Costa Vida

This place is cheap! They nickle and dime you for everything and they skimp on the meat. I got a sweet pork salad and was amazed how little meat was actually in. So amazed, i took it home and measured it. 1 ounce of meat, 1 ounce! I’m not paying $ 8 for a salad with rice, lettuce and 1 oz of meat. Ridiculous. They will load you up on rice and beans to fill the bowl but they are just being cheap, cheap, cheap. Save your money and go some place that actually cares about service.

went there last night thinking I was gonna get some decent Mexican food and it was
horrilble. Yes its a chain, yes its fast food, but REALLY c’mon give me a break. First of all they had dry up dabs of meat in there meat trays and when they put the dried up chicken in the flour tortilla for my burrito, I had to beg the guy to put a little more before he flooded with the watered down beans and dried up rice. BEWARE! If you want anything like cheese, sour cream, pico, onions, avocado, guac, salsa etc. they charge you .50+ for that.
Im done, I wont even mention what my companion had to go through.
Don’t waste your time, money or effort going to this place. Very cold and unfriendly atmosphere and they close at 9pm on Friday & Saturday nights and there right in the heart of downtown where the happenings are. Enough said!

Stopped in for lunch while in town for business. Excellent food. I had the chicken burrito and it was perfect, exactly what I was looking for. So glad I stumbled upon this place.

I love this place. I definitely pick Costa vida over café rio any day. Their sweet pork enchiladas are delish and my kids love their kids meals that serve the cinnamon tortillas with them.

Great food! I had the chicken burrito with black beans, rice, guac, sour cream, it was so good and very filling! Definitely be back!

Yeah, it’s ok for «fast food» Mexican. Their rewards are not worth it. I’m not downloading their app to get .01 back for $ 1.00. At that rate, I will have to spend $ 100 to get $ 1 back. Whoo! Their old reward was worth it, since it was .08 per 1.00. Way to cheap out. Speaking of cheap, the manager at the downtown branch is known by me and my co-​workers as Mr. Chintz. He gives you the bare minimum of ANYTHING, when he is putting items on your plate. Here have a half a scoop of pico de gallo, Cheese, well, let’s get a pinch and not put it all on. Whatever. I cringe when he makes my food. I hardly ever get rice or beans, but if ask for the peppers instead, they charge me a buck. I should just get the rice and beans on the side and then throw them away.

I’m a sucker for this place and make a point of getting here every time I’m in Boise. If you’re downtown or on Eagle and want something a little different, go here.
The sweet pork is good on anything, but can be a bit too sweet for some. If you’re looking for something more savory, try the shredded beef burrito with mild sauce. It’s a filling meal and actually comes in at around 750 calories if you don’t get it smothered (covered in cheese and sauce; you’ll want to try a smothered burrito at least once).
The chicken salad is also a favorite of mine, meaning I often come here twice in a week.
Service is good and the workers are friendly. If you come closer to noon, expect a few minutes to get through the line, but nothing too serious. There’s usually plenty of room to sit and enjoy your meal.
Final note: they have horchata, Jarritos, and flan if you’re looking to satisfy a sweet tooth.
All in all, one of my favorite places for lunch, as you get a filling meal for a decent price with great service.

Fresh ingredients, big portions, and delicious food. What more can you ask for?
Sure, it’s a chain. Even so, the chicken is actual chicken breast, not that fake spongy stuff you find at places like Subway, etc etc.
Always had an enjoyable meal here, always leave full, and happy.

I’m a 40 year old guy who grew up in Southern California so I know Mexican food. I’m also white as white can be (blanco de blanco) so I can’t do spicy. I tried the raspberry chipotle burrito and loved it. For a whitey like me it was on the border of too spicy but I ate it anyways. I would have eaten had it been spicier. The tortillas look and taste home made. Yes it has a chain feel to it. But unless you’re heading to a hole in the wall in a business district you ain’t gonna get more authentic.

This place is great! My girlfriend and I go here all the time to get the sweet pork nachos. Staff is always friendly and quick to get people through the line. Food is good, great quick stop for lunch and a cheaper option if you’re not in for spending a fortune on lunch in downtown Boise.

SWEET PORK TACOS. Ok, so I have tried much of their other food, and love it all… but the sweet pork tacos are a personal addiction of mine. Very visible location in downtown Boise (no free parking nearby) — just wish they were open Sundays. All food options can be made Gluten-​free, and if you’re Celiac you will be happy to know the servers even change their gloves to insure no wheat contamination in your food. Great, fast service always. Also, they have horchata.

Eh… Chain… Food no good.

A surf-​themed Mexican place that doesn’t serve fish tacos or beer? What’s the point?

Theyre fast and it tasted good my main gripe is it was cold. My rice and beans were the warmest item that I ordered. Good size portions too. No beer served here like at baja fresh. :(

Dang good! Piled on the toppings till I said enough. Even the meat. One entre Feeds two easy. Yum

I used to drag my husband to Costa Vida any time we were in Utah, and was so excited when one opened here. We eat there probably once or twice a month. Everything is very fresh and yummy. There are some things on the menu I’d like to try, but I can’t stop myself from ordering the sweet pork salad every time I come in…
I like that you go through the line and order your food, which is made in front of you. No sitting down and waiting around for a server. Great place to eat if you need to get in and out quickly.

I ate at Costa Vida with friends on our lunch break. We were able to order and eat with plenty of time to get back to the office. As a rule I am not fond of cafeteria style ordering, but I found it amazing to see all of the ingredients and to watch my chile verde nachos being constructed.
When you visit Costa Vida, be sure to take advantage of the underground parking. As I said my coworkers and I were able to get parked, get upstairs to the restaurant, order and eat within that free hour of parking.
I sampled the sweet pork, and it is quite tasty, but for me, sweet meats do not belong in any kind of Mexican foods.

Don’t come here if you’re vegetarian. Come here to eat the sweet pork. Put it in a burrito, put it in a taco, put it in an enchilada or two. It’s so good. This is a weekly lunch spot for me and my coworkers and we just get the same thing. Haven’t had the chance to try anything else.

I just got back from my first trip to Costa Vida on 8^th and Main in Boise. My vegetarian salad was OKgood, but the service I received was shockingly bad. New employees at a new restaurant provided a disappointing first impression.
As I went through the line to build my salad seemed not to know how much of the items to put on it. I wound up with an extraordinary amount of lettuce, and had I not requested appropriate amounts of toppings, little less. The employee asked if I would like tortilla strips and when I said yes, he put ONE on my salad. He should have said tortilla STRIP. I was no offered cilantro or onions, and I requested extra hot sauce and did not receive it.
When will Boise have a decent burrito shop downtown?