Disgusted. Ordered to go and the chicken was RAW in my arroz con pollo. Realized after I took a bite. If I end up with food poisoning I'll know why. Sorry but being busy isn't an excuse to serve undercooked poultry. read more

La Costa Restaurant - RAW CHICKEN IN ARROZ CON POLLO - Mexican Near Me - Burien, Washington

We always have a great time at la Costa, I would say that the better of the two sisters that run the place as far as service goes is definitely Hilda however Lidia is a close second. read more

We have a home in Mexico and my significant other is Mexican., so I think we know something about Mexican foods. First and foremost, the people are real nice here and service was quite good. I received an ad from the restaurant advertising a friend red snapper, brightly colored. I called them and the lady said it was for $18.99. We visited the same afternoon and ordered this dish along with Tortilla soup and a couple of tacos. Sadly to report the fish came out dark brown and tasted super fishy. The tortilla soup looked slapped together and the color / flavor were not right. Tacos were edible, average. My partner asked me if I wished to return the fish. Well, I never returned anything to kitchen for fear of eating something worse afterwards. So as a couple with good experience with real Mexican foods (we go to our Mexican home 6 times a year), I give this place 2 stars for its good service, but do not recommend its food today. read more

We're loyal fans of La Costa. Tonight, Reuben was our server and he was patient and a gracious server. Our party of 6 started with wine and margaritas teased with a Nachos Beef appetizer. After wetting our whistle, we moved on to enchiladas, quesadillas, shrimp and chicken. All delicious entrees. We were also seranaded ny the Mariachi Band of great songs. Our evening was delightful filled with great conversations making it a very memorable time with family. And La Costa and their crew helped make it all happen. As said, we are loyal fans! read more

I've been in this restaurant a few times and the experience it's been ok! So if you're hungry you'll be fine. Service is ok, food is okay i can be a good critique in a Mexican restaurant because im Mexican but im like any other costumer, first i criticize a restaurant in how clean it is and that place is not very clean just go to the bathroom in the middle of your meal i can assure you you won't eat anymore! The carpet it's as old as the restaurant very unpleasant. And one more thing i ordered one a chunk of lamb dinner the looks of it was good but it was half frozen so i wasn't happy an other time i went to the restaurant and it was a party of more than six people and the waiter didn't bother in explaining that tips or gratuity was included in the tab , so we were drinking and by mistake we tipped 20% and they pocketed the money that easy i guess $150 for a tip is good isn't it.... read more

Food was great! Service was excellent ! Place was full and the only downside was there was not enough people working so we waited a while for a table. Would recommend! read more

We were quite concerned at how packed this place was. It we were seated quickly. Drinks were quickly secured and our dinner shortly after that. Flavors were spot on for excellent Mexican food. We had a variety of people bringing items to the table and checking on us consistently. read more

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These folks are amazing! The food is delicious and the staff are extraordinary. We placed an order online for delivery and noticed a mistake when our order arrived. When I called to let them know, they immediately drove to my house with a replacement meal (plus dessert). It was so kind and absolutely above and beyond! read more

Y'all! This is yummmmmy and everyone was so smiley and nice. Pro tip: feed the whole family with one order of Carne Jalisco! I ordered it for myself and should have taken a picture because it is massive. I have now eaten it for four meals this weekend and it's sooo good that I'm not even tired of it. So yes, I think it could easily feed a family of four if you order extra tortillas. We went on a busy Friday night and got seated immediately and service was quick and personal. read more

Hole in the wall colorful and delicious gem! The sizzling steak fajitas were more than enough to feed two. Perfectly seasoned steak, totally satisfying low key place with no nonsense efficient authentic service. We loved it. Minus one star for giving a brief scare when the credit card didn't come back and 4 servers ran around asking if we got it and they clearly had misplaced it for a few minutes. Then when they found it they were completely unapologetic read more

La Costa Restaurant - Sizzling steak fajita deliciousness - Mexican Near Me - Burien, Washington

Delicious cheeses enchiladas and vegetable fajitas . Very friendly servers and staff.

I have not had diarrhea like this in years. I just moved to the area and was starving...wanted Mexican and came due to the yelp reviews. I navigated the packed, standing room only place to the bar and found the last seat. The bartender was terrific! What was not so terrific was the mariachi horns literally two feet from my head. I had to pack up my food and leave or go deaf. The food looked wonderful, the sizes large, the price very low. It tasted ok, mild flavor, I've had better. I would say exactly the same as Azteca but cheaper. The chips were only ok too - Azteca's are better. Unfortunately it was only a rental. read more

Food was average but the manager here is extremely unprofessional and rude. I ordered nachos and I literally received some chips with cheese and tomato. I figured i would just switch to a burrito instead. The hostess who originally took down my order (to go) was very friendly and apologetic. The manager that she called over was miserable and treated the situation as though it was my fault. She was slightly rude to the poor hostess too and i felt bad. The whole situation was just awkward. If the food was half decent I would tolerate the bad service. Unfortunately, I won't be coming back here again. read more

My home away from home and my favorite Mexican Restaurant around. For the gringos (like myself) they have good quality large portions of the American style Mexican food we tend to gravitate toward. For those who prefer more traditional style there is a wide variety as well. Huge selection with a focus on seafood - the margaritas are fantastic (spend the extra dollar and get the top shelf tequila you wont' be disappointed). *On a side note - the silly woman below who was griping about her shrimp being "raw" might not want to order a dish featuring lime juice cured raw shrimp (that is a picture of the Camarones Ahogados) the menu makes it pretty clear what you are ordering. Kind of undermines your "expertise on shrimp" when you slag the restaurant for serving you what you ordered ya know? Patrons do have some pretty basic obligations - even if they are experts on Tiger Prawns. Can't please everyone I guess - BTW HIGHLY recommend that dish - I've eaten it numerous times and it's awesome! What are you waiting for? Go get a margarita and some raw shrimp lol!! read more

I haven't stepped foot in La Costa since high school. What I remembered most about this establishment was you are given refried beans with your chips and salsa. I haven't been to another restaurant that does that. Cut to six years later and I'm at La Costa with two of my co-workers for Friday night drinks and dinner. As soon as I walk in it al comes back to me: the pink walls and the paintings of parrots holding beer bottles. This place hasn't changed but its a good thing. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. One thing I did forget was how extensive the menu was. There is your usual Mexican fare but there are a variety of ways you can get it meaning you have to decide between plenty of meat options. There is even tongue offered which I rarely find. Amongst all the meat, there is a small vegetarian menu. I went with the vegetarian chimicaga. My co-workers are regulars here and got the enchiladas and a small margarita which was huge. Our food arrives and my dinner is massive. Just how I like it. Alongside my chimichanga is white rice with carrots, peas, and lima beans mixed in, and whole beans. I cut through the chimichanga and it is pipping hot. Vegetables come tumbling out and I can't wait to try a bit. After a cool down I take a forkful and yummy! This is like a vegetable stuffed burrito deep fried to perfection. The veggie rice compliments the whole beans well. A nice compliment to our dinner was the mariachi band playing in the attached dinner area. Even though I did attempt to eat my entire entree, I had to throw in the towel and request a to go box. There was just too much food to devour in one sitting. But that is always a good thing. read more

This place of okay not great. I've tried the green enchiladas which were good and the red enchiladas also good. I also tried the Jalisco enchilada which seemed like they microwaved a tortilla and put cheese in it. Was not impressed by that enchilada. I asked if the hatd shell taco was a homemade shell and the waiter said yes but it tasted like a packaged store bought shell. My kids tried the torta which looked like a french dip sandwich. They didn't like it, not the traditional torta. My husband had the patron plate which had alot of food. Nothing to rave about... Average Mexican food. As for the service... Not so good at all. The first time we went during a week night and they went busy at all. Our server left and never checked on us and never refilled drinks. We flagged him down but by the time he refilled our drinks (he was very slow) we were done eating. The second time we went was on a Friday night. Sort of busy but not too bad. Our server was a different guy but same service. Never checked on us. Our food came out at all different times so good for cold by the time everyone was served. To top it off the server stood there with his hand out waiting for his tip. My husband tipped him even though he never once checked on us. read more

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Prices? Awesome. Food? Pretty good. Service? HORRENDOUS. Sadly, I don't go here anymore because of the service alone. read more

My and my coworkers' fajita salads had lettuce that were pink on every edge. Since it happened in both our dishes, it doesn't seem like a one off event. But others who ordered non salads seemed fine with their meals so just stay away from the salads here! read more

The food was better the 2nd time, service was worse. The best part of the meal were the chips and salsa. Too bad the waiter never offered us more since we finished them before our food order was taken. I ordered a combo with a piece of Carne Asada and a Jalisco beef enchilada. The Steak was good, very small portion though. The enchilada was flour tortilla wrapped around some unseasoned ground beef, disappointing. The plates look huge but once you eat the actual food you soon realize that a 3rd of the plate is garnish. My girlfriend got the hot plate cold food treatment. Plate was piping hot, food on it was barely lukewarm and bland. Never again. read more

Good Mexican, North Americanized but still lovely food and fantastic service. Killer margaritas!

La Costa is the bomb diggity. I just LOVE that they give you FREE chips, salsa, and bean dip!!! Every other Mexican restaurant I have been to charges for the bean dip, which is no bueno!!! The staff is very friendly and I love that they work as a team. Someone will come check on you even if it isn't their table or section. For the most part the service is great, BUT I have come in a couple times and received some pretty craptastic service. I know that things happen sometimes, even at the best of places, so I'd say it's definitely more hit than miss. And, it's nice that after coming here for years a lot of the same people still work here. The portions are HUGE and I almost always have leftovers to take home. My favorite is the Mar y Tierra with spanish rice. It's carne asada and then you also get shrimp and crab in a butter sauce. It's so good. I'm always scraping the dish that the shrimp and crab come in for every last bite. Sometimes there can be a bit of a wait, especially on the weekends and it can get insanely loud. I like to keep things pretty chill, so I typically come in during weekday afternoons to avoid the craziness. Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, they have a kids menu too, which is priced well, especially for how big the portions are. read more

The wait staff is extremely rude at this restaurant. The place was not very busy when I went there today at 7:30 and the rude fake blonde didn't even acknowledge I was standing to be seated. When I asked if I could be seated she told me to wait a second. Just rude. Visit some other place for authentic Mexican food. Pathetic staff! read more

Two of the things I'm most nervous about when moving to a new city are finding a good burrito, and finding a good Mexican restaurant (and no, those two are not the same thing). I already had the burrito down (thanks, Taqueria Guaymas!), so when La Costa popped up on Yelp, I figured I should probably try it. First of all, this place has a HUGE menu. There is quite literally something for everyone. Secondly, CRAB ENCHILADAS. They were amazing. As was the margarita. And the chips, salsa and bean dip (which come complimentary with your meal). Lastly, this place is great for groups. They have two huge seating areas, and there was a group of probably about 20 people sitting next to us that seemed perfectly happy with their service. I'm always nervous that large groups will detract from my service, but that wasn't the case at all at La Costa. Dos thumbs up! read more

I'm always hesitant to write a negative review, especially when the staff is as nice and friendly as they are at La Costa. Also, I went to La Costa based upon the positive reviews here on Yelp, which usually are correct, and so I was very surprised by how not-great of an experience I had. And I have long since stopped attempting to compare the Mexican food in the Seattle area with that in California, where I lived previously, so this is not a comparison to the truly great Mexican restaurants that I have experienced in the past. The thing is, with the exception of the chips and salsa and refried beans that they brought to the table when we say down, the food itself just wasn't that good. The chile relleno had very little cheese in it, and my dining companion said that the sauce tasted like someone had thrown together a can of diced tomatoes with a can of diced chili peppers....very bland. I didn't taste it, so I can't say. My entree of spinach tamales was not good. Yes, I ate most of it, but only because I was very hungry, as it was late in the evening and I hadn't had lunch! The spinach filling tasted like thawed frozen spinach, in a big clump, with a little bit of feta mixed in. The tamale itself was unlike any tamale I had ever eaten, very hard, with a very unappealing texture. And the whole thing was covered in a bland white cream sauce, and served with white rice that was overcooked and gluey. The only good thing on the plate was the little cup of whole pinto beans on the side..those were tasty. Maybe we ordered the wrong things? I certainly would never recommend this restaurant to vegetarians, but it's possible that the meat and seafood dishes were better, based on other reviews that I read. read more

Excellent Chile Verde. Enough for two and the margaritas are huuuge!!! Thanks La Costa for a good Saturday evening. read more

La Costa Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Burien, Washington

So I'm in Ellensburg having dinner with my parents at some random Mexican restaurant when I start talking to the waiter at length. After hearing that we lived in Burien, he asked, "So you go to La Costa?" I'd honestly never heard of the place. After coming back home, I looked it up and went there for dinner. I don't know how I never knew about this place before! When you hear of a Mexican joint in a run-down strip mall, you normally don't think "quality" but this place was unspeakably awesome. The hostess and the servers were all super friendly, the food was hot, the chips were warm and the portions were freakin' huge. There's really nothing not to like unless you count the Christian bookstore two doors down (which has since been closed!). read more

I grew up in the neighborhood and this has been my family's Mexican restaurant of choice since I was a young child. I've been around the country now (not to mention five months living with a family in Guadalajara) and have learned that people can be really uppity about their Mexican food--whether it's "authentic" or not, especially. Californians in particular seem to think there isn't good Mexican anywhere outside of California. Because of this I used to think that my preference for La Costa over all of the places that I've eaten around the country was just hometown bias. However, that idea went out the window when I started bringing Mexican food elitists from out of town to La Costa and watched them love it too. When it comes down to it, La Costa has the perfect size, a friendly staff with excellent service, delicious food, a large and varied menu, affordable prices, an accessible location, a fun and relaxed atmosphere--and even a Mariachi band on Friday nights! It doesn't get better than La Costa. read more

If I could rate it higher than five stars...best believe I would!! I've been coming here ever since I was a youngin..now I'm off in college across the pacific..but every time I come home..I sure do make sure me and my parents head over here!! they make their chips fresh..comes out with beans and salsa..omg..superb!! and it's bottomless..mhmm..that's how Mexicans role..just beware if you're haole..hahaha...cause the beans and cheese might hit you later if your not used to this type of food... but anyways...I make sure to get a number 21 (enchilada and tamale) shredded beef..the sauce on the side of the enchilada..you use a homemade flour tortilla to pick it up...omg..savor that taste.. refried beans!! mexican rice with tomatoes and onions..maybe some jalapeños...That's what's up!! No black beans like in hi..trying to say its mexican..not uh...I won't point out any restaurants...but mmhmm..you know who you are... being as I was under 21..I always got a strawberry margarita..virgin..and omg is it the bomb.com!! Just don't drink it too fast..you might get a brain freeze..haha the service..now this feels like home..theyre all super nice..bilingual...talkative and inviting...they make sure to refill your water.. this place gets pretty busy on the weekends...just a little FYI..the wait is worth the food though... of course..they have a bar open for all those 21 and over and sometimes they even have a mariachi band playing live.. I could tell you about the perks about this place..but this is one Mexican restaurant that you'll just have to experience on your own...or with your family read more

La Costa has emerged as my go to for Mexican food in the area. I love the funky way it's decorated inside. But I go there for the food and drinks. My daughter really likes that the chips come with hot refried beans as well as slasa I love their Costa Rica, a Margarita like drink served in a giant goblet. You only need one... The item I always drift to is the Borrega. The lamb is fall of the bone tender and the sauce is to die for, it's got a nice hint of cinnamon in it. I've only tried that and the Carne Asada. Both are great. My wife's Arroz con Pollo looked real great, so I'm thinking that that may be my next dish there. read more

Delicious! First time here for dinner, amazing margaritas and delicious food! We had the chicken street tacos and chili Colorado- both were fantastic. The pick de gallo was yummy too. We are very happy to have found this place and we will be back! read more

UPDATE 04/15/18 I had to remove a fee stars because this visit was not as good. In the beginning they provided great service. But half way through our waitress forgot about us. After waiting 15 minutes for extra chips and salsa we just wait forget. Ate our food and waited for the check and just left. It wasnt even busy enough to be forgotten. Hopefully next time the experience will be better. read more

This is the kind of place that when you are about 15 miles into a bike ride you start dreaming about. First you think about the warm chips and the staple salsa and beans. Then you try and decide what off the giant menu will fill you up. The atmosphere is cheerful but they are not covering up bad food with glitz. I would venture on the other end of things. No glitz needed when the food fills you up and tastes good . The bartenders margarita's of the large size are the way to go. Tasty tasty stuff I tell yah. I like the cold shrimp with cucumbers,tomatoes and jalapeo peppers. One thing that I LOVE about this place, when your food is done. You get it. No putting one persons food under a heatlamp so you can both dine together. That just washes out the good the cook can do. As someone who cooks I would rather see fresh hot food as orders come in and food goes out. Also the size of the fajitas makes it hard to carry out all the food you get. Well to be honest all the dishes are this way. Just way more then you think you should eat but they serve it to you anyways. Eat as much as you can and enjoy the leftovers. Be careful ordering your first few times unless you can put away food with the best of them. I have never made it through an entree, let alone apps too. read more

My favorite Mexican Restaurant! Huge, delicious portions. Plan to eat half and take the other half for lunch the next day. This place is really down-home authentic. Always full. I'm a fan of the Spanish-music jukebox. I love that you get beans and salsa to dip your chips. I love the buckets of Coronitas. Great, friendly service. Most of the servers have been there for years (as long as I've been going there). Unless I'm in the mood for a taco wagon, or high-end gourmet Mexican food, this is the ONLY Mexican place I eat at. YUMMMMM!!! read more

Yeah, I've experienced better. Chip don't taste homemade, salsa seemed funky, the steak tacos I had were large.... but came with beans that reminded me of Boston baked, My coworker enjoyed their meal but for me it was just so so. read more

I've been coming here for years. I like that they bring beans out with salsa. I like that their salsa is always really fresh and spicy. I usually go to La Costa when I've craving enchiladas, so I haven't had too many other things from the menu. Their enchiladas are awesome! For a long time, they had a framed write-up on the wall about how good their enchilada sauce was - I couldn't agree more. Sometimes they confuse the innards of items (ex. if you order a chicken enchilada and a beef burrito, there's a chance you might end up with the meats switched), but because everything is tasty, this has never bothered me. Every once in a while I go on a night where the Mariachi band is playing. Those nights are hit-or-miss for me. It would be a terrible situation for a first date, but it's great it you want to relax and listen to music. Also, these are my favorite Margaritas that can be bought in a restaurant. read more

I usually have a pretty good experience there but today I went in with my friend both of us moms we rarely get time away and we wanted to have a couple of afternoon drinks. We walked in a gentleman was welcoming got us seated fast but I told him not to waste the menus on us since we we just going to have drinks. As soon as I said that his demeanor changed. He asked well what drinks would you like? I asked if they still have $4 lunch marg he said no and I startled to ordered another and he cut me off I need your ID he was rude and Agro about it. I handed it to him and he looked at me and said take off your mask very rudely. Very bad customer service. Servers need to stop judging a table as not worth it because they're not ordering food or for many of the reasons they think a table doesn't deserve service because they won't get a good tip. I've had tables only ordered drinks and have an $80 tab while some people only order a plate and they spend $20. I hate leaving and not tipping which I believe brings bad karma so I decided to leave and will request to not have him as a server again. I'm tired of having that one time to get a break grab a drink or something and be deemed not worthy of good service or someone to be nice. So thank you Azteca for providing me with drinks this afternoon and non judge mental service based on what I'm ordering. read more

Oh how tasty mexican food of goodness. Whenever I get the craving for delicious mexican food I traverse the distance to Burien to consume copious amounts of pollo crema. MMmmm, the usual smell of creamy chicken sauce and mushrooms not to mention their bean dip.... ooooooooo the bean dip, yum! Nothing better! The tequila is good and the mariachi bands on fridays is always fun to listen to and watch all 15 of them squeeze into the tiny bar. The only reason I give it less than 4 stars are the fact that it is a touch unclean but aren't all little mexican joints like that? read more

So delicious! I have never eaten inside this restaurant but my work orders take out from here about four times a year and I always look forward to it. I haven't eaten anything other than the gigantic burrito blanco but everyone at my office thinks that their favorite dish at La Costa is the best, which I think speaks volumes for the food from here. I also really like the staff here at La Costa, they're all very friendly and accomodating. I definitely think La Costa is one of the very best places to eat in Burien! read more

Looking for a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant that'll take you away from the busy mainstream places? This is it. Pros: -Wonderful and large drink specials -Big meals -Above average quality -Friendly staff -Comfortable atmosphere -Clean Cons: -If you're not obvious about wanting to order, the staff can be a little slow -As with most Mexican restaurants, you'll have too much food and wonder why you're still eating leftovers days later read more

I've never seen a Mexican restaurant this busy. We've been there for dinner 3 times and every single time there is a short wait. We;ve never had to wait more than 10 minutes for the 2 of us. Mostly it just gives us a chance to take in the delicious smells and rev up our appetites. The chips and salsa are very good. They're not my favorite I've ever had.. But I have been to well over 100 Mexican restaurants all over the country & in Mexico... so it's a tough competition! I do appreciate that La Costa serves bean dip alongside the salsa. I like to order the chile relleno - it comes with guac and they top it off with cotija cheese. LOVE the cotija cheese! The whole thing is really very good. My hubby gets 2 enchiladas and a taco. He said the only thing he isn't crazy about is the chicken. He said it's a bit dry. But even with that criticism, he still really enjoys their food. The service is good but they have always been soooo busy. So each time we have run out things. Salsa, soda, etc. Since it's on account of being busy and not lazy.. I don't mind. There's a great energy in the restaurant, the food is very good, and I will definitely be returning for a 4th visit! read more