Doña Tomás

I was just in Oakland for a week and sadly experienced horrific food everywhere! EXCEPT, Doña Thomas. It was absolutely phenomenal! The whole menu was creative, well thought out, and beautiful. I ended up going two nights in a row and was blown away both times. Highly highly recommend this gem! Thank you for the beautiful food and awesome cocktails!

Obsessed. I wish I had found even a tiny fault to stop me from dreaming of the chips, carnitas, taqueria, cocktails, I could go on.

The three of us ate here 2÷9÷16. The meals came out really fast after we ordered. They were fresh and hot. We ordered the Pescado and Carnitas. The sauce on the fish was nicely spiced with a little heat. The sides were Chard and mashed potatoes, both matched perfectly.
The Carnitas was the perfect mix of crust and tender parts. No fat had to be separated out. I know this is not how the cut is normally but my large portion was great. I should have taken some leftovers home but it was too good and I finished it all there. The beans and rice were fine.
We will definitely be coming back here the next time we are in town.

Super pleased with brunch. Service was excellent, loved the huevos rancheros, and the carnitas dish was delicious also. I can’t speak for drinks or coffee but I thought the food was delicious and well-​prepared with very fresh ingredients!

I found myself back in San Francisco again, while my husband came back for work. I was surprised that I haven’t heard of the Restaurant Week that takes place in several cities in the Bay around the same time. I was happy to see we would make the Oakland Restaurant Week. I had wanted to try a vegan option, we have recently cut meat almost all the way out, and I saw a couple of them that have great reviews over in Jack London Square.
However, one of the two us, wanted Mexican and I let the one of the two of us– that just worked a 72 hour week have their way. I had secured reservations during the middle of the week to a few places to make sure we had choices. Take note of that if you are planning to visit restaurants participating, reservations can fill up fast.
I read the reviews before we came and saw several people mention price vs quality vs quantity. I now agree, on the price vs quality. They want $ 20 and up for most entrée’s and it would be more reasonable around $ 13-​$ 15 a plate. It is just average for the most part. I enjoyed my choice more than my husband.
I kept thinking I was going to order from the Oakland Restaurant Week special menu for $ 30 you get a choice from 2 apps, 2 entrees and dessert. Then we got there and all that fancy talk of ordering off their special menu was gone.
I went for the Carne Asada steak $ 23, it came with shredded brussels sprouts and bacon, and a side of what, we both, said looked like refried beans. Well played Dona Tomas, it was sweet potato mashed out to the consistency of refried beans and I could have to googled the menu word camote to see that this, in fact, sweet potato but I love living on the edge. It was very good, but different. Hello Mexican fusion with a modern twist. The waitress asked if I minded spicy as the chimichurri salsa was really spicy. I said no I didn’t want spicy, so she said they would put it on the side. It was not spicy, but it was so good, but so oily I would have been unhappy if it had in fact been poured all over the meat. I joked that when the waitress complimented me on my shirt, it was because it would be the last night I would be able to wear it due to the grease/​oil stains I would probably get.
My husband got the chicken cheese enchiladas, it came with steamed spinach and some butternut squash and scallion pudding. I tried it but the onions were overpowering it and I was really happy I had not ended up with that. It looked like a large corn cake, not like a pudding just in case you conjured that image. He likes spinach but said that combination was odd. He isn’t picky, and he said he wasn’t thinking he would have to come back.
We ordered the Fundido con pollo tinga, which is cheese, greasy greasy cheese and some chicken with tortillas, so you can spoon it out and make little cheese wraps. It tasted good but it was on the greasy side. That was $ 13 and it would have been fair at about $ 9.
They gave us a plate of chips and mole sauce when we got there and no they do not have unsweetened ice tea, but she said, oh we have mineral water. Great, give me on of those, so we both go one, and they came out in a small bottle, $ 3 each, we switched to regular water after that. I have never been charged for sparkling water that is my usual go to, so that was new for us.
We ended up getting dessert, they are all $ 8, I got the carmel ice cream and cookies, not bad. My husband got the flourless chocolate cake and said it was pretty good. Our bill was $ 85 before tip. I have eaten out a lot with my husband and it is the first time I heard him say that was a way over priced place for what we got.
We had an 8 pm reservation, and she told us 10 minutes, 20 minutes later the waiter came and said out table was ready, but that we would be in the room out back across the patio with a party of 12 people who, he wanted to warn us, were so loud the only other table out there asked to be moved, so we could now have their table. Oh really? We can now have a table somebody else didn’t want because it was so loud? I don’t think so. We said we would keep waiting for another table, but he started walking out there and saw we didn’t follow and asked if we were serious.
We watched him then try to pawn that table off on several other couples, nobody took it. This place is small and it was over the top loud so it might not have mattered. We got seated 30 minutes later and it was a table squeezed between two tables along the wall. I kind of dreaded it because I have sat like this before, where you are about 8 inches from the other couple’s table and we have had other couple’s merge right into one of our conversations. That was not the case tonight, it was loud, it was like a sound force field around us, We couldn’t hear the people on either side of us, nor each other, we were leaned way into the table head’s turned to the side.
My husband couldn’t see the menu and was using his phone, we were laughing, but the w

Soooo busy on a Thursday. Wow. Just two of us were going to have to wait 45 min — so make a reservation! Fortunately we squeezed in at the Bar… But it was a squeeze!
The Mezcal Margarita was quite nice — really good spicy salt on the rim. The Bartender was informative too and told us about different mezcals.
I was unimpressed with the food in general. The Mole Enchiladas were… mediocre. The chicken and tortilla were kinda dry and the sauce was not the best mole i’ve had.
The Fritta side that came with it was pretty good though.
The lime soup was also pretty tasty — not blow me out of the water, but good.
Not cheap. For the price I would have expected a little higher quality.

This is one of my favorite places to get a drink in the neighborhood. The margaritas are perfect and they offer other unique and delicious cocktails as well– La Paloma is great. Some menu items are expensive, small and not well executed but it’s countered by the dishes that are truly amazing. I love the sopa de limon and chile rellenos. The service is fast and helpful for a busy place– you may have to wait a while to be seated though. The patio out back is a bonus when it’s warm and sunny out. It gets lively and loud which makes it a fun place to come at night.

I used to love this place, but… a couple nights ago I had dinner at Dona Tomas for the first time in a while. I had the Carnitas along with some drinks and the usual appetizers. The drinks were bad and sloppily made, the chips were stale and gross which is hard to understand given how busy they are, and the Carnitas was just down right gross, burned, dried out and caked with grease. I felt like shit for the rest of the night.

This spot is in my neck of the woods. And I’ve come here sporadically since it opened. It was and still is a welcome venue. I was surprised to see it wasn’t holding 4 stars… then I read some of the pithy reviews… like the one that complains about a typo in Spanish so they gave 2 stars. For reals? Then the one that is flabbergasted that their raucous kids aren’t «welcome». Unbelievable. 1 star. And all the whiners who went for brunch. My advice: go for dinner.
It isn’t strictly «adult» dining but it does have a full bar, a happy hour and the menu is eclectic, nontraditional fare. I used to bring my now 14 yo kid here when she was wee but why drag my kid out when I want margaritas?
If anyone knows anything about brunch, take a word of advice from Anthony Bourdain: don’t do brunch.
Doña Tomas is a dinner joint. Go back for dinner and come back to resettle your score.
What to get if your unsure?
The chips & quac are awesome.
The house margarita… can’t beat it.
The chicken soup… consistently good.
The chile relleno. Give it a shot!
And be kind when reviewing. This is about the food and the service… not that nitpicky shit that puts businesses out of business.

One of my best friends Arlene works here. She brought us out here to this restaurant which she works at. All the coworkers treat them self like family. Management was amazing and very generous. Will for sure come back again since I’ve been here twice already.

My wife said the chile relleno was the best she’s had, a fresh take on authentic, well prepared, not dipped in batter, not overly stuffed with cheese + tasty sides, made with fresh, local, organic ingredients. Several vegetarian munu offerings. I had the chicken enchilada with mole sauce. It too was great and served with tasty & creative sides. The cocktails were in keeping with everything else at the restaurant, fresh ingredients, top shelf spirits, very well executed classics, some creative additions «Carter beats the devil» and a great selection of meszcal. Be sure to make a reservation ahead.

We come here to celebrate special occasions and appreciate the great tasting food. This past weekend the sign contained a misspelled phrase in Spanish. And after I told the hostess and walked around for an hour, the sign was still misspelled. Really? No google translate?

Been here numerous times. Most recent was brunch. It was a bit chilly but we sat out on the patio. I had the chile relleno which was good as usual. They don’t batter and fry which I like better as the pepper flavor stands out more. My wife had one of the specials — and it came with a delicious baby kale salad. Her orange/​lime agua fresca was great.
Love the salsa that comes with the chips.
I’m only giving 3 stars because the 2 times before we had very mediocre and expensive meal and had to wait a long time too. And it can get ear blastingly loud, especially in their back room.

You know when your friend orders something and you’re left muttering to yourself, «damn, I should’ve gotten that instead»?
Yeah, that was me.
I went for the carnitas hash (
) with slow-​roasted pork, poblano chiles, onion, corn, zucchini, cilantro, and tomato, topped with two poached eggs and served with handmade corn tortillas. It kinda tasted like cafeteria food. I don’t know if it was the tomatoes or the spices (or previous cafeterias I’ve dined at), but it just didn’t tickle my tastebuds.
My friend opted for the enviable quintessential Mexican breakfast item (at least in my book): the chilaquiles verde. Her dish was so tasty. That tomatillo salsa with the eggs just sang.
Oh, well. That just meant I was able to stomach more of the churros (with a side of Mexican chocolate for dipping). Can’t much complain.

Every time I’ve come here, I’ve regretted it.
The one thing I remember liking here last time was the corn budín with baked eggs, so I ordered it this time around, too.
The budín itself was _​almost_​good. It was way too salty. As in: someone threw in double to triple the amount of salt you’d expect, such that the salt overwhelmed the whole thing. My dining companions agreed as to its saltiness (they’d ordered the same thing) but were okay eating theirs.
The eggs: I could have sworn that last time, they’d been delightful baked eggs served in a little ramekin. This time: they looked and felt like fried eggs. The bottom halves of the yolks were practically hard-​cooked and had that awful chalky texture that overcooked egg gets. The top halves were alright.
I sent it back. Not actually being someone who enjoys scrambled or fried eggs (or beans, or most of the menu items), I didn’t get anything to replace it.
I just wish that the budín had been not oversalted, because that alone would have made up for the rest of everything.
But alas, it was not to be.
Oh: also, the back room that’s essentially a shack is a really underwhelming experience. A couple of years ago, I was here for a meal with a largish group to celebrate (a birthday? a graduation?) and it felt like being relegated to some sort of second-​class spot with cheap materials (plastic, corrugated steel) and third-​class service.

This is not a place to take a large party for brunch.
The food and drink are very good — my carnitas hash and tequila-​based Bloody Maria made for a deliciously balanced meal.
But the cheerful servers simply were not up to the task of serving a table of ten. They repeatedly brought food and drink to the wrong end of the table and had to ask us loudly whose latte this was, or who ordered the huevos. This is more than a minor irritation in a loud and bustling restaurant.
Six of us ordered cocktails, but it took them 21 minutes to get them to us.
My mother asked for her eggs to be prepared without salt and pepper. An unappetizing request, I know, but that’s mom! Her eggs came liberally salted and peppered. She also asked that her eggs be soft. They were not.
One of the water glasses they brought us had a big chip at the top. Dangerous. Why didn’t they notice?
We ended the meal with some excellent churros and coffee. I may well go back for brunch with one or two friends. But I’ll never go with a large party — and you shouldn’t, either.

We’ve been a couple of times now for brunch, and these guys really knock that particular midday meal out of the park.
A gorgeous, sunny patio draped in vibrant tablecloths and fluttering umbrellas may have nothing to do with food, but it sets a great tone.
The waiters are quick with the water and cocktails (which they are very familiar with and give good advice on). Not every cocktail is a margarita, but you really should try one of them. The Celorita with habanero infused mescal might be the best drink I’ve had for $ 11, and is perfect for a hot, breezy brunch starter. That alone takes this 4 star review up to 5 stars.
The guacamole is quite good. Flavorful, slightly chunky, not too sweet or too salty. A bit small — but my wife doesn’t eat it, so it’s enough ;).
Out comes the food, mostly simple, solid classics, with warm corn tortillas. The rice and the beans are not amazing, but they get the job done. The dishes really sing with the meats and sauces. And like most Latin American dishes, they are all very shareable, so you’re missing out if you only eat off of your own plate.
Another bit of eating and maybe an extra drink and you find yourself with a gentle, pleasant buzz, the lingering sensation of a dozen flavors, and a strong sense of satisfaction that somehow manages not to weigh you down as you step back out into the sun.
We have not been for dinner, but the brunch alone is everything we are looking for.

I really wish I had paid attention to my tip in which I talked about their overt hostility to our children– it was a sign.
So we came here because it had open tables on a Friday night. Again, a sign.
So much unsatisfactoriness culminating in deep mediocrity:
They seated us in the overflow room which is an incredibly unpleasant, narrow, loud and stuffy room with a horrible garish red paint job. Every sound reverberates ad infinitum.
We ordered the ceviche to start, my husband got the carne asada, and I got the carnitas. The ceviche was some kind of sweet green soup without salt. It was the single worst ceviche I have ever had. My husband’s carne asada was actually delicious– flavorful and tender with a buttery mushroom sauce. It is the reason why there is an additional star.
It was by far the most horrifically bland, poor quality Mexican inspired food I’ve had in the Bay Area. Do your self a favor and go to any local taco truck instead.

After passing by this restaurant so many times going to my favorite restaurant nearby, I decided to give Doña Tomás a try at the recommendation of some classmates. It serves a wide variety of Latin-​American foods, some of which I pleasantly recognized from my own South American travels. I ordered Birría (lamb stew with red rice. It was absolutely delicious. The margarita was above standard as well. Just wonderful.
My only disappointment was the high price, especially the bowl of rice ($ 5) to go with the meal, and the portions were relatively small. Also, anytime I visit an ethnic restaurant, I would prefer a significant portion of the staff to be of the same ethnicity versus all American. At Doña Tomás, the cooks were Latin American but the servers were straight up American. To me, that takes away the cultural ambiance. My «stuff,» I know.

The food was a B quality wise but SEVERELY overpriced and the portions were way too small. For instance, the guacamole plate cost $ 8 and was served with one measly scoop of guac.
The restaurant itself had a good ambiance and the service staff were friendly. Overall, you’d be better off going to a taqueria, where you could spend a fraction of the price and get food that was similar, if not better.

Wanted to love this place but food was disappointing. Came for brunch as I heard great things. We came here for an early Father’s Day brunch. Loved the back patio space and was excited to finally try it out. We ordered the Mexican hot chocolate, sangria and chips and guacamole to start. I had the huevos rancheros which was prob the best item we had but it still wasn’t all that great. My husband ordered the chicken soup and it was pathetic. I guess he was expecting a rich and savory soup but instead a bland pathetic looking chicken soup with tortilla chips. Finally the dessert, churros with chocolate dip. It wasn’t that great either. We weren’t expecting authentic Mexican cuisine but was hoping it would at least be great flavor. Not so much.

Made a reservation for 7 through OpenTable. When I checked Unilocal,I was a bit concerned because there seemed to be some mixed feedback as of late. However, my experience was overwhelmingly positive.
We were seated promptly. The inside has high ceilings and wonderful villa décor. The noise level wasn’t a problem for us, though we were a large group, so we likely contributed to it — I could see this being a little loud for couples or smaller parties, so if you want something more intimate, see if you can be seated outside on the patio (the hostess said it was first come first serve).
We started out with margaritas and sangria (they don’t do frozen or blended margaritas, FYI) — yum! Then, guacamole, which was deliciousy citrus-​y and chunky. I ordered the carne asada, which was the perfect amount of spice and spicy. My neighbors loved the mole enchiladas. The portions for the entrees were just about right. They all were about $ 20, so it is a bit more than your typical Mexican fare, but I thought worth it.
I would recommend ordering some sides and sharing them as a table. The corn and zucchini bread pudding was a huge hit at our table, and we ended up getting another order of it. Grilled asparagus con queso was also excellent.
Desserts were just OK — we got flan, pastel con tres leches, and bread pudding. It did the job, but nothing special. Next time, I may skip dessert and walk around the corner (there was a cute ice cream shop that caught my eye on the way in).
Service was very prompt and friendly. Great spot!

When I think of amazing Mexican food, I think of the mom and pop taquerias on 24^th street in the Mission where I lived for a few years. Sure, they can be a bit dicey, but it’s almost worth running the risk of getting food poisoning to fill those little plastic cups with a variety of spicy salsas, fresh radishes, and jalapenos (to note: I’ve never gotten food poisoning and have averaged a burrito a week since moving here in 2012). In good Mexican food I’m looking for a variety of well-​rounded, and bold flavors: cilantro, crema, perfectly cooked rice, slow-​cooked beans, and warm tortillas. I wish I could say Dona Tomas delivered on all these fronts.
The environment however was warm and inviting. And the service was excellent. We never waited long, and the waiter always came by to refill our waters and see what else we needed. Our party of four was seated in the backyard patio which was toasty on a cool night due to the heaters — they even offer blankets if you’re still chilly.
We started our meal with the butternut squash quesadillas which came with three small quesadillas. I had very high hopes for the dish which were squashed (no pun intended) by a lack of flavor. My main dish was the Tostada ($ 18), a vegetarian platter of black beans, chayote squash, peas on a crispy tortilla with arugula salad and butternut squash scallion pudding. The plating was a mess and the tostada itself was tasty but still lacked the traditional Mexican flavors I was craving. The best part of the meal (aside from the kick-​ass margaritas) was the butternut squash pudding. I could easily eat a plate of this alone. I felt that $ 18 was very overpriced for this dish since it’s basically vegetables with little spice.
Overall this is a good place to head for a date night or girls night out, but if you’re craving traditional Mexican, I’d highly recommend a taqueria – you’ll save a ton of money in the process.