Delicious. But, holy crap, $16 for 2 tacos and a house margarita? I'm used to getting too much when I order Mexican so I didn't order the plate for $10.25, but 2 tacos a la carte ($3.60/each), and I'm still pretty hungry. The shrimp taco had one shrimp, definitely tasty, and the fish taco had a piece of fish the size of your thumb. The margarita was ok, but for a house margarita at $7, it shouldn't taste like a virgin rita in a 6 oz. glass. I first came here years ago, and has always been delicious. The corn tortillas are simply fantastic. But, it's definitely sit down fancy Mexican restaurant prices with a taqueria approach. :/ read more

Picante has tasty food, but it is really overpriced. I went there today for a chicken burrito. They wanted to charge me $4 for substituting salsa for onions and cilantro. read more

Michelada was good the chile powder can be spicey , food was brought to table less then 10minutes! read more

Picante - Mexican Near Me - Berkeley, California

Love it here, friendly staff and great food!!! Great for social gatherings with friends and family, very festive decor and very affordable. read more

Amazing good and drinks. Chicken mole tamal: the best. Mango margarita, carne asada tacos and flan were winners too. Coming back. Order @ the counter. read more

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All around they have pretty great food but what really stands out to both me and my 9 and 7 year old sons is their amazing chips and salsa. I am not quite sure if they make it in the restaurant or purchase it locally but either way, the salsa there is very unique and truly amazing. I recommend this place to anyone who enjoys the simpler parts of Mexican food. read more

I was in Berkeley today and hungry so I went to Picante for the first time in a couple of years. The tab was $18.57 for a single chile relleno with rice and beans, no drink. Sorry, way too much. read more

... And the fabulous nachos!! And the enchiladas. All so delicious. So happy to have Picante as a source of nourishment on many levels. Thanks for super service and delicious well prepared food. AND THEIR BEAUTIFUL SIDE PATIO IS OPEN. Best outdoor seating in the area, with a surround-garden. read more

During covid this is nice to just have the drive up option. Food is always ready and staff is friendly.

Love this Mexican place, the food is so fresh and delicious. Nachos are my favorite thing to order here. Also love the burritos and tacos. For drinks they have a variety of aguas fresas and a full bar that makes a great margarita. They have take out as well as dine in. Both great options to get great food! read more

Picante has been my local (walking distance) fave Mexican spot for many years. Consistent. The BEST fresh made corn chips in Berkeley!

I was craving a carnitas quesadilla. While I was drive to Gordo's, I saw Picante and thought, I hadn't been there in years. Stop in here. So I ordered a carnitas quesadilla and a beverage, $21!!! Twenty one dollars. I said WOW. She said meat makes the cost go up. I should have walked out then but it was 4 pm and I hadn't had lunch. Oh well. After waiting a really long time in a virtually empty restaurant, food arrived. Such a sad presentation. Flour tortilla with no grill marks, very bland looking. One bite of the flaccid quesadilla made me regret my decision. IF boring had a flavor, Picante would be the winner! The carnitas was bland boiled meat which had never seen a grill. I tried two of their sauces to drown out the meat and they really didn't help. For the rip off prices and sad food, I will never go back. read more

I would like to give more than two stars but cannot. Have been going here for years, but over the past few years have found quality of food does not match the price of the food. I have complained on many occasions that the food is luke warm or cold when it is delivered to the table. Today was the last straw. I ordered a chili rellano (sp) and the cheese inside was cold and hard. Cannot see myself going back for another disappointment. read more

We used to joke all the time and call this place Paisaje No Picante, because none of the salsa was really spicy. Good for gringos. Yet over the years this has remained our go to place for Mexican food. It's expensive, but high quality ingredients and service. Always worth it. read more

Came here awhile ago with my family. It's quite far away from campus so I don't see myself ever getting over here again, but it was pretty good! I got a variation of the traditional chicken mole (I think with more of a pineapple twist? I don't quite remember). It was very good though and I would definitely recommend it. The mole sauce was more on the sweet side as opposed to savory, but nothing overdone. The handmade tortillas were cool as well (my first I think) and tasted great with the chicken and sides. It's an interesting dining setup where you seat yourself and get all your own utensils and water. read more

Picante quality is generally good but dropped a bit as prices are high and last several times I've been given stale chips. In general, the chips are the best anywhere so I'm very disappointed when I get home and find them to be stale. read more

One of my all time favorite Mexican restaurantes in the east bay. They never disappoint. Home made tortias, aguas frescas, fast Service, clean kitchen and eating area. What else can you ask for. This place is good, good, good. read more

Food was mediocre, margaritas were very weak (I think I was actually more sober when I finished mine than when I started), everything was overpriced, and the enchiladas verdes came with shredded lettuce on top. How? Why? Has anyone ever seen this dish served with lettuce on it ever? Take a pass, there is much better Mexican food to be had in the area. read more

Picante is the TARDIS of Mexican restaurants, being far larger on the inside than you'd think. It's a good place for large groups like a soccer team after a game, but you'll find tastier food elsewhere. The chicken mole enchiladas were merely adequate. read more

if I were to die, this would be my last meal on earth. Gold Margarita, chips with guac and either the mole enchiladas or the carne asada steak burrito. I LOVE PICANTE! read more

This is our spot for the regular burrito run. It is probably the place we eat out at the most because it is _fast_ and _cheap_. And when you have 2 young kids that is most of what matters. I also happen to love the food here. I've had mostly good, consistent experiences with the simple food I've ordered here. The horchata is good. The veggie tostada salad is good. The smoky chipotle salsa is great and I am addicted to that. I was so happy when they added a vegetarian soup to their menu, I wish they would do a veggie version of their tortilla soup but instead its some sopa verde that is not my thing. But being a vegetarian in a mexican restaurant, I will be grateful for the option and not cry too loudly about the mediocre soup. Never EVER order liquor here. We ordered a $40 pitcher of mojitos, which we now call no-heat-os. It ended up being the most expensive mint limeade we'd ever had. It had nearly NO alcolhol in it and was a huge rip off. And I made the mistake of doing it more than once, so I know it was no one time mistake. That is pretty much the only reason I wouldn't give it five stars, the drinks are expensive and they stink. And if you don't like eating with lots of families and kids then don't bother. read more

Fastest service I have ever seen. These folks have an amazing system where you pay at the counter and by the time you get seated in the dining room your food is on it's way to your table. Even when the line goes out the door it moves right along. Favorite food: Tostada Salad - a mountian of greens, meat and beans covering 3 crispy tacos - yummm. read more

I've come to picante 2-3 times a year for the past 7 years. I've always loved getting their flautas with black beans. I've had traditional Mexican flautas but these were just so much better. My latest visit however I was disappointed with the food. Nearly everything top to bottom concerning the food was bad. Guacamole and chips: this part of the meal was the least disappointing. It was good but I've had better at Chevys. Chevys-- that should say something Carne asada tacos: My mom ordered carne asada tacos with rice. She's had it before and liked it. Today's batch was flavorless. She said, and I can vouch as I tried it, that the steak had no taste and she had to use their verse salsa to add something to it. Flautas (flour tortilla wrapped around chicken and fried. Lightly topped with sauce, cheese and sour cream): over the years, I are nothing but their flautas. I know how they make it. There should've been no surprises. But today, there was. Something the flautas tasted sweet. Flautas should not taste sweet. They are supposed to savory. It was very disappointing when over the years, you know what it's supposed to taste like and then one day it changed. I don't know if ownership changed or the chef changed things up-- whatever the case, they messed with the flautas and it was gross. mole enchiladas: I decided to order mole enchiladas for my mom and I to share. I've had enchiladas before and was disappointed when these weren't topped with cheese. I've been to traditional Mexican restaurants and households and cheese was always a staple with enchiladas-- mole or otherwise. Mexican hot chocolate: beyond gross. I've only had a Mexican hot chocolate one before and I assumed that it would at the least be sweet. What I drank was more on the sour side. I don't know if that's what Mexican hot chocolates are supposed to taste like but count me out. When I asked for whipped cream, they said they didn't have it. I'm not complying so much about that, if that's how it supposed to be served but more for informational purposes for those considering the hot chocolate. Because of this bad experience, I will not go back. read more

The food is alright - the Bay area and Berkeley offers a lot of great options for Mexican food, and this one, although decent, is about average. The wait for getting your food and the prices are, on the other hand, above average. There's not many mexican places in that area, so only recommend if you're craving mexican food and can't be bothered to drive more. read more

was there today for a quick lunch before heading back home, 3 tacos w/rice and beans for $11, not bad except everything was cold! They have all these workers walking around with earpieces trying to be high tech but can't even serve a warm meal???? and what's up with the high prices, is this Mexican fine dining? there's so many better options than this place for a lot less money... read more

I don't know what the fuss is all about.. I have been here few times. The price is ok although sometimes like with the chicken plate you feel like you pay too much for too little food. Also for a place that is in business for so many head I would expect to buy new plates from time to time because the current ones are so warm out it looks like there is black mold on them. After eating in the place few more times I have to change my review and said it was really delicious! I think they changed few things and I am happy! read more

As a Mexican and I Do Know about Mexican Food but this Place's Food it's a BIG Deception :-( Nice Place,Location and The decorations I Love the Big CAZUELAS hanging by the Kitchen But when it comes about FooD Nooooo flavor in it..food portions are Ok but didn't Like the food I will recommend to friends or family.. read more

Solid burrito bowl and horchata. Good spacious layout and friendly atmosphere. The chips were good too. Definitely would come back again.

Same great food and possibly the best Covid take out arrangement. Order and pay over the phone, and pick up your food without leaving your car. Fast and safe. I hope other restaurants are able to copy this system. read more

Last week i met a friend for lunch here. Wasn't sure what to expect. Both my friend and i were very happy with our meals. All of the food was very good quality and fresh. If I'm in the neighborhood, I'd definitely return. read more

Ordered the fish tacos and super nachos with asada. Everything was fresh and ready w/i 15 minutes upon placement of the order. I appreciate the hygiene, quality and consistency that Picante offers even during the pandemic. This is a special place for many reasons and highly recommend to any kind soul who loves authentic cuisine with a flare. read more

They sell pseudo Mexican food, which is not news around here but given that the people running the place are Latinx. They messed up both of my orders. Not coming back. read more

Nothing special about this place. I would never go back even though it's like a few blocks from us. It was not horrible. We just can't stand average Mexican food. read more

Picante is good! I was a little deterred from the lowish reviews, but I kept getting recommendations so I thought I'd give it a try. I've been twice and can say I had a great experience both times. The portions are decent and the meat and veggies are sustainable, local and fresh. Plus, homemade tortillas...yum! I've tried a number of dishes here including the al pastor plate, carne asada burrito, chicken tacos, and carne asada nachos, all very yummy! Nachos are a huge portion so order with caution! Will definitely be back. read more

36$ for a chicken burrito and a 1/2 order of nachos with carnitas. Wasn't worth the money we spent. The two dishes were way too salty. Don't think we are gonna come back. read more

Love their chicken mole enchiladas, but removing two stars because - 1. When we called them on a weekend evening at 7pm, they were out of two types of tacos, bummer! And 2. Surprisingly less meet in my enchiladas. Overall, I usually have a high bar for Mexican food in California and would recommend trying some other places in the Bay over this. But if you are in the area, this can be a good place to grab food. Not worth driving your way to it though, IMHO. read more

Completely surprised at the caliber of this place. Not what you expect when you pull up in terms of size. The place is huge in the inside with a boatload of seating. Its very clean (including the bathroom which even had a built in kids step stool) You order food first and then sit,there's separate ordering lines for eat in and take out and there's seating inside or out.Tried the 3 taco plate - asada. Tacos come with onion, cilantro and guac with your choice of beans on the side. Re fried beans were a great consistency as was the taste, so were the whole black beans. The meat (although a bit chunky for my liking) tasted great. Tortillas were nicely fresh made-don't see that often enough in my opinion. The horchata was just short of fantastic (a tad overdone on the cinnamon front but yumliscious nonetheless) A bit on the pricey side if you ask me although I am a penny pincher AND keep in mind you are eating in Berkeley but $70 ($66+tip) for a wet burrito, two taco plates, a kids taco plate, 3 horchatas, a coke and an apple juice to me seems a little much. That being said at first glance the quantity on the plate doesn't seem like much it definitely fills you up. Overall a great lunch. read more

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Although I prefer Juan's Place, Picante has been in our regular rotation lately and I've sampled many of the items on the menu. I almost always order the Chile Relleno plate and its fresh and flavorful. We always order the guacamole and chips and both are excellent. I'm not a fan of their fish tacos at all as they were greasy and the fish was mealy, but Love their tostada salads. This place has a good vibe, the food comes pretty fast, and they keep it really clean. They have four different salsa's in a mini fridge in the dining room and all are made fresh every day. I'm a big fan of their chipotle salsa. Prices are high but the quality of the food justifies the prices. read more

This was a very cute looking spot we were excited to go with her friends who have been here before. They seem to have fresh ingredients as evidenced by the handmade tortillas we saw them making as we stood in line to order. We ordered a steak burrito without beans and rice which is our usual order. Our food came really fast, I'd say it took maybe two or three minutes for to be delivered to our table, it was surprising! There wasn't much steak and the tortilla itself didn't seem well cooked. The Guacamole and chips were pretty good, the chips were different than usual but we really liked them (they seemed more like homemade Fritos). I ordered the house margarita over the rocks and I was surprised it actually had a kick. Usually in restaurants like this the margarita is a mix and you don't even realize there's any alcohol in it. Will probably come back again, maybe this was an off day for the burrito. read more

Just not good anymore :( I usually post reviews on yelp for 3 reasons, when I love it, when I hate it or when it's a place I've been going for a long time. Picante has been all 3 for me. I was just there the other night with my daughter and it was not good. We were hungry and disappointed. My food was cold and soggy. I brought it to the supervisor and she argued with me saying that's how fluatas are supposed to be. Really??! My daughter oreder a veggie burrito which was bland and she did not finish it. We also shared a half nacho which was soggy and chewy at the same time, no thanks. I won't go back. Their overall quality is just not there anymore. read more