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Los Cantaros Taqueria
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
4115 San Pablo Ave(between Park Ave & 43rd St)
Emeryville, CA 94608
(510) 601-8545
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 7 am - 9 pm
Sat 8 am - 9 pm
Sun 8 am - 8 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
121 reviews for Los Cantaros Taqueria
Review Highlights
"Al Pastor tacos are great."
(in 13 reviews)
"The Mexico City Tacos are the best."
(in 9 reviews)
"The burritos are juicy and delicious."
(in 37 reviews)
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121 reviews in English
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Review from Wanugee N.
Pleasant Hill, CA
This taqueria on San Pablo near 40th in Emeryville is pretty good!
The dishes are pretty authentic. They have several daily specials. I tried today's Chicken Tomales (2) covered in a Mole sauce with sour cream accents, served with black beans, spanish rice, salad greens, and traditional chips and salsa, all for $8.95!
They have burritos, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, tortas, sopas, breakfast burritos, and salads. They have ague frescos drinks and flan de fiesta and arroz con leche desserts. Their especiales, all served with rice, beans and corn tortillas, include Carne Asada - $8.50, Pollo Asado - $7.95, Camarones Rancheros - $8.95, 2 Chicken Mole Enchiladas - $7.95, and Chilaquiles con Arrachera - $8.95.
They have a couple of large screens with Futbol on them for you entertainment.
They also have beer on tap, bottled cervezas, and margaritas!
You order at the register, get a number to put on your table, and they bring it out to you.
I was stuffed on $10 for the rest of the day!Listed in: Wanugee! Mexican, Wanugee! Oakland
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Review from Ravi M.
Los Angeles, CA
11/17/2011
This place is perfect for lunch. I had a veggie burrito. The tortilla actually grilled, which I love. The ingredients tasted fresh.
There was a small line around noon on a Tuesday. I was in and out in 20 minutes.
The salsa/sauce that comes with the burritos is delicious. I just wish it was easier to get more without bothering the staff. -
Review from T A.
Alameda, CA
11/3/2011 1 photo
For the most part, I think Los Cantaros is one of the least delicious taquerias in all the land. Their salsa lacks oomph, they use canned beans (yep, I can tell the difference) and they nickel and dime you for EVERYTHING.
They also put pineapple in their Al Pastor, which is something that generally annoys me... especially when it's not being sliced off a spit.
However, their breakfast burrito is somehow delicious.
I guess they do eggs & bacon better than Mexican food.
I avoid this place for lunch, but will throw $4 in on a breakfast run with the co-worker in a heartbeat.
Beware of pigeons..they'll walk straight in and snake your chips. (see pic) -
Review from Jill T.
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
It was ok. I've eaten here a couple times and the food is fresh and good. Could be tastier. I'm ambivalent.
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Review from Aaron M.
Updated - 1/25/2012
Mmmmm sopes are soooo good! Dense, chewy, and wonderful fried masa flour cakes topped with grilled steak or chicken, refried beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa fresca, grilled pineapple (yes really) and sour cream. Yum! Good call David B!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/2/2011
I stopped by for take-out dinner with my colleague Kyle M tonight.
First impression upon diving into… Read more »
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Review from Jimmy H.
Berkeley, CA
1/22/2012
Came here with a few friends for a snack. Was very pleased.
The steak on the nachos was the best I have ever tasted, and overall the nachos were delicious. The salsa that came with the chips was the creamy kind and tasty.
My other friends got some tacos which were a pretty good bang for the buck. If I lived nearby I would eat here weekly. -
Review from adlih z.
Oakland, CA
9/16/2011
Thursday afternoon around 2 o'clock and the line is out the door. I am starving having returned from a long day of running errands.
I wait and wait...and I start to fantasize going to Arizmendi and eating a dozen cookies for lunch instead.
Finally cashiers are swapped and a young lady takes over. I tell her my order slowly in spanish and hand her my credit card. She has me repeat myself like 3 times before she rings me up. Arg.
I ordered a regular burrito with carne al pastor and an horchata. The horchata was ok. A little too sweet for my liking. Burrito, dry and not worth the wait nor what I was charged (mostly rice and I hit salsa in the burrito towards the end). I think that this was my 2nd or 3rd time coming to los cantaros and I need to stop fooling myself, things are not going to change. -
Review from Gary P.
Berkeley, CA
10/21/2011
I have eaten here on occasion for five or more years. The food is always tasty and the price is fair.
I had a breakfast burrito this morning that was worth raving about, so here I am. It was cooked to order, so it was hot, fresh and yummy. I got a choice of beans and a wide selection of meats (including shrimp!) but I went with my standby: carnitas and refried beans. Delish. The flour tortilla had the quality of a fresh-rolled one, not the thicker, somewhat gummy kind that they pull out of a big stack in most taquerias. These little quality touches make the difference.
The sort-of enchilada sauce that came with it wasn't that tasty. As always, I asked for a pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, onions & cilantro) and they provided it for free with a smile.
One star off for having both music and the TV playing at the same time. -
Review from C.N. N.
Emeryville, CA
12/30/2011
I started to frequent their place in 2002 when it was in the previous location on San Pablo/54th ST and now followed them to the 'new' location.
Am terribly boring in ordering ... always the same because I happen to believe they have the yummiest quesadilla (i request a special concoction... irma, you know exactly who i am :-) Eventually I shall order a burrito as well ....
the ingredients are always fresh tasting and prepared on the spot.
which i appreciate.
also enjoyable are the tortilla soup w/ chicken and the milk rice w/ cinnamon.
also appreciate the fresh tortilla chips.
the various friends who i have taken to the place also liked the food and mentioned the freshness ...
the chicken has a great flavour ... (at least in my quesadilla)
the blasting TV and conflicting music are really a big downer there for me, so i have take-away 98% of the time.
i always phone-order, so i just come to pay and pick-up. limits the exposure to the noise. -
Review from Flowergirl K.
Woodland Hills, CA
1/17/2012
I keep coming back for their super shrimp burrito, if you like camarones it's a must-try. Their melon drinks are delicious as well.
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Review from Stefanie L.
San Francisco, CA
8/7/2011
Two stars alone for the strawberry horchata. Why wasn't that invented before? If ever there were a drink to label the "sweet elixir of life," I think that stuff would qualify.
The al pastor burrito I had was very good--a respectable bean to rice to meat ratio is always important, and this one passed that test--but not insanely good. I think I'm a little tough on burritos because I'm from Salinas (it's not all about the Mexican food in LA, dudes!) but in any case, the meal was definitely satisfying PLUS the burrito was big enough for a fourth meal resurrection later that day (and it kept well in the fridge). And we all know fourth meals are definitely better than thirds. Or seconds. Or firsts. -
Review from Ms.pena P.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/3/2012
Went back.. and the sparkle has left the building a bit.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/15/2009
Finally a good Mexian restraunt near me. Love the crisy los cantaros tacos, the chips and all around… Read more »
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Review from Marie S.
San Francisco, CA
8/18/2011
This place was so good!
I reccomend you get a
-prawn burrito, pinto beants, with a sundried tomato tortilla (a Yelp review I read suggested this. Good choice!
-al pastor tacos... generously sized (two filled me up)
Definitely go here. -
Review from Smith G.
Emeryville, CA
11/26/2011
Great place! i ate a Caldo Tlalpeño Soup with chicken, very delicious!
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Review from Brian S.
Oakland, CA
8/6/2011
We go here and like it. It is kid friendly which is critical for us. It is close to Arizmendi which is great for a cookie. Tacos are excellent as are the frescas. Overall the food is okay...it will do if you want something quick and not to complex.
The soda selection is pitiful. Who likes rc cola under the age of 60? -
Review from Trisha T.
Oakland, CA
4/28/2011
Unfortunately, I'm in search of a new taqueria to get my burrito fix. I've noticed the quality falling off for the last several months but I kept going back hoping fit was just a blip or maybe it's just in the evening when all of the Pixar people go home.
I had a fish burrito a few weeks ago that had old, smelly fish in it and I couldn't eat it. More recently had the grilled vegis in a burrito that were unrecognizable because they were so over-cooked yet I had to bite off the woody stalks of the broccoli (I think it was broccoli)...yuck. Oh and my husband's last burrito was supposed to be Carnitas and he got camarones - pretty close. -
Review from Victor G.
Oakland, CA
4/12/2011
Los Cantaros offers some deals on their overhead board. order at the register for take out or they will bring the food to your table if you want to eat in.
sampling: steak tortas (5.95)
-steak was welldone, tasted burnt.
-supposedly had monterey cheese, sour cream, etc. didn't notice. it had mostly lettuce, tomato, onion....
-hard chips came with hot salsa.
-interesting as a sammie, disappointing as a torta.
-rating 2.5 stars
frijoles refritos:
-especials camarones diabla (8.95), wonder are the portions small like the grand ave location?
-pretty busy at lunch.
-lots of parking available in back.
-fast, friendly service.Listed in: burritos, tacos, tortas, and…
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Review from Hamza S.
Concord, CA
1/1/2012
Fantastic service, great food, always great customer service.
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Review from Veronica N.
Emeryville, CA
7/5/2011
I hail from Santa Ana, the center of all things Mexican in So-Cal so I enjoy a good burrito or plate of enchiladas. I've eaten at Cantaros a few times because it's walking distance from my house but not by choice. The boy likes it here...meh. I've had a few dishes and none actually left my Mexican food craving satisfied. Sad face.
After another night of begrudgingly trying to decide what to eat here, I discovered the Heart Smart burrito made with chicken breast, grilled veggies and pinto beans. They weren't kidding about the amount of veggies! The boy who fights against all healthy foods even liked it! I had to do a little happy food dance and it was large enough for two meals. BUT....I would never call the Heart Smart "mexican" just because it's a burrito. Goes against every wonderfully heart clogging cheesy dish at Mexican restaurants.
Service is always friendly. Love the beer choices. The food isn't what I typically expect hence the rating. The Heart Smart burrito was bomb so it bumped it up from two stars to three. -
Review from Erick L.
Berkeley, CA
11/2/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This has to be the best taqueria in Emeryville. This is the only taqueria I will go to when in Emeryville. The burritos are juicy and delicious!
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Review from Ketina M.
San Francisco, CA
10/15/2011
My tongue doesn't differenciate what's good and so so in foreign food. Mexican food is my favorite, so it tastes pretty good to me at pretty much any places. But something about burritos at Los Cantaros speak to me well. ha ha. It is YUM. Don't know how to describe. Its just really yummy and I normally eat iy too much. LOVE IT!
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Review from Zebedee R.
Portland, OR
10/22/2011
This place opens early and has a darn good ranchero breakfast burrito for less that 4 dollars. Excellent option on the run.
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Review from Jessica M.
San Francisco, CA
6/7/2011
Oh. My. Goodness. I want to befriend whoever decided to put pineapple chunks in the Al Pastor burrito. Amazing choice. This place is a great deal for the price. I ate half for lunch and was planning on saving the other half for dinner, that plan failed and I ate the whole thing all at once.
For $7 I got a good sized burrito and some chips and salsa on the side. Pretty quick service too! I will definitely be returning for another lunch. -
Review from Lorrayne L.
Oakland, CA
As I sit here, wondering what to get for midday sustenance, I shall write of my adventures at Los Cantaros.
Evil peeps and I come here quite often, as it's one of the few places that's decent and close to grab a bite at. It's so hard finding something good and non-expensive to eat in this town, that's not fast food or yet another sammich place.
Despite the fact that we come here so often, we haven't gotten completely tired of their fare yet. My usual is a burrito or the tamales (which are super good), so yesterday I tried something new - the Carne Asada plate (no beans please). It was good, as evidenced by my photo. The meat was seared very nicely, and I didn't mind that it wasn't mooing anymore. I like their rice, and the salads are always a nice complement.
No, I shan't go there again this day, but perhaps I'll go again the week next. Join me? -
Review from Ajo F.
Emeryville, CA
12/22/2011
Orale! A quick casual taqueria that hits the spot. We enjoy the Aguas frescas (fruit juices), pozole (an earth pork soup) and enchiladas verdes.
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Review from Jose O.
3/20/2011
Come for the Mexico City tacos.. they are the best and pretty cheap too, especially at happy hour. Try the sopes too.
The salsa that comes with the chips is spicy and it's ok, not great. I haven't ever had the bigger portions of food. They just don't seem appetizing to me for some reason. Maybe I'm just a picky Mexican. -
Review from Suzie K.
Alameda, CA
12/8/2011
We ordered breakfast burritos and they're pretty great. We were expecting to pay $5 or more but the burritos were $3.50. Mind, they're not super-size but they're perfect when you don't want to be overstuffed.
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Review from Amie R.
Emeryville, CA
9/29/2011
Love this place. Great food, the nachos are AMAZING. The staff is very nice and speedy. Prices are good and they have lots of selection. I like the decor, I'm a fan of bright colors. My only wish is that they would stay open a little later!
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Review from Doug L.
Oakland, CA
3/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Mexico City Tacos are the best! The carnitas is excellent.
Can't wait to go back and try the carne asada. -
Review from Linda D.
7/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Love the area! They have seatings outside and a lot inside! The workers were nice, and they have a lot of veggie options. I just had their cheese quesidilla and it was pretty big and came with a side of lettuce, sour cream, and pico de gallo for 5 bucks. There was also a hot guy who ordered before me, and he was wearing raybans. I think I'll come back just in case I might run into him again!
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Review from Andrew C.
Ms Wally's was closed for Labor Day (though Wally's was open. Kicked out of the house by the wifey?) so we were driving aimlessly down San Pablo and saw some folks eating at some sidewalk tables. We parked and headed in.
The thought of a $2.50 al pastor taco was too much for me to bear so I went for an al pastor super burrito. The g/f ordered the daily combo special of Shrimp Sope & Fish Taco (see pic).
The burrito was pretty big, but heavy on the rice & beans and light on the al pastor. What little pastor I found was nice and tender and the pineapple chunks in the al pastor was unexpected, but nice, touch. Filling (I finished ~2/3), but needed more meat. Maybe it was hiding the the portion I didn't finish . . .
The combo plate had the aforementioned sope & taco plus rice, beans, and a salad. The corn base of the sope was overcooked and pretty hard. The shrimp had nice seasonings, but were also somewhat overcooked. The fish taco which had deep fried fish was very tasty. They substituted some guac and fresh avocado for the pico de gallo and it also had some sour cream.Listed in: Al Pastor
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Review from Danny P.
8/31/2010 19 Check-ins Here
My default lunch spot whenever I can't decide on what to eat. This is as authentic as you can get in Emeryville.
You can't go wrong with the chicken super burrito with black beans. This burrito is huge and you'll definitely have left overs. They also give you a choice of the tortilla type (flour, tomato, etc.).
The shrimp salad is my second choice whenever I'm feeling healthy. The flavor on the shrimp makes this different from your typical salads. Top it off with a fresh Horchata and you'll feel good after eating your lunch.
They also have a blackboard with their daily specials where you can find some really good food. The only bad thing is that the specials change frequently, so if you find something you like it might not be back there the next day. -
Review from Alex T.
Oakland, CA
6/22/2011
My boyfriend and I came here due to awesome yelp reviews. However we did not love the burritos, and my boyfriend had a rock in his burrito. Not awesome.
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Review from jenn p.
Oakland, CA
2/26/2011
I haven't been here since last July but wanted to put in a good word for this spot in Emeryville. I've tried more than a few Mexican food spots up here and Los Cantaros keeps it's place as my go-to place for a good burrito, taco or quesadilla.
The prices are very reasonable and they also offer breakfast burritos which are pretty damn good. The menu is pretty extensive so you'll find something for everyone - even vegetarians! It's not too greasy and the portions are generous (the nachos is something to be attacked by 2 people).
Since people are looking for places up here I'm giving this 4-stars. However, I'd give this place 3-stars in comparison to so many other great Mexican food spots NOT in the Bay Area (try SoCal, Arizona or Texas).
I've lived here for almost 4 years and have yet to find a spot that can even come close to the many taco shops and Mexican restaurants in my hometown of San Diego. This has been proved over and over - which has been surprising and disappointing at the same time.
In the end, if you are looking for a solid Mexican food fix, Los Cantaros satisfies that craving! For those of us who work or live in Emeryville where there aren't that many choices for lunch (aside from the AWESOME food trucks that roam the streets - see my other reviews) Los Cantaros is a good bet. -
Review from Rob C.
San Francisco, CA
4/12/2011
Los Cantaros always comes through when in the mood for some Mexican eating! Their food always tastes great, is freshly prepared, and is even nicely arranged on the plate. They always have a different choice of daily lunch specials which makes it easy for you to decide when undecided!
Although I have never been disappointed with any selection from the menu - two thumbs up for their chicken mole, variety of different tortillas, and the yummy chimichangas!
Oh yeah, the TVs and music make for the perfect ambiance at lunchtime! -
Review from Karla C.
Emeryville, CA
2/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is our go to place for burritos close to home. The service could be quicker but I'm a patient person, plus they have sports on the TVs.
They have Mexican Coke which is always a plus.
I usually stick to the steak super burrito. I tried the Steak enchilidas once and they were no good. -
Review from Krystal H.
Berkeley, CA
6/21/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Love this place for cheap and filling eats. I usually want to try something other than a burrito, but I can't help myself - they're so good. Also love the messy, sugary margaritas.
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Review from Adam M.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2011
I normally love this place but the last two times I've gone I ended up waiting 20-30 minutes for my burrito. The last time they gave my order to the wrong person and had I not said anything I'd have been waiting much longer. Very frustrating to watch people get their orders before you when they'd ordered a good 15 minutes after you...
I wonder if this has anything to do with the new person at checkout. Either way I hope they can fix this problem or else I'm going to have to find another burrito joint! -
Review from Jennifer S.
Oakland, CA
12/10/2010
It's true. I haven't been to all that many Mexican restaurants in the area yet. But after moving from Ohio, I've been able to indulge in my enchilada fantasies as much as I've wanted to at this place.
The perks:
- Great prices!!!
- Daily specials
- Very good food (and margaritas)
- Dine in or carry out
- Parking in the back
- Quick service
I recommend:
- My standard chicken enchilada dinner (red sauce)
- Whatever the daily special is. We've had gorditas and soup (really a thick and hearty stew type dish) and both have been delish.
I'm not sure what else you need. I'll be back every time I get that hot and spicy craving. -
Review from Matthew D.
Emeryville, CA
7/3/2010
So it's 6 PM on a Saturday and I decide that I want a burrito. I go on Yelp to see that a place on San Pablo and 67th has good ass reviews, so I walk over there from my place on Hollis and 65th, forgoing Rotten City Pizza and McDonald's, cuz I want a fucking burrito. The damn place is closed, so I decide to walk down San Pablo until I find one that's open. It took me all the way down past 45th, passing a KFC cuz I still want a damn burrito, until I finally came across this place.
My first impression was that the prices are pretty high for the type of joint this is, so that's why I can't give it 5 stars. I wouldn't be able to come back here for the sake of nourishment, though I won't hesitate to suggest this place when friends are visiting. Anyways...
We all know that at any given Mexican restaurant, all the food generally tastes the same, so for the sake of consistency, I always order a carne asada super burrito my first time around, and I must say that this has to be the best burrito I've eaten in the area since moving to Emeryville.
They also have a nice variety on their menu, which I'll be sure to go for the next time I'm over here.
