Mama Lupe's Cocina in the San Leandro is a standout Bay Area Mexican restaurant! The vibrant atmosphere--warm lighting, colorful décor, and nice music--sets the perfect tone. The Owner Efren, keeps it like an old-school style Mexican restaurant with free chips and salsa brought whenever you ask! I haven't been to a place with free chips in 5-6 years! The food is top quality and authentic--standouts include tender, flavorful carnitas that were perfectly seasoned, fish tacos had great flavor and carne asada was great as well! For an appetizer we tried the Mexican street corn and it was amazing! All of our dishes were made with great ingredients at surprisingly affordable prices. The margaritas were fantastic: we had a classic and several Cadillac that had fresh lime, were well-balanced, and dangerously drinkable. Friendly service and an all-around great vibe make this a must-visit Mexican spot in the Bay Area and Oakland/ San Francisco. We went for my birthday and I'll definitely be back soon! read more

Mama Lupe's Cocina - Awesome bar! - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

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A fantastic family-owned spot with outstanding hospitality! You are greeted instantly by an attentive, amazing staff. The decor strikes a perfect balance between modern style and traditional Mexican heritage. Every dish was flavorful and reasonably priced, right down to the excellent chips and salsa. I can't wait for my next visit. read more

The owner of the company over charges. This review is long overdue and typically I don't post negative reviews after giving a chance for the restaurant to rectify. However after attempts were made the owner doubled down on the correct charges. Extra cost for a side of avocado is the same cost he applied to the side salad additional avocado addition. Ended up paying over $20 for a mediocre and unauthentic chicken taco plate plus a side salad. Extra $7 for some avocado. The marinated chicken doesn't taste like it's marinated, it's more bland and plain. It's definitely not over salted so it's great for the elderly just lacking flavor for those who want to enjoy a meal or impress a client. All in all, if you're looking to show someone authentic flavor, this isn't it. It's like less flavorful than fast food Latin cuisine. Furthermore, I hear the original owner (the mom) had authentic cuisine which the new owner changed. So it's not the same as it was once famous for in the area. Last note: the owner is rude. Unless you dress to impress at this low value non authentic location, you will get less of excellent service. Most importantly, watch your bill. The owner may over charge. read more

The best reception I have ever attended. Great and original Mexican food, respect, and great hospitality. Amazing overall and always family oriented. read more

I just want to thank the owner and staff at Mama Lupe's for such a warm and inviting environment for family event. The food was delicious. The staff was attentive. Efren created a space that accommodated our family. The food and the drinks were great! I am looking forward to our next Mama Lupe's visit: read more

This was my first time here and I was so excited im diabetic type 2 and I cant drink anything with sugar so I brought my own zero sugar soda thinking it would be ok sins I wanted tacos and 2 be a bit bad with my cheat diet lunch but the guy at the register told me no outside drinks I said ok do u have sugar free drinks he said yeah water he never once mentioned any other drinks im really sad and disappointed with how this person treated me I was nice and just let it slide but I really am heart broken first and last time I come here DIABETICS BEWARE read more

Great service. Beautiful restaurant. Perfect drinks. And yummy food. All adds up to a wonderful first visit. We enjoyed the nachos (no meat added), street corn (could have used a little mayo or sour cream to make it a little creamier), carnitas plate ( 1/2), and Super Burrito with a chile relleno instead of meat (a little surprised the up-charge for the chile relleno instead of meat was $7). Drinks- two beers on draft and a Mamarita (margarita). read more

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Pho broth was tasty and the noodles were perfect texture! Owner was welcoming.Pork in the bahn mi needs some improvement

We wanted to try a place we haven't visited so we celebrated hubby's belated birthday with friends at Mama Lupe's. The restaurant is spacious and a bit noisy on a Saturday night but that is to be expected. We got some crunchy tortilla chips and salsa to munch on before we ordered our entrees. They were light and crunchy and service was friendly and attentive. We ordered enchiladas, fish tacos and I ordered a huevos rancheros. The food was A-ok and our friend brought a cake and the server said that they charge for bringing a birthday cake as they already have desserts on the menu (which later I looked online and didn't see any desserts). She said they just started having desserts. They charged our friend $2 a person for cake that we brought. We came for a birthday celebration so all is good. read more

We reached out Mama Lupe's for a last minute party and needed food for 75 people on a Sunday, when they are closed. Fortunately for us, they cater on Sundays! They came through like champs! Working with Abby was amazing. She suggested the perfect menu that all of our guests were raving about! Efren delivered the food to our venue on time and with great care. Both Abby and Efren went above and beyond to help us - everything went seamless. We highly recommend Mama Lupe's for every day dining and for catering. The food is fresh and delicious! read more

Mixed ceviche and super thin plantain slices awesome combo. One of my new favorites at Mama Lupe's read more

Mama Lupe's Cocina - Mixed ceviche with crisp sliced super thin plantains.. awesome. - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

I've been going to Mama Lupe's for many years before the ownership changed from father to son. The new improved environment is wonderful. Great job to the son that took over the business. The food is traditional Mexican and always fresh. The service is friendly, quick and professional. I love going to a place where I get treated like family. The prices are reasonable. It's a great family environment. Super power: I went there with my friends little boys and the owner gave the eight year-old a roll of quarters and let them jump on the trampoline in the back while we waited for our order, which was above and beyond. Support your local small business. read more

Wow, I was fooled by the reviews. This place sucks! My wife and I wanted Mexican, and wanted to try a new spot, and this was the only one open later in the evening. My wife felt like a fajitas plate, and I got a wet burrito. The delivery option had "spicy pork" listed as a meat option, which I interpreted as "Al pastor", since that wasn't explicitly on the menu. Well, the food got delivered and the second I saw my wife's chicken fajitas, I knew my wet burrito was going to be completely underwhelming. Her chicken looked like they had boiled it first, and then sauted it. And it was bland as hell! Then I open the container to my burrito and immediately knew, that from the color of the sauce, this is the kind of place that caters to people who DIDN'T grow up eating home cooked Mexican food. The burrito was limp, there was barely anything stuffed inside it, and the "spicy pork" was chorizo! Which they barely sprinkled in it! Why couldn't they just say chorizo in the meat options?!? Whatever, I'll never eat from here again. At least at other spots they're using authentic proteins and salsa. This place is terribly Americanized. read more

Mama Lupe's Cocina - Garbage wet burrito with "spicy pork".....which was just chorizo - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

We come here once a month and feel like regular customers. We love the food and the service is excellent. Last night I had the chili verde and asked for extra tomatillo sauce because last time I was there I ordered it it seemed there was not enough for the pork chunks served with it. This sauce is excellent and made on premises I was told. What I wasn't told was they charge 4$ for the extra sauce!! Didn't know until the bill came! I mean it's 20$ already for the dish. As it turned out the extra sauce portion seemed like it was only like a large spoonful! Why are you guys charging your regular customers 4 bucks extra for what should already be included?? It seems also their portion sizes have decreased over the last few times we've been there. Sure would like to know why they feel that they need to charge the extra 4 dollars!! Other Mexican restaurants we go to serve much larger portions than mama Lupe's. Also when you are charging extra for anything you should be telling the customer at the time of ordering not just slap it on the bill! I've lost my interest in driving here in the future. read more

We stumbled upon Mama Lupe's Cocina after tile shopping in San Leandro. We were warmly greeted and seated right away. We started off with Margaritas - my husband had the Cadillac whereas I had the La Flor which was hibiscus based. I am not exactly sure how it was made but thoroughly enjoyed the tart / sweet taste of the drink. It was a nice departure from your standard magarita and complemented well with the fresh warm tortilla chips and salsa that they brought out. Their menu had many options which made it hard to choose. I went with the shredded chicken enchiladas with green sauce and my husband ordered the chile verde. Both came with rice and beans. The chicken was tender and moist. The pork in the chile verde was flavorful. We enjoyed both dishes, I even ate the beans which I typically don't as I find beans kind of dry and pasty. I ordered the full knowing there would be leftovers which my husband gladly took to work the next day. We came on a Wednesday evening. Everyone was friendly and service went well. It was overall a great way to end our day. It is a cute place and we will definitely be back. read more

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First time here and they made us wait. It's Friday afternoon, so I guess it was expected. It was a short wait. The murals are nice, but the hats are a bit too much. Coming of Mexican decent, I thought they were in poor taste. The did have 3 TV's. And they were smart enough to leave the captions on. But with the loud music, it was way too much! And it was salsa music! I would have preferred traditional folk music. Once seated, warm chips and salsa came out. Based on pics already posted, some menu items did not appeal to me. The Chile Rellenos came recommended, which is why we came here. It tasted alright. The beans okay. The rice was flavorless. read more

Mama Lupe's Cocina - Chile Relleno - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

Everyone please read the 1 star reviews. Its all true. "Family owned", The guy is an A hole, rude with customers when asked for service WE pay for, and the responses from the owner is excuses! Its a part of business, to treat customers right, not to complain and moan. I mean $4 for extra sauce that doesnt cover your already declining portion of cold food. Only best part about the experience is the hard working servers. This place is the reason why yelp should accept negative stars. read more

I was intrigued about this place when my friend talked about how good their chips and salsa was. So I was excited when we decided to watch part of the Warriors game at the bar. The waitress was super attentive and nice. The food was really really good. I had the combination so I can try a little bit of everything. I chose the crispy taco with carnitas (I know, so not conventional), red enchilada with shredded beef and green enchilada with chicken. Everything was really good and I certainly had leftovers to bring home. I can tell they have a ton of return customers at this family run restaurant. And they just gained one more. read more

Mama Lupe's Cocina - Combination with a hard taco with carnitas, green enchilada with chicken and red enchilada with shredded beef. - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

Called it in to go this time. The hostess was friendly and attentive. Food is delicious as always. Love when I get a chance to stop by when I'm in the area. read more

Mama Lupe's Cocina - Verde' wet carne asada burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

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This restaurant never disappoints. From the food, to the service, to the ambiance, it's a pleasant experience. My husband and I split the fajitas today and they were perfect. Both bellies full and satisfied. Delicious. Friendly staff too. read more

I've eaten here twice and both times were great. Nice Ambiance and Staff. You would come very often due to how you are treated here; like family read more

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We love this place and visit at least once a month. There was even a time we came every week. The staff is always friendly, the food is great, and the Barney sauce is unbeatable. read more

The food was to die for! My family and I will definitely be returning soon. They only specialize in food and drinks, so no desserts sadly.. but still very filling. It being family owned makes it really cool as well The only bad thing I have to say about that place is the fact that the doors in the bathrooms don't lock?! (one of them, maybe both I didn't check) Everything else about the place is great, except for the lack of privacy I hope they change that soon read more

The restaurant is clean and I was greeted right away loved that. Carnitas was good half portion pictured in my review however, the meat was a bit dry. Meal came with one homemade corn tortilla wish it came with two. Would return. read more

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We have been going to Mama Lupe's for many years. It's a local favorite and our go-to spot on Friday nights. I usually get their Enchiladas or the Chile Relleno. My husband gets a combination of items. And their complementary chips and salsa is delicious! The salsa is the best. You really can't go wrong with whatever you order off the menu. I love that this is a family owned restaurant. In recent years, it has been remodeled, upgraded, and modernized and now owned by the son, so it is still in the family. The owner is so welcoming, warm, and makes you feel like family. You can always see him working and helping his staff, running food, seating people, clearing tables. All the staff is great here. It's an all-around a great spot. read more

I was introduced to this place my a church friend a few months ago...needless to say it's been my go to local Mexican spot ever since! Staff is super friendly as soon as you walk thru the door. The ladies that work there are always attentive and sweet! Food is great and it's consistent! Would highly recommend if you live in the area or happen to be coming thru! I own a small business so it's important for me to patronize other small businesses...thanks so much for being a staple in our community and i look forward to our next visit! read more

I had the fajitas and a killer margarita it was the best meal of the year. The service was excellent and the ambiance was very good. They have great music and great drinks. read more

Had dinner with my cousin last night as per usual food was good. Transfer were wonderful. I bet noisy but the food and drink overcome the noise. read more

I always get a burrito here because it's really good but the rest of the food is hit or miss not because it's bad but because there's so much mexican food to choose from in San Leandro and the East Bay it stands out when someone is above average or good instead of great. For example they serve Pozole and other soups, and they were good, but I'm so used to great I was disappointed by it. The dining experience is fantastic, great service, great atmosphere, comfy seating. I enjoy coming here a lot. read more

Hey there Party People Venturing out road tripping around the bay ended up in San Leandro craving some good old school Mexican food. Well we found what we were searching for in Mama Lupe's Cocina. You get a whole in the wall vibe and those are usually the best places. The food came out quickly and the server was very pleasant and ready with suggestions. We had multiple items so I'm just going to hit these one at a time: Tacos crunchy and soft were good. The soft gave you a sweet street tacos experience complete with the lime, jalapeños and radishes. Enchiladas were very traditional we choose the tomatillo green sauce. My only suggestion here would be to spice up the sauce a tad. Chili relleno was good size but it could have used a little more cheese. The flavor profile was there but needed to be kicked up a notch. I'm a bit of a Spanish rice snob so it takes allot to impress me. It was ok. My hubby is the Bean expert. His opinion was that the beans were a bit runny but the flavor was good. This place could be a 5 if they just busted loose on the flavor for their sauces. The portions are adequate and the prices are decent. Overall it is a decent place to try. Be kind to one another read more

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Took the family to Mama Lupe's, as it was a staple for us years ago! It's been a long time, and unfortunately, it was mediocre at best. They were busy, which we were happy about - always wanting small businesses to thrive! A group who arrived after us were seated/acknowledge before us, so that was annoying. Once seated, service was good, with the exception of not having a highchair for the baby. Another family kindly gave up theirs for us. All the food came out except a burrito for a family member. We had to literally flag down our server to ask about it. Don't know what happened in the kitchen, but they completely forgot it and had to make it. By the time she got it, everyone else was done with their meals. I had the chile verde. Although very tender and the sauce was tasty, it was a bit salty. Having the corn tortillas helped mask the saltiness a little. Other members had the steak fajitas, which came out on a hot skillet. It looked/smelled delicious, but the comments were that they were a little greasy. Another member had the cheese quesadilla-which was fine. Hard to mess that up. The comments on the ride home was that they were glad to try Mama Lupe's, but once is enough. read more

So my hubby and I finally dined here, and we're glad we did. We went at lunch on a Friday and had excellent service. Our server was so friendly. We had the fish ceviche with tostadas, and it was fresh and citrusy. We enjoyed the creamy Elote, which was a little spicy. The Carnitas platter was huge and enough for both of us to share. It was delicious. Everything was good. The micheladas are spicy - you've been warned. The restaurant is clean and spacious. Easy to park. Restrooms are very clean. Great experience. read more

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You need to try the oysters they're super fresh and delicious The service is always great Amazing people with amazing food read more

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Food was good. Service was ok took a little while for food. Cantones a la diabla was super spicy but it was a good spice read more

Mama Lupe's Cocina - Inside of the restaurant mural - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

I haven't even tried the food yet but I'm leaving this review for the customer service alone. I was greeted with a warm welcome as soon as I step in the door and did not feel rushed as I didn't know what to order and got help from the friendly host as there were people behind me. She is very sweet and efficient. I also met the owner Efren, I hope I spelled that right. Cool dude. This might be my new favorite Mexican Restaurant. I'm excited to try the food now, so I'll be back on the app after and let you know how it is. But like I said Customer Service is on point and the vibe is dope! Trust, enough for me to leave a review just about that. Part 2: I'm back with the review of the food. This is officially the families new go to Mexican restaurant in San Leandro! Wifey loved the Tortilla Soup, hearty and filling! The kids devoured the quesadillas! The wet burrito was Huge! I finished it so fast, wanting more. So we're actually going back later this evening for more! And because my wife ate my leftover Chile Relleno and Enchilada that I was excited to eat for lunch! Yup, we got into an argument! Lol but I'll be happy later when we get more food from there! read more

We were craving Mexican food so decided to stop by our neighborhood restaurant. The steak fries were delicious, chicken nachos were bomb too! My husband got a wet burrito which was HUGE, a few chicken tacos which were also yummy, and I got the shrimp enchiladas. The enchiladas were a little underwhelming. I don't know what I expected but it was Friday (during lent) and I needed seafood. It was just a few shrimp in a tortilla covered with sauce. No cheese or any other filling. OH, but the rice was delicious! I like that they still give you chips and salsa even if you ordered nachos (some places don't!) and the staff was super friendly when we arrived. Definitely worth giving a shot! read more

Mama Lupe's Cocina - Prawn enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - San Leandro, California

We haven't been to mama Lupe's in 9months for the service has been so so bad! We thought we'd try it tonight, server was very nice much better than we've had in the past! Though they forgot our salad/I had a feeling for the people who came about 15min after us recvd theirs and I thought oh did she bring it to the wrong table but nope they forgot. Recvd our food mine was cold but the server was quick to fix the issue also heard the table next to us say one of their dishes was cold as well And really $5.00 extra for red sauce on a burrito!! Isn't that extreme?!! Wish we had known before hand read more

If you were to look up family owned restaurant in the dictionary, this place would be on the page. We enjoy being treated like family. With consistent great food and top notch service. Comfortable tables and booths, televisions on with sports to keep up with our local teams. Servers know what we like and almost never need to have menus anymore. This is the place we bring family and friends to enjoy their visit with the great food! Never been in the Manor area in San Leandro? Might want to look up Mama Lupe's!! read more

Everything is Yummy Atmosphere is romantic well designed food is delicious wait staff is very courteous and professional and accommodating owner is very personable and also handsome you must try the Cadillac margarita ask for extra Cadillac read more

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All good: service & atmosphere etc but chile Colorado sub par like a watery orange ish color instead of that deep red and not watery First visit too so not familiar with other menu items read more