We were a party of six and each of us was very satisfied with our dishes. The service was professional, courteous and prompt. And the noise level was terrific! We could hear each other talk and not get distracted by other folks' conversations, other restaurants sounds and noises. read more

We were frequent customers of Leticia's from when she had the taqueria across from the BART station and enjoyed her full service restaurant on 12th St. We decided to go out for Mexican this evening, and I selected a place on Lakeshore Ave. in Oakland that was relatively new. Imagine our delight when we discovered that Leticia and her son Alain own the place. The food is even more delicious, the recipes even more refined than ever. We were very happy with our meals, the service and the ambiance. My carnitas were fragrant of oranges, and delightfully crisp and tender. My wife loved her vegetarian enchiladas. We are really glad to find Leticia again, and will be going back again! read more

We had the pleasure of dining at Obelisco, Sunday night. We were there to support and celebrate restaurant week in Oakland. Our experience was perfect from start to finish, this family owned restaurant is warm and inviting. It was like being transported to another place. The food and cocktails were delicious, thoughtful and made with great care. If you're looking for a stylish and authentic night out, you'll find the food, ambiance and service at Obelisco is sure to impress. read more

Halibut ceviche and guacamole, not very flavorful, avocado was brown on the underside, a bit dry overall. Service was slow in a mostly empty restaurant. Not sure if I'd go back after this first try for a snack $40 read more

Great food, amazing service, excellent vibe. I have been here twice now and would happily go back. In this era where going out to eat is a costly endeavor, I feel Obelisco is money well spent - the high quality of the ingredients and the joyful and relaxed attitude of everyone working there makes for a lovely evening. read more

Chef's Kiss! Everything was perfect. The decor, the vibe ... from the time you walk into the door you are greeted by very friendly staff ... and everything ... I mean ever-E-thing ... was in point. The staff was very attentive, but not overbearing. The drinks were A-mazing! Perfect ratio of alcohol to mix .... to ice. The spot is very comfortable spacious but not audacious, cozy, but cute ... I had fajitas ... nice. And the portions were fine. Would highly recommend!! read more

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We love this cute little authentic Mexican restaurant. Obelisco is a cozy-feeling family-run place, with friendly attentive staff, (Thank you Zack!), bright new-looking decor, indoor seating for around 50, and outdoor seating for around 10. We were seated quickly in the evening (Oct 2025). We started with rich fresh quacamole enlivened with onion, cilantro, and lime, and a nice bite of serrano. The freshly made chips are thin and crispy, with nicely lightly spicy red pico sauce and green salsa. We loved our strong balanced bite-y mango margaritas, a smooth rich non-alcoholic lightly cinnamon horchata made with house-made rice milk, and a wonderful refreshing house-crafted lime&tequila horchata! We had terrific perfectly-tender juicy halibut tacos, a sweet lightly flavored fish, served with black beans and rice and thin sliced radish circles. We had rich robust intricately-seasoned pollo mole, with dense flavoring and tender a juicy chicken-quarter. The chicken chile verde was a treat i hadn't tasted before, chunks of tender chicken with some lasting heat from the tangy green tomatillo sauce. These two were presented rather simply, sneaking up on us with their bold authentic flavors. We happily stayed to enjoy their house-made silky creamy flan under caramel sauce for the lingering sweetness that matches our experiences here. Experience"s"? Yep. We visited three times during a seven-day trip here! Obelisco made us feel like welcome family. They are open during dinner hours, and promise lunch service soon. We got one of several parking spots out front, and there's street parking to the east and north, with some competition from nearby places. This is great place for a casual meal or for an occasion. read more

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Dropped by for their weekend brunch service. The interior is sleek and the staff is friendly and helpful. I was debating between two dishes and had the chilaquiles strongly recommended by the waitstaff. I love when the servers have strong opinions they're willing to share. Super helpful! They were tasty, though nothing I'd write home about, and they accidentally came with scrambled eggs instead of fried. To be fair, staff noticed the issue before I did and offered to have it fixed. But I was ravenous, and someone leaving the table with my food was going to either end in violence or tears. It's solid for brunch, and I plan to come back to check out their dinner menu. I have a suspicion that's where they really shine. read more

Obelisco Restaurant - Chilaquiles in red sauce - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

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My lady and I went to Obelisco for drinks and dinner and it was delicious. I got the drink called El Gitano and it was really delicious. I still crave their flan and refried beans to this day! read more

Delicious Mexican classics; burritos, enchiladas, chile rellenos, etc. This family owned restaurant, started in the Fruitvale District of East Oakland, has certainly expanded and up-leveled. Giving us a boogie vibe twist on traditional Mexican palates, this is the place to be. Whether grabbing a Hibiscus Mint tea or sippin' on Margaritas, your thirst is sure to be quenched and belly super satisfecha. Not to mention the sweet staff and lovely service. Buen provecho and tell em Zakiya sent cha ;) read more

Salsas for chips were delicious and fresh. Drink on point. Appetizers and main entree were fantastic, a lot of flavor. Delicious home made corn tortillas. Pass on the dessert. When busy, you will be waiting a little longer than expected for the wait staff to come by and get you what you need. Location and ambiance were great! read more

Obelisco Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

My last review of this dining establishment (5 stars as well) reflected my earlier DINNER experience, my inaugural visit. They've since offered BRUNCH, and I was eager to avail myself of their brunch menu selections. Moreover, we were kicking off National Margarita Day...despite the fact that I opted for a Paloma! But I digress. They consistently came through/delivered on ALL aspects: service orientation and superlative quality of our menu (including cocktail selections) items: Guac/Chips, Halibut Ceviche, Chilaquiles, and Flan. Menu items far exceeded simply passing muster....flavors, associated execution thereof = amazing and left us gobsmacked. Clearly our dining experience was elevated AND our high expectations are redefined for ensuing return visits! read more

A lovely family owned restaurant, Obelisco was located in Fruitvale for 20 years then the family moved it to its current location near Lake Merritt. The location is very nice, elegant, warm, and lively. The extended family are your servers, bartender, and cook (the mother, still making her original family recipes!). Specialties are house made pozole (served with sides of all of the fixings so you can blend it to your liking), chicken mole, burritos (wet, mole, or with the works), and enchiladas. I had chicken mole enchiladas, which were delicious. My daughter had a carnitas burrito and said it was "the best burrito I have ever had". I took a bite of her burrito and agreed-- somehow it was perfect. Not to miss are the amazing house made salsas, the salsa verde is thick, rich, and bright-green fresh. Honestly I could eat it alone, but the fresh chips were also delicious delivery devices. The food is excellent, the family are charming and convivial, and the setting is nice, busting, and warm. Perfect place to go for a sit down meal. Try it! read more

Absolutely delicious! We ordered more goodies to take home. Don't miss out on the flan. Callum is the best server! read more

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We had dinner plans with another couple, a belated 50th bday dinner, and snagged last minute reservations, and we were BLOWN AWAY. The long story short is, the food was absolutely delicious. We started with guacamole, ceviche and cocktails. Then we had carnitas plate, chicken mole, the chile relleno, and the enchiladas verde, which we all retired bored of each other. Each one was better than the rest. But hands down, we all agreed the best part of the meal was the refried beans(!!). They assured us there was no lard in them but, holy cow, the flavor was so ridiculously good we have no idea how it could be that flavorful without it. Spoke to the host afterwards, who's the son of the owner/chef (who later came out to say hi and let us shower her with praise). They had been in Fruitvale station for many, many years and recently relocated. The ONLY downside, and it was minor overall, is that it seems they're still figuring out their stations and as a result, a few different servers came to help us and it crossed some wires, but easily fixed and we said we were getting "extra attention"... (also, the server that brought out our dessert flan and sang happy birthday in Spanish lacked quite a bit of enthusiasm, but it gave us a laugh afterwards, so it's all good!). All told, we'll definitely be back and hope to work our way through the rest of the menu. read more

Obelisco Restaurant - Cocktails, ceviche and guac. - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

I absolutely recommend Obelisco! The steak is so tender, the chips and guacamole are a must have even if you pop in for drinks. The service was excellent. I'll be back for the churros! Very nice ambiance. I felt dressed down in my Warriors sweatshirt and jeans but they didnt make a stink about it but next time I'll definitely dress up! Family owned and operated! They use to be at Fruitvale station and they moved here. Cheers and thank you! read more

My friend and I were excited to try this place and made reservations for dinner. When we walked in, the ambiance was great. They did a beautiful job with the decor and interior. Unfortunately the rest of the experience did not meet the same standards. We were seated at the bar, despite asking for a table and having a reservation. They claimed that was because they had "been booked for weeks" although I found that odd as I had made a reservation a couple days prior and literally every time slot was open for two people... In any case, the bartender took our drink and then food order. I asked for the two enchiladas plate, verde with cheese. Minutes later the bartender came back to ask if I wanted chicken. I repeated no, just cheese. Minutes after that he came back and asked if I wanted mole, roja, or verde sauce. Again I repeated verde. When the food came, they sent two of the identical entree. Huh??? I sent the extra plate back. The food was fine but nothing special, same with the margaritas. Pretty standard stuff you can find pretty easily in most of Cali. After our food was dropped off at the table, the bartender never once checked on us again, and even though we wanted another round of drinks we weren't able to get anyone's attention so opted for the check. It was challenging to get anyone's attention for that either but we finally did, and the bill came, only to show that I had been billed for TWO entrees. We sent the check back and they changed it, but it was listed as chicken enchiladas, not just cheese. When I asked they said it was the same price so to ignore it. The bartender also acknowledged he hadn't checked on us in ages but didn't apologize for it, just sort of awkwardly laughed it off. Anyway, pretty disappointing all around. Might go back for drinks and chips and salsa at some point, hoping down the road they hire better staff or train them better. Great interiors but, average food and terrible service. read more

Great environment and delicious food. The server was kind, attentive and offered good drink recommendation. Happy to have a new restaurant in Lakeshore! read more

Fast and friendly service even during soft opening. Very efficient and well orchestrated service. Shrimp ceviche was pleasantly surprising as it was refreshing and well balanced. Love the artwork and decorations. My son had the Dos Tacos but it was sadly bland. In contrast the Carne Asada was well seasoned and tasty. Chicken enchiladas verde is always my tester and it was moist and tasty. Agua fresca horchata is on the sweet side but well balanced. Look forward to trying more dishes. read more

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Obelisco offers high end Mexican food at a midrange price (by Bay Area standards anyway). With a good, uncomplicated menu and a well-stocked bar (featuring a hardworking and skilled bartender and a solid cocktail menu), this place is legit on both the food and drink fronts. Definitely worth a visit. read more

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One of The best Mexican restaurants ever! Great service in a small neighborhood spot! read more

I recently came here for their new brunch and really enjoyed myself. The food was incredible and the staff is all super nice! I also think the inside is beautiful. If i could give them any advice i would say they could use an appetizer or two and a bit more variety for brunch but overall i would come back. read more

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The folks at Obelisco are the best. Food is incredibly tasty. Portions are large. Their mole is to die for. Service is friendly, kind, quick (but not "usher you out the door" quick, efficient quick). The decor is lovely. read more

The food is delicious and fresh.and ambiance is cozy and neighborly! The bar service is sometimes a bit slow but everyone is incredibly kind and attentive. Love this addition to the Lakeshore area!! read more

I made a last minute reservation on a Sunday night and was wowed at that service and food quality. Obelisco has such a cozy, yet upscale interior and the food was amazing -- beautiful plating and presentation with the taste of home cooked meals. Don't miss out on the mole. I can't wait to come back next time for brunch and dinner (again!). read more

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The best Mexican Restaurant in the Bay Area. The food is fresh and clean and the taste is absolutely delicious! The ambiance is pleasant and modern. One of my favorite spots to eat. Try it you will like it! Yum, yum! read more

I really wanted to like this place based on the reviews and menu but it ultimately fell very short. Appetizers: The guac is nice and thick but missing salt/lime. Their chips and salsas are great however. I also really liked the traditional ceviche with a tomato/ketchup base. Mains: I got the mole which was decent but the refried pinto beans were not very good/overly greasy. My partner got the carnitas burrito and didn't love it then at one point bit into his food and found a rock. After this incident the service got really spotty which was unfortunate because it was an appetite killer and we just wanted to leave. The server who first addressed the rock said they'd comp the burrito and our drinks but after the manager approached us they just took off the burrito from our check. Quite disappointing. read more

I am SO happy Obelisco is here on Lakeshore. It's a much needed addition. We love everything - the vibe, the food, the team. It's a family run restaurant - mama is the chef in the back, Juliana behind the bar (OMG - she makes the best spicy skinny margaritas), and Alain at the front. You can feel the love. The food is delicious and ingredients are high quality. I love the carne asada and the ceviches. Obelisco is really the perfect neighborhood restaurant. read more

We recently had Obelisco cater my son's 5th birthday party, and they absolutely knocked it out of the park. We had around 80 guests -- kids and adults -- and every single person loved the food. I'm not exaggerating when I say it disappeared fast. The chicken flautas, potato flautas, green and red chicken enchiladas, rice, chips, salsa -- everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. The kids devoured it. The adults went back for seconds (and thirds). That tells you everything. Beyond the food, the service was flawless. They were on time, fully prepared, and everything ran smoothly. No stress. No issues. Just great food and great people doing what they do best. We already love Obelisco and the owners -- they're some of the kindest, most genuine people you'll meet -- and this just reminded us why we keep coming back. They treat us like family every time we're there. If you're considering them for catering or just a meal out, don't hesitate. Highly, highly recommend. We'll absolutely be using them again. read more

Amazing steak burrito, perfectly separated rice, quality steak and they allowed me to order my burrito at brunch which to me was above and beyond. I'll definitely be back. The waiter was so nice, very nice man!! read more

Obelisco Restaurant - Steak Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

Our first time here! Beautifully presented, tasty dishes with fresh ingredients. Simple, elegant decor and ambiance. Love the tablecloths! The genuinely friendly staff is a team--attentive without being intrusive. You can tell that Obelisco is really well-managed. We'll be back! read more

This was my first time visiting Obelisco, and it was an amazing experience and ambiance. Honestly try everything. You won't regret it, and you'll leave with your stomach happily and fully packed. The food is 100% legit Mexican cuisine. I've had Mexican food before, and this is the real deal. I ordered the Carne Asada, and wow...the beef was incredibly soft, juicy, and flavorful. I'm definitely ordering it again next time (and probably dreaming about it until then). If you don't want to miss the chance to eat authentic, real Mexican food, this is the place. Warning: you may walk out needing a food nap Thank you for such an extraordinary experience! Alain, who hosted us, was amazing, and our waitress Juliana was so kind and attentive. Can't wait to come back! read more

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Great food that's a notch above most other Mexican restaurants. Beautiful space to celebrate any day... or a special occasion. Great, innovative cocktails and reasonable prices. My new fave! read more

Looking forward to Obelisco working out the new restaurant kinks. Food arrived luke warm and beans and rice cold, margarita just okay. Since it is new spot will give it time and try again in the new year. Good luck. read more

My first time visiting with some friends. I walked into a beautiful place, greeted with excellent customer and the food was delicious!!! I had the Chile Relleno amazing flavors . We tried the Fish Ceviche , a friend had Carnitas Plate and let me try the Carnitas. The meat was perfect !! I have already planned to return. read more

This place is an absolute gem in our neighborhood! Everything I've tried on the menu has been delicious! I used to take it to go until I finally sat down and enjoyed a meal in the restaurant and I never looked back. From the staff's professionalism and attentiveness, to the drinks that are perfectly balanced (none of their drinks have disappoint) to the delicious food! I usually get the fried shrimp tacos with refried beans (you'll want to come to Obelisco for their refried beans alone) and Spanish rice is my favorite dish! Their fajitas are so so yummy as well! As someone with celiac, I feel safe eating here because there is no gluten cross-contamination in their oil. Their tortillas are made with corn and not flour as well. If I were travelling to the Bay, I would recommend this place to everyone. I'm so grateful I live here and get to walk to this beautiful restaurant! Also, for dessert, I recommend their coconut flan! Enjoy!!! read more

Amazing in-house salsa (green was my favorite). I got the machacha and it was 10/10. The red salsa on the huevo rancheros was amazing, and we added shredded beef and it was perfect. The coffee de olla was so warming on a rainy day. Had dinner the week before and had to come back for breakfast! read more

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Service was good but food was just alright. Mole was spiced differently than what I'm used to but visually it was pretty. read more

Obelisco Restaurant - Mole enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

OMG! I have been a huge fan of this restaurant when they were at Fruitvale area. So Happy they opened in this neighborhood. Ok, let's talk about the food....I am a huge fan of made to order tortillas. They are always so fresh and tasty. My fav is the shrimp tacos and carnitas. I love the Pazole too. Everything is made fresh even the Margaritas. Enjoy! read more

This restaurant used to be in Fruitvale BART station & i always came for the pozole verde w/pork. It's the same family & recipes...tastes just like i remember! Dined at their new location twice near lake Merritt. ambience/aesthetic is moody & cute, great service-attentive & personable. Support this family owned business! read more