Update: I miss this place so much!! :'( I feel bad for giving 2 stars to be honest. Their food was super good and I wish I'd gone there more often. I did try to go at least 1-2 times a week. Very sad that it's gone. read more

Dial me impressed with the food, beginning with the cabbage salad. Yes there is lime and avocado but there's also a something-something they do with the cabbage salad at Los Cilantros. The tortillas here are house-made and come with many dishes. I was also very happy with my Carnitas. A good value at $16. You pay more at fancy restaurants, but only the really good kitchens consistently make it better. Los Cilantros has a fairly simple interior brightened with the hues of Americas south of the U.S. Nice to sit at one of the four sidewalk tables. The only bummer is that you can't have beer, wine or sangria if you sit outside. Often sunny, set back from Shattuck. Next to La Peña. read more

Quick service, lovely space, and decently sized portions at a good price. Plus plenty of vegetarian options. Glad to have this place back in the neighborhood!! read more

Los Cilantros - Menu as of October 2023 - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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It was absolutely horrible. The ladies demeanor, when asking questions about the menu was just so short dismissive. She came off as irritated. I ordered being in cheese tostada, which she first told me I couldn't order when I got it. It was a very thin layer of black beans just like I need to bury in later with some very hard cheese on top it was just discussing it was horrible. You get no chips and get another salsa and you have to buy everything. It was very disappointing. I will never ever visit again. read more

I've been to Los Cilantros twice now, once where we dined in, the other time we took our order to go! If you're looking for non-greasy, fresh Mexican food, this is your spot! You can just tell that they use high quality ingredients. In fact, the woman working there told me everything is organic! Their chips are soooo good! So crispy and fried haha. But not overly greasy! I had the mole sopes which were good! I've also had the chicken tinga tacos! I think they use chicken breast, but I wish it was thigh so the chicken is more tender! But both sauces of the mole and tinga were so flavorful! The tortillas are also clearly handmade! My partner got potato enchiladas both times, and loves em! This place is a little bit pricer than your standard Mexican joint, but you're paying for quality! read more

We love this place so much, have tried every dish and it's always been perfect. So authentic!!!!! The tlacoyos are hard to find and they have them here, not only do they have them, they're delicious! The chilaquiles are perfect. read more

Cilantros is back! Absolutely kick ass. If it was in a high traffic location, you'd never get a table, but here it's an east bay ninja spot.

The food was excellent, they even have nopales which is not easy to find in a typical Mexican cantina . The tortillas are made fresh which is felt in the texture and flavor. I had the special for valentine shrimp tomato soup and it was delicious. The jicama salad was fresh , the panacota dessert wasn't . The ambiance could be better simply by canceling some bright lights . Overall I will be back. read more

Good food, good ambiance, but waiting time was bit long as we there in valentine's day. We booked a sit for 7:15 and I think we sat down around 7:30 read more

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Really amazing local spot. Family owned spot with great food and service. Definitely recommend.

Fresh and flavorful mexican food in a great atmosphere. 5 star service. Glad to see them open again!

Cafe Valparaiso, I miss you so much!!!! I originally came here after reading an article about the owner and how she got started. It was interesting and inspiring and I couldn't wait to try it out. Now, this place is in La Peña Cultural Center, which was a major hang out spot for my husband and I when we were dating and I was there on almost a weekly basis at times checking out the music, seeing old friends, and enjoying the good times.At that time there were some restaurants that came by. One opened and closed. Another one moved to a fancier part of town and closed some years later. Still another one is still around in Albany. I really miss them. Here is the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in reverse order. The Ugly - The thing that we loved about this place is that there was a community atmosphere. We knew the folks, some people had a tab, there were regulars. If I couldn't find my husband (before cell phones) and didn't know where he was, chances were I could find him there with his buddies. This place has no sense of that and I'll tell you in three scenes. 1) My cousin was having a book launch. She wanted to provide food for close family members and friends. They (she, her mom, and her husband) were imagining a catered affair where you pay $10-15 per person and people scoop up the food they want. Not unheard of. But they wanted a $35 per head deal with a fixed plate. Going there doesn't cost $35 per person. They lost a lot of business. We just met up at other places that actually wanted our business and our money. 2) My husband and I went there for a Black Panther Event. After the even, we were starved. The event started at 5:30-6 and we were there at 9. Many of us hadn't really eaten, expecting to get a meal there. They weren't even open, even though their regular hours suggested that they should be. Again, many of us left with our money in our wallets. Many of the folks went to the Starry Plough for a meal, but to avoid the rush, my hubby and I (along with several other people) went to Phil's sliders. 3) There was a fund raiser for a DJ and my husband and I went. They were open and had a special drink, a sangria. I thought the money being raised was going to the DJ who has cancer. But no, they donated $1 from each $5 drink. And I have to say, it was the tiniest sangria I had ever tasted. And it was filled with these perfect "Mango" cubes. Tasteless cubes, like the ones kids use when they learn how to count and add. My sangria was mostly cubes. That was insulting. I would have just walked up to him and given him a dollar, rather than pay money for that drink. The Bad - They had an almond salsa and my husband was curious. He wanted to talk to the person about it and she had kind of an attitude. He was curious because it tasted like something from another region of Mexico, but he wasn't sure. From the reaction of the person serving us, she could have said, "I don't know." or "It's a secret." but she had a full on attitude. It really upset me and is a large part of the reason why we haven't returned and why we haven't told anyone to go there. He wasn't trying to start a competing business, he was actually trying to see if this salsa was like the one he remembered as a small boy and the woman was a totally jerk about it. The Good - the food is decent. Now, a lot of plate and a tiny amount of good food doesn't make me a happy camper. It's bad when you pay for an appetizer and get an amuse bouche sized portion. The entree portions weren't much bigger. All and all, the energy of the people is disappointing and that's the real reason why I want nothing to do with them. read more

Closed not sure why or when by came by today at noon and nothing! It's hard to rely on yelp when their businesses don't update their hours or whether they're open and closed a lot of wasted time read more

A spicy little Mexican cuisine spot in Berkeley that is pretty awesome if you love some serious spice and good vibes. Should you try it? Yes, if you can tolerate spice to a decent level. You can tell that I had some trouble. Favorite thing about this place: I really like the vibe. They have some larger community tables available, and also some 2- and 4-top tables. The menu is concise, the drinks are delicious, and the chips and guac are awesome (not free though). I'd love it more if: I wasn't warned about the spice at all, and really struggled with even the spiciness of their guacamole. Seriously hot! I loved the guacamole though. The one thing I did wrong is that I let the server talk me into pork tacos that were really weird and wet and totally not what I expected. That's authentic Mexican I think, but I didn't like it really. I just felt really uncomfortable after I got the meal as it wasn't cheap - and I just feel like there wasn't any warning of what I was really getting! Kinda a weird experience. I got a box and took the dish home to my husband to enjoy (since he likes everything Mexican). Ambience/Location: The ambience is lovely and positive. Very cute and well-kept. It's not divey at all - a tiny bit more on the upscale side in my eyes per their pricing. Service: Very good and friendly - however I'm nervous because the high level of spice in the various foods was never discussed and I was overwhelmed. I like the spice level of standard level buffalo wings plus maybe max 2 levels higher. Their guac was at least a 5 on the spice scale. Tips: 1) Be into spicy foods big time when you come here. 2) Order off the menu based on what you love and don't trust their recommendations if you aren't totally sure you would love it. Recommended Dish: Despite the spice, I'd still recommend the chips and guac! And the sangria - yummmmm. Nice and strong too. read more

Los Cilantros - Sangria and chips + guacamole. - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Ordered on Postmates.Ceviche came with crispy tortilla chips. Was delicious and fresh.Textures are wonderful. Flavors were amazing as I loved the tangy, lime heavy taste. read more

Los Cilantros - Tortilla soup - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Such an amazing place. The food has a great flavor, the portions are good and the prices are reasonable for one of the best mexican places in the Bay area. read more

Dilsa and Barbara at Los Cilantros hosted my 50th birthday party last month and they coordinated a lovely, memorable event. We rented out the restaurant for an evening. Dilsa helped me plan a menu that appealed to both omnivores and vegetarians. On the day of the party, they up family-style tables with bouquets of tulips spread throughout. So many guests complimented Los Cilantros on the food! Most had never eaten there before and they were so pleased. The decor was great (as always) and they timed each course all just perfectly. The only thing that could have been better was the planning before the event. Email is not very useful here, but if you go and talk with them in person and verify the menu and counts before the event, they will surprise and delight. They absolutely delivered excellence on the day of the party and I would not hesitate to plan another party there! read more

Can I just say, I am a life-long vegetarian (do eat cheese). It was eight of us here today. Most of us vegetarians. There was a broad selection of veggie items. Yet, there was so much more to eat. Their menu was huge and most of the selection was authentic Mexican food. The only reason why it doesn't deserve five stars is because they give you limited chips and you have to ask for the salsa ( no chips bar). Maybe giving it a 4.5 . I will for sure be back and recommend it to my family and friends. read more

Los Cilantros has lots of offering for breakfast, few for lunch. no dinner yet. it's next to la pena. disappointed the lengua and fish mentioned online wasn't offered today. discontinued? tacos 3@ -babacoa, carna asada, chicken mole topped with lime, salsa, red onions, cilantro -chicken mole very flavorful one was bland, other one very flavorful with onions... *salsa slightly spicy -hisbiscus drink @3 tangy, got it without ice. *house made flour tortillas fab. 3.5 stars takeouts: -lunch, breakfast only, no dinner -service friendly. read more

Food: 5/5 Price: 4.5/5 Service: 4/5 Ambience: 4.5/5 *** MICHELIN Guide 2016, 2017 *** Easy to miss on the street, Los Cilantro is tucked down a little covered alleyway. Simple decor and tables, small outdoor seatings, interesting traditional food, and good service. This neighborhood restaurant isn't a taqueria or a burrito joint, but has a nice variety of dishes and entrees, and everything we had was delicious. Carnitas - Juicy fork tender pork served with a side of cilantro, onion, homemade tortillas, and tomatillo salsa. SO GOOD!!! Huge portions of carnitas, it was soft and juicy (braised!) rather than crispy fried, which I preferred. Homemade tortillas (3) were thick and fresh, soft, delicious! Sopes de Mole - (3) Chicken mole, beans, queso, sour cream and onion served on homemade thick tortillas. WOW! This is my first time having sopes and it was amazing! The base is made from a circle of fried masa (like corn tortilla but thicker) with a soft interior and crispy bottom. Chicken mole was one of the best I've had - juicy, nice smoky flavor without an overpowering sweetness. I loved the assortment of toppings, it was a nice medley of flavor. The pickled cabbage on the side was very nice too. LOVED IT!! I'll be back:) Favorites: * Carnitas ($16) * Sopes de Mole ($10) read more

Los Cilantros - Carnitas ($16) - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We were here for a show in the lounge and the restaurant let us order and eat our meal in the lounge which is part of La Pena Cultural Center. The food is very tasty and we enjoyed the food. We ordered the Lagunitas draft beer and the tacos and for dessert we had the plaintains! Delish! We have also had their guacamole and chips the first time we ate here. read more

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My three chicken mole sopes were fantastic. When I was finished with them I felt devastated and tried to lick up the remaining sauce. Not one of my prouder moments. Don't tell my mother (actually she wouldn't care at all). I'm quite excited to try more of their things. It's a bit pricey compared to a lot of other Mexican restaurants but it seems like they really spend on ingredients. read more

If I could give 3.5 stars, I would. Pros: Fresh flavor and ingredients. The tamales, tacos, carnitas, tlacoyitos, and hibiscus tea we had were all very good (although the carnitas were "wet" and not "crispy", which we prefer. Generally, prices were reasonable - street tacos were $3 each. My tlacoyitos were $9. The ambiance was nice, at least when we were there for lunch, and the waiter was very nice and informative. Cons: We had to pay for chips and salsa ($4). There weren't many chips and I didn't care for the red salsa. Food portions were a little on the small side, so if you're starving you should keep that in mind. I'm not sure if you get refills on the hibiscus tea because I was never asked/approached for a refill. If refills cost, then that is a definite con for me. If not, then it's a negative for customer service. read more

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I had the Alambre and my partner had the Sope de Hongos. Both were excellent. In addition to the friendly staff, the food is great, healthy, and doesn't leave you feeling weighted down. Don't get me wrong, I love my rice and beans! But gems like Los Cilantros that offer a menu that expands the varying and eclectic regions of Mexico are fantastic places to eat. We'll be returning. read more

Los Cilantros - Inside / Outside - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great Mexican spot next to the famous La Peña Cultural Center with exceptionally friendly staff. Plus, what a great story of the restaurant opening with the support of the La Cocina food business incubator that supports female entrepreneurs. Everything about my Enchiladas Verdes was great, except for the potato filling, which was bland and just seemed like filler. Fortunately, the tomatillo sauce with a little kick provided plenty of flavor, the avocado was perfectly ripe, and the touch of tangy and creamy queso was perhaps the best I've had. I love that these enchiladas weren't drowning in cheese as many often are. The side of black beans was perfection. So next time I'll try the enchiladas with a filling other than the potatoes. I also enjoyed my watermelon agua fresca - fruity, refreshing, and not overly sweet. The flan was almost as dense as cheesecake (for me, a good thing), and its caramel sauce had a hint of burnt (yum). read more

Los Cilantros - Enchiladas Verdes - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Came here on a whim for lunch and will definitely be back. The service was fast and friendly. The food was amazing. We ordered the chips and salsa - inhaled the mild salsa because it was so fresh and delicious. The hot salsa was a bit too hot for us, considering they only give you a tiny water glass, but the chips and mild salsa more than made up for it. I ordered the carnitas and it was so, SO delicious. I would have liked one or two more tortillas (had a lot of meat left over) but it was so tasty. My boyfriend loved his enchiladas verdes too. Though the prices are a bit higher than we would have liked for lunch, the food exceeded expectations. Pros: Service and food were top notch Cons: A little overpriced for the portion sizes read more

Los Cilantros - Outdoor seating area - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've eaten here about 6 times now and I'm amazed at how delicious and consistent their food is. You can taste the quality of the ingredients in their homemade masa, corn tortillas, and traditional Mexican dishes. Some of my favorite dishes are their tlacoyitos, Chile relleno, and cabbage-avocado salad with added chicken tinga. Even their aguas frescas taste like they are made with love. I like to come eat here before a show at La Peña Cultural Center, which the restaurant shares its space with. They also sell wine from Chile, beer and sangria. read more

Enjoyed the food and immensely and my kind server was also awesome. I had Ceviche and guac and chips for an app. Barbacoa tacos. Sangria. Ceviche was so darn fresh, and delicious. Guac was so well done, this coming from a person who makes her own and is truly picky. Tacos were good size and yummy as hell.. so much flavor. Sangria was also delicious and I would've gotten a couple more had I not been so full after my second app. Based upon my Yelp rating system (equaling a total of 5 stars, one for each): Communication: 1-Star (my order didn't take long, the service was fantastic). Environment: 1-Star (Super cute place in Berkeley, even outdoor seating.) Quality/Consistency: 1-Star (Everything was surprisingly delicious. I left stuffed.) Unique-ness: 1-Star (Such flavorful tasty food!!!) Value: 1-Star (Doable pricing!) -------- Total: 5 out of 5 Stars. I am actually moving to Berkeley end of May so I will be returning!! read more

Food is amazing! Everything was so fresh but the prices are insane! We ordered 4 tacos, chips and salsa with guacamole and water and it came out to $27!!! Would love to go back don't think I can stomach the prices unfortunately. read more

Los Cilantros - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Seldom have I been disappointed with Mexican food. This was one such place. The Ensalada de Jicama was good, just a regular salad though, nothing fancy. Tostaditas de Nopales Vegetarian was weird tasting, way too much cactus. Should have added salsa and guac. Enchiladas Verde came with potatoes - boiled and bland! Why o' why...! PS: Service was great, servers were friendly and nice! read more

I was pretty excited to try Los Cilantros after having their strawberry agua fresca at the SF Street Food Festival. I've been craving mole so my friend and I shared the mole sopes, mushroom and chicken tacos, and the barbacoa beef. I enjoyed the mushroom taco over the chicken because the chicken in both dishes was very dry. I also wished that the sopes came with more mole as the mole flavor wasn't too strong. I should've tried the enchiladas which look like they're swimming in mole. The $14 barbacoa beef was good. It came with 3 tiny homemade tortillas, truck style size. We quickly finished the tortilla and had beef left over so we paid $1 for more tortilla. I think it would've been more efficient if they had people order from the counter as it took a while for the server to notice us and take our order. read more

Los Cilantros - Chicken mole sopes, tacos and barbacoa - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

At first I was disappointed when looking at the yelp reviews. I thought we were going to land at an Americanized taco place. NOPE! This place was great, albeit expensive for just tacos. ~$12-14 for 3 tacos, but boyyyy did these tacos have a ton of flavor. LOVE LOVE LOVE. The waitress also was patient when taking a group picture for us. There was a group of guitar players in the other room, which made the ambiance nice. read more

I wish I took pictures, but I was too hungry, so my review will have to suffice. I'd been wanting to try to place for a while because on the weekend it always looks so busy. Decided to come here on a Wednesday night, it wasn't crowded. The space next door seemed to be holding some kind of community talk. I think it's really great that this restaurant serves as a venue for passionate community groups. Food: ( Total 30$ before tip for two, not a bad price) The Chicken Enchiladas de Mole: wow so good and so much flavor! The enchiladas were very tender, not soggy, and the portion was just right for me. Savory and a little bit sweet, I did my best to mop up the mole sauce and compose perfect bites of enchilada, avocado, and beans. By the way these black beans were on point. Tostaditas de Tinga (suggested by our waitress): I thought that this plate would have come with rice or beans on the side maybe, but it is just 3 tostaditas, crisp flat taco shells packed with a lot of chicken and very tasty. Seasoned very well, and juicy. It's a bit messy to eat, but the flavors were so well balanced. Atmosphere: Festive atmosphere, quiet on a Wednesday night, great if you want to catch up with a friend or talk with your date. Locals casual vibe, friendly service! Most things on this menu looked very delicious and I would definitely come back here again because everything tasted sabrosa AF (i believe that means delicious in Spanish). I'll be back for the carnitas. read more

I have had Los Cilantros bookmarked for almost 4 years, but reading Ted R's review today was what moved us to come here tonight for dinner. The restaurant is sandwiched between The Starry Plough and La Peña Cultural Center and we were fortunate to find a parking spot right in front. There are a few tables on the patio in front and more inside. We were greeted and seated at a 4 top by a young woman who cautioned us that they were out of two items on the menu, although I didn't hear which ones. We knew from Ted's description that we wanted to order the cabbage salad. We also agreed on chips and salsa. Alan was disappointed not to see any shrimp dishes on the menu. I knew I wanted carnitas. He decided on barbacoa. I requested sangria and Alan drank water. The young woman took our order and then we saw her leaving as we were eating our salad. The salad was marvelous. We both loved it. It has a piquant lime-based dressing and small chunks of avocado. The salsa and chips never arrived, but our mains did, accompanied by three homemade tortillas each, salsas, finely chopped red onions and cilantro. Another woman brought them. My carnitas had a green salsa and Alan's barbacoa had a reddish sauce that he really liked. The carnitas was luscious, not as crispy as others I've had, but wonderful. I didn't receive my sangria, so I asked the man working there about it and he brought it. It was delicious, slightly sweet, w/ finely chopped fruit in it. Alan was less happy w/ his barbacoa, which he found dry. We took it home to add to a leftover pot roast we'll be having in a couple of days. When our server brought the bill I noticed the chips and salsa were on it. I told her we hadn't gotten them. She explained apologetically that it had gotten lost in the hand-off between our first server and her. I indicated it wasn't a problem and then headed off to the bathroom, which is in the adjacent room, toward the back. When I got back to the table I found a small flan topped w/ three blueberries, w/ two spoons. Flan is one of my very favorite desserts, even better than crème brulée, and this one had a wonderful taste and texture. Alan didn't share it and I enjoyed every bite. I went back to thank her for it. We will return. read more

Delicious sangria & tacos! Super friendly staff & beautiful decor! Menu has tons of options & is vegetarian friendly! read more

Los Cilantros - Chicken tingo tacos + hongo taco and sangria! - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Expanding our geographic area to explore a New Mexican eatery, we turned to our Yelp community. Los Cilantros was the find and we began our drive down Shattuck. It is further out than anticipated but the restaurant was quaint and the ambience was pleasant. They have a relatively simple menu, so we choose the tosaditas de tinga and the chilaquiles carne asada. The tosaditas were beautifully presented but modest on the portion size. The taste was fresh and explosively simple. Quality ingredients and prepared with heart to a delectable execution. The same should be said about the chilaquiles. A simple dish with the tortillas lightly tossed in a tomatillo sauce with queso fresco and bits of carne asada. The dish has a little kick of heat. The black beans that accompanied it were of good texture, quality, and taste. Overall, it is a great change of pace and flavored than the traditional Mexican eatery. Definitely worth a taste, just do not go hungry as you might leave craving just a little something extra. read more

Los Cilantros - Tostaditas de tinge - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I tried Los Cilantros for the first time and not sure I will be back. We ordered tacos, a quesadilla & the carnitas plate. Sadly the tacos & quesadilla were on the small side. I guess you could say "street taco" size. I was disappointed when it was on the pricey side. The carnitas were a good portion & yummy but apparently the "plate" (which is $14 I think) is a carnitas portion, a few tortillas and a single, small plastic container (the ones a little bigger than a quarter) of minced onion and cilantro. There was also another small container of salsa & 1 wedge of lime. Overall good but too expensive for portion sizes. read more

Los Cilantros - The "sides" for the carnitas plate - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Los Cilantros is a special Mexican restaurant. Not only is the food delicious, but they have many dishes that other Mexican restaurants don't have. It's not the usual tacos/ burritos/ enchiladas formula. And everything I've tried has been fantastic! Even the coconut flan, which I was skeptical about, turned out to be the most flavorful flan I've ever tasted. read more

Went here for a Thurs night dinner and were already planning another trip back so we can try the tacos. Everything we had was delicious and the service was wonderful as well. Definitely check out this local gem! Favs: -Sangria-dangerous because it tastes sooo good -Sopes: chicken mole, potato and chorizo, mushroom -Tamales -Guacamole- absolutely the best Ive ever had, get it on everything! read more

Los Cilantros was a random last minute decision. My wife and I were looking for good Mexican food in Walnut Creek after some shopping and quickly determined, we'd be better off finding more authentic flavors closer to home. Pod Cilantros is an unassuming neighborhood restaurant. I must have driven by a hundred times and never really paid much attention. Wish I'd have discovered it earlier. We sat down and right away they came to ask if we wanted anything to drink, they were very polite and helped us find a good seat for our baby's car seat to rest on. The food!!! Wow. It was really fantastic. We had chips and guacamole, Chile Rellenos, Sopes with chorizo and potato and Tortilla soup. Very homemade and authentic flavors, the sauces were so good. Really excellent portions, we left full and took some food home. We will be back soon. It's a sleeper, but so good. read more