Reviews - Comal

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 d... read more 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. Price per person: $30–50 Food: 4 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

Ugh! Four people at our table and every dish was sub-standard. Even the salsas were uninteresting. This place is running on empty. You can do better, way better... read more Ugh! Four people at our table and every dish was sub-standard. Even the salsas were uninteresting. This place is running on empty. You can do better, way better, in Berkeley. Food: 1 Service: 3 Atmosphere: 3 Price per person: $30–50

Uniquely the best Mexican restaurant in Northern California. Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 read more Uniquely the best Mexican restaurant in Northern California. Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

We ate dinner here at the beginning of November. I had the fish tacos and the wifey had the chicken tamales. We started with the guacamole appetizer with chips.... read more We ate dinner here at the beginning of November. I had the fish tacos and the wifey had the chicken tamales. We started with the guacamole appetizer with chips. I love the chips, they're thick and crispy but my wifey thought that they were too greasy. Whatdoes she know? ; They bring a tray of three different sizes for the chips. Two of them are very good but I think the thirdone the dark red one I think might be able to help start the Berkeley fusion reactor. It is SPICY! My fish tacos werefantastico! I thought the chicken tamales were good but the wife he thought they were a little bit too spicy. : On theatmosphere side, I'd advise you to try and get seats away from the outside seating as far as possible. There's a constant coldwind from the outside; the waiters leave the doors open because they go through so often. Obviously this is mainly an issueduring winter. Be prepared to leave some time to park. Parking in downtown Berkeley can be a chore. All in all I have to saythat we love this place and we'll be back again.

I love the ambiance here Thursday salsa dance party, lovely back patio. Super attentive and kind staff, very prompt service. It had been a decade since I was la... read more I love the ambiance here Thursday salsa dance party, lovely back patio. Super attentive and kind staff, very prompt service. It had been a decade since I was last here and it?s gotten even better over the years. I enjoyed the food though some in mygroup were not as enthused, I thought everything was pretty good except the tofu tacos which seemed dry/lacked flavor. Nice tobe able to seat a large party (15+ outdoors. Overall would go back again.

This place was recommended via the Michelin app, and it did not disappoint! Cocktails were top notch, service very receptive, house-made chips were next level,... read more This place was recommended via the Michelin app, and it did not disappoint! Cocktails were top notch, service very receptive, house-made chips were next level, and the food (chicken livers and fish tacos) were superb!! Was only here for work travel butwill definitely be coming back next time I?m in town!

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, alcoholi... read more 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 muriettaand the Jack satan cocktails. For mains we ordered the mushroom quesadilla, Tlyuda flatbread with squash, smashed garbanzopaste, squash blossom and a pesto on top, just similar to a pizza). My friends ordered the tamales non veg option), barbacoataco 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 friendsloved the barbacoa and the enchillada. The tamales was decent/average. One thing to note is that even though the tamales mayseem 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 andthe setting is really good and it was a pleasant experience with dishes not commonly seen in other Mexican restaurants in BayArea.

I heard good stuff about Comal, so I decided to try it out. I ordered beef tacos, french fries, and enchiladas. You get two beef tacos and two enchiladas. I fel... read more I heard good stuff about Comal, so I decided to try it out. I ordered beef tacos, french fries, and enchiladas. You get two beef tacos and two enchiladas. I felt that both the tacos and enchiladas lacked flavor. As a Latina, I didn?t feel like Comalrepresented authentic Mexican cuisine. My boyfriend who came with me is Mexican and also felt the same way. We really wanted tolike it, but I feel like it caters to white people that enjoy Mexican food or want a fancy night out. The flavors wee muted. The fries were also not fresh and bland. If I go to a restaurant to spend money, I at least expect the fries (a basic staple)hand cut fries. I?m not sure if Comal does this, but the fries tasted like they were stored in a bag and warmed up to serve. Ialso ordered a margarita and mezcal flight. The drinks were great no complaints there. Overall, I felt like the food was missingflavor and freshness. It's not a cheap restaurant, and I don't think the food was worth the money or the hype.

Our server was lacking in personality and the amount of attention he paid us. The chips early girl tomato pico de gallo were fabulous. Good guacamole. We had ou... read more Our server was lacking in personality and the amount of attention he paid us. The chips early girl tomato pico de gallo were fabulous. Good guacamole. We had our usual, the steak plato fuerte. The steak was delicious, but tough to chew which made it less than pleasant. This hasn't been our experience in the past. The accompanying beans, rice tortillas were great, as always. But the evening's side of an enormous mound of green beans w/pepitas something else was very uninteresting. We chose to sit outside in the covered area the noise level was deafening.

The salad with the little gem lettuce and beets was spectacular. I liked my meatball dish and the sauce that came with it. Unfortunately my wife found out she w... read more The salad with the little gem lettuce and beets was spectacular. I liked my meatball dish and the sauce that came with it. Unfortunately my wife found out she was not a fan of mole. But the flan for desert somewhat made up for her disappointment. Liking chocolate chicken Besides chocolate there is something like 20 spices in the sauce). I 've found mole is a binary thing. you either like it or you don 't. No middle ground.

Berkeley/Oakland is starved of more sophisticated Mexican joints, so Comal is a welcome stop. We found the menu a bit limited, but drinks were great and it's a... read more Berkeley/Oakland is starved of more sophisticated Mexican joints, so Comal is a welcome stop. We found the menu a bit limited, but drinks were great and it's a fun space to hang out, with good ambience. I'll come back again.

We had a very nice pre-play dinner at Comal. The menu has lots of options, we did a mix of appetizers, small plates and mains. Wines are great and relatively in... read more We had a very nice pre-play dinner at Comal. The menu has lots of options, we did a mix of appetizers, small plates and mains. Wines are great and relatively inexpensive. We finished with plenty of time to get to the play.

My husband and I recently dined at Comal restaurant, and unfortunately, our experience was less than satisfying. While the restaurant has a lovely atmosphere an... read more My husband and I recently dined at Comal restaurant, and unfortunately, our experience was less than satisfying. While the restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and the guacamole, salsas, and margaritas were tasty, the main course let us down significantly. We ordered the rib eye, which not only felt overpriced but also lacked the flavor I remembered from previous visits. The steak didn’t resemble a genuine rib eye and was incredibly tough to chew; I struggled to bite through it and felt I had to remove it from my mouth to avoid choking. In fact, we ended up taking the food home uneaten. Furthermore, we were taken aback to discover a 20% tip automatically added to our bill without any prior notice. Although the service was excellent, the overall experience didn’t warrant the expense. We left feeling that we could have spent our money more wisely at a local taqueria. We certainly won’t be returning!

We sat at the cashier of the cook and it was funny to see Comals staff in action. The Margarita and Joaquin Murrieta drinks were delicious. We also enjoyed the... read more We sat at the cashier of the cook and it was funny to see Comals staff in action. The Margarita and Joaquin Murrieta drinks were delicious. We also enjoyed the pork shoulders. Thank you Comal!

The steak was a bit undercooked but really tasty. Sides excellent as usual. read more The steak was a bit undercooked but really tasty. Sides excellent as usual.

Excellent cocktails, food, service, and atmosphere. The place was hoping and we had a great experience. Had a great salad, (the one that rotates), the cod tacos... read more Excellent cocktails, food, service, and atmosphere. The place was hoping and we had a great experience. Had a great salad, (the one that rotates), the cod tacos were great, and we really enjoyed their pizza like entree. Are becoming regulars.

Fantastic as always! Recommended for any occasion read more Fantastic as always! Recommended for any occasion

The food was good, but the service and kitchen were outstanding. We placed our order, and within two minutes, our wine, large salad, and main course all arrived... read more The food was good, but the service and kitchen were outstanding. We placed our order, and within two minutes, our wine, large salad, and main course all arrived together. There was barely enough room on the small table for everything. The staff rearranged items and removed a water glass, and we chose to skip the salsas just to have enough space to eat.