Restaurante Dona Tomas

You won't mind waiting for a table here because it will give you time to enjoy the fantastic mojitos at the bar. The dishes are authentic. My friend who grew up in Mexico said Dona Tomas was the best Mexican food she's had outside of Mexico.

Dona Tomas offers some really interesting and unique fare. The food is quintessentially Mexican but it is quite refined and employs seasonal ingredients, creates twists on classics, and overall takes an innovative approach to all their dishes. It's somewhat upscale for Mexican food, but it's worth it. Entrees range about $15-$19. They have an excellent tequila and mezcal selection and have a great cocktail list. Surprisingly, their deserts are really good. The only reason I give four stars is that the host/hostess staff are RUDE! The wait staff is great, but they think it's ok to ignore you when you come in, and give you arbitrarily long waits with no explanation or apology when there are clearly tables. That's just poor hospitality. Especially when there is no comfortable place to wait at all. Just because Temescal is 'trendy' it's not *that* trendy.

My new favorite mexican rest in Oakland! The Guacamole is to die for, the salsa with its robust roasted chilies was great, and the vegetarian black mole and squash dish was awesome! If you have room for desert or decide to split one with your partner, have the flan with a mexxican hot chocolate! So good!

PROS: Flavors are robust and the atmosphere is warm, staff very friendly
CONS: A tad pricey and a long wait without a res on a friday or saturday night

I am still drooling from all of the excellent food at Dona Tomas. At first glance, it is just a little yuppie-looking restaurant on Telegraph with cute vintage tables and nice decor. But as soon as you are seated at your table, you realize that it is different from other restaurants. The service people are genuinely nice, fast, and eager to help and the food is completely delicious and very unusual for the Bay Area.

PROS: delicious food, great service
CONS: none