My friend and I just had lunch at El Talpense this week and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We had been there before, but it had been awhile, and we were delighted with the selection and quality of the food. The friendly service and colorful and clean ambience also did not disappoint. If you live in lafayette like we do it's easy to drive by it as there are no flashy signs but now that it's on my radar (again) I plan to go more often. read more

Great place - outdoor tables ,great food decent prices . I highly recommend the Fajita salad.

Great place for tasty Mexican food. The sauces are excellent and really enhance everything. I tried an Al pastor burrito that had some pineapple inside. They make good horchata. Also tried some of the salad with steak. Very friendly staff and a relaxing atmosphere. There are some seats outside and plenty inside. You can pay by QR code on a smartphone through the clover app. Definitely going back. read more

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I was in Lafayette and looking for a good place to get Mexican food to take home. This was just down the street from where I was grocery shopping so I thought I would try it. I'm so glad I did because now I found another place to get good Mexican food. We got a lengua super burrito with all the works on it plus a chili relleno dinner to take home. Both were delicious and generous in portions. The tortilla chips were fresh, not too thick and were warm and crispy. I'd like to go back and try some of the other things on the menu. The service was very friendly. We got takeout and the guy made sure I had a variety of salsas for the tortilla chips. The 2 best things about this place are: 1. They have lengua on their menu; hubby loves lengua, which is hard to find. 2. They have their own small parking lot which is a Godsend on busy Mt Diablo Blvd! read more

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Slow service and an absolutely filthy water bowl for my sweet dog on a hot day. Will not return or recommend.

My parents and I wanted to go try some Mexican food and decided to go try this restaurant ! This used to be the restaurant Lavash prior to it becoming this restaurant so the decor looked the same but were upgraded to pick the culture. The service was fast and we got our orders in quick and food out in the same about of time! My mom and I shared the chicken fajitas and my dad got the Tres Madres which was a taco, chile relleno and enchiladas with beans and rice. All of this was delicious and we were able to take some home after as well for a late night snack. Overall great food and will be back again read more

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Our first time visiting. We enjoyed the outdoor seating on the street, chips with three salsas right as we sat down, a pitcher of fresh made margaritas, ceviche and our entrees. Roman was a friendly server helping make for a great date night. read more

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Solid spot for Mexican food - it's definitely more westernized but still delicious. We came for a late lunch and sat on their outdoor patio, but they had a huge indoor area as well. They had a happy hour food and drink special at the time, and in general, looks like it's available everyday including weekend minus Tuesday. Chips and salsa were free! The chips are the thin crispy ones and they had three different types of salsa. We shared some mini chicken flautas which were crispy on the outside and juicy chicken pieces inside. I did the seafood tacos which came with huge portion of rice and baked beans. The tacos had fish, shrimp and this delicious sauce. It got quite messy but the tacos were amazing. I also got the happy hour marg which came in a really cute glass but didn't taste that great. It was like one of those from a pre made mixer. Everything else was great though and the service was fast even for an off peak time read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Lafayette, California

Great new Mexican restaurant in town that is a second restaurant for this family. I've been curious to try this place out as there have been too many businesses here already. On the suggestion on the neighbors and my craving for a traditional Mexican meal called us here after Cinco de Mayo. There were folks enjoying the outdoor patio but we opted for inside to catch the Warriors game. Friendly service and accommodating as I wanted a combination that wasn't on the menu. Chile relleno and pork tamale with rice, beans and coke slaw. Everyone was piping hot and very good. I had enough leftover for lunch the next day! Hubby said the chicken was a little dry but he would come back again. The place was lively with folks eating outside . I imagine it will be even busier as the weather warms up. Next time, a margarita! Plenty of paid street parking. Please support this local business The food came out read more

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The atmosphere was welcoming and lively but, the music volume is quite annoyingly high, leading to increased volume needed to talk at your table, which makes for a noisy unpleasant evening. The chicken enchilada verde was so over-salted that we will never order them again. read more

I dined here for the first time with my family for my birthday. We sat inside which has lots of festive decor including lit up stars hanging from the ceiling. The restaurant offers a full bar with bar seating. My hubby and I ordered the Cadillac margaritas which were good. The chips and mild salsa were amazing! I had the traditional combo with cheese enchilada and chile relleno . Wow, so good!! The service was great! Affective and made sure we were all set. As a first time customer, I am sold! We will be back soon. read more

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We have been coming here weekly for about a year. I have eaten most of the menu, the food is ALWAYS delicious! Service has always been great, fast and friendly. Great inside or outside seating! read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Vegan Tostadas - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Lafayette, California

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We recently had a short jaunt at the nearby Lafayette Reservoir and wanted to get something to eat. We wanted to low key and found this little gem a little east of the main strip of Mt. Diablo st. It's named after a small town off the Jalisco proper in Mexico, according to the server. It's a quaint small place with a Family friendly vibe. There are paintings around the restaurant representing the small township of the Jalisco area. We had started with a Cheese Quesadilla appetizer and they also brought out Chips and Salsa. No drinking Adult beverages on that day ,but they had marvelous looking Ritas and Beers on draft. Maybe a Michelada next time but water was the drink on that particular day. We ordered Chicken Fajiitas for the Lunch special and we shared it. Servers were attentive and very helpful. The food was really good and with the appetizer, it was the perfect portion for the both of us. Nice place to go to if you are trying to avoid the big Chain restaurant of Downtown Lafayette and want more of a low key dining experience. read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Chicken Fajita lunch special - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Lafayette, California

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Great food and great vibes and atmosphere. Love the small dishes which are just the right size. Friendly and welcoming.

I haven't been here that many times, but I have been here a few times and let me just tell you the customer service here is amazing Roman, the bartender is awesome.. very friendly recommend some good dishes. The food is awesome. I definitely recommend coming here. Just wanna say thank you guys for serving up some good dishes over here will be coming back.. read more

I've been wanting to try this new restaurant by my childhood home, and it didn't disappoint. Especially on taco Tuesday! The deals were great, and the food was delicious. While it was busy, the staff was super friendly and gave us some extra margarita for our wait. The tacos and nachos were delicious! The chorizo and al pastor were both well seasoned and tender. The nachos had plenty of toppings on them, including fresh guac. The restaurant is your classes Mexican style, with plenty of tables and bar seating, along with heat lamps by the outdoor tables. It's perfect for a group setting. read more

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This place is legit. Mexican food is a close as I come to religion, and this place makes my spirit soar. There's real care and thought put into every part of the dish. The beans are delicious--not just filler. The salsas are differentiated. Kids typically get the enchiladas. Those are what caught my attention first. We picked up a year ago and when I tried my kids enchiladas, I was like, "Whoa. We found a real one here." The tortilla soup is fantastic. Next time I come, I'll probably get that as my mine. Very hearty and delicious. Ambience is good. Drinks are good. Service is good. This place is on point. read more

Good food and good drinks. Try the margaritas. Good service. Good happy hour with free snacks. Good ambiance. Good there for the World Cup matches. read more

This place is special. Chewy and his wife Brenda are the owners and great hosts. Sitting at the bar and the margaritas Cadillac are incredible. 2 for 1 on Tuesday. Chips and salsa are made fresh every day. They have the old tables from El Charro. The place has charm and class. Highly rated. Come check it out read more

This place rocks! Been here several times but just never did a review. Solid Mexican food that taste great! Ordered the ground beef mole enchilda that came with rice and refried beans. There is also complementary chips and salsa. All was yummy. The mole sauce had the right spices. Brought home one of the enchilda for next day's lunch and still the sauce with the enchilda was great. I've been here in the past and had their shrimp tacos and enjoyed them in their delightful front patio seating outside. But this time we were inside which was nice too. Our server was attentive and friendly. We will be back! read more

Taco Tuesday!!!!! (Starts at 4pm) And yes, they have Victoria beer! Lol It was a gorgeous day outside, so we decided to celebrate the opening of this new restaurant. (Luckily, we walked from our apartments). Went the day before as well, to try a trio of street tacos. All very tasty and authentic. Jesus the owner is lovely and welcoming, as well as all the staff. Highly recommend as a great neighborhood place to meet friends & family, with reasonable prices and quality food. read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Victoria! - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Lafayette, California

Dinner at El Talpanese in Layafyette not Berkeley!! Sunch a fun night playing Singo for a school event. The restaurant accomodated our group and all its craziness! Service was fast and efficient (and able to keep all those checks separate!! ) our server recommended the carne asada dinner and it did not disappoint! A huge portion of meat with delish rice and beans. The grilled fish taco was brimming with fresh fish with this awesome sauce. The shrimp taco was filled with shrimp and cheese and peppers! Yum! Margaritas were strong. It is a bit on the pricier side for Mexican food but very good. read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - CARNE ASADA - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Lafayette, California

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This restaurant just opened this week. We came in and sat on the patio outside. I had a shrimp burrito and my wife had a seafood tostada. The tostada had more seafood than I've ever seen. Both Were excellent. Servings were large and we actually took home leftovers. Not only was the food good but the service was excellent. I highly recommend this place. read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Lafayette, California

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I was excited for a new Mexican restaurant in Lafayette. Many of the early photos that had been posted on Yelp did not make the food look appetizing but I wanted to try for myself. The food presentation was *very* sloppy. You eat with your eyes first (well, at least I do) so the slops of food were very unappetizing. We ordered a burrito (it was *massive* and swimming in watery sauce), mole enchiladas (the mole sauce was dry and did not hit the right flavor profile), shrimp tacos (I don't even know how to describe what arrived - these, too, were swimming in chunky wet red sauce), a kids enchilada (this was the best item by a long shot) and a kids chicken quesadilla (which arrived without the chicken that I had paid for). I wouldn't call a single item good, and I'd affirmatively call some of them bad. I truly cannot believe the high price point given how universally bad the food was. We won't be going back. :-/ read more

Went with 2 friends to celebrate birthdays. Had wonderful meal and margaritas! Staff every attentive and comped us birthday desserts.

Grew up in SoCal all my life going to Tijuana for family trips to the best food markets and this place closely resembles some of the yummiest food my family loved to eat growing up. I'm also a sucker for friendly servers since that's what's apart of the experience and every time I've gone I'm always greeted with the friendliest faces. I do want to note that the ambience although very simple is paired nicely by the choice of music playing that i hear in the cooks kitchen. Pictured eating : my American husband read more

Great food when you go to the restaurant... delivery is questionable. On DoorDash order of beans and rice for $7 each, I got like 5 bites of beans and about 10 bites of rice. I do love their beans and rice, but will never ever ever ever ever ever order again cause that was the biggest rip off. I seriously can't believe someone thinks it's ok to send that teeeeeeny tiny quantity of beans for 7 dollars... ridiculous. read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - $7 each! Never, ever, again. It tastes good, but I just paid about one dollar per bite and that is ridiculous. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Lafayette, California

Me and my husband love this place! We've tried many different Mexican restaurants, everything from higher end to more casual Mexican restaurants. This would fall under a more casual restaurant. The food is authentic and delicious every time. I love their chicken enchiladas, chicken fajitas, chile verde, and they have great Cadillac margaritas! They also have special taco deals on Tuesdays and two for one margaritas. read more

El Talpense Mexican Restaurant - Chicken fajitas - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Lafayette, California

great local place for Lamorinda...please support family owned businesses like this, they are so good for the community and they actually love us, unlike the private equity owned turds. This is a great, festive place with great food, great prices and an inviting atmosphere. read more

After reading the rave reviews, four of us dropped in for lunch. Ambiance: the only change from Lavash is a coat of paint. The outdoor seating is better but inside leaves you wanting. We had some beers with the complimentary chips. The salsa was way too mild so we asked for spicy salsa and got a few plastic containers. The hot sauce helped! We ordered four combination dishes. The items came with lots of rice and beans. The platings were sad, given the price point. Definitely not anything special. Service: two nice guys were hustling but given the distance from the kitchen, it took them forever to serve the outdoor tables. So, not sure if things have gone downhill since they opened or the earlier reviewers were too generous. Will not return. read more

Amazing food every time, including lots of vegan and vegetarian options. Service is consistently friendly and welcoming. Really nice people and a nice family-owned vibe. And the drinks and vibe are always a plus after a long day. They hosted our wedding too, and had a mariachi band on Cinco de Mayo. Highly highly recommend read more

The food is always great. Service is very good as well. They fry chips fresh daily. Beans great and homemade. Beria tacos and Chili Relleno's excellent. read more

We arrived to a somewhat empty dining room and as we walked in the hostess greeted us. I said, "Wow it's very chilly outside!" She said yes and seated us exactly by the front door--a door that was propped wide open, that I had just walked in wearing my coat telling her how cold it was outside--no thank you princess. I asked for another table, ANY other table away from the open doorway. Next, it was quite awhile until we were greeted. I know this because my companion had to use the bathroom but wanted to order drinks and apps before he went to the restroom. There were at least 9 people working there, and about 3 tables. They were playing loud music from a personal device and taking and chatting about. I'm cool with all that, but please grab me a margarita! I'd like to chillax too. Finally, a lady came and we ordered margaritas and nachos. I felt like she might not come again for awhile so I ordered my food and he his as well. Bad idea... It all came out together. And my nachos were totally burned and inedible. My dinner plate was okay, I had the enchiladas, he had Flautas. We agreed that it was the worst food, it just wasn't the best either. We walked over from the bar across the street, and then home, so it's too bad since it's walking distance from my house, but I'd rather walk a little further than to stop here again. read more

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Let's start with the drinks: one beer & a margarita - the worse margarita ever, almost as if it were pre-mixed, heavy on the mix - could not taste the tequila or maybe they forgot it, either way in a Mexican restaurant your margaritas need to be top notch, in my opinion. Out came the chips & salsa - meh neither tasted fresh. There was an order of chicken enchiladas done in red sauce & an order of chile verde - the chicken in the enchiladas they got correct, but their red sauce lacks luster - very thinned out, next to no flavor; typical Americanized enchiladas made for el gringo. As for the chile verde, the actual pork was tender, but again the sauce lacked texture, flavor & seasonings. In sum, they either need to up their came if they're going to survive Lafayette or they're not going to make the 6 month mark. But then again their food is very Americanized & might suit the uneducated pallet for gringos. The service was great, our waiter was in it. One cannot blame the wait staff for what the kitchen puts out or what the bartender pours. Very casual place, it looks bigger than it is. Unfortunately not at all impressive. read more

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Lunch was great! Chips were fresh and portions were generous. We didn't feel rushed and I will plan to come back soon!

This restaurant has potential if they can improve their food quality. I've also dined at their location in Berkeley and thought the same thing. Service is friendly, and the restaurant is somewhat small and dark. They have an outside patio which is encased in plastic which might appeal to some people. All the large tables inside are for 6, so it was pretty awkward trying to squeeze in our group of 8. There's a small free parking lot just west of the restaurant which they say is theirs. read more

I see all the great reviews, but I thought it was just okay. And I just got back from over a month in Mexico. I also think the prices are out of whack for the location, service and food quality. I spend a lot of time in this area, but I doubt I'll be back. read more

Best Mexican restaurant in the East Bay and possibly the best blended Margarita in the Bay Area (rivaling Tia Margarita). Try the Roman Gigante! read more

Great experience. We hosted a dinner party last night for 20 at El Talpense. It could not have gone better. The food was delicious and the service was friendly and greater . They were very accommodating to the requests of our guests, including special diet needs and food service for our late arrivals. We will be back. Sue and Dennis read more

The food was delicious! I love their black beans. The Micheladas were on point! We arrived right at opening so it took a little while to get the kitchen fire going but service was great. Will definitely visit again! read more