Put your wing suit on and surrender to the delectable, divine, delicious, full flavored mouth watering, scrumptious, sapid, passion filled jewel that is Comal. The scents you've never noticed, have textures of its own, it will invade all of the crevices as it waffs around your dome. With every single morsel I eagerly search for more. I always wanted it this way, I'd always hoped it'd be this way. read more

Comal Next Door is literally next to Comal. small dining area. nice mexican music. little decor besides a large pic. offerings: burritos/bowls, tacos, tortas, m, beverages eats: bershire pork al pastor (3.5) -lots of tender pork pieces, pork not so tasty not so al pastor, dash of red oil, not spicy. -ingredients very fresh. -definitely made to order frijoles refritoes -waiting to try Comal sometime will pass on next door. read more

Great spot to pick up an excellent meal. They now also deliver via Caviar. I love the main Comal restaurant and menu because the space is so interesting, the bar makes delicious specialty cocktails unlike anywhere else, and the food is always fresh, imaginative and tasty! I was delighted to learn about the little side door Next Door and looked em up for online ordering. Their mobile web ordering interface works great! Easy to navigate menu, beautiful photos and clear descriptions of each dish, a big free checkout cart and it loads fast and responsively. My food was ready on the dot in 13 minutes as promised. If there's a line of walk ins, you can just scoot around the line to the front of the counter and grab you food. The service is super friendly and calm under the pressure of what can be big crowds lined up to order. I had a carnitas bowl to which I added veggies and a few other customizations, which were easy to enter on the ordering page and were fulfilled in my meal's prep. The meat was plentiful and perfectly seasoned and cooked. Figure on $15-20 per person for dinner, maybe less if you keep it simple and skip the chips, guac, etc. read more

Wanted to like it since I've only heard amazing things about Comal, but was an overall meh experience. $3.25 for a mediocre taco was a disappointment, to say the least. Came here at 7pm on a Wednesday right after yoga, and there was no line. The area is small - communal tables can seat about 15-20 people inside and there are some outdoor seating options. It's super clean, as an employee immediately came to wipe off my table after my friend and I left, and the service is great. Cashiers and bussers are friendly, and they deliver your food to you after you take a number. However, as someone who truly adores tacos, Comal Next Door was a letdown. The meat in my chicken taco was underseasoned and the tortilla got soggy halfway through. My friend, who ordered al pastor and beef, agreed with me on the overall underwhelming experience. I might come back to try their fried chicken torta, but definitely not their tacos. read more

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I think this small extension to the main restaurant is a great idea because you get the restaurant flavor and quality in a fast food environment. The carnitas burrito I had was really good, and I want to try other items from the menu. The seating is a little squished, a few large shared tables, so it's probably best to take out instead of dining in. read more

Comal Next Door - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great for a quick bite in Berkeley. Even though it's a more casual place, the staff is friendly and brings you your food with a smile. We happened to walk by while killing time for Cheeseboard to open and one taco for each of us was the perfect snack size. The beef was boldly flavored and the al pastor was tender and had a great sweetness with the pineapple salsa that comes on it. The tacos could have used a little more cilantro, but for $3.50 I'm not gonna complain. Also really nice atmosphere and warm wooden communal tables. read more

Comal Next Door - Beef and al pastor tacos - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Comal Next Door is somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. The staff is super nice so 5 stars for them, but the food just wasn't that good in my opinion. I made a point to order the two types of pork tacos, because the server mentioned they were their most popular options. For about $4 a taco, I just didn't feel like the tacos were very flavorful. They tasted just a little bit dry. I got sort of sick of the meat by the time I got to my third taco, the beef one. Again, I just didn't feel like it was a super tasty taco. I'm basically using Tacos Sinaloa on Telegraph as the bar here, where the tacos are extremely flavorful. I could eat like five of those tacos without getting sick of them, honestly. I was totally unimpressed with the corn / vegetarian taco here. Even if I were a vegetarian, I would probably never order it. It was just a really boring taco. I ordered it thinking it might be a little spicier to compensate for the lack of meat, but I was wrong. I think the guacamole was a little bit redeeming. It tasted pretty fresh. I didn't get the chips but I imagine chips would have gone really well with this guac. I didn't think that Comal Next Door really had any spicy options. The hot sauce wasn't spicy at all. The server was super nice and gave some peppers on the side, but honestly it just wasn't very spicy. I think that's one way that Comal Next Door could really differentiate themselves. If they had something like a habanero taco or something, that'd be pretty unique in this part of Berkeley and I'd totally come here. Given that Comal Next Door is a bit of a walk for me, I'd easily prefer alternatives like Tacos Sinaloa or even Chipotle. It just wasn't a super compelling meal given the $20 price tag. read more

Comal Next Door - Barbacoa, el pastor, carnitas, and corn + zucchini + poblano - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I was expecting from the name that Comal Next Door would be a reduced menu of Comal, served in more of a to-go fashion. Definitely not. I would describe it as a nicer burrito joint with a few notable additions -- vanilla soft serve, margarita, buttermilk fried chicken torta. As a pescatarian, I wish there was a fish tacos option (especially because I love Comal's fish tacos!) but there were a few vegetarian dishes and 2 vegetarian bean options. I really liked the Chille Relleno bowl, which has a large delicious cheese stuffed fried chille pepper amongst a bed of beans, salsa and salad. Portions are medium, the extra buck or two you're paying is going toward better quality ingredients and not a fatter burrito. In a great location right next to the downtown Bart stop, where you can grab a quality quick bite on the way home read more

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I got the Al pastor burrito bowl here and was disappointed. It had a lot of rice and beans and not very much meat. Overall, it was lacking in flavor quite a bit. The hot sauce was tasty but not very spicy. Especially in a bowl, the flavor of the hot sauce gets lost among all the other flavors very quickly. I tried the hot sauce on a burrito and it was much better! However, I think I will have to stick with the many other amazing Mexican restaurants Berkeley has to offer. read more

Comal Next Door - Al pastor burrito bowl. A little disappointed - try the burrito instead. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

I happened into Comal Next Door on the second day of its operation. Awesome! The A-Team was present, including Executive Chef Matt Gandin. I decided to get an order to go and chose three tacos: carnitas, beef barbaccoa and the achiote grilled chicken. The tacos came in a tightly packed compostable container along with the pickled vegetables that are served with tacos at Comal, which is next door. The tastes were totally identifiably those of Comal. If you had given me these tacos in a blind tasting, I would probably have picked them out as coming from Comal. This new establishment is a bright light in the Downtown Berkeley restaurant scene. I recommend it highly and hope to return for lunches and takeout dinners. read more

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Good Mexican food place in downtown Berkeley. Same quality food as regular Comal but more fast-food style with broader business hours, expanded menu, and lower prices. Good to pick up and go but also has two long tables and limited window seating. Their burritos are good but I recommend tacos. Their margaritas are awesome. read more

Comal Next Door - Comal Next Door Menu! - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Service was great, and the new lady working at the counter was extremely friendly. There is indoor and outdoor seating, and it has a clean, modern look. I got an al pastor burrito which was pretty good. It came with picked carrots and jalapeños which were great. Nothing super special or unique but everything was solid. It seems like a higher quality, elevated chipotle to me. read more

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

I was trying to go to Comal for dinner with a friend and ended up doing Comal next door for lunch and it was pretty solid. I ordered the Corn, Zucchini, and Poblano Chile Burrito Bowl with Avocado and got it the second I sat down at the table. The bowl overall was extremely tasty - very flavorful and if you add some hot sauce, it can be pretty spicy. The avocado was really fresh and mixed well with the rice, beans, and corn. The crema was also a really nice touch and is a lot more rich and subtle than sour cream. The dish, however, did seem kind of small for the price and definitely was not too filling. I doubt I would come here again because there are several other places where you can get a burrito bowl just as good, if not better than Comal. read more

Comal Next Door - Corn, Zucchini & Poblano Chile Burrito Bowl - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

We were SO IMPRESSED with the quality of Comal Next Door! Not only is the food absolutely top-notch, five stars all the way, but the online process of delivery, plus the easy-to-parse sticker method for all the food: what a white-glove experience! Definitely recommend for everyone. I particularly enjoyed the albondigas read more

Brother in-law suggested it as the best place around for a bean and cheese burrito...I know that is about as basic as you get and really how much different can it be than anywhere else. Well, my family tried it out and if he was right, hands down best bean and cheese burrito I have ever had. We bought an extra one and I had it the next day for breakfast. The Pinquito beans have a slightly different flavor than a pinto bean little more smoke maybe nothing that would suggest a radical different flavor, but subtle goodness. Then that coupled with the perfect ratio of beans to quality cheese, so simple and so good. SO good, we had to expand into the menu the next week and the next week after that, we rolled thru most of the burritos on the menu Achiote Chicken, Berkshire Pork Al Pastor, Chile Relleno, Carnitas and Beef Barbacoa (teenagers had a hard time straying from the been and cheese). All of these burritos had unique twists to these common menu items. Pineapple in the Al Pastor, Chile Relleno maybe my favorite out of he specialties. However I would be happy with any burrito from the menu. 3 more to go and then off to the tacos and tortas (the fried chicken torta may sneak ahead of the chorizo breakfast burrito on my journey through the menu). IF you are in or driving thru the greater Berkeley area, Comal next door is a must. read more

Re-opened during the COVID shutdown. Ordered the chicken tacos, carnitas tacos, green beans, and rice and beans. Totally delicious. THANK YOU for being open during this difficult time! We need you and your tacos! Update: the veggie burrito is also amazing. read more

Been here several more times after my original review... and I keep finding myself wanting to come back. The pastor burrito is still unbalanced imo, but I love the fried chicken torta. Also tried part of a taco and the chorizo breakfast burrito. Definitely not going for an authentic Mexican feel, so don't look for it. The fried chicken could/should be way crispier, but it is so yummy as a whole (nice spicy kick to it too) I really want to try the frozen margarita one of these days, but havent been able to justify the price since I look for a quick fix when I am here. read more

I've been here about 10 times, and always get a bowl. They're SO good! My favorite is the corn, zucchini, poblano chile. This is a perfect, casual lunch spot, as the service is super quick. The seating area is pretty small but I usually can find seats for 2 from the time I order to the time I get my food. Their frozen margaritas (not available at Comal the main restaurant) are amazing! read more

Comal Next Door - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

My experience with this place is mixed. I ordered a burrito today and it fell apart as soon as I tried eating it. I think someone at Comal Next Door wrapped the burrito with one hand and their eyes closed. Burrito was mid. read more

Ordered a chicken burrito and it was dry, dry, dry. The salsa on the table was not labeled and had hair on it. Also, ordered a horchata. The sediment of the drink stuck to the bottom and no matter how much shaking it wouldn't blend. read more

I go here almost weekly as it's always so much fun and such a great meal! There is a DJ Thursday evenings and often people dancing on the patio. Drinks are fantastic, though ask server/bartender (as I don't like sweet drinks and sometimes the specific bartender will make the difference). Most items are gluten free (important for me!) and my vegan friend still has a lot of options. Guacamole is delicious, and so are the fries & aioli. Menu updated regularly due to freshest seasonal items- like the watermelon salad. Yum. Great night out for a date/friends/family. Highly recommend. read more

My husband and I order Comal Next Door on Doordash at least once a week for the past year, so as I am eating my chicken burrito for the 52nd time, I figured I should also write a review. Comal Next Door is one of the places with better delivery quality. Not sure if its the way they package it or what, but the food is always fresh when it comes to my door, even if the doordasher had other stops before they get to me. I also appreciate how flexible they are and how they allow you to make basically any customization. I always laugh when I see my burrito covered in all the stickers that list out the modifications but appreciate that they always double check that the order is exactly to your specifications. My faves are the chicken burrito and chicken tacos. Im also a fan of the veggie options as well. They are all so good and reasonably priced. All in all, a solid place to order from! read more

Awesome bean and cheese burrito and amaro margarita!!! Oh my god, do yourself a favor and add the roasted peppers, rice, sliced avocado, lettuce, and chipotle salsa. The Joaquin Murrieta margarita has reposado tequila, Montenegro amaro, and bitters. It's amaro-forward, but you can still taste the tequila. It's so yummy if you're into that sort of thing. Can't wait to try the salads and tacos (and other margaritas). read more

Comal Next Door - Joaquin Murrieta (Amaro margarita) - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Let the buyer beware. I was charged a service charge of around $2 for my one takeout burrito, bringing the cost up close to $18 for a small burrito that was "not bad." When I asked about the service charge, the staff informed me they don't receive any of it. It goes to the owner. One star for deceiving your customers. If you want to charge more money for your food, be transparent and raise your posted prices. Don't hide additional charges in a bogus "service charge." There's no excuse. All restaurants do business with vendors that charge for services, whatever they may be. Of course, most people are not going to notice the "service charge", which makes it a scam. read more

Went here on a Friday night for dinner for a few friends. The restaurant has a nice cozy ambiance to it. It's pretty spacious with inside and outside seating. We had to wait for our table for 25 minutes so we ordered drinks at the bar first. The margarita is a must! It was so tasty and fresh. We got seated and ordered chips and salsa, guac and the ceviche. They came out pretty quick. The chips are so tasty that we ended up getting refills. For entrees we got the fish tacos, tamale, and enchiladas. The enchiladas were everyone's favorite by a mile! We wished we ordered two instead of one as we were all fighting for the last pieces. The fish tacos were ok in my opinion but others enjoyed them. The only con of the night was that we had to wait 20 minutes to flag someone down to take our bill at the end of the night. The table next to us had the same issue. The server went on break without letting another server know. Other than that, Comal was a good night out eating with friends. read more

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Never thought I'd feel so strongly about a tofu taco. I immediately want to go back just for their tofu taco! So juicy, well cooked, and the flavors were just right. I actually only got two for lunch and it was enough for me. My partner got 3 tacos himself and that was good for him, and the meats he got tasted really great as well. Ordering at the counter was super easy. We walked straight to the counter and ordered on a weekend day, grabbed our number and water, and found seats outside (out front) right away. Didn't take too long for our food to come out either. Really clean and straightforward establishment. Would go back for sure. I also love when menus are really simple like this (In N Out style). read more

The chipotle salsa is red crack. I cannot stop smoking it - sometimes I eat it too. Great everything - I like the achiote chicken myself but it's all very good. I've been to Comal but like the casual and quick experience of Comal Next Door; I have gotten it delivered at least 50 times at this point. read more

I am not the type of person who generally leaves negative reviews and I'm sorry to have to leave this because we used to like this place when it first opened. But it has gone progressively downhill and the food quality has been worse each time over the last year-plus. To the point where today we made the mistake of having it delivered for dinner and It arrived and looked disgusting just thrown messily into the container. Since we stupidly paid $50+ for some tacos, a burrito, and rice & beans we ate it anyway and now me, my wife, and my toddler are all having *gastrointestinal problems* to put it mildly. Never eating here again read more

Loved the grilled chicken burrito and the corn, poblano, zucchini bowl! And the watermelon-mint agua fresca. Small space, perfect for a quick but amazing lunch. All ingredients fresh and delicious. Went at 1:00 Saturday, got the last indoor table, no line to order. Perfect! read more

We ordered delivery, and were not disappointed. The al pastor torta was good, the salad and other items were delicious. The flavors are fresh and unexpected, look forward to more meals from this place. read more

I have nothing negative to say about this lovely spot. All the goodness of the original Comal but much more affordable. My favorites are the carnitas tacos, guacamole and chips and potato egg chorizo bowls. The aguas frescas are thirst quenching and deeply satisfying. The service is swift and the crew friendly and helpful. Love Comal Next Door! read more

Comal Next Door - Horchata and hibiscus limeade - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

I walked in to Comal Next Door assuming it was a sit-down sort of restaurant -- totally missed the fact that it was Comal Next Door and not Comal the Restaurant (which is next door... yeah that makes sense now). The menu is on the wall, on your left when you walk in, but all I saw was the little menu by the register. I was confused, because I'd looked at the menu online, and I didn't see anything from the online menu on the little paper menu or the menu on the wall -- that would be because I'd looked at the restaurant menu, not the Next Door menu. Now you know that these are two separate places, and where the menu is at Next Door, so you don't have to be a dork like me. I ordered two mini corn quesadillas, one beef barbacoa taco, and a frozen (blended) margarita. The corn quesadillas were good, but not any different than what I would make at home; the beef barbacoa taco was kind of dry; the margarita was delicious, much better than the food. It was a very small sampling of their menu, so I may update my review when I've tasted more of the items. read more

First time here. Tried a carnitas taco and a chicken taco, $3.25 each is a good price for a small street taco. Added avocado and the price jumped to $4.75 (Add $1.50 per taco), but the avocado came on the side and was proportionally too much avocado. Would be better to put two or three slices on the taco for $0.50 per. The flavors were good but the tortillas were serve room temperature and the overall result is that the tacos were not warm enough to be satisfying. I had read reviews that the bowls were short on meat content, but my pals ordered bowls and they looked satisfying. Bowl with avocado could be a hit. Maybe the burritos are a good choice as I read that they grill the burrito before serving to warm it a bit. Seats are limited and the ambiance is nothing special. I'd rather to to the original Comal and sit at the bar. read more

We've enjoyed Comal before they opened Comal Next Door, and we were so happy when they opened next door because it has a more casual way to experience some of Comal's excellent food! Whenever people ask us what's good in Berkeley, we recommend this place. The grilled Achiote chicken is a winner every time! We've recently tried the albondigas torta which is something you never thought you needed in your life! You will not be disappointed with anything on the menu. Overall, the experience is fantastic. The staff is always friendly, and they recognize their regulars. You will smile at least once while you are there. 10/10. We love it. read more

3.5/5 The takeout/more casual version of Comal, Comal Next Door is a nice place to grab lunch. I had three tacos, which range in price from $3 to $3.50. I had the achioate grilled chicken, berkshire pork carnitas, and corn, zucchini, and poblano chile tacos. All were delicious and devoured. They were just enough to fill me up. Though I wish I could get more food for the amount I paid, the food portion doesn't leave you starving (and there's room to get boba after!). read more

I was inspired to go to Comal Next Door as one of my former classmates (Berkeley City College and UC Berkeley) was getting married to the love of their life; their wedding reception was going to be at Comal (the main one). In honor of their getting hitched that day, I decided to grab a bite at Comal Next Door. And I realized Comal took over the former address of Phil's Sliders for Comal Next Door. So I expect good quality Mexican food . . . the pressure is on. Especially since I showed up early before opening time. I was invited to wait inside if I wanted to; I was permitted to place my order early. (Why ever not?) Comal (the main one) was closed and would be open for dinner by 5:30 P.M. Comal Next Door offers a selection of burritos, tacos, tortas, bowls, side dishes, and drinks. I decided to utilize my famous litmus test of two tacos, beans (frijoles), and rice (arroz). I ordered two tacos: the Berkshire carnitas and the Berkshire pork al pastor. I inquired about the difference between the two pork tacos offered. One is slow roasted in its natural state while the other is marinated in milk and roasted. I was definitely sold on the carnitas, the al pastor is all right. The carnitas pork was very juicy and oh so very tender . . . . While I was chowing down on my food, I saw the bride and members of the wedding party trying to figure out which Comal they were supposed to go to. They figured out that they were supposed to go to the main Comal. Whew! I got glimpses of the wedding party and their guests heading to the main Comal or trying to figure out between the two. I raised my arm and pointed them towards the main Comal when I saw glimpses of confusion on the guests' faces. A guest even acknowledged thanks to me with a wave and a smile. I even saw the groom bringing in a bucket of flowers to decorate Comal for the reception. I privately toasted the groom and the bride privately in spirit before departing Comal Next Door. I made a return visit to Comal Next Door for a carnitas burrito with black beans (frijoles negros). One of the best carnitas burritos I have ever had. The service is quite good, though on my next visit, the server seemed a tad bit stressed. As I was leaving, she thanked me and encouraged me to return. Ah, that was quite sweet. Cheers and Ciao! read more

My favorite Mexican restaurant right now. The Chorizo and Chicken burritos taste so good, which I chalk up to the use of cilantro, onion, and chipotle sauce. The Chorizo burrito in particular is amazing, the egg goes so well and the chorizo is very juicy. Definitely would recommend for a quick meal. The horchata is also really good albeit a bit sweet. read more

Comal Next Door - Horchata on left. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We found the burritos to be exceptional. In talking to the staff, we caught wind that the tortilla used in said burritos was prepared in house. Kudos, Comal, kudos. read more

Comal Next Door - 2 Mexican food fanatics debating the authenticity of said cuisine. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We loved this place, especially because it is craveable with solid low carb options! We appreciated that they paid attention to our special requests what to add and leave out. I'm bad at spicy food, but leaving out salsa and poblanos ("rajas") kept the spice down to a level I could handle. Pico de gallo is tasty without being spicy, I could imagine a kid eating it. Next door salad -- very fresh greens, nice subtle dressing, the toasted pepitas were really delicious, we would eat this salad every day. The pickled onions are subtle according to my husband so I'll get them next time. I left out the poblanos ("rajas"). Chicken bowl -- my favorite. I left out rice and beans with extra lettuce instead, added avocado, pico de gallo and extra cheese and crema. Really well spiced chicken, delicious and hearty and quite low carb. Chicken burrito -- not too gut-bustingly huge, my husband enjoyed it Tofu bowl -- amazing texture on the tofu! The salsa verde tasted good. I left out the rice. Beef tacos -- next time we would get chicken instead, the beef was a little chewy. The roasted green chiles were a good addition for my husband Green beans -- good, we actually enjoyed them heated up a little even though they're served cold The only thing we didn't love was the mushroom/spinach bowl which we got as a side dish and probably wouldn't get again because it was pleasant but not exciting and not very substantial. Probably would seem more like an entree if you didn't leave out the beans and rice like we did! All in all, a wonderful meal, and we will absolutely order again. Nice touch that a lot of the packaging is microwaveable and compostable but make sure to check for tin foil lurking at the bottom! read more

Nice casual atmosphere with a small patio for sunny days. Friendly service. Clean. Fried chicken sandwich was wayyy too buttery and fatty, though. Very heavy on the mayo-based sauce. Like others have said, it's also a smidge pricey for what you get. read more