Good stuff. Well made Mexican food. Nice bar area with decent happy hour specials (Mexican Beers $3) and a tasty house margarita. Of course, you can always order a high end margarita and pay double for an expensive tequila that you will drown in lime juice and salt, but that's your choice. The house salsa is good, maybe a bit bland, but you can order their super spicy house salsa and it's hot enough for anyone, and most people can't stand more than a drop or two. Good service, reasonable prices. They could use another TV or two in the bar area. read more

Coming from LA, I think I know my Mexican food. It's starts out with fresh chips, homemade salsa, great margaritas. Best chili rellenos I've had in the states. My husband loved his enchilada, my nephew raved about his carnitas. Service was very friendly, we're going back! read more

I used to go here often when I was in the Navy...but those were "the tequila years" so who knows if the food was good. I had the carne asada and pollo soft tacos. Fine in a pinch but not anything to go back for. read more

I'm definitely underwhelmed. The food is ok, but I think it's usually kind of bland. No spices or flavor. It's really convenient right down the street from me, so I tolerate it. Nice ambiance inside and decent service. read more

Bethany, our waitress was really good with her recommendations and spot on about the salads - they were really big! Loved the vegetarian rice. It had a spice that I'd not had in Mexican rice before and was delicious. The portions were good and the prices reasonable. The atmosphere was casual and there are plenty of small nooks in which to sit, so it feels intimate and small. read more

I live right down the block and have been here 3 times so far since they opened. Not the best Mexican food I have ever had but it's certainly not the worst. The Caldo De Pollo (chicken soup) is particularly good, very fresh and a great Fall/Winter soup, as long as they don't oversalt it. The service has very hit and miss. One waiter took our order but kept repeating it over and over line "two tacos right" then forgot what we had. But overall the food is what matters abs when they get it right it's great. Bill is the bomb too, very warm and welcoming! read more

Madonna arrived here at 8:51 p.m. on a Sunday night. The hours stated as closing is at 9 o'clock as we arrive at 8:51 there was a woman by the name of John sitting in front of the establishment asked us if we were going there where else would we go if we parked in the parking lot? Yes I reply. He says will have to check with the kitchen to make sure we're still open. dude its 8:51 why wouldn't you be open well we start closing down the kitchen there quarter til well maybe you should put a quarter till on your hours so people don't show up before 9 o'clock and get turned away. every time we've been here before we've always been treated very nicely. maybe you should not be in the restaurant business on a Sunday night or at least be open on a Sunday night. read more

We wanted to like it...but the food was very bland. We asked our server about the lack of spice and he said that the new owner had created all of his own recipes. The chile verde sauce was sweet! The refrieds were pasty and tasted of too much lard.The cheese fondito was a pan of melted cheese. Neither of us would go back. It's unfortunate, because they could have filled a void due to the closing of Juanita's. read more

I like it, very good Mexican food, very tasty. I specially enjoyed the Guacamole and the Margaritas. Everything well presented, good service. Not expensive, very affordable. read more

This place has great carnitas and salsa, and excellent margaritas. Fresh squeezed juices and the balance of the drinks are excellent. Cute atmosphere. The happy hour is a favorite stop. read more

Finally got a chance to try Acapulco under its new ownership. Food was delicious and plentiful. My tostado was overflowing with pollo asado (marinated chicken) and I loved the green sauce on my cheese enchilada. The margarita was like a margarita cocktail and it was excellent...good lime taste...no sweet mix....loved it! For a Wednesday night, the place was busy. I think Alamedans are rediscovering this restaurant. read more

We loved this place before but the new owner's food is so bad. There is no flavor no mole. I doesn't even seem Mexican. And yes the portions are so much smaller. Will not be returning. read more

1st visit after reopening. Definitely not the d Acapulco. Overall the good was good but not great. The carne asada had really good flavor. But the ground beef in the enchilada was bland. The salsa served with chips was terrible, too sweet. It's great they have a full bar now. read more

Acapulco - Carne asada enchilada with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Alameda, California

I'd say 4 Stars**** for sure! Went for the lunch menu and was very pleased! Portions, price and service were spot on. Now there just missing the original owner that used to pass out gum ropes some 50 years ago! read more

First off, I had been going to the original Acapulco since before I was born. Literally. I was born at the Alameda Hospital and my parents went to Alameda High before getting married in 1955. I used to get lunch to go once or twice a week for decades, since I worked nearby. I know the restaurant was sold by the family, it's not the same as it was, and that's okay. Disappointing, but okay. And when we first went to the "new" Acapulco it was different but still pretty good. We've been several times since, and it's been getting steadily worse. We were there last Friday and I don't know that we'll be back for awhile. The good: Margaritas are excellent, and by the pitcher it's a great deal. They are friendly and welcoming when you arrive. But it went downhill after that. One thing the old Acapulco did very well was salsa. They had a hot sauce since forever that I was pretty much addicted to. At some point the original Acapulco added a milder salsa that was still very flavorful. And when the new Acapulco opened up they did a fine job with the salsa. But the last time we were there, everything was under seasoned. We added salt to the salsa. We added salt to the guacamole. We added salt to the refried beans. Our server wasn't good either. We didn't get our cocktails until after our meal was served. I ordered the chicken fajitas, and the meal and veggies were good. But all they brought was chicken and sauteed peppers and onions on a platter and 3 tortillas. We asked if I was supposed to get rice and beans with my meal, which the server had totally forgotten to bring. If we hadn't realized it was supposed to come with the meal, I would never have gotten them. The rice was fine, the beans - meh. My husband did not get any tortillas with his meal. My fajita meat and veggies were good, and there was a lot of it, like enough for 2 or 3 people to share. But only 3 tortillas for all that food? And NO condiments? I've never had fajitas in any restaurant that didn't also include guac, sour cream, and pico de gallo. For the amount of food at that price point, I can't complain. There was actually SO much fajitas that we took the leftovers home and with some additional purchased tortillas, there was enough food for dinner for both of us the next night. But we'd much prefer properly seasoned food, with an actual spicy kick, like you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant. It's disappointing on so many levels, and a tasty Margarita will only get you so far. I can do that myself, at home. In a restaurant I expect a higher level of food, which we unfortunately did not get. read more

Nice atmosphere, popular place. The super delicious chicken burrito, which was huge and very inexpensive, became my favorite. You also get a generous portion of nachos! read more

Went with a huge party on a Friday night, 9 kids ranging from 2 to 12. Multiple orders, special orders, and lots of noise and chaos. They were fantastic! Food was great and staff treated us like VIPs! Will definitely go back. read more

Delicious food and great service both times that I have come here. Their specials are lots of food at a good price, chips and salsa is addicting! Greeted and seated immediately both times, with fantastic waiter & waitress service; they worked as a team last night it looked like. Small parking lot & gets a but warm, but food and service overrides those things. Will be coming back agin and again! read more

Service is a problem. Went on Saturday evening; hostess not up front; 2 waiters passed without acknowledging us. Once seated , no service until I complained the group seated well after us had already had their drink orders taken -- and if I hadn't flagged down the hostess we'd probably still be sitting there. No attempt to apologize or comp a drink or part of the meal. Food is okay. Guess they don't care that there are plenty of good Hispanic restaurants around. read more

Please dont be fooled by the name or location. This is not the original Acapulco!! Nothing is the same. No mama Rose's refried beans, enchiladas or tacos. This place is NOTHING like the original. I ordered the tacos and ceviche. Both lacked basic seasonings. Who doesnt add lime juice and salt to ceviche? The tacos came out on premaid store bought taco shells. WTF??? How hard is it to fry corn tortillas. The margaritas were weak and small. La Penca has $4 margaritas that are twice the size. If you want the old Acapulco food you grew up with then you will have to go the Fire Den on Park St. They have the old favorites you had as a child. Do not waste your money or time bcuz u will be seriously disappointed. read more

Two weeks in a row I've visited with friends. Food is good and price point is good; service is quick and friendly. Parking lot and street parking is easy. Love the margaritas. read more

This is the best Mexican restaurant in Alameda. The food was good and the service was great. The music is not loud as other Mexican restaurants in the area. read more

Third visit in 7 months, still very good. Ordered crispy shredded beef taco (not on menu, not sure why) with rice and beans. Food served fast and warm. Also ordered a blended house margarita which was served in a tall glass instead of a margarita glass, so I'm guessing there was more? Everyone was nice and attentive. Kids leaving were given tootsie pop suckers. read more

Excellent family restaurant - very kid friendly but good areas for adults no kids too! Good margaritas and great staff

Such a great place! Great service and great food. Came in for superbowl 52 and had an excellent mole chicken burrito, excellent incredible mole sauce and super healthy, delicious, non-gmo chicken. read more

I'm flabbergasted that this place has even 4 stars. I used to be a patron of the old Acapulco and loved it! It was a decent family-style Mexican restaurant. However, THIS Acapulco is completely atrocious. The service is almost nonexistent, and the food is totally inedible. The so called Mexican rice is a joke. It tasted like Rice a Roni. The salsa is tasteless as well. My experience at this place was H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E!!! read more

Very happy there open. Was a big Fan of original Acapulco Restaurant. Flavor the same, Quality control needs improvement. Looks like there starting the business from scratch. As atmosphere needs improvement. Will be very happy if they can leave the bar scene and open up on there own. WHEN I wrote Original Review, I was refering to the Original owners family restaurant now known as Mama Rosa's. The ACAPULCO in Old Location on Lincoln has New Owners and Nothing to do with Original Family or Recipes. AVOID at all Cost. Went in hungary, Left Hungary, Disappointed and with a BIG BILL. read more

Great food & service! We had two specials the enchiladas de comal and mahi mahi tacos, they were delicious. All the staff was friendly, attentive & fast. Bill was super personable, knowledgeable, and sweet. We'll definitely be back. read more

The food has good flavor but it's cold. We've been several times for both lunch and dinner and it's consistently cold. Last night we said something and they could care less. I don't know that we will be going back. read more

Love, love, love this place. Super nice people, neighborhood vibe, some of the very best carnitas I've ever had. Awesome salsa and chips--I've actually not had anything I wouldn't recommend, and I'm a regular at this point. The house margarita is worth a visit alone. They use fresh fruit juice, no mix. And the beans, they have lard in them, and that's what you want. read more

We moved out here from Arizona a little over a year ago, and the one thing we miss is the Mexican food. While Aculpulco is not quite what we are used to, it fulfills our craving. I have 3 "musts" with Mexican restaurants: good chips and salsa, good house margarita, good comfort food. This place has it all - warm crispy chips with a slightly spicy salsa, a REAL margarita that relies on lime juice and Cointreau (none of that sour nonsense), and food that warms your soul. Juicy carne asada, delicious beans and rice, flavorful enchiladas, and if you go with something non-standard like a mahi taco? It's moist and delicate, not rubbery like many Mexican places do it. Oh, and the service is great - you won't see the bottom of your glass and the chips keep coming. They get it here - check them out! read more

Lunch was not a good experience at the Acapulco in alameda when I ordered a cheese enchilada they told me they had no red sauce they had a busy night last night ,I make red sauce all the time I can make it in 15 minutes and we were there at 1 pm. Then they charged 12.50 for a shot of tequila I know some tequila can be expensive we have always paid about 8:00 for a shot this is not a high end restaurant then when they brought the bill they charge us extra for two extra single items took them fifteen minutes to figure it out .We went there the first day they open everything wasn't great but we understood first day opened. Never again !!!!! read more

I came to try the new Acapulco for dinner fairly early on a Tuesday night and had a wonderful experience. The host was charming, the server and buser were friendly and efficient, and the food was delicious. The guacamole in particular was fresh and bright. I had chicken enchiladas verdes and a great margarita. I'll definitely be back. read more

First time having dinner here. I ordered the carnitas dinner. The service was great and our food was served quickly. The carnitas were very tasty and the tortillas were good too. I ordered a margarita from the bar. A young lady by the name of Teresa made my drink. It was very different from the typical margaritas I've had before. I found out it was made with agave syrup and fresh squeezed lime juice. This made a huge difference. Try to have Teresa make you a margarita if she's working. I'll be going back for the food and definitely for another margarita. read more

Make no mistake this place is Mexican food for gringos who do not know better. Maybe I just caught them on a bad day, Sunday about 5 PM not very crowded so I don't know what their excuse was they sent out two beers that had obviously been expired and turn to vinegar so I declined any other drinks at that point. The food came out extremely fast which always worries me meaning that it had been sitting around prepared. I ordered the duck Carnitas at $22, I don't know who they were trying to fool but this was not prepared Carnitas style. I think it was boiled in a pot of water it was the blandest meet i've ever had. The beans were OK to mediocre. The rice was absolutely atrocious definitely out of a mix possibly Rice-A-Roni, like the other reviewer said. Both my meal and my wife's Meal were so mediocre that we will not be trying this place again. The pictures on yelp look really nice I don't know if they were staged by the employees but they got me this time. Too bad I was really looking forward to this place the pictures look so nice once again anyone can open a restaurant it just takes money but it takes attention to detail to keep it open. I will say this one positive thing for them, they did not charge us for the two beers and my wife's rum and Coke. Are you paying attention management ? read more

Best Mexican food I have ever had! Simply amazing. I had a chicken taco and carne asada enchilada while my husband had the carne asada dish and both were spectacular. I had the flan for dessert as well and that was perfection. We will absolutely be back! read more

We were so happy that the restaurant reopened and we have eaten there 8 or 9 times since the reopening (to in include a party of 14). But we've noticed a decline in the quality of food the the last few times and after the terrible experience we just had there, we will not be back. The server was inattentive, there was a long wait between when we sat down and when we got water. Then it took a long time for the food to come out of the kitchen. When it was brought to the table the food was bland and cold. Cold to the point that the shredded cheese would not melt. I called the server over to our table when I saw her again (she had not been back since she dropped off the food) and told her the food was cold. She offered to take it back but I told her we did not have the time. She said that she had told the executive chef and that they would take our comments into account. We paid the bill (yes we were still charged) and left. There is more to the story but I won't go into it at this point. Bottom line is we used to think they had the best Mexican food on the island. Sadly that is no longer the case. read more

So bummed. I had come here years ago and it was great. Now it's different. Firstly, salsa is awful and had no flavor. I mean factually zero flavor. Lime chunky water. We were fairly certain it came from a jar because it had a gelatinous quality to it. We actually had to add hot sauce and salt and pepper. It was bad. On that note we should have left. Usually if a Mexican restaurant can't do salsa, they can't really do Mexican either. We ordered their carne asada famoso burrito, with mole sauce on top. Wellllll I'm totally spoiled by La Pinata I guess because this burrito was TINY! Most of the tortilla wasn't used abd was just rolled up without filling. The mole sauce was watered down from a can. Btw we saw the can in the kitchen, so I'm not exaggerating that. You get a clear shot of the kitchen from the bar area. It also took FOREVER to get the check. It took 20 min bc our waiter disappeared. And we couldn't flag anyone down. So super expensive for terrible food. I'm sorry but the owner should have stuck to burgers and Paradiso, and skipped an attempt at Mexican food. Just turn it into a bar and forget the food. read more

Extremely friendly staff and high quality Mexican-American food. This isn't the same as Nido or Cosecha, it's closer to the traditional plates we all grew up with in the States...but they do a fantastic job with it. Another Alameda all-star! read more

We come here weekly. Great staff, great service and great food. Bill, the host, is always smiling, friendly and comes by our table to say hello. Our favorite waiter, Juan, always gives us great service. The bartender, John, is the best. read more