California Taco Shop — Restaurant in Independence

I have been here 5 times. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. I thought the service and food times would get better, but they haven't. I like the taste of their food, but the time it takes to get your food, and the service mistakes make this restaurant not worth it. First two times I went it took 30 minutes to get food. I chalked it up to not being open long. The third time I went I tried the drive thru thinking it would be faster. He asked me to wait and 7 minutes later I said hello and he tried to take my order. The man taking orders didn't seem to understand English. Over and over and over and over and over (I'm not exaggerating) I explained my order and he didn't understand(it was a chicken quesdilla and their burrito special with veggie burrito). Finally he said he had it. I pulled forward, with one car ahead of me at the window. After 25 minutes in the drive Thru I went inside. Not only did he not have my order right, but it had never been submitted to the kitchen. It took 50 minutes in total to get my food. I thought, okay, I will call ahead. On my fourth try I called ahead and gave them 27 minutes to make my food. It wasn't ready when I got there and I had to wait 10 more minutes. On my fifth and final time I called ahead giving them 30 minutes. I got there and my food wasn't ready after being assured on the phone 30 minutes was all they would need . I waited 7 more minutes. I came home, cut into my burrito to find it wasn't vegetarian, but filled with beef! They agreed to replace the burrito, but not the chips and cheese. I drove back, got the correct order, and by the time I got home the chips were cold and the cheese was solid.

If you have 30 to 50 minutes to wait on drive thru quality food that is only correct 3 out of 5 times then this is the...

The food at the California Taco shop is the biggest draw of the restaurant. The service is, while not anything very special, is good enough that you'll be satisfied. The restaurant itself is rather run down, and it's obvious that it was merely painted over from it's original life as a Long John Silvers, with old booths and worn down but well kept tables. Lighting is also pretty poor, and on a cloudy day or at night the restaurant feels pretty gloomy

The food though really makes up for the complaints, mostly. Though the menu offers little that really pops out, it doesn't really need to as the quality of the food has a good chance of convincing you to come back to try something else next time. With that in mind, I'm not sure if the prices are quite justified. A burrito with rice, beans and a medium drink was over $11, which you can get for equal if not less at a sit down restaurant that has more to each dish and higher quality service (though an assortment of salsas and seasonings are available at a self-serve cart). This isn't to discredit the quality of the food, but it is just a touch steep for the price.

This restaurant is a great pick if you're looking for food that serves well for the namesake of the location, as long as you aren't too distracted by the building being a bit run down and dated. Though a bit pricey, it's easy to enjoy most of the menu, and the sauces and additions you can get can be both incredibly tasty...

Having been born and raised in Southern California, I can say that I've been searching for a taco shop that matches the taco shops at home. I've never found anything to come even remotely close (Even resorting to bringing home burritos in my carry-on when I visit) that is until I went to this Taco shop. I would have given it five stars except the prices for being in MO are also very similar to California as well (not a good thing) My biggest complaint, as a San Diego native, I must say it's rather disappointing that neither the "California" burrito OR the "San Diego" burrito come with guacamole. You have to pay extra to add that?!!A burrito modeled after California or San Diego should AUTOMATICALLY come with guacamole. That's the most ridiculous thing. AND it's quite expensive to add. Almost every burrito you buy in San Diego, California Is going to have guacamole. So whoever did their research. I'm giving you free information. Add the guacamole if people don't want it. They can have it taken off but they should not have to pay to add something that should be there in the first place. If it's a San Diego burrito, I'll give you five stars next time if you add the guacamole! And a California burrito should have 4 ingredients. It should have carne asada, guacamole, cheese and french fries. Not potatoes, not wedges, french fries. That's it. Otherwise it was...