Costa Vida

Stopped by on 2÷14÷2016 it’s closed, the tables are gone. That’s too bad we really liked the place

As of 1÷27÷16 they have closed. The mall says they closed up 3 days ago. I thought they were decent. Food industry is a competitive one.

If I could give this less than one star I would. My now husband and I generally love coming here, good food and good service. We were looking for a place to caterer our rehearsal dinner so we decided to do a burrito bar, worst mistake I have ever made. I talked to someone named Abraham who apparently no longer works for the company. The Monday before my wedding, I confirmed with the general manager quinton about my order. He has record of it and said they would be at the venue that Saturday at 6:00pm. The night of rehearsal comes and it’s 6:20 and Costa vida has not arrived. So I call Costa vida, the «supervisor» on shift calls me back saying they had no record of my catering order and I could come to the store and eat. At that point I was too upset to even talk to the supervisor and hung up. Apparently the business is closing down this month and now I understand why. Thank you Costa vida.

Not bad. Cheap eats, made to order. The tortillas are made fresh as you watch, and the rest of the ingredients are of the mix-​and-​match approach — you pick what kind of tortilla, what kind of beans, what kind of meat, what type (burrito, salad, quesadilla, tacos, enchiladas), as well as things like salad dressing, salsas, etc.
It’s fast, you get what you want, and it’s relatively inexpensive. Think of it as a competitor to Baja Fresh or Chipotle, with a slightly different offering. It’s better than a lot of mall food.

Nothing like chipotle. Don’t try to find a substitute.
Employees have no enthusiasm and are rude. You can tell by their face they hate their job and their attitude clearly reflects that.
Food is not fresh and disgusting. Don’t kid yourself.

I just signed up for their new rewards app and got a $ 4 credit to use on my meal. I ordered the sweet pork burrito and had it done enchilada style. The tortillas was made right in front of me and the burrito was nice and large. I like the taste and flavor and will come back for this when I am in the area.

Our first time here. They had a groupon so we thought it would be a good idea to try it out. I like the layout of the place. Food is fresh but not that flavorful. Huge portions and the pricing is good. Nothing here stands out to me. It’s not a place I would crave for.

Pretty good food at a fair price! If you’re looking for southern California fresh baja, this is a really good place to eat! The food was fresh and assembled quickly! The staff was all very friendly and efficient.
I had the sweet pork (2) enchilada meal with rice, black beans and salad/​salsa. It was all good with no complaints and the ingredients weren’t over salted. It’s a nice option instead of the standardized commercial mexican restaurants. And it wasn’ t hard on the wallet (only about $ 11 a head for meal and a drink)…

Not a good option for takeout. They didn’t have any of my order correct and I had to specify everything I wanted even though I had put it all on the order online.
Great for sit down since you can be specific.

WHAT A HIT! This place is amazing. Fresh food, all made in store. Great prices, and the food is DELICIOUSLY Hot!!! The staff was pretty nice, some of the younger girls got in a little argument, which is unprofessional, but I’m not fine dining so that is ok. I loved the option of whole, re fried or black beans. They also have gold peak tea, which I love! The lost star is for the cashier charging me for 2 meals when I clearly got one. I can not tell on my card if she refunded me, and the receipt just says «closed check, reopen check». Also, do yourself a favor and get a chocolate chip cookie !!

Worth the stop. Nice, funky alternative to Chipotle and Q’doba when you need something new. They have a sweet pork that you could bathe in, but don’t, or the manager gets very mean and kicks you out, leaving you to run out of the store nude but for the scrumptious pork clinging to your birthday suit. Aside from that, staff is friendly and helpful. First time we went, though, corporate (?) was having some sort of meeting (?) with a manager (?) about work issues, and it was at a table near ours. Dirty laundry in private, guys.
Four stars and four om-​noms.

My experience last night was really disappointing, and I’m updating my review as a result.
I’ll address the food first. The flour tortillas are still heaven — house made, thick, taste really amazing.
I ordered a smothered burrito with pork. The pork was super disappointing. It didn’t taste anything like the pork from Costa Vida that I’m use to having, as I ate at Costa Vida for years when I lived in Utah where this chain originated. Also, they didn’t make it as big as it is supposed to be. They also skimped on the sour cream and guacamole, and I had to tell them to use the enchilada sauce to smother it which is the default option.
In addition, the girls working in the line were the slowest moving employees in a restaurant that I’ve ever seen. I asked them if they were new, and out of the two of them, one said she was. The manager came over and helped her figure out how to pour the enchilada sauce on the burrito because after New Year’s came and went, she still hadn’t done it. Also, they didn’t ask if it was to go or for there, which is an automatic question, so when I said it was to do, they moved in slow motion to move the burrito off of a tray and add a lid. The cashier treated the receipt like it was an eggshell.
I think part of the reason they were so slow is that there was no need to move. I was the only person in line for 5 minutes while I watched this paint dry and there were only two tables occupied. Towards the end, a couple came in line behind me to which one of the employees told her how mean I was because I asked if she was new. Wow.
I’m use to having a punch card where you buy 10 burritos, get 1 free. I asked the cashier if I could get a card, and she said they don’t have that but have a repeat customer card where you get $ 0.80 off per burrito purchased. I asked for one, but after this experience, I’m not coming back for a long time. Let’s see if the management figures out how to get the staff trained better.
I really like this chain, but this location really needs training in efficiency, knowing what the menu is, treating customers with respect, and cooking the recipes correctly.
Food: 2 just for the tortillas, 1 for the burrito
Service: 1
Ambiance: 2
Parking: 3

I bought a groupon a few months ago and finally came by to use it.
It was a Sunday and my small family and I came in. They have a board of daily specials and Sunday’s was the sweet pork burrito which the mister ordered ($ 6.99). I ordered the grilled chicken burrito ($ 7.99 I think). They make the tortillas right in front of you which is pretty cool.
They’re not very generous with the fillings but whatever, they are a business. We also ordered chips which come with a salsa. Since we requested to try two, they gave us two smaller cups of salsa.
Friendly and quick staff. My only hang up here is I tried the sweet pork burrito and let me tell you, it is very, very sweet. Also, the tortilla wrap is way too thick. Perhaps they can thin it out a little more?
Chips and salsa were good and it’s pretty darn cheap to eat a meal here. Also, the tray we had our food on smelled like moldy towels. Not cool when it’s that pungent. :(
I’ll go back and try it again.

Had the chili verde burrito and tacos today. Everything was very fresh and fast. The sweet pork was sweeter than expected but the pico de gallo and lettuce helped balance it a bit. They were making fresh tortillas when we ordered; it was worth the wait. We enjoyed our dinner in their outdoor seating area.

We finally visited this palace and were sorry we did. I may give it another try but first of all I find there are too many choices. I finally ordered two tacos and they were OK — nothing special. I don’t like it when they put the sour cram on the plate and not on the taco.
Service is on the slow side and the prices are on the upper end of reasonable. The atmosphere is nothing special.

This is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. Costa Vida is one of the newer type of restaurants known as «fast casual». They make food to order like a fast food restaurant, but the quality of the food is improved up and prices are higher (compared with say, Taco Hell). Their chief competitors are: Chippotle and Qdoba.
I have tried just about everything on the menu from the Chili Verde Burrito, Sweet Pork Burrito, Mexican Salad, etc. It all tastes kind of similar, but it’s all very delicious. It tastes very fresh and savory.
I almost always order the daily special because you get a slightly lower price and get a fountain drink for which I always choose the cinnamon and milk Horchata because you can’t find that drink just anywhere (they don’t have it at McDonald’s).
My favorite item is the Chili Verde Burrito. There’s something really special about that sauce they cover your burrito in. It has little chunks of steak or meat in it that I’ve never tasted before. I’m not a huge fan of the sweet pork. It’s rather polarizing in my opinion, I think you will either love it or hate it. For me, it’s much too sweet for a meat. I like my meats to be savory.
I have 2 complaints. My first is they are slow, but this is part of the equation because people will wait for a quality product. They make the tortilla’s fresh on the spot and they are still relatively new so I’ll give them some time to sort things out. Sometimes I have to wait quite a bit, but to me it’s worth it.
My second complaint with Costa Vida is (like Chick Fil-​A) they are a Christian organization. Because of this they are closed on Sundays so you’ll only be able to experience their great foods on the days where God isn’t taking a rest.

Still LOVE the food, but still problems with service.
This last time I went we walked in the door at 8:37pm knowing they close at 9:00pm. There were only 3 families in front of us, but the line moved sooooo slow! By the time we started ordering it was 8:50pm and when we got to the point were the girl asked for here or to go? The manager (I assume he was manager) cut her off and said everything is to go. I felt SO RUSHED. When at the cash register we decided we wanted queso and they seemed annoyed we wanted more things. I wanted to order a drink, but they were so hurridly getting us out I didn’t get the chance. My husband also asked for sour cream on the side and she plopped it right on top.
We live about 25 minutes away so we really wanted to eat there but the chairs were already up and they insisted we order to go. So 30 minutes later we enjoyed our cold food at home.
Lesson learned: If you want to eat in make sure to arrive at least an hour before closing :(

I absolutely love Costa Vida! I originally first had their food in Mesa, AZ and have long missed them since I moved to WA. Finally, a place that makes fresh tortillas right in front of you!
My favorite item is the small chicken salad with a large tortilla (not crispy). I love the tomatillo ranch dressing. It really is the best!
GO here if you want fresh yummy mexican style food! You will be so happy you did.
See you there!

I have been looking forward to the opening of Costa Vida from the moment I heard of their addition to the Commons Mall at Federal Way. We were one of the first 100 in line for their grand opening. Having attended many restaurant openings, I braced myself for a long wait, confusion but the staff, and messed up orders. As good as their food is, their service was even better. Fast and friendly.
Costa Vida will be a hit with the lunch time crowd because of their format. Walk in the door then over to the counter, you’ll see them making fresh tortillas on the spot. Select your entrée, the type of tortilla, the type of beans, and the protein. Move on down the line for the condiments, then your drink orders, and your ready to pay. Make sure to get the guacamole! It is fantastic. Just the right consistency and chunkiness.
There are tv screens with the daily specials and menu sheets with some chef favorites. I had the sweet pork burrito with roasted green chile sauce. It was a huge burrito. I had to take half of it home. I will definitely be back to work my way through the menu. I saw several people with huge salads talking about how great their dressings were. The people at the table next to me were raving about the key lime pie, but I was too full to even think about it.
Yes, there is such a thing as good food fast!

This was the most delicious food served by the NICEST staff! We saw the restaurant on our way running errands and were so excited to try it. We were welcomed by every single employee and the customer service was outstanding. The food was all amazingly fresh and extremely delicious. Even my picky kiddos loved it.
The restaurant itself was inviting and exceptionally clean and had a fun family type atmosphere.
I have to say, this was one of the best family dining experiences we have ever had and we will definitely be returning on a regular basis. Thank you so much to the amazing staff for such a fantastic meal!