I've visited the downtown location so brought the gang here for lunch. We were seated and we all placed our orders. The salsa is self serve as well as all the other toppings like onion, radish, cilantro. I've enjoyed everything I've ordered. The sopes and gorditas are crispy and flavorful. The orange salsa is my favorite. During lunch time there's scattered tables full of people. The noise level is average for a place like this. The staff takes your order and brings out the food as it's ready. Service is fine. Water cups on a table for self serve. Very little interaction with the servers once your food is served. Pay up at front if they don't come with the check. Great lunch spot! read more

I've been to Cali Spartan a few times now, and it never disappoints! This visit we ordered 12 tacos total (al pastor and carne asada), along with two sides of rice and beans, avocado, and aguas frescas. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and came out hot. The tacos were generously filled, the tortillas were delicious, and the aguas frescas were refreshing. There was a small mix-up with our order at first. Our waitress accidentally thought we had only ordered six tacos instead of twelve, so we initially received six tacos, one side of rice and beans, and were still waiting on our drinks. When she came by and noticed one of us wasn't eating, she asked if we were waiting on anything. We explained that we were still supposed to receive six more tacos, another side of rice and beans, and our drinks. She apologized, brought our drinks over right away, and the rest of our food came out quickly. Even with the mix-up, everything was handled professionally, and we appreciated how quickly she fixed it. We originally sat outside, but decided to move inside because of the bugs. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The inside of the restaurant was clean, comfortable, and had a welcoming atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Since it was the Fourth of July, it wasn't busy, which made for a relaxed dining experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The salsa bar was being prepped, but our waitress gladly brought us fresh limes when we asked. Overall, the food was delicious, the service was friendly, and even though there was a small mistake with our order, it was corrected quickly without any issues. We'll definitely be back! Highly recommend Cali Spartan if you're looking for delicious tacos and great customer service. read more

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By far the worst service ever . I asked for a cup of ice when the server came to give us the food, and we waited over 30 mins. I was almost done eating my food and still no cup of ice with water , I look up to see if I could get my servers attention and all 4 servers are at the bar chatting , laughing , gossiping and NO attention to the tables at all. There's about 10 tables right now being served. Food was OKAY, nothing special. I won't come back here again. No one came to check up on us after they served us with our food . We needed re-fills that we never got on our drinks . read more

This place is so good. I'm glad to have tried it. I used to eat a lot of Mexican food when I went to school in SoCal, which is where I encountered Carne Asada Fries, so I make it a habit to get it at any restaurant that has it. CaliSparkles (what SJSU people call this restaurant), has it. SERVICE We came here on Saturday June 6th around noon. Quick to seat, took a bit to get our orders, but the waitress forgot that we asked for the check and to go boxes when we were done and didn't give us everything we asked for when we reminded her. In fact, all the servers vanished at the same time, and came back at the same time. FOOD Tacos are well priced ($3.50 for 1, $9 for 3 tacos), and I haven't seen that good of a deal in a long time. This is what they're known for and what most of my cousins ordered. Otherwise, one ordered a Super Burrito, and I ordered the Cali Fries with steak. It was soooo good. I loved that all the tacos and the fries came with avocado, some type of sauce, and tomatoes (I believe). Will def be back if I'm ever in the area. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Cali Fries with steak - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

Just tried Cali-Spartan, and I would say the regular burrito with steak, is delicious! My beautiful wife, enjoyed the Cali-Crispy tacos, and she had them with chicken. The only mistake on our orders was, I asked for no beans on my burrito, instead add extra rice. My wife asked for two tacos, and I asked twice and he said yes it's two tacos, but we got three. I'll definitely come back, hopefully our To go orders are correct next time. read more

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We came on a Sunday afternoon and it was fairly busy! They were very accommodating in trying to seat our large party. My husband loves the super quesadilla with beef and it certainly is very tasty. He got a margarita too and we enjoyed that. I got the street tacos- 3 for $9 and a side salad. The side salad was large but came with a tiny portion of salad dressing. Our friends ordered the quesabirria quesadilla and it looked amazing. The chips were really good and the guacamole was a heaping portion. You'll definitely leave here needing a nap. One thing that was annoying is that they only accept one credit card per check. I understand why but it's a nice courtesy when restaurants offer the option of more than one card. I've seen a little overcharging scandal over on Reddit but that hasn't been our experience from our visits (I don't think!) Another thing I didn't know until too late- water is self serve so no ice. I'm guessing you could ask for a cup of ice but it was so busy, we didn't see our server much to ask for anything. read more

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I love this place and it's a really good place for a cheaper eat. I usually get the super soft tacos with beef head and it's topped with lots of meat. The orange sauce is soooo good and paired with the strawberry horchata is perfect. Service is nice and you get seated pretty fast even if it can get a bit busy. There is a sides bar you can grab onions, cilantro, and pickled radish. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Place is clean and they also have a taco truck opened til 1-2am in downtown.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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Went here for lunch. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very open and spacious.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Workers are attentive and quick. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Place has a restroom and a full bar.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Menu is fully loaded. There is a QR code (see photo) Cali-taco: it's a good size, fries are crispy. We recommend this one. Would get it again. Quesabirria: 2.5/5 - it was just ok. Wasn't as flavorful as I've had before Super burrito: 3.9/5 - it's a hefty size. Very filling. I had to eat half otherwise I'd go into full nap mode after. I'd recommend it for any burrito lover and someone who can eat a lot. read more

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Cali-Spartan has multiple locations in San Jose! They're better known for their location closer to SJSU. Good place to get your fix for authentic mexican food. Staff was quick to take our orders and clean up. Corn tortillas are used for the tacos. The ingredient description for food options is concise and also descriptive to let people know what to expect. They serve soft, regular, and crispy tortillas at this chain. The carne asada was on the drier side when I had it this time. Definitely had juicier meats here in the past. The tortilla was a little crispier than I remember for the regular tacos. Will be back at this location or at the others since it's one of the popular choices in SJ! read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Taco Menu - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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Came with my friends after a Pickleball tournament and had the best experience I have had at any restaurant by far!!! We started with the shareable mimosa orange flavor and this is really fun for big groups and also delicious! Would recommend if you want to get tipsy! We also ordered chips and guac which game with chip seasoning as well. Both rated 10/10. I was feeling big back and ordered two burritos 1.) Wet Burrito (Suadero) - 14/10 2.) Double Meat Burrito (Asada y Al Pastor) - 10/10 I got the normal burrito because I love using their orange sauce which is unique and has a smoky flavor that no other taqueria can even come close to replicating. Their avocado based sauce is also stellar and has much more flavor than any other taqueria I have been to as well. Their condiment bar has 3 different sauces as well as much onion, cilantro, and pickled onions you could dream of! The wet burrito far exceeded expectations as it was larger than the double meat burrito yet cheaper in price. Smothering it with vegetables is something I like to do to balance the flavor. The flavor depth was immaculate and has guaranteed that I will order it every time I come. It was hard to add more sauce onto it as it was drenched it sauce already but it is different than the sauces they provide at the condiment station which is a nice change of pace. Service was immaculate, servers were extremely attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. They even offered to take a group photo for us and framed it in a plastic case so I could take it home. One of the workers asked for my permission to be posted on their Instagram which I happily obliged. All in all my experience here was unforgettable ans I am now determined to try to the other two locations after having such a great experience here. read more

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My tried and true South Bay staple for Mexican food! The crispy tacos with their famous orange sauce (can't skip out on this) are sooo flavorful. At this point, I've tried the crispy tacos with pastor, carne asada, papas con chorizo, and carnitas and my favorites descend in that order. $5.50 each or $16 for 3. Also tried the torta birria ($18) which I enjoyed and the consommé was good, but I wouldn't order their birria items over the crispy tacos. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Solid price, quick service, and a great place to catch a soccer game with multiple TVs inside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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I used to frequent this restaurant back when I was attending San Jose State, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a location on Blossom Hill only four minutes from my work. I came in and ordered to go. I got a California burrito with al pastor for the meat, which is my go-to order because I love that they add french fries inside the burrito. The special thing about this place is the orange sauce. I love it so much and did not realize how much I missed it. The staff even gave me three to-go sized portions of the sauce. The burrito itself was a solid size. I could only finish half for lunch and saved the rest for dinner. The service was really fast, and there were plenty of tables to sit down and eat if you wanted. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There was actually a lot of people that came during lunchtime to eat. It was very lively with music playing in the background.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I am happy to report that the quality of the food and the orange sauce has remained the same. It was very nostalgic, and I will definitely be coming back. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - California burrito with Al pastor - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

Having tried Cali Spartan by SJSU, I decided to stop by this location while visiting Valley Fair. The food fell very flat for me, which was disappointing since I have really enjoyed the other location. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant itself is very nice and clean, and the staff was super friendly.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I ended up getting the chicken tacos, and the reason I disliked them so much is because the chicken tasted boiled and had no seasoning on it. My sister had the carnitas, which she said were delicious, so I think I might have just ordered the wrong thing. Their special orange sauce is delicious though. I am a little wary to go back to this location, but I have hope that other items on their menu are yummy. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Chicken Tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

Ordered the Molcajete for me and my husband. This dish was next level; the flavors, the meats, the cactus, and even the cheese.... Oh my goodness!!! God knows how many times I did my happy dance while I devoured my food. The waiter and staff were very attentive and the food came out quickly. The condiment counter was clean and had all the available sauces and veggies. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Molcajete - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

My favorite Mexican spot in San Jose! The chips are super flavorful especially with the spice topping and the mango salsa that you need to request from the staff. The Al pastor and tripa is AMAZING. Very flavorful and tender. Made me want to buy more if I wasn't already full. The Cali-taco is also absolutely worth the order if you love crunchy fries with the flavor bomb of the taco. The staff also gave us a lot of mango salsa to-go with our chips and were very kind with helping us figure out what to order. Service was also very fast! Will definitely come back here whenever I'm craving Mexican food in SJ! read more

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Stopped by here because it was featured on the Bay Area passport. It was recommended as being authentic. The hubby and I ordered an al pastor super burrito, carne asada cali quesadilla and 3 crispy tacos (suadero,cabeza and chorizo). The quesadilla was pretty big, carne asada was ok. The quesadilla was the best out of all our picks. The super burrito was full of rice and lettuce, the small portion of al pastor was lacking flavor. The tacos had very little meat and alot of pico and crema, which made them taste cold. We did get a strawberry lemonade that was great! Their menu is huge, and maybe some of the other offerings are better. The salsa bar was big, but the salsas weren't all that great. All in all, it's ok. Service was also just ok. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was very loud in the restaurant, with music playing loudly.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They do serve alcohol and have some fun looking drinks. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Solid spot. I like that there is plenty of seating and that it can accommodate bigger groups pretty easily.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Carne asada, al pastor, and cabeza are all solid here. I like their soft tacos, crispy tacos, quesadilla, and horchata. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - super quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

My view on Cali Spartan has not changed since my last review- it remains one of the better places to get a fix of Mexican food in San Jose. My boyfriend got the quesabirria burrito and enjoyed it a lot. It's super savory and perfect when dipped in the consumme. [[HIGHLIGHT]]My gripe in this review is that the bathroom is straight up disgusting. I walked in, saw the state of the worn out toilet seat, and walked out.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Few words are needed to describe this, the image does enough. I'm fortunate enough to live in South San Jose, but I'd hate for anyone else to need to use the restroom enough to sit on this. read more

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Why have I just tried this Mexican restaurant?! I've always seen their food truck a few years back before they began to gain enough finances for brick and mortar store fronts! Yay for mom and pop eats :) Well, I was introduced to this place by my best friend, but I never carried cash to go, so I never tried it until another friend of mine mentioned the Blossom Hill location and them accepting credit card payment! (Yay, but let's not get carried away). [[HIGHLIGHT]]I came on a Tuesday evening with friends and saw the place packed! Thats always a good sign~[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We each ordered an individual dish to eat and chat. I was intrigued by the burrito bowl and worried it may be small. Jokes on me, it was way more than enough! Don't let the size of the bowl trick you into thinking it's not enough. The avocado was nice and perfectly ripe, the crema sauce drizzle was not overwhelmingly added onto the ball, and the salsa had a nice acid and tomatoey compliment to the beans, meat, shredded lettuce, rice, and cheese! I think this place is pretty solid for the price point and quality. They also have a free for all sauce bar too which is nice! Everything is so spicy, except for the green salsa lol. Servers seemed okay. They didn't really check on us, but it feels like a service yourself kind of place. You grab your own waters, condiments, and sauce here. If you want their chunky mango salsa, you have to flag a server down! However, 1 star is knocked off for the credit card charge, which I'm not even sure what the percentage is. I didn't see a sign at the register or perhaps I didn't look hard enough. I think this should be mentioned on the door and possibly their menu (if it isn't already). Can someone confirm if the credit card charge is 3%? Even my receipt wasn't clearly mentioning the percentage--just the fact that there's a credit card processing fee. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

The lengua here never disappoints! Always so tender and flavorful! I really enjoy the crispy tacos here, but the super quesadilla and birria + consome are hits! Definitely recommended to get something with their avocado. It's somehow always so fresh. The staff here are pretty quick and attentive. Help yourself to salsa and water in the back! Lots of seating inside and parking is great here compared to their other locations. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Big Crispy Tacos ($15) - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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So, the food is good. It's solid, just like the Cali-Spartan location next to SJSU. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The sauce station was clean (we visited early, early on a Sunday, how well this holds up throughout the day, I don't know).[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service was fine. No smile, but didn't expect any. Order was taken, food was brought out, pretty standard? [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant itself was situated much like a sports bar. One big TV lots of drinks available, many tables set up in an open wide space.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My biggest gripe with this location is that, as far as I can remember and going through all of my pictures and the pictures on Yelp, no where does it say that there is a credit card processing fee, not even at the front of the store where you pay and not the employee taking our payment. It just processed that way, which I believe is prohibited by law in the state of California since July 2024. Going back to the pictures, there are disclaimers for raw seafood consumption, so Cali-Spartan can easily add a line about credit card processing fees too. I don't have a problem deciding to pay fees or not when introduced, but just slapping them on at the end is dishonest. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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I ordered Cali fries with carne asada as takeout, came home to open it and it was only carne asada and cheese... I was VERY sad. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Cali fries except they forgot to give me everything that comes with it....... - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

Got the pastor quesadilla and it was so good! I love their orange sauce - tasted like a spicy chipotle sauce. Would come back to get other items. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Even on a weekday this place is busy and popular.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Very filling meal. Will be back! read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

Spar-co is that girl. I miss when they would double up on the tortilla for their tacos :( but the quality and taste remains after years. I always get the super soft tacos and add the orange sauce on top. Forget any other orange sauce there is no debate THIS is the orange sauce you need in your life I'm so serious. No idea how they get that perfect heat and chipotle. It taste so good on anything here. This is their larger location and parking is much easier, the one by SJSU has a small lot and it's kind of hard to park. I'm literally here every other month you need to have Cali-Spartan if you haven't already this is a South Bay staple. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Super Soft Tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

I've passed by Cali-Spartan Mexican several times, and decided to check them out tonight. The parking lot in this strip mall is small so finding a space can be challenging. The restaurant is lively, festive, with house music playing. They do have a bar. They have several tv screens with various sports playing. There is a salsa bar in the corner which I barely saw as I was leaving with my food. I ordered takeout. Three tacos for $9.00, otherwise, it's $3.50/each. Regular Tacos: "street tacos" small soft tortilla, and meat. Topped with onions and cilantro (3.5/5). Agua Fresca Horchata (4/5). Creamy, sweet and cinnamon spice. One of the best tasting ones I've tasted. I'll be back to try their other dishes. Support your local business. read more

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Loved the crispy crunchy tacos there. It was loaded and the orange sauce is soooo good. Get all your condiments at the bar at the far end of the restaurant. There's pickled onions, carrots, fresh cilantro, onions, and radishes, lemons. Loved the sides and sauce. The strawberry horchata was tasty too. Loaded with sugar of course but cuts the spiciness. I got a Lengua, cabeza and tripa taco combo and it was all so tasty and fresh. I love their meat selection. Seems more authentic when they serve body parts like Lengua. Haha read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Crunchy tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

My daughter told me about this restaurant- I've been wanting to try. It was pretty busy on a Friday for lunch. The crispy tacos were flavorful, shell held up well . Has a huge menu. Want to go back to try some other items. Service was good. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - 3 big crispy tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

The food is pretty good. Started coming here after some friends suggested it and has been our go to spot for Mexican food. Been here 3 times and all has been great until today I was a bit disappointed in my super burrito. It wasn't wrapped up very nicely. The top was all meat and a bit of rice and beans. Very little veggies and thought my avocado was missing. As I continued eating my burrito, I soon get to the bottom 1/3 of the burrito and it was all lettuce, my missing avocado, some pico, rice and beans. All the meat was up top and all the veggies on the bottom. They basically wrapped it sideways! Had to knock a star for quality control, otherwise it's a solid 4 star place. I'll come back but I hope they take this feedback and learn from it. Ruined my first burrito experience with them. Other visits were super quesabirria and birria tacos. This time was al pastor super burrito. read more

Yummmm!! My friends always raved about spartan tacos, but I've never got a chance to try it (until recently) . I was told to try their crispy tacos, so that's exactly what I got. I don't eat cheese or sour cream (it really sucks being heavy lactose intolerant), but the tacos were soooo good. I ordered the Al pastor and it was very flavorful and well seasoned. Inside was very busy, but service was still quick! I appreciated it! Overall, I would definitely come back. I would try their lengua next! read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Crispy tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

Found this place and we came to grab a quick dinner on Saturday around 6 PM. Restaurant was full of people enjoying their food. It was clean and well managed. We ordered their birria quesadilla and crispy cali taco with tripa for togo. Not a lot of Mexican restaurants carry tripa but they had fresh tripa in my taco! It didn't smell at all, and cooked very well, loved its crispy texture. Because they were pretty busy, We had to wait about 25 minutes to get our food after ordering. But it didn't disappoint us at all. I couldn't see the way to order online. You might have to order via phone to avoid the wait time if you are ordering for togo. read more

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This review is long overdue but this location has always been my go to. The food is amazing, my all time favorite order is the big crispy tacos. The service never disappoints, everybody has always been so nice here. Regardless if it's during the weekday or weekend, it's always busy because the food speaks for itself. My monthly place to dine at, can't wait to come back again! read more

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Came on a Friday night. Luckily we arrived before the crowd so we were seated quickly. It wasn't clear where to order or if a waiter would come to the table. There was a line in the front and at the bar. A waitress arrived after I went to the bar for margaritas. The drinks and food were good. They don't offer free chips and salsa which was a bummer. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I like the balloons decorating the restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]At first I thought there was a party until I noticed the cocktail balloons at various tables - nice touch.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Birria tacos and Consommé - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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Still never disappoints and always a favorite! Though now I think they removed the 4% surcharge so even better :) Always satisfies the cravings and we leave feeling so full afterwards, literally and metaphorically. Portions are still pretty big and the taste is on point. My kiddos also love the blue lemonade here! read more

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Great crispy tacos! I usually get shrimp, carne asada, and cabeza. Super tender meats and good portions. Usually pretty busy but service is quick. Aside from crispy tacos, quesadillas are good too. Just feel like the way they cut it isn't super efficient. All the fillings fell out since they cut it like a crepe... Otherwise, a solid go to for Mexican food in the area! read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Super quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

I ordered three tacos and chose various meats (carne asada, lengua, cabeza). I also ordered a crispy taco with no cheese and sour cream (dairy allergy). The tripa was crispy and made me wish I got my tacos with tripa! I also ordered a side of grilled onions and jalepeno which really elevated the tacos. They were nice and hot (temperature-wise). The jalapeños had such a great charred flavor without too much spice (although still a bit spicy for me) read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Menu (meat options) - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

Great food, came here on a Sunday evening- place gets busy. Got the birria burrito- it was delish. Would def try some other options as well. Quick service. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Birria burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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SUPER YUMMY AND SUCH A FUN BDAY EXPERIENCE! Food is always 5/5: my favs are the big crispy tacos with shrimp and fish. Super flavorful and the grilled taste is on point Orange sauce + make sure to ask for mango salsa on the side! Clean and well-kempt! Servers are very attentive and friendly. Someone in my family had a bday and we got a complimentary flan and the whole restaurant turned into a PARTAYYYY!! I love this place. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Big Crispy Tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

The food is great, the service is garbage. They are not attentive and very slow Get take-out if you want good food. Eating there is a joke for service read more

I've been coming here for years, including the other locations. It's my favorite taco spot of all time, thanks to the suadero (brisket) and the orange sauce... If I could dispense a liquid from my fingers, I would probably choose that orange sauce. I usually get the suadero in a taco or a burrito, and it's always delicious! It gets pretty fatty sometimes to I use a lot of lime, onions, and the mango salsa! I've had the carne asada, cabeza, lengua, and al pastor, which were all solid options as well. I think the only caveat is that the food takes awhile to come out. That makes sense though because it's always busy so I would expect the wait. They're usually playing loud music so it's a bit difficult to talk at times. Who cares though when you have suadero! Team sparcos! I will attach photos of my recent haul... read more

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Somehow this is my first time going to Cali Spartan Mexican Kitchen! No clue how I haven't been before, but I'm glad I finally made it. I got the super burrito with pastor, and made it wet style for $1 more. It was HUGE as you can see in the picture. Super filling with enough for leftovers. Service was good and the staff was friendly. I also like that they have a salsa bar with additional toppings, salsa, and sauces. I went on a Saturday evening and we went early enough so it wasn't super busy, but by the time we left it was starting to fill up, so keep that in mind. read more

Cali-Spartan Mexican Kitchen - Wet Super Burrito with Pastor - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California