Picante Cocina Mexicana

Picante is a great Mexican restaurant in artsy West Berkeley. As soon as you step into Picante's large space, you will smell freshly cooked tortillas and chocolatey mole sauces. The menu includes traditional Mexican dishes such as tamales, tortas, enchiladas, and burritos. A vegetarian, vegan, and child menu is also available.

What preschoolers will love about Picante

The outside patio is decorative and will give your preschooler a chance to run around. There's a running fountain which may illicite amazement from the younger preschooler. For the most part, it's nice to have an option to eat al fresco and this nice outside patio works just fine.

Fresh tortillas are constantly being cooked. Your preschooler will have fun watching the women form and cook the tortillas. Chances are your preschooler will be allowed to nibble on one hot off the griddle too.

Preschoolers love this food. The restaurant has a kiddie menu that is large and full of things that the typical preschooler will enjoy. They offer five kinds of burritos, tacos, quesadillas, tamales, or a chicken, steak, or rice and bean plate.

What parents will love about Picante

The food is authentic mexican cuisine. They grind corn daily for the tortillas, import Mexican herbs, spices, and chiles, and have local cheesemakers create cheese that replicate fresh Mexican cheeses. One of the owners is related to Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame and they have a deep understanding of what makes a great restaurant. Judging by the crowd at Picante on any given night, Picante is one of the great places to eat in Berkeley.

They have a bar that serves beer, sangria, and margaritas. Sometimes having a cold one along with your meal just feels right, especially in the warm California climate.

Picante is truly preschooler-friendly. The restaurant is loud and energetic. Servers bring your food to you quickly and graciously. Booster seats and high chairs are plentiful. The decor is based on traditional folk art that adorns their walls, the restaurant is clean, and the prices are reasonable.

What parents should know about Picante

This place gets really crowded. It really is a kid-friendly restaurant so be prepared to see a lot of families here...big families, not to mention little league's, birthday parties, soccer teams, etc. Hand in hand with the crowd factor is the fact that you may have to wait for a table.

Parking can be a challenge. Picante has a small parking lot across from the restaurant and if that's full, you'll have to park on the street. Be prepared with your parallel parking skills, especially during busy hours.

Chips and salsa are not free. Most Mexican restaurants that I've been to have free chips and salsa but you will have to pay for them here. Albeit they are good and only a couple of dollars, but Picante gets a strike for not having complimentary chips and salsa.

Contact Information

1328 6th St
Berkeley, CA
94710
Phone: (510) 525-3121
http://picantecocina.citysearch.com/