A day or two ago I received an email from Picante letting me know that they were extending their brunch menu to today, a Friday, as they did on the Monday of Indigenous Peoples Day. Kathy and I met here for brunch today. I arrived on time, a little before noon. and found street parking close by. Kathy was held up by a train and had to detour, so she was later. She called and asked me to order chilquiles for her, everything the same as mine except the eggs over easy. I got in line and Nick helped me. I ordered both dishes and a cup of English breakfast tea for me, requesting low fat milk--or oat milk, I forget now--and Stevia for me. He gave me one of those locator gadgets to put on the table. I put it there and then gathered napkins and silverware, My tea was brought and then the chilaquiles, much quicker than I expected. Kathy arrived not too long after. She went to the counter and ordered a horchata to drink. I ate some of the chilaquiles before Kathy arrived to try them fresh and hot out of the kitchen and they were fabulous, much better than the ones I brought home last time. Kathy enjoyed hers too, as well as the horchata. My tea was delicious and most welcome in today's chill. After I left I was feeling miffed that I had not been offered a refill, then realized it was self service and that it was on me to find hot water to refill my cup. Oh well. Lesson learned. Before I left the restaurant I found Nick behind the bar and asked him how crowded it got for weekend brunches because Kathy and I wanted to come back for more chilaquiles. He said it was busier than today but there would most probably be room inside. I expect I be back during the week for empanadas, but I will definitely be back for my chilquiles fix on a weekend!

It's been a few years since we have been here and they remodeled recently. The remodeled space has been open for 10 months. The indoor seating has been pretty dramatically reduced in favor of patio seating. Delicious food, just as before. I had the chicken mole enchiladas and their mole is among my favorites. We also had chips and guacamole which tastes so fresh and yummy. Hubby had cochinita pibil burrito and the flavor was so good he didn't add anything, which is very unusual for him! The employees are friendly but if you are looking to be waited on, this is not the place.

I haven't been to Picante in Berkeley in years and dare I say, I can't wait to be back asap? Finding spots that have a more open indoor/outdoor concept to bring the baby, while staying consistent to their food, flavor, and portion sizes are hard to find in the East Bay sometimes. I'm a bit surprised by the other reviews for this spot because our meal and service was nothing less than stellar. The new renovations to this spot are beautiful. They still operate by register ordering, including beverages/bar service. We ordered margaritas, but would love to explore other speciality drinks next time like their piña colada. To start we had chips, guacamole, and an array of their salsas including a pumpkin seed dip and mango-jicama salsa. Chips were crispy and super sturdy, guacamole fresh and hearty, salsas all so flavorful. My main dish was a burrito bowl with manchamantales chicken (chicken in a grilled pineapple-chile sauce) served "super" with the works..sour cream, guac, cheese, over pinto beans and rice. For the portions, pricing, and palate pleasing taste, this alone has me coming back. Other dishes our party ordered: the manchamantales chicken plate served with rice, beans, and delicious tortillas, the grilled skirt steak plate, and the shrimp diablos plate (this dish is served with white rice and squash, diablos sauce isn't too spicy but packs a punch). For dessert we had the Straus soft serve with chocolate and caramel sauce. We got married on a Straus dairy farm, so anytime we see it on the menu, it's ordered! Lovely people. Lovely atmosphere. Baby friendly, dog-friendly. I noticed there is a kiddos menu and vegetarian/vegan menu as well. One huge plus is that Picante also has a take out menu available for curbside pickup, grab & go, or doorstep delivery. Anywhere that can help a new mom out and bring food to the car door, is a WIN in my book. Stay tuned for the next review when I try it! If you know of other spots besides Masa that do this, open to any and all new parent foodie suggestions!

I recently had dinner with my family at El Picante in Berkeley, and I'm glad we chose to go. It had been a while since my last visit, and I was pleasantly surprised by the changes. The restaurant has been completely renovated, with a refreshed dining room and a new outdoor seating area, giving it a much more modern feel compared to what I remember. The updates didn't stop at the decor--the food felt revitalized as well, with fresh, bold flavors. Despite having a large party, our food arrived quickly. If you're expecting a traditional sit-down experience where a server takes your order, this might not be the place for you. Instead, you order at the counter, find a seat, and the staff brings your food to the table. This approach seemed to speed up the process without compromising the dining experience. The service was polite and attentive throughout the meal. The servers promptly cleared empty plates and ensured the space remained clean. I would recommend El Picante for both dine-in and takeout if you're in the mood for great Mexican food. The inviting atmosphere, diverse menu, and full bar make it a solid choice.

Haven't visited since before the remodel, everything is so different but in a good way! Very modern and open interior with ample indoor/outdoor seating (yay heatlamps!). The menu is pretty much the same, prices have raised a bit but portions are still the same. My family ordered 3 burritos- our favorite. We were pleasantly surprised to see that chips now come free with the burrito. Delicious as usual, the flavors have stayed the same thank goodness. Only thing to note- we had added on guacamole and cheese to all our burritos and the distribution was very uneven. One of us ordered chile verde, and there seemed to be only a few chunks of meat which was pretty disappointing, the rest of us got chicken and there was enough. The employees offered us free soft serve, it was pretty good! Nothing special but fun to try. Picante is still my favorite Mexican food in Berkeley. Excited to come back!