Tamarindo Antojeria

We happen to stumble on this place when looking for a Mexican restaurant for for a party of 8. The reviews on Unilocal made it easy for us to decide to eat here. The place was clean and very cozy. It accommodates both small and large parties. its almost like a «classier» Mexican spot… actually it was a fancy Mexican spot!
The menu was one page and included appetizers, main course and drinks. Not a lot of food offered in the menu — or maybe that was the lunch menu. It actually made it easier for me and my peers to order quickly. we ordered guacamole and it was pretty tasty. The first batch of chips given to us was ok, but the second order of chips were stale. We asked for another order, but it was the same. My friend ordered 2 tacos which came in a very small plate, which is not a lot of food for the price. I ordered the Torta Ahogada — a sandwich drowned in red spicy sauce. It was pretty tasty. I didn’t care so much for the bread, but the carnitas and the sauce were good. We ordered the coconut flan –which was the only dessert they had– and it delicious. The coconut was sprinkled on top of the flan and it wasn’t too sweet.
I gave this place a 4 star because of the food and the ambiance. The service wasn’t all that great. And its almost a shame when the food is good but the service is short. The place was not packed when we got there, but it seemed like the lady was in a rush to take our orders. Throughout the whole dining experience, we only saw 2 servers and it was hard for us to get a hold of one. When we finally finished, we were trying to get our check but no one was around the area and we had to keep yelling «excuse me». When we finally got our check, we paid in cash, which we didn’t just want to leave on the table… so we ended up yelling again for about 5 minutes trying to get the server’s attention. The lady looked like she was irritated that we kept asking for service.
Overall, the food is fantastic and i would definitely come back again. and hopefully they will have a fuller staff this time.

Great service and even better margaritas. Had what was essentially the steak tacos and it was awesome. Location was great too with some surprisingly easy street parking on a Friday night.

Hubbs and I originally just went for micheladas, but we decided to order an appetizer called agua Chile (similar to ceviche) it was spicy like it should be. unfortunately it lacked some seasoning. The michelada was good, I could taste their homemade tomatoe base. We will be back to Next time to try something else.

This place has great ambiance but the food and drinks are mediocre at best. My husband and I were thoroughly disappointed with each food item and left hungry and sober. We ordered a jar of their sangria which was quite large and while it tasted good there was no alcohol. We didn’t finish it to avoid the unnecessary sugar. I was also disappointed with their cocktail selection. A place like this needs to do well in at least 1 category of food or drink.

This place is adorable. We stumbled upon this place thanks to Unilocal and really enjoyed our experience. Everyone who works here is adorable, kind and accommodating. The drinks are awesome and the selection is stellar (think all your favorite mexican cocktails with an artisan twist). The food was great, as well. Portions are a little small for the price, but still good.
The only reason why I’m taking off a star is because while it was a great dining experience — good food, ambiance, service — nothing is out of this world memorable. I’d come back, but I’d have to remember to come back.

Delightful Old Oakland establishment serving tapas with a Mexican flair. As is typical of tapas, most of the items are modestly sized, but at (or near) $ 10 per dish are not unreasonably priced given the taste and quality offered. The tacos de camaron (shrimp tacos), for example, were quite delicious and came topped with jack cheese, romaine lettuce, and salsa fresca. For dessert, I found the flan de coco (coconut flan) quite delightful too. What’s more, they have great Taco Tuesday deals served out of a sleek outdoor back patio shared with the Trappist, the beer hall next door.
Service can be somewhat slow, but is nevertheless warm and personal, whether you’re sitting in the main dining room or hanging out in the back for Taco Tuesday. There’s an extensive drinks menu featuring mescal, among other items, too. Another worthy addition to Old Oakland.

Had an order of the Guacamole Con Totopos ($ 8): Fresh avocado, tomatoes, onions, lime, cilantro & chips. Also had an order of the Chilaquiles En Salsa Verde ($ 9): Chips tossed with a tomatillo sauce, garnished with cotija, onion and cream. Further had an order of the Queso Fundido (vegetarian) ($ 10): Melted oaxacan cheese (without chorizo) accompanied with hand made tortillas. Food was delicious, staff was sweet as can be, and the ambiance was nouveau.
PS: Staff mentioned that separate oil is not used for non-​fish/​non-​meat items… but that the oil had just been changed; other items were prepared to be vegetarian per request.

Fantastico. Tasty and inexpensive small plates. Authenic Mexican cuisine.
The Mezcal selection is the best I’ve ever seen in Oakland.
It too, was affordable. Will be back when I return to the Bay Area.
Muy bien, gracias.

Here’s how it’s gonna go down. If you happen to be here for dinner, MAKE SURE to get the tamarind mole! Very different from the Mexican food that is so readily available anywhere else. It really stood out.
Brought my mother here because she is a fan of anything with tamarind, and given the name of this place I figured it would be a good bet. Aside from the awesome tamarind mole (to be clear, it’s chicken cooked in the tamarind mole and it’s subtlety sweet/​tangy/​savory all at the same time) we also got the tinga, house salad, totopos with guac, tamal oaxaqueno (also really good) and I believe something else. Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, moms and I can definitely put it away lol.
In addition to the above (it’s not over) we got the tamarind margarita (for her) and I tried the house sangria. Both really good. I should also mention that almost all of what we got were recommendations from their really friendly, and most of all patient staff considering food restrictions and all. If you take nothing else from this review, make sure to get that tamarind mole.

Went here for my birthday dinner and ordered the following to share with two other friends:
Chicharron De Queso
Platanos Fritos
Tostaditas De Tinga Poblana
Chilaquiles En Salsa Verde
Tacos De Camaron
Drinks: Tamarind Margaritas
Food review: everything was really tasty. The Chicharron de queso was a bit misleading for me. I thought it was Chicharron with a sort of queso dip, but actually it is fried cheese in a funnel. Wasn’t my favorite and my friends didn’t really care much for it either, but it looks cool.
Platanos fritos were soft and chewy, the queso fresco was a nice contrast.
I’m not sure what Tinga stands for, but according to my friends it was the sauce they put on top. Really tasty.
Tacos de camaron: wish it was more than just the two, they were so delicious and fresh.
Chilaquiles: the sauce was nice and spicy, this is what we finished off with and were full.
Drinks: the tamarind margarita was a favorite among all of us. Tastes like tamarind juice. The rim is covered in spicy tamarind. Really yummy!
Ambiance: loved the décor of the place. I think that was maybe my favorite. As it was around Dia de los Muertos, they had an altar and prayer flags strung across. Their paintings were old school Mexican actors and they had a live screening of a movie against a wall. Really cool place to hang!

With last nights experience, I am extremely disappointed with the customer service and the food.
Came here yesterday for a friends birthday dinner. We had a big party, so some flukes were to be expected (such as some drinks taking a while etc) but the manner some things were handled really sucked.
the waiter was extremely short and curt. He must of been having a bad day. Or not care about customer service.
To elaborate, at one point the entire group had all their food except for two people. They waited patiently, we understand food takes a while with a large group. However, once the entire group was done with their food, and they STILL hadn’t received the food, we knew something was up. They brought this to the attention of the waiter. When the waiter returned, there was no apologies. All he said was ;“they placed your food to the side especially for you, and they forgot it but it’s coming out. They did that especially for you two!“
Huh? That makes no sense. At least for us it didn’t.
No apologies. No accountability. it was almost as if he implied it was our fault. I’m sorry?
Anyways, they decided to cancel the order since it was evident he either forgot to place the order, or someone gave their plates to other patrons. So we asked for the bill. One of the two ppl who’s plate mysteriously disappeared «to the side» stated –understandably annoyed-​that they hope it wouldn’t take 30 minutes to get the bill. to which the waiter replied in an extremely sarcastic and rude tone «no it won’t take 30 mins, but it will take 20 because two people ordered dessert» *with a big sarcastic grin on his face* And he just walked away. how. Rude.
Also, why would it take 20 mins to bring out a bill because two people ordered dessert? Ohh… He’s was just being sarcastic. Dude– your day must have sucked. I’m sorry, but you didn’t have to take it out on us.
The food was not the same. It was ok, but not worth the money. So bummed this place has declined, I once raved about it.

I’m not really a fan of Mexican cuisine, but I did enjoy my meal at Tamarindo Antojeria this past week. The overall vibe of the restaurant is upscale chic and romantic with its dim lighting and the idea of family style dining, so it would make a great place for a date or special event. As it so happens, I was here for a birthday dinner, and I was impressed with the service we received for our party of ten. Although we only had one server, he was able to hold his own with our loud party of ten by cracking jokes with us and also making great recommendations for tapas and drinks. There were no issues with ordering and all of our food came out with no mistakes. The food did take some time to come out however, and there was confusion about who ordered what, but eventually everyone received what they ordered. In terms of the drinks, the menu had an impressive selection of tequilas, margaritas, and other cocktails, and I really wanted to order one of these drinks, but drinking and driving is a no-​no, so only water for me that night. Now for the food:
Tacos de Pescado (Fish Tacos): Two battered white fish tacos with cabbage, fresh salsa, and chipotle cream. The fish was so succulent and juicy and had the perfect crispy exterior from the deep-​fried batter. The cabbage also provided a nice fresh crunch with each bite, and the salsa and chipotle cream added a tangy citrus flavor to the taco that made this dish a definite winner. I would definitely order this dish again!
Cayo De Hacha Al Guajillo (Scallops): Seared scallops over guajillo sauce and avocado relish. The scallops were perfectly seared and had a lot of flavor on their own, but I did not enjoy them paired with the guajillo sauce and the avocado relish. I felt that the avocado and the sauce clashed with each other and actually ended up masking the flavor of the scallop rather than complementing it. I enjoyed all three components individually, but together they were unsuccessful. I would not recommend this dish.
Tamarindo Antojeria has really tasty Mexican food, but I’ve definitely had better and at a cheaper price point too. I definitely enjoyed my experience, but I am not putting this restaurant on my list of places to visit again.

I went there with a friend because the pictures looked great. Both my friend and I were born and raised in Mexico. The food was, disappointing. However, their Jamaica (agua fresca) was great, and it hit the spot.
I’d give it 3 stars if we had been checked in faster, but we weren’t asked if our food was good, or if we needed anything way after we had received our food.
I ordered the posoloe, which wasn’t bad, but my friend had the chilaquiles, which were extremely salty. To be able to eat the chilaquiles, my friend had to bathe them in my posole broth because they were so salty, and no one was checking in on us to ask if we could have a sauce to help reduce the salt, or exchange the plate.
Overall, it wasn’t a good experience. This place has a lot of potential, they just need to be more attentive, and better descriptions of their plates because as Native Mexicans, we both knew what the traditional ingredients were supposed to be, and we fell on the disappointed side.

We (husband and I) have dined here on several occasions and have had very good experiences each time.
Positives:
— food is very good, the flavors are delicious. I love that they have roasted peppers on the menu as I am a pepper fanatic. The tortillas are delicious. we had the guacomole, ceviche, mole de tamarindo everything was very tasty!
–Mezcal offerrings. WE. LOVE. MEZCAL.
–Tamarind margarita. I. LOVE. TAMARIND MARGARITAS. and this is the only place that gets it right. order it without the syrup and it is perfection!
–very good place for kids. We didn’t dine with our kids, but the couple next to us had their children and we noticed the wait staff were very attentive to their needs and offered some off the menu suggestions to fit their palate.
–customer service on point: from the host to waitress, to the other staff bussing tables, everyone was so nice, and attentive. we never had to ask for another drink, or more chips, etc, as the staff were rounding frequently.
opportunities:
–Prices are on the high side and you are not allowed to have the happy hour prices at your table. Next time we will sit at the bar.
We will back!

I thought this place was okay. It didn’t have anything that would make me come back. We showed up because the place next door was really crowded and not great for a group, and the couch area right in front of the window here was open, so we grabbed it.
They make a big deal out of their house-​made tortillas, so we got some, but I found them bland. I guess I don’t know what I was expecting from plain tortillas, but again, I don’t feel the need to go back and get more. I also wasn’t impressed with the size of the appetizers, compared to the price. Too expensive for the portions.

I have a problem.
I’m addicted to Tamarindo’s house sangria.
Sigh… it feels good to get that off my chest.
Alright, seriously, if you’re looking for a bomb ass sangria, this is the place! I haven’t veered away from the sangria just yet because it’s so delicious, but at some point, I’m gonna try their margarita.
The food is also really tasty and authentic! The shrimp and fish tacos are REALLY good. I got their soup of the day one time, and it was surprisingly very filling.
One star off for price and small portions. It’s actually enough food for a light lunch and won’t leave you feeling like you need to be rolled out the door. It’s probably a good thing. But I definitely can’t justify paying that much for so little food all the time.
Service is friendly! Ambiance is nice, the décor is really cute!
I’ll be back next week for another sangria.

Delicious food, great drinks, so-​so service. My visit to Tamarindo was day 1 for dinner with my co-​workers for an internal conference that we were having.
We had a party of 15, and I made a reservation a few weeks prior, via an online web form. I ended up communicating via email with a staff member to confirm my reservation, since I could never end up calling during business hours. However, when I finally showed up, there was no record of my reservation. Fortunately, there was space for our party, so they were able to quickly able to setup a table for us.
Half of our group consists of adventurous eaters and the other half is slightly pickier. I was on the half that’s more adventurous, so we ended up having the server select a bunch of different tapas for us to share, so that we didn’t have to select anything ourselves. I can’t really name what everything was, but it was all delicious!
Not only was the food good, but so are the drinks and Happy Hour! However, note that Happy Hour is only available at the bar.

This is an expensive restaurant! I like eating with a budget and I would not spend more than $ 20 on an entre dish! With that said, I did not order the regular/​big size entre that would cost me so much and order the small plate of chicken tamale with mole sauce and pure plantains that cost $ 11. The concept may be to order more than one small plate, but $ 11 – 16 per small plate is ridiculous to order multiple ones for myself.
By small plate, the food offered is literally a small amount. The tamale is good but it is thin and barely enough. Our whole table order small plates and all of us were not satisfied or full, so we went somewhere else with reasonable prices and portions afterwards.
I would give this place one star, but I added another one because they accept reservations. So for a big party that would be nice. My friends and I didn’t make a reservation so we waited for an available table. We waited for a while, but I did not mind that since my friends and I were catching up. While we were seated and eating our food, they did not check in with us to see if everything is ok or to re-​fill our water glasses! So by the later end of dinner, our glasses were empty. They did not fill our water until the waitress brought us our check so WTF.
I will not come back here because it’s overpriced and the service is not that good.

Aaaammmmaaaazzziiinnngggg!!! Best mexican tapas I have ever had. The décor and furniture are cute. The set up is different, and all the furniture are not in unison. There are benches in some areas and tables at other areas. In the front there is a little lounging area for those who want to just have some drinks.
I had the famous margarita de tamarindo. It was yuuummmyy, with the chili on the rim. Not too strong but a good amount of Tamarindo taste in the Margarita for tamarindo lovers.
The cheese dip we had with the tortillas was soooo good. The cheese was nice and cheesy for a good amount of time. The tortillas made them even better because they were different. They stayed hot rolled in a towel.
I am not a big fan of tamales because the masa is always too thick and grity, not these!!! It was wrapped in Banana leaf and in a flat square instead of the way I usually see them in corn husk. The masa was think and soft. I don’t think I van like tamales anywhere else. It came along side with a mole sauce and plantain purée, amazing as well.
Mulitas and tacos were great with the asada. Meat was tender and had a good flavor. I am always afraid the meats over cooked or not enough flavor.
Pescado tacis, so good! Tortilla was yummy again, fish was battered lightly but still crispy and fish was moisylt. you must know a tacos good when you don’t have to add any sauce! I didnt, the orange spicy sauce in it was perfect.
My boyfriend and I were so impressed, we couldn’t stop saying mmmm while taking bites of food. Our fave go to spot now in oakland for sure.
Service was amazing, all the gentlemen serving us from the host to busses and server had non stop smiles and had eye contact. Very polite. Excellent service.
Keep it up guys!!!

Tamarindo is a great little restaurant-​bar that has delicious food and happy hours running from 5−7PM on Mondays through Fridays. The interior is decorated with hip, modern furniture and has a classy vibe to it. Unfortunately, service can be spotty and inattentive, and the food is expensive for the portions you get — in short, come here for decently good Mexican food and fruity, watered down drinks in a nice bar setting, but don’t come here on your own dime.
CONS:
1. Tamarindo is definitely not geared toward large groups (upwards of 10) as their seating areas are really small and cramped.
2. The service was also very spotty and inattentive — for our group of over 20, we received only 4 menus and had to repeatedly wave over the waiters numerous times even though there were only 2 occupied tables in the restaurant.
3. The happy hour menu is pretty limited and still quite pricey
Food:
MUST HAVES:
1. Shrimp Taco — Comes in plates of 3. The shrimp is flavorful and delicious! My favorite dish.
2. Guacamole — The guacamole is fresh and delicious unfortunately, there isn’t much of it. Especially not enough to go on the chips they provide.
3. Plaintains — order it with the cheese on the side. They come piping hot and sweet and taste amazing.
MEH:
1. Fish tacos — these were huge. Fish was tender and well cooked but overall it was a little too bland and lacking flavor.
2. Flan — Creamy but wasn’t sweet or flavorful enough.
We had a few drinks — El Vampira was my favorite, it was like a sweet, fruity sangria. The mojito tasted like a bland, watered down 7-​up with lemon. El Fabuloso seemed to be everyone’s favorite but probably more due to nostalgia than actual taste. The drinks here are really watered down — I had 4 cocktails and felt absolutely fine after.
All in all, Tamarindo does serve up some pretty good dishes and is a great place to hang. Luckily for us, we were drinking on the company dime which made the entire experience very pleasant. However, if you’re coming here on your own, I would not really recommend it — though some of the dishes are quite good, they don’t justify the prices or portions. You could probably get better for cheaper elsewhere.

Primera vez y última que voy el lugar sin duda esta en buena área los ayuda mucho los changarros de. Chelas a un lado, la comida esta pos bien si eres gringo, las bebidas lo único que tiene que las asen fuertes y por ultimo el servicio de lo peor y mas la persona que esta en la barra «Michelle» me sentí ignorado ya que me tomo como 15 minutos pa agarrar dos margaritas estando la barra ni la mitad llena y al final cuando me cobro mi cambio le pidió que me lo diera otro mesero. Escuche muchas cosas buenas del lugar pero para mi fue de lo peor nunca lo recomendaría.

sin duda alguna el mejor mole que he probado en mi vida (mole de rosas) un orgasmo al paladar… lo mejor de lo mejor y un excelente y amable servicio!

super delicious tacos!