Santana's (Bay Park)
San Diego, CA
| Overall Score based on 4 reviews |
8.5 highly recommended |
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User Reviews (4)
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Showing 1-4 of 4 (most recent reviews shown first)
Score: 7 / 10 Reviewed by: carneasadasnob
Okay overall, nothing special about this place. One unusual thing, you order your food through this little window, that looks like it belongs at a drivethrough. I was never dissapointed going here, but never thrilled either. I worked down the road for over a year, but I would much rather go to Nicos, or JV's. Fairly surprised that this place survived so close to two of San Diego's Best.
Score: 9 / 10 Reviewed by: rockamole (San Mateo, CA)
I think I ate here for the first time in 1993 or 1994 when I was helping out my friends who were living in Bay Park at the time...I was probably in 7th or 8th grade. Anyways, I don't think there was anything I would eat besides Carne Asada burritos at Taco Shops back then and never having heard of this place I was of course suspicious since it wasn't Roberto's or El Cotixan.
But it was fantastic and as a transplant to the Bay Area I absolutely long for a tasty Santana's Pollo Asado Burrito, or Carne Asada...maybe a Quesadilla w/ Guacamole or some rolled tacos with guacamole - the latter of which I just can't find in any "taqueria" in Northern California. Santana's has become that place where I go after my plane lands in San Diego (usually the one in Point Loma).
The meat is always tender, the food always hot, made to order and yes, the salsa and green onions at the bar are excellent.
As far as their burritos go - meat + guacamole + pico de gallo is the way it should be. Rice, beans, Sour Cream might have a place on a platter, but not in a Burrito and just serve to fill the burrito with needless (and often tasteless) carbs. It is also worth mentioning that while guacamole is a standard in a Santana burrito (or 95% of places in San Diego) you have to get a "super burrito" in NorCal and pay $2-3 more. I think its this point that severely divides the southern california - nay - "San Diego taco shop" from the northern california imitators. [Picante in Berkeley is probably the only place I consider solid in the Bay Area and it's because the quality is so top notch].
In any case - Santana's Bay Park has always been a solid solid choice for some great Mexican in San Diego - in fact - it serves to epitomize the taco shop experience.
Score: 9 / 10 Reviewed by: Dubin
If I didn't live so close, I probably wouldn't eat most of my burritos here, but this place is pretty consistent and solid. I don't walk in very often, so I miss out on the salsa bar, but I do seem to find a way to squeeze my truck through the tight maze of a drive-thru without touching the walls.
That being said, the breakfast burritos are pretty damn good and most contain potatoes. The Buenos Dias burrito has Bacon, Egg, Cheese and Potatoes and the Panchos has ham instead of bacon. Santana's is famous for (inventing) the California Burrito which is basically a nice grilled chicken or carne asada burrito with french fries which they call potatoes.
During the day, the carne asada burrito and/or grilled chicken burritos are loaded with hot, dripping and freshly cooked meat along with salsa fresca, guacamole and pico de gallo. It's a pretty good sized meal especially if you can talk them out of a bag of carrots to go along with it.
Be sure to check your order if you drive through because they invariably manage to screw it up one way or another. They do offer free bags of carrots, but they are frequently out of them when I go there. Also, they have both red and green salsa so be sure to ask for the green which is very tasty, pretty hot and flavorful.
You can't go wrong with this Santanas if you're looking for a bood burrito.
Score: 9 / 10 Reviewed by: jahbone69
There are two reasons to go to Santana's: The hot sauce bar and the chips. Unfortunately, the Santana's folks are salsa Nazis and don't have hot sauce cups at the hot sauce bar. That's OK, though. Just take your foam clamshell full of chips to the bar and fill it up.
That takes me to the chips. Get a full order of carne asada chips or chicken chips (I forget what they call them) and you are in heaven. If chips are not your favorite, get fries. Either way, you won't be disappointed. Just load up at the hot sauce bar and you are set.
Santana's generally has at least 5 types of hot sauce, all of which are great. They sometimes very, but there is always a few good ones. Again, they don't give you too many cups for hot sauce, but you can always take your food up there to load up. Heck, the employees are trapped behind a wrought iron cage. Can they stop you from loading up?
All their other food is great also. Great rolled tacos and California Burritos. The first California Burrito I had, in circa 1997, was from Santana's, but the one in Pt. Loma.
They also have a drive-thru, but you won't get full hot sauce bar access and will probably just get "red sauce".
Showing 1-4 of 4
