Comal

Ok really giving 5*.
I sat at the bar and the staff was incredible including drink recommendations. Great cocktails.
We ate heavy apps and the food was great. I need to come back and eat something from the wood fired grill.
Atmosphere is great.
I'll be back.

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. What does she know? ;-)

They bring a tray of three different sizes for the chips. Two of them are very good but I think the third one (the dark red one I think) might be able to help start the Berkeley fusion reactor. It is SPICY!

My fish tacos were fantastico! I thought the chicken tamales were good but the wife he thought they were a little bit too spicy. :-(

On the atmosphere side, I'd advise you to try and get seats away from the outside seating as far as possible. There's a constant cold wind from the outside; the waiters leave the doors open because they go through so often. Obviously this is mainly an issue during winter.

Be prepared to leave some time to park. Parking in downtown Berkeley can be a chore.

All in all I have to say that we love this place and we'll be back again.

Can't say enough about this place. Great energy, clean and modern. Menu is exciting with new things to try and protiens change based on what is good. Great cocktails. Fresh made guacamole, salsas and tortillas. Margaritas made from scratch. Huge tequila and mezcal selections.

We had some excellent food at Comal. We sat at the bar and got an up close and personal view of the well-run kitchen and its highly trained team. The food isn't exactly 100% traditional Mexican cuisine, but it's still firmly grounded in it. We had the carnitas tacos with citrus and the duck enchiladas as entrees and both were even better than we expected. The guacamole and three salsas paired with their chips were also delicious. We had a small snafu with the service, but after pointing it out, our server immediately corrected it to our satisfaction, which is all one can expect. All in all, our meal was a treat and we felt this place was deserving of its reputation and Bib Gourmand listing. We will be back!

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 but will definitely be coming back next time I’m in town!

Came here to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and it becomes one of my favorite restaurants in Berkeley. Great foods, decent drinks, and friendly staff. If you like to try something different, wood-grilled chicken livers should be on your list. We tried both enchilada and quesadilla, and we were pretty full and satisfied.

We were exceptionally impressed with Comal. The staff was amazing. The food was even better and the drinks were best of all. I highly recommend you make a reservation here ASAP.

The chips were thick and house-made with a delicious msg type seasoning. The three salsas were each unique yet familiar on the palate while yet distinctive of each other. The tequila flight and mezcal based Paloma were both delicious. The enchiladas had almost a lasagna like flavor. The heartiness, and maybe the oregano or a mix of parsley with the cilantro gave the filling a standout flavor. The guacamole was exactly how I make it at home, but with perfectly ripe avocados. The guacamole also played off the with chip’s seasoning and thickness. We had issues with the order but our waitress acknowledged and corrected the mistake without hesitation. Mistakes happen, but correcting and acknowledging a mistake with zero snark or issues is good enough for me. I am admittedly snobby about Mexican food being from San Antonio, however I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. It wasn’t traditional, it was elevated Mexican inspired dishes with firm roots in traditional Mexican food.

Food and drinks, always delicious. Great experience. Service is okay. Parking is tough. But it's all worth it. Great place. Excellent bartenders.

Wow, Comal really knows how to put it down. Everything we had here was incredibly delicious with the exception of the quesadilla. Sadly, the quesadilla tortilla was so thick, it was nearly inedible. Everything else though was so delicious. Highlights; the enchiladas, the pork tacos, (omg the flavor!) and the Jack Satan drink. The chips and guacamole were also so incredible!! I loved this place, authentic flavors and amazing service too.

Pareidolia is the tendency for perception to impose a meaningful interpretation on a nebulous stimulus, usually visual, so that one sees an object, pattern, or meaning where there is none. Apophenia is the tendency to perceive meaningful connections between unrelated things. Esoteric is content intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest. Buckle up.

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 my group were not as enthused, I thought everything was pretty good except the tofu tacos which seemed dry/lacked flavor. Nice to be able to seat a large party (15+) outdoors. Overall would go back again.

Delicious food, amazing service. Wish I lived in Berkeley and could come often. Oh yes - and the cocktails and wine were first class.

Lively, young crowd. Modern, upmarket space. Superior Mexican food. Long list of tequila's and other fun cocktails

Great place. The food is good, service is great. Nice feel / atmosphere.

Great place, great food, fast service. Sikil Pak (roasted eggplant dip essentially) was delicious, and the accompanying salsas were fantastic. It also was on the table before my drink. A+ fish tacos. The quesadillas were a little cheese heavy, and masked how delicious the mushrooms were, but good salsa so all is forgiven.

Great dinner, Empanadas with chorizo and tamales with Mole sauce were delicious. Sat on beautiful back patio, seated quickly with no reservations. Nice, friendly staff and service.

Delicious good fun. I felt surprised I enjoyed every bite of the watermelon dish. It was sweet, spicy, and refreshing. The tamales were so yummy I wish I could eat them again right now.

Great atmosphere and very tasty food! Had the tacos and corn for an appetizer. Also indulged on the desert which was excellent.

Despite it being busy we were seated right away. We made excellent menu choices. The tacos were really good. The service was excellent as well.