Masa Taqueria

With a location in Richmond, and a newly-opened location in El Cerrito, Masa Taqueria is the first (non-fast food) drive-thru I've ever seen in this town! Located right next to the El Cerrito Annex, the drive-thru offers their tamales, burritos, bowls, tacos, plates, a kiddo menu, and more. There is also the option to park and go in to order and now, outdoor seating. Also most recently I noticed, they have an alcohol license offering local beer on tap!There's something about the queso here that my friends and husband know has a special place in my heart. I usually opt for a chicken burrito and on occasion when I'm feeling like cutting the tortilla, a chicken burrito bowl with all the yummy fixings. Value in comparison to other taquerias in the area is comparable, food is solid. My only quarry is that sometimes the drive-thru isn't consistent in terms of items ordered and quality. I figure that's something that will come in time and for now, appreciate something conveniently located to our house where I don't have to leave the car with baby.Looking forward to watching your progress Masa, I wonder what's next on the horizon and menu!

Don't waste your time or money. Food is bland, service is crap, and the prices for the food items...way too high!They messed up on our order then tried to argue with us-receipt in hand! After realizing their mistake, didn't even apologize. We had a party of 6, they gave is 2 napkins. When we asked for more, 3 additional I imagine we should have shared.No indoor dining in this renovated former Jack in the Box.

If you're going to open a taqueria in the Bay Area, don't skimp or you can't compete. My husband's grilled chicken burrito with everything had NO sour cream, NO guacamole and no chicken--until he got to the bottom, where he counted five pieces. Oh, but lots of rice! Seriously. For $14. Sad, because the food tastes good. But no thank you. We have lots of places to choose from.

Food is good but it was much better when they first opened. Can be inconsistent with its seasoning, cooking temps, and flavor. I can't get too mad at price hikes, but when I'm paying more for less.. it makes me want to frequent much less. You also don't get the same service or questions in the drive through vs ordering in person.Anyways, good food.. just wish they were more consistent.

Awesome newish place on San Pablo. I've been here twice now, once to order To Go for me and my Dad and once with my girlfriends. Both times I got the beer battered shrimp burrito $11.99 Very tasty and filling. They have pretty good flan.There is a very nice patio with light cover, perfect for sitting outside during lunch. I saw a guy getting the Flautas $9.99 and they looked fantastic! Huge with lots of toppings. I really want to also try the Esquite (elote off the cob) $5.49.

This is my second time trying Masa. I had to give them another chance after they messed up a previous order. I must say the food was pretty tasty even though I had asked for no onions. So I came back and decided to get more tacos. My order was made correctly this time. I had 3 tacos, carne asada, carnitas and birria. I'm not a big fan of green salsa being too spicy and their green salsa was just right! I also picked up a flan and esquite, both were pretty yummy. Drive thru line moved quick and staff was friendly.

I've been wanting to try Masa Taqueria ever since reading about it somewhere, but then got deterred by all the negative reviews. However, since I am often walking by, I decided to try it and see what my opinion was. I loved it! The cashiers couldn't be nicer or more helpful. When I first came in and studied the menu, I couldn't make up my mind, so I said I'd be back, and walked away for several minutes. Then I returned and explained why I left, and they were very understanding. Then I said, Which would you choose -- the chicken or sweet corn tamale? And the answer was: both. Which is often my answer. Admittedly, I did prefer the sweet corn, but the chicken was good too. I liked sitting outside at a clean table and watching the world go by. Next I contemplated the homemade alfajores and decided to go forth. It was so scrumptious I wished for another. Can't wait to return!!

My introduction to the original Point Richmond location was not a fruitful one because I tried their weekend special, Ramen Menudo (review: https://bit.ly/3O779wt). I like ramen and I like menudo, but the combination just didn't work mostly because they used an instant noodle cup to replicate the ramen portion. Big mistake to me. Yet, I was still pleased they opened a second location.It was smaller than the restaurant and more of a takeout/drive-thru spot because this was formerly a Jack in the Box. The menu was also streamlined though they still offer that Ramen Menudo on the weekends. Jamie W. and I were shopping at El Cerrito Natural Grocery when we spontaneously gave Masa a try. We decided to share the $9.99 Quesabirria (photo: https://bit.ly/477mA0A).It was a trio of small tacos stuffed with shredded birria, cheese, onion, and topped with queso cotija. The key distinction was that the tortillas were dipped in birria consommé which gave a greasier texture to the hearty, meaty flavor. For an extra $3, they provided a small cup of the consommé for more dipping. We also ordered a couple of the $3 Strawberry Tamales (photo: https://bit.ly/473utnz).They were pretty flavorful though I think they needed some kind of sweetened sauce to round out the flavor. A couple of weeks, we found ourselves here on a Sunday afternoon after some libations elsewhere. We split the $11.99 Carnitas Torta, and it was just sloppy delicious with a grilled focaccia-like bread stuffed with frijoles, queso fresco, lettuce, tomato, red onions, jalapeños, and guacamole (photo: https://bit.ly/472Nw1o).FOOD - 4 stars...the torta was king, forget the ramen menudoAMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...they keep things clean here, but it still felt like a revamped Jack in the BoxSERVICE - 4 stars...efficiency via buzzersTOTAL - 4 stars...ok, I'm over the ramen menudo nowRELATED - Exploring El Cerrito? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2VyCP18

I ordered a chicken tamale and the churro cheesecake from here. Both items were... a disappointment. The sound of churro cheesecake sounded so good but it was so crumbly and so dry (almost like cardboard) and did not taste fresh. The tamale was not that good. I could tell by the masa dough that it wasn't made that same day. A disappointing way to spend my money.

Friendly staff, fast drive through, quality food, good prices. Grateful for this location!