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Los Cantaros Restaurant And Taqueria
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
336 Grand Ave(between Lee St & Perkins St)
Oakland, CA 94610
(510) 834-4300
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sat-Sun 10 am - 9 pm
Fri 10 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
331 reviews for Los Cantaros Restaurant And Taqueria
Review Highlights
"Shrimp and fish tacos keep us coming back."
(in 26 reviews)
"Some of the best Chicken Chile Verde around."
(in 5 reviews)
"The agua frescas and cucumber/citrus water are still..."
(in 8 reviews)
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331 reviews in English
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Review from Salsaboy S.
Oakland, CA
1/26/2012
3.5 stars is more accurate.
Los Cantaros is a reliable standby. I've never been blown away by anything I've ever eaten there, but I've never had anything bad either. It's virtually always a base-hit, and grading on a curve, it's better than most Mexican places I've tried since moving to the area several years ago. I am a vegetarian, so much of their menu I've never considered. I usually get a vegetable quesadilla or vegetable enchiladas. I've only tried the vegetarian burrito once -- on my most recent visit -- and I didn't like it as much as the other vegetarian standards. They have excellent cucumber and lemon water.
Prices are reasonable. They usually bring chips and salsa to the table after one orders (often, they are slow about this). I think the salsa recipe recently changed; I preferred the older, original version. Even so, it's close, reliable, near the lake, and relatively good. I don't come often, but it's always reasonably good when I go. -
Review from Isaac H.
Oakland, CA
1/16/2012
What's not to like about this place eh?
Fast and friendly service, delicious food in great proportions. And the price is very attractive. Most of their meal plates are below $10.
I would prefer some extended hours of operation, especially considering the bar crawl scene on Grand... but at the same time, I could see some trouble and liabilities going into that as well.
Definitely give this place a chance; it's fairly packed during your meal hours, but finding a table is fairly easy all around. -
Review from Meredith M.
Oakland, CA
1/14/2012
May not be the most authentic place on earth but so what! I love this restaurant for the following reasons:
Aguas Frescas/Horchata: there are plenty of places to get wierd/nasty agua fresca made from a mix, but come here if you want the REAL DEAL! They have so many flavors (watermelon is the best) and its not too sweet, how agua fresca should be! same with the Horchata; if you have never had it before, try it here!
The soup: Tlalpeno soup is the bomb! Smoky flavor, nice pieces of stewed chicken, and big pieces of vegetable. served with tortillas and lemon, I'm in love!!
Shrimp Burrito: shrimps are nicely grilled and there is a nice ratio of rice to sauce in the filling, this is very important to me!
Oh, also the staff is always friendly and they always look like they are having a good time and enjoying each others company, which is really cool, contributes to the good vibe! -
Review from Zak M.
Oakland, CA
2/8/2012
Probably the best Mexican restaurant in the area.
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Review from Hannah A.
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
I want to throw salt on everything.
The food tastes so healthy! I don't know why I'm complaining about that because I need to get my fat ass to the gym. This is a great place for a beer on lunch hour. It seems to be a popular attraction for young business professionals like myself. Go with a group of your work buddies, but if you don't have any....then call me. I don't either.
I do like the large open windows, the friendly faces at the cash register and the salsa.
I'll give them a 3 stars but the glass is half full. -
Review from Danielle R.
Oakland, CA
1/4/2012
Super nachos with grilled chicken. Yes.
Other than that, the quesadillas are pretty righteous, but the salsa is not awesome and the fish tacos were one of the most flavorless tacos ever experienced.
Overall, it can be touch and go, but my mainstay is always good. Better than good. Ah-mazing. -
Review from Tim P.
Oakland, CA
12/24/2011
Decent food, inexpensive but there's something missing and I still haven't quite put my finger on it. It's like everything tastes very good but it's a watered down version of some of the other places I've been. But it's close and convenient.
Plusses:
1) huge portions for next to nothing despite being in a trendy area.
2) they let you mix aquas frescas. Two of my favs... Strawberry horchata and Mango/watermelon/pepino.
3) You can get chorizo on nachos or in a torta.
4) their mole is very good.
Deltas:
1) The pozole needs some oomph.
2) The salsa can be inconsistent. Some days it's great and tastes of the chiles, other days it tastes like Pace.
Suggestions: Please try something other than burritos... you can get those anywhere. -
Review from Lady J.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 12/15/2011
It surely has been awhile since my first trip to Los Cantaros and my subsequent yelp review. Just had to post an update to say that this is probably my favorite Mexican food spot near Lake Merritt. LOVE the crab enchiladas. Maybe it is just what I eat when I eat it, but that is my favorite thing on the menu. The burritos and nachos are cool, but not the explosive flavor that would force me to come back non stop. Come to think of it, maybe my expectations are too high. Who knows...
I like the place and would take anyone there.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/30/2008
Alright... so, I can't fault the Taqueria for this, but my coworkers duped me. They tell me that… Read more »
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Review from Patrick K.
Daly City, CA
1/25/2012
All you need is a chicken mole burrito and a negro modelo. Sit back, relax and scarf away. Super nom nomz
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Review from Unkl- T.
Oakland, CA
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is only ok. I really want to like it more as it is so close to home. The spicy burrito is my favorite.
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Review from Anna P.
Oakland, CA
12/11/2011
Even with tacos overflowing with me, this place is just alright (pretty cheap, easy & convenient, though)
Order a beer, watch a game, chow on free chips/salsa & grub on some tacos. They load up the super tacos with tons of meat, but the flavor isn't really something you'd write home to Mom about. The tacos al pastor here were a bit fatty, too. -
Review from Krisanne C.
Oakland, CA
1/29/2012
This is my go-to neighborhood spot. Don't feel like cooking and don't feel like a big production going out but still want good food? Los Cantaros it is. The menu is extensive, the prices are moderate, the food's pretty tasty, and the service is friendly. The setup is such that you order at the counter, find a seat, and they'll bring your food to you. So while it's not full waiter service, it's not totally self-serve either. You'll get a nice basket of chips and a zippy salsa to munch on while you wait, and there's a big dispenser with cold citrus-flavored water to drink. I believe the bar has beer & wine only, but there's also a really nice selection of soft drinks - many more traditional Mexican drinks, plus the old standbys of sodas. The carnitas are great, the crispy taco shells are yummy, the burritos are as big as your head. I also looove their prawns, but since prawns set off my body's defense mechanisms I can only drool at them now. But it's all good.
I've also taken several groups here - it's a great setup for a group since everyone can pay for themselves and there's food at several different price points. Plus, there's lots of room, and even when the front room is full, there always seems to be space in the back room. -
Review from Jessica E.
Oakland, CA
1/13/2012
Good food. 'Nuff said
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Review from Patrick S.
Oakland, CA
1/10/2012
Popped in as a part of what is apparently the last call before closing burrito rush. Grabbed the intriguing sounding Spicy Chicken burrito and an horchata. Burrito came with the super burrito upgrades, the spicy chicken was grilled chicken in a red sauce. It was excellent, spicy but not overpowering heat. Good service, easy parking after 8.
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Review from David S.
Oakland, CA
1/13/2012
F-ing delicious. Had the chicken burrito the first time and the chicken chile verde burrito the last time. Spinach tortilla and all aqua frescas are bomb! JUST.GO.
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Review from Jessica T.
San Jose, CA
11/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Probably my favorite restaurant to come to for Mexican food.
Their steak quesadilla is to AMAZING, ahh! Thinking about it makes me mouth water. I love how fresh it tastes and how the cheese is all melty and stringy when I take a bite. They give complimentary chips and salsa to those who dine in. I also pay for guacamole and sour cream to add to my quesadilla, because it's so darn good. Their spicy and mild (for my boyfriend) salsas are also freshly made and really good too.
I also order the watermelon fresca every time I come here. They make it fresh, so it's unbelievably tasty. It seems like I have over-used the word "good" in this review, but that is all that comes to mind when I think of this restaurant.
Like what fellow reviewer Ron L. said, "It's discoveries like this that make my search for interesting restaurants all worthwhile." -
Review from Vanessa S.
Oakland, CA
12/25/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I really like this place. There's a lot of choices and I like that they have so many different agua frescas! Though they only have certain ones on certain days, but you still have some good ones to choose from. This place doesn't compete with the places in the Mission, but it's a great find on Lake Merritt.
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Review from Nick S.
10/16/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I feel like the Yelp reviews are really underselling this place.
I had a spicy chicken burrito for lunch today (the special) and it was pretty damn good. Filled with pinto beans, mexican rice, cheese, sour cream and Diablo sauce, it was a mess of fiery goodness.
The free chips and salsa you get with your order are also top-notch. -
Review from Eli G.
San Mateo, CA
10/16/2011
I discovered this place after lookin for some mexican food that offered some healthy options too... So i decided to try this place out since they have choice of whole wheat tortilla, spinach, etc..
Also if you are looking for a leaner cut of meat, you can get chicken breast burrito instead of regular chicken... kind of cool..
quality is quite good, service is ehhh alright... all in all for somewhere a mile away from my work its good for a quick little latin fix!
they could make their burritos a little larger though... (as far as the breakfast or regular burritos) -
Review from Rebecca M.
Oakland, CA
11/7/2011
I thought it was pretty good for $10 - I had a Horchata (drink), enchilada plate which came with rice, salad, and beans.
The portion was big enough that I took one enchilada to go. The beans weren't as spicy as I have had in the past but I like that they don't use lard or MSG . -
Review from Ron L.
Concord, CA
10/11/2011
It's discoveries like this that make my search for interesting restaurants all worthwhile.
Over the last few years, I have rarely eaten out without Yelping the place first. Not in this case. My family had the day off (okay, Berzerkeley, it was on Indigenous Persons Day), and we found one restaurant that turned out to be the pits, got lost trying to find another one, and while getting lost, we drove by Los Cantaros. Eh, why not. It's in one of the few good parts of Oakland, so we're going to be fine walking there. We parked a block up the hill, in an area that has grown better with age (unlike the rest of Oakland).
It's a cute place, but there's also a room in the back, making the restaurant larger than it looks from Grand Avenue. Nicely decorated. The food was very good. My wife and I both had something fishy - she had a salmon enchilada, I had spicy prawns - and our girl had quesadillas. A little spicy for my hunny, but that's not unusual.
Overall, one of the better Mex places I've eaten at. My girl liked it too, which is good: Children's Fairyland is close by, she still hasn't been there yet, and when she goes, I'd like to take her to Los Cantaros. If you become an apartment dweller in this area, Los Cantaros is worth many visits. -
Review from Cedell B.
Oakland, CA
12/1/2011
why do people get burritos here? the menu is full of plates that will satisfy.
my personal favorite is the seafood enchiladas with a side of guacamole.
margaritas aren't bad either. -
Review from Jared M.
9/1/2011
Los Cantaros has a nice layout and good service. It seems like a great place to have some nachos, some margaritas and watch the game, but the food is pretty average. The carnitas and al pastor tacos are decent, but the enchilada I ordered had pretty low quality beef in it.
There are other nice touches, like the free lemon-cucumber water and the decent chips and salsa. Don't get me wrong, Los Cantaros is a fine place to have some Mexican. Just don't go expecting too much. -
Review from Daniel P.
Oakland, CA
11/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good food, fairly cheap. Takes credit cards, counter service; nice staff. Good margaritas. Funky exterior that gives the place a fun feel.
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Review from Adam T.
Oakland, CA
8/11/2011
Cute little place around Lake Merritt. You order at the counter from their decently large menu and then take your number to your table while waiting for your food to come to you. They include a complimentary side of chips and salsa, but the salsa has got some bite. If you want pico, make sure to order the "chips and salsa" as a side as well (you'll get more chips, don't worry).
The boy and I ordered tacos de papa and chicken enchiladas. I can't say that either was fantastic or something worth writing home about, but they were good and fairly cheap, so the standards have been adjusted to reflect that fact.
They have a decent selection of beers, a wider variety of Jarritos than most places (the boy got grapefruit, which I haven't seen in a while), and don't forget - there is water and glasses available at the end of the counter!
Definitely not gourmet, but for a cheap, quick Mexican place? Pretty darn good. -
Review from Michael H.
Seattle, WA
11/17/2011
This place is the most vegetarian-friendly taqueria in Oakland. The food is awesome, the staff is incredibly consistent, and the place has a good feeling. They keep me fat and happy.
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Review from Meuy S.
El Cerrito, CA
7/22/2011
As usual, starving after running/walking the lake so my friend and I needed to go eat. Unfortunately we are a very strict "eating plan" as our fearless leader calls it so we aren't allowed to eat carbs, fruit or sugar. Great, I can take so much salads before I turn into a rabbit but I was craving Mexican food so my friend suggested Los Cantaros.
Sooooo glad its by the lake and there wasn't a line when we got there around 7:30ish. We looked over their menu and I decided to get their special of the night Mar y Tierra, chicken, shrimp and beef marinated in anchote lime dressing sauteed with peppers and onions and comes with salad, beans, corn tortillas and mexican rice. The food was good and fast but since I'm couldn't have carbs, I asked for extra salad and beans instead of the rice and corn tortillas but they skimped on them :(
Overall okay experience with a casual relaxed atmosphere, just remember don't go there while on healthy eating plan, you'll wanna eat everything! -
Review from Robert G.
Lafayette, CA
4/13/2011
I work around the corner from this place and I have gotten addicted very quickly. Everything on the menu is very fresh & reasonably priced, I go back again and again for their food.
The people are friendly, service is quick (eat in or take out) and the decor is bright and amusing.
Usually at least one TV with sports on during the day... -
Review from angela l.
3/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I read the reviews before stopping by, and I was warned their food would be bland. but I thought, this is a mexican place by my house and how bland can mexican food ever really be? let's give it a try.
it's effing bland.
I usually get my mexican fix from the taco trucks, but once in awhile I want a nice plate of enchiladas. I have never had to use salt on mexican food, until now. even a little squeeze of lemon just did not help. I'm not sure what the food's missing here, but it's noticeably missing sommmething. three stars because the food wasn't terrible, but it certainly was not great. sad, because this is the only mexican place near my house. save your money and hit up the taco truck. -
Review from Learnee L.
Emeryville, CA
4/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hubby and I had always told ourselves to check out this place every time we go to the Lake area.
Our last junk food Friday, we finally remembered to visit and try this place.
The place was getting crowded when we saw this place.
The menu is large and can be a bit confusing.
We ordered and found ourselves seats.
Service: pretty good.
Seats: lots of them, area is clean. music wasn't loud.
Food: .. hmmm.. it's eh?! it tasted pretty good but nothing mexican about it. I ordered the parilla mix (special of the day) while hubby ordered a carne asada plate with our margaritas. Both food and drinks lacked flavor. The portion was okay but I've had good mexican food somewhere.
We're not being racist or anything but we just reminded ourselves that if the mexican food place is full of non-mexican people, it's a bad sign. -
Review from Alfred M.
Oakland, CA
5/4/2011
This is my new spot for Mexican food in Oakland. The food reminds me of the Taqueria in Alameda. It's not as good, but the price is cheaper here. I ordered the carne asada nachos with guacamole. The salsa is pretty fresh and they give you plenty of it. The portions are big so you can get your grub on. At this minute, I'm still recovering from my dinner an hour ago. I believe the steak, cheese, guacamole and salsa is still marinating in my stomach. Actually, I know it is.
For those dining in, they got plenty of seats. The place is pretty busy this evening, so expect to wait a few minutes. I will try the steak and fish tacos next time.
Best of all, they got a flat screen for you to watch the NBA playoffs. They get an extra star just for that. -
Review from Jennifer R.
Oakland, CA
12/1/2011
This place is right around the corner from where we live....we've been coming here for years, and each time we try it again, we remember why we stopped coming. The food, for what it is, is over-priced and not that great...just OK. We used to live in the Mission in SF, and have had much better food there for a fraction of the price. We have had our orders mixed up there on numerous occasions... The chips have been stale... The tacos are simply not good...stick to the taco truck on Broadway in front of the Grocery Outlet. If you are hungry and need a quick bite in the neighborhood, then it is OK, but we've defintiely had better... Not a big fan.
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Review from eli b.
Updated - 4/12/2011
Lunchtime today, first meal here, after several people told me it was great. Got a chicken verde burrito. Also, some killer guacamole. Both very tasty. Had not had any breakfast before this lunch, so it was really breakfast and lunch, but I was still not hungry for over 6 hours. In fact, wasn't even hungry then, despite a very active day. Only reason I ate was my friend made me a great dinner.
Moral to this story -- it's tasty and will fill you up.
Bonus for sports fans: they've got a big tv on which you can catch up on ESPN.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/12/2011
someone wrote something about the margaritas so a friend and i went here to get one. didn't realize… Read more »
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Review from Mark S.
Oakland, CA
3/2/2011
Been brought up on Mexi food (mom and her family from Durango), had a taqueria in the family on the penninsula for years, and still actively enjoy cooking my favorites (frijoles, arroz, roasted salsa, chile verde, chile rellenos, tamales). So going into a taqueria for the first time, i typically follow this check list:
1. Salsa and chips - sit down and sample some, if no flavor, stop right here and proceed to the exit. if flavor exists, continue on to the following test
2. Tacos - not super, not dorado (crispy), just tortillas, meat, some onion/cilantro relish, lime, and some of the aforementioned salsa. put you out ~ $2.25. If no flavor, stop here and now proceed to exit. if tacos are flavorful, then enjoy some more!!
My experience here was a disaster. Decided to skip the checklist (major mistake) and go straight for the house special which was crab enchiladas. Sounded good, esp since crab is in season. WRONG, crab was canned and simply disgusting (tasted like tin/metal). salsa was absolutely flavorless. Felt ripped off, (7.90ish) but shame on me for not sticking w/ my usual approach to trying out a new taqueria/restuarant.
Is this place even owned/operated by Mexicans? Totally shocking dining experience. Should have paid attention to the lack of mexi's / latinos eating there ... none in there on a friday evening, just beards, beanies, hipster glasses, and fixies ... DAMN should have seen this coming. -
Review from May G.
Oakland, CA
12/27/2011
Chicken Chile Verde super burritos, margaritas, football on the TV screens and walking distance from my apartment! Also, the festive Christmas tree with .. interesting.. ornaments really won me over.
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Review from Missy W.
Oakland, CA
3/16/2011
**very gluten-free friendly**
I had never been here until I moved half a block a way. The food here is awesome, and the staff is very accommodating about food allergies. The chips are made of corn, and the green salsa is the best I've ever had. In 2 weeks, I've been here 3 times! I'll be back! -
Review from Miranda E.
Oakland, CA
3/10/2011
Oakland is sorely lacking in restaurants that have decent food, decent atmosphere AND decent prices. I've found hardly a single place that has more than two of those qualities -- at least within walking distance of my downtown apartment.
I had a "pomegranite" margarita for $4 that was suitably boozy and sweet (get it with salt), and the carnitas were yummy.
Chips were tough and stale but damn, I am just glad for a taco that's not organic local bacon $8 each OR served with flickering florescent lights and a humming fridge next to the tables. -
Review from Chili B.
Los Angeles, CA
6/4/2011
Yummy!
Great food, great prices, great chips, great salsa.
I got the fish taco and man it was big and delicious. It comes with a huge piece of fried fish. And chips and salsa come with your order.
Great taqueria. -
Review from Kim K.
Oakland, CA
9/7/2011
This is my go-to burrito place, since it is close to my work, gym, and home. So honestly this review is only for the veggie burrito. This place is open until 9, which is awesome, and the staff is friendly and helpful. They get your food out really fast, too ! The veggie burrito has actual vegetables in it =)
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Review from Jessi I.
Oakland, CA
7/21/2011
I like the variety of the menu and have enjoyed many of their specials, especially tacos maya. Some of my favorite dishes include salads, although you might ask for extra dressing on the side it can be bland. All of the tacos I've tried have been great, and it's nice to order a larger entree at times as well like the carnitas enchiladas.
After you order at the counter, go grab some of the water that's flavored with cucumber and orange, it is so fresh and surprisingly notable. Even if you are waiting for a to-go order they bring you chips and salsa and on certain days the salsa has a nice extra kick. Also, as a soccer fan, it's nice to see some soccer on the T.V.
