Kalaveras - Burbank — Restaurant in Burbank

Date night once again, and this time, we went out with some friends. We landed in Kalaveras on Taco Tuesday by accident, and the place was pretty busy! The interior is very bright colored on dark background, illuminated by flourescent neon lamps that make the colors pop in a very Latino style illustration. There are many big screen tvs that they might use for game nights, and they have a happy hour from 3pm-7pm mon-fri. The drinks were very good too, I had a Margarita al Tamarindo. I had the Quesbirria Tacos, 3 regular size Tortilla tacos filled with barbacoa, and served with a consommè dipping sauce and a really good spicey salsa that I couldn't see (very dark), only detail: they were supposed to be crispy. My wife had the Esquite (street corn), which for my taste was a little bit mayo-forward. My wife also had the Taquitos filled with potatoes that were also delicious. The other couple that was with us took advantage of the taco Tuesday and ended up getting 6 tacos with 3 different fillings. You can then go to the salsa bar to add all your condiments. The tacos are a little smaller than the usual street tacos, but they only cost $1.49 (fish is not included in the offer). For dessert, we had the Flan and the Churro-ice cream sandwich, which we devoured. I might have preferred the Flan to be chilled more, but maybe that's just me. The service was very polite, and they offered to help my wife with the lift. It was just a little strange that there weren't any silverware or napkins, and I would have liked for all our food to arrive at the same time. Overall, it's a VERY good bite for your buck! Everything we ordered tasted great, and the service was very energetic (don't give them a hard time on busy nights! Order another drink!)

Lastly, the tip of the day (server for 8 years): ALWAYS be polite with people that handle YOUR food!...

I took my wife here tonight to celebrate her birthday. I made reservations off OpenTable because I know this place can get busy since I pass by here a couple of times. We arrived like 15 minutes early but they were still able to sit us. My wife wanted something downstairs near the bar so we for seated there. The music is louder down there so be aware. We came during happy hour so I was able to order off it. I got the buffalo wings which were bone in 5 pieces and the 3 soft tacos with carne asada, chicken and barbacoa which the waitress recommend. My wife got the chicken mole and a strawberry margarita per the waitress recommendation. I got a coke to drink and I didn't know it was the one in the glass so no refills. My wife liked her strawberry margarita but said it was a little strong. Then our food came out quick, my wife enjoyed her chicken mole. I didn't really like my soft tacos because all 3 meat didn't have that much of a taste. My favorite was the buffalo wings, they were spot on and delicious. We got a new waiter for some reason so I decided to also try their loaded asada fries which the waiter said was good, I just asked for extra pico, no guacamole and no cream. The fries took a while to come out and I will say it was not my favorite. During this time, the employees also came to sing happy birthday to my wife and bring her a flan dessert. The customer service here was amazing, when they saw I was done with a dish they came right away to clear it off the table. The manager who was the guy in the suit was standing around paying attention to every guest and brought is extra napkins without us asking. The music can get loud later in the day so be aware of that but I would recommend coming...

A few weeks ago, I went to Kalaveras with two friends on a Sunday expecting a fun time but it turned into a disappointing and frustrating experience. Our server, Jesus, was pushy from the start. When we ordered margaritas, he immediately told us not to get the regular tequila because it was “cheap and bad quality” and said he would give us “something better.” We were expecting something like Patron or 1800 not anything outrageous.

When the bill came, it was nearly $1,000, and we were shocked. We asked why, and Jesus casually said we had Don Julio 1942 the most expensive tequila on the menu. We were never told what tequila we were getting or the price. He even brought the bottle to the table and said, “Congratulations, you finished a bottle,” as if it was a joke. It felt like a scam.

On top of that, the tip was already included in the bill without any notice, so if you’re not careful, you end up tipping again without realizing it. When we asked to speak with a manager, Jesus said he was the manager, which felt like a way to avoid accountability.

Worst of all, after the bill situation, we could hear Jesus and some of the other staff laughing and talking about us loudly in a corner completely unprofessional and disrespectful.

Kalaveras, you need to do better. This kind of sneaky upselling and lack of transparency is not okay. Be careful if you visit, and always check your bill. Shame on this place for letting someone like that represent...