Since my earlier negative review in April of 2025, my wife and I have been back to La Costa three times (we really did enjoy the food but wanted to see if the Service had changed, or not). These last three visits were trial visits. I am happy to say that we did not experience the same behavior as we did in 2025. The food was good and the service was outstanding as it had been before April 2025. So, I am updating my review to 4-stars. I do think many of the chairs need to be replaced or repaired. Some are very wobbly and feel unsafe to sit in. read more

Wow, what a good local restaurant. Very friendly, efficient service and I cannot say enough about how delicious the food was. My daughter loved her blended margarita, and we both enjoyed our dinners. I had a chicken enchilada verde that was beautifully seasoned. The salsa that they serve has a great kick, and it's very reasonably priced. If I lived close by, I'd be here weekly or more!!! read more

This restaurant is a true gem in Gem County! Food is served on heated plates. Healthy portions too. Come hungry! Whatever you order will not disappoint. This time I ordered a Dinner Plate #2, ground beef tacos and cheese enchilada. I couldn't finish it but my husband has lunch for tomorrow The service is bar none! Friendly, fast an funny they make you feel like family. We love it. The establishment is very clean. Bathroom well stocked and CLEAN. Check there website for specials and such. I'm not a drinker but the bar looks like a good time. Also, they serve fusion drinks. Mixology is happening here! read more

La Costa Mexican Restaurant - Dinner plate #2 enchilada, taco, rice, and beans - Mexican Near Me - Emmett, Idaho

I ordered a drink and dinner. When it was time for the check, I pulled out a credit card. Then, some guy (not my server) tried to grab my card. I asked for the check and he said he'd get it and tried to grab my credit card again. I told him I'd like to see my bill. That's when he said "you're the guy pouring his own drinks from under the counter". I'm not sure what he meant by that but he was accusing me of something and I did not like whatever it was! I won't be back! read more

We've been eating here once a week for 12 months and we can share with confidence the Mexican food is delicious and priced right on. Typically order the 2 cheese enchilada + shredded beef taco plate and a chicken flautas plate. Rice and beans are a nice compliment to the main dish. Our servers are always kind to us, they serve Diet Coke and if you enjoy adult beverages they have a nice bar that gets busy in the evenings. As an Elite Yelper, La Costa has my recommendation --stop by for a meal, you'll be glad you did. read more

Fun fast service. Go early as seats fill up. Fun bar and great staff. Specialty drinks are always good too.

The food is better than most Mexican food in Idaho and Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. The service is excellent with fresh chips, salsa and beans with the menus as a free appetizer. The ambiance is very nice with booth seating. I have eaten Mexican food that was better in ambiance that was better. But I have eaten a lot more that is below this establishment in every way. It's above average. Enjoy. read more

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Went to La Costa for lunch the other day. It's all the way through Emmett on Washington Street, about a mile past the railroad tracks. When I walked in I noticed the employees all speaking Spanish. I just understood poco but learned that a close family seems to run it. There's a nice menu including a lunch combo menu (mostly $11-13) with everything including rice/beans. But the lunch buffet caught my eye. $12.99 including beverage. It was a decent variety with a small but fresh salad bar. Several toppings, potato salad, peppers (not hot) tomato, many dressing choices. I moved on to the hot foods; Spanish rice, refried but runny beans, cheese and ground beef enchiladas. None of that was the least spicy. Next was a POLLO CREMA, which I thought was the highlight of the meal. Shredded chicken in a cheesy cream sauce. It was superb, although a bit greasy. There was also carnitas, red and green chile. I only tried the thin green chile verde. It was fairly good but not too memorable. The chips and salsa were fine--salsa was a bit hot. I used the chips to scoop up my chicken crema. I saw some others had gotten tortillas after I was done eating. That would have helped. Overall the buffet was better than average and a good value. Tasty choices. I ordered a lunch shredded beef chimichanga for my wife to take home. It was pretty big and came with rice and beans. And some enchilada type sauce. That was quite good. Although I ate it with chips. She had sour cream with her food. We're going to be back. The people were all quite warm and welcoming. The restaurant is plainly decorated but like most Mexican restaurants. Like others have said, not Enrique's (but 35% less) still better than most Idaho Mexican food. read more

The absolute best Mexican restaurant in Idaho. Can't say enough good things about them. The staff. The environment the menu the quality of the food excels in every area. read more

Recently visited La Costa again with the intention of giving them a second chance. Having eaten there a few times in the past and was somewhat pleased with the food, we went again. Once again, we asked for a booth and were told there were none available. Looking around, there were several of the larger booths open with tables clean?? The first time this happened I put up with sitting on their uncomfortable, rickety chairs. After the second time of this happening, we walked out. Is it a race thing? What is the reason? I seen two booths with just 2 people in them? I will never set foot in there again AND will advise anyone to avoid the place. Unacceptable!!! read more

Stopped by after a staying up in into the wee hours into the morning fighting a fire. Had a slight hangover and really tired. This place picked me up. The food was good, the minchilada was great. Amazing portions too. People were super nice and the place was clean. Will be coming back next time I pass through Emmett. read more

We found this family owned and operated Mexican restaurant while traveling through the area and we are sure glad we did. Very nice menu, reasonably priced and everything was exceptional. We were greeted early on arrival, the service was great and the food outstanding. I highly recommended the house special carne asada. We travel extensively and this is one of the best Mexican restaurants we have dined at. read more

My wife and I went out to our favorite food, Mexican food. We were hoping to get authentic Mexican home made tortillas. The tacos were made with box Shells that you buy at the store. It was not good at all. Probably would not go back there. And I don't recommend that anybody go there. Sorry to post something not good. read more

Pretty standard mexican food. Friendly service. Love the decor. Food came out at a decent time and came out fast.

This place is great! Friendly staff. Authentic ambiance. Excellent food. What can I say? This is one of the best Mexican restaurants I've been to. They bring a tasty refried bean dip with the complimentary chips and salsa. Margaritas were excellent, as was the guacamole. Even though the place was especially busy (we stopped in on Cinco de Mayo); the service was great and attentive. I had the enchiladas. My wife had the carnitas and my son had the taquitos. All were great and served piping hot. Flan for dessert was a perfect way to end a terrific meal. read more

Family went to La Costa to celebrate 8 year old grandson's birthday . Food was good, seamer ice was great and grandson was delighted with the staff singing happy birthday to him read more

La Costa Mexican Restaurant - Gauge's birthday celebration - Mexican Near Me - Emmett, Idaho

We order La Tapiquena every time and it never fails to be absolutely delicious ! The carne asada meat in this platter is amazing!!! Goes well with the Cadillac Margarita which is amazing too!! Everyone working there is so nice and attentive! Awesome ambience, we take all our visitors there for the experience And the new decor looks great read more

The best part of the meal was the salsa. They don't charge you for the first chips n salsa but if you ask for more, unbeknownst to us, they charge you. Anyway, the Chile rellano was prepared ok but didn't pack much flavor- the shredded beef in both dishes was nice but the ench sauce lacked any punch. I was just happy to take home the rest of our salsa. read more

La Costa Mexican Restaurant - Chile rellano and chimichanga - Mexican Near Me - Emmett, Idaho

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The building is nicely decorated and painted, except for the rusty front door. The service was ok, but was a little sparse. There was no service between getting food and getting the check. Fresh and delicious corn tortillas were the best of the food served. Although the chile relleno and shredded beef taco were decent, the chile colorado and chile verde were both in a thin, tasteless sauce and the meat was chewy and had not braised long enough. If you like Los Betos and Chapala, you won't notice much difference, but if you like Andrades and Enrique's, you will be disappointed. read more

the food was so delicious. our server Luis was so amazing and just made sure we had everything we needed. cute restaurant too. super cozy and i would 100% recommend read more

It used to be a good Americanized Mexican restaurant. They had great staff and food that was fairly priced and consistent. You knew what you're getting, never a bad meal and great, endless freshly made salsa. The Matriarch, God bless her, is one of the most hard working lady we've ever seen in a restaurant. I swear she works endlessly for 20 hrs a day. Times have changed. Since frikn COVID family has taken control and yes did some serious updates to decor (California softening)and menu updating. At 1st the new menu was absolutely awesome with slight price increases. But not much afterwards they've really gone downhill, maximizing profits, quality down. For example: Like almost all Mexican restaurants one gets complimentary salsa and chips. But when we ordered our meals, we asked for salsa and was charged $1.50 more for a half of a small cup, basically no more than a tablespoon I swear served in the same cup. (That happens at home, not a restaurant) So I asked the waiter about the extra charge and he said it was policy. I said it doesn't seem right. He said, do you want to talk to the manager. Yes. Manager basically said Go Frick Yourself in a very condescending, disrespectful manor. We asked for whole beans instead of the very watered down refried beans with our meal but still got the room temperature mush. Yes the dinner served had a nice photographic look with rice piled high, but in reality you're getting a plateful of carbs and some small portions of dried out meat. I spent all this wasted time to let u know, this only game in town is not what it use to be and we are so sad and pissed we were treated the way we were. So again , it's over the hill for a meal. The newbies beware read more

Handicap parking. Warm dining. Plates very hot, don't touch. Service very attentive. Good wine and beer menus. Good seating. Foot is hot and tasty. Can recommend the enchiladas either beef or chicken. Chip are good, salsa is medium, bean dip Good. Price was excellent considering amount of food served. Moderately busy for Thursday at noon. read more

La Costa Mexican Restaurant - a sunset over a field - Mexican Near Me - Emmett, Idaho

Let me start with that this review is not for bad food or for bad service! This review is to address a situation that my family and I experienced at this restaurant. There were four of us dining, my husband and I and my parents. We enjoyed our meal and the restaurant overall! However after we paid the check, we had only been sitting for a few minutes when an employee (maybe a manager) came to our table to inform us that we needed to leave because they needed our table for another party. All of us were stunned by this request as the restaurant was not that busy! There was no one waiting at the door or outside for that matter. My mother asked for clarification by saying, "Does this mean you want us to leave?" and he simply replied, "Yes!" We were stunned! I have never been asked to LEAVE a restaurant EVER! I could kind of understand it if they were swamped with customers waiting inside and out, but neither of those things were happening! I am incredibly disappointed by the way we were treated! I felt like we had done something wrong! I will never go back! It's a bummer, because our food was great and our servers that helped our table were fantastic! But being asked to leave was absolutely disheartening! read more

We've been going there for 20 plus years. Very friendly, great food. Large portions. Highly recommend trying it. read more

I drive 30 miles to come eat the food here the Best mexican food place to eat I've been eating here since the day they opened. The staff here on the one on Eagle road meridian Idaho is the friendliest Come an try it you will keep coming back no matter the distance Mary White read more

We recently made our first trip to Emmett, ID to go pick cherries after seeing a story about cherry-picking on the news the day prior. To our dismay, we seemed to arrive a wee bit too late and everything was closed and trees bare. We tried the local farmers market, if there were cherries, they were long gone, oh well...I'm hungry. Originally we'd planned to head back over the hills back to the Treasure Valley, but I suggested we try something local and discovered La Costa. To me, there is nothing worse than traveling somewhere, then going to a place you can go to at home. Try the local color methinks. We arrived and were seated immediately, drink orders taken shortly thereafter. I was encouraged when I saw them offering Mexican Coke, the stuff with the real sugar in it. The menu arrived and wow, this place might actually be legit! Being a fan of Chili Relleno, I went for the #17 (I believe). We tried the salsa that arrived with the chips and initially I thought it could use more heat, but a funny thing, as you ate more, the heat lingered in your mouth and increased. Food arrived and I always try the rice and beans first. I figure if you can't get these right, there is little hope for the rest of the meal, sort of like a house with a bad foundation. The rice was bland, the beans good. My wife had put a little of the sala on her rice and she said it brought it to life. My Rellenos were good, nothing to complain about there. As we were leaving my wife asked if they sold their salsa, wow, a Mexican woman asking to buy a restaurant's salsa! Each evening I arrive home and what's sitting on the coffee table? A bowl of chips, and a bowl of La Costas salsa. It seems that we're going to be visiting Emmett regularly. Next time I'll put some of the salsa on the rice. read more

Mediocre food at best. Quit going there because tired of the servers attitudes and mediocre food. Prefer the truck in front of the ice cream shop or driving to Horseshoe Bend for good Mexican food since Efran's closed. read more

After a day on the river, we decided to try La Costa. It was very good. Their chips are thick and crispy like we like them. The service was decent, friendly enough but not that attentive. My daughter got the Mexican pizza and said it was good. My husband loved his carne asada plate. I had a chili verde burrito and wanted to also try their shredded beef taco. Both were very tasty. The meal was a bit pricey in our opinion, but we enjoyed the food and would likely return next time we're in the area again. read more

Hubby has been to here many times but was my first time few weeks ago. LOVE it! Fresh chips and salsa when you sit down. I had the meat ball soup and a shrimp dish. I didn't know the soup is in such a big bowl! Love both and took the leftover home. Definitely going back to try other dishes read more

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Good Authentic Mexican Food. We moved here to Emmett from San Diego, and wanted to find good Mexican food, as we are used to such a variety in the Southern California region. La Costa Mexican definitely fits, and we are glad it's so close to home. read more

Great ambience. Good food. Perfect for big families! Excellent flavors! Nice location downtown!

Best Mexican place yet in Emmett! They give good portion sizes for good prices, and the taste is always a home run!

Our favorite meal is the fajita chicken. So good! The staff works super hard... great attention to detail and your needs as a patron. I recommend it! read more

Wife and I had dinner here, last night. She ordered the Carnitas and I had the Carne Asada Tampiquena. We have been searching for good Mexican food, since we moved to the Treasure Valley, almost three years ago. It began to feel like an exercise in futility. Well, we finally hit pay dirt! This place has the best Mexican food we've found yet. Both plates were incredibly good, as was the service. We'll definitely dine here again. read more

We stopped here while traveling on vacation and it was very very tasty! You can tell they really care about their food. Best tasting rice and beans we've had in a long time! Was such a treat. I had the camerones a la crema and the cream sauce was very nice and they cooked the shrimp perfectly. My husband had the chimichanga a la costa. And let me tell you that was the most perfectly cooked chimichanga I've ever had. Nice fluffy fried on the outside not too much crunch like some and not to mention the crab filling!!! It was so so tasty I was a little jealous. We also had a couple of margaritas and they were yummy too. They serve them on the rocks and blended which I love the blended so I enjoyed it very much. What a wonderful restaurant. read more

GREAT place for a family meal. Severed hot with good service. Liked the ambiance and buffet till 2 pm.

The food here is very good. This is the best restaurant Emmett has to offer at this point. The picadillo enchiladas are my favorite, and the lunch buffet is a great value. read more

Amazing food and quick staff. Ordered to-go and it was ready in under 15 minutes, and delicious. Love this place!

Always delicious! Never had bad service. And the lunch buffet at d perfect for a quick lunch. They even have a bar in the back if you want to have a drink with friends! read more

Excellent quality in food, salad greens in the lunch buffet, wonderful. Service is fast and very friendly. Mexican decor gives Lacosta a great vibe! read more