Santana’s; San Diego, CA (8 of 10)

If you want to get your Mex on, but you’re looking for a slightly healthier way to go about it, then check out Santana’s.  Their theme “Es Muy Bueno” is definitely true.  You won’t find Mexican Food here that is greasy, rather, you’ll find freshly prepared ingredients that prove delicious and (almost) nutricious.  The best thing Santana’s offers is their Achiote Chicken, which is esentially Pollo Asado with a delicious seasoning on it.  I like to get the Tecate Quesadilla with Achiote Chicken, which also comes with amazing green salsa/guacamole and sour creme.  The California Burrito and Carne Asada Fries are also pretty good…and like many San Diego restaurants, Santana’s is open 24 hours a day/7 days a week!  If you do go to Santana’s, SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS!  For every dollar you spend, you earn 5 points.  These points are redeemable for cool prizes…or discounts on your next visit.  With several locations to serve you, Santana’s offers a winning combination of good food, great hours, fun incentives, and a wonderful atmosphere; earning itself an 8 of 10 on the Mexiscale.

El Trailero; Ensenada, BCN (10 of 10)

Everything about this little taco stand is perfect!  The tacos, the tortas, the salsa, the location…you name it & they’ve got it going on!  Just north of the actual city of Ensenada, this taco stand (which in reality looks just like all the others) sits just on the side of Calle Uno, a haven for Mexican food enthusiasts and people who are just plain hungry.  The Carne Asada Tacos are the standard…and I would recommend them with a little cheese.  Add a handsome amount of their AMAZING salsa, and you’ve got yourself 1 delicious treat!  Don’t be afraid to order a bunch, because it will take at least 6 to get you full…but the best part is: THEY’RE CHEAP!  For something a little different, but equally delicious, grab a Carne Asada Torta.  Again, add salsa and dig in.  Top off the whole meal with a nice, tall, cold bottle of Mexican Coke…it’s a meal fit for a king…and all for $5 or less (U.S.).  El Trailero scores a major DIEZ out of 10 on the Mexiscale…and is crowned “God of Tacos” by me.

Lolita’s; San Diego, CA (9 of 10)

This place is delicious.  There are only 4 of them, and the one that I go to off Clairmont Mesa Drive.  The Carne Asada has a ton of flavour, which is what makes this place so good.  The Carne Asada Fries (like nachos, but with fries instead of chips), and the California Burrito are amazing because of this fact.  In addition, friends have had also tried the enchiladas and tacos, which have also been given good reviews.  Of the many different places that I have sampled in San Diego county, Lolita’s is top thus far for California Burrito and Carne Asada Fries.  The winning combination of good French Fries and quality, tastey asada earns them a 9 out of 10 on the Mexiscale.

Tacos Gordos; Aptos, CA (6 of 10)

Exactly like Taqueria Vallarta (we think they might be affiliated), this restaurant has thwe same colours, menu, tastes, and prices.  Located in the small shopping center across from the Aptos Library off of Soquel Dr, this is another great place to go for a good burrito if you’re in the south end of Santa Cruz County.  I have been getting the carne asada super nachos of late, but for a full detail on this restaurant, read the post on Vallarta.  6 out of 10.

Viva Fresh; Los Angeles, CA (8 of 10)

This is a great place to get a really good California Burrito.  Located just a few blocks awaty from the LMU campus in L.A., fairly priced, delicious burritos is what this restaurant is known for.  I was introduced to this relatively small Mexican Food stand by my buddies at LMU, and like Freebirds, I make it a point to visit this place whenever I am nearby.  Not much more to say about Viva Fresh…try it, you’ll likey.  8 out of 10.

Freebirds; Isla Vista, CA (9 of 10)

This taco shop, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (I love Southern California for their 24 hour Mexican food) is definitely LEGIT.  I’ve never actually ordered a burrito there, but what’s the point?  The nachos are HUGE and oh so tastey!  The taco shop is “line-style,” and basically lets you order whatever you want at the beginning, and add to it as you go.  Meaning, you order nachos at the front of the line and working your way down have them add beans, salsas, and other goodies, of which they have 3-4 options of each type of topping.  The steak is ridiculously good, and everything else looks delicious as well (though I always stick with steak since it’s been good to me).  The only thing that would make this place better is if it had slightly lower prices.  It’s good and the portions are large, but you can also expect to pay for that fact.  I look forward to a Freebirds visit every time I’m in Santa Barbara, and go out of my way to stop there…even if only passing from Santa Cruz to San Diego, or vice versa.  Super legit, Freebirds scores a HUGE 9 out of 10 on the Mexi-scalo (that would be Spanglish for “Mexicale.”

Taqueria Tecomen; Watsonville, CA (6 of 10)

From the outside, it looks like a small trailer with an iguana on it.  On the inside, it looks like a 50’s diner.  Either way, this place is legit.  One of many taquerias within a short distance of Granite Construction in Watsonville, home of my summer job, walking into this burrito place is a bit like stepping into somone’s home.  A nice young lady takes your order, and a nice older woman (her mother I suspect) makes  up your burrito.  Everything is cooked right then and there, and the burrito is so home made, that it doesn’t even get wrapped correctly.  Don’t let the presentation fool you though, these ladies know what they’re doing.  I had the super burrito with carne asada (and as usual, no beans) and it was awesome.  If I ddin’t have so little time left in my internship at Granite and so many other places that I want to try, I would definitely be eating at this place a lot more in the coming weeks.  6 out of 10 for mom and her daughter, hanging out in a trailer-like 50’s diner in Downtown Watsonville.

Gordos Taqueria; San Francisco, CA (4 of 10)

Not to be confused with Tacos Gordos in Aptos, I tried this taqueria based off a recomendation from my girlfriend’s cousins.  It was supposed to be “the best burrito I’d ever had.  Better than El Super.”  WRONG.  It wasn’t bad…it was a good-sized burrito at a normal price.  We ordered two: 1 with carne asada and the other with pollo asado.  The chicken was definitely better than the beef, which had a weird after taste and was kinda gross.  All in all this burrito place was a huge let down for all the hype it got…and not really worth the 30 minute drive we put in to get there.  I don’t even actually know which street it was on in SF…I believe it was near California Street.  It’s a small hole in the wall near a smoke shop in a mostly residential part of SF, but the moral of the story is at 4 out of 10, if you see Gordos Taqueria in San Francisco…walk away.

Taqueria Los Gallos; Scotts Valley, CA (5 of 10)

I have only eaten here once. My friend Grady said that I would find an amazing burrito. He wasn’t entirely incorrect. The taqueria looked nice on the inside, with a Vallarta/Los Pericos-esque type menu (including the turbo). The guy at the counter was super friendly, and when I asked him what their best meat was, he told me that “Carnitas is most popular.” I couldn’t order it though, because I have to stick with a standard in order to compare one place to another. I ordered a jumbo burrito with carne asada. It was quite good, and tasted very much like Taqueria Vallarta…but with slightly lower quality steak. The salsa that they had was quite good though (I think it was a chipotle style). My opinion of this place may change with further visits, though I am not in Scotts Valley very often. For now, Los Gallos will have to be content settling in at a 5 out of 10 on the Mexiscale. To find Los Gallos, take Mount Herman road and it is directly across the street from the movie theatre billboard, right near Round Table, in the same shopping center as Taco Bell.

Taqueria Delicias 2; Watsonville, CA (1 of 10)

In hopes to find a good Taqueria close to work, I branched out to Delicias in Watsonville… about a block away from my summer internship at Granite Construction.  The food was very cheap, but not any good.  They used nacho cheese instead of the real stuff, and all of the meat was not only of poor quality, but extremely greasy.  If you are in Watsonville looking for a good Mex., steer clear of Taqueria Delicias on Lake Avenue in Downtown Watsonville.