La Costa

Easy and convenient? yes… Highest quality. no… The carne asada is always fatty and the burritos aren’t rolled right. But I still will come back on those no option days since its closest. 3 Stars firm.

The ceviche was not good at all! Also the tacos de al pastor were one of the worst ones I have ever had in my life!

It’s amazing!!! I love everything here.

Been going here for about 10 years now and never had a complaint. The burrito is so big and filling you can eat half now and the other half later. Being cash. The price has gone up some but still by far the least amount you will pay for an authentic burrito here in san jose.

La Costa is the ultimate, most authentic Mexican food joint I have ever been to. It’s sort of in the sketchy area of Alum Rock but don’t let it fool you! The food speaks for itself.
REMEMBER THAT IT’S CASH ONLY!!! Sometimes they don’t honor the 20% off when check in. But it’s ok the food is pretty cheap.
I usually order the carne asada/​al pastor burrito with avocado (extra fiddy cents), same meats for tacos, shrimp ceviche, nachos, AND THE FISH TACOS!!! I always have to order the fish tacos here. To finish it off, the horchata to wash it all down. Also if you have a slammed car, you can bet that your car will scrape. Sorry lol.
Also, the workers speak 80% Spanish!!! I usually just write down what I want on my phone and give it to them so I don’t have to struggle with the language barrier. So much easier that way. Plus if they remember your order, they call you to the window! I’m usually one of the few Asian girls there so you can’t miss me.

What can a cat do when he finds himself out in the cold of a brewing storm, and wanting something quick for the grab n go? Thanks to some good friends, I found my way to this small outdoor seating restaurant, and I was quite pleased!
I know that you would think that if a storm was brewing, a cat like me wouldn’t probably choose a place with outdoor covered seating to eat. But it’s no problem. If the food is good, it’s worth it right?
La Costa has a pretty decent menu and I was surprised that the prices were probably some of the lowest I have seen for Mexican food. Of course we would see how the taste and service was.
Simple service. Order at the window and wait for your food. The man behind the window was very nice, and the food was out way quicker than I expected!
I ordered a veggie quesadilla and it was downright amazing. Perfect flavor, not a bunch of bland veggies, and not overpowered with spice. It was just what I was looking for. I ordered a horchata along with my meal and it was perfect as well.
Everything in our group turned out perfect and we were all amazed at the low prices of this place. They could easily charge more for that you are getting and the quality of food.
I definitely want to come here again. I may not live in the San Jose area, but I’d be willing to come again just for a bite here!
*chirp*!

I would say «hole in the wall» but since this place has only outdoor seating, I can’t really call it that. If there’s one thing that East Side San Jose is good for, it’s gotta be the Mexican food. Another plus is the super lightning quick speed they prepared our food. Three minutes after we ordered, our food was ready in the window.
As per Unilocal reviews, we ordered the Carne Asada burrito and 2 fish tacos. While the carne aside burrito was good, I kept getting the fatty meat– you know the kind where you gotta spit it out cause it’s all fat? Yup, that was me. My pick? The fish tacos. Served with 2 thick wedges of lime to squeeze on top along with a side of hot sauce, it was a hot mess trying to keep all the dripping flavor from spilling all over my fingers.
Not to worry though– I had no problem licking all of that deliciousness after. Because this girl does not like to waste. Oh, and do yourself a favor and order some Horchata. It’s not overly sweet and perfect to wash down all the grub.

My go-​to for Mexican food!
The workers here are always friendly and enthusiastic which always has me leaving happy. For about 5 dollars, you can get yourself THE BEST steak quesadilla around the area. If I’m taking my food home, I always ask for lime and hot sauce and they’re always willing to pack it togo for you.
I only go to La Vic’s when I go to school downtown, but La Costa beats it by far. Everything tastes more fresh here and you can actually see the workers preparing your food.
If you get the chance, try the horchata here! It’s prepared to perfection. At some other places, they add waaaay too much cinnamon, but La Costa makes it just right.
Unilocal says this place is cash only, but they DO accept credit card. Only thing is that there’s a 35 cent service charge.
There’s a bunch of seating here but it’s outdoors, so bring a jacket if it’s cold!

I’m on this burrito kick, so I figured I’d try another place to fill the void from yesterday’s steakless burrito. Located right off of 101/​Alum Rock, it is easy to find. CHEAP and FAST? This has got to be everyone’s go-​to Mexican food joint in San Jose!
*Make sure to Check-​In prior to ordering, so you can claim your FREE drink!* I ordered my usual Super Carne Asada Burrito (Rice, beans, cheese, guac, salsa & steak), as well as a Tostada. I claimed my free horchata, which appeared to be in a large cup! SCORE!
This burrito was on point! I could taste EVERYTHING mentioned above! Get this: I actually had steak in EVERY bite! Now that is how you serve up a super burrito folks! It doesn’t end there my friends. It was a measly $ 5.50!!! It’s not a ginormous burrito, but it’s a good size. I was able to saved the 2^nd half for my next meal. The Vegie Tostada was also on point! Fresh, tasty, and it hit the spot!
Take note that it is CASH ONLY, as well as outdoor seating. Bottom Line: There is absolutely NO reason why you shouldn’t try this spot out!!!

Ordered a super quesadilla to go, but sadly it’s sooo small :(I was expecting to eat it for lunch and dinner but I ate all of it for lunch. I guess for less than $ 5 I can’t expect the jumbo size like what I usually see in other Mexican restaurants.
Check in and get free drink! Service was nice, although they barely speak any English.
PS: outdoor seating only, cash only!

Sometimes I feel like it’s been years since I’ve had a real, authentic taco. During those sad, dark times I come to La Costa. They never fail to give me authentic tacos fast & cheap — $ 1.50 for a chicken taco. Definitely a hole in the wall feel, but those are some of my favorite restaurants.
PRO TIP: To all my Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Paypal, Bitcoin-​oriented brethren, I’m sorry. This place is cash only.

Small, hole-​in-​the-​wall type place with a simple menu, CASH ONLY. It was okay.
Post Thanksgiving, 10 of us were hanging out and wanted tasty local lunch (local to Milpitas/​SJ area) and gave them a try. For $ 59, we got a ton of food:
–2 super carne asada burritos
–2 super chicken quesadillas
–4 fish tacos
–1 super chicken burrito
–1 super lengua burrito
–1 carnitas taco
–1 carne asada nachos
The super burritos were supposed to come with guac, sour cream, etc., but that was scant and instead filled to the brim with rice and beans. Meh. The fish tacos were good with big pieces of fried, sauced and salsa-​ed fish. The fish was a bit greasy though. The carnitas taco looked soggy and unappealing, but was okay. The carne asada nachos were good (tasty beef bits), but I really would have enjoyed real cheese so much more than the processed canned type they used (why oh why!!!).
I had high expectations cause of the reviews, but was sadly let down a bit (rare, but I hate when this happens). Dang.

Thanks to Justin T for always checking into this place on twitter!!!
Finally going to write a review now (x I’ve been going here for the past 2 years and I am in love with the price range! $ 1.50 for tacos!!! You CANNOT get any cheaper than that in San Jose, most places go for $ 2.25−2.50 nowadays! They do not skimp out on the meat and portions either, especially for take out, unlike some places that I have ordered at… (It was the tiniest tacos with half the size meat that La Costa gives. I can never go wrong with carne asada tacos for 1.50 each. Cheap, quality food thats only two exits away from my house. I just hate the construction thats been going on here within the past year though. The burritos aren’t out of this world, just average since thats what my boyfriend typically gets here when I am craving for tacos in the area.
The store itself is like a food truck almost, except you stand in line and order your food than you sit outside on one of their tables and wait for your order to be called (its in spanish of course, so pay attention to who was in front of you if there was). The workers have all been friendly and pretty quick 5 – 10 minute wait for food.
The only cons is parking, sometimes the lots are filled as it shares a lot with some other stores next door and this location can easily be missed since its in the corner and not at a main streetlight. Also, there is no salsa bar which is why I am rating this place a ⁴⁄₅ stars. I miss being able to choose my own sauces, the level of spiciness (my mom and sister cannot do spicy) and being able to get more limes. I always forget to tell them to put the sauce on the side and for more limes.

I’m impressed with the fast service! Stood in line and got my food probably within 5 minutes exactly! I know where I’m going whenever I’m starving and want fast food — LA COSTA!
Kind of wish I didn’t have a snack before coming here cause I didn’t finish my food, but I took the leftover burrito to-​go :) We ordered 2 chicken tacos ($ 1.50 each) and a carne asada burrito ($ 4.95?) — everything is so cheap and good portions for the price! Very affordable and tasty. I forgot to say no beans in my burrito, but the burrito was still delicious! The tacos were pretty good too! They had tons of tapatio /​hot sauce too! Kind of wish they put more onions in the burrito and tacos cause I love onions. Lol.
This place isn’t exactly a restaurant, kind of like a taco truck/​stand, but not really. They only have outdoor patio seating, and there’s plenty of seating so you don’t need to worry about standing. The menu is pretty simple and easy to order. Also, the person who announces the order number for pick up says it in both English and Spanish!
Overall, food is cheap, food is good, and fast service — I’m happy :)

I love this place! The food was so fresh and the meat was flavorful! You get to sit outside but it is shaded. Kinda on the blah side of east side but it’s fine. Definitely get the #1 comes with two tacos and side of SUCH yummie beans and rice. Great tacos!!!

Can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve been here. Apparently I had no idea that the fish tacos were the thing to get several years ago.
I’ve had the ceviche since my last review and found that it tastes better after sitting in the fridge for a bit to let the flavors really meld.
Recently had the fish tacos and the al pastor nachos. Both were pretty darn good. I love nachos with the fake cheese sauce so this one’s a winner for me.
I’ll definitely be back!

I love La Costa’s tacos! I’ve been coming here since high school and they’ve always stayed true to their quality of food. The prices have risen over the past couple of years but nothing crazy enough to stop me from coming back.
The fish tacos here are the best in town! They’re thickly battered and crunchy, the sauce on top compliments it very well and has a very small kick to it! The tacos are always packed with meat and the salsa isn’t too bad, but if you’re not a fan of spicy at all I would recommend asking them to put it on the side for you. The ceviche is delicious! They serve it to you on a tostado and you should eat it first as it tends to get soggy if you wait longer.
This place is right in the corner so you can’t miss it, outside seating, and parking isn’t bad at all.

If you haven’t been here yet then you’re missing out! I’ve tried out several of their dishes.
5* for the carne asada nachos and tacos (I tried several different ones)
4* for their shrimp ceviche (I’m not used to ceviche prepared this way. You have to add lime, ketchup and hot sauce on top for yourself. Sounds odd but it’s very good though! Also, it comes with a lot of shrimp)
Portion are more than generous for what you’re spending. Definitely will be back

I had not heard or been to this place until yesterday. Girlfriend is out of town and didn’t feel like cooking so. Was craving a burrito. Wanted to try something new, so Unilocal to the rescue. This place was highly rated and looked like the prices were cheap.
Due to traffic on Lundy and an annoying detour it took me longer to find this place. Parking lot was packed! Obviously people like this spot. The food is actually rather cheap. $ 5 for a large authentic burrito sign me up. However, it was a bit too spicy for me and probably would change it up next time.
The oysters here are huge and tasty. Forget about going to a fancy place and paying for something a quarter of the size for four times the price. These are the oysters you want. Large and tasty.
Overall, it’s a pretty neat place. Maybe slightly overrated, but still pretty good. There are still a lot of things to try.

First time here on a late Saturday afternoon and this place was bustling! There was a short line but was only a 5 minute wait. I was indecisive about what to get… wanted to try the shrimp ceviche but the portion looked too big (considering I’ve already made a taco stop and downed 2 large tacos prior)…so ended up getting a carne asada because who doesn’t love a basic taco?! A good carne asada also means a good taco spot so I went with that.
The cashier was really friendly and made jokes with us while at the register. It was only a 5 minute wait before our order was ready for pick up and we were able to quickly find a table in the back.
First bite into the carne asada taco and I was sold… I was definitely on mars or jupiter… the flavor blast of onion, cilantro, sauce and asada just swirled on my taste buds… definitely rockin’ it. One taco did it all for me, and I am definitely coming back for more tacos and ceviche next time!