Rebecca Elkins

The chips were thick and house-made with a delicious msg type seasoning. The three salsas were each unique yet familiar on the palate while yet distinctive of each other. The tequila flight and mezcal based Paloma were both delicious. The enchiladas had almost a lasagna like flavor. The heartiness, and maybe the oregano or a mix of parsley with the cilantro gave the filling a standout flavor. The guacamole was exactly how I make it at home, but with perfectly ripe avocados. The guacamole also played off the with chip’s seasoning and thickness. We had issues with the order but our waitress acknowledged and corrected the mistake without hesitation. Mistakes happen, but correcting and acknowledging a mistake with zero snark or issues is good enough for me. I am admittedly snobby about Mexican food being from San Antonio, however I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. It wasn’t traditional, it was elevated Mexican inspired dishes with firm roots in traditional Mexican food.

+7

Guan-Lun Liao

Came here to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and it becomes one of my favorite restaurants in Berkeley. Great foods, decent drinks, and friendly staff. If you like to try something different, wood-grilled chicken livers should be on your list. We tried both enchilada and quesadilla, and we were pretty full and satisfied.

+4

I love this place. It's our go-to neighborhood Cheers vibe and never disappoints. Sitting at the bar is the best seat in the house, the bartenders are always great and the service is fast. My favor…

We had such a wonderful time.\nOur bar tender (Olga with the pink hair) brought fun and lively conversation to our delicious meal. It was such an enjoyable Friday evening out! Thanks Olga! We'll be b…

Had an amazing dinner here. We read really good reviews online and of course the Michelin Recommendation, so we had to give it a try. \n\nThe menu changes daily, we got the chips and guacamole with…

Visited this place with my friend after a bad experience at a wine spot. We just walked and found it while looking for another wine spot. This place is very cute. I loved the employee that greete…

Fantastic food. See if you can get the ribs. Love the salads, chips, guacamole. Not sold on the shredded beef, especially in the burrito. Flavorful but limp and spongy like, well, shredded beef.

Fabulous everything! Delicious food. Great service. Wonderful location. Terrific drinks. Beautiful space. Bravo!

This place is amazing! My friend and I had to order several items because everything sounded so good so we shared small plates. The chips and guacamole are the best. The food is amazing. The servic…

Friendly service with spectacular food and reasonably priced. We had a front window table and the ambiance was perfect.

Friendly service with spectacular food and reasonably priced. We had a front window table and the ambiance was perfect.

Friendly service with spectacular food and reasonably priced. We had a front window table and the ambiance was perfect.

Friendly service with spectacular food and reasonably priced. We had a front window table and the ambiance was perfect.

Absolutely terrific food, excellent ambience, gracious server, rapid service. We were so grateful to try a new place and both be utterly delighted. Latin fare doesn't get any better than Comal. I h…

Absolutely terrific food, excellent ambience, gracious server, rapid service. We were so grateful to try a new place and both be utterly delighted. Latin fare doesn't get any better than Comal. I…

The service was excellent. The food was fastastic and authentic (I've been to Mexico about 20 times). But the most amazing part was that my wife, who knows a good margarita when she drinks one,…

This is a very nice downtown restaurant, good ambience. They have a nice outdoor seating area. All of our dishes were very good, Mexican food of a very high quality. And good service.

Bob Robert Sims

We were a large party booked with catering and a fixed menu. Our party wasn’t able to sit when we arrived so we went to the busy bar in the back and enjoyed excellent cocktails with superior bar service. Once at our table service was uneven at best. The server told us she was about to go on a ten minute break before she brought the entrees. She should have had more help. After a significant wait the manager got the meal served. The food was presented nicely and was very tasty. This is a restaurant that deserves another visit. One other comment should mention the rock hard wooden benches we were forced to sit on. I would have preferred to enjoy the delicious food a bit more comfortably.

Aryan

Was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere of the back area of Comal. From the front, it doesn’t really look that big but once your inside they an elegant sit down interior and then their back area has a tall ceiling and a very earthy vibe with a bar connected. The food itself is authentic. Especially their hand pressed tortillas. The prices are a bit steep but it’s worth it for a cute dinner date or elegant time with the family. I got the cod tacos which were extremely delicious. The tortillas are super soft and surprisingly light.

Alethea D

Had a lovely dinner there last night. Our waitress was very attentive. We had the whole roasted chicken and it came with lovely tortillas, beans and rice. Cocktails were yummy too. I liked the ceviche, though there could’ve been more shrimp. The Tlayuda was very good. Also, there were a lot of adorable children running around, which is always a plus.

Balaji G.

We went to this Mexican restaurant in downtown Berkeley for dinner on July 4. This is casual fine dining place. They have a good deletion of cocktails, alcoholic beverages and good vegetarian options for food. We ordered the paper umbrella, juaqin murietta and the Jack satan cocktails. For mains we ordered the mushroom quesadilla, Tlyuda( flatbread with squash, smashed garbanzo paste, squash blossom and a pesto on top, just similar to a pizza). My friends ordered the tamales ( non veg option), barbacoa taco and the pork enchiladas for entrees. The Coca-Cola are really good. The tlayuda flatbread dish was good and huge portion ( easily shared by two). The quesadilla was rich and heavy. The order entrees portion size was good for one person. My friends loved the barbacoa and the enchillada. The tamales was decent/average. One thing to note is that even though the tamales may seem to have veggie options, the masa used to make the tamales has lard or animal fat. So in essence none the tamales is veggie. This is not mentioned on the menu and I by chance got to know before ordering with the waiter staff. Overall the ambience and the setting is really good and it was a pleasant experience with dishes not commonly seen in other Mexican restaurants in Bay Area.

+20

The atmosphere in Comal is comfortable and not overdone. Lot's of medium tone wood. There is an outdoor seating area but we were there on a rainy night so stayed inside. We tried the cod and sweet …

The atmosphere in Comal is comfortable and not overdone. Lot's of medium tone wood. There is an outdoor seating area but we were there on a rainy night so stayed inside. We tried the cod and sweet …

My party arrived at Comal. We checked in for our reservation. We could not be seated because we were 4 minutes early. We were asked to step aside and wait. Two other parties arrived while we were i…

Food has good flavor and seasoning, drinks are balanced, ambiance is perfect for date night. Service was quick and attentive!

food has good flavor and seasoning, drinks are balanced, ambiance is perfect for date night. Service was quick and attentive!

Food has good flavor and seasoning, drinks are balanced, ambiance is perfect for date night. Service was quick and attentive!

This place has a great vibe, really nice outdoor seating area. Very busy for a weekday night , but we got a table within 10 minutes. We tried a watermelon salad which was not bad. The tlayudas were…

I brought a visiting friend to Comal, as I’d never been and figured it would be a nice place to try out. There were plenty of people having a great time out back, dancing to music under strings of li…

The seven of us went for a birthday celebration. Even though we had a rez, we seated in the dark back patio—not exactly a festive atmosphere. Family-style platters brought out; food was only “OK,” no…

The seven of us went for a birthday celebration. Even though we had a rez, we seated in the dark back patio—not exactly a festive atmosphere. Family-style platters brought out; food was only “OK,” …

The seven of us went for a birthday celebration. Even though we had a rez, we seated in the dark back patio—not exactly a festive atmosphere. Family-style platters brought out; food was only “O…

All the bartenders rock. Great martinis. Sometimes it gets packed, so get there early. Erica our server was very gentle and polite and waited on us like we were special

All the bartenders rock. Great martinis. Sometimes it gets packed, so get there early. Erica our server was very gentle and polite and waited on us like we were special

All the bartenders rock. Great martinis. Sometimes it gets packed, so get there early. Erica our server was very gentle and polite and waited on us like we were special

Comal used to be a favorite spot. We had a bad birthday dinner there a couple nights ago. One meal (5 diners) never arrived after all other dishes had. After waiting 10 minutes we asked our wait…

Olana

I would say you’re paying mostly for the ambience. The food was alright I liked the tlayuda. Aside from that everything was average.

+1

Matty Easton

I wanted to love this place. I really did. I mean, it’s a recommended Bib Gourmand after all! However, my honest review is that it tastes like Mexican food made by someone who has.. never had Mexican food before 😭 for a $15 taco, I expected something flavorful and high in quality, but instead I got a plate of food that tasted like a few too many Karens complained it was “too spicy” to the point that the chef gave up on seasoning altogether. I’m 100% convinced the slaw on top of the fish tacos was just cabbage, mayonnaise, and some salt — even a bit of lemon juice or vinegar would’ve added more dimension to an otherwise flat flavor profile. The carne asada tacos were topped with cooked cactus, which added a lot of volume but not a lot of flavor. For as disappointing as the tacos were, the guacamole was DELICIOUS, creamy and tart in all the right ways. The tortilla chips were clearly made in-house (which I really liked), although you had to be careful to avoid getting one that gushed oil when you bite into it. A bit thinner and they would’ve been perfect. My dining partner had the shrimp ceviche, which they really liked (I didn’t try any). The cocktails were refreshing and very high quality. My favorite part of the dining experience was the atmosphere — it had an industrial-chic ambience with lots of black metal, dark wood, and exposed concrete. It was also surprisingly spacious, with lots of dining space deep into the back of the restaurant, paired with soaring ceilings and exposed beams (if you’re pressed for a place that can accommodate a large group, this space is up to the task!) I would come again for a cocktail before a show or a nightcap after dinner somewhere else in downtown Berkeley. Our server was very kind and attentive and made sure we had our food in time to wrap up and make our concert. Overall, I didn’t HATE it, but I expected a lot more for Mexican food in California (especially one with these price tags! 🤑).

Raymond Libaad

Let me be upfront about my 3 stars: it is mostly for the ambience of the outdoor area and the nice staff. The food is 2 stars at most and some items like the fish taco is a 1 star item. The chips were nice and toasty and it went downhill from there. The tacos were very soggy and the fish was tasteless. The chicken tacos fared better but still average at best. The Talyuda was bland. The guacamole was average but the salsa was tasteless (a simple item that most Mexican restaurants ace). In the end if your main aim is to entertain friends in a nice place close to UCB then go there but don't go for the food.

+16

We were really excited to try Comal after it was recommended highly but our experience was pretty underwhelming and sort of mid. We started with margaritas and chips and salsa which were okay. Not ve…

Food, ambience, and *usually* wait staff are so excellent here, it's always my go-to for friends visiting from out of town. I still feel that way, but recently I reserved a table for 4 and two th…

Food, ambience, and *usually* wait staff are so excellent here, it's always my go-to for friends visiting from out of town. I still feel that way, but recently I reserved a table for 4 and two thin…

food, ambience, and *usually* wait staff are so excellent here, it's always my go-to for friends visiting from out of town. I still feel that way, but recently I reserved a table for 4 and two thin…

The food needed salt. The quality was great, but unsalted food is just unacceptable, especially when there isn't any on the table. Service was solid and ambiance was nice however.

So...... went there recently on a Wednesday evening approximately 5 PM. The two hostesses were very rude. Asked if we had a reservation. We did not there was maybe two parties in the dining room an…

A nice higher end Mexican restaurant with great drinks but I found the food lacking. It was pricey for small portions. I enjoyed the outdoor seating with a fireplace, and nice music but disappointe…

I was so excited to go to Comal as it was listed as a “must-go” place in Berkeley. As it is considered a pioneer in high-end mexican food. Honestly, I was not impressed - it was average in qualit…

marc viale

I have been to Comal around 5 times and tonight made me think they have a new chef or new ownership. The food in some cases was inedible and not good. Yes, chips and salsa are fine. The bar is good. However, the food is off. The tacos are mushy with no flavor. My wife had the fish tacos and they were not good. I had the kale and potato tacos and it was boiled kale and potatoes with no flavor and mushy. No flavor. This is disappointing as comal was a goto spot for entertaining visitors. I will not be returning.

James K

Fairly awful experience, but maybe just an off day (2/5). I brought a visiting friend to Comal, as I’d never been and figured it would be a nice place to try out. There were plenty of people having a great time out back, dancing to music under strings of lights in the lovely garden. Alas, we were having a not-so-great time inside. The hostess was laughably rude. We seemed to interrupt a little tiff she was having with some dude and she was clearly unhappy having to pause her drama to deal with us. As we walked up she looked over and said “Yes?” in a very irritated tone. I felt like saying, well surprise surprise, we’d like a table! What do people who walk in normally want? Even though it was later in the evening and there were plenty of tables, she sat us right beside the bathrooms, as if to make it clear that she was unhappy with us interrupting her night. The server was okay but honestly pretty cold. I guess he was a bit burned out after a long night. It also would have been nice to get some input on our order as we ordered chips & guac but also fried cassava. I was thinking that the cassava would be in chunks but they were actually shaved into chips. So we had chips and then more chips! The regular chips were not great (we were divided on the guacamole), the cassava chips were superfluous, and the mushroom quesadilla was, unfortunately, unremarkable. And it cost a lot. For just a quick drink and bite (2 x beers, 1 x guac and chips, 1 x cassava, 1 x quesadilla) it came to around $80 total. Also, I’m scoring Comal 3.5/5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact, based on these factors: • Comal’s menu caters reasonably well to vegetarians and also has a few vegan dishes. • The biggest thing Comal could to do improve its impact is to remove beef from the menu – it’s well known (esp. since Poore & Nemecek’s seminal 2018 paper) that the environmental footprints of beef (carbon, land, etc.) dwarf those of other meats like chicken or pork (which in turn dwarf legumes). Shrimp also has large environmental footprints and impacts on ocean biodiversity, so that would be second in line to find a good substitute for. • Comal is known for efforts to ensure a decent pay for staff (e.g., a fixed 20% service charge). • The building was designed with sustainability in mind (re-use of materials, etc.) • I believe that Comal does its best to reduce single-use plastic, for example in to-go orders. • Decent selection of local draft beers, Numi tea. • There’s no info on menu or website regarding ingredient sourcing. • It is a nice gathering spot that also supports the community.

The reason this restaurant charges a mandatory 20% service fee is because no one would tip otherwise. The service is horrendous, and the waiters are more cold and stiff than a plank of frozen woo…

I've been to Comal at least 5 times, but as the other recent reviews also reflect, it's really gone downhill. \n\nWe arrived on a summer weekday evening. I had tried to make a reservation and no ta…

Ava Si

Riding off old hype, this place is really strange now. Been going since at least 2014, always brought friends since it had a great patio. Went back with many same friends, same patio, but I received differential treatment. I ordered a drink and asked to keep it open, as some friends were still deciding and I wanted to treat them. The bartender with short, pink hair told me “we don’t do that kind of thing here” and made me close my card. It was really weird because…why wouldn’t a bar let me keep my card open? Again, I was here with a few friends, all of which were asked, BY THE SAME BARTENDER, if they wanted to keep their cards opened or closed. I can’t even begin to make sense of this. The food has always been mid, but now that the service matches, I’ll take my friends somewhere that welcomes all of our cards.