Santa Fe Café

I decided last night that I would hit Santa Fe Café on my bike when I woke up this morning. I rode through suburban "traffic" up the hill to the single burrito haven of the immediate vicinity. I have heard lots of good things about the hilariously named "café" and even went there once, but that was before that fateful first burrito at La Cabaña that changed my perspective on life and burritos. So this was, for all intents and purposes, my first time.

Quality of meat (1-10) : 8.4
The meat here is pretty legit. I am not sure exactly what it reminds me of, but it tastes fresh and truly grilled, like carne asada from a hole-in-the-wall carniceria should always taste. It wasn't as juicy as it could have been, but we are in Calabasas.

Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 7.1
The salsa was very okay. The standard red salsa tasted as if the ingredients weren't fresh or necessarily of the highest quality, but it was well-mixed. It was even a bit sweet, though I'm certain there were no special ingredients added to make it so.

Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 4.7
The guacamole was disappointing, especially considering the amount it costs. It was just barely not disappointing enough for me to have wished I hadn't gotten it. Still, I wouldn't recommend it. Sadly, it does not synergize well with the rest of the burrito.

Quality of chips (1-5) : 2.4
I'm not sure what it was about these chips, but they were definitely unique. They were not stale, but they tasted very slightly of cardboard. Strangely enough, they went really well with the burrito. Go figure.

Size/Diversity of menu (1-5) : 1.9
Yeah, the menu was pretty small. The most interesting part about the menu is the kinds of burritos they offer. They feature a fajita burrito that I haven't tried, but I am generally a big fan of such experiments. Why don't more places serve them? To my knowledge, only chains and Santa Fe Café do. I find the crunch and flavor of bell peppers and onions to be refreshing, especially in a burrito. Other than the fajita burrito, there wasn't much interesting choice. They only serve two kinds of meat: chicken and steak (as with most Mexican food joints in the suburbs).

Size of burrito (1-5) : 4.1
I was impressed by the size of the standard Santa Fe burrito. I finished it all right, but I was definitely feeling full by the end, and I went in with a burrito-sized appetite. If you aren't conditioned for large-ish burritos, there's a chance you won't quite kill this one on your first go.

Approximate price (For a standard burrito) : $7-$8

Locally owned? Probably

Satisfaction Factor (1-10) : 7.7
I left feeling full, but regretted spending an exorbitant amount of money on a sub-par burrito. Still, if you're accustomed to La Salsa and its ilk, Santa Fe Café is surely a legitimate lunch destination.

Overall taste (1-10) : 7.1
I felt that the burritos at Santa Fe Café reminded me way too much of UCSC dining hall burritos. The only thing I can point a finger at is the presence of whole corn kernels in the burritos. It is my firm belief that non-ground corn has no place in or on a legitimate burrito. However, whatever strange quality about the taste of this burrito that drew a connection between it and UCSC fare was not immediately recognizable as corn, so I could be mistaken about the presumed yellow culprit. It could have been the substandard salsa as well, clearly made with a blender rather than a knife, as in the clean kitchens of UC Santa Cruz. Once I go back to try the fajita burrito, I may write an addendum to this review, hopefully a positive one. Now I know there are a lot of Santa Fe Café fanatics out here. Got a recommendation? A rebuttal? That's why you can leave comments.