Fast casual style service cafe or eatery that specializes in modern Mexican food. It's located right next door to their full bar sister restaurant 'Comal' in Downtown Berkeley. Came here on a Saturday with some family and was looking to grab a quick, casual bite. There were only a couple other parties in the restaurant when we got there, so we were pretty much able to order right away. We kinda shared our items, but for me personally, I ordered the weekly special - Enchiladas Suizas. I also got to try a bit of - by way of my brother and sis-in-law - some Sopa Tarasca (bean soup), Chile Relleno, and a bite of their tacos. Everything was pretty tasty. I liked the bean soup more than I thought I would. I would have liked the enchiladas to be heated up a bit more (and the cheese more melt-y), but still very tasty. Just a good casual spot in the area, especially if you're craving Mexican food and you don't want to do a full on proper sit down/service meal. Plenty of street parking outside - at least during the day on a Saturday. (I'm not familiar with the Berkeley area and its parking patterns, etc.) read more

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Food was good. People were nice. I object to having a 15% "tip" automatically added to my bill, especially since I had the order from the counter. The sign said this is to help improve the lives of their staff, but it would be more honest to have the owner pay their staff a living wage and allow customers to tip based on service. They could accomplish the same thing by raising prices by 15% and pain their staff fairly Again, food was pretty good, but I don't think I'm going back read more

20% automatic gratuity regardless of headcount = ZERO service - we sat at the bar and bartender was cleaning the bar right in front of us - apparently she was the "bar manager" but clearly never trained on customer optics or service ... even the slamming down of the glass w the bill in it from some other server.... Food delicious tho but my drink so sweet and clearly the staff know grat is included so they don't even attempt service or a friendly conversation about the drinks, menu or the customer #badservice #lazystaff #nottrying read more

Comal Next Door - Forced gratuity without consent or discussion with the customer - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great burritos. I got the Carnitas Burrito. For some reason, the tortilla and cheese really stood out. Tender carnitas. Flavorful beans. I was excited to see the pricing as $13... but with the fees and tax and went up to around $18. We ordered online and the food was ready fast. There's seating inside and outside but nothing really special about the ambiance. read more

I am a huge fan of Comal and Comal Next Door also does not disappoint. It's a perfect spot to grab lunch or a quick bite before a show ar the Greek Theater. Pro tip. You can bring your own food into the Greek so feel free to order takeout. Today I opted for the salad as I felt like some greens. The salad was beautiful and full of flavor. The dressing was perfectly balanced, the seeds and pickled onions added just the right amount of crunch and I added the achiote chicken which is a flavor bomb in the best way possible. I love grabbing a seat at the window and watching the traffic and people on Shattuck pass on by. I'll be back soon. read more

Comal Next Door - NEXT DOOR SALAD - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Nice Mexican restaurant in downtown Berkeley Good food and good ambiance. We just had a drink and a few small plates. All good inclufing the ceviche that I forgot to take a picture of. As I was leaving the party was getting started with people getting up to dance. read more

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Today I went to Comal Next Door to grab dinner to-go and was honestly a bit disappointed, mainly because of the service. I walked into the restaurant straight to the register where two workers were chatting with each other and I make eye contact with one of them indicating I was ready to order but then I was ignored and they continued to chat. I have absolutely no issue with the chatting but getting ignored and having to wait was really off putting for me. I ended up missing my train home and having to wait even longer... Usually workers here are super welcoming and nice and I just didn't get that energy today when I ordered and I was surprised to see them charge a service fee when there used to be optional tip. I also noticed other recent reviews with similar experiences so I hope this behavior isn't going to be the new norm. At the end of the work day I just want to get my food and go, and an automatic service fee for to-go food is definitely unusual. The food is good as always but it's been elevated to a new level of expense and I think I'll only be treating myself here every now and then. I'll be sure to update my review the next time I stop by. read more

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Never again. I've been to Comal, the parent restaurant of Comal Next Door, a few times. I wanted to try a more casual and affordable option. I ordered a burrito to go. I later found out that the restaurant added a mandatory 15% fee to my take order. This is a quick serve restaurant. There is not an expectation of tipping for food ordered for takeout at a counter. It is egregious to add a mandatory fee to orders. Burritos here are already $13.75 ($19.25 to make them super burritos). If this is not enough money to stay in business and pay your employees then raise the prices. Don't add scammy fees to takeout orders. I will not visit Comal Next Door again and out of principle I'll skip Comal as well. read more

I called the store before placing the DoorDash order and clearly stated that I did not want any hot sauce and left my DoorDash name. As a result, the food I received was still spicy and I couldn't eat it at all. Now I called them but they were closed. I had to order my dinner from another restaurant again, which wasted my $27 and had a terrible night. read more

Comal Next Door - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food was immaculate to say the least. It hit every spot. I ordered the elote which was so creamy and the corn was nice & tender. I also got the tacos dorados which were equally amazing. I LOVE their guacamole. Presentation was also nice. Service was quick & efficient. I recently started eating here because my friend works at the restaurant & I will make sure to be back! read more

Comal Next Door - beef barbacoa burrito (top), elote (left), tacos dorados (right) - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

We had the fried chicken Sandwich and grilled chicken burrito. Both were pretty outstanding. Especially the Torta. That's Torta w a capital 'T'. It's quite large. If you're not super hungry possibly shareable- but save for a few shared bites I ate all of mine and will get another asap! read more

Burritos are tasty, there's no question. Not as dialed-in as Rico Rico but high quality ingredients, sharp, distinct flavor profiles. This review is specifically for the practice of sneaking on a mandatory 15% service charge on take out orders (while implying they are a tipless restaurant). It's the irritating like semantic exercise that's spreading among Bay Area restaurants that you'd expect from Xfinity or a credit card provider. A mandatory 15% on a takeout order (ordered online because service didn't entail answering the phone) is just a large, mandatory gratuity... as the restaurant knows. What's more - they COULD just make the menu items 15% more expensive and pass that on to employees, but of course, that would not sneaking it through as a hidden charge. Again, if this was the cable company, it would be considered outrageous... but at Comal Next Door it's branded as a movement for fair wages. ALL FOR FAIR WAGES. Just charge what it costs to provide them, don't hide the ball. read more

Parking can be challenging as it's in the busiest street of Berk. Also, it's small so come when it's not too busy. Chips are not included in your order but are worth the extra $$ to get with some guac or salsa. The burrito was a good size and the carnitas was juicy. Their homemade hot sauce on the table was spicy but added a nice kick to each bite. Would def come back here or maybe order to go next time as indoor seating is very limited. read more

Comal Next Door - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Overall was very good and I look forward to returning. We dined in the rear garden, which is one of the nicest semi outdoor tented spaces I have seen. The quality of the food is excellent, the service was very good, the server was knowledgeable helpful patient understood, sauces, spices, and ingredients. Unusual. The roast chicken is a stand out dish The rice and red beans, side dishes were excellent, not the ordinary you often see, and the three sauces that accompany were outstanding, homemade, special flavors By 6:30 PM, the restaurant is packed and it's noisy, so you need to be up for that, but it's very well run. I look forward to going back. read more

Don't go to Comal Next Door if you're looking for a traditional burrito. Go to Comal Next Door if you're looking for an unconventional burrito packed with flavor. Their Achiote grilled chicken burrito is one of my favorite burritos in Berkeley. It's filled with chicken, rice, pinto beans, and corn along with a smoky chipotle sauce. Sadly, they don't have a salsa bar, but if you take your burrito to-go, I recommend adding some Cholula at home. read more

Comal Next Door - Achiote grilled chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

I hate to give a 1 star review but Comal next door has made a dangerous mistake on two separate orders. Their menu allows you to order food with no onions which is great because I am allergic. However I have twice received burritos labeled no onions that actually contained lots of onion, which I only found out after consuming. This happened with a veggie burrito and a mushroom burrito. The meat burrito I also ordered with no onion was thankfully without onion and was delicious. I also appreciate that they use ethically sourced meats. But can't recommend when they repeatedly make food safety mistakes. read more

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I love exploring the culinary landscape of the east bay! One of my favorite things to do is to experience different types of Mexican food. Comal Next Doo is a wonderful addition to the food tapestry of Berkeley. When I read some of the reviews immediately carnitas stood out and that's my "go to" Mexican dish! I had to try it. FOOD: The carnitas lived up to their reputation. It wasn't dry and mixed with the other flavors just right. Had the carnitas burrito and loved the balance of ingredients. Oh BTW the chips are worth every penny. Homemade tortilla chips cooked just right. Yum. And the most beautiful red sauce! SERVICE: since we went in Covid times it's hard to tell what the service would be like if we ate at the restaurant. But they did everything well and they overstuffed the chips which I always appreciate so high marks for service. COST: Incredibly reasonable! I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Comal Next Door - Carnitas burrito with chips and guacamole. So good! - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I had the al pastor burrito. I had a hankering for a Shrimp burrito but my favorite place in the Dimond district was closed. Anyway I don't have much history with ordering this and it was a nice change of pace. A different taste for sure than your typical carne asada, carnitas or shrimp burrito. The ingredients and taste were nice. See the photos of the attached to give you an idea of the contents. Definitely not your typical ingredients but satisfying. read more

Comal Next Door - Al pastor burrito - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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** The following review reflects my delivery experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. ** It's co-MALL. At least that's how Pati Jinich pronounces it on her cooking show, and it looks like she would know. Maybe it's kum-mel to everybody else, but I'll just pretend I'm from Oaxaca and hang with Pati even though I stripped out some key ingredients from the delivery order I made for Jamie W. and me. No cilantro. No rice. We're so disciplined even during a quarantine. OK, we're not. We eat doughnuts when our willpower evaporates. But not this time. Nope, we decided to try the veggie bowls and maintain our clear consciences. We first ordered the $11.50 Veggie Bowl with corn, zucchini, potatoes, poblano chile, black beans, cheese, crema, salsa verde, onion, and lots of lettuce (photo: https://bit.ly/3jHY5xo). It was delicious like a deconstructed veggie taco. Our second bowl was the $11.50 Mushroom & Spinach Bowl complemented by rajas which I believe are strips of poblano chiles (ain't that right, Pati?) It was mixed with pretty much the same ingredients as the Veggie Bowl (photo: https://bit.ly/2Dx2IuG). What can I say? We're creatures of habit. This one was tasty, too, since they sautéed the mushrooms and didn't overdo the oil & vinegar dressing. We shared a side of the $6 Green Beans which was mixed with a Oaxacan pumpkin seed-arbol chile salsa (photo: https://bit.ly/3jQOAMs). Very fresh with the beans retaining a nice snap. I don't think they were grilled on a comal. Oops, I mean co-MALL. FOOD - 4 stars...really fresh with bouncy Oaxacan flavors AMBIANCE - n/a...never been inside...someday SERVICE - 4 stars...just what we wanted at the right time TOTAL - 4 stars...co-MALL RELATED - In the mood for Mexican? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2QQ9Lmv read more

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I'm conflicted. On one hand, I really like the refried beans. They're a little too thick, but so creamy and delicious! They make any burrito good, and their burritos are huge! The chile relleno burrito -- the battered and fried cheese-packed pepper is good, and the pico de gallo is perfectly balanced and fresh, but wrapped with beans in a burrito it's so much better! Al pastor burrito -- packed with meat, rice, and beans (I sub for refried). The cheese is nice and melty and the kick from finely diced spicy bits of pineapple is pleasant. I thought the meat was strange -- although being bathed in sauce kept it seemingly moist, the meat was actually so dry that the pieces crumbled apart and had a somewhat mealy texture. read more

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Eaten at the sit down version of this restaurant when it opened in 2012, it was pretty good, but today's delivery from CND garnered more balanced flavors for me. Carnitas - anything with carnitas here, order it. The al pastor was good, but the carnitas just melts. Tacos come with pickled veg on the side. Still feel the same about the chips - super thick and flaked off, but again, do their job, vehicle to shovel the guac and salsas. The red chipotle salsa is outstanding, makes me want to buy a jar, if available. Veggie bowl looks sad and misshapen, but it's a hefty bowl with all the best ingredients: grilled squash, corn, cotija cheese, Mexican rice, beans, potatoes and topped crispy romaine. Check out the cenas televisiones - frozen dinners. Will definitely be a return customer - satisfies all the cravings and the heat, fantastic, grab some tissues for your nose! read more

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Came here for lunch on a weekday. Communal seating. Breakfast burrito - Great; came piping hot Al pastor taco - Love; the flavor really stood out Carnitas taco - Solid; cooked perfectly but not as flavorful as other options. read more

I must the chicken burrito was packets with flavor and very filling . I loved their red sauce . Also very clean kept place with friendly service . read more

Comal Next Door - Chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Used to be one of my favorite places but they started automatically adding gratuity. The tip screen flashes for about 1 second and then switches to the final total screen which shows that they added 15-20% tip. Disappointing and won't be coming back read more

This review is strictly for the food. TLDR: The options for more health conscious meals such as salads are slim and do not live up to the taste and quality of their more popular menus items. Comal Next Door always produces good quality burritos and bowls. Their chips and salsa are also quite delicious. In general, the quality and consistency of their food is good. However, the items on the menu are quite rich and calorically dense. It's one of the main reasons I often balk at at the idea of getting food from Comal despite my family's desires. Tonight I acquiesced and looked for something lighter on the menu. I opted for the Caesar salad with chicken, and unfortunately, i was very underwhelmed. The salad was only marginally better than what I would expect from an airport kiosk in both taste and presentation. I guess that's the risk of ordering a Caesar salad in general, but based on the quality of their other items, I would've expected more. There simply aren't many options on the menu that are more health conscious, and fewer still that live up to the quality of their burritos and bowls. read more

Comal Next Door - Skip the salad...or prepare to be underwhelmed. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Despite the recent negative reviews, I actually enjoyed my meal from Comal. Got the chicken burrito, loved how it was well seasoned (salty) and tasted a bit unconventional for a burrito. Desperately needed acid so I added a squeeze of lime when I got home. Food came out really fast which was great, also there's always a crowd outside which makes this place inviting to go to. I'm very interested in coming back and trying more of the menu! Only downside is it's quite expensive and there's an automatic 15% gratuity applied to the bill. read more

I am a UC Berkeley alum and have been wanting to try Comal Next Door forever!! Parking is so difficult in downtown Berkeley, but that is to be expected. This place is so small that we passed it without knowing and when we came in for lunch, there was only one person in line ahead of us. I ordered the Tofu Chile Verde and Corn, Zucchini, and Poblano Chile tacos and my boyfriend ordered the Achiote Grilled Chicken and Berkshire Pork Carnitas tacos. They have water to serve yourself and seating outdoors. The tacos arrived quickly and were SO delicious, especially my tofu chile verde!!! I had accepted that I would never be able to find a vegetarian chile verde taco, but I don't have to look elsewhere anymore! The tofu was cooked so well and even my boyfriend liked it. I want to return for the kind service and for their chile verde! This is a great casual option for someone searching for quality tacos. read more

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I ordered the chicken burrito which was recommended from the DoorDash app. It was good size and tasty with a little spice. I also ordered 3 tacos: The beef one has good flavor but meat was a little dry. Carnitas taco was my favorite great flavor and very moist. Chicken taco had good flavor and seasoning. read more

Comal Next Door - Beef taco, carnitas taco, chicken taco - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

I went thrifting in Berekely on a sunny Friday afternoon and wanted some grub with my Veggie son. Comal wasn't open yet, but Comal Next door was open for lunch. We had ordered the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Torta, a Horchata, and a Molleta. The staff was friendly and we had eated inside restaurant. The chips and were gredt and our food came out quickly. A little different ambiance wise since I had eaten at other reataurant and patio bar previously. We had also ordered another Moletta to go and I will be back for more of their great tasting food. read more

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I had some mushroom tacos that were really really good! They are street tacos size so they aren't very filling but they sure are tasty!!! My daughter had a bean and rice burrito....nothing to rave about. Delicious flavorful Rice can be really hard to make (believe it or not). The service was pretty ok and it is really clean! read more

Love their food. Every once in awhile they do mess up and forget to add sour cream. But still good. I also think they need to give more chips. $9 for a handful of chips is stingy. read more

Dare I say this is THE BEST taco/burrito place in East Bay...and maybe also SF?!!?!? I haven't been to every single place, but a decent amount, and I just can't imagine a tastier place than this. You really can't go wrong (although I would recommend you skip their bowls and have tacos/burritos instead. If you're trying to eat 'healthy' or 'clean' just like go to whole foods) It's a hard choice, but I think their beef is my favorite. They cook it so it's soooo tender like it's pork - amazing!!! I love that this is the fast casual place of the more expensive Comal read more

Regrettably, Comal Next Door has gone from hands-down best burrito in Berkeley to "might be good, but also might be terrible" thanks to poor quality control in the kitchen. After years of eating there, since it opened, it's painful to report that more and more my food contains unpleasant surprises. From Chicken bones to something unidentifiable (maybe latex from a glove?) in my food, to incredibly sloppy preparation (ALL chicken on one end of burrito, ALL guac on the other end?? what?), you're rolling the dice to see if you get something close to the glory it was years ago or getting a shameful mutant version of it. Deeply sad to say it's time to find a new burrito joint. read more

So sad about CND. Over the last couple of years, especially the last 12 months, the food has been so inconsistent that we've finally stopped ordering from them. I'd say that 50% of the time, we get delicious take out. The other 50%? Stale chips; watery guacamole (always in PUNY servings); cold Chile relleno--so much so that the "melted" cheese is as solid as if it came straight from the fridge; al dente -- meaning only partially cooked -- rice. Sometimes the "bowls" look like they've been assembled by someone blindfolded -- food basically just dumped willy nilly into the takeout containers. I'm afraid that Comal's owners and managers have decided to rest on their laurels attained long ago, when they first opened. Would it kill them to change up their menus from time to time? To ensure some QC in their kitchens? To actually CARE about what they serve customers? Reminds me of the time a friend (a local Berkeley chef) called Comal "overpriced stoner food." I think today that's sadly true. BUT PICANTE, ON THE OTHER HAND, has it going on down on Sixth Street! So much better -- excellent food, huge menu, excellent pick-up set up. You get a much bigger bang for the buck! Well worth the wee extra distance. Goodbye, Comal. read more

Berkshire Al Pastor Taco and Sauteed Mushroom & Spinach taco were great and tasty. Nothing particularly mind-blowing, but solid and filling tacos. read more

I had the beef barbacoa burrito. It was MASSIVE. I could only eat half then saved the other half for later. It was really good, it had meat, beans, rice, cheese, crema, onion and cilantro. It was super filing and the meat was seasoned well. I also had horchata which they gave to me in a plastic bottle. I was a little apprehensive since I'm used to getting them from the fountain but it was REALLY good! I imagine they bottle it in the morning, make sure you shake it before you drink it though, the rice settles at the bottom. There is no parking on this street and you will probably have to go a block or two to find a parking spot, this is a busy spot. There's a BART station right across the street, so it's close to public transportation. It's a small spot but there is indoor and outdoor seating. Once you order you get a number and they bring it to your table. I came here before seeing a play at the Aurora Theater, I'll definitely be back. read more

I placed a Togo order and it was ready in 5 minutes. The shop was very clean and neat Chicken Burrito 7/10 Chicken Taco 7/10 Food is tasty! read more

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If I could put less than 1 star I would. Staff is lousy and rude. I walked in and they were talking showing each other their phones and laughing, I did not get greeted or thanked for my service definitely not coming back. I honestly almost walked out but I was just hungry. Only good thing on the menu are the tacos, they were good but still won't come back I could find good tacos with good customer service anywhere just not at Comal Next Door in Downtown Berkeley. Do better read more

I've been a long time customer of Comal Next Door (CND). While I go there a lot, there are two glaring problems with this place that needs mentioning: 1. The consistency of the food. About 66% of the time, the food is good. It's tasty, it's packed with flavour, and its filling. The other 33% is really disappointing. In that case, I tend to notice the ingredients taste old, the meat is dry/tastes funky, or it's super greasy. The ingredients they use are high in quality, but that does not guarantee a good meal. Simply put, when the food is good, it's REALLY GOOD. And when it's bad, it's REALLY BAD. There is literally no in between. It's inconsistent. 2. The employees. Literally 95% of the employees I've encountered throughout the years lack courtesy. I always get super cold vibes from them. No "thank you", not even an ounce of politeness, and even when you leave, I feel like I'm always being rushed out. I get it, no one expects you to always be super nice and all, but the bottom line is I never feel welcome whenever I stop by. And this happens every visit. To make matters worse, they recently implement a service fee for every order. It's one thing to ensure workers get paid somewhat fairly, but if this measure is to excuse the rude, discourteous and unpleasant behaviour of their employees, then CND has officially hit an all-time-low. I have a feeling like this place got too comfortable with praise they received a while ago, which in turn made the staff and owners too comfortable to overlook any problems. I would only recommend this place for the food in the slim chance it's actually good. It's genuinely sad to see a restaurant I've loved so much fall so hard. read more

A really beautiful restaurant. It was a nice atmosphere from the start. We were able to sit 5 people on a Friday night right away. Our waiter took a while to come to the table but after that service was so fast. Everyone except me ordered fish tacos. They literally came out in 3 minutes. My Gordita took a few extra minutes but still fast. They said the fish tacos were really good, my friend who had been here once before recommended them which is why everyone got them. My Gorditas were also really good and they come with two on a plate. I think that it could've been a bit more filling, but we did get chips and salsa for the table so that helped. The salsas that came with the chips were also really good I'd like to note. Four of us got cocktails and someone else got a tequila flight. The tequila flight came with this little cucumber chaser and it was really yummy. Cocktails were good if not a bit average. The bill came out to about $30-$40 per person. For me I would've like to be a bit more full for paying that price but the food was good and the service was quick. read more

Comal Next Door - Gorditas - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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