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La Piñata - San Leandro

3.0 (1.5k reviews)
ModerateMexican
Closed • 9:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
Updated 2 months ago

Order La Piñata - San Leandro Takeout or Delivery

La Piñata - San Leandro Photos

Business Info

LA PIÑATA - SAN LEANDRO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - La Piñata - San Leandro

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Briggitte L.

The decor is specifically and overwhelming on theme. It's very colorful and cute. The service was very good. The food is expensive, but the portions are huge. The food also tastes good. La Piñata is a chain restaurant, so you always know what you're getting.

Two item combo  Gallina en Mole  Long Island Ice Tea Pacifico $77
Sonia L.

You have to sit in the bar and ask for Maria- she make the whole dinning experience worthwhile!!! Maria you are of great asset at La Piñata.

La Piñata Platter,  #9 - 2 Small Flautas & 1 Burrito
Holly S.

Solid, Familiar, With a Split Personality La Piñata in San Leandro is one of those long-standing spots that delivers a dependable experience. It's a restaurant with two very distinct vibes under one roof. Ambience: One of the more interesting aspects is the clear divide in atmosphere. The right side feels like a traditional family-style Mexican restaurant--warm, casual, and comfortable, perfect for groups, kids, and relaxed sit-down meals. The left side, however, shifts gears into a more modern bar setting with moodier lighting and a livelier feel. Food: The menu sticks to classic Mexican-American staples. Portions are generous and flavors are familiar, though not particularly bold or elevated. Everything we tried was good, satisfying, and consistent--but nothing truly surprised us. You come here knowing exactly what you're getting, which isn't a bad thing, but at this point it feels more reliable than exciting. Service: Service lands right in the middle. Staff were friendly and professional, but the pacing felt a bit uneven--some moments very attentive, others slightly slow. Nothing was outright wrong, just not the kind of service that leaves a lasting impression. Overall: La Piñata earns its stars by being solid across the board without excelling in any single category. It's a dependable choice for a casual family meal or a laid-back drink at the bar, especially if you value familiarity and consistency. Overall, a respectable neighborhood staple.

Awesome
D P.

Sorry about the bad ratings ?? My experience was awesome & that 5 star is for chicken mole enchiladas but also the Staff !!! Deborah was so great big smile & awesome recommendation.. great place 4 lunch I will be back !

Guacamole
Yvonne F.

I've never been, but my boyfriend used to come here a lot and we were really craving Mexican. On a Saturday night, the restaurant wasn't packed, but had plenty of patrons dining in. Our server was nice, but was stretched thin with her parties. We only saw her before the meal, and afterwards. I got an order of steak fajitas and thought it was yummy, the steak had a nice char and flavor and all the fixings on the side such as guac, pico, and beans/rice really made each bite delicious. My boyfriend ordered a burrito and thought it was good too, he was glad that the flavors haven't changed since the last time he visited. Comes with housemade chips and salsa, really appreciated that the salsa had a kick of spice to it.

Burrito bowl
Val X.

I love the decor, service, and taste! Highly recommend this restaurant if you're into Mexican food!

Carnitas (~$30) very good, big portion but high price
Joe P.

I met a family friend that I had not seen in 10 years for lunch. She lives in Fremont and I flew into OAK, so LP was conveniently located. She ordered carne asada, while I had the carnitas (each about $30). TBH at first I thought the meal would be mediocre: The chips were stale. However, when the platters arrived, I started changing my mind - It was a lot of food! Her platter also had french fries, in addition to the traditional beans & rice. My carnitas was moist and nicely seasoned. I ate both of my hand made tortillas, and I barely put a dent in my portion: I had a lot of sobras (leftovers). Maybe it was bc she gave me half her steak, that was nicely charred and seasoned. The only downside to the platters was the price. Regarding the ambiance, they have plenty of tables and booths. Some high school grads dropped by with large parties. There is also a separate bar area past the restrooms. The service from Herbierto was excelente. He took good care of us, and didn't mind we occupied the table for two hours to catch up. We both raised a glass of tequila to our late fathers, who were close friends and drinking buddies. I would definitely return to LP to have good Mexican food and excellent service. They really make you feel at home here.

Outside dining
Joe P.

It's been awhile since I've been here, nothing really change. The food is always good, customer service is awesome. I'm glad we are here. It was a good call.

It was supposed to be a shrimp taco but it was a $10.99 tomato taco nasty.
Heidy M.

We were in the area and we decided to come here for dinner, This will be my last time coming. I order a single shrimp taco ala carte and a side salad . The salad was really old mine and my husband, it was just old wet and saggy lettuce with croutons, we ask them to change it, the second one was still the same I got charge 5 dollars for it I try one piece and left it it was nasty, my shrimp taco was basically a big hand made tortilla with 8o% tomatoes and 15% Tiny pieces of shrimp a couple pieces of cabbage, all I could taste was tomato's that has been sitting for a while, my husband food was flavorless and the hand made tortillas where hard, I would not be coming here again.

Carnitas, Sopes - Dinner (2 Items)

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Every employee is very polite and hard working. Food was delicious. The restaurant is very clean. Thanks for the great food.

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La Piñata - San Leandro Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - La Piñata - San Leandro

Are you currently doing Sunday Brunch?

Do they have air conditioning?

Yes

Are they doing the Sunday buffet brunch?

At this time, Order only from the menu.

Do they have vegan dessert options?

I don't recall but I would recommend to call them before you drive

Do the have an ATM?

Yes. I believe it is in the bar.

Does this place take American Express?

Yes they do

View All 11 Questions

Taqueria Los Pericos - So juicy!

Taqueria Los Pericos

3.9(881 reviews)
1.5 mi
•$$

Still have some of the best tacos. The asada is seasoned well and the meat is tender. Get a good…read moreamount of meat. Buche is one of the best I have had, I have they make that crispy. I always ordered to go and everytime I call in an order it's always ready by the time they said. Love the salsa bar and the free chips that's come with the orders!!

This is my favorite neighborhood taqueria. Walking inside the first thing you noticed was how clean…read moreand bright this place is. Everyone working here is always in a good mood, smiling and singing. That's always a good sign. I always get the crispy tacos they are so good! The salsa is so fresh you can really taste every ingredient in them. I love the chips too, so crispy but somehow light at the same time. Today, I wasn't feeling very well. Just under the weather and bummed out I was feeling crappy on my day off. I came to my favorite taqueria and was greeted so warmly, it actually made me feel much better. I ordered soup this time the caldo de res it's a beef soup. And it was excellent and exactly what I needed. The broth was flavorful and rich but light and clear at the same time. Full of veggies and served with rice, tortillas and chopped onion and cilantro. It fixed my whole life. I also enjoy the people watching here. Everyone comes here, young people, old people and people of all race and colors. Workers on lunch breaks and families, and me on my own catching a delicious meal on my day off. I love it here and I come pretty regularly. It's one of my favorites.

Photos
Taqueria Los Pericos - Inside

Inside

Taqueria Los Pericos - My food baby to be

My food baby to be

Taqueria Los Pericos - Breakfast Burrito  bacon, eggs, cheese, cilantro and onions , sour cream! So darn good!

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Breakfast Burrito bacon, eggs, cheese, cilantro and onions , sour cream! So darn good!

Porque No? Tacos - Nachos with chicken

Porque No? Tacos

4.5(835 reviews)
0.5 mi
•$$

This is a superior burrito for two reasons. First, the fillings are in the right ratio and evenly…read moredistributed throughout the burrito. Second, they really take their time to griddle it so it comes out nice and crispy. I liked my pastor but I'll probably do asada next time.

‼Absolutely horrible tasting food that is ridiculously over priced oh my god. NOT WORTH MY $44 !…read more I got these food items: Asada tacos- 1/2 of the taco meat was just big oily chunks of fat, I spat it out immediately. Rest of it was tolerable to chew. Tortilla was dry and oily. Al Pastor tacos- bland meat with a lingering dry pepper aftertaste that makes the meat taste old. Took one bite and was immediately repulsed. Chips and dip (guac and salsa)- chips are oily and hard to chew. Guac was bland, no garlic or cut tomato. Salsa was a viscous sludge in a small tub, had the same pepper taste as the Al Pastor. Horchata drink- too much cinnamon and saw multiple lidded to go cups of this already made in the fridge behind the register, no expiration dates on them. ALSO PLEASE UPDATE THE PRICES ON YOUR MENU, I was charged $11.95 for the chips and dip but the menu says "house chips and guac $9.50" ... how is salsa $2.45? Only positive thing I would mention is that the free tiny salsa, slice of lime, sliced radish, and pickled jalapeño and carrot was nice of them. Wish the pickled veggies didn't drip vinegar all over the bag (it was wrapped in tin foil). Never been here before and never coming back again.

Photos
Porque No? Tacos - Frank's bar seating

Frank's bar seating

Porque No? Tacos - Chilaquiles with Al Pastor

Chilaquiles with Al Pastor

Porque No? Tacos - Beer and a shot of whisky (Franks)

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Beer and a shot of whisky (Franks)

El Portal Restaurant - happy hour oysters!

El Portal Restaurant

3.7(538 reviews)
1.8 mi
•$$

Let me start off by saying, whenever possible I do my best to patronize mom and pop family-owned…read morebusinesses. By doing so I've found the food and service to be of a much higher quality. With that being said, El Portal has popped up on my feed a couple times the last couple weeks. Prompting me to save it as a potential future visit. So glad I did! Because I was NOT disappointed! Most small businesses that attempt a buffet only put out a few items, use tiny plates and charge a high price for a few low-cost items. Honestly that is not the case here, El Portal does not disappoint. The variety of dishes blew me away from fruit, salad, rice, beans, ceviche, 2 egg dishes, veggies and shrimp, veggies and fries, barbacoa, French fries and nuggets for the kids, Enchiladas, Menudo and so much more... I could go on about how great the food was. But let me just back up a bit. When I arrived at the strip mall at the foot of Lewelling Blvd., the lot was packed. Once I found a parking place, I made my way to the restaurant. It was around noonish when I got there. There was a short line at the door and a note pad on the server's kiosk. When the server came out, he called out a name off the note pad and escorted the party to their table. When he returned, he asked those in line to write down their name and number of people in the party. (Definitely do not forget to put your man on the note pad!) When my name was called, I was given the choice of patio or inside dining. I chose the Patio and was promptly shown my table. I probably could have ordered one of the awesome looking Aqua Fresca's, but decided on plain water. Wow was I surprised when the waiter brought over what appeared to be a 36 once frosty cold mug of ice water, definitely not some little cup with a couple ice cubes and warm tap water. When I walked into the restaurant, I was overwhelmed by the verity and quantity of food choices. I looked around for a stack of small plates, when I didn't see any, I asked a severer where the plates were, she pointed to a stack of Platters. Wow! They were huge, they looked like 16" platters to me. I wanted to try as many different items as possible, I soon realized just how small my big platter was. At the end of the buffet line, I went to open the container marked tortillas, and standing there was a lovely lady holding a tray of hot fresh tortillas right off the grill (how awesome is that?). If you're wondering, yes! I had to return to the buffet at least one more time. The Staff... What can I say? They were absolutely AWESOME! They were friendly, helpful and had smiles on their faces, they attended to the customers needs in a timely manner. The staff definitely deserve a full 5 stars for the job they do. I would also like to say thank you to the family that was behind me in line, they offered suggestions on items to try, which I definitely tried and enjoyed. Thank you so much for being so kind and taking time to chat. One of the things that sold me on El Portal was the flavors of the dishes especially the rice and beans. They brought back childhood memories of my favorite Mexican restaurant in Alameda (If you know, you know!) that unfortunately closed after the family sold the business. Sadly, the current incarnation just doesn't compare. I'm definitely going back in the near future to attempt yet another Big Back attack on the buffet, hope to see y'all there.

We have been coming here since my last review, they food is still good but the service has gotten a…read morelittle slow. Not sure what it is, been here when they are busy and when they are slow, but taking a lot longer to get your food, no matter what you order. Been like this for over a year now. It's very disappointing, so we dont go as much as we use to.

Photos
El Portal Restaurant - Restaurant

Restaurant

El Portal Restaurant - Plastic in Quesadilla

Plastic in Quesadilla

El Portal Restaurant - Bar

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Bar

La Piñata - San Leandro - mexican - Updated October 2026

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