Happy Burrito 2

of the 2 burrito places on this block, Happy Burrito 2 was the least busy… I had little time and had to make a quick choice since I had Mexican Food hankering.
Service was relatively fast, compared to Olé Olé at the corner… took about 10 minutes from when I walked in and when I left with burrito in hand.
I ordered the Super Chicken Burrito… overall the burrito was loosely rolled so it did not maintain structural integrity after a few bites. The integrity issue was not helped by the overall moisture content… it seemed to me that this burrito leaked a lot more than I was used too. I think the chicken had a lot of liquid in it. The flavor was OK… nothing to really write home about.

One cool and damp Thursday afternoon in March found me desiring something to eat in addition to my Trader Joe’s Greek Salad. At first I thought I’d indulge myself with a Creole doughnut in Old Town, but walking in at a few minutes before two, I was informed that the kitchen was closed. Darn — on to Plan 2 — I suppose I could’ve walked up Broadway to Donut Savant, but the thought didn’t cross my mind at the time. So I wandered up Clay Street, and remembered that there were a couple of taquerias on 14^th Street that I felt obligated to try.
So I ventured into Happy Burrito #2 — I am aware that there is a #1, I believe over on Webster near 17^th or so, hence I’m probably guilty of restauranting out of sequence or something, but you can prosecute me on your own time.
I realize this is a taqueria in downtown Oakland, and therefore I shouldn’t expect it to be the lap of luxury. But I don’t believe I was expecting it to be. If you look at similar joints in San Francisco’s Mission district, there is at the very least a sense of order, and the people behind the counter give the impression that they have their collective gear together. Maybe the fact that it was now after two, and past the lunch rush, and perhaps they were training staff or something, but I just wasn’t that impressed with the service. The burrito I had was rather pedestrian — a pork chorizo something or other that did what it had to do, but nothing more. And the eating area was less welcoming than a hospital waiting room. Yeah, consider the location, but still — I’m going to be looking elsewhere for my Mexican fix.

3 stars for the burrito, extra star for the deal & customer service ($ 5 super burrito)
On a scale from Taco Bell to Los Angeles burritos, I’d give this one a 6.5…Flavor was good, but structure was pretty bad. It was floppy (too many beans, or just not enough other ingredients) and fell apart about ²⁄₃ in. It didn’t have cilantro or onion which to me are key in a good burrito. I’m not sure what made this a «super» burrito, it seemed pretty regular to me, but I guess that’s why it’s only $ 5 :P
Everyone at happy burrito is friendly and helpful and it only took like 3 minutes to get my burrito so I’d give the service a 10.

I work near Happy Burrito 2 and it really is the best deal in town for lunch. I always get the baby burrito — so can’t review on any of their other food. But, I get the baby burrito with grilled chicken, black beans, and rice — with spicy salsa on the side. And it’s only $ 3! And even though it’s the baby burrito — it’s still plenty big and very filling. Is it the best burrito I’ve ever had? No — but it’s the best $ 3 burrito I’ve ever had! Also, the people who work there are very nice — and if there’s a line, it usually goes quickly. Get there before noon if you don’t want to wait. Also, note that there is a $ 5 credit card minimum, so if you’re just going for the $ 3 baby burrito, bring cash!

It’s quick, tasty, and cheap. I came in, ordered a veggie super burrito and was out in less than 7 minutes. Wonderful! I also love how it’s only 4 – 5 bucks for one very filling meal, made right in front of you by two old ladies I would love to play spades with, that’s how fast they were throwing those ingredients down. They close super early but I’m glad theyre open at all!

It is what it is and that’s why I’m giving it five stars. Cheap mexican food. If you’re on a budget and looking for decent Mexican food, give this place a try. Portions are nice. I eat a lot and I felt absolutely full after a Happy Burrito. Friendly and quick staff. I’ll be back for sure.

Food is pretty good but they should improve on their customer service (a lot)!!!

Happy burrito 2 made me happy for eating a burrito, too!
Cheap, fast, delicious. No wonder I felt at home.

The best burrito in downtown Oakland. No frills. Kind service. I always get the no-​meat happy burrito. So tasty — beans, rice, guac, sour cream, lettuce, hot sauce, cheese, salsa. The best. And the chips are great (I think they are extra).

I think this place made me sick. I have a shell fish allergy and they have shrimp burritos on the menu. I believe that they are cross contaminating because I got the same reaction i get after eating shellfish although mild. This is a shame because i love this place! I won’t be coming back anymore. Unhappy Burrito.

3 Words: Big, Delicious, Cheap

This place has been around for years and is a decent place to get cheap and ok burritos. For $ 5.00 which includes tax, you can get a super burrito with choice of chicken, steak, ground beef or carnitas with rice, choice of black or pinto beans, cheese and guacamole. The guac is more of a paste but the hot sauce they provide is tastey. It’s probably one of the reasons why I come back including the price.
The quality of ingredients isn’t the greatest but what do you expect for the price. You order at the counter and pay and then you pick up your food after the food is made in the food prep counter by the numbered plastic placard that they provide.
If you feel like cheap eats with ok ingredients then go here. If you want to spend a tad bit more dollars and better ingredients then go around the corner to Olé Olé Burrito Express.

This place is legit! This is a taqueria style place so one should not expect any fancy décor or decorative tacos. If you’re daring, try their spicy salsa. :)

I generally eat at this location or the other if not once or twice a week, several times a month. I am always blown away by the quality and freshness of the food, and the amazing bargain for it.
There are some slight quirks for the uninitiated — like the fact that the guacamole is made with sour cream (I personally think it is great, but understand that many people don’t think of dairy in their guac).
When it comes to plates, I recommend the chile rellenos to vegetarians, but my absolute favorite is either a crunchy taco and enchilada combo or TWO taco combo. Their refried beans are tasty if a bit thin, and the spanish rice is always terrific — so I mix ‘em up.
When it comes to burritos, if I am feeling more vegetarian style I’d get avocado (they WILL sub avocado for guac sometimes if you ask really nicely), rice and beans. But I generally get a grilled chicken baby burrito with black beans.
The hot sauce is spicy and tasty, but if it is too hot for your taste they have a nice pico sauce as well.
I really appreciate this place and the folks that work here for keeping my belly full for so many years, and at such a reasonable price.

I only come here a couple of times a year, when i visit a nearby business. It never lets me down. It’s an appropriate name because when I leave I am always happy!
This time I picked up a carnitas super burrito. It was the lunch rush, so I didn’t get the stellar service that you might get at a slower time — they are all about turn around and that means «thank you, next» as they move from person to person. That’s okay because the food is incredible.

+Cheap
+Fast
–Quality of Ingredients
–The sauces all come in tubes
–That green stuff is not guac.
Perfect place for a cheap eat.
Personally, id rather go next door for better quality Mexican food.
The poor quality cheese and green sauce turned the nachos into a disgusting texture.

I’ve been coming here for 4 years and have yet to be disappointed with their burritos. $ 4.61 gets you a baby burrito (I recommend the shredded chicken or pork verde) and a can of soda. Hard to beat the price and burrito.
Olé olé on the corner serves a much bigger burrito and gives you chips, but the burrito isn’t a good, plus it’s more expensive.
Sure, the décor could use some help, but for a quick delicious burrito, you’ll be Happy you went here.

There is no place you can get a burritto this good in Sf for 5 bucks! or 10 bucks!
And I love the hot sauce. The place has the ambiance of a homeless shelter, but who cares. Best burrito place hands down in Oakland.

After reading too many reviews about burritos here (which makes sense since they’re called «Happy Burrito 2»), I decided to try some of the other fare here at «HB2».
Overall, today’s order met my expectations:
1. Ground Beef Taco: add some sour cream, tomato chunks, and the mild salsa that they give you (summed up nicely in an earlier review by Allyson K that it’s like amped up mild taco bell salsa.-
), and you’ve got a close substitute for Taco Bell’s hard shell tacos. That’s a compliment because I’ll admit that I did love their taco supreme back in the day. Taco supreme and a churro after Saturday Korean school before violin lessons was the good ol’ routine (no joke…).
2. Ground Beef Enchilada: You know how you go to some Mexican places and you can get green sauce or red sauce? I always hated deciding; here, this is not a problem. It’s an ambiguous orange-​y, brownish sauce that tastes good. The whole enchilada (hehe) was completely what I would have expected of an enchilada from a place like HB2. No frills.
3. The refried beans here a little on the goopy side. It tasted good, but I think I might like my refried beans to have a littttttle more texture to them.
4. Their rice is on the soft, mushy side; it’s also a bit bland:(
5. Their chips were a bit stale and their mild salsa – as described above – is a little like Taco Bell’s mild salsa.
Overall, they covered my plate with lots of cheese (yellow AND white!). I feel obligated to come back for a burrito, and I most likely will return. Perhaps I will find happiness from a happy burrito crafted at Happy Burrito 2 (too much?).

New to my office in Oakland, I hear some of my co-​workers talk about heading to Happy Burrito across the street for lunch. They mention how inexpensive the burritos are there and that you have to get there a by 11:30 or expect a waiting line. I decided to join them today and check out the burritos.
As you walk in, there’s a counter where you place your order with an expressionless lady. You are given a number and then you park yourself in a table in the large dining room. As your order is filled and placed on the counter, your number is called for pick-​up.
I ordered a Regular chicken burrito with black beans ($ 4.50). The burrito was fairly large and was authentic. It had good flavor, and the chicken was moist, though I felt it could have had more meat in it. Well, I guess that’s why it’s only $ 4.50 tax included.
Overall, they have good, authentic burritos has a very reasonable price. The restaurant is very plain in décor, so this could be categorized as a hole-​in-​the wall. Get your food, grab a table, and chow down. Plain and simple. I will be back if I need to get a quick cheap burrito.