KALAKA BERKELEY

We had three items, Unfortunately they were not on the easy to select items for Google ratings, I suggest these are added. If not, the Average Joe/Jose would stop there and maybe not leave a rating, but I'm not your average Jose/Joe... I have pictures of two of the three items we ordered, unfortunately my POS phone decided to fool me when it took pictures of the third item, which I will describe what it was first. It was a chicken and spinach quesadilla that was 2/3 of the size of the plate, it had green chile for dipping, my wife loved it and scarfed it up in no time. The second item which is the first picture, are chicken flautas covered with Pico de gallo, with a side of their red salsa, again very yummy. My item was the second and third pictures which were the Kalaka's burrito with carne asada and smothered in green chili, very large as you can see. It was fully packed from the second image. The only drag about this item was the Sparing of the cilantro, one very little sprig, it was cute, though I suggest more cilantro, it rules! We came early afternoon on a Saturday and they had a brunch menu that went until 2:00 or 2:30 that had some nice items on it including some drink items, but we went for the main menu instead, we had already decided before arriving of what we wanted. For handicap folks there are two doors for the restrooms at the back of the restaurant. I would suggest the door on the right or South side of the restaurant, it has more clearance to get to than the door on the left which is the north side of the restaurant with a clearance of about 31" to 32" with tables and chairs, it was pretty packed over there. I do encourage folks to try this place even though parking is a bit difficult, the food is outstanding! We'll be back for sure!!

10 out of 10! Let's start with service. We had probably the best server we've ever had in a while! Attentive, truly cared about the food, and the customer experience. Thanks for being awesome! Now the food. Fantastic! Absolutely delicious. My wife and I's new favorite Mexican restaurant. We started with the trash can nachos which are to die for. The margarita flight is phenomenal. Probably the best trio of margaritas we've ever had. Then there were the tacos. Really, really, good tacos. We had the asada which was also on point and then the birria tacos... So fricken good. Hats off. The only disappointing part about this place is that there wasn't a hammock, so I could take a nap, and then wake up and try even more of the menu.

Some of the best margs we’ve had in the Denver area. And bonus for having a margarita flight - delicious! Excellent service and great food. We really enjoyed the choriquezo and birria tacos. Our toddler was also very welcomed and loved the food :)

I really enjoyed this spot, more than I thought I would based on a friend’s experience. Our bartender Rosie made us feel welcome and excited for our meal. We started with the cheesy, melty Choriquezo with flour tortillas. The hibiscus Marg was tasty and a little sweet for my taste. Same for the watermelon but I would definitely order again. The chicken tinga mole enchiladas were some of the best I’ve had. The interior was spacious and modern, good lighting. We will def be back to enjoy the patio when the weather is warm.

My boyfriend and I have been to the Berkeley location several times. The food is amazing, the service is amazing, and the restaurant is perfect for a warm summer day. We always sit at the bar and have Sydney as our bartender. She’s is amazing, highly recommend giving this place a visit. Fajitas are the bomb! :)

The food was very tasty. We shared the nachos, which changed with every layer you uncovered. I then had the birria tacos, and my friend had the steak burrito. I was so full from the nachos that I had to take most of my taco meal home for later. Just as yummy reheated! Margaritas are on the tart side but tasty. We got there just as they opened, so it was pretty empty, but I bet they fill up the place regularly. It would be a great summer patio spot. Decor was very attractive. Service was great, very attentive.

We arrived right at opening. Friendly welcome. Sat immediately. We started with the totopos & salsa and trashcan nachos. Salsas were ok. The trashcan nachos hit the spot. Even the picky kids devoured it. I had the carne asada plate and the steak was huge. Rest of family had parrilada bowl, birria tacos, and kids quesadilla.

I wanted to love this place so badly since I live nearby. I’ve come twice and tried a good portion of the menu. The margs are syrupy and the michelada lacked spice. The food quality and flavors are underwhelming. The servers are nice, but are slow (likely because they are understaffed). Based on my experiences I won’t be back unfortunately.

Can't say enough about Kalaka! It's my go-to and favorite restaurant on Tennyson. The food is incredible and the service is just as wonderful. Marissa is a ray of sunshine every time we come in. Just had their new wings and molcajete, which were both top notch - tons of flavor and complexity. Don't skip either!

I had a craving for Mexican food and came across Kalaka on Yelp. I was excited to try a newish Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood The service was good and the staff was friendly, especially when dealing with a customer that was somewhat extra if you will. My partner had the sopes with chicken tinga, which was really solid. We both had horchatas which were good. I had the chile relleno and this is where things fell apart, not sure why it tasted like a spicy donut, but it did. The staff offered me some green chili to put on top, as if this is not an uncommon complaint. It helped, but was still pretty terrible and borderline nauseating. I would encourage the owners to take another look at this dish, the person next to us sent back the same dish as well.

We went on Friday for a birthday and we had the upstairs area to ourself which was nice. Our servers were great and they even brought out a flaming ice cream thing for the dessert which was very nice. However, the food was disappointing. I did have a bite of a birria taco which was great, but everything else was sub par. We started off with the "deconstructed" guacamole. I don't understand it. Why am I paying $17 to make my own guac? I had the carnitas taco and shrimp taco. The taco shell itself was too thin and both split while I was eating them. The tacos were overstuffed for how tiny the tortilla was. The carnitas was SO oily it was dripping and kinda gross to eat. The shrimp taco had okay flavor, but it was literally falling apart while I was eating it that it was such a mess. My husband had the mole enchiladas and they were spicy as all get out. My friend got the mocajete and said it wasn't very good. Someone got the fish taco and she said it was soggy and gross. I got the margarita flight and there was nothing special about it. For a Mexican place - this place missed the mark.

An astounding Mexican food place. The maiz was a wonderful appetizer and the tacos would bring me back again and again. Unfortunately their Mexican salad could have used a bit more ingredientes for the price, a bummer but when adding the beef, everything aligned. Our waited was quick and educated and all of their seating looked perfect.

So glad we found this place for Happy Hour! They have an awesome selection of margaritas, perfect to pair with tacos on a Tuesday. The Coco-jalapeño margarita was incredibly unique and tasty. We also ordered the Al Pastor wings. Wished they were more crispy, but the flavors were bomb. Came with a pineapple salsa and creamy dipping sauce. Will definitely be returning. Thanks for a great meal!

Fun Fact: Kalaka describes itself as "a modern Mexican kitchen with a unique twist." (www.kalakamexicankitchen.com) Now open in the Berkeley neighborhood, this new location provides exactly what they advertise. So many great dishes that interlace a bright freshness with deep and complex flavors, I relished every bite. * Pozole~simmered pork, hominy, Mexican slaw, radishes, queso fresco, fresh avocado, jalapeños, lime, and tostadas de la casa. This night, they served both a red and a green version. Shrimp Ceviche~shrimp, lime juice, avocado, cucumber, mango, tomato, cilantro, jalapeños, red onions, balsamic drizzle, and tortilla strips. Kalaka Burrito~flour tortilla filled with black beans, cilantro rice, pico, cilantro lime crema, and queso fresco. Pick your meat and smother it with pork green chili and crema. What's better than a salsa trio? A salsa quad! * Kalaka makes you feel right at home with friendly staff and modern Mexican fare.

Fun atmosphere, great service and great margaritas! We had the queso to start and it was not like traditional queso and was a bit watery and had a lot of corn in it. No bad, just different. Chile relleno was homemade but had a sweeter note more than spicy as I prefer. We also had the birria tacos and they were delicious!

1) there was like 2 other people in the whole restaurant and we got sat next to the bathroom... 2) when getting out check- now there's all this front house, back house, cook tip percentage which I think is ridiculous on top of tipping the server. 3) food was mediocre at best. The guac (we had to kid ourself- and I've had better guac at home than at this place. Guac cost $16 for that price is ridiculous.. at least make it tasteful instead of bland 4) service was slow for no one being there.

We decided to check this place out last week and gosh the tacos were so good! Started with chips and the salsa sampler plus classic margs and all of that was great as well. My husband and I shared an order of birria tacos plus a carnitas, fish and asada taco and though the birria was amazing, I actually think the fish was our favorite! The inside of this place is a little bit weird. The patio and bar are bright and beautiful and most people were sat there but in the back, it's dark and deserted. There's an upstairs too and it did not look inviting. Hopefully next time we can sit on the patio!

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Kalaka Berkeley. It wasn't your typical Mexican restaurant vibes with the teal and black interior and music choices. I also loved all the hanging plants and indoor/outdoor seating options. I ordered the burrito special as well as their spicy margarita special. The burrito was good but nothing special so I think I'd definitely try some of their more unique food options next time. My spicy margarita was awesome and I definitely could have had another but decided against it since it was lunchtime and I also didn't want to pay the price for 2. We also shared the Kalaka papas (aka fries) and they were so good! Who would have thought fries would have stood out to me at a Mexican restaurant?!

A heartfelt thank you to the management, wait staff, and bartenders at Kalaka Berkeley for the unbelievable customer service during a private birthday celebration. The establishment accommodated a group of 25 or so with ease. Comfortable and a welcoming atmosphere. I encourage you to stop by for lunch, or salsa dancing Tuesdays, and enjoy the delicious menu/drinks!

Went to Kalaka on a Friday night. It was hopping!!! Was able to snag 2 seats at the bar which was convenient. It did take a minute for the bartender to give attention/ask for my order. I ordered the Kalaka Marg which was great. My friend ordered the house margarita and it came w/o salt which was a bummer. We ordered the green Chile queso which seemed to be a bit more of a corn dip than queso. It was fine but I probably wouldn't order it again. My favorite taco was the barbacoa- great flavor and sauces. Even had a bit of a spice which I loved! We had to ask multiple times for silverware/napkins which wasn't great considering we had finger food. The TVs were off until late- wish something would have been on the entire time. Overall, i would come back to try more of the marg options and tacos. Has some small areas for improvement though!

Food was okay but not great. It was pricey for what you got. Margarita was good but not impressed with the food.

This place is really great, delicious cocktails and food is excellent! I recommend the ceviche and the steak bowl yum!

Rude hostess. Rude hostess again. Rude hostess a 3rd time. Good food, nice waiter, remote bathroom. Hostess, black hair, seems to have zero training about interacting with others. I'm dumbfounded how people like this get jobs, how they convince managers to hire them. Don't forget what a business-customer relationship is. Customer opinions are easily shared these days (lucky you), just like bad attitudes from poorly trained/thoughtless hostesses. Sadly, both of these are now socially acceptable. While our waiter was nice, he wanted to go home, so he decided to just mop every square inch around us more than an hour before close. Not cool. we visited for a QUALITY experience, which is expected and required with prices like that. A QUALITY restaurant experience not only involves good food and a nice waiter, but also, CLEAN food as opposed to people cleaning in our faces. Also, QUALITY in a restaurant also demands quality from the Hostess when we come thru the door, but that sure didn't happen. Again, can't understand the mentality of a business manager that goes ahead and hires people that are so challenged in, well, HOSTING when the whole basis of the role is human interaction and a thing called a "greeting". Maybe go back to the dictionary and checkout these words when you write the next job description. Without NICE people, the revenue wont come. We skipped 2 more proposals by friends to visit again...so far. This translates to roughly $538 in lost revenue, plus lost tips for your staff, which unfortunately means you both earned less than you were setup to earn because the widespread standard of service wasn't met. Your actions impacted revenue, the primary goal of a business. Hope these words aren't taken personally. Know that feedback to a BUSINESS HELPS your BUSINESS. You just have to act on it.

Environment is great, our server was super personable, timely and great at upselling and suggestions. She had such an endearing personality! Food was all pretty much on point, and a great value - which fancy Mexican often lacks. The street corn was the only really disappointing part - it lacked flavor. For context - I'm from Central PA originally, the land of beige on beige food with no flavor, and compared it to creamed corn. The trash can nachos were large, make your own guac was amazing, churro donuts were great. The margs were the stand out - awesome unique flavors (carrot!) and they offer flights.

The food is amazing and our waiter did a fantastic job. It is the best Mexican food I have tried since moving to Denver seven years ago. And I've tried a lot of Mexican food. I got the Flautas and they were crisp, airy, well seasoned and piping hot. My husband got the Birria tacos and said they were the best tacos he has ever had. So we definitely recommend this place. One critique- I am a mother of an infant. They put the changing table right behind where the door for the handicapped bathroom swung out so my options when changing my baby were to either have a door on my back, constantly swing it closed (and it immediately swung back and hit me again) or to stand on one foot and use the other foot to hold the door closed (which is what I did). So maybe making the handicapped door to where it wasn't in the swing open position would be very helpful for mothers.

Great food and service! The mole enchilada's were a favorite! The Salsa flight was also amazing! Carne asada taco was also 10/10 Will definitely be coming back!

Great find, this place has the most Amazing trash can nachos and pork belly chicharrón with fresh smashed Guac that go perfectly with all the specialty drinks they have. The Margarita flight was awesome. And everyone was so friendly, Overall a pretty chill spot with great Vibes and cool atmosphere. Can't wait to go back once the weather gets nicer, the patio and brunch menu looks like it would be a hit.

A very good lunch. Trash Can nachos. Tons of carnitas. Plenty of food for 3 people. Nachos are how I judge my initial visit to "mexican" restaurants and these are definitely worth it. Average selection of beers. Good service. + Music, happy Mexican + Comfortable temperature on a chilly January day - Paper napkins - Cheap flatware $37.04 for lunch for 2 inc tax & tip

Food was good but the waitress added more to her tip than what we actually left behind. Went there to eat with my friends and we spit the check in half, we both left a tip but the waitress took it upon herself to add 10$ more to each of our receipts for her tip. We both realized this once payment was actually processed through our banks and it was more than what we paid. Will not be returning for this reason

This is kind of a crazy place (It's where the old Mas Kaos used to be). It's just a block north of the "Tennyson Strip" (from 38th-44th) and yet gets about half the traffic of the rest of the places. AND IT'S REALLY GOOD!! Northern Mexican food that is light on the grease and has some really fun takes on various dishes. Their choriquezo is a must. I'm also partial to their Flautas and their Birria Tacos! It's a definitely a "bar" vibe, so you're not going out for a formal dining experience here. But it's definitely got it own feel. An almost industrial down-town loft feel. Very fun and tasty!

The mole enchilada entrée tasted and looked beautiful. The spice kick just enough to be delicious. My dinner companion felt the same about the burrito he ordered; some kick, very yummy. Terrific service and they put up with my pickiness about where I wanted to sit. The mangonada cocktail, with vodka, mango, and some other tasty things, was not too sweet with an enjoyably sour edge. Not cheap, but also not outrageous in comparison to other places with pleasant atmosphere and nicely prepared food.

Delicious food, phenomenal presentation. Food exceeded my expectations. Chilaquiles were delicious so was Posole flight.

I gave them a chance. Went here within the first 10 days of opening and waited an insane amount of time at the high tops (20 mins) before being greeted by the server. Service was terribly slow and we had made it into our entrees before the drinks finally arrived. They were new and I didn't want to rate a neighborhood spot poorly. We went back again tonight.....they have been open several months now and wouldn't you know it, seated at the same high tops section. We waited so long that the hostess came over and asked where our server was (like we know?). Finally ordered an app, ceviche, and it was trash. I complained that there was no lime or lemon flavor and it seemed like they cooked small bay shrimp and then just mixed in fresh veggies. It was completely dry! I was told they "make it different." Ya buddy, your not making ceviche. Margaritas were fine. 2 stars, won't be back.

Really enjoyed my visit to Kalaka. Super tasty pozole .. great margarita. Loved the ambiance and good service .

This place would be good if they didn't serve alcohol to minors, especially when said minors specifically asked for no alcohol in the first place! They gave my underage daughter over poured margaritas to take home instead of a normal horchata... without ever carding her! This is dangerous, not to mention illegal and staff and management didn't seem apologetic or cared in the least bit about the fact they're handing out a controlled substance to minors. This place needs to be shut down since we don't want an irresponsible business damaging our community! Update- Despite having reached out personally to the business manager that has no problem responding quickly to positive reviews, there still has been no response. We obviously threw out the alcoholic drinks they gave to our child. However, the food seemed pretty good, and it was, although a bit oily... we ended up being sick from it for a few days! We initially thought our stomachs were just reacting badly from sipping from our horrible spiked horchata, but after settling in, we realized it wasn't. We bought plenty of food so we ate for a couple days from it. We're just now recovering from acute food poisoning from their kitchen! I now have absolutely no reason to recommend this place to anyone! A cool ambiance does not make up for horrible everything else! Seriously, do better! 2nd Update in response Of course, we hold differing perspectives about what happened on Friday the 15th... I've never met you in my life! We were in completely different places, doing completely different things! You were nowhere near the restaurant, so it's pretty safe to assume that our experiences that day were vastly different. That we agree on, however, I'm not exactly sure how a business manager can make a medical assessment based solely on appearance when said business manager wasn't able to make an appearance to even assess it? I don't recall you staying at my home all weekend, checking my temperature and taking stool samples... although I WAS suffering from food poisoning, so it's possible you did come over, and I just can't remember due to the dillerium. Even if I actually appeared to be OK to your staff, appearances can be deceiving... take the restaurant in question... For example, it also appears to be OK. Maybe you should ask your staff how my wife and daughter appeared to be as well, since you're so keen on handing out assumed medical diagnosis. Apparently, they were too sick to even be able to make an appearance at your "clinic". Sure, I was issued a refund... for the alcoholic drinks we didn't order that was given to our child! Of course, I'm dissatisfied! That should go without saying! Most restaurants, when messing up that badly and upsetting patrons to the extent that yours has, tend to comp meals or issue vouchers or gift certificates to keep them happy. At the very least, they would apologize or even accept accountability for their actions, but not kalaka. You literally made zero efforts to try and address my concerns, so please stop trying to gaslight the reviews! Speaking as a successful former restaurant owner myself, I can say with confidence that this is not how any restaurant is run! For the record, it is fraudulent to put charges for alcoholic drinks on a credit card when selling to minors and your "refund method" is also fraudulent since you place multiple charges on the card without the card holders permission... but there's no need to debate with me about it. You'll be speaking directly with the bank's investigative fraud division. You deciding to post your response to my private email on a public forum means that now it's considered public information, so I will respectively deny your request to keep my review of this place out of the public eye. My review doesn't even go into full detail like my email did. Maybe I should just post it. The public has a right to know. However, I will not be giving you the name of my attorney on a public forum. That's not how it works. It's not how any of this works. You'll receive my attorney's name and contact information when you get officially served with litigation paperwork. The interesting thing about your response is that it only mentions Friday the 15th. However, my underage daughter came in on Thursday the 14th and was given alcohol and that's where this entire issue stems from! Yet, there's not a difference in perspective about that day, huh? Hmm, quite interesting.

We were so sad when mas kaos closed on Tennyson, but with Kalaka taking over we'll be just fine! The margaritas were tart and delicious, the food was extremely fresh, and staff was friendly and helpful. The music was a tiny bit loud for my taste, but we were seated right under a speaker. As soon as it warms up I'd love to try the patio.

Went in for the first time tonight - it was absolutely delicious. The Kalaka marg was awesome! Can't wait to come back and try more flavors! We started with the green chili queso which was awesome. Then we had the burrito and street tacos. My favorite was the chicken and shrimp tacos. We ended with the churros which were also awesome! We'll definitely be back!

High quality food and a fun ambiance! Service is fast and friendly. Becoming one of our favorite places!

The food, drinks and service were really good however I took one star off because they added a 4% "kitchen appreciation" charge onto the bill without notifying me. They should price the food according to how much it costs to deliver it, not sneak an extra 4% onto your bill as if the kitchen staff aren't part of running a restaurant.

Yummy food and nice interior! Ordered the steak tacos which had a unique crunch that was a nice touch. Enjoyed their spicy salsa that had a unique delicious taste.

This was our first time at this restaurant and I give it a 10/10 for ambiance, service, vibes, food, and America. America was our lovely server for this evening and in addition to being knowledgeable about the menu, she was also personable and attentive. Great date night spot. Ask for America!

We order the family meal, includes everything including chips, corn torts, meat of choice, sauces & toppings! Really delicious, recommend trying it.

Kalaka is SO yummy! I don't understand any negative reviews of this place. I'm from Southern California so I'm picky about my Mexican food. If you're from the Orange County area Kalaka reminds me of Javier's (if you're not it just means it's really really good). It's WAY better than tres chiles down the road and I like Kalaka better than my neighbor Felix in lohi. My husband and I liked it so much we went back twice in one week. We've had the ceviche, guacamole, flautas, and enchiladas - all were delicious! I ordered the mezcal margarita both times because it was so good! It's the perfect amount of smoky flavor. Our service was great and attentive both times we ate here. Definitely try it out!

The Mole enchiladas were amazing and really loved the marg flight! We can't wait to go back.

Visited for the first time last night while on a second date. Had an absolutely great time. Our server was hilarious and super knowledgeable and personable. The host and bar staff were super attentive. The deconstructed guacamole was awesome. Loved the carnitas tacos and fuego marg. Great vibe and will be visiting again and often.

Super cute place, we were greeted immediately when we walked in and given the choice of a high or low top. Our server was attentive and kind, giving us recommendations. I had the hibiscus margarita and it was delicious. I had two street tacos and they were very tasty. We'll definitely come back.

Been here three times and the food and service has exceeded expectations each time! Everything I've had has been delicious and it's got a cool vibe to it. Great place for good Mexican food!

Such a great addition to Tennyson. The trash can nachos are unlike any other nachos we have had - you actually get tons of toppings and aren't leftover with soggy chips. All of the tacos we have had have been incredible. The service and ambiance are top-notch. Highly recommend!

The food is just very mediocre. Ordered fajitas and the chicken was over cooked and was 80% onions/peppers

Always delicious- never bad. I have had their tacos, their bowls, quite a lot of dishes. Extremely good eats. Decently priced, very friendly staffed

Beautiful space, good food, and attentive service. I'll be coming back! Highly recommend the trash can nachos. They're super filling so if you're getting them as an app, split them among 4 or more people.

What a cool place. The atmosphere is fun and the food is delicious and it's very reasonably priced. We will definitely be back.

We were somewhat sad to see Mas Kaos go away, despite the food and service being so inconsistent over the years. We were thrilled, however, to see Kalaka Mexican take over. The decor has lots of impressive lighting that isn't too bright, the entrance and bar have been upgraded and the place was packed when we were there. The music was festive but a bit loud for me. We had the Kalaka margarita, a traditional marg on the sweeter side. We started off with some Guacamole. Be forewarned that you will be presented with a whole avocado cut in halves and ingredients to mix together. After mixing together all the ingredients, we discovered that there was a large portion of chopped jalapeño peppers in our guacamole. I'm a Southern Arizona native that grew up on Sonoran Mexican food, so it was a bit much for me and I spent more time than I wanted picking them back out of my serving. I'll know better next time. Two of us ordered the Posole and one the mole. The mole was reported to be "super tasty". The red posole was tasty, but yet a again way too many jalapeños for my taste! I also had one taco Al pastor. I don't think it was carved off a spit similar to the tradition in Mexico. It was slightly dry but a good mix of ingredients including bigger chunks of pineapple. If you like spicy Mexican food and great service, this is your spot! I will go again but I'll keep an eye out for "too spicy".

Decent food, okay service. Nice vibe. Won't go often because they want me to pay 4% Kitchen staff wages. Just increase the prices a tad to pay for your employees. Oh wait, you already increased prices within 3 months of opening.

When the food came out I was handed a dish that I didn't order. The server didn't apologize, rather they told me they were sure that's what I had ordered. After some back and forth the entree I ordered came out...after my partner was finished eating. Food wasn't fully cooked (the cheese in the relleno was still cold and not melted) but at that point we just decided to eat what we could and wrap up our visit to Kalaka. I wasn't drinking but the server offered a margarita on the house, it's a nice gesture but the person that benefitted was my partner.

Our new favorite Mexican spot (previously was Chile Verde). Was really impressed how great everything was. We ordered the guax, , a kids quesadilla, veggie fajitas and i had a shrimp, chicken and fish taco. Probably the best fish taco i've ever had. The shrimp was really great too. Chicken probably in 3rd for me in the ranking. Good attentive service. Oh yes, very good margs too. Can't wait to go back and try more dishes!

Absolutely delicious! Best Mexican restaurant on Tennyson. Trash can nachos are amazing! Can't wait to go back!

First visit today (7/4/23)... WOW! great service, outstanding food. We had chips/salsa, house marg (pitcher), choriquezo appetizer (which i could have eaten two more of that!), asada street taco and canitas street taco. We will certainly be back to dig into the entree menu!