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Happy Burrito 2
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
564 14th St(between Clay St & Jefferson St)
Oakland, CA 94612
Neighborhood: Downtown Oakland
(510) 452-8991
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Dive-y
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
68 reviews for Happy Burrito 2
Review Highlights
-
"I used to be a Happy Burrito 2 regular - at least once/week." In 2 reviews -
"The carnitas are well seasoned and not greasy at all." In 7 reviews -
"And let's not forget the salsa." In 21 reviews
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68 reviews in English
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Review from john h.
San Francisco, CA
2/27/2012 28 Check-ins Here
Well from the many times I've gone here for weekday lunches it should be my favorite. And well I guess it is. Their burritos are huge but I usually splurge and grab a tostada with grilled steak or chicken. Slip some of their homemade salsa in the bag, throw $3 on the counter and walk out with a great lunch. Just steps from my office makes it a bit too convenient!
-
Review from Pam P.
San Francisco, CA
5/17/2012
I am a regular here for lunch. I have been going there for over 10 years. Love the food and Carmen and Marie Rose and the crew..........The food is authentic and good. Try the chicken chimichanga, enchilada or even the shrimp burrito (garlic) my favorite. If I could eat there everyday and not gain weight, I would. Great place, I hope it stays open until I retire, which is years from now..........I will be there today for lunch........A little tip, don't get intimidated by the long line out the door, there is just limited space at the register,
-
Review from Johnny W.
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2012
Delicious Super Burrito (very standard but when they ask if you want hot sauce, do it! tastes amazing, less than $5) and Happy Burrito (Super burrito with sour cream and lettuce and tomatoes and more)!! Excellent taste at an excellent price!
-
Review from jan s.
Oakland, CA
8/31/2011
Blud,
For $4.99 I get a fat burrito that 90% of the time I can't finish in one sitting. It's lunch and an afterwork snack.
I don't know how anybody could complain about this place.. If you look inside you should know what to expect.
edit: as for "Nasus" review. Gimme a break. First of all, the place isn't dirty, it's just not decorated. Sparse, very bare. You don't see dirt in there, so stop it. 2nd, the meat is fine. It isn't Nieman ranch, sure, but this isn't dona tomas. 3rd, if your hard earned money can't spend $6 on lunch maybe you should think about packing your lunch daily. 4. Oakland has countless restaurants, from crap to 5 star. Don't use this place as a reason for your "oakland needs to demand better restaurants" nonsense.
/rant -
Review from Nasus J.
Oakland, CA
8/6/2011
Gross in every way, just gross. How there's a line for this place will always amaze me! I went there with some ex co-workers and should have guessed by their poor fitness that they were a poor judge in lunch spots! I'm not sure what exactly was past off as meat in my friends' food but I know my vegetarian burrito was low grade everything!!
Not to mention the restaurant itself is DIRTY AND GROSS!!! I will never give my hard earned money to this place again. I wish Oakland would demand more from restaurants!!!! -
Review from Troy T.
Antioch, CA
4/3/2011
First, If you're expecting style, atmosphere, or trendy anything, you're in the wrong place here. Happy Burrito makes no such attempts, and that's fine.
If you want a fantastic, tasty, and good-sized burrito to go, you'll have a tough time finding one better in the Bay Area. Especially for the price.
Whether a burrito is good or not is anchored around one thing: the beans. If your refried beans (frijoles) aren't good, your burrito will never be good, and at Happy Burrito, the beans are about perfect. Add to that LOTS of cheese and plenty of tasty meat, and you've got yourself a winner.
And let's not forget the salsa. It is outstanding, to the point where they have to restrict how much you get included with your food, because so many people wanted "extra" to take home.
At lunchtime during the week, Happy Burrito is about the busiest place in the area, with a line out the door and down the block, even in bad weather. Given that zero effort is put into decor, and service is only average, why would people wait in line out in the rain? Yes, the burritos are that good, and are definitely a great value.
Sure, they could add $3-$5 to the cost of your burrito and fix the place up, but most people don't eat in the dining room anyway. Good taste and good value is what Happy Burrito has going for them, and we like it that way. -
Review from Martin S.
3/24/2012
Simple, inexpensive, tasty mex food. With the plethora of mexican places open now around 12th St BART, this was my go-to place until I moved. Definitely try their 'happy burrito' - tasty stuff.
-
Review from Mhat B.
San Leandro, CA
5/5/2011
Re-posting my review for HB#1:
I think I've been to every single burrito place in the Bay Area at this point. Happy Burrito is the #1 best burrito for my tastes. Regular boiled chicken burrito, whole pinto beans, and extra salsa. Ohh, that salsa... God bless you, Happy Burrito. My girlfriend and I have actually discussed getting married solely so we can have HB cater the wedding. And when I die, I want to be buried inside a giant HB instead of a coffin.
For those of you complaining about rude service:
1) A smile and some kind words will go a long way towards getting the kind of service you want.
2) The angrier the chick is behind the counter, the better your burrito will taste. It's true. Don't believe me, go test out my hypothesis yourself. If she has steam coming out of her ears and doesn't even look up or say a single word, you're in for the best burrito of your LIFE.
P.S. I ate lunch here almost every single weekday for about 2 years when I worked in downtown Oakland. No lie. HB can't be beat. -
Review from Jose O.
1/19/2011
Mmmmmm... Super Burrito with pollo asado. It goes even better with that tasty salsa they serve it with.
I've been several times and haven't been disappointed with any burrito I've eaten but the pollo asado super burrito is definitely my favorite. Plus, it's hella cheap! There are places charging almost $10 for a burrito and that's just blasphemy! -
Review from Nicole C.
Los Angeles, CA
9/10/2011
I LOVE Mexican food. My initial meal at any Mexican restaurant is a taco enchilada combo. If you can mess that up then you suck and I'll never be back. If you pass my test then I'm open to a return trip and something else on the menu. I got the combo with a cheese enchilada and a chicken taco. The amount of sauce and cheese was pretty unbelievable. The food had a good flavor. The main issue with what I had was I got 4 chips. FOUR chips! It wasn't the best I've ever had and it wasn't the worse. They take credit cards which is always a plus. No free refills on soda even though its self serve. There's a sign on the soda machine that says refills are $1. Good lunch spot.
-
Review from Bill V.
San Francisco, CA
6/21/2010
I used to be a Happy Burrito 2 regular - at least once/week. But no longer. Last week, I decided to get a Mexican coke from the drink case - this was after I already ordered and picked up my burrito.
The man at the register says to me that the Coke is $2.30. The drink prices are not marked anywhere, and that price took me by surprise - kind of expensive, right? So I said, thanks but no thanks. He then informed me that there was a $1 cancellation fee, since he already rang it up.
C'mon - I'm a regular. Don't try to rip me off like that.
The previous time I was there, I got the snake eye from the lady making my burrito. I ordered broiled chicken, and she gave me grilled. I told her, and she corrected the error, but she first tried to blame me, and then she re-made it, but with a bad attitude.
I'm sad, because I did like their burritos. But the service will now keep me away.
Also, no chips, salsa only for burritos. What's up with that? Not very happy. -
Review from Kimberly M.
Oakland, CA
1/14/2008
I love this place. It is a great lunch place to jump out of the office and grab a quick bit to eat. It is really well priced and the food is great! I like the broiled chicken way better than the grilled.
This place can have a line out the door if you come right at noon. It gets pretty busy because everyone know a good thing when the taste it! -
Review from Dave K.
4/16/2009
With La Salsa being the option burrito option that's walking distance from my office, I desperately needed to find a cheap burrito place, quick!
Out comes Happy Burrito, a place I drove by while frugally searching for free parking in the streets of downtown Oakland on a gloomy Thursday morning.
I had the Super Burrito - Carnitas.
It wasn't the size of a small child, but it's no baby bite size chump either.
Best part - $5.00
Staff and service was quick. I can tell it's a proto-typical downtown, working class, grab a quick bite to eat or to-go type of joint. It'll get the job done if you work in downtown Oakland and are looking for some decent and edible Mexican food that's not La Salsa. -
Review from Mac M.
9/25/2007
I miss Happy Burrito - now that I don't work in Oakland, I never get to go there. I loved their baby burrito - just rice, meat (carnitas), beans (pinto or black) and salsa (spicy!). Sometimes I'd splurge and have them add lettuce and tomato. They were always friendly and fast.
The guacamole is soupy though - that's the missing a star... -
Review from Shelley S.
Oakland, CA
1/3/2007
I love their burritos especially the next day as a leftover. For some reason they taste better the next day to me. Maybe the food inside marinates together.
The place isn't all that great looking but who cares. Most of the time I drop in at lunch and only have a quick minute any way.
The people working there are really nice, I think it's a family who owns the place.
Try the chicken chimichungas, they are awesome! -
Review from T ..
Oakland, CA
5/14/2008
Not for vegitarians.
shredded lettuce, unripe tomatoes, no spice/heat/kick/taste/nothing
It was like a cross between Taco Bell and Subway.
Sorry, but this just isn't for me. -
Review from Jared W.
Oakland, CA
11/13/2008
This is a tasty burrito. I don't know what they do, but all the flavors put together in the super burrito just work. Maybe it's the creamy guacamole sauce they have but there's not a better burrito in Downtown Oakland. There's even room to sit down in back.
The service is friendly and for $6 you will be full for a long time. -
Review from Inga B.
San Francisco, CA
3/27/2008
I am giving Happy 5 stars...
Here's why........
Cheap eats for lunch and it's conveniently located 2 blocks from my office.
I can't eat a huge burrito and don't like burrito's as left overs, so the fact that they offer a baby burrito as an alternative for 3 bucks rocks!
I don't ever get it with meat though and I order the same thing every time I go (which is once a month). I like refried beans, rice, cheese, flaming hot sauce and onions in mine.
This place is pretty authentic, inside looks a little drab so don't expect much. Just order and get out. Still way better than La Salsa or the other joint next to Bart. -
Review from Jin I.
Oakland, CA
1/28/2009
I needed a go-to burrito place in Downtown Oakland. I was looking for cheap and good. After looking on Yelp, this looked like the place to try. First of all, this place is larger than a hole in the wall but operates like one. So don't go here if you are trying to impress anyone, it's completely unpretentious. Second of all, I am not from the midwest but I do like all kinds of burritos, except Taco Bell, Del Taco, gas station, and supermarket burritos, so take this however you want.
I tried the grilled chicken baby burrito with hot sauce, which consists of grilled chunks of chicken, beans, and rice. Hot sauce can be provided on the side. It was 3.85 (tax and everything). It hit the spot and I gobbled it right up.
It was the perfect amount... don't want to fall asleep after lunch. Next time, I'll get the super burrito and have half for lunch and the other half for dinner. -
Review from Vinay M.
Washington, DC
9/15/2011
Serious burrito-y goodness. Moving closer to this place has made me smile.
Don't expect anything fancy -- decor or menu. Expect real Mexican food (lard and all). Expect much food for little money. Expect to feel full and content for at least 8 hours after finishing.
This is what all small burrito shops in the Bay Area were like before it got all boogee. -
Review from Farah S.
7/6/2011
Full belly happy. I hear a lot of complaints from people saying that they get food poisoning from this place, but I've never felt sick after eating here. They offer one of the best chile verde burritos I've had. The carnitas plate is super yummy with rice, pico de gallo and beans. The carnitas are well seasoned and not greasy at all. The gentleman at the counter is very friendly. I love how they just give you random numbers while waiting for your meal. They're never in order, but it somehow works. Yes, ambiance is dive-y, but for a workweek lunch spot, it's totally fine.
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Review from Andrew L.
San Leandro, CA
1/23/2008
Totally run of the mill average.
Nothing stands out at all.
Move along, nothing to see here...
Still better than La Salsa in the City Center, though. -
Review from Apple C.
Oakland, CA
3/3/2010 8 Check-ins Here
My girlfriend likes this place because it's on her way home from BART and there's no crazy ingredients, so she gets exactly what she wants.
Craving the super tostada on a rainy day, she sent me over to pick some up. Parking's kinda hard, since it's on the street in downtown Oakland. The place didn't seem so much like a restaurant but a room in a building with 1960's-unmatching furniture that happened to serve food. The woman behind the counter was wearing scrubs, which, as a nurse, kind of threw me off. But nursing scrubs or not, they seemed like they protected her from the sauces and grease of mostly-authentic Mexican food.
I got the carnitas super tostada and she got the chicken one. The carnitas were pretty good; I've had worse, but I've also had better. The quality of the food reminded me a little of the tiny, hole-in-the-wall burrito place across the street from my high school in the Central Valley. It's a little authentic, extremely convenient and a decent price.
The portion for a little less than $5 was HUGE and I felt like exploding after, for some crazy reason, eating the whole thing. It's not bad for getting cheap Mexican food really close to home or on your lunch break in downtown Oakland.Listed in: Home Eats
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Review from Jowin C.
7/24/2010
A super burrito for less than $5? I immediately ordered a carne asada burrito with black beans. While the lady was wrapping my burrito, I noticed she smeared a green sauce that looked like the color hex value #66CC99--it tasted like 10% avocado, 50% sour cream, and 40% mayonnaise. I guess it's their version of guacamole.
Some of that "guacamole" got on the fingers of the lady that was working on my burrito. She wiped the residual guacamole on her fingers onto my flour tortilla like it was a napkin. I barfed a little in my mouth.
I still ate the burrito though, I must commend them on a nicely wrapped burrito. The dry burrito can be combated with the spicy brown sauce tat looked like color hex value #996633. Sadly, it's still like pouring a cup of water on dry, cracked ground...useless. -
Review from Christy S.
San Francisco, CA
6/7/2007
Solid burrito place for lunch in Downtown Oakland. The Happy Burrito is a behemoth! The hot sauce has just the right amount of heat (it's not hot enough unless your face is sweating, right?). I would choose this place over La Salsa or Palapas any day.
Beware of the food coma you'll suffer afterwards though.......Eating that big of a burrito makes it difficult to focus on anything but napping when you get back to work. -
Review from Dylan R.
Oakland, CA
3/14/2011
Can't believe this place has only three stars. If you get the Happy Burrito with grilled chicken and don't like it, I don't think you enjoy life at all. Also, the cooks are the nicest people ever if you take a minute to talk to them. This is MY JOINT.
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Review from Mark A.
5/2/2009
Each star rating on Yelp when rating burritos correspondents with a different reactions.
5 stars make you say "WOW!" as you're eating it and you're just so happy - the only 5-star rating I've given to a burrito is Green Chile Kitchen, which isn't a typical taqueria; La Taqueria would get one if their burritos weren't so expensive and lacking girth.
4 stars are the type where afte ryou finish it, you think "that was delicious!" (See Casa Mexicana)
3 stars are when you're filled up, you're happy, but you don't really think about it after you're done. This is Happy Burrito
2 stars are when you wish you hadn't ordered it and you have a bad taste in your mouth (La Carreta)
1 star is when you don't finish your burrito; thankfully I haven't had this happen to me yet. -
Review from Beau R.
Sammamish, WA
3/22/2010
Happy Burrito is a hole-in-the-wall establishment in downtown Oakland. From the outside, it looks like the food will either kill you or be good. Happy Burrito falls into the good food category.
The menu has lots of choices, as well as the choices that go into building your burrito (what type of beans, etc), though you only have one choice in hot sauce and that is HOT. If you don't like spicy hot sauce, and I do like it, don't try it. It gives your mouth and lips that warm, pleasant, tingly sensation.
The chips, which cost extra, could be crisper, but you don't go there for the chips. Skip the gaucamole, it's the avocado and sour cream kind and not worth the extra cost.
When you need a quick burrito fix in downtown Oakland, this is definitely a place to go. -
Review from Hdub H.
Oakland, CA
7/29/2011
I love love love this place. Best burritos in Oakland and for mad cheap! Their hot sauce is probably the biggest selling point, flavorful and spicy.
Like others said, the decor is blah, the service is blah, but I don't go there for either. You want atmosphere and decor, go to SF and pay 25% more for blah food with lounge-y, upscale ambiance.
Personally, I go for a huge (cheap) burrito and I have yet to be let down. -
Review from Wendy L.
San Francisco, CA
12/17/2006
This is no La Salsa, 360 Gourmet Burritos....and thank goodness for that. This is a refried beans, lard tortillas kind of place. The burritos are deliciously bad for you. As always, I got the carnitas which are typically the sure-fire way to go with burritos. I think the regular burrito is on the big size - I would recommend just going with the small size. I think there are enough calories in a small burrito to get you through the day. :-)
The ambiance is perfect - it's exactly the way a burrito shop should be. It looks kind of like a cafeteria... But if you're looking to get your food quickly and without a hassle, this is the place! -
Review from David W.
Oakland, CA
4/20/2011 39 Check-ins Here
Pretty much the only burrito that I like in the east bay... Probably because they are generous with the cheese. I'm not a fan of mexican food, but this is one place that I'm down to go for. I always get the chicken super burrito, and it's a good deal coming in at $5 even. It's pretty filling too. Used to go to the one on Webster and 17th a lot, but moved work closer to this one, and it's just as good. Always a line out the door, but it moves pretty quickly. I'm not a fan of spicy food, but their hot sauce is definitely a must! If eating with a friend or 2, it's nice to split a regular nachos. It's not anything special and doesn't seem hard to make (seems like it's just chips and shredded cheese microwaved), but it's still pretty good and my attempts to imitate come close but not the same.
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Review from Jon N.
San Francisco, CA
10/5/2007
*EDIT 11/13/07*
I have now revised this up to 5 stars because after working in downtown Oakland now for a longer time and coming here many times I have seen the light - it is one of the ultimate lunch spots in the area. Even with a crush of people during the lunch rush, the food is served up pretty fast and you can get a table easily because most people take their burritos to go.
I started off with the burritos, but have since graduated to the taco and enchilada plate ($6.50), which is served up hot and tasty.
For under $6-7, there is no other.
Remember that cuppy of hot sauce!
*/EDIT*
Good burritos! Big, meaty, and tasty. They, uh, make you happy.
My co-worker calls it the epitome of all burritos, but I'm not sure I'm to that point just yet. I'll have to do some more testing and report back...
Their hot sauce is really good - ask for a cup on the side with your burrito. They make it fresh, and it's different depending on what day you go.
There are always a LOT of people here during lunch, but the food is served up pretty quickly. -
Review from Kris R.
Oakland, CA
3/13/2008
I can't think of a greater mis-nomer than "Happy Burrito". Judging from the way you are treated by the employees, THERE IS NOTHING HAPPY ABOUT THIS JOINT. Shadowed by the Oakland Federal building, Happy Burrito's food AND ambiance is as bland, mundane and efficient as the Bureaucrats who line up out the door from 12-2 pm for its mediocre and limited offerings. At best, its uninspiring. At worse, there's a whole lot of health codes being violated.
The only reason why I keep comming to this place is because my boss gets an occasional craving for chicken enchaladas, and "La Salsa" simply won't cut it...
I (generously) gave this place one star because of its consistency. When you order here, you know you will be getting the same bland and sloppily made burrito / enchalada / quesadilla as the last time. You know that, now matter how nice or polite you are, you will get the same cream-curduling scowl from the older short haired woman that works there. And its practically guarenteed that in the amount of time it takes to walk from the location to a more scenic and ambient table in the City Center (which is ONE block) your burrito will have split right down the middle from all the meat & bean grease.
The second star is for the conveniece and sheer nearness of its location. Oh, yeah, and its NOT La Salsa. -
Review from Mark W.
San Francisco, CA
1/28/2008
I used to hear some co-workers talk about Happy Burrito so one time I asked them to bring me since there were no other decent Mexican Food around this part of the woods.
Different than most SF taquerias I've been to. Not that it is a good thing. They are okay but it seems like this is the best that Downtown Oakland has to offer. If you want the good stuff that's relatively close, you have to travel past Lake Merritt and look for the abundance of Taco Trucks on the way to the Fruitvale Area....
I think the thing that is memorable about them to me is their Guacamole. They make it really runny. I guess it makes them unique but not sure if that is what they want people to know them by. I think most people would prefer their guac to seem to actually have avocadoes in it. -
Review from Lush L.
Austin, TX
7/16/2008
I cannot believe there is a line out of the door here everyday.
I can only surmise that all of these people must be from the midwest.
I ordered gringo nachos to-go and they put the chips in the plastic to-go box, added the cheese and then stuck it in the microwave. When I took it out to eat it at home, the cheese had melted huge holes in the plastic container!
Ewwww!
C'mon that is foul. Am I eating cheese or plastic? Needless to say I didn't eat much. Only the few chips on the top that had no chance of having melted plastic as a topping.
The melted holes in the to-go box caused the "guacamole" to leak out all over the bag, but luckily not my backpack. The "guacamole" was avocado-tinted sour cream. Seriously, just tinted green, like a nice sea foam color to paint the baby's room....
Gross! Worst place I have been to in the bay area! Even places in upstate New York aren't this bad and that is really saying something! -
Review from Seth F.
Oakland, CA
9/29/2009
Healthy-sized burritos for a decent price. However, these burritos are envious of those at Tia Maria in the Oakland City Center (one block over). But anything beats the crap at La Salsa, so Happy Burrito still does a relatively decent job of Mexican food in downtown Oakland.
A side note: the cream they add to their burritos reminds me of cottage cheese, which, depending on your opinion of cottage cheese, can taste either really good or really bad. -
Review from Lizzy G.
Oakland, CA
1/12/2008
Happy Burrito 2 is hot, fast, decent, real burritos. Lots of meat, cheese, beans and spicy salsa. You'r enot going to get gourmet chow here. No salsa bar. No odd ingredients. The staff all works hard, comes in early, keeps the place clean...they aren't there to do anything but put good, cheap food in your belly. They do it, and they do it fast.
Be sure to order chips, as they don't "come with". And their enchilada gravy is the good stuff. -
Review from Blake W.
Los Angeles, CA
10/14/2009
I love Mexican food... I really do...and working in the area, I really wanted to dig this place. The food is nothing to write home about, nothing really stands out as above average, kinda bland. No salsa bar, just one overly salty option, not the freshest tasting salsa either. The "guacamole" is a suspect light green, almost as if they combined sour cream with an avo-like green substance.
The price is right about where it should be, and they do have a cheap baby burrito if you don't feel like stuffing your face.
The only reason I went, or will go, is because of the lack of Mexican options in the area for lunch.
If you MUST have Mexican food, and you are stuck in DT Oakland, then go, otherwise, I'd try your luck somewhere else. -
Review from Steve S.
Richmond, CA
7/12/2007
Makes me happy every time. And crazy full too if I go for the awesome weight that is the Happy Burrito. Food coma almost every time, love it.
Seriously, this place is so good, the chile relleno is also pretty tops, and their super taco may not be up to some of the oaktown taco trucks standards, its pretty damn good too.
No ambience unless they forget to turn on the back light, ha, sweet. Long lines on weekday lunch but they move fast, well run joint with good service. -
Review from Neil O.
CA
1/22/2009
The burritos are huge! If I manage to finish one I am full for the rest of the day.
The only thing I ever get here is the happy burrito with grilled chicken and extra hot sauce, and that's really all I need. I'm sure the other stuff on the menu is good too, but I really don't see any reason to try anything else.
I've tried the other burrito places that are within walking distance, and I have to say this is the best I've found in the area.
