Seriously, let me know if any of you guys ever go here. Really. I'll be so surprised. It's in Idyllwild. When are you gonna go to Idyllwild?
Quality of meat (1-10) : 7.2
I must admit, for sit-down unauthentic Mexican fare the meat was pretty okay. Of course it didn't hold a candle to any real taqueria, with the non-exception of Taqueria Vallarta, which is not an exception because it is not a real taqueria. Same goes for all sub-4.0 burritos on here and most sub-6.0s. Um...yeah, the meat was fine.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 7.5
The only salsa was just standard pico de gallo, and I haven't quite figured out what score to give to standard pico, but this stuff was just barely worse than that. The tomatoes were somewhat mealy and they added too much salt to the stuff.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 8.5
So I guess making good guacamole is about the easiest thing you can do, but most taquerias that fail at it fail because they don't want to spend money on good avocados. Too often guacamole comes squeezed from a plastic bag. Unauthentic sit-down Mexican food restaurants (USDMFRs) such as this one don't have that problem. Props.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 3.1
I must say, for a USDMFR the menu was not terribly diverse. But I guess it was a while ago, so I might not remember that well. I guess it doesn't really matter. Come on. It's in Idyllwild. Seriously.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.8
All USDMFRs have burritos in the 3.5-3.9 size range.
Approximate price : $7-9
Locally owned? : No
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 7.1
Overall taste (1-10) : 7.1
Arriba Mexican
25980 Highway 243
Idyllwild, CA 92549
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Las Palmas Taco Bar
So I finally made it down to Las Palmas, months after I moved out of Santa Cruz. I must say, I was pretty underwhelmed...for a greasy, cheap burrito it wasn't that great.
Quality of meat (1-10) : 8.0
So I guess the meat was good; it was crispy and obviously pretty greasy. Taquerias in the suburbs have much to learn about "quality of meat" from taquerias like this one.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 7.8
There was only one kind of salsa here, which is definitely not (necessarily) a bad thing (see Tacos Moreno), but it wasn't outstanding. It was definitely good enough to eat with the whole burrito, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it again.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 8.1
Hard to mess up guacamole. Pretty hard. Nothing special, but it sure isn't bad.
Quality of chips (1-5) : N/A
Chips are extra, so Las Palmas should really be getting a penalty here, but I'm not going to split hairs. Hahahahahaha. Penalty.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 2.8
Pretty average; all the old standbys and a few more.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.8
This burrito was definitely sizeable. I was able to finish it, but I can imagine numerous situations in which I would not have been able to. The size is really not what makes you feel full, though. Las Palmas food sits with you.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : $6
Dude, the veggie burrito is only $3! Seriously!!
Locally 0wned? : Probably
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 8.3
The burrito feels like lead in your stomach at first, but that slowly turns into not being hungry for several hours.
Overall taste (1-10) : 8.6
Update: Definitely way better than Taqueria Santa Cruz, contrary to what I said before. Santa Cruz destination burrito status.
Las Palmas Taco Bar
55 Front Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Quality of meat (1-10) : 8.0
So I guess the meat was good; it was crispy and obviously pretty greasy. Taquerias in the suburbs have much to learn about "quality of meat" from taquerias like this one.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 7.8
There was only one kind of salsa here, which is definitely not (necessarily) a bad thing (see Tacos Moreno), but it wasn't outstanding. It was definitely good enough to eat with the whole burrito, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it again.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 8.1
Hard to mess up guacamole. Pretty hard. Nothing special, but it sure isn't bad.
Quality of chips (1-5) : N/A
Chips are extra, so Las Palmas should really be getting a penalty here, but I'm not going to split hairs. Hahahahahaha. Penalty.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 2.8
Pretty average; all the old standbys and a few more.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.8
This burrito was definitely sizeable. I was able to finish it, but I can imagine numerous situations in which I would not have been able to. The size is really not what makes you feel full, though. Las Palmas food sits with you.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : $6
Dude, the veggie burrito is only $3! Seriously!!
Locally 0wned? : Probably
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 8.3
The burrito feels like lead in your stomach at first, but that slowly turns into not being hungry for several hours.
Overall taste (1-10) : 8.6
Update: Definitely way better than Taqueria Santa Cruz, contrary to what I said before. Santa Cruz destination burrito status.
Las Palmas Taco Bar
55 Front Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Taqueria Monte Cristo
Okay, so I'm convinced that this is the best burrito in Berkeley and I happily challenge you all to prove me wrong.
Quality of meat (1-10) : 7.9
I haven't tried the carne asada here because I was fully feeling al pastor, but that was pretty good. One could easily tell that it was pork, which I find slightly unusual. Make of that what you will. Still, next time I'm getting carne asada. I'll let you know how that goes.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 8.4
I don't really know what to say about the salsa except that the avocado salsa tasted right. It's a shame that apparently salsa verde is easy to mess up. Taqueria Monte Cristo doesn't think so.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 8.2
I'm not sure if the guacamole is anything more than avocado. It didn't seem like it, but they called it guacamole. Obviously worth it!
Quality of chips (1-5) : 2.8
The chips are okay, nothing special. They are, however, exceptionally oily. They do not fit the burrito terribly well, but they are certainly not bad.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 3.3
Barely above average. Check it: http://www.sporq.com/berkeley/montecristotaqueria/1446universityave
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.8
They did a real bad job wrapping the burritos, which was strange. That's never really happened to me at a taqueria outside Chipotle. Anyway, I had trouble finishing mine, but I don't feel that they deserve to break 4.0, since the vast majority of the burrito was rice.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : ~$6
Locally owned? : Probably? I don't think they have any other locations.
Satisfaction Factor (1-10) : 8.2
Overall Taste (1-10) : 7.8
Taqueria Monte Cristo
1446 University (University at Sacramento)
Berkeley, CA 94703
Quality of meat (1-10) : 7.9
I haven't tried the carne asada here because I was fully feeling al pastor, but that was pretty good. One could easily tell that it was pork, which I find slightly unusual. Make of that what you will. Still, next time I'm getting carne asada. I'll let you know how that goes.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 8.4
I don't really know what to say about the salsa except that the avocado salsa tasted right. It's a shame that apparently salsa verde is easy to mess up. Taqueria Monte Cristo doesn't think so.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 8.2
I'm not sure if the guacamole is anything more than avocado. It didn't seem like it, but they called it guacamole. Obviously worth it!
Quality of chips (1-5) : 2.8
The chips are okay, nothing special. They are, however, exceptionally oily. They do not fit the burrito terribly well, but they are certainly not bad.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 3.3
Barely above average. Check it: http://www.sporq.com/berkeley/montecristotaqueria/1446universityave
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.8
They did a real bad job wrapping the burritos, which was strange. That's never really happened to me at a taqueria outside Chipotle. Anyway, I had trouble finishing mine, but I don't feel that they deserve to break 4.0, since the vast majority of the burrito was rice.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : ~$6
Locally owned? : Probably? I don't think they have any other locations.
Satisfaction Factor (1-10) : 8.2
Overall Taste (1-10) : 7.8
Taqueria Monte Cristo
1446 University (University at Sacramento)
Berkeley, CA 94703
Friday, November 14, 2008
Taqueria Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa is well-known, and for good reason. It stands out even among the rest of the Mission district. One of their walls is plastered with statewide and national salsa awards. Seriously. Anyway, the Pancho Villa burrito is pretty unique. I've never really had anything like it.
Quality of meat (1-10) : 8.5
So I'll be honest here and say that we got high before coming here. So I don't actually remember exactly how amazing the carne asada was beyond "really," though I do remember laughing hysterically at a bust of Pancho Villa himself. The meat's texture wasn't fantastic, but that's really the only negative thing about it that I could point to.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 9.6
Holy crap. So they have four kinds of salsa here. I tried two of them. One was sweet and comprised mostly of tomato. The other kind I tried was standard salsa, akin to pico de gallo, except it also contained carrots and magic. This salsa was some of the best salsa I have ever had. I don't need to remind you about the wall. It is that good. I can't wait to come back to try the other two kinds of salsa. And I haven't even mentioned the pico de gallo they put in the burritos to begin with, which is in itself super notable. It's freshly chopped, crisp and colorful. It's pretty. And the hot pico is "hot enough." The salsa alone makes Pancho Villa a destination.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 7.7
Like, it was good. But it wasn't totally amazing. I couldn't tell if it was made there or not, but I would guess that it wasn't. However, you can get straight up avocado in lieu of guacamole, which is the option I'll be hitting next time. I recommend this as well, since I'm sure you've had the guacamole before. I wouldn't be surprised if it was shipped in in a plastic bag. But really, it wasn't bad.
Quality of chips (1-5) : 4.1
I think that our intoxication affects this category more than any other, since we were really hungry anyway when we came in and the chips were what we started with. They didn't necessarily pair fantastically with the burrito, but they were damn good on their own. I actually feel pretty strongly about how stoked I was on these chips. I would bet good money that they're excellent consumed in sobriety as well.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 4.4
Okay, maybe it's this category. We walked in and stared at the menu for like, ten minutes. And I knew that I wanted a carne asada burrito when I walked in. You could spend a lot of time experimenting with different meals at this place. They have an especially extensive collection of vegetarian burritos : http://panchovillasf.com/page/o5wz/Menu.html
Size of burrito (1-5) : 4.2
In my experience, burritos in the Mission are all of comparable size. I must say, I have had very, very few burrito experiences in which I felt as perfectly sated as I did after eating exactly one Pancho Villa burrito.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : $8
Locally owned? : Yes
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 9.5
Overall taste (1-10) : 9.1
It's really hard to compare Pancho Villa to Taqueria La Cabana, the so-called California Burrito Blog reigning champion. They're both amazing, but numerous times since Pancho Villa, I have thought about the comparison and decided time and time again that I would rather, in that moment, get La Cabana. Make destinations out of both places. Or don't. Pancho Villa fuckin delivers. Wow, if I lived in San Francisco.
Taqueria Pancho Villa
Quality of meat (1-10) : 8.5
So I'll be honest here and say that we got high before coming here. So I don't actually remember exactly how amazing the carne asada was beyond "really," though I do remember laughing hysterically at a bust of Pancho Villa himself. The meat's texture wasn't fantastic, but that's really the only negative thing about it that I could point to.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 9.6
Holy crap. So they have four kinds of salsa here. I tried two of them. One was sweet and comprised mostly of tomato. The other kind I tried was standard salsa, akin to pico de gallo, except it also contained carrots and magic. This salsa was some of the best salsa I have ever had. I don't need to remind you about the wall. It is that good. I can't wait to come back to try the other two kinds of salsa. And I haven't even mentioned the pico de gallo they put in the burritos to begin with, which is in itself super notable. It's freshly chopped, crisp and colorful. It's pretty. And the hot pico is "hot enough." The salsa alone makes Pancho Villa a destination.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 7.7
Like, it was good. But it wasn't totally amazing. I couldn't tell if it was made there or not, but I would guess that it wasn't. However, you can get straight up avocado in lieu of guacamole, which is the option I'll be hitting next time. I recommend this as well, since I'm sure you've had the guacamole before. I wouldn't be surprised if it was shipped in in a plastic bag. But really, it wasn't bad.
Quality of chips (1-5) : 4.1
I think that our intoxication affects this category more than any other, since we were really hungry anyway when we came in and the chips were what we started with. They didn't necessarily pair fantastically with the burrito, but they were damn good on their own. I actually feel pretty strongly about how stoked I was on these chips. I would bet good money that they're excellent consumed in sobriety as well.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 4.4
Okay, maybe it's this category. We walked in and stared at the menu for like, ten minutes. And I knew that I wanted a carne asada burrito when I walked in. You could spend a lot of time experimenting with different meals at this place. They have an especially extensive collection of vegetarian burritos : http://panchovillasf.com/page/o5wz/Menu.html
Size of burrito (1-5) : 4.2
In my experience, burritos in the Mission are all of comparable size. I must say, I have had very, very few burrito experiences in which I felt as perfectly sated as I did after eating exactly one Pancho Villa burrito.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : $8
Locally owned? : Yes
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 9.5
Overall taste (1-10) : 9.1
It's really hard to compare Pancho Villa to Taqueria La Cabana, the so-called California Burrito Blog reigning champion. They're both amazing, but numerous times since Pancho Villa, I have thought about the comparison and decided time and time again that I would rather, in that moment, get La Cabana. Make destinations out of both places. Or don't. Pancho Villa fuckin delivers. Wow, if I lived in San Francisco.
Taqueria Pancho Villa
| 3071 16th St San Francisco, CA 94103 |
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Taqueria El Castillito
Oh man, I have been waiting so long for a Mission burrito. Maybe you have, too. This place is not a bad choice but among Mission burritos I have a feeling there are better picks...though I haven't really eaten very many burritos around there. Posts forthcoming.
Quality of meat (1-10) : 7.9
So I definitely went with the carne asada. I can't figure out if it was the salsa or the meat, but whatever it was tasted slightly of fennel, and it was awesome. The meat wasn't crispy at all and the texture wasn't necessarily brilliant, but I would say that it's precisely the sort of asada one might expect from a Mission taqueria. Definitely flavorful, but not really a highlight of the burrito.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 8.8
Soooo good. I usually don't go for the green salsa, for whatever reason. I usually hit up the pico de gallo or its next of kin. The salsa of the latter sort (there was no pico) was pretty good. Clearly made with carrots, which is a much better idea than it may sound like. However, the green salsa was the outstanding item of the night. I can't fully describe the taste, but it definitely contained avocado (and possibly fennel), making it pretty inimitable. That is, I've never had anything like it.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : ?
This question mark is a much happier question mark for this category than the others. The question mark is there because, like before, there is no guacamole, but there is avocado. For $1.50 extra. I'm not sure what score to give straight avocado as guacamole. Ideas?
Quality of chips (1-5) : 2.7
So the chips were definitely not outstanding. They went okay with the burrito and they only gave me a few. They were certainly not bad, though. They weren't made straight-up from corn tortillas in the style of many other taquerias. I couldn't comment further on the composition of these particular chips, but maybe you could figure out the chief differences between this chip and that chip and help me with this category.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 2.8
Minimalist menu. No messing around. A few tacos, some burritos, and standard taqueria meat selection. They did have some combination plates/specials, but not very many, and nothing terribly unique.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 4.1
So I finished it, but it was real big. There was a pretty good "that's what she said" dropped shortly after receiving our burritos.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : $5-7
Locally owned? : Yes
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 8.6
Overall taste (1-10) : 8.4
Taqueria El Castillito
2092 Mission St. (Between 16th and 17th)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Quality of meat (1-10) : 7.9
So I definitely went with the carne asada. I can't figure out if it was the salsa or the meat, but whatever it was tasted slightly of fennel, and it was awesome. The meat wasn't crispy at all and the texture wasn't necessarily brilliant, but I would say that it's precisely the sort of asada one might expect from a Mission taqueria. Definitely flavorful, but not really a highlight of the burrito.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 8.8
Soooo good. I usually don't go for the green salsa, for whatever reason. I usually hit up the pico de gallo or its next of kin. The salsa of the latter sort (there was no pico) was pretty good. Clearly made with carrots, which is a much better idea than it may sound like. However, the green salsa was the outstanding item of the night. I can't fully describe the taste, but it definitely contained avocado (and possibly fennel), making it pretty inimitable. That is, I've never had anything like it.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : ?
This question mark is a much happier question mark for this category than the others. The question mark is there because, like before, there is no guacamole, but there is avocado. For $1.50 extra. I'm not sure what score to give straight avocado as guacamole. Ideas?
Quality of chips (1-5) : 2.7
So the chips were definitely not outstanding. They went okay with the burrito and they only gave me a few. They were certainly not bad, though. They weren't made straight-up from corn tortillas in the style of many other taquerias. I couldn't comment further on the composition of these particular chips, but maybe you could figure out the chief differences between this chip and that chip and help me with this category.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 2.8
Minimalist menu. No messing around. A few tacos, some burritos, and standard taqueria meat selection. They did have some combination plates/specials, but not very many, and nothing terribly unique.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 4.1
So I finished it, but it was real big. There was a pretty good "that's what she said" dropped shortly after receiving our burritos.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : $5-7
Locally owned? : Yes
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 8.6
Overall taste (1-10) : 8.4
Taqueria El Castillito
2092 Mission St. (Between 16th and 17th)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Celia's Mexican Restaurant
Sorry I've been so lazy. I have been very, very lazy. So lazy that the only burrito I have to report about is two blocks away from my own dwelling place. Obviously, it's in Berkeley, so, accordingly, it sucks. A hopeful friend and a hopeful me went here after a walk, only to find that it was a sit-down Mexican food place. You know what that means. Knife and fork burritos. I was excited, but I knew in the back of my mind that Celia's was bound to Berkeley law and was only allowed to serve shitty burritos.
Quality of meat (1-10) : 7.7
Yes, the meat is good. The carne asada at least is high-quality and somewhat flavorful, but not completely outstanding. It's not worth the cost of the burrito, though (wait for it...)
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 7.2
My friend put it very well: the salsa is bland. There is nothing wrong with the flavor, in fact, it's decent salsa, but it too fails to be exceptional in any way.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 6.6
Celia's is at least generous with the guacamole. They spread a thin layer over my burrito. But it too wasn't really flavorful. I could taste the guacamole when I tried to, and it tasted enough like avocados to be somewhat legitimate, but it was runny and contained no onions, tomatoes, or anything of the sort unless they were powdered and mixed in with that thin green paste I ate.
Quality of chips (1-5) : 2.5
Finally, something that made an impression! The chips were just bland enough to be noticeably sub-par. Great job.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 4.2
Really great job. So this is something Celia's did well. I walked in knowing I wanted a carne asada burrito and I had to look at the menu for ten minutes before I finally figured out what I was going to order. They didn't really have a lot of fully original stuff like Cancun Taqueria, whose size/diversity of menu score I will increase to 4.1, since they do offer a lot of pretty original stuff. http://www.themenupage.com/celiasmenu.html
Size of burrito (1-5) : 4.0
My stomach must be getting smaller.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : $10 (?!!)
Locally owned? : Probably
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 6.7
Overall taste (1-10) : 6.0
Celia's burrito was definitely underwhelming. The ingredients were fine, but they didn't form a great burrito. My burrito came smothered in Mexican red sauce, which sucked, please note. The burrito overall was certainly way better than La Burrita and its ilk, but really, ten dollars? Shut up. This place will be out of business within one year.
Celia's Mexican Restaurant
1841 Euclid Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94709
Quality of meat (1-10) : 7.7
Yes, the meat is good. The carne asada at least is high-quality and somewhat flavorful, but not completely outstanding. It's not worth the cost of the burrito, though (wait for it...)
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 7.2
My friend put it very well: the salsa is bland. There is nothing wrong with the flavor, in fact, it's decent salsa, but it too fails to be exceptional in any way.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 6.6
Celia's is at least generous with the guacamole. They spread a thin layer over my burrito. But it too wasn't really flavorful. I could taste the guacamole when I tried to, and it tasted enough like avocados to be somewhat legitimate, but it was runny and contained no onions, tomatoes, or anything of the sort unless they were powdered and mixed in with that thin green paste I ate.
Quality of chips (1-5) : 2.5
Finally, something that made an impression! The chips were just bland enough to be noticeably sub-par. Great job.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 4.2
Really great job. So this is something Celia's did well. I walked in knowing I wanted a carne asada burrito and I had to look at the menu for ten minutes before I finally figured out what I was going to order. They didn't really have a lot of fully original stuff like Cancun Taqueria, whose size/diversity of menu score I will increase to 4.1, since they do offer a lot of pretty original stuff. http://www.themenupage.com/celiasmenu.html
Size of burrito (1-5) : 4.0
My stomach must be getting smaller.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : $10 (?!!)
Locally owned? : Probably
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 6.7
Overall taste (1-10) : 6.0
Celia's burrito was definitely underwhelming. The ingredients were fine, but they didn't form a great burrito. My burrito came smothered in Mexican red sauce, which sucked, please note. The burrito overall was certainly way better than La Burrita and its ilk, but really, ten dollars? Shut up. This place will be out of business within one year.
Celia's Mexican Restaurant
1841 Euclid Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94709
Thursday, September 18, 2008
La Cascada Taqueria
Sucks. They have a sign out front that says proudly, "Voted Best Burrito in Berkeley." At the bottom it reads, "The Daily Californian, 1997."
Quality of meat (1-10) : 3.2
So bad. It's dry and almost completely flavorless. The flavor it does have is passed on from the cigarettes these particular meatpackers smoke while working. This is on par with Vallarta, maybe even a bit worse. This brings up an interesting problem, though. Because the meat at La Burrita wasn't reeeally that much better, so I have decided to, in bold letters, decrease La Burrita's quality of meat score to 4.1. It's not that big a deal, since I think the 4.9 communicated the bottom line: the meat at La Burrita is pretty bad.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 7.3
The salsa at places with awful burritos often receives high scores, as you may have noticed. Today I realized that the reason for this might be that the saving grace of a shitty burrito is the salsa you put on it. My first thought after biting into this particular burrito was, "Wow, I need to get some salsa on here, NOW." It is difficult to compare salsas 100% cerebrally, but I think this phenomenon maybe slightly inflates salsa scores of shitty burrito joints. In my mind, the chances the salsa is actually legit are at least as strong as the chance of an inflation factor. Anyway, the salsa was decent. It looked nice, too. But please. Don't come here just for the salsa. Save your money, for God's sake.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 4.4
Did not taste too pleasant. The flavor was okay but was also very obviously not fresh. Not sure if it's worth the 85 cents extra, but you should steer clear of this burrito anyway.
Quality of chips (1-5) : 3.3
The chips were nothing too exciting. They were standard tortilla chips, like the standard tortilla chips they sell at Trader Joe's in the yellow & blue bag.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 2.8
This is not a great score for diversity of menu. The only credit comes from having a variety of wraps and vegetarian burritos, which are kind of the same thing here. Some sound interesting, however, I would bet they suck as well.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.4
The burrito was pretty big, I guess, teetering on the precipice of unmanageable for the non-conditioned burrito consumer.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : ~$7
Locally owned? : Probably
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 2.9
Overall taste (1-10) : 3.1
I would rather eat any burrito I have ever tried (except El Sombrero on University and Shattuck) than this one. You should be tipped off by the deceving sign out front that the proprietors of La Cascada, as well as the burrito, are not to be trusted. I swear I would choose Vallarta over this place any day of the week, and that's saying something. Now that I think about it, the same might be true for La Burrita...no, probably just some of the days of the week. I hereby, again in bold letters, reduce La Burrita's overall taste score to 4.1. Because it really does suck.
La Cascada Taqueria
2164 Center St.
Berkeley, CA 94704
Quality of meat (1-10) : 3.2
So bad. It's dry and almost completely flavorless. The flavor it does have is passed on from the cigarettes these particular meatpackers smoke while working. This is on par with Vallarta, maybe even a bit worse. This brings up an interesting problem, though. Because the meat at La Burrita wasn't reeeally that much better, so I have decided to, in bold letters, decrease La Burrita's quality of meat score to 4.1. It's not that big a deal, since I think the 4.9 communicated the bottom line: the meat at La Burrita is pretty bad.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 7.3
The salsa at places with awful burritos often receives high scores, as you may have noticed. Today I realized that the reason for this might be that the saving grace of a shitty burrito is the salsa you put on it. My first thought after biting into this particular burrito was, "Wow, I need to get some salsa on here, NOW." It is difficult to compare salsas 100% cerebrally, but I think this phenomenon maybe slightly inflates salsa scores of shitty burrito joints. In my mind, the chances the salsa is actually legit are at least as strong as the chance of an inflation factor. Anyway, the salsa was decent. It looked nice, too. But please. Don't come here just for the salsa. Save your money, for God's sake.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 4.4
Did not taste too pleasant. The flavor was okay but was also very obviously not fresh. Not sure if it's worth the 85 cents extra, but you should steer clear of this burrito anyway.
Quality of chips (1-5) : 3.3
The chips were nothing too exciting. They were standard tortilla chips, like the standard tortilla chips they sell at Trader Joe's in the yellow & blue bag.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 2.8
This is not a great score for diversity of menu. The only credit comes from having a variety of wraps and vegetarian burritos, which are kind of the same thing here. Some sound interesting, however, I would bet they suck as well.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.4
The burrito was pretty big, I guess, teetering on the precipice of unmanageable for the non-conditioned burrito consumer.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : ~$7
Locally owned? : Probably
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 2.9
Overall taste (1-10) : 3.1
I would rather eat any burrito I have ever tried (except El Sombrero on University and Shattuck) than this one. You should be tipped off by the deceving sign out front that the proprietors of La Cascada, as well as the burrito, are not to be trusted. I swear I would choose Vallarta over this place any day of the week, and that's saying something. Now that I think about it, the same might be true for La Burrita...no, probably just some of the days of the week. I hereby, again in bold letters, reduce La Burrita's overall taste score to 4.1. Because it really does suck.
La Cascada Taqueria
2164 Center St.
Berkeley, CA 94704
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