Tacubaya - Berkeley

Tacubaya is a taqueria located in Berkeley's Fourth Street district. The owner of the upscale Mexican restaurant Doña Tomas in Oakland co-owns this charming little eatery, and it definitely shows in the tasty menu and the colorful decor.

I've tried just about everything on the menu, and always come back to the tacos, which is why I've listed all of them below. But they have a nice variety of other choices, without being too overwhelming. No six page menus here. No menus at all, as a matter of fact, except for paper take-out menus. They have a large blackboard menu above the register, where you place your order. It is a popular place, so at the busy lunch and dinner hours, there will definitely be a line of people waiting to order. But the staff is very efficient, and it doesn't take long for your hot food to arrive. They hand you your drinks at the counter, along with your silverware, and a food runner brings your food. There's a tip jar at the register, but more of a cafeteria feeling in the service. You serve yourself to water, hot sauce, etc. No enormous salsa bar either, like Cancun in Berkeley. They pour their savory and complicated salsas on each item gingerly here, but with great purpose. But Cholula is waiting for you by the water jug, so don't panic if you need extra heat! They have a nice offering of fresh juices, sodas and beers. They offer (this is great!) Blue Bottle Coffee $2.00 - dripped one cup at a time, and an amazing Cafe de Olla $2.50 - A strong coffee spiked with piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar) and cinammon.

They value quality, and use Niman Ranch beef and pork, organic chicken and fresh snapper. Their tacos are prepared market-style, which means a double layer of small soft corn tortillas, topped with moderate amounts of deliciously savory fillings. Each taco is $3.15, and you can choose from Carne Asada - grilled tender Niman Ranch beef with red salsa, onions and cilantro, Al Pastor - spit-roasted Niman Ranch pork that's been marinaded to savory perfection in adobo and topped with a buttery avocado salsa, Lengua - tender Niman Ranch beef tongue with tomatilla salsa, Pescado - fresh snapper, dipped in batter and fried to perfection, topped with a creamy arbol chile sauce, fresh shredded cabbage and cilantro, Pollo - this taco is crispy, and filled with flavorful organic chicken and topped with cheese, cucumber-tomato salsa, and cilantro.

Their menu is simple, but each dish a savory masterpiece. A unique choice is the Fideo $6.95 - angelhair pasta tossed with fresh vegetables, tomato, chiles, and salty cotija cheese. A really nice dish, and unexpected in a taqueria. More traditional offerings include Tortas $6.75 - a delicious combination of shredded pork, grilled onions, avocado and pinto beans, all on a grilled bolillo roll, and Tamal $4.24 - shredded pork in a mole sauce wrapped in cornhusks. They also offer a small breakfast menu, egg dishes, mostly. Their "Huevos Divorciados" (divorced eggs) comes in a vegan option with tofu and is a great dish where there is one piece of tofu (or a fried egg) with a green sauce poured all over it, and another piece of tofu (egg) with a red sauce, hence "divorced". I love this dish, both for it's deliciousness, it's vegan optionness (yes, that's a word, whether I made it up or not), and the colorful contrast.

VEGETARIAN/VEGAN: Their veggie lunch and dinner offerings are few, but they really put some thought into having options for our non flesh-eating friends. Torta Vegetariana $6.50 - black beans, grilled rajas (chili strips), tomato, avocado & cheese (no cheese = vegan) on a grilled bolillo, Tamal de Verduras $4.25 - a tasty corn masa tamale, stuffed with corn, squash, onions, cheese, topped with salsa verde, cream and cilantro, Frijoles con Todo $5.95 - pinto beans boldly seasoned to spicy perfection, fresh tomatoes, onions, chilis, avocado, and cheese (no cheese = vegan) served with small handmade corn tortillas. They offer a nice tostada with mashed plantains, but I couldn't find the price or ingredients in time for this review, but no cheese and it's vegan, and quite delicious. Their Guacamole and Chips $5.75 is vegan, and makes a great appetizer for 2-4, as the serving is quite generous.

LOCATIONS/HOURS: 1788 4th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 (510) 525-5160. Hours: Mon, Wed-Fri 10 am - 9 pm, Tues 10 am - 4 pm, Sat - Sun 9 am - 9 pm. Breakfast: Mon - Fri 10 am - 12 noon, Sat - Sun 10 am - 4 pm.