Jaxel's Cafe — Restaurant in Berkeley

We tried this place on a whim, just looking for something new and different. We found it on Google and figured we’d give it a shot.

First red flag: we arrived at 2pm and the door was locked. Someone let us in, so maybe it was just a malfunction—but still, not the most inviting start.

Our server was very kind, but clearly overwhelmed. She seemed to be juggling multiple roles, and the service was noticeably slow because of it.

One thing that really stood out—in a bad way—was that they automatically added a 3.9% credit card fee to the bill. What if we had cash? As a business owner myself, I find that off-putting. I don't charge my Mobile Notary clients extra depending on how they pay; those processing fees are just part of running a business, and should be absorbed by the business, not the customer.

Now let’s talk about the food. They don’t offer or sell chips and salsa, which is honestly shocking for a Mexican restaurant. I ordered a vegetarian bean burrito, and it had so few beans that I seriously thought they were forgotten. I even asked about it, and the server said, “The beans are on the other side.” Not exactly the experience I was hoping for.

The food wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t anything I’d come back for. Nothing felt special or flavorful—it was more like something I could have made at home. For a Mexican restaurant, I expected a lot more authenticity and richness.

Overall, it was a disappointing experience. Not horrible, but definitely not somewhere I’d...

Im hoping this helps to improve this restaurant, as I’m always for supporting my people. I ordered a breakfast burrito. On Google this burrito is only $4.99. Just eggs onions, tomato, and avocado. I did ask for spinach to be added, and although the posted menu states avocado is included, I was charged for the avocado. This seemed pretty small for an authentic Mexican burrito. Even smaller for it to cost $17 (a LONG way from $4.99) It didn’t even fill the container. The vegetables I paid extra to have didn’t appear until midway through and disappeared before I reached the end. The veggies to egg ratio was off as I had more tomato and onion than egg. This also caused nearly 1/4 cup of juice to drain from the burrito and any possible flavor it could have potentially had. It also contained jalapeños which I don’t recall being listed as an ingredient. Added a nice kick and was a smidgen of flavor for a dish that had none. Very polite and welcoming staff and atmosphere. Clean and courteous. Not sure if I’ll go back but...

This was my first time visiting this restaurant. I remember when it used to be a Del taco! Anyway, the outside of the building leaves A LOT to be desired. It looks empty - you can’t even really tell that it is a functioning business. The only reason I knew they were open is because I Googled ‘restaurants in the area’ and it popped up. Anyway, the long and short of it is, I ordered two Californian steak burritos (chicken or steak was the same price) to go, which were really delicious and filling. The downside is that they totaled $35!!! I didn’t order anything else at all because, with drinks, I would be heading north of $40 for lunch in a ‘hole in the wall’. I’m not disparaging the restaurant because it was very neat and clean but, I just didn’t expect to pay so much considering the location and surroundings. Anyway, the food was really good but I’m not sure I’d return as $35 for two burritos is way too...