Celia’s

HORRIBLE COSTUMER SERVICE. My boyfriend and I went to «Taco Tuesday» not knowing the menu. When we arrived, he asked this older employee what the special was and the employee pointed at the menu and said «This.» He did not even explain it but we were starving so we let it go. The same guy past by us a few minutes later and we wanted to ask a question, HE COMPLETELY IGNORED US. He was not only rude but disrespectful and arrogant. The food is not authentic. If you want real Mexican food, go to Cancun near Shattuck.

Celia’s may be a bit more expensive than most other restaurants around Euclid and Hearst, but the food is also higher quality than at most other restaurants in the area, so it’s nice to eat here once in a while. The unlimited chips and salsa taste surprisingly good. Their burritos in general are pretty good and extremely big. I think the enchiladas taste a bit better, but these are a bit smaller and pricier.
The restaurant has plenty of tables inside. Sometimes, on (Taco) Tuesdays, I go with a group to get a couple of drinks and different types of tacos for really cheap. The margaritas contain a lot of alcohol — you can actually taste the tequila. Luckily, it doesn’t overpower the drink, and it makes the food along with it taste better too ;)

Tortilla soup is bomb. Full liquor license close to campus. Probably the most authentic Mexicano cuisine in Berkeley. Melon margarita… Sha-​bang! Tasty! :P

Tried this place 3 times in 3 months. It’s a half block from where I often pick up my UCB student so it seems like a good dinner option. Food is actually quite good. What’s bad is the brutally dysfunctional service. After three similar experiences it’s probably not a random event. Three occasions shortest time to take our order was 20 minutes to the longest at 35 minutes. With menus folded almost immediately when sitting down. Sports on tv monitors is the primary focus of staff on all three occasions. Order confusion comes next only 1 of 3 visits did they actually bring to our table the same food we ordered. Example, they have an issue distinguishing carne asada from carnitas. Then you have to chase them for the bill. Food is ok but you have to invest an extraordinary amount of time in your dinner and deal with lax, inaccurate, inattentive service throughout. Maybe take out is the answer???

We waited waited and waited last night to be helped. We order our food I asked for a side of sour cream it never came. I asked about it, they said it’s inside — I looked, it wasn’t. I went up twice to the kitchen area No help at all, I finally gave up. Only help I got is when they brought the bill to me and adding the sour cream that I never got. I will never go back, I watched people leaving too because they were not helped. Food Okay but not that great.

The food is average. The staff is really nice. I ordered a veggie burrito, it was «okay», nothing more.

The Mexican food is average and it’s but easy to know what you are ordering. Staff is nice. It’s not bad VT I will try another restaurant next time.

Celia’s Northside Berkeley is dee bezt! You cannot go wrong with one of those jumbo hot platters filled with enchiladas, rice and refried beans all covered in gooey cheese. It hits the spot. Especially bueno during the summer months when all of the annoying children have run back to the suburbs and LA to take shelter under the nurturing parental wings of their childhood homes. All is quiet and peaceful for a few months. The service is friendly and attentive, the food is generous and fresh, the prices are reasonable and you can get margaritas. You cannot go wrong with Celia. The only problem is that they are closed for idolatry and worship on Sundays, a day of great yearning for gooey mexican foods in our house.

Groups of us go here because it is close to some of the schools located right up the hill from this location. Celia’s serves pretty decent Mexican food. The salsa is fresh and tastes like an authentic mild to medium salsa. They give you unlimited fresh chips. Portions are usually quite large. I’m a big guy and I almost always share a carnitas plate and order of guacamole with my partner. I really love their carnitas. Some of the best I’ve had in the area. For the price it is well worth it.
When they are busy, it can take a while to have your order taken or water filled. No matter what though, the food arrives quickly. Overall, a decent place for a meal.

Legit Mexican food. Great margs. A North campus staple.

Unlimited free chips are nice, so we always go here when everyone’s coming from different places so those who arrive early can get a substantial snack.
2 dollar signs but many entrees you can easily get full by eating half and then take the rest home. The waiter’s really good about putting your food on a plate, wrapping it with aluminum, and placing it into a bag, so that you can easily reheat and eat the next day.
Personally though, I wouldn’t come here more than once a month since I tend to feel fat afterward. Also, he refused to split our checks… and we asked beforehand.

Celia’s is a consistent Mexican Restaurant. When you come in you get a nice-​not too spicy salsa and some chips.
We had the Taco Salad, which is the main reason we came, since not many Mexican restaurants in the area seem to offer it. It was fine. It doesn’t come in a big Taco Shell, if you want that, but is served on a plate. Tastewise it is fine.
We also had the Enchilada Molé with Chicken. The Enchilada was fine, whereas the chicken wasn’t very well seasoned. The refried beans were tasty and the rice was ok.
If you come in the afternoon, they have a Margarita special, which is good.
Overall — the restaurant is fine, consistent, not breathtakingly great, but also worth going to when you are in the area.

Visiting from Santa Rosa, in town for a concert, wanted something small so went with the Ceviche appetizer. It was the BEST ceviche I’ve EVER had! I wish I lived closer to Berkley because I would eat there every day. The service was fast, though we had to ask for our check but only because a large party came in and they needed tables set up, etc. Great place to eat, 5 stars.

I have some fond memories of this place. But this has been the second time I’ve gotten food poisoning here, and I don’t think I will ever go back. Had a really bad incident (the first one) a few summers ago, and just started going again, hoping things had changed. Apparently not.
I get the sense that they are not all that careful about food safety: uncovered sneezing in the kitchen, filling chip bowls with bare hands, etc. I won’t go back, which is sad because it seems like a Berkeley landmark of sorts.

I live a block away from Celia’s so my roommate and I often come here for our late night noms. First of all, the people who work here are so nice! I get really excellent service every time I come here :). Their food is also really yummy, and compared to other Mexican places in Berkeley (mainly La Burrita), everything is SO much healthier! For example, the quesadillas at La Burrita are usually drenched in grease, but the ones here are absolutely dry (in a good way) and just full of cheesy goodness!
Definitely recommend. Probably the best Mexican place near campus.

FINALLY! A decent Mexican restaurant in Berkeley. I’ve tried quite a few, and this was the first and only one I’ve been satisfied with.
We walked there around 6 on a Saturday night, but there was a lot of street parking there. We easily could’ve driven. It was mostly empty aside from a few customers, and I’m not sure why.
Free chips and salsa and endless refills. I’m all for this. Good margarita selection. I got the strawberry marg, and it was TASTY!
The menu options were good and honestly cheaper than some of the places marked as one $ on Unilocal (how’d that happen?). I ended up going with the chimichanga, and while I was disappointed they couldn’t put cheese inside it (they make them ahead of time), it was still very delicious. The servings are large. They definitely don’t skimp on beans.
I will definitely be back soon, and I can’t wait to try something else here.

I came here for the first time and got lunch to go. They were very fast. My food came in about 5 minutes. I ordered the shredded beef tacos and requested it on corn tortillas but normally they are served on a hard shell.
I’m not too familiar with the names of Mexican food. It turns out that I was looking for a carne asada taco like the ones La Victoria’s serves. The options for the tacos here were chicken, ground beef, and shredded beef. Next time I will try making a special request for a carne asada soft taco because I wasn’t into the shredded beef very much. Overall, the portions were big and the meal was good.

I ordered the fish burrito for lunch. Though it looked like a large burrito, it really wasn’t. It was stuffed more with rice and the fish under it.
The fish was tender and juicy, not deep fried. It held well with the spinach wrap and pinto beans. As I didn’t eat the rice, it was a filling lunch. Not a gut bomb as the usual SF burrito.
This is definitely a lunch spot to come again when I feel like eating Mexican.

Try the mango horchata and California burrito (it has French fries in it)
The margaritas are pretty nice and it’s one of the best Mexican places in berkeley

Another update for Celia’s, three point five stars for the service and five stars for the food. I decided to have lunch there before dashing off to silent cinema class at Cal in February. I got there after the place opened. I was very, very disappointed: Chuy, my favorite mesero was not there. Instead, it was the grouchy older mesero who was there. And to add to the shock, I was surprised to see a banner memorialising the matriarch herself who passed away in September 2012. The grumpy mesero did take note of my reaction, alluded that he did not wish to discuss it, and wanted to show me to the table. Okay, fine. Whatever. (Note to Self: Busca para las noticias de la muerte.)
I already knew what I wanted to order, my usual of dos tacos carnes molidas con arroz y frijoles refritos y guacamole para una persona so I could read some articles for cinema class. When Señor Mesero came with la salsa casa, I advised him I would prefer comer la guacamole con mis chips. As always, mi plato dos tacos favorito estaba mas bueno. And Señor Mesero did keep my water glass filled. (Yo bebo mucho aqua!) Despite the grumpy señor mesero, I will come back when I am able to. On my way out, Chuy showed up. Maybe that is why señor mesero was grumpy.
Next time I come back – and I will be back, I want Chuy to attend to me! He is much friendlier and always has a smile on his face! Off to cinema class!
I did research the obituaries regarding the matriarch of the family. She was a lady and a woman ahead of her time according to the two obituaries I found on her. She was the one who introduced the Mexican cuisine in the first restaurant (okay, a café) she and her husband owned according to this notice:

(Which makes this her-​storian smile with glee.)
It was her idea to introduce Mexican food to their menu and she would sneak her enchiladas to their regular customers. (Of course, the woman is always right!) Muchas gracias Señora Lopez-​Rodriguez to you and to your Perfecto for being living proof of achieving the American Dream and leaving a wonderful family legacy to your family and to us.
Update #5 for 2013