Not an ideal place to get food overall hated the place.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
M DO
The place is very nice and clean. The food is not that great. Ordered a pozole rojo…in summary it was thick and salty. 2 things a pozole should not be likely as a result of heating it more times than it should have. Rice is far from being a true Mexican rice and what ever they put in the steak dinner (burnt dried pepper and garlic) well I can’t really call it authentic Mexican food. If there is a next time I will try the salads. They looked great. The empanadas would be the only thing I would say was excellent. Lastly “el cafe de Hoya” was burnt.
I went there many years ago and generally felt the quality of food diminished.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Max Harris
food - bland, overpriced. used to be good 5+ years ago. now the menu just serves the taste buds of boomers
service - food comes out fast and the people are very friendly. however in the 3 recent times i have been, the food comes out much faster than the cocktails/beers. i prefer to get the drinks before food
vibe - cold. they’ve made some improvements since reopening the inside dining but it still feels like eating in a mexican themed hospital cafeteria. i miss the warm vibe of the old picante
tldr - wish i could have the old picante back. this place is now just for boomers
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Super Nachos
Tam Robinson
We used a gift card to have a meal for two. Wonderful margarita and beer. The 3 dips and chips was tasty and filling. We also had tacos and a burrito bowl. We will definitely return. And our server was so nice.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Corn Tortilla Chips and Dips
Richard Lossing
High-quality ingredients and house-made tortillas are major draws, even though it's not exactly "authentic." Be sure to try the tortilla chips!
J. Bob Rolo
Yum. Sabroso. Love the chicken
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Steve Takata
Picante is one of the best Mexican restaurants in Berkeley. Their food is good and tasty, but it’s a bit pricey, which is why I knocked their rating down a star. Street parking is difficult during most of the day, but there is a small parking lot across the street and to the south about half a block. That often fills up too though. They have a bar and a lot of alcohol to select from and I see people drinking margaritas, but I’ve never tried them. The chips are just so so, they’re thick and a little greasy. I suspect there are some people that like them as they are not the normal chips you’d get in a Mexican place, but they’re just too greasy. The salsas are in the fridge by the door and they are pretty good. Everything else I’ve had here has been good, my favorite are the mole enchiladas, which are probably some of the best mole that I’ve had. They make good guacamole, and good salads as well. If it’s not too cold out, there’s an outdoor seating place.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Guacamole and Chips, Verde, Mole
peter doyle
Been 12 years since I last ate here , still producing consistent food 👍
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Verde
Paige W
A little pricey but delicious!
Tavis Kammet
Solid Mexican food. Only problem is that Berkeley has such good food! Too much amazing competition. Five stars in every other city.
The food palate caters to a mainly older white crowd, and thus the flavors are very mild and does not have as much depth or complexity as compared to Mexican places on international Blvd. It was disappointing. The prices are on the higher side, as again, it caters to a mainly older white crowd. The ambience was lovely and the service was excellent. The staff are diverse and very helpful and professional.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Madyn Cierra
Overpriced and lacking the fun ambience and decor it had 10 years ago
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 4
Slava Y.
After remodeling, this place lost its authentic character. Now it looks and feels like any other run of the mill modern looking boring eatery. The food is still good, though.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tortillas
Deana Foster
The chili verde was good but everything was just sorta bland. Very hot corn tortillas were nice. You walk to the counter and order. FYI get your own utensils and napkins and water and why am I tipping?
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Maria Tapia
$7 small not worth 7 not even $3 dry like please do BETTER!!!!
Not an ideal place to get food overall hated the place.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The place is very nice and clean. The food is not that great. Ordered a pozole rojo…in summary it was thick and salty. 2 things a pozole should not be likely as a result of heating it more times than it should have. Rice is far from being a true Mexican rice and what ever they put in the steak dinner (burnt dried pepper and garlic) well I can’t really call it authentic Mexican food.
If there is a next time I will try the salads. They looked great. The empanadas would be the only thing I would say was excellent. Lastly “el cafe de Hoya” was burnt.
I went there many years ago and generally felt the quality of food diminished.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
food - bland, overpriced. used to be good 5+ years ago. now the menu just serves the taste buds of boomers
service - food comes out fast and the people are very friendly. however in the 3 recent times i have been, the food comes out much faster than the cocktails/beers. i prefer to get the drinks before food
vibe - cold. they’ve made some improvements since reopening the inside dining but it still feels like eating in a mexican themed hospital cafeteria. i miss the warm vibe of the old picante
tldr - wish i could have the old picante back. this place is now just for boomers
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Super Nachos
We used a gift card to have a meal for two. Wonderful margarita and beer. The 3 dips and chips was tasty and filling. We also had tacos and a burrito bowl. We will definitely return. And our server was so nice.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Corn Tortilla Chips and Dips
High-quality ingredients and house-made tortillas are major draws, even though it's not exactly "authentic." Be sure to try the tortilla chips!
Yum. Sabroso. Love the chicken
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Picante is one of the best Mexican restaurants in Berkeley. Their food is good and tasty, but it’s a bit pricey, which is why I knocked their rating down a star. Street parking is difficult during most of the day, but there is a small parking lot across the street and to the south about half a block. That often fills up too though. They have a bar and a lot of alcohol to select from and I see people drinking margaritas, but I’ve never tried them. The chips are just so so, they’re thick and a little greasy. I suspect there are some people that like them as they are not the normal chips you’d get in a Mexican place, but they’re just too greasy. The salsas are in the fridge by the door and they are pretty good. Everything else I’ve had here has been good, my favorite are the mole enchiladas, which are probably some of the best mole that I’ve had. They make good guacamole, and good salads as well. If it’s not too cold out, there’s an outdoor seating place.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Guacamole and Chips, Verde, Mole
Been 12 years since I last ate here , still producing consistent food 👍
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Verde
A little pricey but delicious!
Solid Mexican food. Only problem is that Berkeley has such good food! Too much amazing competition. Five stars in every other city.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The food palate caters to a mainly older white crowd, and thus the flavors are very mild and does not have as much depth or complexity as compared to Mexican places on international Blvd. It was disappointing. The prices are on the higher side, as again, it caters to a mainly older white crowd. The ambience was lovely and the service was excellent. The staff are diverse and very helpful and professional.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Overpriced and lacking the fun ambience and decor it had 10 years ago
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 4
After remodeling, this place lost its authentic character. Now it looks and feels like any other run of the mill modern looking boring eatery. The food is still good, though.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tortillas
The chili verde was good but everything was just sorta bland. Very hot corn tortillas were nice. You walk to the counter and order. FYI get your own utensils and napkins and water and why am I tipping?
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
$7 small not worth 7 not even $3 dry like please do BETTER!!!!
Food: 3
Service: 4
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