TLDR: Immaculate vibes and friendly staff. The atmosphere and huge layout of the place are super…read morenice - maybe one of the best in the city - and it's definitely a great place to have a big party or gathering. Lots of different open sections, many open spaces and large tables covering a huge foot print. Lots of TVs, good music/sound system, and lots of plants used to split up the tables and create a great environment. Food could be slightly improved. I'll definitely be back and give it another try. Come here for the vibes, drinks, and atmosphere - which are without a doubt a 5 star experience - but if you want good authentic Mexican food, look elsewhere. Food, I'd give a generous 3.5 stars to 3.8 stars, at best. I was really excited to try their food but honestly it tasted bland, unpolished, and unrefined. I have a feeling their target audience is someone that doesn't like spice so they punish those of us that actually like them. For example, my fish tacos didn't have pico de gallo or hot salsa, my rice and beans were NOT even topped with any sour cream (a Mexican delight) or fresh grated queso fresco. These are two very simple ways to elevate the dish and was a miss in my book. Their mole dish was nicely plated but for the taste the mole was not up to par - it tasted sweet and not authentic, there was no depth in the flavor you're used to tasting for mole. Drinks were 5 stars without a doubt and I had the best Paloma I've ever had in my life. I also highly recommend the Alabama slammer super yummy and tasty it's like a punch but not too sweet. The drinks did take a solid 30+ minutes to get delivered so that was a bummer. If they were quicker I would've gotten a second round but I didn't feel like risking waiting around for another half hour for them. Parking is pretty good but it's still Oakland - I do appreciate that they hire a super friendly security guard attendant at a nearby dedicated parking lot location for a modest $5 charge. Don't forget to tip the parking lot attendant doing the lords work! The last thing I would mention is that if you're sensitive to smells, this is an outdoor place right off the bay (1-2 blocks) and near some Amtrak train tracks (which pass hourly or so), so there is a faint and occasional odor of bay water and some brake dust or diesel fumes when trains pass occasionally.

I seem to be the minority here in thumbs up or thumbs down, but thumbs down ;(…read more I just don't like it. The host was very cool, led us to the table quickly and with a friendly attitude. The atmosphere was really awesome outside too. But that's where it ends for me. Our server seemed overwhelmed pretty much the whole time. And that's okay, but it's not. Then I just truly don't like the menu or the taste of the food. It's not filled with many options and the "scratch" kitchen is not the best. It's just my opinion and personal taste, I just don't like it.

Love this place because of the bright, colorful, and tropical interior! Also their Baja fish taco…read moreis sooo good because the fish is really crispy and flavorful. I also like that the service is really fast! You order first, find a seat, and they'll bring your food to your table pretty quickly

We we t in for dinner. My son ordered fish tacos with yuca fries and mango agua Fresca. I ordered…read moreto pollo chicharron, came with salad, beans, rice and two small plantains. We also ordered an order of tostones. I got a mango agua Fresca. It was refreshing and very mango tasting. The pollo chicharron is always my favorite. The service is ordered at front. I was nicely surprised they used dinnerware which makes it feel more authentic. There's plenty of inside and outdoor seating as well as booth chair seating looking out.

I've been here a few times now and have tried the shrimp and steak burrito as well as the chicken…read moreburrito. Both were really good, with generous portions and great flavor. The staff has always been friendly, and the food has been consistently enjoyable. One suggestion I'd offer is to consider adding a happy hour or Taco Tuesday special. There are several Mexican restaurants nearby that offer deals like those, and I think it could help bring in more customers during slower times. The food is definitely good enough to attract people--I just think a few specials would give more people a reason to stop in and give the restaurant a try. Overall, I'd definitely come back and would recommend it if you're looking for a solid burrito.

This place was so delish! I got a shrimp burrito; it was so big and definitely worth the price!…read more Would totally come back.

Great food, great service, great ambiance! The coffee was okay, but it was extremely weak, and the…read moreflavor I got was pre-batched--nothing special. I haven't tried their cocktails, but they had an interesting selection. There's plenty of seats and a great community vibe here. There's a decent amount of tables and booths, both inside and outside, and a large two-floor patio as well. I loved the space and think it's a great place to bring a group. There's enough seating that the restaurant feels full but not overcrowded or loud. The workers also are very attentive and will check up on you. You place your order at the counter, and they will bring it to your table. Everyone was very friendly, and there's a good vibe. I ordered the fish tacos. They were a bit pricey for tacos, but they were good. I wouldn't consider them extremely flavorful, but the ingredients were good quality and well-balanced. Overall, I really enjoyed Doña and would definitely come back. I think this is a great place to focus and get a lot of work done, or to hang out with a big group of friends.

One of the best Mexican places in The Town - and it's a fiercely competitive landscape too! We've…read morebeen coming for a while now and this place never disappoints. The menu does change up seasonally. I've had countless mouth watering chile rellenos with their ever changing sauce and filling. And my to go to nowadays to ensure I get plenty of protein is ordering one of their bowls, usually with pescado frito (fried fish) with black beans. My husband enjoys their barbacoa shredded meat. The bowls are filling, nutritious and flavor bombs. I also love indulging in their agua frescas. Our personal favorites are the strawberry horchata (a MUST if it's available) and their coconut ice coffee. Refreshing beverages to help soothe your tongue because the sliced fresh chiles on fried fish bowl are indeed lethal. Overall consistently delicious. It does get packed but if you come early around 4-5pm you will beat the crowd.

Good Lord. This is my taco stop…read more Tacos are $4.5 each cash and card is the same price but each bite is worth at least $10 each. The chefs in the back are crazy hard working and the meat is so fresh and hot when they chop it up for the tacos that it is divine. Sudadero is rare but the gem for me is the tripas and buche. The sauce bar goes hard too, green sauce with avocados and pico is spicy asf and the little onions on top really seal the deal. They do ask if you want cilantro and onions on top, and if you are me, you'd always say yes! Blessings for this place to be so close to home.

3.5***stars. 1st timer here…read more I understand the hype and the ratings. Asada Regular Burrito Review: I honestly don't pass through this area much. Did some study for a suitable taqueria and came up with El Paisa. For $17 out the door, you can get a regular meat filled burrito of your choice. The size of which is about the same as a super burrito anyplace else. And easily makes 2 meals. This is sinful, greasy (mostly in a good way) ultra-cheat day grub at it's finest. And conjures what a true taqueria stand must look like across Mexico. Food & burritos come out fast in compost-friendly containers with chips, par-boiled onions and what looked like cactus chunks. I did not care for those. The meat quality is a step above what most other area taco stands use, such as Sinaloa. Open condiment bar is nice but exposed and uncovered from flies, which I saw present within the dining patio. Small, off-street parking lot is free (a plus) and accommodates approx. 10 cars. It is usually at or near capacity due to the restaurant's popularity. Then, it's off-street parking, which amounts to a dicey proposition in most of The Town. Like most areas of International Blvd., it's not in the best of areas. And for this reason alone, my trip to El Paisa was likely a 1 & done experience. But, not because of the food. I might come back if ever in the area again.

Decided to try this place out and my friend and I were greeted by the nicest people. I just had…read moresurgery so I've been in the house for a few weeks just laying in bed and I had been craving a really nice Mexican meal with a margarita! The service was amazing, Brendan was our server and he was extremely nice and attentive. After being in bed for a few weeks this was the perfect meal and restaurant experience to come back out to. My enchiladas were smackin! And the chips & guacamole with the salsas were some of the best I've had! Just want to thank Brendan again for making the dinner experience all the more memorable!

Fresh sauces. Drinks are good. Mezcal based and tequila based. Viva Mexico sweet with cantaloupe…read moreflavor. Thirteen colonies smoky Lots of meat in the mole trio Tender chicken, mole a little sweet but flavorful Easy to park in later afternoon right on the street

Super fun little spot on the corner. Bright pink building. We ordered one chilaquiles verde. Huge…read moreplate, steaming hot, delicious!!!! Great value. Thank you!

La Esquinita has seriously become one of my favorite lunch spots because the food is AMAZING…read more Unfortunately, my issue is specifically with the two girls with black hair who are usually working the front register. Every single time I've come in and those two are working, the customer service has been disappointing. Neither of them ever seems welcoming. No "hi," no "welcome in," no smile, and sometimes barely even an acknowledgment that you're standing there waiting to order. When they do take your order, both come across short and irritated, almost like you're inconveniencing them by being there. Then you pay and there's usually no "thank you" or anything. The whole interaction gives off a "why are you here?" I'm not asking these girls to throw me a welcome party, but damn basic hospitality shouldn't be this difficult. When you're the first people customers interact with, your attitude represents the restaurant. At this point, the food has more warmth and personality than the two people standing at the register. And I want to make it clear that I'm specifically talking about my experiences with these two cashiers, because the food itself is DELICIOUS. Whoever is cooking in the back deserves their flowers. It's honestly unfortunate that such good food is being paired with front-counter service that repeatedly makes me reconsider coming back. Hopefully management addresses the issue because I genuinely enjoy eating here. Customers shouldn't feel like they're bothering the employees just for walking in and placing an order.

My wife and I tried Mesa Maguey for lunch last Sunday. We walked in...it wasn't crowded on a…read moreSunday. We loved the decor. Very comfortable tables/seating. Friendly staff. We ordered rose sangria and 3 plates to share: ceviche, flautas, and empanadas. We didn't wait long for the drinks and food. The ceviche was excellent. The flautas and empanadas were good (we've had better elsewhere) so we'll likely try other dishes when we go here again. Good quality food at reasonable prices. Again, friendly, attentive staff. We enjoyed our lunch and visit to this restaurant. Looking forward to returning. Definitely going to try their mole.

Fridays at Mesa Maguey are very fun, there is a musician and the vibe is very happy…read more Service is good, the staff is amicable and always checking in. Their flautas and chilaquiles are delicious and their regular ceviche very flavorful. Prices are great. A little tip: always ask for the price of the specials, we ordered a special ceviche thinking the prices would be similar than the rest of the dishes and when we got the bill it was the most expensive dish of the whole menu, and we actually left more than half of the place because we didn't like it, we usually have a great experience here and is one of our quick and nice to go places, but this was a bit of a bummer.

Ohhh baby we got a winner!!!…read more I had high expectations when I saw the Michilin Bib hanging over the kitchen, and boy did it live up to it. Not only was the food great but it also has a very cozy and unique vibe inside (well I guess technically it's outside.) there was no line and we got our food quick, I can't think of one thing to complain about. I got three tacos, all costing a mere 5$; Pork: absolutely blew me away. The first taco I started with and set the bar very high. I tried the first bite with all my friends and we instantly locked eyes because we knew we found something special 9.7/10 Pollo: nearly on the same level as the pork. The red onions on top gave it great texture and a unique flavor profile 9.2/10 Barbacoa: on its own it was solid! But when compared to its counterparts it wasn't quite as jaw dropping. 8.1/10 Overall: 9.4/10

Decent tacos with original and fun takes on classics and vegan friendly options. But it left me…read morewanting more in terms of genuine flavor, textura and coziness that I would get from other taco spots in Oakland. It's a fun space to hang out and I admire their contribution to the community, but I'd still recommend folks to go to Fruitvale for more diversity and genuine flavors. The presentation and hand made tortillas were great though

Love, love, love. We went for my birthday and I picked this place off of a short list I have saved…read morefor some time. I could only get a 8PM seating for 3 but we decided to get there at 7ish and see if they would seat us early. They were able to! However I will say the place was pretty packed. We were seated in the covered patio area and it was plenty fine with a jacket and they did have heat. We went a little crazy and I will say for three people we ordered WAY too much but we're foodies and wanted to try it all. We started out with the pluot salad, spicy carrots and a bowl of pozole. I ordered a passion fruit margarita. For mains we ordered the duck verde mole and the filet huarache. For desert we order the pot de crème (chocolate with an almond cookie). Everything was flavorful perfection. I actually think the salad and the carrots were my favorite. Hearty potions on everything btw. Inside is beautifully decorated and it has a party vibe. I brought the food home for my guys, even my 13 year old ate it up.

I've been only a few times before, but last night I dined closer to the end of the night and it was…read morenot great. I was even more surprised to see that chef Dominica was there. Our fish tacos and chips were both clearly fried in oil that was too cold. Both were super greasy, and I found the fish taco batter not to be fully cooked. The chips seemed soaked in grease or not properly drained. I was shocked! The tostadas and beet dish were good, but not great. Extremely loud environment.