Island Taqueria — Restaurant in Alameda

I've been hearing a lot of people recommending this place and frankly, I'm disappointed with the food being mid. The customer service was good and they answered my questions with where's the proteins and modifying my burrito. As soon as I sat down, I saw that BIG MICROWAVE and I was thinking that the only reason why you would need the microwave is specifically for the Tortillas and only for the Tortillas. I could see them putting other food items in there for the speed of service whenever they're busy with the High School Rush aka HSR. When I got my burrito, it came with Chips and both types of salsas (I really don't mind nor care about them), but when I first started eating my burrito, I couldn't taste the Chile Colorado meat since they put A LOT of rice, and I couldn't even taste the beans even though it's REFRIED BEANS and thats pretty salty and easy to taste. I wished they could spicy it up just a bit more with the chile Colorado even the meat is supposed smoked and simmered in red chile sauce. Overall the burrito didn't excite me and hopefully they can offer a spicier chile Colorado meat option, and focus less on the rice. I actually want to taste every component of my order to the protein, to the customers choice of beans and rice in a good quality burrito. Sorry for the truth island taqueria but...

Living in the Mission, I've been to a LOT of taquerias in the past few years since moving here from Japan (which had virtually none) in 2017. But this is quite possibly the very best one.

Why? Let's start with the service: hard-working ladies that always make you feel welcome, and well-mannered chefs working their magic at the grill. Casual and local vibe.

Let's move on to the food: possibly the most uniquely-spiced pollo asado I've ever had. It is marinated in a way almost akin to halal Indian / Afghan chicken, and is perfect in taco and burrito form. The carne asada is also excellent! Succulent steak spiced well but not too salty, and a choice of refried, black, or pinto beans. Their pico de gallo is made fresh daily, and their salsas (red or green) are both hot and rich in flavor. I want to point out just how rich the red salsa is; I feel like it uses tomatillo, red chili, and tons of garlic. A must-try :)

I haven't strayed outside the realm of super-burrito (minus rice & sour cream) which totals about $11 after tax, but I'm sure their other options are just as excellent. The fact that this place is 2 blocks away from my clinic - Hearing Zone - ensures that I visit at least once a week!

This place is fully deserving of my 5 stars -...

My son used to come here 10 years ago and loved their food, especially their burritos. I happened to be in the area today 5/21 and was hungry, so we decided to dine in, and I definitely did not regret it. I ordered the fluatas plate and seriously one of the best. Right up there with la torta loca and la vic's, it's better if you order the beef fluatas. The rice was super fluffy, and the beans were so flavorful. Even their salsas and chips were the right amount of spice and flavor. Definitely on my favorite list and will be coming back. Highly recommend if you want a quick bite. Really cute mom and pop...