| Cozy Mexican Restaurant in downtown Mountain View. |
Reviewer: Jason
Total Reviews: 1040
Reviewed: 2/3/2004
Rating: 8
My photo gallery
|
Food is a 9 but cleanliness will be a 7..so my score averages an 8.
Salsa and meal portions are all above average but the plates they serve them on need improving. I ordered the 2 taco combo with rice and beans. After scarfing down my plate, I noticed my dish was bit off colored in areas. I started to scratch with my fork and some of the discoloration started to come off....wow..theres a clean plate under this grime. Nothing I could really do at this point, I already ate my meal.
If you can stand the dirty plates, I would highly recommend this place. Get the Pollo Asado, Al Pastor, or Carnitas dishes.
|
| |
| |
RETURN VISIT for Jason! 11/12/2004 - 8.5 Rating: I should have written at least 10 return visits for this place so here goes. So that whole incident with the dirty plates is not an issue anymore. I have been there plenty of times since and it looks like they have cleaned their act. On last nights dinner, I got the taco plate which appeared to be new!!
While waiting for our food, watch out for the chips and salsa. We probably went through 8 bowls of that stuff. The salsa has quite the kick to it, those little green things produced enough heat to make people uncomfortable.
For tonights order, I got the pollo asado and carnitas taco with rice and beans. Beans were runny but didnt melt in my mouth, I still liked it. The rice was fluffly..good stuff. I had better pollo asado tacos in the past. The chicken was chopped way too small..literally the size of tick-tacks. They need to be bigger than peanut MMs. For the carnitas....wow...juicy and tender. You wont be disappointed...full-flavored. Not cruchy but thats not a problem.
Taqueria Los Charros is cheap and you should be able to walk out spending $5-8 for a delicious meal. I would not hesistate to come back...its that good. |
| |
Reviewer: Terry
Total Reviews: 739
Reviewed: 1/30/2004
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery
|
I think this is worthy of an 8.5.
I usually order the Vegetarian Burrito wet. As usual, its pretty big, filled with a nice mixture of beans, rice, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, guac, sour cream, etc. Its not the absolute best burrito out there, but I can think of no faults in it. I usually opt for the wet option which puts a tangy green sauce and more cheese on top.
Los Charros offers indoor and outdoor seating (only 2 tables outdoor, so don't go there counting on sitting outdoors). There is also bar-style seating in addition to the plentiful tables. It can get pretty packed on a Friday lunch so plan to go there off-peak lunch hour if possible.
When you sit down, they are quick to bring out a basket of warm chips and two different types of delicious salsas. The chips are limitless but you may want to hold off on them to save room for the main dishes. The salsas are great, though, so worth a taste at the least. They also brought water to the table without our asking. Nice touch.
They offer take-out orders as well.
|
| |
|
|
Reviewer: Julie
Total Reviews: 46
Reviewed: 7/21/2004
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery |
Coming from Texas, Ive eaten at my fair share of hole-in-the-wall Mexican places and Taqueria Los Charros is one of my favorites. I typically get a chicken quesadilla. That, with the unlimited chips and salsa all for $2.40, is a deal that I have yet to beat in the bay area. The torta is also tasty - soft bread and the meat isnt greasy. Plus, when you eat here, you don’t have to have a simple soda or cerveza with your food. They offer fresh squeezed orange or carrot juice too.
The waiters are very friendly and accommodate alterations to the items listed on the menu, so don’t be afraid to ask for just what you want.
They also offer take-out - call in the order ahead of time to make it even faster. Theyre open pretty late, so if youre ever down on Castro and looking for some good, super cheap Mexican food, definitely give this place a try.
|
| |
Reviewer: Eddie
Total Reviews: 47
Reviewed: 8/4/2004
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery |
I took my family here last weekend and they enjoyed the food almost as much
as the La Bamba. First of all, the chip and salsa was very fresh and tasty,
the waiter was also very friendly. That was off a good start. I ordered the
Jumbo chicken burrito wet and the shirmp burrito. The orders arrived shortly
which is good, I open up the shirmp burrito, Holy....... there must be more
than 10 good size shirmps in it. For $5.95, I would say thats a steal and
the taste was excellent too. The web burrito is a new experience, in a good
way.
If anything needs improving, the restroom was in a strange place. You need
to go outside of the restaurant to get to it?? Oh well, I think the food
still gets a good solid 8.5.
|
| |
Reviewer: Michael
Total Reviews: 40
Reviewed: 8/9/2004
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery |
Los Charros is the home of the gigantic wet burrito. Im not kidding you, this is the biggest burrito I have ever tried eat. I got the super BBQ chicken wet burrito. The wet sauce is like a green Childe Verde deal. I love this burrito. They melt white cheese over the top of the whole thing. The price was great too only $6. Im sitting here thinking that I probably wont get dinner tonight since this burrito totally stuffed me. I didnt eat at the restaurant I but I have before and its pretty nice little joint to enjoy your lunch. Check it out. 8.5 |
| |
Reviewer: DoctorJZ
Total Reviews: 32
Reviewed: 8/29/2005
Rating: 8
My photo gallery |
I have always loved taqueria fare. Although, i have shyed from burritos, favoring tacos, due to the popularity of them on this site, i figured it was time to try them again. On the way to work, i stopped at los charros and tried a carnitas burrito. one move i learned a long time ago was to skip the rice on the burrito, they fill it with more beans....nothing against arroz, but i fell that it doesn't add much to burritos.
I am beginning to realize, that i can't differentiate these taquerias very much. this place had some charm insdie. they could use some 409 or something maybe.
i also got the pina agua fresca, it was pretty good on a hot day.
the burrito was very good. the pork was very tender. there was no real cripiness in the carnitas, it was shredded well inside the burrito. pretty oily, my burrito sprung a leak. but if you don't want oily, don't order fried pork. the beans were fine. it was nice of them to include some chips with my takeout order. it was only 4.20 for the burrito.
i would not hesitate to eat here again if i was in the neighborhood, but would never travel here from home in cupertino, as there are numerous taco joints closer which are no worse.
this place earns a solid if unspectacular rating. i am not sure if i should have tried another dish instead. i have no way of knowing. we have soooooo many tacos place to choose from in the bay. and that is a good thing. i'd be hard pressed to choose a favorite. but the city of mountain veiw, definately has tacos in surplus....hooray!
|
| |
Reviewer: ne00
Total Reviews: 187
Reviewed: 11/27/2005
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery |
Taqueria Los Charros
Ive never had a burrito filled with so much meat until haven eaten at Taqueria Los Charros.
My friend said she knew of this great Taqueria joint in downtown Mountain View that was cheap, served big portions, and had great food. I asked her if it had been reviewed by Jatbar and she said no. I really wanted to eat some place reviewed by Jatbar so I could write another review.
Anyways, we get there at 2pm since she said this place was really popular and always had a line out the door waiting for seats. As soon as I saw the painting on the side of the Taqueria, I recognized it from one of the reviews on Jatbar. When we got there, several tables were just clearing out so we only had a short wait for the tables to be cleaned. There were plenty of customers coming in as this place seems very popular.
My friend told me this place served breakfast as well and theres always a line and a long wait during breakfast or during peak hours for lunch and dinner. The food here is cheap. Scanning through the menu, there were several choices, but I ended up going with the wet carnitas super burrito and my friend ordered two carnitas tostadas. I was thinking about going with the taco, beans and rice for about 3.00, which is pretty cheap considering the portion sizes seem big.
After seating ourselves we were served water and a small bowl of chips with two sides of salsa, a fresh version and a paste version. Both tasted fresh and were good. Right about now anything would have probably tasted good as I had not had anything to eat. Los Charros looked a lot like Tres Potrillos Taqueria off of Fair Oaks, but this place was a lot cleaner and had better amenities.
My friends food arrived first. All I noticed at first were two large tostadas covered in shredded lettuce and there was a slice of tomato on each one. It was until she showed me the meat that was on the tostadas that I thought “dang this place gives a lot of meat.” Underneath the lettuce was a stack of carnitas. My friend complained a bit saying the lettuce was a bit wet this time around.
My wet burrito arrived. This thing was gigantic (image #4). The wet version is suppose to be covered with melted cheese and a green chili sauce, but there seemed to be more chili sauce than cheese. The first thing that went through my mind was “they probably stuffed this with rice and beans.” Well it didnt go through my mind as I was too famished to even been thinking but I wasnt expecting much from this burrito. As soon as I cut into my burrito all I saw was carnitas. Every bite had carnitas. I believe my burrito had 50% carnitas and 15% rice, 15% pinto beans, 10% guacamole, and 10% of sour cream, melted cheese, and salsa. The carnitas here were not crunchy on the outside but they were not over cooked, which is a huge plus. They were moist and full of flavor. The burrito just blended together well as the melted cheese was blended with the moist sticky rice. The meat here was the dominant ingredient. As I reached the end of my burrito I was already stuffed, but the burrito was so good I just had to keep eating. There was one corner that was a bit stale; I noticed that one corner section had no filling. I could only imagine they made sure to back in every inch of the burrito except for one corner as that was where layers of tortilla was, thats the corner they wrapped it all together.
The meal was satisfying. We had our chip bowls filled twice without having to ask. Only down side was the lack of water service, but since my friend ordered a soda, I drank her cup of water. When we were done, I wondered where the bill was and my friend said to just walk up to the cashier to pay and theyll know what we ordered. I didnt believe her at first but sure enough they knew which table we sat at and confirmed what we ordered. After tips our meal was $15.00. On my way out I grabbed a take out menu and noticed that they have breakfast selections as well (serve American breakfast). They also serve fresh squeezed orange juice which they use one of the electric juice squeezers for oranges. It seems their Fresh Aguas must be popular as most of their patrons ordered the rice water.
This is one of the best burritos Ive ever had so far in the bay area and one that is stuffed with meat instead of predominantly rice and beans. I would defiantly come back here and recommend my friends to eat here.
Pluses: Accepts credit cards, clean, homey, polite service, cheap, great taste, pack on the meat.
Minuses: Crowded, come during non peak hours.
|
| |
Reviewer: Dan
Total Reviews: 84
Reviewed: 7/23/2007
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery |
I tried to get into Los Charros several times but it was too crowded to bother. Finally got in early (11:30) on a really quiet Monday. The place filled up soon after I arrived.
First visit – Had chicken burrito wet style (green chile sauce). This was very good but not quite as good as Tres Potrillos. The chicken was inconsistent and there was too much dark meat. My meal came with delicious, fresh, warm chips. Price was good: under $6, but with tip brought the total to over $7, moving it to the upper end of bargain territory on the taqueria scale. But it's a nice setting & the service was good.
On my next visit I ordered takeout on a weeknight. It wasn't too crowded and I was able to order and receive my food in just a few minutes. I ordered the 2 taco plate, one carnitas, one carne asada. The carnitas taco was wonderful – a 9 out of 10. The carne asada, though, was a little chewy and fatty for my taste. The rice and beans were above average. Once again, it came with some delicious chips (which I inhaled when I reached the car).
After several visits, I have very few complaints about the food here. Service is also friendly and excellent. IMHO, the main problem with Los Charros is the pain in the butt factor of dealing with crowds and parking, especially during the lunch hour. So basically it suffers from its good reputation in a high traffic location. One good taqueria is not enough to cover all of downtown Mtn View IMHO. (Good thing they opened a sister restaurant on El Camino. It's on my short list.)
Pros: Great food and service
Cons: Crowded and small; Impossible to get a table during primary lunch window; tiny waiting area for takeout food. |
| |
Reviewer: pyunnyhana
Total Reviews: 47
Reviewed: 8/4/2007
Rating: 8
My photo gallery |
A couple of friends and I were hungry and opted for Mexican food. I chose my usual regular burrito (carne asada). Not really fond of sour cream, cheese or guac.
I was surprised that it was somewhat of a sit down restaurant. Kinda reminds me of pho restaurants, where you are served at the table, but pay at the cash register after you are done eating. That's how Los Charros works.
The waiter brought out some warm chips and two types of salsa which were really good. I would've rated this place 8.5 if the chips weren't all broken. It's hard to eat chips and salsa if the chips can't even hold the salsa. The chips seemed fresh, crispy and light. One salsa was chunky and the other seemed pureed.
Finally my burrito came, and it's decent sized. Not the biggest I've seen, but it definitely satisfying. For 4.75, it was worth it (5.14 after tax). I made the bad choice and pouring some of their hot sauce, and my upper lip was burning throughout the entire meal. Luckily the waiters kept refilling our waters.
I really liked the fact that you get to have different choices of tortillas to choose from (tomato, wheat, regular, and I think spinach). The contents of the burrito were evenly distributed and got a mouthful of meat, salsa, beans and rice.
It's a definite return for me. |
| |
Reviewer: wchane
Total Reviews: 148
Reviewed: 4/21/2008
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery |
Not sure why it took me so long to visit this place but it did. Everytime I walked by I wondered if the food tasted as heavenly as it smelled. I finally had my first Los Charros experience this past week, and again on the weekend.
Thus far I have had a Carnitas Taco, Pollo Taco, a Roasted Chicken Super Quesadilla and a Carnitas Giant Quesadilla.
I loved the carnitas here, much more in the form of a taco then the quesadilla. The pollo was also good, moist and tender throughout. The roasted chicken just did not taste right in the quesadilla so I'm a bit skeptical. I'm sure it tastes just fine without the excess guac and sour cream. The corn tortillas are also fresh, moist and scrumptious.
Although the food is delicious, the service and presentation is spotty if these are items important to you, however for the price they charge and the complimentary chips and salsa selection I don't think it can be beat.
I'll definitely be returning in the near future, however I think I'll stick with the super quesadillas rather then the giant.
|
| |
Reviewer: takeru
Total Reviews: 31
Reviewed: 1/15/2009
Rating: 9
My photo gallery |
I'd just been to La Bamba 2 and was here for the second part my MV taco shootout.
It's about 1pm but surprisingly, Taqueria Los Charros is packed and has a line out the door. A good sign though. Fortunately we only had to wait about 5 minutes to be seated.
Unlike most other taquerias, here you're given menus and your order is taken at the table. I chose a pollo asado and a carnitas taco to compare against what I'd just eaten at La Bamba 2. They cost about the same, around 2 bucks. Service was efficient and our order arrived pretty quickly.
I started w/ the pollo asado. Wow! I don't know if it was from being marinated or what, but the chicken was really juicy and flavorful. Smaller chunks and not as grilled tasting as LB2, but really good. Definitely a repeat order.
Saved the carnitas for last. OMG you were right, LK! These may be the best I've ever had. Crunchy, incredible flavor, just the right amount of greasiness. Up there w/ the top ranked places from the carnitas shootout - the original La Bamba, Las Islitas and Tapatios. Much better than what we'd just tried at La Bamba 2. Also definitely a repeat order.
This was my second visit to TLC, the previous time I had a pollo asado burrito and remember it being one of the best I've ever had. Based on these two visits I'm giving TLC a high rating. I've been to a lot of taquerias, this is probably the best so far!
|
| |
|
|
| Disclaimer |
|
|
