Andale Mexican Restaurant
Palo Alto, CA 94301 (650) 323-2939
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
23 reviews
Mountain View, CA
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58 Reviews for Andale Mexican Restaurant
Mexico, with an attitude.
100 pesos is a little steep for a burrito w/o even a side of chips and salsa. That'll cost ya more.
And how many of us really hanker for healthy, wholesome mexican food anyway?
Think outside the bun make a run for the border before going to Andale.
Soapbox rant:
Why o why are there no taqueria's on University Avenue in Palo Alto...? Blame it on demographics I guess.
Interesting and Ironic...
Funny that if I head to East Palo Alto along the same University Avenue I find tons and tons...Interesting.
3.5
Carne asada tacos are very standard...but I am a fan of trying new ones. Keep in mind I don't like my tacos to be very busy.
In fact, cilantro, onion, carne asada, tortilla, and some kinda salsa do it for me. Fillers or camouflager's like pico de gallo, sour cream, beans, and cheese make it a meal not a taco, and should be used carefully.
Either way...Andale serves up a hearty taco. I ordered two carne asada tacos each served in two tortillas to house a bunch of meat, beans, and pico de gallo. To be fair, keep in mind that I ordered take out on my most recent visit, and ended up eating just the meat since the tortilla was so soggy.
On past visit, I have eaten in...and liked the flavorful taco. Not somewhere I would frequent, but closest taco place to mom's house that I remembered in a flash....
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Definitely the best mexican place on university ave... although that sort of goes without saying since its the ONLY mexican place on university. For the price it was not bad; I mean you don't expect many hole in the walls on such a "high class" type of area. Anyway, it was about $10 for fajitas, very tasty, the soup they forgot about 3 times, but oh well it was decent once it arrived. Its pretty much exactly what you would expect a mexican place on university to be.
See my other reviews of the other Andales. This one is not nearly as good as the Los Gatos restaurants. Not sure why that is because aren't the menus the same? Aren't the ingredients the same and the cooking?
But for some reason this location doesn't taste the same. I ordered something, I don't even remember what I got, I believe it was chile verde but all I got was a little spicy pork and a lot of salad on the side. Come on, don't raise the prices and cut the portions at the same time. We aren't stupid! The next time I walk down University, I'll pass on by Andale's.
This is so depressing, I don't want to dwell on it, so I will skip any flowery descriptions and go right for the kill.
The food sucks, the service is slow AND it's too expensive.
I feel incredulous! Waited 10 minutes in a line of 3 people for service at the counter. Stale chips, bland salsa. Lukewarm and flavorless tacos "al pastor" on soggy flour tortillas--with salad? and beans? no cilantro? Outrageously bad, NEARLY $5, EACH! Oh, but only $9 for a weak margarita slurpee, whooptie-doo.
Unpleasant. Inauthentic. Pitiful. Pathetic. Avoid!
My girl couldn't make it out to PA to do lunch w/ me, so I decided to get Mexican food since she doesn't really like it. Since there aren't any Taquerias that were w/in walking distance, I ended up going to Andale. Decided on the Tostada Salad since I had it before, but had them replace the pinto beans w/ black beans. Service was nothing special (2 stars)....they need to learn to relax and be friendlier (maybe smile once in a while), food was decent (3 stars) even though there was a puddle of black bean juice at the bottom by the time I walked 2 blocks to my office, and the jalapenos and habanero salsa were ok....not really hot enough though. The place earned 3 stars.....I'd have to up it to 3.5 stars because I didn't get sick. When I was younger and went to the Los Gatos....every time, one of my friends would get sick.....i mean really sick. Either I've got the stomach of a vulture or I'm just lucky....either way, .5 bonus star.
06/11/08 UPDATE - Can I find a regular goddamn taqueria w/in walking distance of downtown palo alto? guess not. After roaming the damn streets for about an hour, I ended up back here. I decided to deduct the .5 bonus star I gave them last time because I finally tasted their jalapenos by themself and they really are the sweetest tasting jalapenos i've had! I might as well have put some goddam relish on my Maya Burrito (that was just OK. not bad, but just ok). I was really disappointed about the jalapenos.....oh, and the feta cheese (or maybe it was goat cheese) in the salad tasted a little funny.......I hope i don't have any more mexican food cravings when i'm in DT PA, I really feel I'm rolling the dice eating here....still didn't get sick......but i know I BARELY got away this time.
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Decided to spread my wings in Palo Alto and try some new places. I'd passed by Andale many a time, and so I decided to give it a go.
Normally this place is packed, especially on the weekends. But on the Tuesday night I went, there was hardly anyone there. Which was nice actually. I ordered a special, something called the "1980's burrito" I think. It sounded good, the price was right, and in fact it was great! It was almost like a salad wrap, but with chicken and this really nice sauce on top. I was pleasantly surprised. With it I had a glass of their sangria, which was really not that good. I'd pass on it, especially for the price.
I'd read some mixed reviews on Andale, but I am glad I checked it out. I'll be stopping by again...
This place is pretty good- have been going here on and off for 12 years now- I like the maya burrito- and generally any of the burrito specials they have daily. This place is not "authentic, " but it is fresh, and tasty. I like the carrot/orange juice they make- it is fresh, and they whizz away at the fresh fruit and veggies while you wait. It can get pretty packed sometimes at night...
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People at my work go to Andale's a lot since it's really close and convenient, so one day I went with them to get a taco salad. It was really bland and not very good at all - not to mention much pricier than I expected! I didn't want to write them off completely so I went in for a burrito. I was even more disappointed -- it didn't come with sour cream, cheese, or guacamole. It was basically just rice, beans, and chicken. I took it back up to explain that it was missing all the essentials, and the cashier seemed really annoyed when she had to explain that all of things cost extra. I guess I was just disappointed because I'm used to places where you can get a HUGE burrito with absolutely everything for muuuch cheaper than Andale. I will definitely not return due to not only their pricey-ness, but also the blandness of their food and bad attitudes of their staff.
I haven't had a burrito here that I liked.
However, I love their veggie flautas. Stuffed with potatoes, fried, and garnished with sour cream, guac, lettuce, and salsa.
By FAR the best, most guilt-inducing nachos I've ever had. You'll have to share them with a friend, they're so huge.
I usually get the beef supremo burrito... HUGE chunks of carne asada, and a healthy portion of it too. They don't use beans and rice for as much of a filler as I'd expect.
They're a bit pricey, but I make it a point to use my frequent flyer card so after I spend $90 on their food, I'll get a free meal. Hey, I'll take whatever I can get.
The staff is always pretty nice... I usually go during the day and it's to the point where Claudia recognizes my voice on the phone. Should I be ashamed? Yeah, maybe a little bit.
So the guy working tonight totally flirted with me when I got there to pick up the goods... "Marissa, chew know, chew have a very sweet voice on the phone."
Um, yeah. Insert uncomfortable silence here.
"Uh.. thank you?"
Gimme my burrito, bitch.
His strangely patterned (on purpose! he shaved it that way!) beard totally creeped me out. I headed for the door. Note to self: only go there during the day. Claudia's more my type.
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Overpriced and totally mediocre except for the WATERMELON AGUA FRESCA, it's awesome!
They have yet to put in a good Mexican restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, they need a good burrito place that is open late...hmmm, maybe I just got an idea for a business plan!
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You can get a better burrito for half the price in nearby Redwood City. When you order one to go you get a salad and chips that have been made soggy by the dressing and a mediocre burrito in a tinfoil wrapper that's also been covered in a greasy layer of dressing. It quite unpleasant.
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Why anyone would pay $10 for a pitiful burrito and chips you don't even want is beyond me. Go to El Grullense, Sancho's, La Azteca (or anywhere else, really) and you'll be paying half the price for 10x the quality.
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Andale is a great restaurant i ordered the bean and beef burrito it was so delicious but i was still hungry the margarita was great and so was the watermelon juice.
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I haven't written any review for places I don't like (thus below 3 stars), but I feel that people should express their positive and negative opinions so the ratings can accurately reflect that.
With that said, I have to say that the food at Andale is below average Mexican. The burrito I got was very dry (maybe because I had it "togo" so they didn't pour all the creamy sauce on top of it?) The other dish was the quiche, but that was nothing spectacular either. And the price is high for a Mexican restaurant, but understandably because they are located on University Ave. in Palo Alto.
however, the salsa bar definitely has very fresh ingredients, and the salsa themselves are very good.
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I had high expectations of Andale after reading their menu. I love big, authentic Mexican breakfasts and their menu descriptions sounded right on. Unfortunately, the actual food was not nearly as good, flavorful or interesting as the menu would have you believe. I ordered the eggs with chorizo which came with refried beans, potatoes, tortillas, and a fresh fruit salad. We also got the chips for an extra $2 so I could try out the four salsas at the salsa bar.
The chorizo was supposedly house-made, which did not translate into good. It was bland, and barely even tasted like sausage. A good chorizo is spicy and yes, a little greasy. This was neither. The eggs were even bland - just sort of tasted blah and were a pale yellowish white color that was pretty unappealing. The potatoes were ok - chopped and sauteed with some peppers. The beans were by far the highlight, but I wouldn't go back just for the beans. They weren't watered down and runny which is often the case and they were topped with some tasty queso fresco which added a nice salty flavor. The fruit salad was a nice thought, but it was really just a tiny little bowl of under-ripe cantaloupe, orange pieces, and one small piece of pineapple. Blah.
So, on to the salsas, which can often save an otherwise bad meal... not this time. The two tomato based salsas tasted fresh but had no bite to them at all. The tomatillo salsa was also fresh tasting but way too limey and again, not hot at all. The jalapenos en escabeche (which are usually my favorite) were not pickled enough but passable and the only thing that added any bite at all to my meal.
The two stars are for the service - very friendly and quick, the jalapenos en escabeche - which more restaurants should add to their menus, and the outdoor seating.
So, anyone have any recommendations for a good weekend Mexican breakfast place? No burritos please...I'm from Texas where this burrito thing is kind of limited to Taco Bell.
I'm a fan of Mexican fast food, but this place tries too hard to be more than that and fails. The food is light and fresh, but doesn't quite hit the spot and seems rather thrown together. The food is also quite pricey.
Judging from the other reviews on here, the best part of this restaurant is the margarita. Perhaps my boyfriend and I should go back and get tipsy, and then try the food again ;).
I can't in good faith say Andale's food was responsible for how awful I feel right now, but I didn't ingest anything else in between dinner there and feeling horrible right now.
Additionally, it's overpriced and mediocre tasting. Final nail in andale's coffin? Their silverware is flimsy as fucking paper.
edit: Wow. In the interest of providing far too much detail, upon waking up this morning, my body revised its initial ill-advised choice to ingest that meal. Now I feel pretty confident in saying that I got some sort of foodborne illness from this place. In addition, the speed at which I was driven to amend my review makes me worry both about my vindictiveness, and my devotion to Yelp just a bit.
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Some immigrants declare allegiance to their new flag, some declare it to outdated notions of freedom and prosperity, and some declare it to the earthy soil upon which they now stand.
I, however, declared myself for the Burrito - after I arrived in this flag-soaked country, it held me in its soft embrace as a delicious buffer between foreign notions of the awfulness of American food and reality and it wasn't long before The Mission Burrito quickly became my raison d'tre.
So when I moved to Palo Alto, away from the sweaty Mission taquerias that had long sustained me, you can imagine my dismay when I found that the only place nearby that served what it called a Burrito was clean, shiny and full of white people. "There's no way their Burritos won't suck!" I sobbed to my friends - "they have cutttllleeerrry!!". I feared that like the Miyake across the road, Palo Alto had absorbed another nation's cuisine and made it flat, expensive and awful.
After many months, my Burrito cravings consumed me, and I headed to Andale for a quick, dirty fix. And .. it actually wasn't awful. It's not a Mission Burrito, and the Quesadillas aren't Mission Quesadillas, but they're both large, tasty and satisfying, and for Palo Alto, that's more than I ever expected. Hooray!
For bonus points, the Vegetarian Burrito is a far sight better than any Vegetarian Burrito you can get in SF (I'm looking at you, Papalote!)
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This place is great for a quick lunch. Its clean, spacious and the food is not that bad, its not authentic, but its not bad. Its decent for Palo Alto. The location is in the heart of downtown on University.
I went there for lunch today and had the steak quesadilla with chips and guacamole. I'm not raving with praise, but it was good. I agree with others that its a bit overpriced, but you're paying for the location, just like everything else in Palo Alto.
Lastly, Andales does have plenty of seating room outside for beautiful days such as today, but don't just walk up to any of the tables and sit and assume that someone is going to just wait on you hand and foot. At least walk into the restaurant and see what its like. You have to order at the counter and then the food is delivered to you. Save yourself from embarrassment. (I saw this today and the couple seemed annoyed because they were sitting outside for the longest time... duh!)
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$9.64 for a burrito? Yikes. I mean it was good, but wow. At least they deliver it to your table.
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Great margaritas (you get to pick your tequila, which is totally awesome for a fast food-style place) and decent appetizer-type foods(the guac and nachos are both good). I don't think I've ever actually eaten a meal here, but it's a great place to sit and have a drink before catching a show at Stanford Theatre, particularly if you can snag an outdoor table on a nice evening.
Edit: I've had lunch here a couple of times, and it's a good spot. The tostada salad is tasty (although no one would call it a light lunch).
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Interestingly enough, downtown Palo Alto has very few Mexican eateries. In fact, Andale may be the only one dedicated to South of the border fare in the nearby vicinity. The sad thing is that while the food is passable it is quite overpriced for Mexican food, possibly owing to the fact that rent is high in downtown.
Still, the quality is barely on par with fast-food-like competitors Chipotle and Baja Fresh, and that makes Andale hard to recommend. I'm a big fan of Mexican food, so when I'm in the mood I prefer to shuttle down to El Camino (to Celia's, or Compadres), or even better yet to California Ave (to Palo Alto Sol). Que Lastima!
I hear that many people vote this place as "Best of Palo Alto" for Mexican food, but I just don't see why. Like I said, passable, but who wants passable Mexican food in California??
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Agua Frescas are delish, but don't drink the horchata....it is strangely gritty. As for the food....it is fine but certainly not where I would choose to go for Mexican. The Bull's head on the wall is an interesting choice for decor....
Still looking for a great lunch place in Palo Alto, unfortunately it's not Andale
Sure, Andale's fast and the food isn't bad, but for the price this should be a full service establishment.
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I'm a huge fan of this place. The prices are reasonable, and I've always been satisfied with my meals. I recommend the shrimp special that they have. It's delicious!
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Surprising good and fresh Mexican in downtown Palo Alto with nice atmosphere and friendly service - but slightly pricier than your average casual Mexican eatery.
The mesquite grilled steak burrito ($8.95) had tasty and tender pieces of steak and all the other ingredients tasted fresh. We also had a daily special - pollo al cacahuate - it was pieces of grilled chicken in an orange-colored spicy Mexican peanut sauce. The sauce was very different than what I've ever had and I like peanuts so I liked it a lot. And it came with a fresh side salad and black beans. Only minor gripe was that the chicken was a bit dry on top.
The place is a hybrid between a casual self-service restaurant and a full-service restaurant - order at the counter, get a number, find a table and your food is delivered to your table. Reminds me of Aqui's in Willow Glen.
Bottom line: I've ignored this place in downtown Palo Alto for years, but I'm a renewed fan. If you want fresh and tasty Mexican food in a casual setting and don't mind the higher prices, come here. If you want a cheap burrito, this is not your place.
The Mexican food is tasty and seems to be more healthful than many Mexican restaurants. Prices are quite reasonable. The outdoor tables are a delight in good weather. Try a pitcher of Margeritas at an outdoor table and watch the foot traffic on University avenue go by. So pleasant.
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Meh. Overpriced, gringo-y food. The only thing I can really recommend here is the agua fresca; I had an agua fresca melon the other day that was really pretty good. On the whole, though, I'd rather go someplace else.
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I really can't believe all the dissatisfied folks that come waltzing in here expecting a slice of Mission District quality coupled with Palo Alto squeaky cleanness. One should have no illusions about this place, and frankly, I don't see how you could if you've ever seen what a real Taqueria looks like. Its so-so (decent) Americanized/Californized Mexican food served in a semi-sterile environment.
To that end, it really ain't that bad. Not a sit-down kind of joint, but a place to grab a quick bite. The prices are a little high given the food and atmosphere, but that's Palo Alto for you. I do like, however, that they offer free wireless.
I don't know what dish the person who complained about greasiness got, but I didn't notice anything of the sort.
It has good burritos and salads, and the food was well done, if a bit boring. It wasn't overly flavorful. I'll try it again sometime and update my review - I'm torn because it was exactly what I wanted for dinner, but it won't stick out in my mind. It was predictable.
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Fairly decent joint to have a quick meal. Pricier than I expected but food was quite good. They have some nice fresh fruit juices on the menu too.
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First off, I had a satisfying meal here with my wife. We ordered one Mesquite steak quesadilla, and a Carnitas Supreme burrito. The quesadilla is good, nice smoky meat, fresh guacamole and good quantity of salsa and sour cream. The burrito was less than impressive; the carnitas was quite hard, and I had to visit the salsa bar to add more flavor to it.
So why the 2 star rating? Well, we spent $20 for ok food. I have been eating better Mexican food in San Jose for a fraction of that price. I had a good meal here, but the price i paid is not justified with the quality of the food.
I was only a block from Andale when a couple of lost looking women asked me if there was anywhere nearby to get a burrito, and I actually laughed out loud. "Well, I *guess* there's Andale," I admitted.
So if I'm not a fan of Andale's burritos, why do I eat there nearly weekly? They're pretty quick, they can often seat 6-8 person parties, they're convenient, and though the food's a bit more expensive than I'd like the prices aren't out of control. As for the food, I stick to their non-burrito offerings which are mostly passable, and some of their daliy specials can be pretty tasty.
However, there are a couple of other downsides: Though normally fine, I've ended up with less than stellar meat on several occassions. And, I've had pretty spotty luck with getting what I ordered: I've had more than a few of my to go orders handed to me on a plate (sometimes because the cashier didn't record the to-go part, and sometimes because the cook ignored it), and I've occasionally received something completely unrelated to what I actually asked for.
If you work in Palo Alto, there's probably no avoiding eating here at some point, and in that capacity it's a decent enough option to have around; But if you're just passing through, hold your mexican cravings until you've got better options.
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The first time I ate here, it took about 15-20 minutes to get our food. When we finally got it, the order was wrong....I got chicken tacos, they were decent but by no means great.
The next time I came here, I made the mistake of getting the Supreme Burrito with al pastor...the al pastor tasted like watery chicken, and I started feeling sick to my stomach after about 3 bites of the stuff. Need I say more?
Gross.
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The best place to get a burrito in downtown PA so far as I've found. Their emphasis on fresh ingredients pays off as, at least to me, the difference can be tasted. The prices are reasonable and be sure to pick out some sauces from the helpings bar in the back to fine-tune your burrito.
Boyfriend and I had been coming here for months by the time I turned 21. They were always quite stringent about checking IDs (I kept "forgetting" it. Oh no! Where could it be? Boyfriend replies, Oh honey, you always do this. We had the act down). What is it about it being one's 21st that makes them stop paying attention?
Me: Strawberry margarita please. Frozen.
Counter guy: Cool. Anything else?
Me: Aren't you going to check my ID?
CG: Why? Should I?
Me: Maybe.
CG: OK. (Checks it). Cool.
No birthday wishes. Hmph. That said, though, I keep coming back, not just for those oh-so-refreshing (and a bit intoxicating) frozen margaritas but also for the pleasure of people-watching on the outdoor patio as I chow down on cheese enchiladas (a fave). Gazpacho wasn't bad, though a bit vinegary for my sweet taste.
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I absolutely hate this place! Aweful, greasy food, that never tastes good, and ALWAYS makes me really sick!!!
Go ANYWHERE but here! University has a tonn of great little cafes- this is NOT one of them!
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