On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
I've been tot this El Burro many times over the years, and every visit has always been very pleasant, enjoyable, and we've always had a delicious meal. The service is pretty darn good, and the atmosphere is nice and casual. But you really come here for the food, and wow, the portions are generally HUGE. I can safely assume that I'll be taking home some food whenever I eat here, so the value is very decent; prices are competitive.
Everything I've tried here has always been yummy in my tummy. So, I'd definitely recommend eating here. The biggest downside is that parking can be a pain when the shopping center is busy. You can usually find parking in the parking garage, but it's a bit of trek. But it's worth it.
I eat at a lot of Mexican Food places but this seems to be the only place that gives me bad stomach aches. The service is subpar, the food is subpar, and the theme restaurant is kind of tacky.
Out of the 4 times I've been there, 2 times, I've gotten really horrible tasting soda (either flat soda or syrup-less soda).
This is California, there are SO much better Mexican places to eat than El Burro.
I don't even know what to say -- oh wait! Yes I do!
Geezus! I went in here with an open mind, I've eaten here years ago a few times and thought, "This place is kinda blah." So here I am again and we go sit upstairs. My guy orders us water & margaritas, (the water never showed up) but the margaritas came out fast! Oh, cool! So then the salad comes out, and after a few bites, I notice THE ABDOMEN OF A WASP IN MY SALAD! I don't freak out, but I kindly push my salad aside to show our server. Our dinner arrives and I say, "I just wanted to let you know there was a half of a wasp in my salad." She was apologetic, and I told her I just wanted to her to know. I'm a food whore, so no bee's butt is going to ruin my appetite. So I had the enchilada verde, nothing to scream about, it was edible.
FYI -- if you let your server know what's going on, (For example; HALF OF A WASP IN YOUR SALAD) you will be IGNORED FOR THE REMAINDER OF YOUR DINNER! Gee, thanks! Oh yeah, still no water.
I'm not squeamish, but I have a wasp ass in my salad! I'd figure an additional apology with the check would be nice, I'm not even expecting a kickback of any kind, (don't worry, we didn't get one) but now we are being ignored and tossed the check -- as if we were the problem! Wow!
If you love Bee Salad, this place is for you! Especially if you want it without water.
Ambience is worth two stars and that's all you're going to get when you come here.
Once upon a time, this was a great Mexican spot with good food and reasonable prices, I still love the look and feel of the restaurant and still enjoy the patio on a warm evening with friends, but the food just isn't worth it anymore, There is no flavor left in the cooking and the wait staff is just as dull and lifeless.
Sad to say that after all these years, there are no more Encores here...
I don't recommend this place. Generic tasteless Mexican food.
Medicare Chips, with Salsa. Service was below average. Waiters are careless and teenager types.
Margarita's are just plain.
I could not understand why this place has not shut down as of yet.
Starchy tasteless food. Only highlight was bottled beer and musc playing nearby outside this restaurant.
As a rule of thumb, the further away you get from the Mexican border, the less authentically appeasing the Mexican food gets. El Burro falls into this nomadic notion. However, even though distance might lead to distaste - that should be excommunicated when laying homage here, as the massive portions are absolutely benevolent; thus gaining a star when it comes to cost effectiveness.
"The Donkey", which is the English translation for, "El Burro", in my honest and forthright opinion, should be categorized as comfort food. Most dishes are smothered in cheese and are drowning in what they call, "Mario's Special Sauce". Now I don't know about you, but I've known a few Mario's that were a tad bit sinister and convoluted. That coupled with "special sauce" might lead to an image better left for Internet chat rooms and in the stalls of perverted minds. Just don't piss off the server(s), that's all I have to say.
In conclusion, as the Ashford and Simpson hit, "Solid", goes. . .
"Solid
Solid as a rock!!!
And nothing's changed it"
A 3-Star solid, indeed.
This is some of the worst Mexican food the Dark Lord has ever come across. Their choice of meat is really dry chicken, or ground, greasy meat. I ordered a dish with an enchilada, a Chile Relleno and a taco. It was disgusting.
They smeared the whole dish with a gravy type sauce. Horrible.
We hadn't been here in a long time so we thought we would try it out again.
I had the Carne Adovada, the beans and rice portion of the meal was good, but it's hard to mess those up. The pork was awful. It was sliced very thinly, and overly seasoned, then overcooked to a hard consistency. When I mentioned something they said that is the way it is served. I should've gone with something more usual but thought I would venture...bad idea.
The husband had Chicken Enchiladas, which were good. I even tried a bite and wished I had ordered those. Good flavor on the sauce, and nice tender chicken.
Note of advice - skip the salad that comes with the meal. It is plain iceberg lettuce with either a Thousand Island dressing or a house made vinaigrette. They could add croutons or something...
if I read your reviews and you gave this place a 4+, I will steer clear of the rest of your reviews.
this place is mediocre.
Don't expect authentic Mexican food here! Instead expect huge truck driver plates and fair to good Americanized Mexican Food. I gave it a 3 stars cuz I've been coming here for many many years so it brings back some fond memories for me. I remember dear sweet Mario running around and greeting the guests. The food has not changed in 38 years. I guess that's a good thing! I recommend their chili relenos and their tostadas are good especially the crab tostadas! The service is usually fast and you'll get seated right away cuz the place is huge.
My friends and I will not be returning.
After an afternoon of wedding and bridesmaid dress shopping, we headed for Mexican food right across the way from Trudy's, the best wedding dress shop I've been to.
We ordered and ate and I felt my food was average at best. I'm not sure how my friends felt about the food.
However, when we went to pay, the waitress refused to split the check, instead telling us we can pay with multiple credit cards or cash. So we took the time to divide up the bill onto 3 credit cards. The manager comes to our table to tell us they can only do 2 cards. We tell her the waitress told us we could pay with multiple methods and never mentioned a limit on credit cards. We also were not allowed to do 2 cards and cash. Evidently, it's 2 payment methods maximum.
My friends and I go out together multiple times every week. We have NEVER had this happen before. There is nothing stopping them from putting in more than 2 cards, other than the 20 cent surcharge per card from the credit card processing company.
So, to make a long story short, they made 4 girls really unhappy over 20 cents. And they charged one of my friends like $2 for extra sour cream. I call BS.
As far as Mexican food goes, this place is pretty solid. For the price you pay for a plate of enchiladas which comes with bean and rice, it's a bargain. Especially when this plate is enough to feed two people. Seriously. We ordered an enchilada suiza plate with a side of tamale to split between the two of us and barely managed to finish it. Our bill came out to a little over $20, which I always feel a little guilty about spending at a Mexican joint, but still a nice meal to enjoy once in a while.
The atmosphere is very pleasant and the waitresses are nice. I would not come here for lunch though because for the portion and the price you pay is not a good of deal if you were to come for dinner. But if you do come for lunch, prices of a burrito is on par with taquerias.
Note: FREE chips and salsa and they do not do dinner to-go orders on Friday and Saturday nights. I believe take-out for these days are only from 11AM-3PM.
Quality: 2 stars
Quantity: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: 1 star
(2.25 average)
This place is large. Outside patio of a decent size. Two levels inside. Getting a table for nine people on a Friday night was not a problem.
El Burro is not cheap Mexican food. I consider it a bit pricey. Our tab was $199 and change for four adults and five teenagers. An average cost of $20 per person. That's pricey in my book for our experience. Granted, portions are huge, but I don't care about portions. Quality matters to me way more than quantity.
El Burro is not good Mexican food. Very mediocre flavors. Perhaps I'm spoiled. Mexican cuisine is my native food. I yearn for rich, bold and deep flavors. The flavors here were quite muted, bordering on bland. The guacamole was runny (I like chunky guac) and in serious need of salt, seasoning and lime (we mixed in salsa). While the chips seemed fresh, they were stone-cold and hard, rather than crisp. Salsa was good.
Service was efficient. Not friendly, but not rude. Just......efficient.
El Burro is located in the Pruneyard just below Kyoto Palace. It's an expansive, but comfortable setting.
Wow. I had some takeout from here last week and it was really mediocre. But hey, it's Mexican cuisine coming from the Pruneyard in Campbell. What did I expect?
Quick random language lesson that will begin to make sense later in the review: "El Burro" in Spanish means "The Donkey" in English. In addition, "The Donkey" in English can also mean "The Ass."
With that said, "El Burro" in Spanish can roughly translate to "The Ass" in English. And well, the name "El Burro" makes perfect since the food tastes like it's rough Spanish to English translation.
The chicken quesadilla I had was horrible. "El Burro" uses boiled, shredded chicken with absolutely zero seasoning or flavoring. They then melt American style cheese inside a tortilla that is not browned at all on the outside, which is a sure sign they microwave their quesadillas.
So let's recap the main course: When you order a chicken quesadilla "El Burro" you get a somewhat soggy, far from crispy tortilla filled with melted American cheese and boiled, shredding chicken with no seasoning or flavoring.
For side dishes, you get a small serving of bland Spanish style rice that tastes and resembles Rice-A-Roni Spanish rice. In addition, you get a lumpy, cafeteria serving of refried beans mixed with American cheese. The presentation is terrible and unappetizing.
I cannot comment on the service, but if the food is any indication, their service has to be why they stay in business. Or the fact that Campbell citizens think this is Mexican food. Or even worse, Taco Bravo.
Do yourself a favor and avoid "El Burro." Or Mexican food in Campbell altogether.
My future baby daddy and I went here for dinner as I wanted mexican food. He picked the place, I had never been here before. There is indoor and outdoor seating available, we opted to sit inside as it was a warm day.
The inside of the restaurant was huge would be a good place for a large party. The portions were good sized I ordered the flautas plate, it came with a starter salad, and the chips and salsa were actually good I am very picky when it comes to tortilla chips.
Service was excellent they came by often and filled up the drink glasses.
The restaurant was a nice place to sit and relax and it wasn't to loud for such a huge place.
I would like to go back and try some other food items!
Shredded beef tacos - good.
Service at 12pm out on the patio...SLOOOOOOW...
I swear it took them 45 mins to bring food to the table.
ugh. Not impressive and still no horchata!
NO HORCHATA!!!!?!??!?!
isn't that a crime?
oh, there drops 1.5 stars.
Food was okay. Not the best…
Read more »
I been coming here for years, ever since The Pruneyard was created.
There are some improvements El Burro needs to make. First, they really need to do a renovation as it is looking outdated. Next, the air circulation sucks especially when the place is crowded. Myself and friends were sweating. They also need to get new chairs as every chair at our table had a different height on it. I felt like a midget trying to reach for my drink.
Wait time was about 15 minutes at 7:00PM on a Friday night. BUT... as we were seated, there were at least 10 tables open in our section. No idea what all that was all about but to me that shows a lack of planning.
Other than that, its an ok place. Not spectacular, but a good place to go to hang out and have a nice inexpensive meal. Waitresses are friendly and so are hostesses. The food is pretty good with generous portions. Nothing spectacular to rave about - just a good place to eat.
my whole family has been going here for years. I love the food and the atmosphere.
All I can say is that i love the chicken fajitas and there chicken enchiladas...the sauce is to die for nice and creamy not your traditional dark red sauce. That is all i have tried from here.
My in-laws love this place, and the only reason I come here is because I love them (and they always choose this place for dinner). I hate to break it to them, but this is not good Mexican food.
The place looks like a dimly lit hacienda in Mexico circa 1974. It's big and accomodating for large parties, but why would you subject your guests to this place?
The food is boring. The menu is unnecessarily long. The chips are stale and the salsa is bleh. They start most dishes with a watery salad with either oil and vinegar or thousand island. The plates and cups are the plastic kind I used to get food served on in my elementary school cafeteria.
The service is always mediocre. The last time I went, our waiter was short with us and practically took our order as he ran by the table. He acted like he was doing us a favor.
The food is slopped on the plate and has no flavor. Go somewhere else.
I'm not the biggest fan of Mexican food. I mean, I like taquerias and taco bell, but sit down mexican food isn't my fave. El Burro is no different. It's not like it's nasty or anything like that, far from it, it just doesn't impress me.
On the plus side, they give you huge portions which is always nice. So I know when I eat there, I'm going to leave full. I've never had bad service there or any problems with the food, so three stars it is.
We've eaten at the Newark location many times; it's one of my bf's favorite place. So we were excited to find on in Campbell when we moved down south.
But I was very disappointed in this particular location. The salad tasted like it had been sitting out for days. Warm and not fresh and crispy. The salad dressing was very watery, which is definitely not what dressing should be. The chips were not warm, like the ones we always get at the Newark location. I always get the chicken enchilada plate. The enchilada and beans were good, but my rice was very dry.
I will say that the fact that this place is so big is a plus. We were seated right away when we came in. But I think we will always try to go to the Newark location when we want El Burro.
I literally grew up at this place. I grew up in Campbell close to the pruneyard. Last time I remember my parents being together before they divorced in the early 80's was in this restaurant.
I can still remember the salads they severed in those circle wooden type bowls with the red beats on top, and there huge cheese enchilada plate.
I can remember the many birthday dinners of mine and my fathers in this place.
This place and Taco Bravo, are the places I miss most.
Sprawling Casa de Bland
A huge restaurant with tons of tables which would be great for large groups. A jumbo sized outdoor patio makes for a lovely hang out on a warm summer evening. Sadly the food and service was very disappointing.
The chips and salsa was only so so. The house side salad consists of a pile of iceberg lettuce with a spattering of tasteless oil/vinegar dressing and one slice of beet on top, which I can only assume is to make it look like a salad and not just a bowl of lettuce.
The chicken enchiladas at $10.95 were quite bland as the chicken tasted boiled in a bland tortilla and sauce. A huge trough of bland refried beans a scoop of dry bland spanish rice came with it.
Dos XX amber beer would have been the only highlight except the glass that was served with it (to all our guests) was covered with smudgy fingerprints. Service was terrible, the waitress was not friendly and didn't come by at all to see if we ever wanted any additional beverages or to check on us.
I may return to have a few drinks on the patio, however I'll bring a bottle of tasty hot sauce in my purse in case I order any food.
This is one of my favorite Mexican joints in the south bay. Its too bad for me I don't live down this way anymore or i would stop by more often. The bascom one is better the newark but they are both very good.
My family has been comin here since the early 90's and they have always been awesome. I love seating outside in bascom, its hella kick back, good music. good sangria.
My favorite is the chicken salads its HUGE. seriously it comes in a bowl that looks like a big ass mixing bowl in the kitchen, put there vinegar and oil dressing on it and i am happy happy.I usually eat the whole thing everytime, feel uncomfortably full then digest and want some more. They make awesome tostadas, awesome burritos the chimichangas are a bit much for me in the fried department.
Give this place a try you wont be dissapointed.
Got one star, because I had to give it something. The menus were too long and covered in food. The chips were stale and salsa was bleh.
I ordered a beef burrito and asked if they could put lettuce in it, since all it had was beef and pinto beans and a little bit of cheese melted on top, and was told no. Hubby ordered some enchilada dish and it came with one enchilada and a massive amount of sauce, which he thought was more like gravy. There was definitely more gravy than enchilada. My "large" margarita was $15 and was the size of a normal margarita in most restaurants. By the way, no black beans here, so hope you like pinto beans with no flavor and dry spanish rice for your side dishes.
When our dishes finally came and I saw how dry my burrito was I ordered a side of sour cream, that eventually came 5 minutes later. My husband was basically done with his one enchilada and pound of gravy before I got to eat.
El Burro = El Sucko!
Went here on a Friday night around 7:30 or so. We walked right in and were seated immediately, so that was awesome. We all got margaritas, and they were some of the best margs I have had out in a while! I got the frozen strawberry one, and CNP and JRP got regular ones on the rocks. We all agreed that were yummy. I got the cheese enchiladas with olives in them, and they were really yummy, too. Service was fast and friendly.
I thought this place was great, and will most definitely be back!
I was excited to go here, since a few friend came here before and liked it. Well I gotta say I'm not really impressed. My chicken burrito with colorado sauce tasted good, but not great. The rice was a little over done and the burrito was a little small. I almost think the plate was sitting in the warmer, since my rice had a slight crust and was dry. The beans were super hot which is good. The salsa has a nice spice, but in the end the service was super slow. Our waiter had about 4 tables while 3 other waiters just stood by. I may give this another round when my friend wants to come back.
They should rename it El Blando! We went to El Burro last night and it was the most boring "mexican" food I've ever encountered. I ordered chicken enchiladas, the sauce had no flavor and neither did the rice or beans! It wasn't worth eating it was so blah! The salad was iceberg with one slice of a beet. My friend ordered the veggie enchiladas and said the sauce tasted like the gravy you'd put on mashed potatoes, she didn't eat them. Our other friend ordered chili Colorado and really liked it. The chips were obviously bagged (not fresh) and the salsa was uninspired.
The food did come out very quickly and was hot. The waiter also took off the veggie enchiladas. The portions were huge.
I am amazing by all the good reviews for this place. I don't consider myself the most critical of yelpers, but this place was highly disappointing.
I moved away but when I'm back in town I go here even if we just take it home. Not many places can make better salsa in that area.. I go nuts with the salt on my warm chips. Margaritas are always on point and there's basically nothing better than the steak and shrimp fajitas. The enchiladas are great the next day as leftovers. It's a step up from any other of its type. It's in a pretentious part of town but worth using my passport to visit. We spent so many family dinners here celebrating different milestones in our lives. We always leave barely breathing. It took me almost 10 years before I ordered something off the dessert menu. YES.. they use Lard, Get Over It. Thats what makes good beans GOOD. Most people expect this kind of food to represent Mexican cuisine and in that case it does a fair job. Just thought I should encourage others to try this place out.
I love this place! They have the yummy Mexican food and the service is nice. I love the strawberry margarita's and the chips and salsa are tasty.
Whenever I am on that side of town, I like to go to El Burro and eat.
MMMMMMMMMMMM.....
This is also a great place to bring friends and family, even business clients. It is a kind of classy and sassy and I like that for business and fun.
Food is consistently good. Service is always consistently bad. Salsa rocks! I would say that the place needs to be updated. We have been coming here for 10+ years and it still looks the same. There is another location in Newark, CA, but I like Campbell best.
Still a fan of this place even after all these years, whether it be a large party with our work group, dinner with the family, or just eating out with the hubby. The menu offers a wide selection so you're bound to find something that soothes your taste palettes. I'm always telling myself to be more adventurous and try other things on the menu, but I can't help but stick to my usual the Chicken Chipichanga! A word of advice, if you come here, come hungry! HUGE portions! My baked Chipichanga (loaded with guacamole, sour cream, and green Verde sauce) was monstrous even for my big appetite and only about $10 bucks, score! I'm always taking my leftovers home. My hubby is usually more spontaneous and has tried more of their menu options such as Enchiladas, Flautas, and Fajitas. No complaints on any. Our meals came with a side salad along with rice and beans. You also get free chips and salsa yum! But watch out the salsa is a bit spicy! Place has a nice decor, spacious, and quick service.
My family and I won't be returning to El Burro. Horrible food and even worse ambiance. I do NOT recommend this restaurant to any one. Head to the nearest Taco Bell and you'll leave with a better flavor of Mexican food than this place. The food is horrible as far as authenticity. Not even close. I don't know how this place has stayed open all these years. If you've ever had authentic Mexican food, I assure you that you will not return to this place!
I blame it all on the donkey.
Whenever I had a bad day I knew El Burro would make it all better just like when the Oracle tells Neo the fresh baked cookie will "make everything right as rain." So now I crave Mexican when times are tough and am feeling eternally damned. Especially when I have yet to find anything like it in Seattle and the surrounding burbs.
The chips are warm and delicious. The salsa is perfect. I always ordered a margarita (bad day- it is a must). Then I would order the small plate of a cheese enchilada with rice and beans. The accompanying party always got some searing hot meat dish that was always tasty. My mouth, my stomach and my soul are all starting to thank me.
I have to request a box to go- yes- even the small plate is that big and I like to eat. I start to remember that tomorrow is a new day. And now I am terribly lonely for the donkey.
Chicken Enchalatas! Yum!
Strawberry Margarita! Yum!
We also went here for Cinco de Mayo... great venue/location...good times!
If only they had a Mariachi band, I would have given them 5 stars!
I too would come back.
I looooove El Burro!
When I am craving some mexican food this place always hits the spot!
The beans and rice are perfection! Fried mexican rice with mushy cheesey refried bean.. yum!
The meat is so tender and has so much flavor, it taste like it has been slow cooking all day. The chips and salsa are great!
I love the burritos....tacos...enchiladas....almost everything!
The quesodillas are massive and loaded with cheese.
This place has huuuuuuuge portions! I can always share when I come here.. and why are those little salads you get before your meal so damn good? I mean its a basic salad but tastes sooo yummy!
The margaritas are also awsome.. and you get so much for your money.
I knocked off a star because they like to charge for everything! Dont ask for olives on you enchilada's that will cost you a buck extra for 10 olive slices!
If you in the mood for some hearty authentic mexican food and good margaritas... El Burros is the place to go..
Oh yeah and as other people mentioned parkings a biiotch!
Went to El Burro with a group of 5 on Cindo de Mayo for the first time.
This place is huge and I was surprised that they seated us right away. I wasn't thrilled with their food, but the salsa and ambiance is pretty good.
I ordered the regular enchiladas with red sauce and wasn't a big fan of the sauce...I have had much better.
My husband ordered the "Chipichanga" a baked version of a Chimichanga with green sauce on top and it was much better than mine.
I would come back to the restaurant (not for an enchilada fix), but it isn't one of my favorites.
Oh, and be prepared, being that it is located in the Pruneyard the parking sucks.
This is not Mexican food. This is microwaved velveeta on a safeway tortilla. Blech!
RUDE, INCONSIDERATE, UNPROFESSIONAL SERVICE. The food is good, but defintely not the best and is certainly not worth the rude service you. This place needs to train their employees on proper customer service ettiquette. Perhaps if they would hire QUALITY people, they wouldn't have this issue. The Bay Area is full of great, AUTHENTIC, friendly Mexican food establishments, to have to deal with this one.
P.S. Also, it is quite evident that this place uses masses amounts of LARD in everything.
Campbell, CA
Category: Mexican
San Jose, CA
Category: Mexican
Campbell, CA
Category: Japanese
Campbell, CA
Category: Mexican
San Jose, CA
Category: Delis
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
My version of Cheech & Chong's Mexican American…
My new mission in life is to eat out twice a month…
Is slumming not enough for you? Ever wanted to…
some of my favorite and not so favorite mexican…
Dirty birds- I'm talking about San Jose. My old…
I love tacos, salsa, beans, rice, enchiladas,…
Okay, it's not all about the burritos. But here…
