Costa Vida

Guilt alert. We only had time for either Café Rio or Costa Vida while we were in town and we chose the former.
Maybe that’s why we left feeling like something was missing though it was fast and efficient.
I ordered the grilled chicken salad and my husband got beef barbacoa enchiladas.
The salad was great, veggies tasted fresh, chicken tender. The beef barbacoa was super tender, shredded, and just a hint of sweetness. The flour tortillas was soft and crisp along the edges.
Since we didn’t make a Café Rio run on this trip I can’t compare the two but overall a great experience. A little more authentic than Chipotle, though I’m not sure the cows were treated with quite the respect that they’re supposedly given at Chipotle, grass fed, free range, pretty much condo-​living at its best.

EMPLOYEES ARE TERRIBLE. I am not a harsh critic by any means and I love costa vida and have been coming for years but this was the worst experience. I got to the line and no one said a word to me for about 4 minutes as I stood there with no one else in line. They ignored me and kept making and cleaning whatever they were doing. Then they couldn’t understand English and I asked for limes 3 times and decided to forget it after she could get it. Everyone in here looks like they are not even alive and hate their lives. Highly suggest hiring a new staff.

I don’t give one stars like ever. But this place really earned this. So I asked for the large salad. They proceed to tell me they only have the containers for the small salads. Ok, whatever. Upon checkout I was charged for a large salad. I noticed this after i already paid. So that was super annoying but I was in a hurry. Then, they put all the wrong stuff on my salad after I got home and looked. This place has disappointed me several times. If you’re around here be and sure to just go to the Café Rio down the street. Much better in every category.

I’m a big fan of Costa Vida (usually). But this location always struggles to meet the standards of the other locations. The food is always old, dry, or out. The staff usually seems stressed when it’s not even busy and the place just isn’t what I’ve come to expect from the brand.

It wasn’t really bad, it just wasn’t that good. For the money, Chipotle is a better option. Nachos were a mess and not a finger food snack with the consistency of mashed potatoes.

They always have a friendly staff, and the food is good. I haven’t really had a problem there.

Friendliest staff at any Costa Vida I’ve been to in Utah. I go out of my way to go to the Bountiful one. It is a fun atmosphere, quick, efficient, and clean. The food is as good as it gets at a great value. One reason I really enjoy Costa Vida over Café Rio is because they have a smaller version of their salads which is great because I can never finish their regular one. I love this place.

If I could rate this less than a 1 star I would. But Unilocal makes me pick at least 1 star. Poor poor quality of good.

Gave lower rating due to the employees /​experience not the food. We were traveling home from SLC & called for take out. After placing my order gal proceeded to explain it would be a 35 min wait but if I came in and stood in line I would get my order much faster. Huh??? we were there in 10 min and out the door with our food total time 25 min. again… Huh? They were not that busy so what gives? This place could use some better help/​management. food was good though.

I just left (for the 2^nd time today) because the line cook went from deep cleaning his line to making tortillas without changing gloves. Disgusting.

Typical Salt Lake City Mexican food experience… literally fills you up, and that’s about it.
Ordered their $ 8 meat burrito. It literally looked like a baby had shat in a tortilla… it was edible, but lacked any soul whatsoever (welcome to Salt Lake)…
It’s the same thing as Café Rio — soulless, overpriced, uninspired «Mexican» food. Good if you’re in a bind or if you eat to live.
Pretty much won’t plan on coming back here…

The food is plain. The staff are terrible! When I crave fast food mexican I go to either Ch*#^@*#‘s or Café R*@. And very expensive for the food.

My guilty pleasure when I’m hungry and driving home from work sometimes. I like the sweet pork salad and that is pretty much the only thing on the menu I get, other than chips & salsa sometimes. The tortilla is thinner than Café Rio, but I actually like it because it tastes good alone and is chewy and thin. Sometimes the meat is a little sketchy, but I try not to think about that. The ranch sauce is good. Usually the service is really fast.

Consistency keeps this costa vida from additional stars. Meat portions are sporadic, as well as additional charges for dressing, salsa etc.
A few of the servers are much too rushed for my liking. I many times end up with things in my food on an assumption.
Slow it down, folks.
It is what it is. Close By and I enjoy their salads.

Whatever. Same as every other burrito joint. Ridiculous variation in portions, over priced add ons. I go because it’s close… And even then rarely.

Ditto on what Dale D said. More expensive and smaller portions than Café Rio. Tortillas are strangely dry, almost to the point of breaking apart.
I got a bean and cheese burrito with black beans, my vegetarian go-​to at this kind of joint. The meal as a whole was devoid of flavor, the hottest sauce they offer is child’s play and the only taste I could distinguish was the cilantro in the rice.
The young woman who prepped our meal seemed to be in a very foul mood, just short of snapping at me when I asked her to repeat something she had said. It was no wonder this place was nearly empty at the end of the lunch rush.
On the positive side, they keep this location very clean, there is a large dining area and they serve Coke products. Other than that…

Nice people. Great food quick and easy. Vegi salad and shrimp tacos are fantastic. Ate to much

It’s just a clone of Café Rio but with smaller portions and more expensive. If you like that sugar soaked meat inside a burrito shell then by all means go here. Walk out hungry too. You can spend $ 15.00 and walk out unsatisfied.
Best part is plastic table ware, tinfoil deep pan holds your meal, you get that lovely taste of tinfoil with every bite.
When did tinfoil dinners become accepted as the norm when you walk into a restaurant? Maybe for drive through yes, but for the people who park, walk in, sit and dine in the place? Is it too much to serve on a plate or even a plastic plate with maybe real silverware?
This is just another in the current trent of overly sugared so-​so meals served to you by people who could care less.
Café Rio = Costa Visa = This ain’t mexican food.

I’m usually in SLC for just one night at a time, and I make it a point to have at LEAST one meal at Costa Vida. This location has an incredibly personable staff who are knowledgeable and helpful. I’ll continue returning to this location not only because it’s conveniently two blocks off the freeway, but because of the great food and phenomenal people.
Try the sweet pork — it’s amazing. They’ll let you sample food, and also offer a daily special. Get a Team Costa card if you’re returning — you earn 10% back on your checks, so it’ll build up on your card and then redeem it whenever you want.