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Best burrito in the upper east bay because:
they make them big,
the guacamole is superb (better than most places),
the chicken is tasty,
and they are cheap.
Don't expect anything fancy (like lettuce) in your burrito, or a salsa bar, or extra chips. In the end, those are all unnecessary, right?
Another big plus- they have a soda machine (yay fountain soda).
GOOD MEXICAN FOOD, LIMITED MENU
Gordo's is a quick and inexpensive place to eat. The menu is limited to tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. I think their burritos are nothing special and their quesadillas are greasy; I usually order the crispy tacos.
Chips, Salsa, and Guacamole
The chips were crispy and the guacamole was fresh but the salsa had no heat.
Two Crispy Chicken Tacos
The cook tossed the corn tortillas on the grill and topped them with cheese. He then filled the crispy cheesy taco shells with beans, rice, grilled chicken, salsa, and hot sauce. It was delicious; I only wish the salsa was hotter.
We decided to take our food to go because all of the tables were dirty and the trash can was overflowing with garbage.
I came here for a late lunch today. I had placed a phone order - 1 steak & 1 chicken burrito. They gave us 2 steak burritos instead. I went back inside to exchange the burrito & the guy gave me some attitude! What if I was someone who doesn't eat red meat... Anyway - the burritos were just average today.
Where is the SLURP?!! I was disappointed. I had been craving a big, slurpy burrito & Gordo's could not deliver.
Make sure you order your burrito with guac & sourcream. Otherwise, the food is pretty bland.
SO GOOD!
Great price for a great burrito in the Berkeley-Albany surrounding area.
My friend once…
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I enjoy going to Gordo's Taqreria although the line can be out the door at lunchtime during the weekends. Because it is close to home, and I can get a burrito asap and then take it with me, I generally go there. It is a tiny place with not too many tables. Alas, the employees have never called this 67 year old woman anything even slightly inappropriate but I have never heard any off color remarks made about the customers immediately or in back of me. Am I being discriminated against based on my age??? lol I demand to be insulted. It would be a good way to practice my college Spanish and a few other words I happen to know,,,My order is taken and is always accurate.
I especially love their regular chicken burrito (with either grilled or boiled chicken) with guacamole added and it is much too large for me to finish... although I do finish every bite... Have to always ask for more salsa on the burrito as they do not seem to put enough. Their bean-rice-cheese-guacamole-sour cream-salsa burrito is also excellent. The only thing I might suggest would be to perhaps make their rice or beans a bit spicier as sometimes my burrito is on the bland side. Well.. perhaps I should work up the courage to have some hot sauce added. I always decline as I do not know whether I would like it. OK, I am going to be courageous and have a burrito there in a few days and say "Yes" to the hot sauce. Can't kill me, huh?
Seriously, it is a nice place with pretty good food and good service. If it was not that way, I'd never return.... and yes, the burritos are messy to eat because they are filled with lots of goodies instead of being some sort of little lady appetizer. Be sure to get lots of napkins. you'll need them.
I don't even have enough words in my paltry vocabulary to describe the perfection that is a Gordo's super burrito or taco carnitas. When I eat their tacos carnitas, angels sing. Seriously. I would eat here every single day, but as the name implies, I would get gordo if I did, so I try to restrain myself and keep it down to once a month or so. I've been eating at Gordo's for the last 20 years and I've never been disappointed. No one does tacos and burritos like Gordo's. The only thing that sucks is the parking and the sometimes really long line that practically goes around the freakin' block. They are busy for a reason though and worth waiting in line for.
I love me some Gordo! Super fresh ingredients and super cheap prices. The line is always out the door but worth the wait. Today I had a carnitas burrito, pure heaven!! This is my must go to place after a facial. Dang I'm drooling again just thinking about it.
I love Gordo's and miss it terribly after moving out of the area. Today I was lucky to make a… Read more »
Wow. This place is an intense public health nightmare. I am fascinated that it gets an average of four stars. Anyone ever eat in the Mission?
The food was not awful, but there was absolutely nothing spectacular about the flavor. Dull, average. What was unbelievable was watching the chefs who make the burritos violate just about every basic sanitation code in the books.
A young woman rolled burritos in between smearing her hands on her muffin top, sticking them down in her pants to pull up her jeans and underwear, and smoothing back her ponytail. The gentleman next to her alternated the placement of each new tortilla shell on the counter top with a slow wiping of one of the nastiest kitchen rags ever.
Like another reviewer below, I watched the clock for the next three hours for the onset of food poisoning. I made it out alive.
Gordos is a unique place. I have been going here for about 12 years.
PROS:
-Highest quality carne asada hands down!!!!!!!
-Incredible crunchy tacos
-One of a kind quesadillas (greasy in a good & TASTY wet/crunchy way)
-Top quality ingredients... no corners are cut!
-Quick (yet lines can be very long during lunch hours b/c its popularity)
-Free Refills on soda
-Excellent chips & salsa & guacamole & hot sauce
-Moderate prices
CONS:
-Limited menu
-Guys behind the counter have been known to talk shit about customers in Spanish (nothing too vulgar)
RESULT: an absolute MUST TRY NO MATTER WHAT ANY CRITICS SAY!!!! Experience one of the best quality Mexican spots in the Bay, LA, and yes... even Mexico. I've had it all.
Calling all Guac-aholics!
The customer service at this kiosk-type place is profoundly indifferent to mildly rude.
And while it MAY truly be a "real" Mexican food place, it serves NO, that's NADA veggies.
Is that a real Mexican food place? No salad or other hydrating shreds for your burrito?
The cheese comes in square flat slabs a la Velvita, though it taste like standard fair (boring) Jack.
If you want atmosphere, you might be disappointed. The chairs are those square wood frames with strips of leather to give your fanny that 'woven look'.
There aren't even salt shakers. (It's those little paper do-hikies with the tubes you tear open).
But for the Guac! Do let me know if you've found guacamole that's better anywhere else. Prices are reasonable too.
This place is good of you're looking for a regular 'meat and potatoes' type burrito (widout da greens).
This place used to be great. I have known Gordo in Albany for the past few years. However, these days the customer serivce is very poor. The staff shows some type of attitude and have very low respect to customers. The line/cue is way out the door, but the staff were relectant to serve. I have also seen horse-play while we were on line waitng to order.
This place can be good if they have a responsible supervisor to monitior the staff.
With the way it is managed now, I don't recommend to others.
As a Mexican you are guaranteed to, at some point in your life, be called fat in some form of the word. Not only do you get called some kind of derision of chunky it's always done "con carino y amor"...(love and affection).
LIES
They call you fat so you feel badly about yourself...Mexican parents are nothing if not depricating to their children in some way at least once a day.
I fueled the fire of my own parental ridicule by eating a Carnitas Super Burrito from Gordos. Ironically the name means Fat Ones. Sadly, it was NOT worth the caloric intake.
It should be called Chingaderas. Google it.
I grew up in Albany and Gordos used to be one of my favorite places to go for lunch.. and after a while of eating there too often I got sick of it and found it to be really plain and nothing special
I moved back to Albany this year and have fallen back in love with Gordos!
There is something different about the burritos, they are very simple but its delicious, I cant explain what made me love it so much it might have been the soft tortilla or the rice and the taste of all the ingredients combined
I noticed that the burritos are a bit small but I think its the perfect size, restaurants usually give you too much food.
YEAH, hands down man, my mexican brothas, you guys can cook.
Mexican food has always been my favorite food, well i live in san diego and why not. but up in the bay where i grew up, mexican food isnt as popular or as good. and plus i dont have a mexican maid to make me mexican, so i go to gordos a LOT and the line can get so long people have to wait outside of the door... kinda worth it.
my BF: hi, ill have the carne asada super burrito
behind the counter: (with a heavy spanish accent) ok, carne asada, anything else?
BF: (couldnt hear the man) sorry, what'd you say?
behind the counter: (in the whitest voice ever) it means STEAK
hahah, OBVIOUSLY he knew what he was ordering but thanks for clarifying!! that aside, you can always test a taqueria by their super burrito. if it's not so super, then probably nothing else will be either. gordo's menu is simple (just tacos, burritos, quesadillas) and the chicken is grilled, which i like much better than some places that boil it. i loved the spanish rice, but i wish sour cream and guac werent extra. i really wish i would have gotten guacamole on the side though, cuz after i ordered i saw a guy that got it and it was a HUGE serving, and it was only 65 cents!! sooo worth it. it's super tiny inside, so be prepared to listen to someone's intimate conversation next to you, or opt like i did and sit on an unassuming bench outside.
overall, it was good, just didn't blow my mind. plus, i already have enough mind blowing things going on in my head so maybe this is for the better.
Looks just like any other taqueria, and when the guy was scopping the beans rice and meat on there, it didn't really look any much different either. But I was really surprised as to how good it was. Definitely tasty.
It's always a good sign to see a line of people outside the door of any restaurant. Granted, this taqueria is a little small and the service is slow, it must mean something that hungry people are patient enough to stand in line for at least 10 minutes to get their food. I had the chicken burrito which comes with rice and beans. Guacamole costs extra. The meat was tender and in just the right amount. They use just the right amount of chicken, beans and rice so that you get a little of each with every bite. While this wasn't the worst burrito I've eaten, it wasn't the best, but still worth the wait especially if you are craving a Mexican food on Solano Avenue.
Gordo's is our staple. We were going for a nice restaurant for our anniversary, but the day was more difficult than either of us had planned. Exhausted, we cancelled our reservations. Our kitchen was also no ready for cooking, as we had been planning a special occasion. Our back-up plan was Gordo's.
Now, the Gordo's on Solano is where I grew up as well. The San Francisco ones top it, though - especially the Clement st. Gordo's. The only real difference between the three is attitude. These guys are often pretty callous, although their food is still delicious and pretty cheap. Best in the Bay Area? I think not. Best in the East Bay? Cancun beats them easily. Best in Albany? Probably. Good, cheap, and making for a great plan b anniversary night full of foot rubs and hgtv? Hella.
I just don't understand why so many people like this place. It stinks! The smell is enough to let you know they're not making good food. And, notwithstanding the smell, the burritos just aren't very good. Not to mention the surly staff.
Ate lunch here with the hubs and baby. must say, their carnitas is quite salty. the hubby was not impressed with his steak burrito either... but the boy seemed to love both.
=)
the man who assembled my burrito seemed to so not want to be there... when he dropped some of my carnitas into the pinto beans and the counter, he picked some of it up with his hands and placed them in my burrito.. i didn't mind it too much but now that i think about it, it's kinda gross.
I've never had a better burrito.
It does feel alittle like your dealing with a mexican version of the soup nazi when you order here, but the burrito's are SO worth it. I wish I could find a burrito this good in my neighborhood.
I've been going here for years. To this day, my favorite is the Super Burrito, Pinto beans, with Grilled Chicken.
Possible food poisoning alert. I was nauseous, shaking and with a headache the night I ate here. Whether it was stress related or food poisoning, I'm not sure. The burrito was still pretty bad.
Burrito was crap. Cheese looked like Kraft Singles, black beans were hard, guacamole was old and the burrito was way too expensive for the quality. Devoid of flavor as well. I'm dissapointed- everyone seems to love Gordo. But I can't just be a fan.
I've been going here for 15+ yrs, my all time favorite burrito place. Gotta get my gordo's fix at least a couple times a month. Very consistent burritos, they are always fabulous. I LOVE their rice, I think that's what makes it so good. Sometimes if i need a special treat, I'll order a side of rice con queso (rice w/cheese). It's not on their menu but they will do it. Usually i get my standard regular bean & cheese burrito w/all the extras. All for less than $5. can't beat it. Oh, my sister always gets the quesadillas and says they are wonderful, not your standard quesadilla, these are grilled then filled with all sorts of yummies!
BEST BURRITOS, BEST RICE, BEST PRICES! YES, in the ENTIRE BAY AREA!!!
I'd like to write some semi-coherent, endearing story about Gordo's, I really would. But all that needs to be said is "carnitas"
In fact, I wrote a carnitas song. Goes something like this:
(set to jurassic park theme)
carnitas, carnitas, car-nit-aas, car-nii-tass, carnit-aas- aa-aa-as
Personally, I think that Gordo's "hands down" has the best Mexican food on the planet! This is no exaggeration, being of Latino decent and trying hundreds of Mexican restaurants throughout California & Mexico
I always look to Gordo's as what I would envision a Mexican food joint to be. Reasonable prices, clean environment, fast service, and food that's brilliantly prepared. What makes their food so amazing is their simplicity. They keep it simple the (KISS) method, where Mexican restaurants fail, is being too creative, adding more ingredients than necessary. There's nothing "High Tech" about Mexican food though it seems that the majorities of Mexican restaurants have not gotten this simple concept, or were passed down bad recipes.
Literally when I travel out of town I actually get cravings for their food. I mean, it's that good!
Now for the reason I give this place a four star rather than a five.
It has to do with respect.
For the most part the staff is awesome, though machismo mannerism and lack of overall lack friendliness gets to be a nuisance. I know they work hard though smile once in awhile, it won't hurt, and it will make you feel better.
Yum! Guac and sour cream is a must with their super burritos. Yeah, there is a small extra charge, but don't be stingy with your bus fare, people! Walk home if you have to.
I Yelped for Gordo Taqueria while in search of burritos to purchase for a company lunch on Friday.
With over 30 carnitas, pollo asado, and beef burritos, each employee was blissfully content as they munched on their dense, foil wrapped burritos.
I had a chicken one. It was very filling and had nice proportions of each ingredient.
Overall, I think Gordo Taqueria is a good bang for your buck. If I were to suggest anything, I'd suggest they add a few vegetables to their burritos so they can make the prexisting ones more interesting while providing a vegetarian option that consists of more than simply rice, cheese, and beans.
Just as good as the one on Clement street. Google helped me find this location 3 mins off the 580 freeway when I was driving up to the bay. This is a bigger restaurant with ~8 tables and a bunch of chairs/counter space--closer in size to their Geary location. The food was great--I had a flour quesadilla with boiled chicken, tomatoes, and hot sauce. The tortilla was perfectly fried and the chicken was juicy. (Don't screw up and get something different. Quesadilla is the way to go.)
I will definitely stop here next time I drive by. Open 10am-10pm
I would have to say Gordos is the best Mexican restaurant in the area. I love their gordo plate. Well priced and huge portion. Their spicy salsa is also super tasty, grill chicken is great, and their guacamole tastes fresh. Just try and arrive early and beat the crowd. Because during lunch/dinner time, the line goes out the door. You can also call ahead to order and pick up, that will save you some time if you are in a rush.
This Gordo and I go way, waaay back. They were my introduction to Mexican food that wasn't Taco Bell back when I was in middle school, and I've been hooked since!
My favorite things about Gordo:
-They've stayed consistently good over the years.
-They've barely raised their prices in the past 10 years.
-There's a big, jolly, mustached man who looks like Jose Ole and used to have my order memorized.
-When I want a snack, their taco's the perfect size.
-When I'm really hungry, their regular burrito hits the spot.
-When I'm feeling gluttonous, I order a quesidilla, which, at Gordo, is pretty much a regular burrito that got totally FRIED.
-When I'm feeling EXTRA gluttonous, I order a SUPER burrito.
-And for Mexican plate lovers, you can get a heaping plate of beans, rice, and your choice of meats, plus salsa and four tortillas for just $4.90. Super deal!
Oh, and the best part: Their number is 528-TACO. Mmmmhmmm, TACO. Their number is saved in my cellphone, but I never look it up; I'm far too amused from dialing 528-TACO. You're gonna wanna remember that number because their lunch and dinner rush lines can get pretty gnarly. Oh, and I totally used to be Friendster friends with Gordo back in the day when Friendster was actually popular. I think I still am, actually.
Deserving of the award:
"Best place for your spanish speaking kids to hear men use the word chinga or a derevation there of"
I swear, (okay not as much as I used to) and when I came here afterwork with my friend to get a burrito I was amazed at the men in the kitchen. I guess they ll assumed that the gringos didn't speak any spanish or they were just all balls out with their shit.
And their salsa verde is just plain mean. It hurt, but I ate it. Soooo not doing that again. Honestly the burrito itself was okay, forgetable, but not gross.
This is pardon the expression "Berkeley-rized" Mexican. Having experience taco trucks patronized by the "locals" from LA to SF, and spoiled by Mexicatessens in SSF, this place serves burritos barely passible as such.
Its kinda healthy, kinda bland, no real kick if you know what I mean.
The only saving grace is it is cheap compared to most burrito joints in the Bay Area, but I have had much better, its OK in a pinch.
I've been to the SF locations of this place and I was def. more impressed there. The supreme carne asada I got was alright, but def. nothing to scream about. Price was alright, again, no big savings.
If I was asked to go there again, I wouldn't object but I also wouldn't rave to my friends about it.
(BTW, see my review of the Hot Shop which is right down the street for something different)
Whoever said that "cleanliness was next to Godliness" WAS DEAD WRONG!!
After 6 years in Southern California, I have still yet to find a better burrito.
The employees can talk shit about me in spanish all they want. So long as they don't intentionally excrete any bodily fluids into my food during or before preparation, I could care less what they think of my gringo ass.
Very little about this place has changed since I was a kid growing up in the Albany/Berkeley area. Even the prices are relatively what they used to be. While the super burrito doesn't seem quite as impossibly huge to me as it used to, it's still just as delicious.
The best burrito in the East Bay. Better, bigger, and cheaper than Cactus Taqueria nearby and better than any taqueria I've been to in the East Bay. Gordo is comparable to the famous "La Taqueria" in Mission, SF where the burritos are twice as expensive but less filling. I've had hundreds of burritos in my lifetime and this is definitely one of the best.
Nice clean interior. I went in during the busy noontime lunch hour and there was a long line. Most people ordered the super burrito which is amazingly under five dollars! A super burrito comes with meat, rice, beans, cheese, and salsa. You can add guacamole for about 65 cents. You can order a super bean burrito for 4.50. The burrito was warm but not hot. It could have been more tightly rolled up as the construction of my burrito was falling apart and I'm usually pretty good about handling a burrito. We had the carnitas super burrito which came with huge chunks of juicy pork. The entire burrito was juicy and melt in your mouth good. I actually shared my burrito with my husband and I was very full afterward.
Gordo Taqueria is the best kept secret for burritos. I only wish that I had discovered this place earlier so that I would have more fond burrito memories. After reading the reviews, I was worried about bad service and cussing employees but they were so busy during the lunch hour that hardly anyone had time to misbehave.
Definitely highly recommended!
I think my bf and I do take-out at Gordo's about 2x month. They never disappoint. I get the same: Chicken burrito, no cheese, black beans and medium salsa. Always good. My only negative comment about them (and it's not truly negative) is they don't really know how to wrap those burritos tight in aluminum foil like they do in the mission. It's just sorta loosey goosey with wimpy twists at the ends. I didn't deduct any stars since the burrito gets eaten so fast anyways. Good stuff -- oh and their chips are pretty good, too.
I ordered a super burrito with carnitas to go.
Flavor = dull, bland, nothing special.
Texture = the burnt parts of the meat were to hard to chew, I had to spit.
Value = ok for the price, but isn't "super" supposed to be more than just meat, beans and rice? (I got charged extra for guacamole even though I asked for fresh avocado)
Even the one in San Francisco sucked when I ate there a few months ago. This chain restaurant is just BLAH.
* 3.5 Stars *
Back in the day, I used to frequent Gordo's in SF near Lincoln Way. Really delicious and ginormous burritos. So of course when we moved here, I was excited to know that there was a location in Albany.
A-Ok regular pollo asado burritos. It's a lot smaller than the super burritos but for my size, it completely filled me up and then some. There's always a line coming out of the store but that's because service is on the slow side. I waited at least 10 minutes to order and I was already near the front of the line.
Pluses are the salsa and the chips. Muy bueno!
I ate here once. Carnitas Tacos Dorados. Delicious.
I have driven past it ten times during lunch hours (11:30-1:30) over the past 8 years. My intention was to eat there but the line is always out the door. I don't have time for that.
CHICKEN QUESADILLA AMAZINGLY GOOD.
all that fried, artery clog goodies make it sooooo delicious.
What a terrible place. All of the workers are rude and talk shit about me while i'm in line in spanish. The only thing was that i can speak spanish and heard what they were saying. They called me a slut and said that i would ask for extra "sour cream" in my burrito.
It was way too salty and was all bad.
Saturday Happy Hour!
Neighborhood: Old Oakland
Happy Hour
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Neighborhood: East Solano Ave
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
Category: Bakeries
Albany, CA
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Elmwood
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: Mexican
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