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La Calle
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
1000 BroadwayOakland, CA 94620
Neighbourhoods: Old Oakland, Oakland Chinatown
(510) 251-1290
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
63 reviews for La Calle
Review Highlights
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"They have a salsa bar and specials every day." In 7 reviews -
"First time I tried the Shrimp Burrito." In 4 reviews
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"Trip 2, 5/6/10: The tacos were terrific." In 13 reviews
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63 reviews in English
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Review from Megan P.
San Francisco, CA
6/7/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I go to La Calle for lunch at least once per week, as it's a convenient, tasty spot only a block from my office. I was a fan after my first visit and the food only solidifies my appreciation in each subsequent visit!
I used to be a burrito girl - fresh beans, grilled chicken - but, have since switched to the steak tacos. The tortillas are to die for and the filling goes a long way! Couple them with the freshly made salsa and you have a satisfying lunch! -
Review from Victor G.
1/31/2012
La Calle is home to le tacobike, a roving taqueria.
this downtown location is compact, clean, and sports a bulletin board-like wall with likenesses of mexican somebodies on same..
music: mexican instrumentals
menu is mostly tortas, tacos, burritos, and aqua fresca. customizing orders costs a few pesos more.
eats: chile verde burrito de calle (6.5)
-comped commercial chips ok
-regular sized burrito with liquidous salsa within
-pork bland , a tad dry
--salsa juicy, not so memorable
-pricey for salsa, meats, and pinto beans
frijoles refritos:
-on receopt: "free aqua fresca after 2pm w/order" (missed by 20 minutes)
-remember to remind cashier to return change. (change comes in handy for
parking meter)
-may return after 2 someday.Listed in: civic center/downtown oaktown
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Review from Sonya A.
San Jose, CA
4/13/2012
The food compared to the price was so so....not great Mexican food, but still good on the modern sense....tried the cucumber agua fresca and I was impressed with it as I have never seen or tasted anything like it at other Mexican restaurants...5 stars for the decor on the walls!
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Review from Maurice L.
Berkeley, CA
8/19/2011
After working near Jack London, I noticed this restaurant after walking to work because I missed the free B line bus and was late. I courted two of my co-workers to come and try this place with me and were not disappointed. I ordered the Chili-Verde Torta, and added sour cream, and cheese to the sandwich. The torta was really good. The bread was soft, the meat was tender, and the veggies were fresh. The sandwich came with tortilla chips and the spicy salsa at the salsa bar was yummy. My co-worker order the carne-asada burrito and he said he enjoyed it. However, my other co-worker ordered the quesadilla with chicken, and was not satisfied with the portion size.
Overall, I thought La Calle was a solid spot for Mexican food. I will be back and will explore their menu further. -
Review from Jen M.
4/9/2011
Solid. I'd try it again.
Grabbed a torta today. $7.13, carnitas (they were out of pastor), and it kept me going through an afternoon on my feet. Nice fresh avocado and, while the salsa they threw in the to-go bag was of the lame is-it-marinara-sauce-or-what variety, the hot salsa I grabbed from the salsa bar was excellent as an extra condiment.
Bear in mind that they're mainly selling Mexican food to non-Mexican clientele, so you're not going to get, like, lengua or tripas. It seems like the people who love this place alotalot aren't exactly from East LA. But I'll play your tasty Americanized Mexican game, La Calle. I'm down for a shrimp burrito next time. -
Review from Karsten M.
Santa Rosa, CA
4/20/2011
ah la calle. I don't know what the problem with downtown oakland and mexican cuisine, but its tough to find a great taco or burrito in my opinion. Most of the time its choosing between the pink palace (mexicali rose) and la calle.
la calle comes to the rescue as the one place where I can get a great taco when the mood strikes. for some reason though this place doesn't itch my need for a gritty north mexican style eatery. its partly because they are trying to be slightly upper class and have some odd vendetta against serving any rice.
despite the small issues they have some great tacos and salads, good burritos. their meat recipes are good. -
Review from Jeff K.
Concord, CA
7/10/2011
My stomach usually can't tolerate Mexican food that well, but every once in a while I have to have something from La Calle. They usually have some of the best tasting Mexican food. I usually go for the carne asada burrito... it's really good.
The prices do seem a bit high and the service can be hit or miss. I recommend calling in your order ahead of time to skip the line and have the food ready when you arrive. -
Review from Christopher M.
San Francisco, CA
5/7/2011
Hand-made gorditas. Off the hook.
This place has a collection of menu items I don't ordinarily see at taquerias. Taco caramelo (toasted tacos?).
Unique. Very tasty. Friendly. -
Review from Lefty R.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2010 6 Check-ins Here
I'll preface this by saying I rarely seek out Mexican food. Usually I find it too fatty, low quality ingredients and frankly, much of what is on the menu is the same in every restaurant.
With that said, a few years back I found Tamarindo, a small plates Mexican restaurnat in Old Town Oakland. Recently the same owners opened a taqueria on Broadway between 10th/11th. It's wonderful.
The ingredients are top notch, food is value priced and very tasty. I have been there 5 times now and have never been disappointed. My current favorite is the daily special of 2 gorditas, get one with chorizo & potato and one with the chile verde; each little bread pockets are stuffed with these fillings. Exqusite. The shrimp taco is another winner as is any taco Karamelo (cheese, avocado and meat). I love their carnitas. One time they had chichirones (sorry about the spelling) which were out of this world.
Sometimes there are lines, but I've never found them to be slow. Orders are taken quickly and food is delivered in a reasonable amount of time. The other thing I like is the portions are reasonable. I am not one that enjoys a burrito the size of fireplace log. A lot of Mexican restaurants serve large portions of mediocre food. La Calle dishes out appropriate portions of delicious food. -
Review from Derek S.
Oakland, CA
3/4/2009
I think we all need to take a step back and be fair to La Calle.
Sure, it's been overhyped. It might be under the same ownership as Tamarindo, but it's not the same restaurant -- you can't expect the same quality for a fraction of the price. Also, the place just opened. It takes time to work out the kinks. It's obvious that they're still trying to figure out how many people the need in the kitchen, etc. Hopefully La Calle will recognize these problems and fix them. After all, they've got to know that keeping people waiting in so line is just unacceptable during the lunch rush. The only question is whether they will be able to maintain their quality while still pushing people through rapidly.
All of this remains to be seen, but I think it's too early to really judge them harshly. The food is much better than anything in the same category (La Salsa, Tia Maria, etc.). I'm really happy to finally have another place where I am excited to eat -- I can't live on Ratto's alone! Downtown Oakland is in serious need of some good eats. On the plus side, I've heard rumors about a GREAT franchise moving into City Center... -
Review from chad c.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 3/3/2009
I took the walk of shame today at La Calle as it was the only place to go without getting absolutely poured on. I ordered awkwardly with my head down, and skipped the drink in order to save a few bucks...
My takeout number was called and I was asked if I wanted chips and salsa? Wait? this burrito is heavy?
There is much to be said about a business that listens to it's customers, rather than making excuses. They addressed 3 of our primary concerns: portion size, chip exclusion, and soda price. This is certainly change I can beleive in.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/5/2009
This restaurant has been the "water cooler" talk around my office for the last week. I've walked… Read more »
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Review from Cory G.
Oakland, CA
2/12/2009
As Tacubaya is to Dona Tomas, La Calle is to Tamarindo.
FRESH is key here, although I feel my lunching experience was marred by one of the salsas being so spicy that I couldn't taste my food very well and had to really take my time.
Had two nice gorditas, one stuffed with chicharrón and the other with carnitas and cactus flower. Both were delicious, with lots of good, fresh flavor. The red sauce in the former was really nice and it sat in a nice handmake corn pocket.
I loved the salsa bar (5 options plus limes and radishes), the ice cold water, the chalkboard menu, and the little stools in the window.
Keep in mind, you're paying for quality ingredients here, not quantity.
Also, I really love that they don't put rice in their burritos. Rice is filler, and my favorite spots (see La Taqueria in San Francisco) usually don't use it. I want the freshness of these ingredients to come out, not get marred down in rice. Rice does have its place in burritos, but not here.
I actually found the prices reasonable.
Now, I just need to pinpoint which one of those salsas had all that spice... -
Review from Holly B.
Avondale, AZ
4/8/2011
Went at 1 pm on a Monday. Short line, and about 5 minutes wait for my food. I purchased the Carne Asada Burro Super. (Comes with guacamole, sour cream and cheese).
Burrito was large, the steak was fatty. I had to pull quite a few pieces of meat out of my mouth due to the amounts of fat on them.
Chips were not served warm.
I found the burrito to be just... okay, kind of bland. Nothing to write home about.
Will I come back?? Probably not. -
Review from Rich W.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2009
It was really cold today but I'm still glad I ventured out and discovered La Calle. They had just opened for lunch service so I was the only customer. The cashier was very helpful when she heard it was my first time there and introduced the menu to me. She even threw in a free agua fresca (pina) with the burrito gringo (carne asada) that I ordered.
When I got back to the office, I couldn't wait to try my burrito. It was really good! Very light, nothing heavy, but plenty of meat. The guy also packed some salsa and chips, napkin and utensils in the bag. For the price, I felt portions were just right and the burrito was tasty, much better than La Salsa (which is a farther walk and costs about the same).
I would definitely go back and try their other menu items and recommend it to anyone looking for a change from Asian food. -
Review from Laurel B.
San Francisco, CA
4/13/2010
Trip 1, 4/15/10: The salsas were terrific, especially that green tomatillo mild salsa that is practically opaque, and my shrimp burrito (a deviation from the norm) was very fresh, but the ratio of shrimp to bean/other stuff was not right. There was a lack of proportion.
Trip 2, 5/6/10: The tacos were terrific. One carnitas, one pollo = one happy camper. Exceptionally fresh and high-quality meats, and the tortillas had that slightly rustic quality I favor. Yum. This could become a habit.
Trip 3: Some time in August. Uh, somehow this time I got beans in my pollo and carne asada tacos. I really am not a fan of beans in tacos. Whether this is normal, I don't know b/c my work colleague brought me lunch back to work. One week later, he brought me one carnitas taco, and no beans. So fantastic meats, very fresh, but ix-nay on the eans-bay in the acos-tay. Me gusta mi reggae, me gusta punk rock. No me gusta tacos avec beans. Still a fan. Just need to remember, no beans. (Like beans. On burritos. Very different.) -
Review from Blake W.
Los Angeles, CA
11/11/2009
Solid spot. I had the burrito gringo con carne asada (comes with free chips).. it was pretty damn good. My buddies I went with had the Torta and Gordita's, both were good.
The salsa bar was running low, they were out of the salsa verde, apparently they only make one batch a day... and when it's gone, it's gone. But the others were all very tasty, and the hot did have a much appreciated kick to it.
It is HANDS DOWN... let me say it one more time.. HANDS DOWN the best Mexican spot in DT Oakland. -
Review from S- D.
Oakland, CA
2/4/2009
My co-workers and I have waited for the opening of this place for months ever since their banners pronounced "La Calle, From the owners of Tamarindo, Opening Fall 2008." Well here it is, Winter 2009 and the hype was not worth it.
As a Taqueria catering to the lunch time work crowd, word of mouth is probably the key to your business. The staff was courteous, if a bit fumbly on their opening day, which is understandable.
But here's the lowdown. The burritos are tiny and expensive for the portion, which is smaller than a Baja Fresh style burrito, $6.25. And you don't even get chips, which are $1 extra, salsas were tasty. I had a Horchata which was good but expensive at $3. My co-worker ordered two tacos which came out to about $7. However they were both made from tortillas that were about 2-inches across. After the requisite "micro-taco" jokes, we left with our wallets and stomachs empty and headed elsewhere to pick up a sandwich.
True that this was their opening day, but you only get one chance to make a first impression. It's hard to put the lunchtime Mexican food here anywhere near the value of other places in the area, like La Borinquena on 7th Street. -
Review from Sara B.
Oakland, CA
5/11/2009
MMMmmmmm. I had a pork torta (chile verde) for lunch today. The sandwich was DELICIOUS. The bread, so chewy and fresh, and meat was chunky, moist and flavorful.
Three salsas - all really good especially compared to La Salsa up the street. Radishes and roasted peppers also a plus. I will definitely be back for more. -
Review from Michael O.
Oakland, CA
2/4/2009 5 photos
I enjoyed this thoroughly.
Special thanks to Alfonso and Gloria for the addition of another dining option in my neighborhood....
If looking for a quick bite, read no further.
Just go. -
Review from Shannon M.
Washington, DC
4/20/2011
The food is really good. I love the fact that they have roasted corn and my steak tacos were divine. The presentation is also really interesting...
HOWEVER, I received the rudest service ever. And it goes a little something like this:
I went to La Calle with my 2 friends for lunch. We arrived a little after the lunch rush and waited in line. There were 2 working cash registers, one of which my friend went to when it opened. I was next in line when a middle aged man walks in the door. The cashier or possibly the owner- if its a middle age woman with dark hair- finished the previous order and then proceeded to strike up a conversation with the guy that just came in the door. I could tell she totally wanted him and was doing her best to impress him. This conversation lasted for at least 3 minutes and then she took his order, went to the back and made it herself, and he did not pay. I'm guessing this guy is her friend, some guy she wanted to impress or a boyfriend...whatever...she completely ignored my friend and I. I don't care about you hooking up people- but don't disregard the customer and have them see that. Its just bad for business! paying customers come first, or better yet I was there first and had waited in line. After this whole charade, I stepped up and mumble something to my friend about her "trying to get a man while on the job." I think she heard and I hoped she did. She took my order with an attitude and was talking to the same guy while taking my order. She didn't even look me in the eye and rolled her eyes when I said hold the chile sauce. Low and behold, she forgot to add my drink that I asked for 3 times. After she gave me my change, I said can I have my drink and she finally turned and looked at me for the first time and said, "You didn't say you wanted a drink." I went to other cashier at that point and the first cashier went back to flirting with the non-paying "customer".
*This is my first negative review ever and hesitate to post this, but I felt compelled to note the dismissive service I received in the hopes that they read and consider their actions. -
Review from Jake G.
Walnut Creek, CA
10/20/2010
The lines are usually long and there is a good reason for it!
We have only tried the burritos as well as the fresh salsa bar, and each were outstanding. Food is extremely FRESH.
The reason I give it 5 stars is the food and the salsa was outstanding and their burritos were not just thrown together and wrapped up very "neatly constructed burrito" (not messy) , and the place was very clean, sometimes in Oakland this can be difficult to find.
Only downside is parking is tough. City center near china town.
Enjoy! -
Review from tamera f.
Plainfield, VT
2/23/2009
Was excited for a new lunch place in Oakland - but it's not worth it.
Elote was ok, but lacking punch.
Ordered a veggie burrito, had to add cheese and sour cream. No rice, and did not ask me what sort of beans I would like - got pinto (prefer black.) Really soggy and pretty tasteless, the salsa did not help.
Wait was insane. Like 20 mins for a burrito? How is this possible?
Prices a bit higher than usual. -
Review from Hayley L.
Pinole, CA
Updated - 2/23/2009
3 times now I have been to La Calle...and 3 times they made my order wrong.
Yelpers will be happy to know that it looks as if their portion sizes have gone up, but what good is a big burrito if your order was incorrect?1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/5/2009
As sorry as I am to write a bad review on a restaurant that has barely been open 24 hours, here it… Read more »
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Review from FOCO LOC O.
Oakland, CA
3/31/2009
I want to like this place. I really do. We need more good Mexican spots in d-town Oakland. But this place missed the mark.
Pros:
* Thank you for two tortillas for my tacos. Who the hell uses only one???
* Radishes!
Cons:
* No rice. What?! There are some folks who don't like beans (yes I'm a Mexican that doesn't like beans... you want to go toe to toe on a pepper eating contest?!?).
* What about my chips and salsa? What? I have to pay extra???
* Don't put beans in my tacos. When do beans come on a taco??? I know times are tough, but you are *not* scoring points with that kind of 'extra".
I don't think I will complain about the price... but there has got to be a better balance between cost and amount of food.
For the record, nothing tasted bad. I guess that could be taken as a compliment...
I will also hope that they get better as I would love to go back. -
Review from Tony U.
11/24/2009
Decided to try something different and found myself just in front of the lunch crowd today at La Calle. It's an independently owned Mexican Fast Food Restaurant here in downtown Oakland. They had something unique called a Torta, or a Mexican sandwich which is basically a Mexican Style Sloppy Joe only the meat could be grilled pork, carnita, grilled chicked or "pastor" another type of pork prepared differently than on the gill.
I opted for the Pastor. Inside this delicate sandwich are refried beans, onions, cilantro (i think) and some other things.
Not bad. Serving size was just perfect and it cost $6.25. I'd probably give this place another try.
The staff seems a bit uncohesive and the system they have seems scatterbrained. The poor cashierita kept getting distracted before she could even take my order (no change, computer attached to the register is slow, etc. etc.) but somehow they got the job done. Not quite fast food perhaps to the people behind me. Only one person in front of me and that order took awhile.
Thus, if you see a long line in front of the place, it may not be because of the quality, moreso because they are not very well organized.
Still surpised that it's a little more authentic then other Mexican establishments.
Tip: If you buy a torta, it will come with nachos and a salsa. Try adding some of your extra salsa to your torta. Pretty tasty. -
Review from Andrew L.
San Leandro, CA
6/5/2009
Best, most authentic Mexican food in the area for sure.
Had the 3 taco special which was delicious pork, moist and tender beef, and honestly, the best taco chicken I've ever had.
Came back later and had the carnitas burrito, which was also really good, but maybe had too many whole beans in it.
Really, really good, and super authentic. -
Review from Anthony P.
Oakland, CA
6/23/2009
So not bad for quick lunch time Mexican food. I usually had the taco special and the meat is good. Not the best Al Pastor but not bad. The pollo was kinda dry the few times I've had it. The prices are fair for the area but, convenience is key here. Especially, if your working downtown.
Good food, they are still working some kinks out though. -
Review from Ryan C.
12/11/2010
A very underwhelming place. When I went, it was nearly empty, but the burrito still took a while. It was tiny and came with only 4 chips. Why be so skimpy on the chips! They were out of half of the salsas.
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Review from Jessica G.
Oakland, CA
5/2/2011
Yep, pretty good. Got a chicken burrito. I like the fresh cilantro. Fast service, clean space inside. I like the outside seating. Cheap and not greasy. Will be back!
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Review from Melissa R.
San Francisco, CA
3/25/2010
I have been to La Calle several times. They are conveniently located near my office.
I have had the Tortas a few times, they are very good...except once the bread was so stale that the whole meal was pretty much ruined. I had already made it back to the office and was trying to get through a deadline so I could go a back and complain.
I also like the salads and tacos I have had there.
On the other hand burritos are so bland and blah, and not very satisfying. I had one for lunch today and it was so disappointing. I would say avoid those unless you are getting one of the specials (I can't vouch for them...never tried the specials before...they just always seem so expensive) -
Review from hane a.
Oakland, CA
4/19/2011
1st time eating at La Calle. had their pollo taco and karamelo
A-ok = yummy carne asada, good salsa bar, whole jalapeños available, thicker corn tortillas. i'm holding out 2 stars until i'm blown away, which means i'll just have to go back and keep eating there. -
Review from Simi G.
Dublin, CA
3/26/2009
This place is literally right next door to my office building, so ofcourse I noticed that there is a little mexican place opening up right next door to my work....and not to mention all my coworkers went there on the first day that it opened. It's so close, that so many people from my company go there to grab a quick lunch. Personally, I wanted to try it but I resisted...thinking its probably unhealthy, over priced, all that stuff.
Well yesterday, I found myself pretty hungry - not having packed a lunch or anything and it was about 2:30pm...most places in Oakland - lunch wise, shut down at 2pm. So, I dragged myself to La Calle to try to figure out what I could eat that was healthy.
And much to my surprise, I found "Taco Light" on their menu!!! Its Brilliant!! I was so pleased to see that they offer tacos in romaine lettuce...sort of like a lettuce wrap. I ordered two taco lights, chicken with salsa fresca and whole pinto beans. SooooOO Yummy and healthy! I will be going back for sure! -
Review from Gordon L.
Oakland, CA
11/9/2011
Wandered all over looking for a Mexican restaurant near Jack London Square today (Cocina Poblana does NOT count - nasty) and found La Calle. Really enjoyed my chicken gringo burrito. Not too heavy, deliciously grilled chicken, flavorful guacamole and fresh salsas. I also love that they grilled the entire burrito after wrapped - a tasty addition! I'll definitely return.
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Review from Matt K.
San Mateo, CA
Updated - 12/20/2010
I'm replacing my original 4 star rating with a 3. The food is still good, but the service is laughably slow and they seem totally unprepared each day as if they were a brand new restaurant. Today I didn't get chips because their "order hadn't arrived yet." Umm, it's noon on a Monday. A Mexican restaurant without chips is like a Chinese restaurant running out of rice. It just shouldn't happen. Plus there is a Smart & Final right across the street. Get creative. They've also managed to screw up my order on a number of occasions.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/8/2009
In absolute terms, this place gets 4 stars as the mexican food is very good; however, in relative… Read more »
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Review from Nicole C.
Oakland, CA
2/11/2009
A new lunch place in Old Oakland, close to my work place and food is decent. It may lack of choices of menu and higher price plus small size than most Mexican cusines (Taco trucks and Fruitvale area restaurants) but why not support local restaurant. Sometimes, bigger plate of food does not equal to the quality of the ingredients.
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Review from Daniel B.
Oakland, CA
2/27/2009
It wasn't enough food to fill me up, but that's necessarily a bad thing. There's a time and place for all types of burritos. The flavors are good and put together right. And it comes with a side of chips which is getting pretty rare these days is really useful for soaking up some of their bomb salsas. When I am back on the east side of the Lake I will stick with the taco trucks, but as long as I am working in Downtown this will beat out La Salsa and Happy Burrito for lunch every time.
Listed in: DTO lunch spots
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Review from Albert L.
San Francisco, CA
3/9/2009
Came here today for lunch at about 12:15. Always wanted to try it out since they had the banner advertising it couple of months ago. My first thoughts was that hey a place were I can get mexican food close by. I should have known that at the time being there was only 5 people inside. For the price I can get a large burrito with all the fixings and a horchata drink in the taco truck park on the lot of a grocery store on high st. and international blvd. To make this short I walk into a scale down version of Taco Bell minus the drive thru,chiuaua,and the late night. I guess my only place is still mexicali rose. Autheutic is the key to a business not out of the can quality.
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Review from Cathi B.
Raleigh, NC
5/15/2010
If you're looking for an another mexican place in Downtown Oakland try La Calle. It has the feel of an authentic taqueria and not a Taco Bell/La Salsa style chain. The portions are decent and prices are good. The staff is friendly and attentive without the "we're doing you a favor" attitude frequently encountered at La Salsa in City Center.
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Review from Brandi M.
Oakland, CA
8/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food here is ok and would probably be better if the service wasn't so bad. I eat here because it's close to my job but they are too slow and not very busy when I walk over. Not sure what this place would be like if it were busy. If you have time to wait and have a taste for middle of the road mexican food then this your spot. It is horrible, but not worth the wait
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Review from Michelle E.
Oakland, CA
8/17/2010
Calls itself a Mexican restaurant but serves taqueria style items. I had the vegetarian burrito. Not so good. It just came with cheese,beans, vegetables, diluted sour cream, and it was small and the flavor was off. No rice. My bf had the chicken taco, he thought it was ok. Its in a good location, on Broadway, thats about it.
