I've driven by here 1000 times and never gave it much consideration...until today. Decided to stop by and pick up some dinner after Pickle ball and, HOLY MOLY, my (chicken) enchiladas are off-the-charts delicious. The green sauce is tangy and delicious, the black beans are super flavorful, and the overall portion size feels fairly generous. Thinking I'll bring the family back here sometime and try eating in the restaurant. For now, I'm a huge fan! read more

Los Cilantros - Chicken enchiladas (less one yummy enchilada) with black beans and avocados - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

$17+tax for the Chile Relleno. Exquisite presentation skills. Damn tasty! Absolutely worth the price of entry and got me wishing I discovered this place sooner. read more

Los Cilantros - Chile Relleno. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Came with a large party. Ordered 3 tostadas. Super delicious! The chips and salsa are a must! The guac is amazing. Its a small restaurant but they open late and there is a salsa club/studio you can be at next door. Will definitely be back. Service was quick and lovely! read more

Los Cilantros - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food is soo yummy! I highly recommend the enchiladas or the potato and poblano tacos! The atmosphere is very cultural and cute. No words to describe the place; its amazing! Also, if you are gluten free or a celiac, this place is 100% gluten free! read more

Good food and friendly service Had tacos, and while the plate didn't come with rice and beans, it was very good. Homemade tortillas, well seasoned carne asada and chicken, but potato taco was pretty bland Most food is gluten free This is kind of a lower budget mid tier place to eat. The cashier/waitress was really friendly and warm This is a casual place with a folksy homey vibe read more

Came in to photograph the menu but based on my prior experience this place is so genuinely good. I cannot recommend it enough. It was packed on a Saturday night and that says more than I can. Give it a visit if you can! read more

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Such friendly service, fresh Mexican fare and the best part was that it was healthy and attentive to quality of ingredients used. Definitely not your run of the mill Mexican restaurant that serves up cheesy and bean heavy dishes that leave you feeling gross. We had the kids quesadillas, queso fresco enchiladas and fish, chicken and mushroom enchiladas with some agua Frescas. It was all yummy and our family really enjoyed it! read more

Los Cilantros - Queso Fresco Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

This review is solely based on service and the flan! The lady at the register was very warm and inviting. I ordered their coconut flan which isn't traditional but it was still good! I'd love to come back and try their other dishes! read more

Wow, everything here is made with love by the owners. They get blue corn from a farm in Sacramento area and create their own masa for their tortillas. Their pozole is the purest tasting broth I have ever had at a restaurant and my son loves their carne asada plate. Did I mention their amazing homemade horchata? Hands down the best Mexican place in the neighborhood. Muy authentico! read more

Love this home made quesadillas with mushrooms the best flavor and unique taste If you are vegetarian stop by and give them a try flavor 10/10 and the service is the best read more

Los Cilantros - The best taste ever love the mushroom quesadillas if you are a Vegetarian stop by and try them home made tortillas and good salsa - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

My husband and I were visiting Berkeley today and in need of lunch. He has Celiac, so having a facility that is as close to dedicated gluten free as possible and I am grateful that Los Cilantros came up on find-me-gluten-free. We arrived about 1:30pm and were greeted by a kind young man and our pick of any table. My husband ordered the Carnitas plate (his favorite!) and I had the chicken enchiladas. Both dishes were absolutely fantastic. The carnitas were perfectly cooked and crisp, the warm handmade tortillas were heavenly, and the salsa was balanced and flavorful. The chicken enchiladas were delicate yet filling. The verde sauce was luscious and tangy (the best verde enchilada sauce I have ever had), and was expertly paired with the earthiness of the black beans. The portions were great, and we left full and happy! So much so that we actually came back several hours later for dinner! My husband doubled down and had this carnitas plate again, this time it came with fresh and aromatic blue corn tortillas (lunch had white corn tortillas, and I went with the tostada trio. The tostada shells themselves were crispy and thick, not those off the shelf tostadas that crumble before you can even take a bite. The chicken tinga was juicy and savory without being heavy. The ceviche was light and refreshing, and a great palate cleanser, and the nopales tostada was again some of the best nopales I have had, and I grew up in LA! If you are looking for a fantastic meal made with love and care in the Berkeley area, look no further. I am a professional chef and the amount of refinement and care taken in all their offerings is a rarity in food like this. They will treat you like family, and I already look forward to my next visit! Muchas Gracias to the wonderful staff at Los Cilantros!!! read more

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This place is ALWAYS SO GOOD. I had the chile relleno my first visit and it was so good I had it every other time I came until I branched out to the enchiladas - also delicious? Carnitas? Great. Tacos? Great. I don't understand how this place isn't constantly overrun with business - for all the Mexican places we've been to in Oakland/berkeley this is my favorite! read more

I got a taco plate to go, but from what I saw, it looked very nice and cozy without being very dark. It was actually very soft and warm and its brightness. It is a nicer, sit-down place, I was specifically looking for a more street-taco taqueria. They accept Apple Pay, but yet another POS that starts at 18% tip. I got my order to go. I didn't have water; no one had to bring or take away a plate. My box wasn't specially plated (nor should it be). Why am I being asked for such an exorbitant tip on an already expensive place for a takeout dinner that I cleaned up after? read more

Went here because I was at an event next door and I had low expectations. But man. This place is good! I will go again. Chips were fresh and salsa was fantastic. I ordered pulled pork. The place is cute and clean. read more

The food is great, and the servers are also lovely. i love the tacos! a bit expensive, but worth it

We came to this restaurant's to attend my husband's aunt memorial. Our first time here, they were serving different kinds of tacos. Tacos were so delicious. Can't just eat one. Definitely will come back soon for lunch. Thanks cousin Malcom and Jen for choosing this restaurant. read more

Los Cilantros - Taco Plate - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

They do not serve Margaritas. Why? Also they do not play music. Why? Loved their chips and guacamole and the sangria was pretty good read more

Delicious food, beautifully handmade tortillas. Service is quick and kind - they check in with you but are not overbearing. Quiet south Berkeley location near Ashby BART and Berkeley Bowl. Lamb Barbacoa and Chips Salsa Guac were too much food for this ambitious eater. Would repeat this combo after I eat my way through their entire menu. read more

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Today I stumbled across a beautiful restaurant in berkeley right off Shattuck ave. I was greeted with warm welcome, and kind regards as this was my first time visiting this establishment. I had my mind set on a burrito, but was informed that they don't not serve the item here. Met with a chose to find a different place or try something out of my norm I decided to get the Chicken tacos. I sat outside in a nice shaded area with the warm air of summer scattered across my face. The food showed, and the smell danced around my nose. My first bite had me wishing I could stop time, and enjoy this moment forever. My rating is an 8.7/10. Thank you Los Cilantros read more

A family favorite! Big fans of the owner and everyone who works there! Plus, the food is SO TASTY.

Wonderful food! It was well prepared, homemade and healthier than many restaurants. The wait staff were lovely and very kind. I would recommend them any day! read more

Los Cilantros - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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the best Mexican food I ever had. Everything always (I often go) very carefully prepared and delicious. The staff and owner(?) are so nice. And the decor is colorful and cheerful, with Mexican folk art... read more

Great, locally made authentic mexican food. All of the tortillas are handmade and every thing is fresh and flavorful! Evey think on the menu is gluten free so a really great option if you have that requirement. read more

Been meaning to try this place for a while because of its proximity and just the great things I've heard about it. It's tucked away next to a culture center which makes it really integrated with its community which is something you have to love and support. I called in the order for pickup and the order was a little late, but it's fine. FOOD: I got the 3 tacos plate. I got the hongos, the mole, and the tingas. First off, you can immediately tell from the first bite that these tortillas are hand made in house. You simply can't find these types of tortillas in stores. Not only that, but they do it well. Everything else is just an accessory at this point, but they clearly use good fresh ingredients and the technique is there. I would probably personally skip the tingas taco next time as the chicken was a bit on the dryer side. Everything else was pretty good. As a whole, it feels a little difficult to justify paying $4+ per taco. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, but I will want to come back to try their actual entrees like the pozole, which I've been craving for some time. Just know that their prices are on the higher end, but you get what you pay for: Quality. read more

Los Cilantros - Taco plate (mole, tinga, hongo) - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have many years of enjoying the authentic, fresh and delicious offerings of Senora Dilsa Lugo, Owner/Chef. First review in 2014 and the food is as good as ever. Today, Saturday open at 10AM, I called at 9:45, greeted by Senora Lugo ready for my take out order. Twenty minutes later ready as promised. Brunch to serve 4 adults and a child. My daughter lived in Cuernavaca volunteering and came to love the children, people, city and food. This was a meal for us to take to her this morning. She lit up delighted with a fav dish of Chilaquiles. Grandest of grandsons loved a taste of Tiacoyitos and Quesadilla Para Niños, his parents finished what he did not like. Order included Pozole de Pollo (brought home for our dinner) and Sopes. All fresh, good to eat as take away, and we all pushed away from the table satisfied and tickled too. I look forward to returning sooner. read more

Very good Mexican food near Berkeley campus. The menu has a good mix of all your favorites as well as a good selection of vegan and vegetarian options. Adult drinks are lImited to beer and wine so no margaritas. The carne asada tacos were excellent. The corn tortillas were perfectly cooked and delicious as was the carne. Chicken pozole was outstanding. Spicy goodness with big chunks of chicken in a flavorful broth. The hot sauces are very very good as well. Service was friendly and prompt. read more

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The good was badly prepared, served cold. The pozole was warm water with dry chicken and hominy. No flavor, when I complained I was told to add hot sauce. Never going back even though it is convenient when attending La pena. read more

My daughter and I had lunch here today. The chile verde on my enchaladas was the best I have had in years. This place is really good.

The food was fabulous! This is a great local restaurant to support. The Chile Relleno was especially good and the servers were great and friendly. The inside is beautifully decorated. Highly recommend. read more

We have been meaning to eat at Los Cilantros for years, and just never made it there. I am so glad we finally went, a hidden gem. Everything we had was delicious. The chips were crispy but not greasy, the guacamole flavorful and you could still taste the avo. The Cesar salad had wonderful complex but not overpowering flavor. The Ensalada de Col was simple, tasty, a perfect accompaniment to the rest of the meal. My daughter had tacos, 2 asada, 1 mushroom. She said the mushroom were delicious, she wished she had room for more, and the asada was as good as her favorite Mexican restaurant. The chicken enchiladas were delicious, authentic tasting verde sauce, simple black beans on the side. Wow, not sure why we waited so long, can't wait to go back and try more! (PS The restaurant itself is lovely, quiet environment, good service. We did not feel rushed, we felt encouraged to enjoy) read more

Food is out of this world. I am Mexican and these dishes are 100 percent authentic. Won't find a burrito or nachos so don't ask. This isn't that kind of place. This is real Mexican food that taste like my grandmothers. I grew up here in the Bay Area and in my 35 years of living here I have never tasted Mexican food like this in the Bay Area. Please do you self a favor and take a trip to Mexico/ my grandmother's kitchen. read more

Uuuum no. Just.... NO. If you wanna market yourself as a "high end" Mexican food restaurant then you better BE about that life. There is no room for bland food and subpar service when I'm already spending waaay more coin than I need to be spending. For the life of me, I'll never understand how a place can justify such a steep price for their food merely because of the fact that it's a "sit down" restaurant. I mean... if the ambience was immaculate, the food was of superior quality, and the service was exceptional, it might be enough to justify it. But, not here. I've been looking for a good Mexican food restaurant in the Berkeley area and decided to come here based off of the glowing reviews that I had read. Unfortunately, I ended up having a less than glowing experience. I came here on a weekday during lunch. The interior was clean, spacious, and festive. They have a small stage in the adjoining dining room, so I assume that they have live music here on certain days. The menu appeared to be more on the limited side, but still an adequate selection for your average Mexican food restaurant. When I walked in, there was nobody inside the restaurant and nobody at the front counter. I started shuffling the menus around until someone finally heard me and told me to seat myself anywhere to which I did. In looking at the menu, I noticed that they had 2 different types of tostadas; one with chicken and one with cactus. I had never had cactus before and asked the lady at the front counter what it tasted similar too. She was actually sweet enough to let me sample it. It was just okay, so I decided to go with the chicken tostadas instead. My actual server was very slow and unaccommodating throughout my time there. When I asked for salsa, she gave me the tiniest little cup known to man. When I asked for napkins, she only gave me ONE. I was the only person in the restaurant until another couple and one other person came in much later, but she was extremely slow. At one point, she was sitting at the table across from me with other people eating with them. It was kind of awkward because she made the people who came in wait until she was done having a conversation with the people that she was eating with. Bad business practices in my opinion. She didn't check to see how was I doing. And even after I had finished my meal and waiting for my check for almost 10 minutes, I finally got up and walked to cash register and asked for it. I don't know what the hell they were doing back there, but service was completely inattentive. As far as the food went, that wasn't much better either. Probably the most blandest tostadas that I've ever consumed. The ones from Taco Bell tastes better than that ish that they served me. And, to think that I spent $13 for 3 tostadas with no complimentary chips or salsa? Get the ef out of here! Unreasonably pricey! The chicken tasted like it had been boiled in hot water with NO type of seasoning whatsoever. Even the little bit of salsa that I was given couldn't help this tasteless meal. In the end, I was left unsatisfied and felt like I had wasted my time and money. I most likely will not be returning in the future. read more

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Delicious, interesting twists to familiar dishes, friendly ambience, and great service.

The food here is amazing. The staff is very friendly. It is recently reopened and the food is as good as ever. We had the mushroom tacos and fish tacos and the chile rellenos. All were served with delicious and fresh handmade blue corn tortillas. The black beans served with the chile rellenos were creamy and flavorful. I am going back as often as possible to support this local spot. Can't wait to try their pozole and enchiladas. read more

I echo the sentiments that Los Cilantros is delicious. A nice bright and open space, I'd imagine great for a larger group. I've had brunch here awhile ago and remember enjoying it immensely. The food is elevated than that hole-in-the-wall taqueria, but so are the prices! Most recently, dinner for 2, which left us very full, but was also $50+ with tip and no alcohol! The freshly homemade tortillas shine here and are the main reason I'd come again and again. The base of any Mexican meal, these are perfect and warrant the slightly higher prices alone. The alambre which was carne asada, pineapple, peppers smothered in cheese didn't quite hit it out of the proverbial ballpark. The small bites of carne were completely over cooked and so tough. I think this would be better served with larger pieces of steak. The carnitas on the other hand was juicy, flavorful and a nice portion of pork. The chips, salsa and guac at $9 was delicious, but overpriced. Sadly, just a small scoop of guac. Service is so nice and was great while we were there, although the place was empty. No alcohol on the patio, but they have beer offerings inside. read more

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Delicious! Wonderful food and service. Amazing enchiladas and guacamole. And live music too!

When I moved to Oakland, it took me a while to find some great Mexican food that was located near my neighborhood. I tend to stick to taquerias, and I'm so used to getting a quick taco when I'm in the Mission that I was looking for something similar in my neck of the woods. Los Cilantros is definitely more of a sit-down type of place, but I've enjoyed my meals there so far. One dish that stands out to me is their carnitas plate, which gives you a heaping amount of pork along with tortillas for your dining pleasure. The meat is juicy and flavorful, and you definitely get a sizable portion of food. I've also liked their chorizo sopes, with the chewy, corn-based dough being a sturdy base for the potato and sausage. Service is friendly, though I've felt it was inattentive when the restaurant is very busy; it seems somewhat short-staffed. I also find it a bit on the pricy side, but these minor shortcomings would not prevent me from coming back. read more

Good food, as described in other reviews. What's unusual is that it adjoins/includes the Pena cultural center. Every third Friday there is live Jarocho music. As described here: "Enjoy a lively evening of son jarocho music, dancing, and zapateado- bring your dance shoes and instruments, or just come and enjoy the music and dance! There is no entrance fee, but any monetary donations are accepted in support of programming at La Peña. Son Jarocho is a lively traditional art form from the southern Mexican state of Veracruz that sits on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.It is a lyrical and danceable music genre that formed in the melding of three cultures: Arabic-Spanish, African and indigenous Mexican. It is at the same time highly improvised and highly structured--filled with complex poly-rhythms and musical dialogue in its dance, song, poetry and music. The basic instrumentation of the son jarocho includes the jarana jarocha, guitarra de son (both guitar-like instruments) and zapateado (percussive footwork). Regional variations include the harp and various percussive instruments such as quijada, pandero, marimbol or cajón, with the latter two instruments being contemporary additions." It's a mellow family crowd with dancing kids and people joining in on their own instruments. Interesting artwork and murals on the walls, with a big bas relief mural outside. Other events at the Pena Center are found at Lapena.org read more

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So glad that Los Cilantros is open again! Truly an important part of the neighborhood. The menu is a bit limited. I assume that they're starting off slowly, which makes sense for a reopening. However, everything we've tried has been tasty. read more

Yesss! Finally had my taco craving fixed here. I came for tacos, but came out loving the sopes and tostaditas. The sopes had a great flavor and tasted not too overwhelming. I didn't know what I was eating at the time, but I've come to appreciate the nopales aka the prickly pear in the tostaditas. The cactus tasted like slightly sour green beans (very similar texture), and I was surprised everything works so well together! The crunchy shell and creamy avocado helped to pull the flavors together. I enjoyed the tacos just as much, and I was so surprised to see that they offer mushroom tacos! I'd never had a taco with just mushrooms before!! Steak and chicken tacos were delicious as well. 10/10 would come back. Super hole in the wall place. Seems very authentic as I was the only Asian there when I went. (That's when you know it's legit) They do cultural celebrations and special events here, which I find interesting. The night I came, they happened to be hosting a celebration type event for the Mexican and Chilean independence day. Party it up! Also, this place is more on the pricier side, but I guess they're also trying to sell their ambience. read more

Los Cilantros - tacos (chicken + mushroom + steak) + sopes + tostaditas de nopales - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California