What a great place, 1st time there. Our server was Andres, he was great! The food and drinks were amazing and reasonably priced. Will definitely go again!
Chika while far from me is ALWAYS worth the drive. There’s always available parking in the parking tower that’s just a short walk directly to the restaurant.I went back this last time to introduce a friend to the nachos! The presentation is super cool but the taste of these nachos whether you add a protein or not, is mouthwatering!!!I went back recently during off peak hours and was met with the same energetic staff. I love going places where people enjoy working and eating at their jobs. In my opinion, it highlights that the restaurant cares about their quality of food, ingredients, customers, and also their employees which creates a better atmosphere to dine in.I was provided with a great break down of the menu since it had been awhile since my last visit and told not only about the most popular dishes but a little secret addition of sauce/salsa to certain dishes to make it pop! I love a secret employee hack because I know they have had the dishes themselves and the insight on elevating it is usually spot on!If you want to try it, you should order all the sauces/salsas (they are all delicious) and create your own mix and match because I’ll never tell ?… maybe your waiter will!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tin Nachos
chaithanya sreenivas
Non alcoholic drink were not good.Nachos with veggies were good.Chika bowl - Not recommended too dry.Any extra sauces added extra cost.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tin Nachos
A C.
We've come here plenty of times and have always enjoyed the food. The last time we came here we knew exactly what we wanted, just two plates of chicken and waffles. We didn't order anything complicated or order any drinks, it took almost 40 mins for them to bring out the food. After half an hour with no check in we just ended up asking them to give us take out as we had to be somewhere and didn't expect it would take so long for something so simple. They didn't apologize for the wait or check in with us at all. For some reason, the service is going down each time we go here which is disappointing since we've been going here for nearly four years now. Hopefully the food and service were just a miss last time, it would be a shame if this place continued to get worse in regards to both.
Marco M.
Food wasn't as good as in other visits. Service was slow as well .. . Food quality wasn't there either under seasoned and just not good .
Townie Townsend
Ruth is amazing! Her service was amazing and made my group’s experience a delight!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Fotland
The salmon was excellent. My son loved the spicy shrimp dish. The waiter was attentive and ordered a special sweet drink for my wife. The bad reviews are old. This was a good option when Yard Housa had a one hour wait.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian C.
12/28/23 - Good food at a reasonable price. Outside and inside seating. Service needs an improvement as the 4-5 times we’ve been there it’s been really, really slow.
Service and ambiance were great. As for the food, I personally thought it was a little generic and nothing special for its price. I will say my review may be tainted since I ordered a burrito, without knowing it would be a wet burrito one eats with a fork and knife, unfortunately not experience I was looking for.
We sat down - ordered for lunch. Waitress came back in 5 minutes saying the birria wasn't ready - so we changed the order. Then waited for 40 minutes. Turns out the order was never placed. The waitress didn't seem embarrassed. The maitre'd didn't seem to think that was a problem.
Maley H.
Someone told me it's modern mexican food. I don't generally like modern twists to traditional dishes so I was hesitant to even come here but I'm glad I gave it a try. Everything tasted fresh and delicious while able to sustain authenticity. The place was modern but so cozy, clean and cute. Waiter was kind and accommodating which is a huge plus.
Jessica T.
I recently ordered the Chika bowl, and unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The absence of corn was a noticeable disappointment, and the excessive drenching of beans not only covered more than half of my meal but also made it overly salty. This wasn't my first time trying this bowl, and I was hoping for a better experience. The imbalance of flavors and missing elements left me less satisfied than before.
Madeline V.
This place is SOOO GOOD! Had the pork belly tacos and it's so juicy and good! Highly recommend! Also, customer service is SOOO good!
Ruhi S.
Lost my appetite waiting for the food. The story hear starts walking past this restaurant on Santana Row (right next to Yard House). We attempted to make a reservation in-person but were told that 20 minutes later there would be no rush so we should just walk back. Lo and behold, 20 minutes later although the place didn't have too many patrons they said they couldn't seat us but changed their minds when we pleaded that we had asked the host to put our name down but he had said it wasn't necessary. We were seated at one of the crammed tables by the door. So tight, that I had to get up out of my seat to let the other patrons pass by to their seat. The seats and cushion by the window felt covered with a layer of grime and dirt and table too. The menu had few vegetarian options - enchiladas, chips & salsa, bowl, etc. They had a vegan marker on the menu but no dishes were marked vegan, funny! We ordered the chips and salsa which came within 10 minutes, great! The green salsa was yummy and had a good kick and the red salsa tasted like red enchilada sauce. In this time, we had to remind servers twice to bring us a refill of water (wow that green salsa is spicy) and three times for a glass of coke - it took them 10 minutes to bring this by the time we didn't have any desire for it anymore. They told us the bartender was backlogged? We also ordered the veggie enchilada with sour cream on the side. This took an additional one hour after we received the chips and salsa to bring. We had to get up and ask 3 times to check up on the food. On the third time, the manager gave me a cold face and said that our dish had been prepared wrong as they had put the sour cream on top by accident so they were remaking it. When the food finally arrived, there was sour cream on top. I notified the waiter that we were really hungry and the food had been prepared incorrectly. At this time, the server told me that I had not asked for the sour cream on the side. He claimed I had never told him.... ...... now... why would I lie? He argued with my Mom and I that I had not requested it and looking at my displeased face, told me that the enchiladas would be cancelled from the bill. At this point, it was almost 10:20 and I requested that the enchiladas be boxed up as it would be too long to wait for another plate of food (although I was told way earlier that they were remaking it without sour cream when I got up - where did that plate go?) and didn't want to waste food (at least my sister eats sour cream!). Sister's review: The veggie enchiladas were dry and only had corn, beans, and one other veggie in them. There wasn't much substance to them and they were bland. I know this experience wasn't singular as I saw the table in front of me and behind me in the same position. Lost eyes searching for ordered food or at least a check-in from the servers on the status... What are things that could have gone better? Almost everything -- how about believe the customer, offer them water or even free chips while they wait 1+ hr, check-in with them and assure them that their order is coming, write down their name for a reservation when they insist, and offer vegan options when there's a vegan symbol on the menu! I'm sorry, but I won't be sad to see this place go from Santana Row. Posting screenshots/receipt for transparency and accuracy.
What a great place, 1st time there. Our server was Andres, he was great! The food and drinks were amazing and reasonably priced. Will definitely go again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Fajitas, Guacamole Only, Chika Sandwich, Pork Belly Tacos
Chika while far from me is ALWAYS worth the drive. There’s always available parking in the parking tower that’s just a short walk directly to the restaurant.I went back this last time to introduce a friend to the nachos! The presentation is super cool but the taste of these nachos whether you add a protein or not, is mouthwatering!!!I went back recently during off peak hours and was met with the same energetic staff. I love going places where people enjoy working and eating at their jobs. In my opinion, it highlights that the restaurant cares about their quality of food, ingredients, customers, and also their employees which creates a better atmosphere to dine in.I was provided with a great break down of the menu since it had been awhile since my last visit and told not only about the most popular dishes but a little secret addition of sauce/salsa to certain dishes to make it pop! I love a secret employee hack because I know they have had the dishes themselves and the insight on elevating it is usually spot on!If you want to try it, you should order all the sauces/salsas (they are all delicious) and create your own mix and match because I’ll never tell ?… maybe your waiter will!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tin Nachos
Non alcoholic drink were not good.Nachos with veggies were good.Chika bowl - Not recommended too dry.Any extra sauces added extra cost.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tin Nachos
We've come here plenty of times and have always enjoyed the food. The last time we came here we knew exactly what we wanted, just two plates of chicken and waffles. We didn't order anything complicated or order any drinks, it took almost 40 mins for them to bring out the food. After half an hour with no check in we just ended up asking them to give us take out as we had to be somewhere and didn't expect it would take so long for something so simple. They didn't apologize for the wait or check in with us at all. For some reason, the service is going down each time we go here which is disappointing since we've been going here for nearly four years now. Hopefully the food and service were just a miss last time, it would be a shame if this place continued to get worse in regards to both.
Food wasn't as good as in other visits. Service was slow as well .. . Food quality wasn't there either under seasoned and just not good .
Ruth is amazing! Her service was amazing and made my group’s experience a delight!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The salmon was excellent. My son loved the spicy shrimp dish. The waiter was attentive and ordered a special sweet drink for my wife. The bad reviews are old. This was a good option when Yard Housa had a one hour wait.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
12/28/23 - Good food at a reasonable price. Outside and inside seating. Service needs an improvement as the 4-5 times we’ve been there it’s been really, really slow.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Chika Plate, Guacamole Totopos & Salsa
Tasty!! The Chika Plate was very filling.
Service and ambiance were great. As for the food, I personally thought it was a little generic and nothing special for its price. I will say my review may be tainted since I ordered a burrito, without knowing it would be a wet burrito one eats with a fork and knife, unfortunately not experience I was looking for.
Restaurantji Recommends
We sat down - ordered for lunch. Waitress came back in 5 minutes saying the birria wasn't ready - so we changed the order. Then waited for 40 minutes. Turns out the order was never placed. The waitress didn't seem embarrassed. The maitre'd didn't seem to think that was a problem.
Someone told me it's modern mexican food. I don't generally like modern twists to traditional dishes so I was hesitant to even come here but I'm glad I gave it a try. Everything tasted fresh and delicious while able to sustain authenticity. The place was modern but so cozy, clean and cute. Waiter was kind and accommodating which is a huge plus.
I recently ordered the Chika bowl, and unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The absence of corn was a noticeable disappointment, and the excessive drenching of beans not only covered more than half of my meal but also made it overly salty. This wasn't my first time trying this bowl, and I was hoping for a better experience. The imbalance of flavors and missing elements left me less satisfied than before.
This place is SOOO GOOD! Had the pork belly tacos and it's so juicy and good! Highly recommend! Also, customer service is SOOO good!
Lost my appetite waiting for the food. The story hear starts walking past this restaurant on Santana Row (right next to Yard House). We attempted to make a reservation in-person but were told that 20 minutes later there would be no rush so we should just walk back. Lo and behold, 20 minutes later although the place didn't have too many patrons they said they couldn't seat us but changed their minds when we pleaded that we had asked the host to put our name down but he had said it wasn't necessary. We were seated at one of the crammed tables by the door. So tight, that I had to get up out of my seat to let the other patrons pass by to their seat. The seats and cushion by the window felt covered with a layer of grime and dirt and table too. The menu had few vegetarian options - enchiladas, chips & salsa, bowl, etc. They had a vegan marker on the menu but no dishes were marked vegan, funny! We ordered the chips and salsa which came within 10 minutes, great! The green salsa was yummy and had a good kick and the red salsa tasted like red enchilada sauce. In this time, we had to remind servers twice to bring us a refill of water (wow that green salsa is spicy) and three times for a glass of coke - it took them 10 minutes to bring this by the time we didn't have any desire for it anymore. They told us the bartender was backlogged? We also ordered the veggie enchilada with sour cream on the side. This took an additional one hour after we received the chips and salsa to bring. We had to get up and ask 3 times to check up on the food. On the third time, the manager gave me a cold face and said that our dish had been prepared wrong as they had put the sour cream on top by accident so they were remaking it. When the food finally arrived, there was sour cream on top. I notified the waiter that we were really hungry and the food had been prepared incorrectly. At this time, the server told me that I had not asked for the sour cream on the side. He claimed I had never told him.... ...... now... why would I lie? He argued with my Mom and I that I had not requested it and looking at my displeased face, told me that the enchiladas would be cancelled from the bill. At this point, it was almost 10:20 and I requested that the enchiladas be boxed up as it would be too long to wait for another plate of food (although I was told way earlier that they were remaking it without sour cream when I got up - where did that plate go?) and didn't want to waste food (at least my sister eats sour cream!). Sister's review: The veggie enchiladas were dry and only had corn, beans, and one other veggie in them. There wasn't much substance to them and they were bland. I know this experience wasn't singular as I saw the table in front of me and behind me in the same position. Lost eyes searching for ordered food or at least a check-in from the servers on the status... What are things that could have gone better? Almost everything -- how about believe the customer, offer them water or even free chips while they wait 1+ hr, check-in with them and assure them that their order is coming, write down their name for a reservation when they insist, and offer vegan options when there's a vegan symbol on the menu! I'm sorry, but I won't be sad to see this place go from Santana Row. Posting screenshots/receipt for transparency and accuracy.