Portales Taqueria

In this country the prevalence of manufactured foods has reduced the population's capacity to enjoy seasoning and flavor. The unfortunate result is a descent into blandness of not only American dishes, but also the cuisine from other parts of the world -- where with reluctance, ethnic restaurants dumb down their food to avoid being labeled "too hot" or "foreign." Nationally, Mexican restaurants are among the worst casualties of this trend. But for some of us there is hope. Here in California, especially in communities with a large Hispanic population, it is still possible to find the real thing: Mexican cuisine devoid of pretension, prepared to order, and served in a relaxed and informal environment. This is the sustenance of a hard-working people for whom good food is an essential bond with the social fabric, whose cooks use ingredients indigenous to America (in the sense that large parts of this country were stolen from Mexico), along with home-grown methods of preparation that are a refreshing alternative to the European tradition. At Portales Taqueria, located on a quiet stretch of Castro Valley Boulevard in the Bay Area city of the same name, where parking is plentiful and well-behaved dogs are allowed, the customer orders from a cafeteria-style menu on the wall and then adjourns to one of the small tables, inside or out. I visited on a Saturday afternoon and was among a handful of customers. Service was friendly and welcoming. My three-taco plate featured a different meat for each: beef, pork, and chicken, giving each its own personality. All three tacos were richly flavored, juicy, and fresh. The homemade essence of the dish, down to its in-house refried beans and salsa, brought back my fondest memories of this uniquely American cuisine. I'll be back!

My son and I love this place. Great service, daily specials, and delicious food. His favorite are the tacos, mine is the wet burritos.

Outstanding food and insanely nice staff. Make sure you try their new California burrito: plain awesome! Highly, highly recommend!

I don't know if this is the best Mexican food in Castro Valley - depends on your taste and experience. But, this is my favorite. I think all of the things that I've gotten, I like, and some would absolutely be my favorite of the other places in the area. But, I like their value, service, attitude, location, and friendliness.

This is a family run business. The food we've had has always tasted great. The owners are very nice. The restaurant has always been clean, and we haven't seen any critters running around ! I've seen critters at a different establishment, so I know the experience of eating at the counter and seeing someone with ANTENNAS passing by my plate!! May this business continue to be blessed to succeed!

My husband and I love this spot. Great burritos and the people are always SOO nice. GREAT service

Service was good and they were friendly they double layered my bags because they seen I was on a bike and the food was good

Portales Taqueria is great! I have eaten there several time and the food is great and service is excellent! I had their pozole last time and it was really delicious.

Not only was the Food we ordered very delicious, reasonable prices for family night out , first time here and service was amazing the cashier/waitress/host was so friendly and kind not only to us but to all other customers who came in after us. Even though they were busy she did warn us ahead of time & decided to stay glad we did now we have a new place for my family to gather and enjoy wonderful food I don't remember exactly what everyone else got to eat but my dish was pozole I love that I had the option for chicken/pork I've never been given that option anywhere else so I was excited to try it out and I highly recommend it hit the spot and serving size was very generous too for dessert they offer a variety of churros nice warm and tasty to top off the night they also offer hot coffee/ doña Maria's hot chocolate / vanilla cappuccinos all day and came hand in hand with the churros I can't wait for our next gathering there I highly recommend this place they also have a variety of menu options even a kids menu.

Staff recommended asada and pollo asado for their most popular meats and I couldn't agree more for their asada. Nice and crispy with deep beef flavor. I would personally recommend definitely getting their chips and salsa, as chips were golden colored and crunchy. I would give a shoutout to the Al pastor tacos, as that is what I'm getting exclusively next time.

I love their burritos and their chips are the best! Love her hospitality as well. This is definitely my go to spot in CV when I'm craving a delicious Mexican meal

Rosa is always so welcoming. I can actually say I've never had a bad meal here. She's catered a few church functions and always a joy. Her only focus is caring for the customer like family. Food is tasty and authentic. I highly recommend this cozy little gem. We've been eating here for years.

One of my fav taco spots! $3.50 for a taco. I always get one steak, one chicken, and one carnitas. They have these super yummy 'special' chips that they only cook on certain days. I was disappointed one day as I thought they had them every day but they said to just call next time to find out if they're selling them that day! The lady who takes your order is so nice and friendly. And I love the color and decorations inside, especially being a Raiders fan :) Be sure to check them out when you're in CV!

This is my daughter and I first time here. The foods are great, friendly service. Family own. Yes we will be back.

I've been coming here for many years now. The owner is super friendly and helpful. The food is pleasant and comfortable. My favorite part of the restaurant is the setting and ambiance. I especially love the outdoor seating. On a nice day, it's really lovely. It's a wonderful contribution to the civic life of Castro Valley.

They do Birria every Friday-Sunday and it is delicious! I always enjoy their food and the owners are so friendly. Great neighborhood spot.

I've been working in the general area now for a few months and ventured off to what seemed to me was downtown Castro Valley. Initially, I saw a deli and figured to give it a try but once I walked in they were slammed (which is a good thing) but I had a small window to grab lunch so I stumbled upon this place. They to were fairly busy but I managed to walk in with no one in line. The lady that greeted me at the counter was extremely nice promptly taking my order, about 5 min later she walked my food over to me and I started to indulge and ended up finishing the whole thing which for means it was really good. When you put good service together with good food you'll almost never go wrong. I highly suggest to give this place a shot cause i know I'll be visiting again soon!!

A Mexican restaurant with a truly vegetarian burrito!! It's rare to find a place whose rice is vegetarian (they're often made with chicken stock). Add on great service by a super kind woman taking orders and a different special each week? Definitely the top Mexican restaurant in Castro Valley.

This is a great neighborhood mom and pop option with the tasty Mexican offerings most taquerias have, plus daily specials. Very friendly and reasonable prices, too.

Always a good Mexican spot right in the middle of Castro Valley you can't go wrong. the lady up front is always so nice good spot never fails

We love the street tacos! Can't go wrong with any of the meats! The nachos are also pretty tasty!

Food is delicious, generous portions , authentic Mexican cuisine! very pleasant service! clean place!, nice outside dining!

Best service, we had a large party today and the service was amazing. They gave us special things for a birthday. The food is kind of small, especially the tacos but is amazing. There's tons of meat and fish options. The family meal comes with rice and beans.

The ground beef Moyahua ("Moe-Yah-Wah) is my new fav. Crispy outside with yummy soft meaty cheesy inside. It's kind of a combination of quesadillas and burrito.

Rosa and her family are the absolute best! We eat here at least once a week and the food is always delicious, affordable, and served with love. Of all the Mexican restaurants in Castro Valley. This is the one that I will go to on a regular basis. Do yourself a favor and check them out and support this amazing family.

Good good.

Had a really delicious tostado here at a reasonable price. And the staff are friendly. I’ll be back

Love this place for about 20 years now! Love the salsa bar!

Great food and service! Wonderful friendly atmosphere!

Food was good. We were given complimentary chips while dining in. There is an open salsa bar with a variety of salsa and toppings. The nice lady also asked us if we wanted refills for the side tortillas that came with the combo plates.

Great fast service, wonderful atmosphere, and yummy food. Definitely come here and enjoy the outdoor tables. Staff is so friendly. Food was great.

I ordered a wet vegan burrito online and the food was a bit late so I did not get it at it's best I would imagine. The filling was dry and I don't personally like belle pepper so the veggie filling was not very good for me. The papas and sauces were flavorful and I do plan on trying their food again and I hope to dine in sometime.

Very delicious food and extremely nice and warming staff. Highly recommend the Quesabirria Quesadilla, Wet burrito, and Supreme burrito.

Absolutely lovely small family owned taqueria. Great food at a pretty cheap price.

Love the place! The lady in the front is very welcoming and always has a smile. She reminds me of a my grandma! Great tasting food and a lot of drinks options

We stopped by on a Sunday afternoon. The food was great and service was good. We ordered chicken fajitas plate and tacos plate. Both were fresh and flavorful! There were also free chips and salsa

Sweetest women in the qorld works here, food is yummy and tastes authentic.

Rosa is the best! Tacos are amazing, filled just right and seasoned right. Prices are great for what you get

Just 1 chili relleno is a full meal for me, in this cozy place! Delicious! I'll be back!

its all good

Excellent food, great service, and a cozy atmosphere. This place has quickly become one of my favorites. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a delicious meal.

Came in late afternoon when it was quiet. Got two crunchy tacos loaded with chorizo. Place feels like it’s part of the community. Just what I wanted after an afternoon hike. Parking lot accessible from San Miguel street.

Authentic & delicious Mexican/ Latino food. Feels like home!

I had the chicken fajitas + they give you free chips and salsa with your order. . It was great, good prices, one of the better serving restaurants in Castro Valley. Congenial atmosphere, all that's missing is some Mexican music .