Calavera

If you're ever at the OAK airport, right next to gate 29 is a really good spot to eat. Calavera is a Mexican spot that was amazing good. I ordered the deal of the week. The two tacos were really good and just enough of a mess to eat with your hands. The fresh chips and salsa was on point. I really wasn't expecting it to be that good. The customer service was top notch and welcoming. Alot of people around and laughter at the bar. Seems like the people working there took the time to enjoy all the traveler going in and out. Really recommend going there if you ever have a 5hr layover like I did. I know I'll probably end up going back knowing the food was worth it.

The reviews on here are so polarizing. The smash burger comes with two patties and the cheese is supposed to be fried, that's the style! I really enjoyed the burger and the chips. The salsa was bland (pico de gallo) but they also had alternative hotter salsa which was great! The tacos were good, the carnitas was a bit on the cafeteria side of flavor but the presentation and the amount of food was decent. Service was typical for an airport, not bad but also not like a sit down restaurant. They did forget to add a side of guac we purchased and they gave it to me fairly quick. They do offer soda fountain with Coke Zero on tap which was really good. Lastly, for price - again you're in the Bay Area in an airport. It's going to be pricey. For two of us without alcohol and tip it was $52.

I got the chicken thinga Tacos they were good, real small, and packed full but good my husband got the chicken burrito I had a bite and I can taste the char from the chicken I didn't like it at all.

We shared the chorizo breakfast burrito and it was amazing. The burrito was super fresh and good sized (big enough to share) and the salsas were so great (the red is a little hot - but we like that!). The service was warm and super helpful in deciding what to order. We’ll definitely eat here next time through.

The tacos are delicious. The carnitas tacos are a little salty but still yummy and the tacos de tinga are also solid. The chipotle doesn't come through as much like you'd expect but it's understandable since they want to make it palatable to everyone. They didn't have Corona beer so make sure to double check before ordering online.

Delicious breakfast burritos. Both carnitas and bacon are very good. Make sure to ask for salsa. I will be back to try the lunch menu. Big thanks to Calavera for showing some love for Southwest folks this week.

While waiting for my connection at Southwest terminal I decided to grab some dinner. Bartender took my order and was super friendly Asain gal. I ordered the smash burger and to my surprise I loved it. The crispy melted cheese was a new twist for me. The best part was the friendly service. Thank you. Looking forward to my next visit at OAK

In from Galveston, TX for a Sonoma Wine visit. Stopped in here because we previously knew the great folks that worked here before the redo. Sat at the Bar and met Catherine the bartender who was very pleasant and friendly. We had champagne and a Smashburger which were both excellent. We will definitely be back!

Really, truly don't. Seriously, walk another 30 yards and eat at Southie. The Calavera Mexican Kitchen has some of the worst tasting, unpleasantly prepared food I've ever actually paid to eat. Watery chicken tinga tacos, with meat that managed to both be underseasoned and gross tasting - in all seriousness, if I'd prepared something this bad at home, I wouldn't eat it (and I'm not one to waste food, as a look at my silhouette is sure to reveal). The guacamole had unripe avocados making it woody and strings of improperly removed peel throughout it. The salsa and chips that came with the tacos were the stars of the experience - and I'd give them a grade of about C . . . on a scale of "Airport Food," too. Service was pretty pleasant and efficient. The room was chaotic and loud. I think most of the appeal of this place comes from the fact that one can get an alcoholic drink here as well. If you go, be sure to drink a lot before you start eating. But seriously, walk another 30 yards and eat a sandwich or salad at Southie.

Had a 3 hours layover so had to eat before my flight. This restaurant is located by Gate 29 inside Terminal 2 of Oakland International AirPort! Luckily no line when I decided to try this eatery! Not too friendly cashier Marilu. I dined in so I can enjoy meal ! I ordered the Carnitas Quesadilla which was served in a nice square deep dish black plate with handles. I am not a fan of goat cheese and seems like that's what they used in my quesadillas... it smelled and tasted like it !! The carnitas meat didn't taste like the usual carnitas I have. This also has a bar so that counter was pretty busy with a jolly bartender conversing with customers! I just wished they used a different cheese! Wow ! So strong smell just seating here I could smell goat cheese for sure!!!

5 stars when compared to every other airport food offering. Every time I've come here the Mezcal cocktails are excellent. The bartenders are super friendly. I had the smashburger and it was better than some other brick and mortar smash burgers. Surprising for a Mexican restaurant. Been here multiple times for cocktails before my flight and they never disappoint. I won't get cocktails at any other Oakland airport bar. There are tables and chairs and also a bar top area.

Restaurant was empty (Wed at 2:30pm) Sat down (self seating) waited 15 mins while 5 employees stood around laughing and making small talk but no one so much as acknowledged our existence. So we left and walked across the way to Draft house where we were immediately acknowledged and has food in less than 10 mins. Do yourself a favor- pay a little more and go where they appreciate your business.

Ordered small quesadilla which I can only Describe as a fried string cheese. Asked for side salsa for my chips and they said that will cost another $1.15. They offered me a packet of hoDefinitely not worth $10 and service is poor.

We would have never eaten here if our stop over flight wasn't delayed. But....... This is the one time when I wasn't mad about a delayed flight. 3.5 Stars +. 5 for the Pliny on draft. Calavera Mexican Kitchen is near Southwest Airlines Gate 27. You can order from your phone with a scan from the qr on the tables, order from the person at the register or order from the two large pads at the entrance. What actually brought me here was the advertisement board near the restaurant. That has Pliny the Elder on draft, served in 13.5oz nice craft beer glass, no plastic cup for this beer. I also ordered the carnitas tacos which were braised pork on soft tortillas, it came with chips and salsa. My first thought was.. Why don't we have a place like this in our airport! The taco filling was generous and added white and pickled onions made it a great bite. Along side a great craft beer made this quick stop off a good choice.

Good place for a quick bite to eat during my layover. I ordered the burrito bowl with chicken tingas. The bowl was fairly decent; however, my main complaint is that a lot of my rice was underdone. I found myself chewing hard pieces a lot of the time which prevented me from fully enjoying my bowl. The meat was very flavorful!

Nice place to sit and get a little food. Atmosphere was comfortable and the service was prompt. Being its st an airport, it was pricy, but that is expected

FYI- I'd rate this as 3.5 stars. Grabbed a quick bite before our flight. Good food and liquor options. We opted for the Deal of the Day- 2 tacos (carnitas and tahin pork?) and a kids quesadilla. Both came with a fountain soda. Tacos were pretty good and the quesadilla had lots of gooey cheese. Price was decent considering it was at the airport. Good place for a quick bite while waiting for your flight.

Good breakfast burrito. Tasted fresh. It got the job done for an airport breakfast! However, it was pricey but I guess that's on par for the airport!

My convo with them when I needed help at the soda fountain: Me: "Excuse me, when I press lemonade, only water comes out." Him: "We are out of lemonade, you can get the water." Me: "But my meal comes with a lemonade (which I paid for)." Him: "You can get something else. What do you want me to do?" Me; "I want you to be more courteous." (walked away pretending he didn't hear me) Also, kids' meal. $10. Two of the tiniest corn tortillas with a tiny bit of cheese, and the rest chips. Some orange slices to round it out. Thrill.

Chicken bowl was tasty, but rice was undercooked. Staff was friendly and provided another plate of rice on the side. Will miss their downtown Oakland location, but at least I know I can get a taste when I travel out of OAK.

Best bar at the airport! Thanks Dylan! Wonderful service and fantastic drinks! You won't regret stopping here

Had the breakfast chorizo burrito. It's not worth $17 at all, but it's the airport. It's already pre made, which then I feel it should cost less at that. It was decent. I'd try again if I was craving Mexican in the airport.

Very solid burritos and fast service. 5* for food and service. However every restaurant that includes a 5% "EE surcharge" gets an automatic 1* rating. Hopefully these bogus fees will be gone on July 1.

Andale has been replaced by . . . Calavera, an even more overpriced Mexican restaurant-bar that manages to be worse than Andale was, if a bit more attractive. I'll start with the good, because there's so little of it. The new seating area seems much larger than Andale's was, and that's good, because it's just much nicer to eat at a table like a human being than trying to scarf down food in a slightly yet nevertheless maddeningly angled airport seat. There are more tables, and they're spaced farther apart than Andale's were. And there are both doubles and four-tops. The soyrizo in my burrito was also good. Andale was definitely overpriced, but you got a lot for your money, at least for an airport restaurant. The burrito I ordered from Calavera wouldn't qualify as a baby burrito at most San Francisco taquerias; it was more like a regular-sized burrito that had been cut in half. It tasted fine, but it was mainly rice and some beans. There was no cheese, salsa verde, or crema to speak of; and the delicious but microscopic bit of soyrizo occupied its own special place in the very center of the burrito, like a plastic toy in a European Kinder Egg. But I don't want the protein of my burrito to be a delightful add-on. I want to savor it, but I couldn't, because it was so small. Self-serve fountain drinks are $4, which doesn't seem like that much of a ripoff, especially at an airport, until you realize that they don't offer lids, so while ostensibly you could get quite a few free refills during a particularly long layover, you'd be worried about spilling your drink everywhere. And don't tell me that not offering lids is Calavera's way of being more environmentally friendly. If they cared about the environment, they'd have regular paper cups rather than the ridiculous plastic ones they use. Why does OAK keeping whiffing on improving its food options? I don't care how nice a place looks. I just want variety, if not the tiniest bit of value. Calavera is definitely a step down, but it's shiny and pretty, so I'm sure most people love it.

This place was pretty decent. Cute restaurant vibe, in a nice part of the Oakland airport. I had the Calavara plate, which was pretty good. The meat was cooked well, though I had a large chunk of fat that I couldn't eat. The rice and beans were good, the crema and pickled onions with a nice touch. For $22, it was decent. More than I would want to pay normally, but it is an airport after all... pretty nice choice for an airport meal!

Salsa, bland. Pico, bland. Smash burger eh. Chips greasy. It was a nice place to sit right next to my gate but the food sucked. If you can't master chips n salsa in Mexican food you ain't doin it. Makers Mark + Ginger ale was the best thing they had. At least the bartender made it stiff. She probably knew I needed it after that wack meal.

Calavera was right by our gate and what a find! This cute and larger space with a very gorgeous bar, had lots of seating and served as a perfect place to have a snack, drink and a "wait". We ordered Mezcaleras which are comprised of Mezcal, lemon juice, agave, Alma Tepec pasilla licor, and guajillo sal de gusano. I don't know what some of those last ingredients are, but let me tell you...they make a good drink! We also ordered a chips and guacamole as well as a chips and salsa. Note: you cannot order chips by themselves so unless you want to purchase another chips & salsa, I recommend you look at your guacamole to chip ratio and try finish up that dip! Service was very sweet here. We asked why the bar across the way was so packed while this place is so great but not that busy. The nice woman helping us shared that the place across the way has burgers and that people just seem to prefer that over nice Mexican food in the airport. Well not me; I'd totally pick this place over somewhere else in the airport. We'll definitely be back!

Breakfast before flight w the family. Got the breakfast sandwich, eggs bacon cheese pickled red onion brioche bun (grilled) flavorful cooked right, second dish eggs bacon potato plate. Good portion also cooked right. Got a couple of the fruit drinks tasty. Good place nice staff.

Second time here before a Southwest flight. Honestly, I would be a regular if it were close to my house. Fabulous smokey mezcal marg Chicken tinga-delish Legit good chips The staff has been super friendly & accomodating. You wont believe it is an airport restaurant.

Chicken tocos were very good, loads of meat on them and very flavorful. The pulled pork was also good. I would definitely go here again. The service was fast and the dining area was very clean!

Your usual airport fare. A bit expensive but to be expected. Tucked away by gates 30-32 Southwest airline gates. Staff is fast and friendly. Good place to hang waiting for your flight. There is a QR code to order food but better to go up to the bar and order directly. Faster. They can pour your beers into a plastic cup to walk to and wait at your gate but remember, Southwest doesn't let you bring drinks on board so, bottoms up before wheels up.

I got food poisoning after eating here and I had to ultimately go to the ER. It's not advisable to eat here. I'm still recovering.

Stopped here for lunch while traveling back to Seattle. This is the only decent place we found in the entire terminal. It's a busy and seems a popular place. The lady at the counter was super friendly and helpful. We ordered Guacamole Verde Con Salsa, Queso Quesadilla and grilled chicken burrito. The wait time is decent. They served the Guacamole Verde Con Salsa first. It was delicious along with the Guacamole and other salsas. But the chips was too oily. Took another 10 mins for the burrito and quesadilla to arrive. Portion is ok for the price they charge, unlike the typical rip off airport food places. Super happy with the food and service. The place is very clean and well maintained. Staffs are so good. Never thought I would say this about an airport terminal food counter - value for money. No wonder why it's a popular place.

Calavera "Skull" Mexican Kitchen features upbeat Latin R&B/pop music, fun vibes and a very clean facility. Friendly staff and fair portion sizes for airport food. The flavors of the Calavera Plate were on-point. I would have rated this higher but half of my wife's carnitas plate was fat! Too bad.

For an airport the food was pretty good. I had the chicken quesadilla, the server was excellent thank you Katherine , she explained the desire to make sure the food is just as good as a restaurant off the site, loved the fresh chips and guacamole, my husband loved the spicy salsa which had a beautiful blend that's heat was just right again service is a bonus Katherine

Calavera, which is an upscale modern Mexican restaurant in Oakland, just added a location at the Oakland Airport. The menu includes tacos, quesadillas, tortas, burritos, etc. They also have a bar that serves alcoholic beverages. The tacos are street taco size and start at 3 for $17.50. They also have a deal of the week and value deal. There are vegetarian and gluten-free options. Meat/protein choices: carnitas, tinga, shrimp, soyrizo The queso quesadilla was $14 on the menu but as part of the value meal, it was only $10, including a fountain drink. I think the drink comes with free refills since you fill your own cup. The place was busy and it took 20 minutes to get a simple cheese quesadilla. Every table was taken too but there are plenty of places to sit and eat in the airport even if you can't find a table at Calavera. Queso quesadilla: flour tortilla, Chihuahua and Oaxacan cheeses, pickled red onions, salsa verde, crema. A nice big quesadilla, hot off the grill, cut into wedges. There wasn't a ton of cheese but I really liked that they used Mexican cheeses vs. cheddar and/or Monterey Jack. Definitely tasted better than a quesadilla with non-Mexican cheese, The pickled onions were nice and tangy, plus they tasted like oregano. Microgreens added a little freshness. The salsa verde was okay - it wasn't spicy and was pretty sour. For airport food, this was better than usual. I saw the tacos that people ordered and they were generous with the toppings. They also sell pastries that weren't Mexican (e.g., scones, croissants). Not sure why but Tay Ho at the airport also sells random pastries. In the refrigerated case you'll find Jarritos and Coronas.

I haven't even tried my burrito yet but service is SO slow & rude. Cashier doesn't tell you anything. Food took forever. How long does it take to make a burrito?! I asked for a side of salsa & they were like, oh we have hot sauce packets. I wanted salsa, cause it's a burrito. They said I had to pay extra... AND wait in line again. Maybe that's something you need to tell the customer ahead of time, like when they're ordering the first time. No one smiled. No one cared. Fine, don't be friendly but at least do your job. So annoying. Anyways, if you don't have a lot of time, don't wanna miss your flight and don't want to spend about $15 for a vegetarian burrito with no salsa, please skip this place. I had WAY better service at the Peet's and wish I just got a breakfast sandwich.

Service was short , didn't acknowledge the fact that I asked for things , line wasn't long . Felt as if they are racist against anyone that isn't there kind will never spend my money there again

We are so confused. The words "delicious" and "airport food" don't typically go together, but Calavera was the exception. We had the breakfast burrito and classic burrito with chorizo. Give the chef a raise or better yet her own restaurant. It was utterly bizarre and unexpected though delightfully tasty. Note, my husband is Mexican so we have some idea what we're talking about here. We will be back!

Had a severe reaction to a breakfast burrito consumed at the airport location in Oakland. Had bloating and abdominal dissension,, had to go to the ER! This was on Thanksgiving day morning and the manager laughed and said they were not open!

Very loud music at 11am. Not the employees' fault- they have no choice. During the weekday assume people could use some quiet. Crank up the tunes at 5pm. 4:30 even. But I don't need to feel I'm next to a bar with thumping music when I'm trying to take a work call thank you!

Avoid this place at all costs. They will steal your money!!! I had to order via kiosk because nobody taking orders. Once I paid, I'm sorry we don't have that item. Me: "Can I get a refund?" Them: "I have to wait for my manager to get in (it was 6:15am). We will give you the money back when they get in!" Two days later and I'm still waiting..and by the way, I ended up with food poisoning with the item I did get.

Guacamole too spicy to eat. Partner loves hot but too spicy even for him. We are sitting here with our lips on fire. Have to abandon ship and only ate 1/4. One beer one side of guac $29. Why did we stop here? Trying Oakland draft house next time.

Horrible!!!! Wow, there are so many reviews saying that the chips are greasy. When will they do something about it?! Look at ours!!! The food looks worse than the sloppiest food truck. This gives Mexican food a bad name. I'm Mexican so I would know. The rice?!?!? Omg stale as efffff. Cmon guys this place is new and already starting off this way? Wow horrible experience, horrible food and bad attitude by the staff.

The cooks, server, and other staff were very friendly. They accidentally forgot my order in the busy afternoon rush, but when they found out, they more than made up for it. Made our food fresh within 6 minutes and gave a free drink and extra trips and even comped the meal for us. They went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of! The food was really good for airport food too - very pleasantly surprised

Stupid little tacos, slow and bad service. Never again. There are better options at OAK.

We had Carnitas Tacos and cheese quesadillas. They were both fantastic. I highly recommend eating here. The employees were friendly also. I wish I would have taken pictures. The place exceeded my expectations.

I read some bad reviews, but I took a gamble and gave it a try. This place has a nice seating area, there are rest rooms nearby and you have multiple options to order. Self order via the app or the cashier. Alternatively there is also a server(bartender) who will take your order, note you'll have to tip for service with that like any restaurant. I didn't know or realize until I sat down that'd be the case LOL hahaha. So order ahead before you sit. Too late, too bad because if you feel Airport food is already expensive, be sure to add Tip if someone takes your order. Oh well, that's a lesson. However with that said our server was very nice and friendly. I got the Chicken Tinga, the Salsa had some kick, I liked it. The Chicken Tinga Tacos had a nice flavor, actually for airport it's really good. It's not greasy like old school hole in the wall restaurants. I liked the flavors, and I'd eat it again. Also ordered the soyrizo bowl. Not too unique flavor wise, kind of boring, but what was exciting was found a small pebble in the black beans. It happens when you wash the beans even at home, sadly for a restaurant that's REALLY BAD, you could crack you tooth on that. So be mindful. That's why it's always better to order refried beans. To be honest it's really the first time I've ever had to deal with a pebble, not mad since I didn't chip a tooth, but I totally would be ANGRY if I did. I'd give it 2.5 stars over all. I feel my experience was colored by the pebble in the blackbean, and that I didn't think clearly I'd have to pay extra for someone taking my order as the staff mentioned sometimes the App makes errors. Of course, you could give $0 tip, but you kinda feel forced guilty. The Chicken Tinga was good, Soyrizo you are taking a gamble on your tooth and it wasn't memorable. If you are just getting the Chicken Tinga def 3.5 stars to me and self serving even at that price because the meal was good.

Skip it. Chips salsa and marg were about $20. Marg was tiny. Not worth your time or money.

I was just charged $8 for the tiniest container of Guacamole and they don't sell Carne Asada weird

My boyfriend & I are big fans of the Calavera in downtown Oakland so we were super excited to see one opened up in the airport. We were so pleased to find that the quality of the food & drinks is JUST as good as the downtown location, which is a lot to say considering it's an airport restaurant! This is hands down the best place to eat in the airport. Specifically the carnitas tacos & Mezcalera cocktail are incredible A special shout-out to our bartender/ server Nicole who was super sweet & made us amazing cocktails!!

I was drawn to this place for breakfast because of the ambiance, music, and size of the burritos. I ended up getting a soyrizp burrito bowl which was a little smaller than I was expecting but tasty. The lady who took my order and my friends orders, Marta C., was very rude. We asked her very simple questions about the menu and she acted like it was the end of the world. The manager should be aware that she is driving away business. Besides that monster, I would recommend.

Totally amazing breakfast burritos. Perfect for when you are too early for you flight. Was trying to get it to take on the plane and I ended up eating the whole thing before boarding. Super incredible. Nice worker ladies too. They know how to cook!!

Great service and friendly staff. Miles & Catherine are amazing. Very nice environment

This is the Replacment to Aledale which I missed for a few years flying out of Oakland. Service from bar was great, appreciate that for sure. Went with traditional grilled chicken burrito. Seemed to be more fat and dark meat than chicken breast (ugh). Food is darker and heavier than past. No chips and salsa with food which stinks. Salsa is not great used to love the salsa bar. All in all just seems to be darker heavier rich food vs light citrus side of Mexican cuisine.

If you want a regular bland tasting breakfasts chorizo burrito with a regular coffee and don't mind paying $24.50 for it....go ahead.

Got there with the family including four kids all sitting at the gate for a connecting flight. Ordering was going well until I attempted to order a couple quesadillas from the kids menu to split. At that point, I was told by the employee that in order to order from the kids menu I would need to produce the children to ensure I wasn't trying to take advantage of the kids menu. When I mentioned that I wasn't keen to go to the gate to produce the children to prove they indeed existed, she indicated that was "my manager's rule." Seems like a pretty stupid way to lose a $60-$70 order but hey when that's the managers rule, what else is there to do but walk away. That is exactly what I chose to do.