Iguanas Taqueria
San Jose, CA
| Overall Score based on 8 reviews |
8.5 highly recommended |
Editorial Reviews (0)
User Reviews (8)
Login or register to write a review of Iguanas Taqueria
Showing 1-8 of 8 (most recent reviews shown first)
Score: 7 / 10 Reviewed by: dalefisk
Went for the first time. My overall impression - unimpressed.
Typical burrito joint - order and pick up at the counter. Several tables, music, soft drinks in the corner. Nice environment for a quick lunch. Friendly help staff, though I saw noone cleaning tables the whole time I was there.
I ordered a carnitas Super Burrito with pinto beans. It came, wrapped in foil, with beans, lots of rice, a shot of guacamole, and carnitas pulled pork. I had to go back and ask for some hot sauce, which was immediately provided. No salsa or chips - order extra if you want them.
I thought the rice overwhelmed the beans, the pork was a little dry and bland, and I wished there had been a better balance among the ingredients. However, I came to these conclusions after eating the whole thing!
Overall - a good burrito, but I've had better.
Score: 9 / 10 Reviewed by: Fleep
I've been eating Burritos since I was a tyke. They were commonplace in my home, and living in the Bay Area, there was always a burrito close by. But I have never, ever had burritos that made me as happy as the ones at Iguanas. I've been eating here for several years now, much more regularly recently since I moved downtown, and hardly a week goes by when I don't eat here.
The ingredients are always good quality and never dry, their black beans are delicious, and their burritos don't fall apart on me. The taqueria has a good feel, if sometimes crowded late at night - but for a burrito place that's open after closing time, I won't complain - the food still comes out promptly. Thursday nights are music nights in the 2nd room of the place, so I've always felt as though Iguanas, on top of being in my opinion the best burrito place in San Jose, is also a cultural center. This is neither here nor there, but I also like that it's family owned and run, rather than a faceless corporation.
I gave it a 9, and the only reason I didn't go 9.5 is because the ingredients are not all grilled/prepared on-the-spot.
Score: 8 / 10 Reviewed by: XAdamDX (Oakland, CA)
Another place I haven't been in years... but I have an awesome memory of trying to put one of their burritos down after a very sweaty concert at the Cactus Club. I think the burrito beat me, but in the best way possible. Douchy college frat types seem to dig this spot though, so I have to score it a little lower than I would if it was elsewhere.
Score: 9.5 / 10 Reviewed by: Maka
After spending the last 19 years of my life searching for my favorite burrito place in the South Bay, I have settled upon Iguanas. I grew up on Super Taq Carne Asada Super Burritos, and while those are fantastic, they pale in comparison to an Iguanas super. Although they don't use slices of avocado as I'd prefer, the guacamole is still delicious. The choice of beans (pinto, refried, black) is always a welcomed option, and while I prefer a burrito without rice, theirs is fantastic. The meat is phenomenal. The carnitas has always been crispy, and the pollo asado actually has flavor of its own. If you like a little bit of heat, be sure to ask for their orange sauce! It's actually better than the famed La Vic's orange right around the corner.
On a side note, this place is infamous for Burritozilla, a 14" long, 5 lb. beast of a meal. My friend and I struggled to put one down. From the looks of it, they used 3 normal sized burrito tortillas to concoct this savage. And by god, we finished every inch of it and loved it.
Score: 7 / 10 Reviewed by: treed
The "mini super" is a nice touch; it allows you to get a little less food (and spend less) but still get the guac. Other than that, though, I found little to really enjoy here.
The burrito was ok but bland. The chicken was cooked well, and the ingredients were properly intregrated with the exception of the rice, which was segregated along the side.
I will, however, give them kudos for a good tortilla and giving bean options (black, pinto, or refried).
There are better places downtown. Maybe my expectations were too high?
Score: 10 / 10 Reviewed by: Noel
REOPENED!!! 10/23/06. Home of the burritozilla (15" burrito i think). So yeah, it just reopened. The food is awesome. Much, much better than the place around the corner *cough*. They have a dollar menu now!! haha. I had a super burrito which was awesome as I remmebered like 4 years ago. I'm a student (still) and will continue to go and spread the word. They actually RAN OUT of carne asada cuz the place was packed all day. Everyone should definitely pay them a visit. It's by far the best and at a reasonable price (avg).
Score: 7.5 / 10 Reviewed by: robertb (San Jose, CA)
Went here since it re-opened.
Burritos always make me happy. This was no exception. Nevertheless, I'm not sure it was worth the wait [of waiting for it to reopen].
I ordered the Veggie Burrito w/o cheese w/guacamole (vegan). They use the 12" tortillas and they didn't seem to compensate the veggie contents; it ended up being mostly tortilla and fell apart at the bottom. It came wrapped in foil with refried beans (yum!), rice, salsa, and guacamole. It had no lettuce nor any other vegetables (other than what was in the salsa); there were no chips on the side ('tho I believe you can order them, but their menu board is hard to read) nor did they have a salsa bar.
After the first bite, the first thing I noticed was how salty the beans were; they were a little better than Rosarita canned beans, but Iguana still went overboard. Despite the salty beans, it was tasty and scarfed it down in 5 minutes.
This burrito could use a little work.
Score: 10 / 10 Reviewed by: Moe (Sans Rafael+Jose, CA)
I have been known to make trips to San Jose solely to eat at Iguana's. While their burritos are fantastic, it is really their soft tacos that motivate the 60 mile drive. For such a little handful of goodness, they really pack it in. Their white corn tortillas are so soft and fresh they melt in your mouth. Add to that the cheese they steam melt onto it, delicious whole pinto beans and the best spanish rice I have ever tasted (not overly spiced, with an almost citrus flavor) and I could be happy with that alone.
But it goes on! Their Salsa Fresca is amazing, demonstrating the same subtle combination of flavors that is evident in their rice. Topped with fresh guacamole and real Mexican Crema, I can two of these little bundles of magic and nearly pass out from the joy they bring.
It's no mystery why the street kids panhandle for Iguana's and mention the ingredients by name. They know how to work your sympathy.
Showing 1-8 of 8
