The Most Scrumptious Latin American in Oakland

Casa Del Toro

★★★★☆ 4.2 (483) • $$$

"Started skeptical because it was dead inside, but then assumed that this was due to it being a holiday weekend. Ordered the glazed pork ribs, gambas, and calamari off of the starter menu; again not expecting anything spectacular. WOW food was elevated and finger licking delicious! We also ordered two cocktails and they were top shelf...not at all watered down, had all the garnishes and proper ice for what we ordered. Support this local diamond in the ruff, you won't be disappointed! Only suggestions and not a necessity. Turn up the thermostat a tad. Chop up cashews and sprinkle on the top of the ribs instead of serving them whole-whole makes them a little misplaced. PS: very friendly staff!"

Pupuseria Y Taqueria Los Cocos

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (88) • $

"This was my first time at Pupuseria y Taqueria Los cocos and they have really authentic salvadorean food, their pupusas are delicious and they have a really fast service. We didn't have to wait to get a table on a Friday night. Make sure to order their horchata! It was really good."

Picante

★★★★☆ 3.5 • $$

"I haven't been here for probably 15 years. It's changed a lot. Used to be a small place with a patio, no parking. Now it's huge and sleek with two parking lots and a separate To Go building. Prices have increased of course too. I had the battered shrimp burrito, way too much beans and not enough mango-jicama salsa. Order at the counter and they bring the food to you, do not really any service. The restaurant was beautifully renovated, lots of outside patio space with twinkly lights. If I came again, I know how to modify the shrimp burrito more to my taste."

Taqueria El Gordo

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (8)

"Driving around looking for something meaty and satisfying after not finding the recommended sushi joint...the only reason I even spotted this place was the bright lights shining on a tiny white building. (It looked like the lot could have been an old car wash or something.) Flipped a u'ie at the next intersection and made it into their little lot. Order at the window, sit outside or in your car. Tacos are the bomb!!! They do it right and everything was really fresh, including the salsa verde but I wish they gave out 2-3 containers per. Ordered 4 tacos for like 7 or 8 bucks. Asada and shredded chicken were so good I could have eaten 3 more. They use double corn tortilla, but I only ate the one wrap per taco. I ordered pretty tame stuff compared to what was on their menu. Menu has a good variety, but whoever made the sign can't spell. That's ok--can't taste the sign. I'd definitely go back again when I'm traveling through."

Bar Cesar

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (880) • $$

"This review is all about updating the happy hour pricing images. ;)Happy hour food costs have doubled since my last visit. (No judgement! Food costs are up everywhere. ) Great food. Love the environment, staff and location too!"

Carnitas El Rincon - Hayward

★★★★☆ 3.6 (83) • $$

"Best carnitas I've ever had outside of Mexico. You HAVE to get the combos. That's the best bang for your buck, also get the carnitas MIXTAS. Straight fire. Their house salsa is so good too. Estás carnitas son las carnitas más deliciosas que e comido fuera de México. Vivo en San Francisco y vengo hasta Hayward a comprar estas carnitas mixtas."

Palacio Latino Restaurant & Bakery

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (28)

"I had chiles chicken rellenos to go, and were delicious! Service was very friendly. The sweet baked bread smells divine."

Jalisco Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.4 (111) • $

"The bf has been a bit obsessed with carnitas lately. He heard about this place and ended up going twice one weekend. I hear people have been lining up as they run out early on the weekends so don't be surprised if there is a line by 10AM. I actually really liked their salsa, go figure. I thought it was the cilantro/avocado salsa since it was green but it was just really tangy and spicy. We had some beans and rice on the side, which I'd skip. Just order the goods (mixed carnitas by the pound). I love finding local gems like this place!"

Mama’s Papas

★★★★★ 4.8 (35)

"The food here is amazing!They have a physical location at Birdhaus for a few months, and it's highly worth your time to stop by.I popped in just to try out a new place, and I already know I'll be coming back.The kalua pork quesataco is incredible. Unlike most kalua pork dishes I've had at other places, this pork was tender, juicy, flavorful.It's 100% a must-try!"

Mas Fuego

★★★★☆ 3.7 (792) • $$

"We visited Mas Fuego yesterday (a Sunday) for lunch with my in laws. The restaurant was fairly empty when we arrived. Which is why we found it odd that we were basically being ignored by our server. We waited, looking around for someone to not only take our order, but to also provide us with some water.The food also took awhile to come out. Again, odd since the place was empty. My partner and I ordered fajitas, him carnitas and me shrimp. They got his order wrong but since everything was taking so long, he just decided to keep what he got. My mother in law ordered the birria tacos which were slightly bland. I felt birria needed more flavor. The steak that came with my fajitas was flavorful but the meat was kind of tough. We ordered calamari for an appetizer and that was very good. Had a little bit of a kick to it. Spicy but not overdone. I would return. Maybe we just came on an off day? Who knows."

Quetzal Bakery

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (5) • $

"I think this place has reduced it's size by half. Perhaps the other half is a restaurant? I had Yeti Moose Lamb with me so I couldn't do a lot of investigating, but I could buy a couple of sweets!There wasn't much of a selection. Yet, I did notice that two of their trays were wiped out. I suppose the regulars know what to get and to get there early! I chose three little bread loafs (3 for $1) and three little sweet breads. The sweet breads were topped with something like a lightly sweetened cream cheese. Not very sweet. The bread was almost cake like in density, but again, not very sweet. I'm sure this is typical of Latin baked goods. Anyway, very well made and still a nice little treat. Wash it down with your favorite liquid (horchata!!) and you'll be full till lunch!The breads loafs are going to be for our home made torta's. Very inexpensive and really nice people working there.I'd like to come back with my husband so we can explore and maybe see the selection a lot earlier in the day."

9 Julio Empanada Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.7 (90) • $

"9 Julio's Empanadas are on the smaller side, but really delicious. I have large hands, so they're just slightly larger than the palm of my hand. I enjoyed the Jamaican Beef and Chicken Rojo. I'd say that both were very good and I was glad that the nice woman at the counter recommended the Chicken Rojo, which she said was her favorite. All-Natural chicken, tomatoes, red bell peppers, onions, and guajillo chilies comprise the Chicken Rojo. Jamaican Beef has ground beef, onions, scallions, scotch bonnet peppers and curry. They have a rotating menu of empanadas. The Argentinian chimichurri sauce is great for dipping the empanadas. This is the gourmet end of the fast food scale. I guess the big question is whether they're better than Javi's (with two locations). While there are differences between their empanadas, I'd call it a tie because both are exceptional. Just go to the one closest to you. Or if you're looking for a nicer restaurant interior, this is more modern. But Javi's feels more folksy authentic and 9 Julio is more true to the major metropolis that is Buenos Aires. After all, the restaurant is named after a street there that is the widest in the world! Not that I've been to South America, let along Argentina. LOLThe five stars includes the rest of the menu. The house-made sweet potato chips are incredible. I could not stop eating them. The chipotle dipping sauce only made them better. Beyond that I'd be curious to try the Peruvian chicken or chimichurri steak entrées. They had nice little selection of four beers. I went for the Mexican logger, but I almost got the IPA. Lager beer I like a nice lager beer. They had a few wines too, although wasn't really tuning into them. The space was nice and clean. Friendly and helpful service when I ordered at the counter. A good selection of tables to choose from and some interesting shapes at that. And there's a long bar with barstools along the front window. I like the artful interior decorating. Above par for fast food. Open 11-9 every day except Mondays. Check in on Yelp to get free chips. A $3.95 value!"

Jalapenos Mexican Food

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (280) • $$

"Jalapeños is a gem in Vallejo, the rice, the beans, the happy hour all day during the week. Taco Tuesday is great! I've had several people come out for that! You get meat in a tortilla and you can go up to a bar and add onion, cilantro, salsa, radish, and jalapeños! It is great! 30% off enchiladas on Thursday and they are great! I love the mole style sauce they put on them! Love love love this place!"

Zenti Bistro

★★★★★ 4.5 (32) • $$

"Tasty grilled veggie sandwich. Fast and friendly service - I placed my order over the phone. Easy parking."

Los Cocos Salvadoran Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (238) • $

"Went to Alameda's monthly Antique Fair and was craving pupusas and found this lovely hole-in-the-wall spot near Fruitvale area.We ordered revueltas and one of them being a cheese and bean pupusa with plantains; it comes with slaw and tomato salsa. I also ordered horchata because I can never pass up on Salvadorian horchata! It's literally my favorite- it's more nutty and toned down especially if you don't like super sweet horchata.The pupusas were delicious, masa was fluffy and had some crispy edges. The revueltas had a bit more cheese than what I'm accustomed to, usually the cheese, beans and chicharrones are more evenly mixed but that's just the ONE critique I had. The slaw was really good and not drowned in juice. Salsa had a bit of a kick to it and was a little spicy which just made everything taste even better. Btw this place is cash only! I'd definitely suggest this place if you're craving pupusas."

Masa Tamales & Taqueria

★★★★☆ 4.1 (443) • $$

"After a photo walk in Point Richmond, the group met here for lunch. On my 1st visit, I wasn't as hungry as I was when I returned for a 2nd time. My friends had a torta, chips and a cocktail. I only ordered Esquite. This delicious Mexican street food is corn topped with queso cotija, chili powder, and their homemade mayo dressing. I like it so much that I wanted to go back and have it again.It was my turn to pick a restaurant for a monthly lunch with Toni and Lori. This was my chance to go again and share this spot with friends. Lori was not able to attend. I met Toni at the restaurant. You can enter the building by the stairs or a ramp. There is a covered patio for outside dining on the side of the building. Parking in sleepy Point Richmond can be difficult; Masa does have a small parking lot.On my 2nd visit, I had ceviche with a mix of shrimp and fish. Toni and I share an order of Esquite and a cookie. We did not finish the corn, I took it home. I felt a bit guilty not splitting the leftovers but not guilty enough to say no. We also share an alfajores cookie. The ceviche was tasty. I liked it because it wasn't too citrusy. Both times I had I had a tamarind soda in a bottle.When I saw the torta, chips, and cocktail on my first visit, and then the Quesabirra on my second visit, I will be back again to try them."

Limón

★★★★☆ 4.3 (764) • $$

"We came here for my brother's birthday lunch. I was craving paella and my brother wanted Peruvian.We found street parking pretty easily outside and walked right in. They weren't really busy for a Saturday lunch time.We let my brother do the ordering. We asked the staff how manh dishes would be good for a party of 3 and went with the recommended two entrees and an appetizer. We had the polli-papas as an appetizer. Pretty delicious, good fries and nice flavors.For our entrees, we got the saltado de pollo and the seafood paella!We wound up not really eating the rice as we were getting pretty full but the saltado de pollo was delicious!Finally, what I was waiting for was the paella. It didn't have that crispiness that Spanish paella does but it was still pretty good. They even provided a plate for shells. Very flavorful.Would definitely return and try other things on the menu!"

Manzanita

★★★★☆ 3.5 (11)

"Very nice ambiance. I ate at the bar, but the outside patio looked like a very nice place to relax and chit chat. There are fire places outside, so that adds to the relaxing vibes. I ordered during the happy hour, which had a pretty good variety on its menu. I wasn't much of a fan of the shrimp tacos- they were decent but the lettuce and toppings overpowered the shrimp, which was chopped up into tiny pieces. Probably had a total of two whole shrimps in it. The Salmon was very good and the flavors of the sauce were a perfect match for taste."

Bocanova

★★★★☆ 4.4 (177) • $$$

"Met a colleague here for happy hour. I never knew this place existed! We sat at the bar which was separate from the dining room. I think I may have found my new favorite place in Oakland! We ordered from the happy hour menu, which had a lot of offerings for both food and drink. I had the classic margarita, which was delicious. We shared the beef empanadas, chicken tacos, guacamole and the fish ceviche. Everything was chef kiss! Well, I will say my least favorite thing was the ceviche. The ingredients were fresh, but I didn't taste anything more than sour. I'd be curious how the other ceviches taste. All in all, amazing place, amazing vibe and amazing customer service. I can't wait to come here for dinner.Food ratingBeef empanadas 10/10Chicken tacos 10/10Fish ceviche 7/10Ambiance 10/10Customer service 10/10"

Antojitos Guatemaltecos

★★★★☆ 4 (3)

"This is a fantastic restaurant. It's family run, the food tastes very authentic and oh my god, the fried chicken is possibly the best I've ever had. This is not just another south american food spot - it's your new home base. They are nice, the food is high quality, and the menu is limited and focused. The cherry juice and atole are great too. Check this place out!!!! Also, a lot of their dished come with delicious, cooked veggies, which is pretty rare compared to most of the el salvadorian and mexican spots around here.Hey Debbie M. How about you talk to the staff about your complaint next time instead of complaining about a small business publicly? I bet they would have addressed your issue and thanked you for it."

Alamar Dominican Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.1 (684) • $$

"This wonderful restaurant has a happy atmosphere, vibrant decor, bachata & merengue playing in the background, an open kitchen and some seriously flavorful food to enjoy. Traditional Dominican recipes feature a unique element to make it new and exciting. My sancocho vegetarariano took a bit longer to arrive compared to my husbands sancochito but that was fine since I was just about stuffed from the succulent slightly spicy sweet pork ribs and chili glazed maduros appetizers. Unfortunately they were out of both pernil and oxtail during this visit but we hope to come back and try it next time. We ended the meal sharing their Dominican style bread pudding. Our awesome waiter Jesus was very nice & efficient and the charming Chef Nelson came by to check on us. So glad he decided to stick it out despite their recent hardships. Oaktown needs places like this to thrive."

El Taco Zamorano Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (403) • $$

"Been living in Oakland fir some time and tried many Mexican restaurants over the years. We use to hit this truck all the time but honestly didn't do the actual restaurant till recently. Was recommended to go by a friend and this place delivered on the hype. We had pupusas with Curtido. Super burrito, rice and bean, and lengua tacos. The pupusas were lightly crisp on the outside and soft in the center with loaded meat and cheese. The curtido was crispy and refreshing with the vinegar twang to brighten the dish. Once done with those we moved to the tacos which were succulent and juicy. Amazing amount of meat that barely let them get folded and picked up. The beans were super creamy retried and rice done properly. Now the star of the show which is the gigantic. These burritos should only be fully consumed if you're ready to loosen your belt buckle, have fasted for a day, kept up with the exercise routine and received clearance from your health professionals. Seriously excellent eats with the creamy beans, juicy grilled chicken, meaty cheese and wrapped in a foot long soda can girth. Hella tasty. Pro tip: get extra napkins. They will be needed."

Angel's Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (115) • $

"News years breakfast was great! Found them since they were one of the few places open and enjoyed it. We walked in on a dispute between customers but staff got them out and turned out to be a great find!"

Casa Latina

★★★★☆ 4.2 • $$

"This restaurant is so cute and situated right on the corner. We found parking right in front of the restaurant and walked in to order at the counter. There were so many options to choose from and looking around at other tables, the food looked amazing. I ordered a Jamaica and some tamales with mole on top. I also got a side of rice and beans. Everything was amazing and my boyfriend got mole enchiladas. The server/cashier was great he helped us pick what to order. I love the ambiance of this restaurant it was like eating at a family's house. There was a big window in the front with fresh breads and pastries. I highly recommend to anyone who likes Mexican food"

El Mono

★★★★☆ 4.4 • $$

"It was a bit of a reach coming to El Mono but with these many reviews, we really made the effort to taste the fresh flavors of Peru.Located at San Pablo Ave. just off the Cutting Blvd. exit on I-80, we were able to get a parking spot in the private lot that is shared with other businesses. We came for an early dinner so we were able to be seated promptly. The place was spacious with plenty of tables and bar seating to boot.Frito Sampler (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Uq3u_kbGVGLjEDVU45WLog?select=pmO6Dmjr6mkhAPAel7CmTg) - These are fried starchy goodness - sweet potato fries, cassava, and plantain! The creamy cheese sauce was also superb.Lomo Saltado (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Uq3u_kbGVGLjEDVU45WLog?select=GMwqYAfuAjfUnFOEqW_2yg) - The classic Peruvian beef recipe! Taking it up a few notches, they use Certified Angus Beef here. The meat was perfectly stir-fried with the rest of the ingredients and was very tender. Best Chifa dish ever!Chupe de Camarones (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Uq3u_kbGVGLjEDVU45WLog?select=lkF4fQRmzxHI-JRynBt33Q) - Creamy red chowder with succulent shrimps... If it's not creamy enough, how about we add a poached egg on top of the rice? It was our first time having this and it did not disappoint at all.Jalea (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Uq3u_kbGVGLjEDVU45WLog?select=LqDqUDgKe1pInXK1k-gOHA) - Fried... check! Seafood... check! This was an easy choice and an excellent one at that! Shrimps, mussels, clams, fish, calamari, and some more yucca for the win - they were lightly battered, well-seasoned, and came with pickled red onions and a dipping sauce.Peruvian Paella (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Uq3u_kbGVGLjEDVU45WLog?select=HVv63_petUFL7vrPqrkNYQ) - Also known as Arroz con Mariscos, this had seafood for days - squid, clams, mussels, and shrimps! Visually, the main difference between its Spanish counterpart was the rice - this had long-grain jasmine rice instead of bomba. Served on a sizzling platter, we let the bottom part sit for a bit so we could get the socarrat to form. This was cooked with housemade aji panca chili sauce and their special white wine which gave the distinctive flavor. Rice was precooked before everything else was added because we spotted some lumps of white rice that did not get mixed well. Despite this flaw, it still came out tasty. We just had to break down the clusters and mix it some more.There were plenty of interesting items on the menu so we really need to make another concerted effort to visit. We had a fantastic time back then so the next one needs to happen really soon. It's so long overdue that my photos got taken out in my review draft... another one sitting around that I have forgotten to post. =( We usually get the rotisserie chicken when we go to a Peruvian restaurant, but we had to pass because other options were available. We have to try it next time along with one of their noodle selections."

Magdali Deli & Coffee Shop

★★★★★ 5 (7) • $

"I've been here about 3 or 4 times since the ownership change. I think their donuts are actually very good! They're a little thicker than donuts that you might be used to. The chocolate donut is my favorite, it's more on the dark chocolate side. I think this shop needs way more recognition. Also she makes Mexican and Guatemalan tamales. There are other things on the menu as well which I haven't tried.The price is very reasonable And the people there are very nice!"

San Francisco Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.7 (18)

"Early Sunday morning and the cook/owner picked up phone took my order and said ready in 10 minutes. hash browns were crispy and eggs perfected to over hard fried. Just like I requested.Checked to make sure I had ketchup etc. in to go bag. Big Breakfast . Keep the same sausage also. Damn good quality. My new go to breakfast spot in East Oakland. Thanks for being open during these challenging times !!"

Glori’s Mexican Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (17)

"It's not often I drive down Mission, but Glori gives me a reason to now. Their tacos have been impressive; I've dined in for two Taco Tuesday's ($1.50 street tacos) now and each bite is just as good as the one before. Their burrito is hefty and can easily be split into two meals. The place is right next to The Sister House, so come by and get sone delicious food"

Antojitos Guatemaltecos

★★★★★ 4.8 (99) • $$

"Antojitos Guatemaltecos is your neighborhood, family friendly restaurant. No frills, just good home-cooking and with this area and neighboring city of Richmond being home to a large Mexican dining scene, it was refreshing to see a Guatemalan restaurant offering up traditional dishes. I had my dog with me so I ordered items to go and ate it in the lot. I got the Garnachas -- and let me tell you, they did not disappoint! It's like a marriage of a taco and a pupusa. You get the crunch from a crispy taco shell topped with tender, braised beef and the acidity from the pickled veggies (carrots, onions and cabbage). Absolutely delicious, 5/5. My husband got the pollo frito. It's fried chicken with your choice of rice and potatoes, salad or chao mein (chow mein). You read that right.. chao mein! Here's a little Asian American studies tidbit for you: In the early 1900s, there was a large wave of Chinese immigration to Latin American countries like Guatemala to help take part in building the economy. So yes, chao mein with pollo frito. What a wonderful mix of cultures!The chicken was flavored to perfection and juicy! It wasn't breaded either -- there was no coating of flour or cornstarch. Just straight crispy chicken skin that paired well with their salsas. The chao mein blew my mind as well. I wasn't expecting so much flavor given the lack of color on the noodles. I'm used to seeing a more coated noodle from the soy sauce but this surprised me. You get the hint of celery and onion in every bite and it tastes almost like a Filipino version of pancit canton. Highly recommend getting the pollo frito and noodles (5/5)!I couldn't help but also order a hot beverage the moment I saw atole de elote on the menu. It's a warm, sweet corn drink that's often mixed with cornstarch, cinnamon and or vanilla. This is a hug in a cup and if you love corn like me and the corn kid, this is a no brainer. Perfect dessert or a compliment to tamales (5/5)."