Los Moles

I ate here today to check them out before bringing friends. It turns out that their Moles, which was my main interest in coming here, use some unusual recipes. At least half their moles aren’t normally made with walnuts to the best of my knowledge (e.g. verde, pipian, mango) but this place uses walnuts in ALL their moles. I’m allergic to walnuts. The fellow at the next table, allergic to almonds, discovered to his distress that they are not careful about cross-​contamination. Fortunately, I was able to eat something else (which was merely adequate, and I could get elsewhere) But clearly, eating here would be RussianRoulette-​Lite. On top of it, the napkin/​silverware set they put on my table while I was fetching my own beverage and salsa/​chips, was dirty and slightly crumpled. Maybe they just took it off the table of exiting patrons? The place looks pretty enough, but I don’t need any more icky mysteries and dangerous (at least to people with allergies) surprises.
UPDATE after a response that Las Moles doesn’t use walnuts:
I was specifically told by both of the waiters present at the time that you use walnuts in ALL your moles. First by the one who took my order, a latino-​looking guy. When I saw the note on the menu that nuts are used, I asked about walnuts and brazilnuts because of an allergy, but do enjoy all other nuts and seeds. I was so surprised by his statement that walnuts are used because of the flavor, that I asked another, the young man with a big dread mohawk wound into a bun. He eventually came back to confirm it. Seriously, why would they say this if it were untrue? That’s actually more disturbingly bizarre than the use of unusual recipes. You also have not explained why an apparently used napkin/​silverware set was placed on my table. Am I supposed to understand from all this that your restaurant doesn’t want to serve some kinds of people? I am revising my review from two stars downward.

This is more like 3.5 stars, but I rounded down
It’s a little expensive, but the brunch/​AYCE seating they have on Sundays is legit. It’s a good option to have within walking distance in Emeryville. The moles are multiple, but overall I feel like they end up kind of blending together. Like most Mexican places, it’s veggie-​friendly. The drink choices are also pretty good, and the staff is really friendly, but the price and overall quality drop it down.

Crispy steak tacos! Oh, how I love thee… hahaha. They slap those tortillas on the grill for a nice sear. You get 3 tacos, stacked with guac, sour cream, and cheese. Yummers. It came with either a side of rice with beans or salad. Next time, I’m trying the pork. Instead of the strawberry aqua fresca, I should’ve gotten horchata bc the strawberry drink was on the sweet side…
If you would like to have a productive conversation, it might be a challenge here because the decibel level gets up there as the restaurant fills up.

the food was excellent. Mole is the star of this spot. the weekend buffet brunch is the drinks were very creative and delish (excluding the nopal margrita– too sour). the décor is really nice and it’s not super crowded. overall win for lovers of Mexican food.

Ernesto, at Sports Basement, was amazing without being overbearing. He offered to help when I was shopping for shoes and gave me wise choices on what I was looking to purchase. He is a superstar and should be recognized as one who truly knows how to «wow» the customer
Great experience

The food is good but its really stuffy. The tortillas are really thick the san rafael location is alot better. But has same great taste. What a treat.

Los Moles has AMAZING Mexican food. Not your typical dishes; the array of moles are all delicious. Service is great and prices are fair. Margaritas are great too.

We stopped by for the brunch buffet and were pleasantly surprised. They had 7 different kinds of mole, plus menudo and pozole, 2 different kinds of carnitas, 2 kinds of beans, 2 salsas, and tons of fruit, jello, and flan. The flavors were incredible. I would stop by for brunch every day if I could!

I ordered a chicken salad and she misinterpreted the word «ensalada» for «enchilada». So she brought out the wrong dish. My dish was then chicken enchiladas, and she barely tried to correct my order.
The enchiladas were eh. The chicken was dry. And very over priced.

I heard they are known for their moles. I tried 4 different moles and they were all good but very bland.
My impression was they are a Mexican restaurant with flavorless, over priced dishes to serve the local yuppy Emeryville community.
Both the mango and cucumber specialty margaritas are tasty! They cost $ 35 for a pitcher that pours out 3 drinks. Pitchers are supposed to serve 4 drinks. Bummer.
Not worth it. Unless you just want some real expensive yummy margaritas!

I haven’t been to any of their locations, but I went to one of their catering events! They just recently catered at UC Berkeley for a day event for the newly accepted students and their families.
I was too excited to see a buffet line starting and it happened to be my favorite food; Mexican.
In the buffet line there was salad, Spanish rice, pinto beans, your choice of chicken or pork, cooked vegetables, and fresh corn tortillas. On another table there was salsa, chips, and queso fresco. I was only able to eat the chicken which was delicious; it was strips soaked in some kind of brown sauce and there were some bell peppers mixed in with it as well. I also kept going back for the chips and salsa with the cheese :)
I loved how towards the end of the event there was still a lot of food left over and they gave everyone to-​go boxes! That was awesome.

Heads up that the free chips and guac check in is only good on Tuesday– Thursday outside dinner hours.
This place is so cute! The vibe is very warm and welcoming and I love the clay plates and water jugs. It’s all about the details!
The food here was delicious but what I really came for was the tamarind margarita! And ohhhh yes it was perfection. Their margaritas come in mason jars rimmed with chile salt and lime. Perfect! They are generous with their pours and the glass is big so it’s really like 2 drinks for the price of one ($ 9). You can also order pitchers for $ 35 that include about 4 glasses of your coming with a group. I want to come back to try the Aguacate margarita!
Aside from drinks, the food is also great. I had the shrimp ceviche which was seasoned perfectly and juicy! Loved this so I suggest you try it! They also bring out chips and salsa for you which is nice for a fancier Mexican restaurant! Usually places nowadays charge you for that! We also had the carne asada plate which came with 2 thin steaks, frijoles with queso fresco, guacamole, and a hidden surprise! Underneath the steak I found a large piece of grilled cactus which I’ve had only once before so was excited to find it! Everything on the plate was delicious. Meat was juicy and seasoned perfectly and the cactus was also hearty and reminiscent of asparagus. The dish comes with 4 fresh house made white corn tortilla which were really special. Store bought tortillas do not compare. The most memorable part of the plate was surprisingly the beans! They were so yummy! I wish I ordered another side of beans because the amount I had was obviously not enough after the first bite.
Yummy food, mouth watering drinks, and an inviting atmosphere. FYI, they show basketball games at their small bar so it’s also a great place to catch a game with a friend and avoid crazy crowds at sports bars.

I don’t know many places in the Bay Area that provide such a wide array of mole options, and for that Los Moles stands apart. Our group of 4 came here during brunch hours on Sunday and the place was packed. After a 30 minute wait (not bad) we were seated and headed straight for the buffet. At $ 17 per person, it’s a great deal and you get to sample all the moles on the menu. Side options include spanish and cilantro rice, homemade fresh tortillas, beans, a few other traditional mexican stews (i.e. menudo, posole, tripe, etc). The authenticity is definitely there, and the recipes reflect the head chefs/owner’s passion for the food– though some may find the dishes a bit on a salty side – even the rice.
We had excellent service even amid the crowd, and our server was friendly and attentive to our needs. If you can call ahead to put your name in the queue, you’ll save yourself a lot of time. I am glad this up and coming area of Emeryville has a restaurant like this.

Los Moles rules. I came on Taco Tuesday recently and devoured their all-​you-​eat-​tacos-​for-​$ 12. It’s a pretty cool set-​up, actually. They have a little taco bar where one of the cooks will serve the tacos (you can get up to 4 at once), and then you help yourself to the available sides. There’s also a chips and salsa bar.
The tacos are very simple, but SO GOOD. The homemade corn tortillas might be the best I’ve ever had. I’m normally not into corn tortillas, but these are scrumptious. They’re thicker than average, chewy, and super fresh. There are 4 filling options: beef, chicken, pork, and veggie. Beef and pork were my faves; chicken was too spicy for me. They give you a decent dollop on each tortilla, and then you have the self-​serve sides: pinto beans, red and green salsas, roasted pearl onions, and fresh lime wedges.
Chips and salsas are good, though again both salsas were too spicy for me (I can’t do spicy). We also had guacamole which was delish. The tamarind margarita was a fun, yummy twist on the traditional margarita.
Also, I’m a big fan of their giant, colorful peacock sculpture. I want it!

Holy Mole! Sorry… I had to do that. Located on the corner of 65^th and Hollis, you’ve probably passed by this place before if you’ve frequented at Prizefigher down the street. It was formerly known as something else, but then the lovely folks at Los Moles in San Rafael came here… and I’m glad they did!
Weekend brunch is a must if you love everything about mole, fresh salsa and micheladas. Made a rezzie on OpenTable and decided to do the weekend brunch buffet (shocker for me…) instead of ordering off the menu. $ 17/​person gets you unlimited access to all the items in the buffet PLUS small plate orders of huevos rancheros or chilaquiles. You will definitely be eating your money’s worth easily… especially considering that some of the entrees went for $ 10 – 15 a piece anyway.
The moles are NOT to be missed. Each one is handcrafted and different… personal fave was the Habanero. Sounds spicy, but it’s actually the perfect amount of kick you need. Corn tortillas are made right in front of you and served hot hot hot… they are soft and tasty and hold everything together. There are some options for rice, beans as well as some grilled chicken and carnitas available. Salad bar boasts fresh produce, fruits and salsa galore.
You can get bottomless mimosas or micheladas at an additional charge… micheladas are HUGE. I’d recommend splitting between two if you aren’t capable of consuming the whole thing. Had the mango, it was delish!

First visit here and I am impressed!
Made it for lunch and the rule is you order at the front entrance and then you seat yourself. The service is friendly and welcoming but you have to get your own salsa, chips and refreshments. Don’t worry the rules change for dinner which I’ll be back to experience it and let you know.
The experience brings me as close as can be to authentic Mex. From the generous staff to the ambience. And the food is what takes you there! The flagons brings tastes of homemade cooking from abuelitas kitchen.
Stick with the mole here although I also had the fajitas and they were good too!

²⁄₅ Stars
LOS WORKERS?
I live right next to this restaurant and finally decided to check it out. The food was ok, but the service was shitty!!!
FOOD: My neighbor told me that this place was very authentic and had great Mexican food so i went in to finally try it out. I started with their free chips and guacamole. It was really good. Besides being free, the guacamole was very fresh with chunks of avocado and fresh parsley. i loved it very much. I also had the mango fresco to drink That was very refreshing and delicious. I ordered the Pollo Ranchero en Penca de Napol. The chicken was very soft and melted off the bone, but it didn’t have much taste. The beans were very wet and was hard to pick up with my fork. The green rice was good and so was the corn tortillas. Over all the meal was very. OK, not the greatest and not something I would recommend to people.
RESTAURANT: The restaurant was decorated very nicely with lots of clay pots and Mexican decoration. Felt like I was somewhere else in the world.
SERVICE: I think the waiter was just in his own world. He delivered my chips and never offered salsa. I had to wave down another waitress to ask if they had salsa available. When I asked for the check, it took about 15 or 20 minutes before my card was actually swiped. The guy kept pushing me off. First my receipt was wrong and I had charged that weren’t mine. Then he took forevers to get my receipt re-​done and I already had my card out. I just stood up and walked to the register to pay for my meal but they told me to wait for my server, who just takes too long. I don’t know why another waitress can’t just look up my order on their computer and charge me.
It seriously was not the best service or food in town. I will probably just order something to-​go. Service isn’t the best here either.

Good
Our first time here
You need to pay first.
Tortilla chips and salsa, Water and the ice tea complimentary. Not like other restaurants they make you pay for the chips separately
Almost self serve
Tried the mole negro really good
AlPastor burrito was really good not grease or chewy
Next time I am going to try the poblano mole looking for the flavor that my mom makes.
Missed it!

We were in the neighborhood shopping for mattresses. All that lying down made us hungry, and the Berkeley Fourth Street scene was impossible from a driving around and trying to park standpoint. I knew my cranky husband would rally if we went Mexican, so we decided on this little spot. Week day lunches they take orders from the line and then they bring the food to the table. We were newbies in a sea of regulars, and the hostess, noticed this and was kind enough to hand us menus and offer us a table where we could pick our orders and then return to place them.

T decided on one of the 7 moles which are all offered with chicken, arroz verde, and tortillas. The Elena is a dark one based on a chile mulato. It’s got a low heat factor, and some lovely cinnamon notes. Claims to have over 40 ingredients. We both enjoyed it, but not enough so that we couldn’t be tempted to try a different one on the next visit. I got the Carnitas don Pedro. I’m a sucker for good carnitas, and these were cooked perfectly with just the right combination of unctuous tenderness and fatty crisp edges. A little too salty, but when mixed with the frijoles, which were slightly undersalted, the mouthful was tasty! The portion of beans and guacamole seemed a bit skimpy.
I would definitely return.

Los Moles was a crowd pleaser for our group of six! Everyone enjoyed their dish and each dish was unique on the menu.
The moles were properly named after their originators. Mama Elena’s mole was dark and rich with nutty tones and chocalatey finishes. the pipian mole (Grandpa’s especial) was really delicious with so many layers of flavor. The mole Habanero, which I ordered, was spicy but the flavors of the habanero shone through without over doing the spice. The handmade tortillas are perfection, they were light and a perfect vehicle for the mole and chicken.
The ceviche of prawns was delicious I only wished that there was more of it.
We all enjoyed our drinks, the notable, Aguacate Margarita was a new drink for me and it was delicious, made with crushed avocado. so good. The cactus margarita was cool, green and refreshing. The young’uns enjoyed their Horchata as well but said that they were very filling.
Many of their dishes are served in handmade earthenware pottery, and really added to the ambiance. We finished our meal with three flavors of crepes and were surprised at the delicious fillings. The mango crêpe was by far the table favorite, the mango was caramelized and was very unique and flavorful.
I loved the décor and the servers were very friendly and accommodating. I will be back for more mole and margaritas! The music was fantastic as well and made me wish that they had a dance floor.

Si estan buscando por un buen retaurante de autentica comida mexicana, este es el lugar. Totalmente recomendado.
Yo ordene unos de los moles y la verdad muy delicioso.

Es uno de mis lugares favoritos para desayunar un domingo en familia!!! Excelente bufet y excelente servicio de su personal!!!

Todo que he probado en Los Moles es muy rico! Hay un mesero suuuppperrr amable. Pero hay un mas joven que no pone tanta atencion en nel cliente. Quisera un restaurante deste en San Leandro. Pero voy asta Emeryville por mi rica comida!