Taqueria Extra — Restaurant in Walnut Creek

I live locally , I've been wanting to visit Taqueria Extra since it's opening however I've got to be honest I'm very hesitant to explore new restaurants and adventure outside of my comfort zone when it comes to restaurants, in particular Hispanic restaurants . Reason being is I've gotten so comfortable and accustomed to several Taqueria joints around the bay really only two or three that it's difficult to find a new restaurant that meets my standards . Also I've been very disappointed when I did try something new . The beans are watered out, the salsa bar is terrible, the chips aren't fresh, the meat is poor quality just to name a few issues, this is why I don't experiment with new restaurants . Nonetheless I finally made it in to Taqueria Extra and I'm glad I did . All the food was very fresh, beans and rice was very delicious and not watered out . The carna asada was extremely tasty and low in fat , good quality meat . The complimentary chips were fresh and plenty , the salsa bar had a decent selection and the salsa itself was fresh and tasty . The amount of food on the plate was plenty , no skimmpy servings to save a few bucks . Overall I was very pleased and honestly surprised because most of the time these new Taqueria in areas like Walnut Creek tend to not be very authentic and it's obvious in their plates how they try very hard to save a buck beginning with horrible servings . The staff were great also . If you haven't visited yet I suggest you do , you want be let down great food...

All in all, I’d have to say this is yet another one of those order-at-the-counter taqueria places. Sometimes that model means the focus is really on food quality and bold flavors, but in my opinion, that wasn’t the case here.

The kitchen is open, so you can watch the food being prepared, which I do appreciate. As for the flavors, they struck me as pretty average overall — nothing stood out as particularly memorable or unique.

I ordered the two-taco plate: one al pastor and one chile verde. I was intrigued by the idea of chile verde in a taco, but when my plate came out, I was disappointed by the portion size. There was barely enough meat to make one taco, much less the usual “two tacos from one” that’s common when they provide double tortillas. The al pastor also fell short — a bit dry, and not nearly as flavorful as versions I’ve had elsewhere.

On the positive side, the rice and refried beans were both very good, and the salsa bar had some solid options. That said, I didn’t love seeing a sign limiting customers to two very tiny salsa containers per order. I doubt they enforce it, but it left me feeling a little awkward about taking a third, especially after spending around $35 for two plates.

Overall, I wouldn’t call this a bad experience — just not particularly satisfying or interesting. Nothing about it would prompt me to come back if I lived...

Do not order from this restaurant - Jose and Maria specifically told us they were incapable of fixing this or providing us the right order. this is supposed to be a Super Quesadilla, two wet Classic Burrito, and a Fish Taco and Shrimp Taco . As you can see the tacos arrived completely smashed and falling off the plate. the two wet burritos are not wet because Jose said he couldn't press the extra charge button even though we have ordered this exact item on door dash before and never had issues, and the quesadilla came melted to a grease falling apart plate.

When we called and spoke to Jose and Maria to make it right they pretty much told us nothing we can do have a good day. We offered to bring the food back and show them and they said no. We asked for. manager and they said tough luck. Such horrible customer service and it is truly a shame because this was my favorite...