Picante

05/19/2008 Posted by stam54

Tried Picante just this past Saturday after reading many positive reviews from citysearch as well as Check Please, Bay Area, and unfortunately, was pretty disappointed. We ordered two entrees (the chicken mole enchiladas and carne asada plate) and an appetizer (chips and salsa fresca). the appetizer came after we got the entrees. both entrees lacked flavor and was rather bland. the carne asada was dry. the salsa fresca had no spice whatsoever. out of all the food, the only items that were decent were the rice, complimentary salsa, and chips.

Pros: Wait in Line is short

Cons: Food lacks flavor

11/17/2007 Posted by chichaflores

I went to Picante because CITYSEARCH rated it #2 out of ten best Mexican restaurants.. I've tried Dona Tomas already..good for California style Mexican... I wanted authentic and this was rated the highest. I cant understand why!!!????? I ordered green enchiladas...Lousy, lousy lousy...no flavor it came with the worst tasting refried beans... which is hard to mess up the only thing that was good and with authentic flavor was the rice we also ordered super nachos and honestly remember the nachos bellgrande from Taco Bell tasting better than Picante's nachos my husband order the carne asada he said it was ok if you like cold meat..flavor was alright I was not surprised that not one Latino was dining there...fresh should not equal to no flavor Picante's only authenticity is the Latino waitstaff If anyone wants real good authentic Mexican food go to Jay n Bee Bar/Martha's Kitchen in SF on 20th and York...everything is made from scratch...including the chips that they fry themselves. Honestly , Picante is no comparison

Pros: the rice

Cons: the flavorless food

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

06/26/2007 Posted by dickinst

So good all the time, I've never had a bad dish at Picante. And, they make margaritas from scratch (fresh lime juice), not from a margarita mix -- so awesome!!

Pros: super food, great value

Cons: at early-ish dinner time, crowded with families and small children

03/05/2007 Posted by ckyelland

Picante is some of the freshest Mexican food you can get in the bay area, hands down. Their chips are made from scratch as they make their tortillas, their guacamole is the perfect balance of chunky and silky, and their tostadas (loaded with greens, jicama, carrots, beans, and whatever meat you desire...or not) are to die for. While I like Cactus Taqueria in Oakland quite a bit, they're not even close to being in the same league with Picante. That being said, this is NOT a place you should frequent (at least during peak hours) if the presence and noise of many, many small children isn’t your cup of tea - Picante has found it’s niche with every little league, soccer team, birthday party, and frazzled parent of infants and toddlers throughout the northern east bay. But even if you’re not into the kid scene, I would highly recommend Picante for it’s fresh, delicious food, electric agua frescas, and some of the best flan this side of the border. My boyfriend would also be terribly disappointed if I didn’t mention their chicken enchiladas verde as well – we’ve been eating here for years and he orders it almost every time. Viva Picante!

Pros: Great food, agua frescas, street parking is usually available, friendly service

Cons: If you don't tolerate children well, avoid during peak hours

12/30/2006 Posted by yummyt

Seriously so good, and such a good price too. It is full of kids at peak kid-dining time, no doubt. But go a little later to avoid them. The food is awesome, and they make a great margarita (no margarita-mix junk)!! The people who work there are always really nice, as are the customers.

10/04/2006 Posted by jaydubeya34

No, I'm not kidding. This place is rarely mentioned in the same sentence as Cactus and Gordo's are, perhaps because it is off the beaten path. However, don't let its location deter you. In a city full of awesome Mexican food, Picante is the best spot for a burrito. All of their meats are marinated for hours, if not days, and then grilled to perfection. Not too big but definitely enough to fill you up. Little details such as guacamole topped with queso fresco, homemade agua frescas and tortillas made to order remind eaters that Alice Waters thought of everything when she opened this place up years ago. During lunch hours and on Cal football days, lines can run out the door. Come winter, when the crisp air sets in and burritos/tacos are more than your stomach can handle, opt for the chicken tortilla soup. It's simply amazing.

Pros: Great food, value and quality of service

Cons: Long lines during rush hours

09/15/2006 Posted by hezmodo

Now that I have the haters on me, Picante is a LARGE, cavernous place. It's a great place for people with kids who desparately need to go someplace where they won't get frowned on, and can meet others' with kids. So that's good for them; but not so much for the rest of us. The food used to be better, but it's still very, very good. Housemade tortilla's are fantastic no matter what you order with them. Their quesadilla's are pathetically small; I think they're made only for the kids. Tortilla soup, ceviche, carne asada, tortas, chile rellenos are all excellent. I hate this place when it's mad crowded; it seems that parents don't care that their kids scream and throw food all over the place, but otherwise, it's a great place to go. And you can linger for a long, long time and no one will bother you. Oh, and the hot chocolate and coffee are to die for. But honestly, beware, peak times make this place unbearably loud and crowded, and the rugrats make it impossible for those us who've passed our toddler days. Fair is fair: us childless folks have the option of enjoying picante in the down hours. Leave the peak hours for the parents. But do go for the food; it's excellent.

Pros: Good hearty portions of fresh, tasty food, quick service

Cons: Peak hours are loud, crowded and TEEMING with unruly children

08/27/2006 Posted by lakeygirl

Wonderful, fresh Mexican comfort food. Great staff. Casual dining arrangement, but each dish I've tried demonstrates careful attention to detail. And I must say this: the Mexican chocolate angel food cake is good -- dangerously good.

03/14/2004 Posted by yvonnepan

I went Picante for the first time tonight (Sunday). I got there at 7PM and it was REALLY crowded. There were around 30 people in front of me in line. However, the staff was very efficient and we turned out only wait for 15 minutes, which is acceptable. The food is pretty impressive, great taste, great value. And dont forget to try their Flan (baked custard) next time. It is SO GOOD. I can go to the restaurant again just for the Flan. Highly recommend if you want quality Mexican food with great value.

Pros: Tasty food, Good parking, Value

Cons: , Restaurant layout, location

01/17/2003 Posted by Meower

We went to Picante recently and were very disappointed. I used to look forward to their chips......they were light crunchy and tasty! They were the best around. The chips we had recently were stale, overcooked chips from possibly yesteday's tortillas. Our dinner plates were at least 1/3 smaller than the same dinners we had 6 or 7 months ago. The food has never been great or authentic but that day it was very "so-so." We have never been too fond of the "ambience" there. It is always very noisey and it always seems too claustraphobic. A lot of customers are rude and snobby......it makes the atmosphere very unfriendly. The STAFF however is always very nice and welcoming.

Pros: Very friendly staff

Cons: Food so-so, Poor ambience