| One corner of the Burrito Triangle. |
Reviewer: Jason
Total Reviews: 1040
Reviewed: 2/3/2004
Rating: 7.5
My photo gallery
|
Still not sure why this place has been voted Mountain Views best burrito shop for the last 7 years running? I've eaten here 3-4 times and still trying to figure out which dish to order. There's no way this place blows away Taqueria La Bamba which is 2 doors down.
Here are my positives;
- They serve refried beans
- tortilla is fresh
- large variety of burrito toppings
- big portions
- grocery stored located in the same place
Here are my negitives;
- Can get pricey with all the different toppings
- a bit skimpy on the meat
- rice is a little soft
I'd give this place a 7.5
|
| |
| |
RETURN VISIT for Jason! 9/12/2005 - 8 Rating: Its been 2 years and 499 reviews since jatbar was started and we find ourselves back to one of the places where it started...Burrito Triangle. La Costena has tough competition with Los Altos across the street and La Bamba next door. Ive lost count on how many visits we've made....its a lot.
Today sucked since we only had $10 between the both of us. I wasnt too hungry so I ordered the chico beans and rice burrito. I filled it with refried beans that melted in my mouth, dry spanish rice, and potent celantro and onions. For $2, this burrito did a great job in putting a dent in my stomach. I wasnt sleepy full but just enough to tie me over for the next 3 hours.
Heres burrito breakdown for the Burrito Triangle
Variety - Los Altos, La Costena, La Bamba
Size - La Costena, La Bamba, Los Altos
Prices - Los Altos, La Costena, La Bamba
Salsa - Los Altos, La Bamba, La Costena
Taste - La Bamba, Los Altos, La Costena
Overall - La Bamba, Los Altos, La Costena |
| |
Reviewer: Terry
Total Reviews: 739
Reviewed: 2/2/2004
Rating: 7
My photo gallery
|
Even though this is my least favorite of the "Burrito Triangle" that is still saying a lot. An above-average burrito that can be highly customized. I ordered the vegetarian. To most other places this means that its everything you normally get in a burrito minus the meat. To La Costena, this means that they fire up some red and green peppers, onions, etc, and throw them in instead of the meat. I order with the refried beans which ain't exactly healthy, but of course tastes real good. Definitely worth a try, but be careful with adding options as the price of the burrito can rise pretty fast.
|
| |
|
|
Reviewer: Brandon
Total Reviews: 16
Reviewed: 7/23/2004
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery |
Id say this is a close second behind La Bamba. It comes down to whether you feel like black beans (La Bamba) or refried (here) on that particular day. La Costena also adds some grilled veggies to the vegetarian burrito and you can add some more custom ingredients (like olives), but this also, of course, makes it a bit pricier than La Bamba. Im more generous (or more easily impressed) than my friends, and Id give em 8.5 stars. |
| |
Reviewer: ne00
Total Reviews: 187
Reviewed: 8/18/2005
Rating: 7.5
My photo gallery |
La Costena reminds me of that Seinfeld episode with the soup Nazi. Well its not that bad but it is cramped back there during peek hours and line will overflow into the grocery section. I first recommended this place back in 2001 before they were voted “Mountain Views Best Burrito” shop. The front is a Mexican grocery store and in the back is where they create your made to order burritos. I think if the new sign wasnt there, people would probably never guess whats in back.
Now that the place is more popular among the lunch crowed and locals, theyve set up tables inside the grocery store to allow people to eat their food there. They also set the tables next to the baked Mexican goods, where there are several types of cakes, breads and cookies to choose from, although I dont think they are freshly baked.
Back in 2001 the burritos used to be a lot cheaper. I was able to get a huge stuffed burrito for around 5 bucks. Now that more people frequent La Costena, the price has gone up at least by a buck fifty for a regular sized burrito.
They make three different burrito sizes. Ive tried the regular and the super sizes. The super size is made with two flour tortillas and very difficult and messy to eat if theres too much toppings stuffed in. It will give even the big eaters a real challenge. They also have a chico size, but have never ordered one or seen one ordered before. The regular sized burrito would be enough for most people. What I like about their burritos is that all the ingredients are mixed before they wrap the tortilla. This allows for a sample of all the flavors when taking that first bite.
La Costena has various meat or veggie choices. You can choose based on the meats you see in the bins or choose carne asada, which they take the thinly slices or rare steak and grill it for you on the griller. Each topping, on top of the beans, rice, and meat, costs extra unless you only request the free salsa topping. Its best to get a specialty burrito as its cheaper than choosing your own toppings. I usually order the Mountain View special, which includes choice of meat, choice of beans (refried, black, pinto), rice, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, and salsa. Choosing the special will save you more than 0.50 versus creating the burrito from scratch. Also you can request, as they dont give it away without a request, a free bag of tortilla chips that they prepare fresh with home made salsa.
I wouldnt recommend anything else served here. Ive had their Quesadilla and also their tamale. Both are quiet expensive for the amount you get and its very plain in terms of you can buy the same quality elsewhere for cheaper. The tamale is pre made and sitting in a steamer where ordered. Its dry and falls apart easily once unwrapped.
La Costena accepts Visa or MasterCard as long as theres a minimum purchase of $10.00. This can be achieved by ordering a regular sized burrito, a soda, and a bag of chips. Of course you can save yourself some money by bringing some cash, but I never seem to have cash on me.
During peek hours its difficult to find parking since theres other stores within this small corner square as well as another Mexican restaurant. Get there before 11:30am for lunch or after lunch hours.
|
| |
Reviewer: jsatre
Total Reviews: 75
Reviewed: 1/15/2007
Rating: 7
My photo gallery |
I was dissappointed with La Costena... iwth La Bamba right next door and Los Altos Taqueria across the street, I thought they'd be a real player.
I was confused at first on where the entrance was. You enter a store front with a sparcely stocked market. Head back to the store to a narrow steam table line and there your food is put into production. The place is really run down however, and although great eats can be found at run down spots, I like to keep my eyes peeled for sanitation.
I ordered a Carnhe Asada Mt View special, or a regular burrito with the addition of sour cream, salsa, guac and tomatoes. I saw anothe rone being prepared and their regular is a 'large' elsewhere.
Everything about my burrito was just average: the beans were tender but not especially tasty, the meat was minced and rather sparce, rice was bland, cheese serving size was weak, salsa was good, but even the tortilla lacked freshness.
La Costena's claim to fame is really large burritos... feet and feet long. The message seems to be quantity, not quality.
If in the area, I'll likely be back next door at La Bamba. |
| |
Reviewer: Dan
Total Reviews: 84
Reviewed: 5/3/2007
Rating: 7.5
My photo gallery |
La Costena was one of the first burrito places I visited when I first moved to the bay area. I was impressed back then, but decided to give it another visit recently. Since I have visited many other bay area taquerias since then, the bar has been raised, and it does not compare as well as before.
La Costena still has a quaint "dive-iness" that I appreciate, but the food and price were below par. Like La Bamba next door, parking can be a pain too.
I ordered the regular chicken mole burrito and received a decent sized burrito filled with meat, beans, rice, plus I paid extra for guacamole. Total cost was $6, a bit higher than I'm used to but OK considering the extra guac. But it does not include complimentary chips, a big minus in my book.
One minor annoyance - When I asked for water to drink, this seemed to cause some confusion and I was initially told I would have to buy bottled water. After further negotiation I was able to get some tap water.
The burrito itself was OK. Nothing special. The tortilla was a little stiff, and the chicken mole was pretty unexciting. I should go back and visit La Costena one more time, but with so many other better places nearby, I really don't want to.
Pros: Wide selection of fillings; design your own burrito
Cons: Just average burritos; service issues; limited seating; limited parking |
| |
|
|
| Disclaimer |
|
|
