Comal Next Door — Restaurant in Oakland

Comal Next Door is awesome. The two servers who cared for my party were both attentive and knowledgeable of the menu. Fir what they did not know, they were more than willing to make inquiries on our behalf. I ordered 2 of the 3 tacos plates. The tacos were actually more hearty than expected; I still ate all six. Each plate came with a side of beans and rice. I chose one plate refried and the other black. Both versions were equally delicious. I also went with one plate beef barbacoa and the second was chicken. I was very happy with my plate overall. I give only 4 stars because the chicken was a little dry. I ate a 7th taco, one from my ladies plate. I couldn't finish this taco because it was extremely dry. Also, I just ate six tacos, but the dryness didn't make it any more enticing. The service went above and beyond. One server I talked to about having a serious beans and rice craving, gave me a side of rice and beans to take to go. I didn't get his name, but if they read this in the restaurant, he'll know who he is... HE was...

I have been going to Comal Next Door regularly for many years now. This is my go to burrito spot for several reasons: Their flavors are strong and unapologetic. The piña hot sauce (slightly brown, and not to be confused with the bright yellow/orange habanero that is good but not sweet) is so good. They cook their meat consistently well. Never dry (a pet peeve of my family’s). The chicken is tender, and the barbacoa is my personal favorite. They lean towards wetter/saucier style of Mexican food. The tortilla for their burritos is more steamed like Gordos instead of a grilled/flaky like La Taqueria. I happen to prefer this saucier style.

The Next Door aspect means it’s functionally a takeout operation. It’s decent as a dine-in if you want it, good for kids because it’s loud, empty, and rarely full - the bar is excellent and the margaritas are a consistently great.

I will be a lifelong devotee, it’s not everyone’s preference/style, but they do what they set out to...

Visited this place with my friend after a bad experience at a wine spot. We just walked and found it while looking for another wine spot. This place is very cute. I loved the employee that greeted us, her hair, her glasses and her overall look. It was very chic. She was very warm and welcoming. She slay provided nice small talk.

They have a Happy Hour that begins at 4 pm, but we were too early. We both decided on an alcoholic drink. I can't remember the drink, but the menu had the liquor that we ordered as an option for the same drink. I had mezcal in mine and she had white rum. We also ordered 1 order of church's (3 for $10). Church's were made fresh. They came out nice and hot. Our drinks were so so so delicious. Very smooth blend.

The seating is cute too. Oh.. they do have outside seating as well. The music was a great feature. We will most definitely be back to try the food options and have more drinks. This might become one...