Taqueria Monte Cristo

The worst chicken burrito I have ever had. Barely any chicken, over cooked beans, and dry rice. It was like biting into a tube of sour cream and guacamole yet I kept eating (because I was hungry) looking for chicken. Salty salty salty salty.

9 – 10 bucks is too steep for just a burrito by itself but at least they give you a fat and decent one. Any other area I would neg it for the prices they charge but this is rich-​ass Berkeley and they got all these tech, real estate and finance fools out here throwing their Scrooge McDuck loot piles around like chumps, so 3* I guess for at least having pretty good food.
They do appear to have a $ 2 taco Wednesday to look into, unfortunately I was there on Tuesday :(

My husband has been wanting to try this place for a while everytime we drive passed it, so one night, we finally did since our usual Mexican restaurant was closed the day after Christmas. So first, you order your food at the counter and they’ll give you a number so they can bring you your food at the table if you’re dining in then you can help yourself at the salsa bar and the water dispenser is right next to it.
I ordered the Enchilada plate with Mexican hot chocolate and my husband had the Burrito. I thought it was good and the portions are just right. The hot chocolate was really good too! I like the casual, laid back atmosphere but still look nice and clean. Maybe I’ll try their desserts some other time because they looked really yummy from the window display.

Fast friendly service. Tacos dorados are good. Great salsa bar too. My only complaint is that sometimes my burritos have been cold in the middle, where the cheese is not melted at all.

My husband and I have been coming here for about a year. It used to be really good, but a few times in the last couple months, the food has been kind of so-​so. I ordered a chimichanga and the inside was cold, stale nachos, weird stuff floating in the salsa bar. Just icky.
Most recently, we ordered from a woman that had a huge infection on her upper lip. A massive cold sore type thing. I know that some people get cold sores, I am one of them, but as a customer dining in a restaurant, I would prefer not see that. Hopefully this doesnt make me a horrible person :(

Taqueria Monte Cristo remains to be one of my best friend and I’s favorite place to indulge in the late night hours, especially on our traditional movie nights!
I was first introduced to this taqueria after a night filled with cocktails and somewhat suspicious individuals with my best friend, bar night…
Thankfully, this taqueria stays open until midnight which caters perfectly to all of you who enjoy a wild night out and need a quick and satisfying bite to eat.
The restaurant itself is quite spacious and decorated with classic Spanish Mediterranean tiling, artwork, and colorful papel picado banners.
Seating is generally your choice, since I’ve never seen the restaurant close to or at capacity.
The service can be a bit slow no matter the vacancy which can be a bit frustrating however, the carnitas tacos certainly make up for it! Delicioso!
The meat is perfectly cooked and amazingly flavorful, the corn tortillas are fresh (two per taco) and the variety of salads provided at the designated salsa bar are spectacular toppings in addition to a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Probably one of the most adorable and flavorful ways I have managed to avoid a hangover.
Typically, my best friend and I stick to taking our plates of tacos to go since neither of us find the restaurant atmosphere to be that inviting.
Luckily, the tacos travel well and are carefully sealed with tin foil to keep warm.
I’ve never sampled their other dishes due to my undying love for their carnitas tacos however I did take a bite or two of my friend’s chimichanga burrito at one point and found that to be quite satisfying as well.
Thank you for your consistently yummy tacos, Taqueria Monte Cristo, this girl is a true fan!

I swear this place is great! One of the few restaurants (to my knowledge) actually open late on weekdays! We usually only order burritos and they’re huge + taste great! Very fresh ingredients!
Highly recommend :)

This place is so amazing. I had the Vegetariano and it was so good. The serving size is huge, worth the money
. It will definitely fill you up for a whole day. The chips are also very good.

First time here and it was yummy. You know what they say «if the salsa is good, the food is good». Very cute place and nice atmosphere. The chicken quesadilla was supper good as well as their tortilla soup. Definitely will be coming back.

Consistent, fast, and great hours. They are always friendly and their burritos and nachos are solid. It’s a little pricey, but you really can’t beat their convenient location and their long hours.

«So what do you think, a diner or Mexican food?» She answered «Mexican», there are a few places like that in Berzerkeley, so off to Monte Cristo we went.
There are so many Mexican restaurants in the Bay Area, soon they all start to look and taste the same. There are several standouts, though. .. and Taqueria Monte Cristo is not one of them.
There are several unusual things that make this taqueria memorable, though. Classy décor, high ceiling, nice Hispanic touches in an otherwise pristine space that’s slightly out of place in this part of Berkeley. And there is a salsa bar for your chips (if you order them) and your entrée, with 4 kinds, two are medium hotness.
The prices are slightly higher than you’d find in. .. well, I don’t want to write «dumps», but residents of the Uplands would call them «dumps». But hey, I like those choke-​and-​pukes; they tend to have better food. Taqueria Monte Cristo is not as good as they are, but they’re comparable, and they bring that taste to a restaurant that the Uplands people would be comfortable in. Whatever.
The food doesn’t stand out, but it is tasty. I had a burrito that was probably 10″ wide, thick as a Coke can, and they asked if I wanted guacamole or sour cream or cheese (most places don’t ask, they just gloop it on even though I’d prefer no avocado nor sour cream), Good beef, and the medium salsa made it better. The hunny had a beef plate, but had to order a second Coke — «It’s hot!», said the chica many times.
Again, Taqueria Monte Cristo is a good place. The food is not to go out of your way for, but there’s enough lagniappe to put it to 4 stars.

There’s nothing better than really great guacamole and a large salsa bar. The guacamole here is so fresh and good that we needed one order per person. The chips are fresh and homemade and the burritos here have nice steak inside for the carne asada. I’m never disappointed when I come here. They have a large selection of auga fresca, which is seasonal and their fresh squeezed juices are also good. They have the option of different tortillas here which I really like and the family atmosphere from the owner and staff is wonderful. This is one of my favorite taquerias in Berkeley.

Every Wednesday is $ 2 tacos and you get a choice of meat and portions are well worth it. I also ordered a burrito and for $ 8 I definitely got my money’s worth. The burrito was huge and flavorful with just the right amount of rice, beans, meat and sides. Wasn’t crazy about was their chips which today was quite greasy. For the value this place is worth recommending.

The morning after a night of drinking is the best because of two reasons:
1. piecing together what happened during said drunken times is always hilarious (and sometimes cringeworthy)
2. getting some oily, flavorful, Mexican food makes my belly happy
My friends and I decided to check out Taqueria Monte Cristo because it was located just walking distance away from us. Since it was pretty early in the morning, we were the only diners there.
Their Breakfast Enchiladas ($ 12) dish is huge. Actually, most of their dishes are huge, so come with a big appetite! Their burritos are a size of a little baby! They only had one cook, so all the food came out one by one. Since I was the last one to order (party of 5), I didn’t get my dish until 30 minutes later. And by then, all my friends were done eating. That was a bit awkward…
Taco Wednesdays offer $ 2 tacos, so that must be popular! They do have a salsa bar, but chips aren’t free with your meal.

Whaat? An average of less than 5 stars? Another reason crowdsourced reviews are dubious at best.
Their tacos are the bomb a.k.a. the best tacos this side of the Mexican border. And their salsa. Yumm!
Taco Wedesdays. $ 2 tacos. $ 4 sangria. Open till midnight.
Find me another place like that in Berkeley… then we’ll talk.

I got a burrito, it was good. Pretty much what I expected.
There were only two things I would change but nothing to take stars away for, it didn’t really effect the quality just more of personal preference. I added sour cream, next time I’ll say light sour cream & they went a little heavy on the beans.
I’ll order here again, I’ll try tacos next time & that delicious looking cheesecake they had on display.

This place is great. I’ve had the carne asada taco, carne asada torta, carne asada burrito, and carne asada quesadilla they were all delicious. The carne asada in all these items are tender and flavorful. Basically great tasting food, but a little bit on the higher end on the price.

Al mirar y probar los platillos exploras magnificos sabores misteriosos que se encuentran dentro de ellos sin saber que son y solo se lleva uno la delicia del lugar buena comida y magnifica atencion al cliente

Hands down, the best for burrito choice, content, and taste I’ve ever seen. There are maybe 10 options for burrito stuffings, all under $ 10, with many vegetarian choices (I had nopales). The burritos are GIGANTIC — maybe six inches diameter — and so, so filling. The mole is A+.
Best of all are the fresh-​made tortilla chips and the salsa bar, featuring four different salsas of varying spice levels. The chipotle/​ancho was incredible.

I love everything about this place! The music, staff, salsa bar, prices, freshness!!! The food is just so authentic & delicious! They have sooooo many vegan options you can play with. If you are in a rush, the food comes out fast!

This is my go to spot in Berkeley for Mexican food, I’ve never found a thing to complain about.
I don’t care what Unilocal reviewers say– this place beats the hell out of all other taquerias in a mile radius. I’ve been to about 5 of them and something is always a little off about the others.
Spending about $ 9 on a burrito these days almost anywhere.
You get what you pay for here.
Very consistent quality.
Never takes more than 10 minutes.
(I always go later in the evening, it’s open late!)