Editorial Review
Taqueria La Cumbre (San Mateo, CA)
Score: 6 / 10 Reviewed by: Chris
La Cumbre is a bright white building on the north side of San Mateo's downtown center. It appears large, but is actually quite small on the inside. It is decorated with many placards and reviews, all with the common theme of how it is superior to every other taqueria. Most of these reviews and `awards' are years out of date, and many refer to the SF location. I don't know if the SF is different, but this one in San Mateo is no where near worthy of `best taqueria'
The Deluxe burrito here is the equivalent of a `super' in most other places, including guacamole, sour cream and cheese. (La Cumbre's `super' adds lettuce and tomato.) There are several meat choices including a few you can't find everywhere, such as chile verde chicken and chile colorado. You can watch your burrito being created, but that may not a good thing- there's something unappetizing about watching the sour cream squirted from a condiment bottle. The overall flavor always reminds me of Baja Fresh. Unfortunately, on my last two trips here the meat has been very dry. They don't cook their tortillas here at all, so expect your fingers to have a fine layer of powder (flour i presume) when you're through.
La Cumbre gains back a point with a decent salsa bar and chips. Chips are pre-bagged for you. They're a bit on the salty side. Buried in the corner to the left of the cashier's station is the salsa bar. There are several selections of salsa, but no peppers, carrots, onions, radishes... etc.
The menu says a Deluxe burrito is $6.00, but i've always been charged $5.75. That's a pretty good price. For a dollar more you can the Super, or save a buck with the Regular (no guacamole, sour cream, or cheese).
La Cumbre isn't bad per se, but it strikes me as only being a small step up from Baja Fresh. It's certainly not the best place in the Bay Area, nor even San Mateo. Still, you can get a decent lunch here if you're tired of the many other taquerias in the area.
–Chris
posted 12/18/2006 1:59 PM, updated on 7/31/2008 7:37 AM
