I love this place the food is soooo good i love the Sopa Azteca it's really good we have been going here forever and I love taking my friends here. read more

Overcrowded, overpriced, overhyped... Try El Agavero in Montclair instead, which is a family friendly restaurant with decent quality food, great service and much easier on the wallet. read more

I love this place! It is a fun and casual restaurant to bring friends and family. Sometimes my boyfriend and I order take out and pick it up at the drive through area. So delicious and convenient! read more

Came here because I got a coupon in the mail for a free meal since I recently moved to the neighborhood. Food was excellent and they even comped us chips and guacamole. Extremely friendly service and excellent quality food. A hidden gem of the neighborhood. This will definitely become our local spot! read more

The food here is fair when compared to its price. The horchata isn't that great either. I would only recommend it if you were in the area and have never tried any kind of Mexican food. The food is priced high. read more

I have been coming here for about 7 years. The food is nice and fresh but seems to lack some spices. I do love the chips that are made right at the counter. We had the standard mexican fair with a burrito, nachos, tacos and a coconut-lime cake that I thought was good( if you like coconut). read more

First and last visit. Worst chile relleno-1 star. The sauce was bland, tasted like watered down sweet tomato sauce. Cheese was tasteless. Second star for the chips that were pretty good. Shrimp cocktail was good. Over priced for having to stand in the cafeteria line to place your order and fetch your own napkins, water and silverware. Maybe that's why there are no Mexican families eating at this Mexican restaurant??? read more

I'm sorry to report that the super shrimp burrito I ordered this evening was sloppy, mushy and barely edible. Not only chintzy on the shrimp (3 total in the whole burrito) they were far from fresh, in fact, really fishy. Even sorrier is the truth that I paid so much for such an awful burrito. I knew I should have visited the taco truck on Broadway and 28th instead. read more

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! It's a great family restaurant with a vibrant feel. The prices are right- I think mostly due to the service style. You order at the counter and they bring your food (no long wait!) to your table. The food is always fresh and flavorful. The bathrooms are clean, which for me is always a sign of a good place. The outdoor side patio is charming and the front patio is dog friendly. The handmade tortillas are great. I love the coctel de camerones, the empanadas, and the mole sauce is delicious. Two thumbs up!! read more

This place is an order at the counter with a full bar and nice decor. There is seating in the front of the restaurant as well as the back and dogs are welcome on the front patio. read more

I actually don't generally like taquerias or Mexican food at restaurants. Picante is one of few exceptions. I have been coming here since 2010, and if I ever daydream about a burrito, it is a Picante burrito. They make their own corn tortillas from scratch, and make chips from them, so a side of chips and salsa is worth it also. read more

Been here twice now and the first time was a hit, the second time was a miss. I've tried the quesadilla, guacamole and empanadas. I really enjoyed the guacamole but the chips were far too greasy. The quesadilla was also a bit bland and the empanadas were good but again too greasy. The real standout are the sauces. I especially love the cilantro, but the chipotle sauce is a touch too smoky. On our first visit we also had an incident where one of the sauces had gone bad. read more

Yum yum, yes yes, filling and delicious, with plenty of outdoor and indoor seating options. Even when there are long lines, they move quick, and you're seated in no time. This place is efficient and hella yummy. read more

Mediocre food at a high price. Two margaritas, a burrito and a quesadilla $42. The dining room has a faint smell of urine. Recommended by friends, but I can't dig it. read more

Picante - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Yep, it's a bit expensive if you get a meat dish. But it's always great quality and lots of food--I can get two meals out a plate or burrito easily. They're also ridiculously quick at getting food on the table and the service is pretty good. My favorite dish is the enchiladas verde, and sometimes I get a burrito to take home and split for breakfast/lunch the next day. My extended family (10+ people depending who's there) also gets takeout sometimes and they don't screw up that long list of orders. read more

I love their tostadas and enchiladas de mole, good service and great food. People are very nice and polite !

I have to edit my rating here for one reason only - the high incidence of car break-ins in their parking lot. To their credit, they have signs posted everywhere. However, when vandals break into cars that contain nothing in them in the middle of the afternoon on a busy Sunday (2pm) and the car is parked in plain site of a busy road, there is a bigger problem. To clarify, my SUV was parked in the first space, with the back end facing the road - literally not 5 feet from the sidewalk. The vandals smashed my back window. Now, to be clear, I don't think that every restaurant should be responsible for what happens in their parking lot. But when you have a big enough business to warrant two parking lots and you have a demonstrably higher than usual problem with theft, you should do something to deter it. I was told by the police officer that this happens all the time here and it is probably some local folks with a house nearby - they smash, grab and run into the house. When I reported it to Picante, they didn't have anything to say, just "oh". For me, it seems that a responsible business owner, that knows they have a problem would attempt to do something about it - like hire a security person, or install cameras in the parking lots. Not only would you deter the problem, but you might actually catch the guys who live in your neighborhood and terrorize your business. So, I sadly will not be going to Picante any longer and will bring my business to La Mission on University - equally great food with a parking lot and no smash and grabs. read more

You've probably heard about the old horses that are sent to the "glue factory". Well, what happens to the geezer roosters who can no longer get it up in order to hump the sexy hens? They are sent to Picante to provide filler for their taquitos: the toughest, driest, most sinewy chicken you can imagine. And I mean on a consistent basis. This rooster chicken also appears in a number of their other dishes. It's a shame, because the rest of the taquito dish is pretty good, you know, the frijoles, the guacamole, the sour cream, the greens and the veggies in spicy vinegar. The place is even pleasant in the way it is decorated and in the layout. But hey, if the basic element of the food is no good, so what? The tortillas also are atrocious. Bad homemade tortillas in a Mexican restaurant? Too thick, raw inside. Give me a break. Tweak this joint and it would be good, but the present situation has been in place for years. Don't expect it to change, nor think that this insignificant review will make the owners reconsider their approach to their faulty cuisine, because, hermano, they are and have been making a whole lot of money for a long time. Why? High rent Berkeley doesn't provide much of an opportunity for any upstart competition in the Mexican restaurant niche. Go to Richmond or Oakland if you want better Mexican food. Or try La Mission for take-out ... much better food. Picante is strictly for gringos who don't want to drive a half an hour for a better sit-down taquito. I must confess: sometimes I go there too. read more

I really want to give this place 5 stars because the restaurant itself is great with a cute outdoor section. It's clean and roomy but I'm afraid the food itself isn't the best. I've been here 3-4 times now and the food is always too oily in my opinion. But it has a great atmosphere and their agua frescas are excellent. read more

I had empanadas for lunch today. They were delicious, perfectly cooked. Environment and staff were warm and friendly. A great place to gather. read more

Great food. Awesome atmosphere @ 2:00 on a weekend sunny day. Guacamole was incredible. Plates were substantial - prices are a tad pricey... read more

Ultra Long wait , unorganized service, good quality food and comfortable location decorated with style, high price for what it is

Best floor scraps in Berkeley! My daddy says they have good beer here, but I can't drink because I'm still a puppy. Mommy, a vegetarian, recommends the Rajas con Papas tostada salad. read more

Picante has solid Mexican food and tasty margaritas and lots of screaming kids. I especially enjoy their chiles rellenos with some extra red sauce while watching kids throw beans in the fountain. Also tasty--the tostada with carne asada and sliced radishes while small children run around the tables. In the summer I often split a pitcher of margaritas, laughing with friends as the small child next to me tells his dad it's ok to eat his burrito because he already washed his hands in the fountain. If you don't like being around too many rambunctious rugrats I suggest going there for a later dinner, like at 8, when all the kids are just really tired and wired since it's past their bedtime. Seriously though, I like the food because it's quality, has good spicing, and is juicy, although it's kinda morphed to fit more American/CA tastes. And I like little kids, but just be prepared for some noise. read more

This place has fiesta atmosphere and good food. When we go as a family everybody seems to enjoy the place. My children watches the torrila being made and eating the buritos, my wife likes the carne asada salad, and I like the tacos or chili relleno plate. read more

One of my favorite places for a "drive by" good takeout meal. One order each of tacos plate carnitas and carne asada (or chile relleno) and a margarita on the side (while you wait) does the trick. Fresh and flavorful ingredients quickly prepared, what's not to like. Dona Tomas is more upscale but PIcante has the best bang for the buck. read more

What a pleasant surprise! There are not enough places in the Bay area where one (shall we say "Juan?") can order a pitcher of beer, get some good food, and sit outside to enjoy a sunny day. Picante serves this purpose beautifully. Outdoor seating is nicely protected from the wind, which is a lovely escape from the city's constant breeze. Very friendly and casual, this would be a great happy hour or post ball game location. The flautas and chilaquiles we had were great! I'll be back. read more

Good, relatively healthy big-plate mexican. Very kid-friendly. (meaning if you don't have young kids, think very carefully about coming here before 7PM!) If you have kids, it's great-- food is yummy, service is blazing fast, and it's loud so if your little ones are making a racket, no one cares. Plus you can get a margarita! The food is OK. Not as good as, say Cactus on Solano (and nowhere near as good as SF Mission Mexi-Nirvanas like Taqueria Cancun). But good enough. My favorite is the fish and chicken tacos. read more

This is my favorite mexican restaurant. It is a little expensive, but totally worth it. My favorite dish to order is the tostada. It is a like a big salad with beans and crispy tortillas underneath.. read more

Me and my girlfriends meet about once a week for diner to catch up. We always go to picante's. We even joke saying should we try somewhere else? but it never happens. We love the food. The atmosphere and the margaritas. I recommend picante's to anyone who feels like having great Mexican food. read more

Good, plentiful food. Inexpensive with a fun, loud, boisterous atmosphere. Not a place for a romantic date, more like a place to go after a softball game. Some dishes totally miss for me, but some I really love and we probably go there three or four times a month. Check out the fish tacos and the veggie tamales... and be sure to bring the fresh salsas to your table, most of the food depends on being doctored up a little with salsa. read more

Very quick service. We usually order chips and guac and the server is looking for us before we can even get a seat. Good service. The sopa azteca is great and the green chicken enchiladas are good too. Not a huge fan of the rice, but the beans are good. A little pricey for the portions but it's still pretty good food. ($6-7 for chips and guac, not unlimited chips either and guac is in a tiny dish.) We like to come here if we're in a rush. read more

Picante gets three stars for food, two stars for atmosphere and five stars for service. Okay, so I'm spoiled and picky. I grew up eating homemade Mexican food and my standards are high. I wouldn't exactly call Picante's food authentic Mexican, however, it is fresh, non-greasy and seems healthy albeit on the bland side. There are a few things I really like. Their brunches on the weekends are really quite good. I usually get their huevos a la mexicana with over-salted pinto beans and really good corn tortillas. Their cafe de olla is a nice accompaniment. Aside from brunch, I like their tostadas for something lighter. Two fried corn or flour tortillas topped with your choice of over-salted black or pinto beans, fresh greens with julienned veggies, crumbled Mexican cheese, the blandest salsa ever tasted and your choice of meat, my preference being the manchamantales. Their enchiladas verdes are pretty good. The verde sauce isn't spicy but it has a rich, complex flavor with a bit of a tang that probably comes from them using tomatillos. Again, this comes with over-salted pinto or black beans and Mexican rice. As for their soups, their sopa azteca is actually very good, probably the best I've had in a restaurant. Good flavored broth, lots of chicken, avocados and tortilla strips. Their chips are a great snack food while you wait for your food, but order them plain and use the free salsas provided.They also have a rotating assortment of agua frescas. My favorites are the tamarindo and jamaica. Overall, I'd say the food is more geared to the palates of Berkeley's caucasian clientele. read more

You want authentic? This is the place. Their home made chourizo & potato's plater is the bomb. Their chicken mole enchiladas are my fav. Noisy family place but so worth fighting for tables for. This place is always crowded cause the food is so good. read more

We love this place, and will miss it since our move. Fast, good food and a good price. Consistently good, but the place gets quite busy and sometimes there is hardly any place to sit! Enchiladas with green sauce, rice and black beans...accompanied with a margarita, makes for a nice cap to a long day at work. read more

Some of the food is great like the Chile Verde. The Chicken Flautas are good but there is not enough guacamole with it. The Burritos are ordinary. The fruit drinks are over-priced and weak. Drink water and save $. Ambience is great. read more

Its been awhile since i've been, but i do remember loving it! I remember the different types of help your self Salsa were all good. In my opinion Picante is one of the best places to get Authentic not too heavy Mexican in the East bay. read more

After going to this place a few times, I settled into ordering the same thing each subsequent visit -- the chicken enchiladas mole. Holy Mole! I had never had mole before, and now I'm hooked! I love the chocolate-y flavor of the mole sauce. I've tried other things on the menu, like the carne asada burrito, and the fish tacos, and they were good, but I'm sticking with my fave until I get sick of it. If I'm super hungry I'll also order the empanadas or the guac and chips as a starter. read more

I love picante! I go as often as I can, whenever I'm in Berkeley, which is a lot of the time, I try to grap lunch or dinner there. Their burritos are delicious, their flautas are flawless, they make a delicious tostada salad with carnitas. Yum. They always have fresh frescas and tortillas. Lovely service, I have never had a problem with any of the servers. Great food, great service, great atmosphere, location and great prices. read more

not a great start for breakfast- food is really bland- the restaurant is too expensive for not having a normal waiter. The salsa/pico was barely there. The cashiers were nice though. This has the potential to be good but for our visit- it just didn't cut it. read more