexican place and get a churro for $1.40 Wasted $43 on today's lunch.

    Cali Fish Tacos & Cali Shrimp Tacos
    Tina A.

    We saw Abve the Basics mentioned in the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the best places to get fish tacos & so we knew we had to check this place out! Turns out it is in a plaza that we have been frequenting for years and we did not even know it was there! It is tucked inside of Stevies Bar & Grill so if you are not specifically looking for this restaurant, it may be easy to miss. Abve the Basics is definitely worth the hype! We started with the Deep Fried Elote that we read rave reviews about & it was outstanding! Great textures from the crispy corn & the creamy dressing & so flavorful. The only complaint I have is that it is not a larger serving! For mains I ordered the Cali Fish Tacos and Cali Shrimp Tacos and they were amazing! Everything was perfectly seasoned & the crema & chipotle garlic aioli were so flavorful. My husband ordered the Cali Carnitas and Cali Steak - also both excellent choices. Can't wait to return to try some of their other dishes!

    Carnitas and pork belly

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    Page 1 of 10

    Ask the Community - ABVE The Basics

    Hi Gabriel! First come, first serve? No reservations in advance?

    Hello! Yes first come first serve. Usually isn’t busy until 7 8

    Wait, I thought they were in a bar. Are they back to food trucks now?

    We left about 4 months ago and just opened our food truck!

    Are the new hours semi-permanent? Or can we expect to see it open on new days? (Walked in on Sunday just to realize it was closed 🙁)

    Hi Andrew! We’re currently doing pop ups 2 days a week at our commissary kitchen until our food truck is ready in about 2-3 weeks. We’re scheduling Plenty of pop ups for this month as well doing catering.

    I was there a month ago and got a bowl. Are those still there?

    Hello! Yes they are!

    I have two small children but have been wanting to try this place. Are they allowed to sit on the patio?

    Hello, We are child friendly for inside and outside. We don’t have high chairs or booster seats… Read more

    View All 6 Questions

    Tacos El Compa Taqueria - Al pastor taco

    Tacos El Compa Taqueria

    4.4(1.3k reviews)
    3.2 miCambrian Park
    $$

    I came here on weekday evening to grab some dinner. Heard of this place from Reddit, it does feel…read morelike a hole in the wall, but it was pretty busy. Lots of take out orders and dine in orders. I ordered 5 super tacos to share with different meats (pollo, carne asada, al pastor, carnitas and chorizo). The super tacos come with cilantro, onions, avocado, sour cream, cheese and pico de gallo. All the tacos come with homemade corn tortillas - you could tell they were fresh. The tacos are big, not small at all. The carne asada, carnitas and pollo was my favorite. Al pastor was good as well, chorizo was not that flavorful for me. However, they also have 3 types of salsas (green, red and a creamy orange) you can use to help add some more flavor if needed. I plan to come back here to try their burritos and tortas as well next time.

    Came here for lunch after reading the great reviews! It was packed and all the tables were filled…read more Kind of small establishment and the set up reminds me of a narrow hallway. We ordered 2x Carne Asada Taco 7/10 2x Al Pastor 7/10 Asada Burrito Bowl 7/10 Enchiladas with Rojo Sauce 7/10 The burrito bowl was good, but for the price point you may be better off going to Chipotle, I felt that the burrito bowl was a bit soggy. The tacos were good and the tortilla they used was quite thick. The enchiladas had good flavor as well, and I would be interested in trying their enchilada with the verde sauce next time. Their prices have steadily risen over time and they have updated their menu prices as well. One thing that elevated this restaurant to 4 stars is their sauce! The red sauce and green sauce recipe is definitely unique compared to other taquerias. The red sauce bottle helps with the flavor tremendously and without it I would have rated this place lower.

    Photos
    Tacos El Compa Taqueria - Seating area

    Seating area

    Tacos El Compa Taqueria - Beef torta

    Beef torta

    Tacos El Compa Taqueria - Agua de Jamaica

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    Agua de Jamaica

    Tacos Los Tres Reyes - Al Pastor

    Tacos Los Tres Reyes

    3.9(450 reviews)
    7.8 miEast San Jose
    $

    Firstly, be very careful when you enter this location, the turn is very small and kind of hidden. I…read morewent with some family and everyone missed the turn on right and had to U turn and try again just FYI Depending on when you go parking can be difficult, if it is packed I would recommend parking the street over and walking. Most of the food is prepared in a food truck where you line up and order. Seating is next to the sauce bar and they have first come first serve seating. Typical culture is to put the sauce directly on the tacos when you receive them. They give sauce cups if you order to go otherwise they are reluctant to give them out. Currently they are constructing a building around their seating area which is new. This implies that they are generating enough cash to turn their food truck and seating area into an actual establishment. Onto the food review! Carne Asada 7/10 Lengua 7.5/10 Carnitas 8/10 Cabeza 8.3 /10 Suadero 8.5/10 Al Pastor 8.5/10 Suadero and Pastor were top contenders with the most flavor depth. Personally I liked the cabeza as it was very soft, but the flavor can't compare to the suadero. The carne asada lacked flavor in my opinion and was the least tasty out of the meats we tried. Carnitas had that great crunch you're looking for in a taco as it is seared excellently. Lengua was flavorful and super soft just like the cabeza which indicates that they were both braised to perfection. All choices are very solid albeit be prepared for a very greasy meal. The star of the show is their avocado salsa! They offered 6 other sauces in their sauce bar but the avocado salsa was superb compared to the others. This was the only option that had me coming back to sauce bar throughout my meal. They also offered pickled carrots, jalapeños, and onions at their sauce bar to help balance the flavors. Finally the best JD big back tip is to get the large strawberry horchata! It was so good we finished ours before even taking a picture of it! The flavor profile on that beverage is superb, imagine a creamy strawberry yakult that is the perfect option to balance greasy tacos. This is a hidden gem item as their strawberry horchata is significantly better than other restaurants version of it. They also offer other flavored horchata but the strawberry remains top tier.

    OH MY LANTA!!! Tres Reyes is the beeeeest! I absolutely love the tacos here. They have taken over…read moreas my go-to taco spot in the South Bay. I always go for the pastor tacos. The marinade is perfect and the meat is tender. I've never tried their burritos, only because I can't get enough of their tacos which is crazy because I'm usually the opposite. But Tres Reyes is just that good. I love how they have a dedicated dining area that is always clean. I've never had trouble finding a seat either. The dining area has a full salsa bar with all myriad sauces. They even have picked red onions, jalapeños, and carrots. So good with tacos. Finally, the selection of aguas frescas they have is insane. They have like 8 different flavors if I'm not mistaken. My absolute favorite is the melon/cantaloupe drink. It's so sweet and refreshing. You can definitely taste the fresh melon. So by all means, visit Tres Reyes. Just not too much cuz it's mine!!! ;)

    Photos
    Tacos Los Tres Reyes - Salsa bar

    Salsa bar

    Tacos Los Tres Reyes
    Tacos Los Tres Reyes - Agua fresca de piña

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    Agua fresca de piña

    Tacos Chencho - Al Pastor ($2.50 each, 3/5 stars), Carne Asada ($2.50 each, 4/5 stars)

    Tacos Chencho

    4.3(193 reviews)
    8.6 miEast San Jose
    $

    Went to the location on Alum Rock. Parking was good on a Saturday night. Warm and friendly service…read more Had al pastor gringa and 5 tacos: asada, lengua, cabeza, buche, & tripas. Loved: lengua, tripas, cabeza, and al pastor. Lengua was nice and soft, great with orange or brown sauce. Tripas was chopped up instead of typical tube shaped; was slightly crunchy but amazing flavor. Cabeza tasted good but can be a little fatty. Al pastor was delicious with lots of flavor and a good size chunk of pineapple. Ok: buche and asada. Good but the other meat just outshone them.

    We came here looking for something new. Tacos Los Reyes and Bombero are some of our recent…read morefavorites. If it wasn't for my wife's food poisoning maybe this is 4 stars. Food (3 stars) + Tripa tacos are very delicious. Some places make these crispy. It's not here but still yummy in my tummy. ~ Burritos with carne asada and pastor is pretty good. However wifey got really sick. It's Mother's Day today and she's stuck in bed. I ate 1/4 of her burrito but I'm fine. So not sure how to rate this. Taste is pretty good. We asked for no beans so it's a bit plain but I still enjoyed it. - Gringas is like a quesadilla with pastor. It's alright but not worth $10+. I'd rather get 3 tacos! - Carne asada meat has a nice Smokey flavor. However it's jerky like toughness and a bit dry. - Someone in another review was raving about this place having the best Al pastor. So all of that hype made it a bit of a downer since I find it mid. Service (3 stars) + Typical food truck style ordering but it's more of a trailer. They have a little salsa bar with about 4-5 sauce options. Ambiance (2 stars) - Too many loud cars passing while we're eating. I can barely have a conversation with the wifey not that we have a ton to talk about lol. - No restrooms nearby. Daughter had to use an emergency toilet that we bring. - Terrible parking where people park behind you and you can't get out quickly. Yes, it takes them awhile to realize they're in your way.

    Photos
    Tacos Chencho - Salsa bar

    Salsa bar

    Tacos Chencho - Jalepenos and carrots

    Jalepenos and carrots

    Tacos Chencho - Seating

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    Seating

    Cali Spartan Mexican Kitchen

    Cali Spartan Mexican Kitchen

    4.0(1.1k reviews)
    5.3 miDowntown
    $$

    great vibes and atmosphere as well as wonderful service from all of the staff that was there. 10/10…read morewould recommend to anyone looking for good food and drinks and vibes, ask for arnaldo

    Came here for lunch on my quest of trying all locations for Cali Spartan; 2/3 so far…read more This is the original location and it did not disappoint! 5/5 stars had a wonderful experience! Servers were attentive and were ready to take our order immediately. The interior decorations are very beautiful, but it is a bit smaller than the blossom hill location. Parking can be difficult during peak hours so keep that in mind. The food was delicious and HIT the spot. The quality of their food is very consistent and is jam packed full of flavor & fresh! Al Pastor Fajitas 10/10 Carne Asada Fajitas 9.5/10 Chips and Guac 9/10 Tried some new items on the menu instead of what's usually ordered and it did not disappoint! Their sauce bar and mango salsa/condiment availability is better than the blossom hill location. Both the Al Pastor and Carne Asada were scrumptious, they were cooked to perfection and had some crunchy pieces too! Flavor was superb, but the Al Pastor did taste better than the Carne Asada. Chips and Guac was excellent, and they also do have the chip seasoning to boost the flavor! Overall the fupa is very happy with this experience and only have 1 more location to try! Big Back Tip: Extremely satisfied with this order because the sheer amount of protein you get for the price point has got to be better than any other item. Will definitely return to indulge on this again.

    Photos
    Cali Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Inside

    Inside

    Cali Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Nachos and guac

    Nachos and guac

    Cali Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Fish tacos

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    Fish tacos

    Tacos panchito - Burrito. This thing is really big!

    Tacos panchito

    4.1(59 reviews)
    4.8 miFairgrounds

    Some places just get it right every single time and this taco truck is one of them…read more I've ordered through DoorDash and picked up directly from the truck, and the experience is identical either way: fresh, correct, and consistent without fail. That kind of reliability is more rare than it should be, and it's worth calling out. The tacos themselves are the main event. The Carne Asada, Suadero, and Al Pastor are all standouts, but the Al Pastor especially earns its spot. They serve it with pineapple, which is the way it's meant to be done and a detail that tells you they actually care about getting it right. These are easily some of the best tacos in San Jose, and I don't say that lightly given how much competition there is in the South Bay. But the drinks alone might be worth the trip. Their Horchata and Agua Fresca are genuinely among the best I've had anywhere in the Bay Area and that's a real statement in a region with no shortage of excellent options. The salsa bar is a nice bonus: a self-serve setup where you scoop what you want into containers, and they send you off with baggies of fresh cilantro and onion so you can finish the tacos exactly how you like them. They actively encourage you to take plenty, which tells you a lot about the kind of place this is. The staff is warm and welcoming on top of everything else. Truly one of the best taco trucks around. Don't sleep on it!!

    Overall Rating 4/5…read more (They've done me well in the past, so although this visit wasn't the best I return because of my past experiences) Burrito Suadero burrito 6/10 - the burrito was okay, today was a miss for the burrito as it lacked a lot of flavor and they filled it up with 75% rice this time. This is the only time I didn't finish the burrito and usually it has a lot more flavor but unfortunately this time I was disappointed in the quality to the point I didn't finish it. Tacos suadero 8/10 cabeza con el vapor 9.5/10 lengua con el vapor 6/10 carne asada 6/10 al pastor 8.5/10 The tacos were the star of the show tonight with the their Al Pastor Tacos and Cabeza con el vapor! Those had the best flavor profile The green and orange sauces were okay, not extremely flavorful and receive a sauce rating of 2.5/5; it's good for the first couple bites then the flavor fatigue gets real. Next time only cabeza and al pastor in taco form. Panchito is a nice taco truck located next to the tire shop. They have extremely nice staff that really make you feel at home. I usually come here whenever I am craving Mexican food and sometimes it is hit or miss. They have tables outside but sometimes it's too cold at night so I Togo the food home, but they always play some great music there!

    Photos
    Tacos panchito - Self serve salsa bar

    Self serve salsa bar

    Tacos panchito - Burrito with Pastor and everything in it.

    Burrito with Pastor and everything in it.

    Tacos panchito

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    Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Big Crispy Tacos

    Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen

    3.9(591 reviews)
    3.9 miAlmaden Valley
    $$

    02/02/26. Update.... Probably my 10th visit, and this time it was absolutely incredible…read more I always ordere "The Double Meat Carne Asada" Burrito, 8 times out of 10 it has been delicious, but Saturday was Top Notch, OMG. The meat was perfectly cooked, moist and No Chunks of fat at all, and there was plenty of meat as well, mixed with a perfect bit of rice & beans, cheese, a tiny bit of avocado (I always have extra at home for this + sour cream) and the dough is pleasantly thin. I throw this in a counter top oven, and while heating, the dough becomes wonderfully crisp... Ohlala. The restaurant itself is clean, inviting, big windows all around, an impressive bar, and several TV screens that however, makes it on the noisy side. Always a lot of families there, seeming to enjoy all different kinds of wonderful dishes. I got two meals out of this heavenly Burrito, and I will definitely recommend this place.

    Cali-Spartan has multiple locations in San Jose! They're better known for their location closer to…read moreSJSU. Good place to get your fix for authentic mexican food. Staff was quick to take our orders and clean up. Corn tortillas are used for the tacos. The ingredient description for food options is concise and also descriptive to let people know what to expect. They serve soft, regular, and crispy tortillas at this chain. The carne asada was on the drier side when I had it this time. Definitely had juicier meats here in the past. The tortilla was a little crispier than I remember for the regular tacos. Will be back at this location or at the others since it's one of the popular choices in SJ!

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    Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - You can watch your favorite sport!

    You can watch your favorite sport!

    Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Birria Tacos

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    3 crispy tacos

    ABVE The Basics - newmexican - Updated May 2026

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