Santana's Mexican Food — Restaurant in Phoenix

Rating: 2.5 / 5

Today I decided to break from my usual lunch routine and give Santana’s a try after seeing a few appealing photos and posts online. I opted for the drive-thru, so I can't speak to the dine-in experience or atmosphere.

Unfortunately, my visit left me unsure about whether I’d return. While the restaurant wasn’t busy, it took a noticeable amount of time before anyone acknowledged me at the speaker. That alone wasn’t a dealbreaker, but there were a few red flags that followed. After placing my order, I wasn’t given a total, and when I got to the window, I still received no total or receipt. If not for my bank app notifying me of the charge, I wouldn't have known how much I paid for lunch.

I ordered a carne asada quesadilla and a Dr. Pepper. The food took a bit to come out, which I assumed meant it was being made fresh — a good sign. Visually, the quesadilla looked fantastic and I was genuinely excited to dig in. However, the first bite was a letdown. While the portion of carne asada was generous, the meat itself lacked seasoning and flavor. The sauce included with the meal ended up doing all the heavy lifting.

In short, Santana’s had potential but fell short on execution. There were some positives — portion size and presentation — but basic flavor and customer service details missed the mark. I might give it another chance, but I’d go in with cautious...

Awesome atmosphere! Genuinely good Mexican food, family owned and operated! Angela and Karen (Mother and Daughter) takes order, Dad cooks. This family is very courteous, and they make the best food ever! Prices just went up, However they are still lower than most and you get good size portions. Love that I can actually get full, and the cabbage-salad bar is best (no-one else has this tasty condiment!) I hope they add radishes to the condiment bar to make it complete(cucumbers would be great too) No doubt about it, this is the best fast-food Mexican food in all of Phoenix and for sure the best priced daily...

First 2 times ordered food, it was fine. This last time however, I ended up waking up sick in the middle of the night. My 2 yr old son didn't eat his bean rice and cheese burrito so I saved it. Re-heated it and took one bite and there was a piece of a wire sponge in the burrito. Thank goodness my son didn't end up eating that! For a piece of brillo pad to get into a burrito makes me uneasy about how clean the kitchen is and explains why I ended up sick after the super nachos, which had beans as well. Disgusted. Disappointed. Won't be...