Taqueria Dona Maria

Generally, it’s the best burrito along the Dam Road. Out of maybe 15 times I’ve been there, only one was bad.

Was driving around to get food a couple hours ago and saw this place and decided to just go here!
Walked in and it was empty. But the lady greeted us and was really kind.
I ended up ordering the Al Pastor Burrito and the boyfriend got the Carne Asada Burrito. We ordered them to go. Our order came out quickly and we went on with our night. We also got some chips and salsa to go.
The burrito was really good. The burrito was a good size for its price. I got really full and couldn’t finish my burrito. It was all evenly distributed. I didn’t have to worry about taking a bite and getting nothing but guacamole, sour cream or meat. Even more delicious if you take the salsa and pour it on it.
I’m really glad we decided to come here.
I would definitely come back and recommend this place!

I discovered Taqueria Dona Maria when I worked at HS Fish and Chips across the street. Instantly I fell in love with their food. I love burritos and it’s always one of my go to foods. I always get either the asada or pastor burrito with black beans, cheese, and mild salsa. The tacos are also super delicious as well.
A couple things I love about the burritos here is
1. It’s a good size
2. It’s not oily. I know more oil means more flavor but I just don’t really like the extra oil.
3. It’s always
like ALWAYS.
The service is great, they are all super friendly. Everything is really well kept and clean. They have a salsa bar available as well. The price is a lot cheaper than some places I’ve been too.

The food was quick and tasted fresh. The service was efficient and friendly. I had a burrito and the amount of meat was appropriate to the fillers. They have a decent salsa bar too which is a bonus. If you’re in the area and looking for a quick bite to eat it’s worth stopping by.

After moving back from Southern California where taquerias were a dime a dozen, I began searching for a good spot here in the Bay Area. After sampling a few closer to home, I branched out further and discovered Taqueria Dona Maria after a trip to the vet with my dog.
I first stopped in for a breakfast burrito and bought a carne asada burrito for my husband. There is a salsa bar here, not nearly as large as I’m used to down in SoCal, but with good offerings that packed some serious heat. They also had the jalapeño and carrot pickles that I’ve been searching for.
The breakfast burrito was delicious — stuffed to the brim with awesome and huge. I could only finish half of it. My husband’s carne asada burrito was okay but not great. He doesn’t like super burritos so it was just the rice, beans and meat though the ratio of filling to tortilla was more in favor of the tortilla. The carne asada itself was good flavored but a little dry.
My dad liked the other half of the breakfast burrito and visited the next day. He came home with a super carne asada burrito, fajitas, baja fish tacos, a tamale, and another plain carne asada burrito. My dad was happy with his super burrito and my mom liked her fajitas.
The baja fish tacos were a bit of a disappointment due to soggy coating BUT this was more because they’d been sitting in a take out container for at least 20 minutes before getting home. I’m sure they would have been perfectly crispy had I eaten there. The sauce was VERY spicy. I wanted to eat more but it was too much for me.
The tamales were the real surprise and a pleasant one at that. The tamale I got had very flavorful, soft and fluffy masa enveloping a wonderfullly flavored filling. This is exactly what I have been looking for in a tamale. I may be back JUST for this tamale and to try their pollo mole which seems to be a popular item.

Came back today for two super tacos and the tacos shrunk to half the size for the same price. We combined the tiny amount of meat from both tacos to one taco which costed over 9 dollars. 10 dollars for one taco? Very disappointed. Inconsistency is not acceptable. Probably won’t come back…

Best Mexican Food Ever! Friendly People, Great service, Nice ambiance and Excellent Food! A Must Try! It’s my first time here and I’m definitely going back!

I stopped in for a burrito the other night and it was pretty good. The empanadita was delicious. It’s a small pastry with guava inside.

This place used to be delicious, it’s since gone downhill. I’m very disappointed. I ordered 3 steak tacos with rice. Steak was flavorless, rice was day old hard and crunchy. Everything tastes like grease. I’m so sad I used to love this place. I’ll come back and give them another try maybe they can redeem themselves.

Popped in for an extremely late lunch. The girl taking our order was really nice. I took a good five minutes just standing there looking at the menu trying to make up my mind and she waited until I was ready without making me feel like I was a nuisance for taking so long. I ordered the Baja fish tacos and the flautas el pollo. My boyfriend ordered the grande tacos and a carne asada super burrito. We dined in so we got a little table by the window. The restaurant was on the small side but enough where you could seat five tables, a few of them were four seaters. We were given a small bowl of chips and four sauce containers for the salsa bar. The salsa bar was supposed to have three types of salsas but there were only two. The chips for the salsa were really good. They make them themselves.
The first things that came out were the grande taco and the Baja fish taco. I super underestimated how big they would be. I was barely able to hold the fish taco, let along put it in my mouth. But it was so good. The flavors from the fish, cabbage, and pico de gallo complemented each other well. There was a nice crust on the fish but it wasn’t over battered so you could taste the tilapia. It was heavenly. And the pico de gallo wasn’t spicy at all so I was able to enjoy my food without worry. I got to try the grande taco my boyfriend ordered and the meat was very moist and juicy, though my fish taco was better.
Next things were the flautas and the super burrito. Again, I underestimated my order. The flautas came with three of them covered in a generous portion of pico de gallo, guacamole, queso fresco, and cheese on a bed of lettuce. The flautas were nice and crispy yet the chicken was still tender on the inside. And all the condiments on top just added extra flavor to the flautas. The super burrito was good but it was dry in some areas. Adding salsa helped a lot. I’m not a huge burrito eater so I thought it was ok.
The only bad thing was that the tables and chairs are wooden and a bit rustic so I got a splinter on my finger from it. Overall, I give this taqueria a solid 3.5 stars. This was only my first time here so I’m looking forward to coming back and trying other items.

I née to drop my rating from 5 stars to 4, I was actually going down to 3 but i felt it was extreme since they do have several yummy dishes. I am giving it less stars for their inconsistency in their al pastor tacos. I have probably ordered them every single time since I started coming here and a few days ago when I went I did not even recognize them. I understand they may have different cooks? But when i go and order the same taco every time ad the mean looks different and it does not taste anything like the last few times, the stars definitely have to drop. Consistency will keep bringing the customers coming back. I also did not like the huevos rancheros. I was so excited when I saw the item on the menu and i hated the plate. The salsa could be way better, no heat and a bit salty. and so much cheese, i was super disappointed. The menudo is pretty good though.

taqueria dona maria is just an older looking mex place. though it hasn’t been here long.
just a few proteins offered: chicken, beef, pork, fish, shrimp. no cabeza, lenqua, tripe.
standard «mexican» menu, i.e. americanized.
eats: al pastor burrito (6.25)
–meat shredded, dry, sauce added spiciness,
–black beans ok, rice crunchy, not totally cooked, small broken pieces tasted.
take outs:
–no salsa, condiments given, chips extra
–10ish small tables for eat-​in.
–this corner is only spot in center that has parking. curious, isn’t it?
–not a destination but food is above average in taste but not value.
3.5 stars

I went to this place because of the great reviews. I was very excited to try this place and was let down big time. I don’t give bad reviews, but I felt this place was over sold and I wouldn’t want a customer looking for great Mexican food to think this place is it. I got the chicken fajitas. The chicken was very dry and it didn’t have a lot of flavor. The only flavor I could taste was cumin or a very generic taco seasoning flavor. It tasted like no salt was added. The price was very reasonable I wonder if I just caught them on a bad day. Too bad because my husband and I don’t want to try this place again.

3.5 stars… I want to give this place 4-​stars but the second time I visited was much less successful than the first. This place is in a little strip mall in a location that has hosted various (unsuccessful) restaurants. I think Dona Maria’s, based on its loyal following, is here to stay.
There’s plenty of parking and, even though the restaurant is small, there are a few tables available for sit-​down service (never really seen them all taken either). Most people order takeout, delivered faithfully by the really attractive girl that works the counter.
I’ve had the burritos, the tacos, the tortas, and the pozole. The pozole, by far, is my favorite. I could eat their version every day. Unlike most, I would actually prefer they use LESS meat (this soup is chock full). I read one review that said this was a «light» soup. Uh huh… it’s meatier and greasier than most… but really, really good.
The carnitas tacos were better the first time I had them, as were the carnitas and carne asada burritos. Still decent though… I could do without the torta (a real mess not worth the effort it takes to eat it).
Still, good food here. Plus, did I mention the really attractive server :)…

I had a carne asada burrito here. Paid for cheese and guacamole and said no sour crème. Received guacamole and sour crème, but no cheese.
The horchata was tasty, the food came out fresh and quickly.
There was quite a bit of gristle and fat mixed in with the carne asada which was off putting: I would probably try the chicken next time because of this.
The food had good flavor but lost some of the shine when I saw a ¾ inch cockroach in the bathroom looking well fed healthy.
The chica at the front was nice and efficient.

Probably my favorite Mexican restaurant in the Pinole and el Sobrante area. They have posole everyday and their chile verde is excellent. I really like their fish tacos that comes with the chipotle lime cream sauce. Mmmm.
Their nachos plate can feed four people and they aren’t stingy with the meat or toppings. What was supposed to be an appetizer, turned into a full meal for two people. Can someone say «to-​go box»?
Home made chips. Self help to all kinds of salsa. Still have to try some other items to try out.

Today we had:
1. Taco Salad with Chicken (no shell) and black beans. Very nicely platted.
2. Shrimp Tacos with pico de gallo and avocado. The shrimp were sautéed with seasonings and bell peppers and onions.
3. Steak Torta with lettuce, tomato, red onions, guacamole and sour cream. The meat had some melted cheese…
Very good flavor, fast service and reasonably priced.

Fresh and homemade Mexican food. I had the mole enchiladas and while they were a little sweet for me, they were still delicious and exactly what I was looking for. The salsa bar has four options with various heat levels. The salsas were traditional and flavorful. I normally go straight for the hot bcz I have a high tolerance for heat but this hot was really hot! Next time I might just stick to medium. The location is great and even has outdoor seating. The prices are great and I hear they only serve organic produce! BONUS!

I love this place! They actually use hormone free meats! That may not seem special but not only is it more ethical but it makes for better tasting product that’s also MUCH better for you.
Their huevos rancheros is the best I’ve had! I love that they put a generous layer of melted cheese between the egg and tortilla. Super yummy!
Their chorizo scramble is also very good, not heavy or greasy. Nice and flavorful.
I’ve gotten the shrimp, chicken and fish fajita plates and all were very good. My favorite of the three was definitely the chicken though. Very generous portion and the chicken was tender and the most flavorful.
All their plates come with your choice of pinto or black beans topped with a sprinkle of cheese, rice and your choice of corn or flour tortilla. I always get the black beans and they’re made perfectly. I’m not much for corn tortillas but theirs are actually very soft and edible for me. If you get a fajita plate you also get a scoop of fresh guacamole and pico de gallo.
They offer wheat and spinach tortillas for their burritos for an additional twenty-​five cents. I’ve yet to have a burrito but asked if I could pay extra to have just one wheat tortilla instead of the 3 flour/​corn and she seemed fine with it. Was very good and a nice alternative if you’re trying to be healthier.
Another thing, their orange juice is THE BEST fresh orange juice I’ve ever had! There’s tons of pulp and naturally sweet… I’m wondering if they use organic oranges because it is sweeter than other fresh oj’s I’ve had…(update: yes organic!) Anyways, I would come here just for the OJ if I’m starting to feel sick or have a craving for some yummy fresh juice!
Their salsas are good as well. I’m more of a verde and chucky salsa kind of gal and they make both very well!
All the ladies that have helped me have all been really sweet/​helpful.
I definitely recommend this place to others. Food is consistently delicious, not greasy but meat is always tender and flavorful. Prices are very generous considering the quality and portions of the food.
I will be gradually adding to this review when I try other plates because I’m sure I will be back before I leave the area (=
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The pozole is really good! I had it while carb cycling so I asked for a side if black beans instead of tortillas because I didn’t think it’d be enough food. They LOAD this delicious bowl of soup with chicken! This was two meals as almost every dish here is. Soup wasn’t greasy, broth light and flavorful. Chicken was nice and tender too… they also offer pork too if you prefer that.
Boyfriend and I split their Chipotle Chicken Torta and it was super yummy! It might not have been traditional (their other tortas might be though) but the bread was soft, chicken was tender and flavorful and they were generous with the cheese and other «toppings». Nice kick too.
I love fish tacos, I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to try but their Baja fish taco is HELLA good! I like that they use chipotle crème to give it a little kick. Highly recommended!
Boyfriend got shrimp tacos. It was pretty much like their shrimp fajita in taco form. While it was good we both agreed that the Baja was superior.

My sister and I picked up breakfast from here today. We weren’t able to get through by phone so we just ordered there. Our order was done fairly quickly and we were on our way. I had the chilaquiles, she had the Huevos Rancheros. One can choose to have their chilaquiles with red sauce or greens sauce, which I love. I am picky when it comes to chilaquiles and these were delicious.
I tried the Chile Relleno plate on my second visit. It was delicious! They have a variety of burritos as well as a good taco menu. I noticed that one can order ½ orders of nachos, which is great! The plates come with rice and choice of beans and tortillas. I ordered mine with the black beans and corn tortillas. It was a delicious and filling meal.
I’ll be back for more!