Alma Bar Cocina 361 19th Street, Oakland, CA 94612

"Thad a fantastic experience at Alma Bar Cocina in Oakland. Their tacos are packed with fresh, high-quality ingredients, and the service is consistently warm and welcoming. The owner makes you feel like a regular. Definitely try the fish tacos and the soup both were incredibly flavorful!"

"I really want this place to be successful, but it's honestly been hit or miss for me. The first visit wasn't great. The tortillas were weird, with an unnaturally smooth, slightly gummy texture. I decided to try again, and they served up some really bangin' ceviche. Okay! Third visit... the chicken tinga was so greasy and mushy, with toppings that seemed mixed all together into a creamy, chunky sauce (ugh.) The tortillas were at least normal, though. But on that last visit, a worker stood in the middle of the food prep area sneezing their head off, and only covered it when I looked up... with their bare hand, with which they then grabbed a rag and started wiping surfaces down. I'm not a health inspector, but come on. You wouldn't even do this in your own home, right? Don't slack on basic food safety."

"I was really impressed. Food is incredible, better than a lot of the other brick and mortar ~more elevated~ Mexican places around here and without the pomp. Only Alma Mexicana and Tacos la San Marqueña from here on out for me. Go to bar 355 for a few drinks then head here."

"Absolutely delicious and authentic Mexican food. The people who work here are genuinely friendly, and it's easy to see (and taste) their effort in making incredible food. This is a new and growing business, so some amenities are constantly being worked on; but what they have definitely mastered is their carefully constructed dishes. The prices are very cheap, and I'd dare to say they have the best prices in the area. Please come support this business, and bring a friend or two."

"Walked into this neat looking taqueria late night on First Friday and had some great tacos. The quesadilla was definitely a favorite of mine, and their carnitas had really good flavor. Come give this brand new restaurant a try!"