


Traveling around in #SanJose and #NearbyToSanJose at 825 mph on our spinning planet.
South San Jose
This mural found at Almaden Ave. and Alma Ave.
Created by artist Ries Niemi (riesniemi.com), this sculpture in steel has indigenous plant references and says a message in three languages as you walk around the base.
Ohlone: Makin Mak Si Ni Ta Was
Spanish: Nosotros Vivemos Agui
English: We Live Here
Loma Prieta and Mount Umunhum in the distance.
Burrito Factory Restaurant at 124 Blossom Hill Rd., Ste A, San Jose, CA 95123
The Burrito Factory has been around for a while and is a pretty good go to for burritos, as you might guess from the name. Well, how about tacos? We went to what I sometimes refer to as the “big burrito factory” meaning the one with more seating. It’s also the one that makes Mexican Coffee during the breakfast hours as they don’t all do so.
Today we sampled al pastor, asada and cheese, and tacos de papa. It was a beautiful day and we sat outside. Here are some of the comments:
– I like the tortillas for my taco, they were a perfect balance between toasty and soft. Food good, salsa has some heat, the ones we chose anyway. The orange sauce here is a hot one. Nice day for sitting outside.
– Good tacos.
– Outdoor seating was fantastic, nice breeze. Music playing. The tacos de papa, with cabbage, queso y crema were good; not too flavorful. I added a squeeze of lime and tried their orange sauce and their red, both hot and good flavor.
– Meh.
Overall we were satisfied with the tacos and the experience. Personally, I can see myself occasionally ordering tacos here though I am far more likely to order burritos, especially chili verde or chorizo breakfast burritos.
Combined taco score for Burrito Factory = 🌮🌮🌮
El Amigo Restaurant at 7090 Santa Teresa Blvd., San Jose, CA 95139
This taco experience was enjoyed by two adults and two children, as well as the company of friends who ordered other items from the menu. While there is an indoor dining area to this well decorated restaurant, the outdoor area is so inviting with roof covered sections, shaded sections, and sunny sections, that I think it would be difficult to pass on the outdoor eating experience here. Tacos ordered on this day were asada con queso, tacos de papa, hard shell tacos with chicken and cheese, and fish tacos.
Notes from this taco tasting included:
– Delicious!!!!
– Good. Simple papa lettuce & tomato. Served with rice & beans. Some salsa adds lots of flavor.
– Not bad.
– Great outdoor eating, friendly people working here, and I’ve eaten many things here over the years and they were good. The fish tacos today did not impress me as much as other food here has, though I still ate all of my tacos. Also, from experience, I can say their asada tacos here are great.
Combined taco score for El Amigo = 🌮🌮🌮
La Playita Restaurant at 1169 Redmond Ave, San Jose, CA 95120
For this day we had two adults and one child with us and ordered al pastor, asada con queso, and veggie tacos. One child was off on a different adventure so didn’t get to eat with us this time. I have a fond space in my heart for this place as I used to eat here regularly many years ago and the family that runs the place have always been very kind. In fact, some of my earliest memories of my children eating at restaurants as toddlers are from this restaurant. This is where my youngest used to eat the salsa as a toddler until their mouth would burn, drink water, pause for a minute, and then go right back to eating chips and salsa as if nothing had happened. My ratings of the experience here are certain to be skewed by happy memories, and also, the meat in my tacos was excellent!
Comments included:
– Very good. I like the patio and all of the plants, also.
– Good.
– Good. Delicious. Basic veggie taco.
Combined taco score for La Playita Restaurant = 🌮🌮🌮