California Burritos

I was here on December 30, 2017 at around 21:30 with 3 of my friends. I was the one that suggested to go here after my friend wanted to eat out. I picked here because I did my research both on Yelp and Google reviews (both had 4.5/5 stars) and we wanted to eat near Convoy St. area. At the time of my visit, there was only 2 people eating there. The location is near Sharp Memorial Hospital and not too far away from Mesa College. The service was great. When we walked in, a friendly, smiling cashier greeted us. This was our first time so my friends ordered burrito. I was tempted to order a burrito since I read reviews that most people come for that and the rolled tacos, but I ordered carne asada fries instead. Then I asked to change it to carnita fries realizing that it would be the same price and i wanted to try something different other than carne asada fries. My friend and I munched on some chips for about 5 minutes while watching the television before the food came out. Anyways, my carnitas was great, it was hot and delicious. I ordered with everything which includes tomato, guacamole, and sour cream in addition to cheese and fries. My friends also agreed that the food was great. Few things I want to mention. First of all, the place is small. There was about 6 seats inside the store. There are some tables outside for about 4-6 tables that sits about 4 each. Since the place is small, I do not think they have a public restroom. You probably have to run to the 7-Eleven next door to use it. Third, the location of the restaurant is weird. Feels kind of ghetto-ish at night. Fourth, the food quality is not perfect. Some of the fries I had some were soggy. However most were crunchy. I also think they gave a lot of sauce too which could have caused some of the fries to be a bit soggy. This is minor problem for me as the price I paid for was cheap and their portions were great for what it is. I would have normally given this place a 4/5 star, but let me explain why they deserve a 5 star.

1. Price: The carne asada fries is only $8.25. That is $1.75 cheaper than my favorite carne asada fries. Also, their portion for the food was huge for the price I paid. They packed it well. The burrito my friend ordered was reasonably priced. California burrito was $6.50 and the portion was great. Overall the price of this place is cheaper than many other Mexican joints I have been to and they gave plenty of food. Most of my fries tasted crunchy and the meat was on point.
2. Service: The cashier who took our order was friendly, she waited for us and explained what each item had.
3. Freebies: Did I mention free chips? Yes, I read that they are a bit stale/soggy and old, but you have to realize that this is FREE if you dine in. Why complain when it is free when this is a bonus? I haven't been to many Mexican joints that gives you free chips to munch while waiting for the food.
4. Food: As I mentioned earlier, the food was great especially the carnitas that I had. My friends liked the burrito. It is not perfect, but the price and quality is there. I do not have the best taste buds and it won't please everyone, but this is good for the price you pay.
5. Hours and location: They are one of the few locations to open quite late in the area (23:00). And there were people coming in here and there while we were eating. There you have it, great quality food at a reasonable price with good customer service. I did not want to forget the impression that they left with me and my friends.