Los Primos Cantina

I hate leaving bad reviews but I have grown tired of going out to eat and having the staff overlook my order when I am very clear on what I want, and I am always polite when asking. I simply ordered «a bean & rice burrito, plain — nothing else on it». The lady making my burrito asked me twice after if I wanted «this or that» on it too and I kept repeating «Just beans and rice only please» Long story short, I took my eye off her to grab some sauce to go… and I get home and several bites into my burrito I realize she put onions and cheese on it! I am allergic to cheese for one, and I hate onions… I threw it in the trash which was a total bummer but I had no other option. Mind you I also tipped them when paying. I will not be returning and do not recommend this place if you tend to order your food without cheese, onions, etc.

The food the food is THE STAR and always SUCH FRIENDLY HELP!!! My favorite things here are the super tasty tacos which are priced perfectly and are made just how you want ALSO LOVE LOVE the CARNE ASADA FRIES they will put whatever you want on it just ask them a little bit more sour cream, guac salsa etc and their SALSA bar alone is 5 STARS so how can anyone go wrong and the guys behind the counter are funny as well.

I ordered 2 tacos because I was starving after leaving the Unilocal Coffee Club event. I wanted a carne asada and carnitas but he gave me carne asada and chicken. I’m not sure how he screwed that up but I didn’t bother to complain. I was that hungry. He asked if I wanted tomatoes and cheese but I wanted onions and cilantro instead. I asked for the spicy salsa. Two tacos were about $ 5 but they were pretty big and filling. I paid with my credit card and happily ate my meal. The tacos were pretty standard. The spicy salsa isn’t that spicy. The meat was okay. It wasn’t spectacular by any means but not bad for some cheap tacos.

This place is a bust! I was so excited to have a local Mexican place to go to that’s nearby and can easily walk to. Portion sizes were huge and the quality was bland. Chips are stale, and the guacamole was sour. The salsas taste old and the jalepenos were squishy. The quesadilla we ordered was so greasy it left a pool of oil in the to go box. I would pay more money for an Americanize Mexican restaurant like Red-​O instead of coming here. But don’t get me wrong, I love me a hole in the wall, street food, if it’s made fresh like out of someone’s mom’s or grandma’s kitchen.
Sorry for the negative post. Just was very disappointed about this place.

price gets you a ton of food, portion control does NOT exist here
carne asada taco, carne was lacking some flavors, it was off
tostada is big and the carnitas are better tasting but taste was still off

Primo’s is just that. Real Mexican food from your primo’s get together!
Pros
Great $$$ for food portion
Tons of options
Great seasonal menu updates
Friendly service — except mean face guy
Real salsa bar
Add ons on your meal
Great hole in the wall with tons of flavor!
Sweet family run business ;)
5 stars on food
4 stars overall because cleanliness is very important.

It’s better than Chipotle and you get more for your money. Don’t expect ambience and don’t expect to use the restroom because there isn’t one. The vegetarian burrito was the size of my forearm. The salsa was good. They use a lot of rice as filler but it’s ok since it was big.

Los Primos is Primo! The California Burrito is epic, to say the least. The overall quality is not only great but the food and salsas are authentic in every way. Will be a repeat customer here often

I don’t know what was going on… But it took FOREVER to make a salad. Literally… I was here before 5 other people… and all 5 other people received their food before me… and their orders included multiple burritos!!! It was really bad… My fiancé and I already weren’t in the best of moods… this made it all worse. Don’t think it’s worth coming back here… The only thing they cooked on that salad was the chicken and that was a ridiculous amount of time… All the while they’re cooking a bunch of eggs for peoples’ breakfast burritos… Unacceptable. Not worth it.

My family and I have been enjoying Los Primos for over 20 years. In that time their consistent quality and generous portions have made them our #1 favorite homemade Mexican food. Nobody else comes close to the value and delicious food you’ll find here at Los Primos.
My favorites are the Burrito Especial with Carnitas and extras, the California Burrito and when I’m insanely hungry the Mr. Serious which is a double burrito.
A normal burrito at Los Primos is larger and more satisfying than those from Chronic or Chipotle or other wannabes.
Warning: after eating here you may be so full and happy a long siesta will be necessary.

I’ve eaten here three times.
Flavor: Sadly, every time has been seriously lacking in flavor! The chicken is bland, the carne-​asada I don’t even taste, I literally looked at the burrito a couple times to make sure it was in there! My wife did have the carnitas and thought it was tasty.
Value: Excellent value, you certainly get more than what you pay for. Portion size is important to me and they definitely give you a lot! I got full every time I ate here and could have possibly saved some.
Atmosphere: It’s a small place, feels like a «hole in the wall» but nothing special. Younger guy that works there looks mean and tough all the time, not inviting at all. I cracked a joke with him and got ‘em to smile but seriously, smile more! lol. No one wants to be served by someone who looks unhappy.
Overall: I don’t think I will be returning. I love Carne Asada but can’t stand how they don’t give it any flavor! If anyone has been to FreeBirds in Isla Vista, THAT is real Mexican food. I have yet to find a place that matches it :(Might try one or two of the other meats but my expectations have seriously dropped. I wanted to love it, ate it three different times over a year, not good!

Maybe the best carnitas I’ve ever had. I like the tacos and the tamales. Good breakfast too, I asked him to make me a breakfast tacos and they came back with egg, huge chucks of bacon, pico, and cheese. Great authentic spot.

Been eating here for years every time I am in the area. Food is always fresh and portions are huge. Economic and quality! Mr Serious!!! Great food, great people, great price. Highly recommended!

Always a fav for me. Always a sucker for little places like this. Good fast service, friendly and very tasty indeed. Just go there! You know you’ll get good stuff. Forget about ambiance and all that. If you want that then go somewhere where it’s more expensive and probably not as good.

If I could, I would give this place zero stars. The service was extremely bad. The girl ringing me up has a birthmark in between her eyes on her forehead. She was so rude to me, glaring at me the whole time, snapping at me and not answering my questions. She didn’t even listen to my order. When it came and I asked where part of it was she said «You didn’t order it, no you didn’t.» I couldn’t take the abuse much longer so I just said forget it and walked out. The other workers weren’t much helpful and besides that, my food was dry and I found a hair in my rice. I am so disgusted. Don’t give this place a second of your time.

I have a confession. I like burritos. But I like eating them with a spoon. Haha. And a quarter into my process of eating this massive carne asada burrito from this hole in the wall spot in beautiful Newport Beach… I noticed the spoon slicking off my lips. My 3 napkins became so transparent
–like I wiped the foreheads of a class of musty middle schoolers.
For the bottled water and carne asada burrito ($ 8.07), I should’ve just gone to chipotle. The ingredients would’ve been fresher, delicious, and satisfying without all the grease. There would’ve been AC instead of muggy air. There would’ve been brightness and cheer and smiley customer service that came in English.
I should know better (because I’m Asian and we know all things, especially math) than to not expect grease from a hole in the wall shop. The signs are apparent, and they add up in grease. But let it be known that I like to support small businesses; I like to be surprised about the quality. And I tried this place because of the positive reviews…
You people with the positive reviews: You lied. And my lunch break is ruined. Yes, I’m pissed off.

Massive portions! The famous vegetarian burrito was thrice the width of my arm. They also have a 2 pound meat burrito.
The portions – my god. It can feed you like 3 meals if you are 100 pounds like me. The joint has a very hole-​in-​the-​wall atmosphere. It has that classic authentic Mexican smell. I loved the taste of the veggie and they had a decent hot sauce bar with grilled onions and jalapeños as well.
There are a few tables inside but most people sit in the outside area. It’s definitely one of the better places in this plaza. Just be ware of the portions.

As a San Diego native, this place is subpar.
I came in on a Sunday morning for some breakfast burritos to-​go. I got the «Moot Special» and chorizo burrito.
First of all, the customer service sucks. There was no clear place to order so I went to the register to order. The girl just looked at me and walked away. I had to yell after her «Where do I order?!» I told her what i wanted and she didn’t write anything down. Then some guy that looked like her brother came out of the back and she whispered to him, and he walked into the back. After a few minutes of other orders being filled, the brother asked me again what I wanted. Overall, very unorganized and confusing to order and pay.
As for the food, the burritos were massive and after a few minutes in the bag they ripped right through the bottom. Usually that’s a good sign, but not this time. The moot burrito leaked all over my car too! The ingredients don’t taste fresh at all, the eggs taste microwaved and plastic-​like. The guacamole was nonexistent. There was soooo much nasty egg in the chorizo burrito that you couldn’t even taste the chorizo. Rice and beans were also tasteless. I’ve never had such terrible burritos! STAY AWAY. The cheap price isn’t worth it.
Also! My last purchase on my credit card was here before it was compromised, aka fraud started. I’m not accusing them but I wouldn’t be surprised if a worker there stole my card’s number. Be careful!

Needed to fuel up before a long day at the beach and decided to stop in here on the recommendation from trusty ol’ Unilocal!Let me first say this place has no A/​C so it was SUPER hot here and muggy. This is a really small whole in the wall place (which I like) and it’s located in the corner of a small plaza. When we first walked in, there was a guy and girl behind the counter prepping food. They didn’t greet us but whatever, no big deal. The guy taking my order (younger guy) is probably the same guy mentioned in the other reviews on here. He has a stank face and looks like he’s going to jump you if you cross him. lol. He definitely gives a «what do you want» attitude and seems like he doesn’t want to be there. If you are slow on what you want to order or indecisive, he can get impatient. Could be just his personality though.
3 Stars: Carne Asda Taco Combo Plate that comes with 1 Taco, Rice and Beans. The portions are huge on the taco so 1 will definitely be enough for the average eater if you are ordering the combo. The meat itself was a little on the dry side to me and was a little chewy and fatty. The rice and beans on the other hand were pretty darn good!
4 Stars: Fried Fish Burrito: HUGE burrito, fresh tasting fish! Didn’t taste unhealthy at all, would definitely come back for this one.
5 Stars for the Salsa Bar! I love that they have a SUPER CRAZY SPICY ASS Habanero salsa. WOW, this had me sweating! Great way to wake you up!
Would definitely give this spot another try if I’m ever in the area! Come here for the food, not the service!

We came in near closing time but service was fast, friendly, and food is still ample and fresh. Right next to banzai bowl and they accept credit cards!
Carne asada fries: yummy, but the guac is on sour side, I’m sure the extra citrus is used to cut the quick avocado oxidation rate.
California burrito: different than the usual, they serve pollo not carne asada without fries, over decent, but I wished they had grilled/​toasted the tortillas a bit.
Tamale plate: a little on the bland and stale side, probably better in the morning/​lunch hour?

Ohhhh como me encanta la comida mexicana! Los Primos es mi favorito!
If you read my reviews you know I love mexican food and love Chorizo and pork. Los Primos does Chorizo like no one else. If you have a large appetite, and you know I do, you HAVE to get the Chorizo here. It’s HUGE, juicy, greasy and soooo tasty. I can’t have Chorizo without black beans so add them here as well. Dump in lots of salsa and you’re set!
Their carne asada is perfect as well. If you want flavorful mexican food, come here. If you want large portions, come here. If you want an extremely fair price (or cheap date) come here! If you want healthy, gluten-​free, lactose-​free, fat-​free and low calories, do not come here. I promise you can’t go wrong here.
Order in spanish for even better treatment. ;)