This place just keeps getting better and better the food is excellent service is excellent decided the price was worth it just clean the trash can in eating area read more

My burrito was mostly tortilla. The burrito wasn't even wrapped correctly just thrown together. This location's food is always inconsistent.

This place used to be our favorite "local" taco shop. The other night we attempted to drop by to grab a carry meal but they were closed. It was NYE so understandable. We opted to go to another restaurant to order what we usually get at California Taco Shop. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement. Portion sizes and quality of food paled in comparison to what we get at the California Taco Shop. This experience has made us realize that California Taco Shop is not only our favorite "local" place but it is THE place to eat if you are wanting a good Mexican meal. read more

I got a large horchata and a carne asada burrito, which was nothing short of extraordinary. It had copious amounts of beef and guacamole and the flavor was perfect, especially with the extra hot salsa and a lime. I came hungry and left extra fat and happy for $16. I wasn't hungry for another 6 hours, which is saying a lot for me! read more

I've heard other people say they like the food here, but I was very disappointed. Almost inedible. I had a few bites of each thing just to try it, but it ended up throwing everything away. read more

I stopped by the California Taco Shop on 24 Hwy in Independence at 10:30 pm on a Thursday for the first time. I was glad to find it open, and had initially intended to go to Taco Bell, but thought I'd give it a try. It was very attractive and well lit, but the attendant, though friendly, had such a heavy accent I had to ask him 3 times to repeat everything he said. I ordered a chicken taco salad, which was listed as $10.37 on the drive-thru board, but I was charged over $11 for using my debit card. (What the heck!!! How many people carry a bunch of cash with them these days?) It did not say on the drive-thru board about the extra charge, but there was a sign on their window when I pulled through offering a discount for buying a gift card with cash. Not the same thing. There was also a sign offering free black beans with any meal, but I had already ordered by the time I spotted it. The taco salad came with sour cream and guacamole, and they gave me a lot of both. In fact, it was more like eating soup than a taco salad. The flavor was pretty good, though, and not spicy at all, which I prefer. It came in a crunchy bowl of puffy tacos, which was a nice change (although they were pretty greasy). I really needed a spoon to eat this meal, instead of the fork and knife they gave me. They also gave me five tiny napkins, about the size and thickness of cheap facial tissues. Actually, cheap facial tissues are thicker, and I needed more than five. I'm still undecided about this place. I HATE having to pay cash to get the posted prices, and overall my taco salad cost $12.19 with tax, which is more than I would've paid at Taco Bell. But the salad was bigger than Taco Bell's (although quite a bit goopier). I might be back to try their dinner plates; they listed a bunch of them. I also noticed, in the bottom of the bag after I finished, two tiny cups of sauce, red and green, which were not needed. They could've asked if I wanted them & saved that expense. Then they could maybe afford to not penalize their customers for using plastic! read more

Average breakfast burrito. And for $11 I probably wouldn't come back. $7 sure and they'd probably get 4 stars. But $11 is crazy read more

California Taco Shop - Bacon Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Excellent food & service . The carne asada burrito was great! Salsa is fresh! Shocked that the $1.00 tacos were substantial. Overall fantastic experience. read more

Great food! Service is always good. Ambiance is fair. Sometimes it is not as clean as I would prefer but honestly it rarely dine in. Definitely recommend trying them. read more

I had the Poblano Burrito Plate which comes covered in a white queso, rice and beans on the side and a drink. It was absolutely delicious! My wife had a shrimp taco and a fish taco. She said they were both fantastic! We will definitely be going back the next time we are in the area. read more

California Taco Shop - Fish Taco and Shrimp Taco - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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The best Mexican food I've had in a long time. Always hot and fresh. Customer service was excellent. The place could use a little upgrade but not a big deal. Overall the food is phenomenal. We have dined here about 6 times in the last 2 weeks. lol read more

California Taco Shop - De Lengua tacos - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

This place is pretty alright. I got steak potato fries and they were pretty good. The steak was delicious, the fries were alright. Definitely add some salsa and ask for guac then it would've been perfect. Chicken quesadilla was massive, my husband liked it a lot. We were definitely not a fan of their rice and beans. Beans tasted like they've gone bad and rice tasted like it was old. All the other food we got tasted fresh though! Not my favorite but it's close to home and would be my go to place for carne asada fries for sure. My husband also really liked their Queso. read more

California Taco Shop - Chicken Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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Have been a few times before the food was really good. Last few times the food was not very good. Spent a good price for the food we got a burrito de cabeza no flavor at all. Also got combo fajitas everything was chopped so fine the only thing recognizable was the shrimp. Looked like left overs. Rice was nasty as normal. I won't go bad. Even the horchata had no flavor read more

I noticed this place driving down 40 Hwy. I couldn't tell what it was because there's no lights to show the name of the place. Maybe the Christmas-like lights are supposed to help with that? The inside is clean and organized For $3.49 a taco- you get a lot of meat and they double up the tortilla. Rice and beans are delicious. A bit disappointed that they don't make Flautas. The Fluatas are called " 5 rolled tacos" and they're pre-cooked. That's a no go for me. The cashier was nice. Will return to try other items. Thank you! read more

We have been driving by this place for a very long time. My wife moved here from CA 4 years ago, and she's been craving CA Style Mexican (like TexMex but better). However, most places in the Midwest that say CA Style, is not even close. That's why it took us forever to visit. We decided to go through the drive through. I'm from MO, I'm not picky on Mexican. We got Rolled Tacos. Tell you what, they were amazing. We decided to go back a couple days later. She got shredded beef tacos, and I got a chicken Quesadilla. At first I was confused as to why it was 10 bucks, until he handed me the quesadilla... this thing was HUGE. The picture doesn't do it justice. I couldn't finish it. I'm excited to try other stuff on the menu! Oh, and my wife said this reminds her of home. So it os truly CA style Mexican! read more

California Taco Shop - Chicken Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Got take out a few times, my food has always been hot and fresh! Cheese dip is very yummy, steak torta, and cheese enchiladas were great! read more

California Taco Shop - Half ate steak torta Carne Asada Torta - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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We went thru the drive thru this afternoon about 3:45. My husband just wanted a taco and a bean burrito. I ordered the chicken fajitas with sides of beans & rice. Didn't not pay much attention to the prices as did not want to hold up cars behind us. Everything we ordered was higher than the price on the menus board. It does have a very extensive menu. We expected it to be less than $20. I decided to add a slice of cheese cake (it was ok, probably a frozen store bought. The sign on the window advertising it said $5.99. The receipt said $6.24. We paid in cash. Our total bill was over $32. My husband almost told them to cancel the order he was so surprised. I convinced him, let's just get it and we won't be coming back. We went home to eat. He ate about 2/3's of his burrito, said it was ok and lots bigger than Taco Bell but was not worth $7. The taco was tiny and it was $2+. My fajitas were ok, not the best or worst I've ever had. They had lots of peppers but very little onions and the pieces of onion were tiny - really couldn't taste them at all. Chicken was also in very small pieces (about the size of a paper clip). I The meat was seasoned well except it had way too much salt. The rice was typical of most Mexican restaurants as well as the beans. They gave me one tortilla but it was huge. I had to tear it into fourths to eat with my fajitas. It was much chewier than any flour tortilla I've had anywhere else. There was about a quarter of a sliced avocado on top of the fajitas. Most Mexican places serve sour cream, shredded lettuce & pico with this dish. I think the food was ok, not great and over priced. We won't be going back. We will go to Taco Bell for drive thru and to a sit down restaurant where they serve you chips & salsa while you wait for your food. One last thing, I asked for salsa and was given 4 tiny containers, it was very thin and hot. I was not asked if I wanted spicy. I like hot but my husband does not. Normally he would put some salsa on a burrito. I do have enough left over for another meal. The server at the window was very pleasant and smiled a lot. Not much ambiance in a drive thru. read more

Big fan of Taco Tuesday. $1.00 tacos rock. That being said they did not deliver on the promise. I ordered 4 chicken hard tacos, which were tasty, but did not receive tomatoes and sour cream. So please go, but make sure you get what they promise. read more

We stopped in fir breakfast this morning, my husband and I where not disappointed. The burritos where amazing, hot and tasty. The services was fast and friendly. read more

We try to go weekly for tuesday tacos and it's perfect everytime - fresh and affordable!

Got the adobada burrito. Loved it. Reminded me of the ones I'd get in SD. Meat was tasty and the pico and guac took it over the top for me. Lady at the drive thru speaker was super friendly and very helpful. Drive thru took some time, but that's totally understandable. I'm coming back as soon as I can! read more

Food is tasty, but they cannot handle basic customizations like requesting no sour cream. First time I went I ordered street tacos and asked them to leave it off, my mistake was waiting until I got home to verify if done. Last night I made sure to order something that didn't even list sour cream in the dish and then verified it didn't have it when ordering only to get home and see dollops of sour cream everywhere. If you have allergies this is not the place to try. read more

I had a big craving for a California burrito and this place has always been on my radar so I figured it was time to try it out. Definitely satisfied my craving and the burrito was delicious! One thing I will mention is that sometimes I would get chewier parts of steak, but I know it's just either fat or tendon. Didn't gross me out but it was the only part that I didn't eat! The service was fast and the prices are reasonable. If you have a craving for some pretty tasty Mexican food- give this place a try! read more

This is a must every time I'm in Kansas City. Love the Southern California version of Mexican food. As authentic to being in Mexico as you can get! read more

I'm from San Diego but spent nearly the last 9 years living in San Francisco Bay Area trying to find a taco shop that was at least close to San Diego quality and wasn't total trash. I never did. Now I'm in Kansas/ Missouri and crazy enough I found a place that's about as close to San Diego quality that I've had in years. Is it just as good? Depending on how picky you are and you know what I mean by San Diego quality taco shops the answer is not quite, but the recipes are the same and execution is extremely close. 4.5 stars. read more

If you're looking for good, quick Mexican food, this is your spot! I've lived about 5 miles from this place for the past year and a half and I just discovered it recently. 2 things that I really like about this place are the variety on the menu and the salsa bar. They have everything from fried shrimp tacos to burritos and quesadillas. Speaking of tacos, burritos and quesadillas, that's exactly what I got. I got a cheese quesadilla, shrimp taco and a fish burrito. The quesadilla was HUGE and was prepared like a traditional Mexican quesadilla (not cut into slices). The shrimp taco was pretty good. It was seasoned well and served on a corn tortilla with onions, peppers and cabbage. The fish burrito was just okay to me. The fish seemed to have more breading than fish and it was a little on the salty side. I hoping they just had a bad day and that it usually tastes better. I got rice and beans as a side and they were just okay. The salsa at the bar range from mild to really spicy. I sampled a few of them and they were all good. I plan to return soon to check out some of their other dishes. read more

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Microwaved food. I ordered steak and it was obviously made a while ago. Put in a shell and the shell was microwaved. Microwaved shells are absolutely horrible. I wouldn't eat microwave food at home. Why would I pay someone to do that. Not good read more

Ew. There end of review. My service was fast. But the girl up front acted like she didn't know anything. I ordered chicken enchiladas. I absolutely cannot stand chicken that has no seasoning. And chicken in an enchilada shouldn't be long, stringy thick pieces. The enchilada chicken didn't taste like they even seasoned the chicken. Then as I was playing around with it.( I couldn't cut the enchilada, the shell was too thick) I found a huge bone.It looked like a large leg bone. The sauce,I swear was canned enchilada sauce, cause I cook with that stuff and know the taste. I could only eat 2/3rds of the enchilada before I couldn't eat any more. While Popeye's next to this place thrives. I doubt this place has a chance. I mean. it's disgusting.The enchilada was boring and not good. The chicken unseasoned. This place is really disgusting. read more

California Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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OK, for those of you familiar with Pancho's 24 hour Mexican in KC, this is VERY similar. I mean you can go down their very extensive menu and go back and forth between which restaurant does each item better! California's has better tacos. Pancho's has better burritos. Pancho's has better salsa but California's has more options and levels of heat. Etc.... Neither restaurant is going to blow you away with flavor! But there are very few better choices for maybe a 15 minute drive in any direction from either restaurant! Where California's has the clear edge is in their specials. There are too many to name, but my fave is the $1 tacos on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday! Choose between carnitas or pork adobada street tacos or hard shell tacos with juicy shredded chicken or ground beef. That special alone for THREE DAYS per week bumps them up to 4 stars! Give them a try for a cheap lunch and who knows. You might become a regular.... read more

California Taco Shop - Rolled beef taquitos & $1 street tacos - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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Went here on 5/18. Really did not want to go here, but went despite my protests with partner. I ended up being pleasantly surprised. I ordered the Texas Burrito which is chicken, rice and cheese. I got a combo which adds rice and beans with a drink. I also ordered chips and queso. The burrito was huge and I couldn't eat it all by myself. The queso had great flavor with just enough spice. Rice is probably my favorite food, so no complaints here. I definitely will come back! Decor is nothing worth mentioning, but they had live roses on the tables when I went. read more

Coming out of San Diego California Right next to the boarder of TJ: Trying out to see if they compare to California's Taco Shop. So far pretty good. Nice size. Got the california Burrito. I give them a If you ask for fries instead of potatoes in your Cali Burrito they give you seasoned fries. I don't get it . 1st time trying that I but prefer the regular fries, so no Carne Asada fries for me . Meat seasoned well, hot & tender and no grease dripping from your burrito. read more

Can't say anything bad about this place! They are fast and friendly. The food is delicious. And the portion sizes are completely worth it.

I was actually craving Poncho's but their credit card machine was down and they were cash only. California Taco Shop, is very similar to Ponchos. The menu does have some different breakfast items. I opted for the drive thru and ordered a chorizo breakfast burrito that came with egg and potatoes. I could only eat half of the burrito because it was so big. My food was good. The service was fast and tasted fresh. I would eat here again. read more

California Taco Shop - I haven't been here before, can't wait to give it a try. - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

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I'm from San Diego. Born and raised. This place is legit for the carne asada burrito. It tastes just like Alberto's and Roberto's. All the way down to the guac. The salsa isn't hot enough for me not flavorful enough. I mixed the Verde and the rojo together to make the salsa kick a bit. It worked well on the burrito and chicken chimicanga. I'll be back tomorrow to try the rolled tacos (in San Diego we call them rolled tacos and not taquitos). Then I'll give the official SD nod. But I'm happy so far. read more

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Im known for enjoying tacos...burritos and tortas. Ive been here twice and i have yet to be impressed. I ordered tacos...and burritos the first time. I always order a al pastor taco and see how they do the meat.it was not bad. I always order tacos and i can say its good... maybe a 3.5 out of 5 not bad. Since you can see the meat you kno you eating this meat. It was good. The second time i had only a butrito...torta and a quesadilla. That is when i see that they use chuck steak when you order a burrito. It is a cheaper alternative to thin meat....milanesa.. pulpa..or ranchera. But chuck steak is not meant for burritos. It was good at all. The worst ive ever had. I had ate burritos from Ca...AZ...NV...MO...but I can say this one is the worst ive have had. I will say what i do and dont like about this place. Nice: People ...the salsas Worst: the menu..too much varieties of burritos....items scratched off and replaced w writing. Its not me to say anytging bout the location. Since i dont care bout that only bout the food. Best taco plase is el torito. read more

We are from San Diego, one of the things we miss most is good Mexican food. Well, at least the kind that we group up with. I haven't found anything to replace my beloved rolled tacos but now I have. These were great. I had a bit of a drive home before I could eat them so they were a tad soggier than I like but still a great flavor. My husband had the carne asada burrito, he said it had good flavor but pretty grissly meat which is a big deal for him. The flavor was more of what we used to have in SD. We will be back when we are out that way. read more

California Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Thoroughly impressed with this place!!! Have been craving a burrito since I moved back from CA and thought I'd check it out. Really yummy and tastes fresh! Only thing is the red sauce was too thin, and both the red and green sauce did not meet my spice criteria. Other than that, so worth it. I will be going back read more

This is your fast food place for tasty Mexican food, rather than a Mexican themed fast food restaurant--like that place with a bell in its logo. With two spots in the Kansas City area CalTaco has the large and varied menu of a family-owned Mexican restaurant but the look of a quick eats spot. Wanting car fare as I hit the highway I opted for a shredded beef burrito with chips and queso. The burrito was like a fajita rolled into a wrap. The beef was mixed with peppers, tomatoes, and caramelized onions. Wonderfully filling! Expect slightly longer food delivery than national chains because meals are cooked when ordered. The chips contained only the flavor of the oil they were cooked in and the cheese was oddly soupy. In a car there was no chip dipping as the thin cheese would have been all over the cabin. However, at a table I wonder if the chips would have held any of the watery queso long enough to taste it Without cheese or salsa the chips went uneaten. Salsa note: The restaurant had a salsa bar and I sampled the mild sauce. With peppery heat on the back end it would have been labeled Medium on a supermarket shelf. So, California Taco gets 5 stars for the burrito and just average or less for the side items. Bonus point for having bottled soft drinks with cane sugar--common in Latin American countries--along with fountain drinks. read more

California Taco Shop - Sit-down restaurant food served fast at CalTaco. - Mexican Near Me - Independence, Missouri

Strange menu, not my thing. Tried it twice and there are much better places nearby in Lees Summit.

Best Mexican food I've found in Missouri since leaving California. I've never been disappointed. Run do not walk!!