loved the flan. And the enchiladas. And the tequila shots! But most of all, the wait staff, hostesses and back-up crew were all super-nice, helpful and friendly. Plus, considering the food quality, service and atmosphere, it wasn't all that expensive. read more

Comal - Enchiladas! - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Delicious mezcal. Wonderful atmosphere. Not the best food options for price. Would absolutely go back.

Ate there last night before the Earth Wind and Fire concert. Nice vibe and good service, but food was 'meh." My chile relleno was soggy with little flavor and in a bland soupy sauce. The Mexican corn was gooey and flavorless. Cucumber and jicama was just that - nothing special or interesting. My wife's fish tacos were underwhelming. Cocktails were small and expensive. Please tell the kitchen and work toward a more delicious experience. read more

Comal is a very nice place for drinks and Mexican cuisine. For starters, the design looks very high-end and the seating is nice. When it comes to the drinks, Comal also delivered quite well. Though normally people come here for their alcoholic beverages, their horchata is also very good, so there is something for all people and ages. There's also quite an extensive selection of food, with tacos, enchiladas, soup, meat plates, etc. When it comes to the food, I thought it was good, but considering the price and what I would expect from a high-end place, I would say it's okay. However, the chips and guacamole are absolutely fire. I would say, if you consider Comal as a high-end bar that also sells food, the food is amazing, but if you consider Comal a high-end restaurant that also has drinks, then perhaps the food is not as you would expect at this price point. The drinks are the high point though that being said, I want to stress the food is still good overall. read more

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Great staff, love the ambience and patio, and consistently tasty menu. One of my favorite berkeley spots. Bartenders are so fun, sit at the bar! read more

Came for a birthday celebration & we opted to order food with abandon: so there were 3 cocktails & 1 bottle of wine; for 4 of us. The cocktails were all quite different: Paloma, El Chavo & Summer Camp; the El Chavo was my favorite out of the 3. For appetizers we ordered: the guacamole with 3 salsas & chips, papas fritas with chipotle aioli, & jicama & cucumber with chile árbol & lime salt. Everything disappeared, so it must have been scrumptious; my favorites were the guacamole & chips, followed by the papas frita, loved the spicy chipotle aioli with the potatoes. Onto the mains: there was an order of tacos done with cauliflower, tomato, grilled chile & black been purée; an order of the butternut enchiladas, I heard they were excellent; they were gone before I got a chance to taste. An order of the quesadilla with hen of the woods mushrooms - tasted best with a salsa on top. A tamale with chicken & black molé sauce, just a tad heavy on the maza for me, more chicken less maza, just my taste buds. Lastly the pork chile verde, which was to feed 2 to 3, but the didn't quite make it as the pork was sparse. Overall the food was delicious, there were a few leftovers & containers were requested to take them home in. Oh let's not forget the dessert a chocolate mousse of sorts, decadent - nothing of it was left! The service was on point, great wait staff all around. There's an automatic 20% service fee to rule out tipping, works great. The ambiance is casual, easy going. There also a great outdoor seating area, I want to say you can also sit out front, but I would opt for the back patio. Love this place, hope to be back sooner than later. Lastly, the menu changes regularly, so check their website as to what's being served to before you head over on the off chance you want something specific. Didn't take pics, as I was too busy enjoying the company, food & the moment. read more

WOW!!! Amazing Comal - thank you so much. We had reservations for 10 and really had a great time creating new memories. The ambiance, service, and food were all spectacular. Comal provided a phenomenal experience and we all thank you! Hen-of-the-wood mushroom quesadillas - WHAT???? Truly my favorite read more

Best date night restaurant in Berkeley! I've also been here with friends, family, everyone! I feel like it's also one of the longest lasting restaurants here since the first time I was here I think it was almost a decade ago on a horrible date from hell but the patio was so beautiful. Came here most recently last week. No same day reservations available (and you better plan way ahead if you want to sit in the patio!) but the bar is first come first served, otherwise it was a 45-1 hour wait on a Friday night. We got the Comal swizzle, mezcal margarita, and the Palomaeque. It was the bartenders first night and he was soooo nice. We shared a bunch of dishes, the highlights were the fish tacos and the early girl tomato salsa. Did not love the mushroom quesadilla. Tasted like a vegetarian after thought. Prices are super reasonable for the ambiance. Most staff here look like college students. Literally every time I've been here our waitstaff tell us they're new! Street parking can be difficult but worth it to me to circle for it. A must visit. read more

Comal - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Amazing food and fantastic bartenders with cocktail skills! Definitely worth stopping in. If you order appetizers, it's fast and amazingly good without the wait of a whole meal! I knocked one star off because of the hostess's lack of communication skills. We walked in to a mostly empty restaurant at 5:15 pm on a Saturday. And her first words to us are, let me put you on the waitlist . Needless to say we were massively confused. We were going to walk out because we had a show to catch and didn't have much time to waste, but we gave the back bar a shot. According to the hostess, we could do "drinks only" back there. It took her a while to finally explain that the kitchen opened up at 530, which is when we could order food from wherever we sat. So strange. I guarantee this place has lost business because of that lack of communication skills. Anyway, the bar turned out FANTASTIC, because of Zoe & Olga. Major shout out to those ladies for giving us the scoop on ordering food, being fantastic bartenders, and overall great people to be at the bar with! read more

A Berkeley staple that I love, however the snarky and dismissive attitudes of the hostesses tonight were truly off-putting. The bartender almost compensated, but I'm going to reconsider my next visit. read more

The restaurant space is beautiful, clean and modern, but sometimes drafty. Acoustics were great. Food service was well organized and timely. The drinks were delicious and came from the bar very quickly. They ran out of duck early but that was only a minor annoyance. read more

I had the best experience at Comal, my bartender's name was Jose and his performance was phenomenal. He made me 3 cocktails tonight and they were obsoletely perfect. Great attention to detail, the restaurant had over 200 reservations tonight and Jose managed to give the bar and patio everything they needed ASAP. I couldn't have been happier with my experience tonight, highly recommend to come and check this place out. read more

If you're craving Mexican food but are looking to explore beyond your local taqueria, look no further than Comal! Located in downtown Berkeley, it's definitely a classier change of pace than many of the restaurants nearby. With a different menu each day, it's definitely tempting to return again and again. The food is expertly crafted, and the drinks are some of the best in the area. The stand-out selections for me are the fresh tortilla chips and the hibiscus lemonade. I love that there are delicious non-alcoholic drinks to choose from! The restaurant itself has a classy ambiance, with low lighting and soft music playing at all times. It's definitely better suited as a date spot than for large group dinners. Our server was very friendly and gave us some great recommendations for what to order! While Comal is undoubtedly delicious, it is not a substitute for your favorite comfort Mexican food. I would definitely save Comal for special occasions. read more

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Big Caveat here - we came for my cousin's wedding so everything was picked out by her for the obviously private event. So my cousin got married her a couple months ago and wow what an event! As a venue it fit her theme really well, the modern upscale rustic-ish vibe fit her fall colors and the fact that this was a fairly intimate setting. Honestly walking in we didn't realize how much space this place had, I loved the back patio and bar so much! Anyway for the rest - the staff was a amazing considering the chaos of a wedding with some small children. There was some rain so they pulled some of the reception table settings and reset quickly once everything dried out. As we ate everything was cleared quickly without interrupting the fun. And the bartenders were pretty awesome! Now the food, I cannot remember exactly everything that the wedding buffet had but by far the favorite was the ceviche and the salsas. Like I wanted to grab a spoon and eat the ceviche straight from the bowl. There were also some veggie options (those were yummy too!), and I believe there were....tamales? I don't totally remember, but I do remembers everything was delicious! Also as a big tequila person, I loved the bar - they had my brand of tequila which is very rare in most restaurants. Overall, such a good time with amazing food (but not surprising as it was a wedding!). We'll need to come back and enjoy it outside of a wedding next time we are in the area. read more

This place has a great vibe, really nice outdoor seating area. Very busy for a weekday night , but we got a table within 10 minutes. We tried a watermelon salad which was not bad. The tlayudas were interesting, almost a fancy take on a "Mexican pizza". Wish there was more cheese. Nice drinks menu. 3.5/5, rounding up to 4 given how nice the staff was and the overall ambience. read more

Comal - Tlayuda - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I've been trying to come here for years but haven't had a chance to come to Berkeley. Last time I tried without a reservation it was a fail. Got a reservation this time last minute. The place is huge and has a nice back patio! We tried only 3 things and they were pretty good. My fav was the cod tacos. They were tasty and balanced and the fish was nice and moist. The mushroom tamale was just ok as the mole tasted not to our liking. The shrimp quesadilla was huge and tasted good. We also tried the jicamama cocktail and it was good but needed some more alcohol. I'd come back to try the rest of the menu! read more

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This place is amazing! My friend and I had to order several items because everything sounded so good so we shared small plates. The chips and guacamole are the best. The food is amazing. The service is quick and efficient and the ambience is wonderful. Such a cute little place in Berkeley. read more

Experienced a clear microagression from server while trying to dine at this establishment. When I came in, I asked for a table and the server ignored me and only spoke to my white friend. When I would step in to clarify anything, I'd be ignored and she would start speaking just to my white friend. It was pretty clear that she had some prejudices as I was the only person of color at the table and the only person being ignored. The food was mediocre and could use some more flavor. Service was disappointing since the server kept messing up our order and clearly ignoring me. Will not be coming back. Have had better mexican food and decided to try this place out but definitely regretted it. read more

food is mid (not bad at all, but not mind blowing in the slightest). the ambiance and atmosphere there is very nice. the service there is also very good. Would not go back for food . read more

Disappointing meh tacos. Sent the fish one back, and Carnitas was bland. Beautiful huge place, packed. The Guacamole and three sauces was excellent; come here for drinks not tacos. Lots of interesting looking items on menu. Service excellent. read more

From the outside you can't tell how nice it is on the inside. A friend invited me for drinks and some eat. We sat in the back bar area and had a very attentive bartender. She was very customer service focus and gave us suggestions for our food and drink orders. This is a perfect place for a small party or meeting. The back area has an open backyard type of layout and looked very nice. We order shrimp ceviche's and mushroom quesadillas. Both very delicious. Bar focused on Moscow mule types of drinks. I will be back to try out the other food options from the menu. read more

This was my first visit to Comal and as such I previewed the menu online before dinner. The selection is limited, I only found one item that interested me, which they didn't have when we were there. When restaurants charge a mandatory 20% service charge in lieu of tips that is usually a tip off that something is wrong with the food or the service - this was the case with my visit (10.28.2024) - there are issues with both. I totally accept policies that have a mandatory service charge for say parties of 5 or 6 or more, but their policy applies to any number of guests, again, a very bad sign. Food: No modifications whatsoever. Two people in our party had food allergies/sensitivities. After two tries of what I would say were not too demanding requests we toned it down to "Can we get tamales without mole?" and again the response was "No changes to menu items." This place has no idea of customer service. I totally get that changing menu items is a pain and some restaurants just don't like to do it, but excluding the last item, mole, which is added at the end does not represent much of an inconvenience to the kitchen staff. Service: Again, we had two people in the party with food sensitivities. Two of us ordered the "Zero-proof Margarita", it came with a salted rim, our bad for not asking for no salt. The one of us who has no problem with salt decided to drink two and order another one with no salt - we did and it came with salt. When we pointed it out to the server she said "Can't you just wipe it off?" and I responded "Can't you just take it to the bar and have them pour it in another glass?" The server left, without the drink, and brought us an empty glass for us to do it ourselves. The drink was pretty good and my friend ordered another without salt and reminded the server about the mistake on the first one. You guessed it, the second one had salt on the rim. Because it was out first time and we were a party of four we chose to order different things and share, the only thing that had any flavor was the chips and salsa, which should have be commentary like bread in a white tablecloth restaurant, instead they charge $7. To add insult to injury, when we ran out of chips as they serve a small amount, but still had salsa and guacamole left, the server came by and asked if we would like more chips, of course I said yes, only to find that I was charged for another order of chips. Another $7 for chips but no additional salsa, this restaurant is unbelievably bad. This restaurant is so far beneath what a restaurant should be that I recommend that you avoid it at all costs. It might be great for some and to those people I say enjoy! To those who value service and food quality I say steer clear. Will Merritt read more

We walked in for a early dinner midweek and had a terrific experience. Ordered the ribs which came with black beans, rice, tortillas and perfectly cooked asparagus. They have a nice wine selection and the margarita I had was tasty. Very affordable! Yay! read more

Waited for walk-in for at 5:05 and was seated at 5:30 pm. There was a line and people were gradually being seated. Saw two women who walked out complaining on how complicated there system is. I have to agree but once seated our dining experience was top level. Our waitress was aware and competent and on top of our order. We started with margaritas which were delicious. We ordered the papas Freitas (French fries) followed by their green salad with beets and radishes. We both ordered the pork enchiladas. That was enough for us and in retrospect we could have passed on the fries and all would still be fine. Overall experience was fine. I would recommend they work on their reservations system in place. read more

Comal - Pork enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Comal has always been my favorite Mexican restaurant in Berkeley after it opened. I have always had good service. Food is always tasty and favorable, drink is good and ambiance is perfect. I will come again when I'm next in town. read more

Comal - Diet Coke at Bar - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I ordered a delivery today. Everything was fantastic. The delivery to Alameda was quick and effortless. My food was a BOGO special for the day, a bean and cheese burrito. I added side of rice and quesadilla and a pineapple drink. Each item packed and wrapped really great. The portions were so good. A great experience, plus I have a burrito for tomorrow. read more

I got a salad and it was good, but I was there with two friends and we were rushed by the waitress who came to our table something like five times in an hour. Place is incredibly loud so not really good if you actually want to have a conversation or I imagine, a first date. read more

Great vibe with really good food! Loved the tlayuda and the ceviche and enjoyed the Paper Umbrella cocktail. read more

Comal - Tlayuda - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

The chips, salsa & guacamole were so good and filling! The chips were super thick and came with plenty of guacamole and salsa. We loved sitting outdoors in the back patio near the fire pit with the light all strung around-- super cute!! Definitely good vibes here with some yummy food. Would recommend this to anyone and can't wait to come back. read more

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I have no idea what the hype is here. Our food was so flavorless. And what's more, the table next to us when ordering asked the waiter for some basic modifications to the items on the menu (ceviche without onions, or a chicken dish without bacon, or even a drink made virgin). Every single response from the waiter was sorry the food and drinks were already prepared. This was mind blowing - we are literally eating cafeteria style food that's simply plated. Also the pumpkin seed plantain dish was so bad we actually had to send it back. We have never, ever sent a dish back to the kitchen. read more

The drinks are good and the ambience is fun and festive but unfortunately, I can only give Comal one star because their food is TRASH. It is so so sadly mediocre and bland. When I go out to eat, I want to feel that I'm paying for what I'm getting. If the food is super cheap, I'm content with it being mediocre. However, given Comal's high prices, I expect a whole lot more than mediocre. I have tried multiple different dishes and been incredibly disappointed every single time. Everything on their menu is extremely overpriced and tastes like something I could make for myself (not great). The fact that their QUESADILLA IS FIFTEEN DOLLARS should tell you more than enough about their ridiculous pricing. On top of that, it was the worst quesadilla I've had in a while. Very boring. If you just want a side of plain rice or plain beans, you're in for a shock. Each costs SIX DOLLARS!!??? So crazy. I have never ever seen a restaurant try to charge that much for a side of plain rice or plain beans. It's just highway robbery. When they opened years ago, they had a good reputation, but they seem to have severely declined since then. Nobody would ever say that they are a good restaurant now. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR GOOD MEXICAN FOOD, DO NOT GO HERE!! There are so many great Mexican restaurants in Berkeley and the East Bay, but this is not one of them. Try going to Cancun, Tacubaya, La Mission, Picante, or your local taco truck. I can guarantee that all of them are much better and much more affordable than Comal... read more

I've always loved Comal. Have come here for receptions hosted through UC Berkeley, for casual get togethers with friends and for special celebrations. Ambiance and food are usually good and it's been a nice combo for a casual, yet a little special, evening out. Tonight we made a reservation to celebrate a birthday and requested ahead of time to sit outside for a party of 6. Was told they couldn't accommodate this, which seemed strange and too bad. Food is always good, but the service tonight was terrible. Nobody seemed aware we were celebrating a birthday, no introductions or clear idea who was taking care of us. The evening was a string of near constant service that both interrupted the flow of the dinner and felt like it was shuffling us toward the door. The server even interrupted the birthday girl while she was making a wish for her upcoming year. The server didn't seem to read the table or notice the interruption at all until it was pointed out. No apology and no birthday acknowledgement by the staff at all. Anyway, good food...but the service was a bummer all around tonight. We won't consider this place again for special occasions. read more

Their spacing of food delivery is terrible. I've been here half a dozen times . they always bring the appetizers quickly and then pile on all your other orders at one time. There is no sense of spacing and ambience. As a diner, you end up with a plate full of food all at once that should've been spaced out over your meal. This is my last time here read more

I made a group reservation for 18 in the back patio and was charged a deposit of $250 to confirm the reservation. I was emailed the night before by the venue cancelling the reservation due to rain (not even 24 hrs notice). They offered no alternative for our group and were rude and unhelpful. I repeatedly followed up and requested the return of the deposit and if they could redirect members of my group to the restaurant around the corner that I just found. Meg, their events person, responded that they would make an exception and return my deposit (less 6% for processing). Unbelievable! read more

Such a great post-vaccine dining experience at Comal! Staff wearing masks and gloves, made us all feel extremely comfortable and safe. We made a reservation for our group online and sat outside. Good food, good cocktails, good ambiance. Truly had the best time here catching up with friends while enjoying our drinks and delicious food. We even ordered more to take home with us to eat the next day haha. The Tlayuda was a great vegetarian option and the SPF 2020 was my favorite drink. Will definitely be coming back! read more

Comal - Tlayuda - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Came out to Comal to bond with my boss and it was great! There is a parking structure within two blocks. There is also street parking but can be difficult to find, depending on the time you go. Came to the location around 6:30 and the atmosphere is so nice. Definitely a little loud, but this does depend on where you are sitting as well. There is a bar towards the front, tons of seating, and even a nice patio in the back with a bar. I ordered pork tacos, my boss ordered the enchiladas and we also got the guac with chips and three salsas to share. Everything was delicious! The pork I had was juicy and it came with some pickled carrots and jalapenos, which added nice acidity. The salsas and guac was also delicious. However, the only reason why I am not giving this location 5 stars was due to service. It might be because of how busy it was, but it felt like it took forever to be able to put in our order. And after they cleaned up our table, it took so long to get our check. Maybe they were being courteous as it seemed like we were having a really good conversation, but we were just waiting for the check. Overall, would still go again in the future. Would recommend if you want Mexican food and you're in the area, to go here! read more

Great food, fast friendly service and amazing ambience with great sound and lighting. The food needs a bit more of a spice kick because I found the spices neutered compared to my experiences eating at Mexican style restaurants in the Bay Area, even Picante has hotter salsas than this place, but the overall food quality was good. Great cocktails too. read more

Pretty decent meal here. Came here because of a Gastropod podcast episode on its unique acoustics. Not sure I totally appreciated the effect, and there was music playing, but it wasn't too loud. Highlights were an eggplant/seed dip and a salad. Maybe next time have a salad with some kind of protein added. read more

Come in the summer to enjoy their backyard patio & fire pit. I visit Comal when the weather is nice to take advantage of their backyard patio space. With string lights, plenty of heaters and a fire pit surrounded by tree-trunk stools, it makes for a cute oasis hidden away downtown. Prices are steep- $11 for a margarita and they automatically add a 20% service charge to every order (making a basic margarita $15). Good quality, but overpriced for the East Bay in my opinion. I rarely order meals here - again overpriced and feels American-gourmet (better flavor and serving sizes at many other Mexican restaurants in the area). I do enjoy their chips and salsa ($5 for unlimited refills on chips) and will order one to share when meeting friends here. I am willing to pay for their back patio ambience to enjoy a warm evening sipping margaritas outdoors. read more

Comal - Fresh tortilla chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This has been a great spot for both family and date nights :) service is always friendly, and they're always willing to share their favourite dishes on the menu with us. I love the rotating menu of the seasons, and the flavours that each dish brings to my palate! There is no dish you can go wrong with. read more