Juan's Place - Mexican, Berkeley

941 Carleton St., Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 845-6904
Parking: ample street parking

Last Visited: September 25, 2003

Food: 2 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

There are bars on the windows and the windows in the ceiling. I suggest locating the exits in case of emergency; I don’t know if the bars can be opened. Parking is easy to find.

They serve two kinds of chips. One is a very light and flaky chip, kind of tostada-like. It may be a bit oily for some tastes. The other is a regular hard tortilla chip. The salsa is good – one red, one green. The green one is a little bit hotter.

- Chicken Enchilada – This enchilada is filled with breast meat. This might be great for some tastes, but it wasn’t shredded very well, more like chunks. Enchilada sauce was okay in flavor.

- Chicken Mole – I’m not a big fan of mole in the first place. Again, this dish was made with breast meat. Seemed to be okay, but nothing too special.

- Guacamole – They have good guacamole. I’m not raving about it, but I like how they have three sizes available – The smallest size works fine as a dip or side for two people.

- Flan - The flan is straight from the refrigerator, so it’s still has a chill to it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m not a big fan of flan, and this dish didn’t make me become a fan of it either.

Overall, I would go back for the chips, and maybe the guacamole. Rumor had it that this is the best Mexican food in Berkeley. Maybe I didn't order the right thing, but I would suggest looking elsewhere for a new place to bestow this title.