Sausalito Mexican Restaurant

One of our regular go-​to places, my usual is the papa tacos … yumm! Hubby likes the birria en caldo, and the menudo is a favorite too.

Sausalito has never disappointed me! I’ve been coming here since high school (it was under the name Rosarito) but the food hasn’t changed.
My go to meal is the carne asada quesadilla, and the carne asada burrito. Also, on a sheet of paper next to the register is a flyer advertising tacos with potatoes. Potatoes in a taco=sold. Try them with pico de gallo salsa (my favorite from his place) and you’ll be pleased!

Only reason I give it two stars is because the food being decent. Other than that, it’s kinda gross when you ask for green enchiladas in which this restaurant is claiming to have «authentic Mexican food» and your plate looks like tortillas dipped in green food coloring… so where exactly does that sound appetizing what so ever?!? It was hard enough to eat it and enjoy it, than for it to look normal… if they used real authentic Mexican ingredients I’d give it a better rating…

This place is so delicious. This is my go to place for mexican food in Pasadena. Try it people it really is Mmmmmmmness!

I’ve been coming here for YEARS and my most recent visit only re-​affirmed what I had feared: the quality just isn’t the same anymore (and the prices have gone up!). Main problem is the quality of the carne asada. Unfortunately, it’s just not good anymore.
We ordered carne asada BURRITO and NACHOS. The carne asada on both items was super dry and sometimes even too hard to chew. To make matters worse, there was not nearly as much meat in the burrito as there should have been. It was a sad burrito. mostly rice and beans and lettuce.
The chips and salsa bar are on point. But you have to ask for chips if you’re not eating there.
But ultimately, the meat is what makes the Mexican food and I don’t think I’ll be returning here.

What a great spot to have in my neighborhood. It’s located on the east side of lake right in a plaza of other restaurants. There’s street parking available & parking in the back as well. When I come here I always order the chicken tortilla soup! It’s so delicious. They cook it fresh for each customer which is nicer than having a big pot of the soup and they just ladle it out. I find their ingredients to be super fresh & I can tell the workers here care about how the food comes out. They have salsa, likes, radish, & limes available to the salsa bar. I crave this soup probably like 3 times a month & it has not disappointed. Also it’s a little bit different each time depending on who’s cooking it, but regardless still delicious & it gives it that authentic, just cooked, feel.

I’m really surprised at how delicious this place is! It’s a tiny little restaurant, but man they serve some tasty food!
I got me the carnitas (as usual) and SOO good! Even better than some Mexican restaurants.
They have a little free salsa bar, and the salsa was also on point. Another favorite added to my list!

Us San Diegans require a steady diet of fish tacos and California Burritos. Truthfully, they are our only contribution to the culinary world — crispy, fatty, deep fried goodness in tortillas… does it get any better?
Well, the rest of Southern California must disagree with us because I swear to God… it seems like no one north of San Clemente makes a decent fish taco or an «authentic» California Burrito. Maybe they feel like there’s no hope in competing. Maybe they think San Diegans are uncouth beach bums who will eat anything so long as its wrapped in a tortilla. Whatever the case, it is a scientific fact that NO ONE IN LOS ANGELES MAKES CALIFORNIA BURRITOS. I have lived part-​time in Pasadena for nearly three years now, and gave seemingly hundreds of hole-​in-​the-​wall taco shops a chance at making a proper California Burrito, braving many a sketchily sanitary kitchen in the process. None ever did. Some would claim to serve them, and I’d find myself forcing down a block of overcooked carne asada with sour cream and salsa… instead of pico de gallo… (no guacamole or fries) or, the BIGGEST affront of all… EVERYTHING BUT THE GUACAMOLE (because, would you believe it, many of these places don’t even offer guacamole AT ALL???). Goddamn it. I know the burrito isn’t authentic Mexican, but at least give me what you’re claiming to give me! Do a Google search. Do SOMETHING to educate yourselves.
It was in this depressed state that I spotted a sign on Lake Avenue that promised a ray of sunshine would finally vitiate my sadness. Apparent the folks that run Sausalito did the research or are transplanted from the homeland south of Camp Pendleton, because this is the ONLY place I’ve found where the California Burrito is delivered without any modification or addition. The carne asada is your classic hole-​in-​the-​wall taco bar carne asada — namely very dark, well done, and generically marinated — but within the blessed wrapping are crispy fries, generous guacamole, and a touch of sour cream… along with FRESH pico de gallo. This is it. Thank God. It doesn’t have to be a gourmet adventure. It just has to be hot and fresh, with the guacamole and pico de gallo I so desperately require. The yuppie millenials have Chipotle and true counter-​culturals like myself have this. Those losers don’t know what they’re missing…
The restaurant itself is bright and lively — there are televisions broadcasting soccer matches seemingly every moment of the day, whether you come for lunch or dinner. And it is usually quite busy — there is always somebody ordering ahead of you, there are always a few groups of diners. Additionally, the menu is quite large — all the classic gringo mexican food can be found, as well as all the authentic stuff you could want. I have yet to branch out… I’m a creature of habit when it comes to Mexican restaurants of this type and stick to my precious California Burrito. But the others look quite delicious as they’re passed over the counter. Nearly everything comes with a complimentary bag of chips — for once not overly salted.
My only nitpick is the Agua Frescas fountain is BEHIND the counter and no free refills are nominally available. Though occasionally they give me a free refill anyway. Must be the neighborhood… which isn’t the best. I don’t really blame the proprietors for this policy, but it is a little bit of an annoyance.
Very often the proprietors themselves are the ones taking your order — they are supremely friendly and clearly love what they’re doing. The service is counter service — don’t expect to be pampered — but they’ll fix mistakes pronto. And they’re always happy and friendly. There’s a lot of love being grilled into the food they prepare. And the prices are just right.
It took me nearly three years to find a decent California Burrito in the vast wasteland of the LA basin. Just in time for me to begin my final months there. I can’t wait to return to San Diego as a permanent resident. But until then, at least now there’s a place that will satisfy my California Burrito cravings.

You can never go wrong with the nachos. I LOVE thing place.

Excellent food! I love there hard taco’s and there Salas bar. Just found this place and have ready been there several times, yummy food.

«Looks can be deceiving» comes to mind when it comes to this place. All those pictures of the wet red and green burrito look so amazing but definitely does not deliver in taste. I ordered the upgraded carne asada burrito wet with green and red sauce (it was a $ 1 more, I can’t recall what the cheaper option was) and also a carnitas taco for good measure. The taco was bland and unremarkable. I had to add salt and extra hot sauce just to make it somewhat palatable.
The burrito is big and looks amazing but unfortunately it was also bland and I found plenty of gristle in the meat which I hate… its like eating fish full of bones. The wet sauce was meh and the inside of the burrito was a mushy mess. They do give you chips and salsa which is a plus and probably the only good part (hard to f*ck up chips and salsa).
The only saving grace about this place is the owner. What a cool guy and he really cares about his customers. Too bad his food didn’t reflect his passion because then it would have been 5 stars. With all the competition in the area like King Taco, Tacos La Estrella and El Taquito Mexicano just to name a few, this place needs to up their game for me to recommend it.
Pro tip: If after all this you are stubborn enough to there, eat in the front dining area as it has air conditioning, a tv and the salsa bar. The back dining area (near the restrooms) smelled strongly of stale body odor and was strangely humid. You have been warned.

I came in to this place for the first time with Groupon coupon and they would not honor it. It says right on the coupon that the face value does not expire even if the deal is no longer available. I did not ask for the deal just the $ 10 we had spent on the coupon. They refused. The owner was called and he would not talk to me. So any owner who is not an honorable owner is not a person I want cooking my food. Just think what kind of other short cuts or things they may do to your food. I would skip this place and find a better place to eat.

Yum squared. Hands down the best spot for a burrito in the north Pasadena/​Altadena area. Family run with pride, always fresh, clean and reliably awesome food. Just an all around good spot to eat without breaking the bank!

Omg!!! Amazing food and great prices… Love the environment and friendly staff! Would recommend for delicious true Mexican cooking !

My go to Mexican food place when I’m at work. From their tortas to their chilaquiles, everything is always delicious and filling! Amazing prices and the lady that works the register is always so sweet!

This place has some of the best Mexican dishes, I love the breakfast burrito and the nachos! I recommend it to everyone around pasadena to give em a shot!

My co-​workers love this place. It’s decent Mexican food for the Pasadena area and reasonably priced. The service is always good, but it feels a little dirty inside. The tables are always sticky and try not to touch anything in the bathroom.
Taquito plate– This dish comes with three taquitos, rice and beans. Nothing to write home about, but does the trick to satisfy your Mexican food craving.
Carne asada plate– This comes with two tacos, rice and beans. The meat is a little tough and dry.
Be sure to request some complimentary chips after you pay.

To be honest, this is some of the best Mexican food around, period…
I’ve never been let down, ever, the food is so tasty, salsa is unbelievable, but spicy. The burritos are cooked to order, wet, half green, half red is a must try. Their food is perfectly seasoned and cooked, and great prices. The owners seen to work the place, and they do it well, and always smiling.

I had the al pastor nachos, it was good because I drowned it in the really good salsa they had to help it out. The meat was a little bland but very plentiful and it was good after a little doctoring up so yes i will be back since I’ve been coming here when the we’re Rosarita’s and the chili rellenos plate is good

Sadly, my hopes for some stellar tacos in Pasadena were crushed once again.
Maybe it just my bad decision in choosing al pastor, chicarron, and birria as meats. All were greasy as hell, a bit over cooked, and super bland. If you were blind, you might think they were all the same meat. Edible, but less than stellar.
The saving grace that made the visit worth the while was the huarache with chicken. Impeccable choice, and I dare say you get one of these first, as the tacos paled so much in comparison. The chicken was grilled, thick cuts and not overcooked. The tortilla was nice and firm, the fixings pilled high, and was quite filling and refreshing. Refreshing in the sense that this dish actually had a multitude of flavor going for it and with each bite I wasn’t regretting the dollars spent.
For now I’ll be passing on the tacos, and hopefully the rest of the menu will prove it’s worth like huarache.