Bathrooms are locked, fine, but took 2 people and 10 minutes to locate key. Maybe change to a keyless lock?

Costa Vida has been one of my favourite chains in Calgary. I have not had any issues with food quality, or service. The eating area is usually clean, though it is one of those restaurants that you clear your tray after your done. One thing that I have noticed "Mexican food" chains all seem to offer chips & Salsa/ Queso / Guacamole, Costa Vida are pretty good with enough Salsa to go with the chips. You are pretty much guaranteed to have a fresh tortilla when you order your meal, and as you wait you can watch staff press and make as they are needed, or when you order. Lots of "fresh" offerings, as you can see everything in front of you. Though sometimes you will see that items have been sitting in the heating area for some time. I have mainly seen this late afternoons early evenings. The salsas are extremely tasty, though they have been "Canadianized" so not too spicy. Meats are good, kids menus are varied for all types of kids wants. They also offer Mexican drinks which are pretty tasty, a nice change from the usual soft drink options. Now, I am going to say one complaint about this particular restaurant on the day of my visit. I applaud the cleaning of any restaurant, I do question cleaning out the refuse area trash containers with soapy water during opening hours, and pulling out the cooking area and having someone wiping down the venting while food prep is still going on. Not to sure if this is policy, but maybe can be done after hours. I have been here pre COVID, this was the first time I have ever seen this. read more

Costa Vida - Pork Enchilada, with cheese and salsa on top, now this has an extra scoop of lettuce. - Mexican Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Everything tasted the same. They didn't have any jalapeños??!! Or other toppings like lettuce, bell peppers, only one kind of sauce that was so salty it made the whole dish inedible. If I could give them a zero I would. Save some money and go to taco bell...same only cheaper read more

Ordered from here tonight. Got the enchiladas and they were smaller than taco bell tacos. Spent $20 for an entree but literally had a 5 spoonful meal with the salad, rice, beans, and enchilada combined.... Will never over from here again. Not worth it at all. read more

The quality of the ingredients is very high. Everything is fresh, especially the tortillas which taste homemade and not dry or pasty (a rarity for Calgary). The reward program is also quite impressive. I obtained a reward card during one visit, and when I returned, I was able to save $1 on my order. However, there are two main points which are disappointing: - there is an over-abundance of sweet meat on the menu, which is not my preference and doesn't seem to go with the style of the food. - there is no spice/heat to any of the dishes. I am a major lightweight when it comes to heat, and the "hot" sauce tasted mild and bland to me. Additionally, note that they don't open until 12 pm on Sunday, which is a bit odd since it's not uncommon to be grabbing lunch at 11 or 11:30. read more

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Went here for a burrito today and they gave me a tiny tiny amount of meat. It was sad. And when considering your paying almost 15$ for a burrito that is mainly rice and beans it seems like a rip off. I hope the manager reads this and realizes they lose service because people think it's a rip off $5 for guacamole?! Give me a break. read more

We were looking for a delicious quick lunch from somewhere other than "the Usual Suspects" in the fast food world when I came across Costa Vida. This place is pretty good! I noticed that the big, clean space was well laid out as we made our way to the front of the line. The ordering system is easy: Pick your menu item (burrito, taco, salad, enchilada, etc), then pick your protein ranging from chicken to different kinds of pork and beef, then pick your sauce (red, green, raspberry chipotle, and at least one other). You then pick your sides and a few additional veggie-based toppings and you're good to go! My lunch date had the pork carnitas burrito with green tomatillo sauce - it was enormous! Lots of meat inside, too. I had the chicken enchiladas with rojo (red) sauce. Although I found the flavor of the sauce to be lacking, the other ingredients were plentiful and flavorful, and it wasn't dry which I find to be a common problem at other Mexican quick service restaurants. We both had about half of our meal left over, so they certainly don't scrimp on size. I love that on their website they have a nutritional calculator so you can see that ordering a salad won't save you much calories ;p. All their items are pretty healthy and nutritious, nothing is deep fried or fatty. So go ahead and get the tacos, you deserve it! read more

Costa Vida - Half of a savory pork carnitas burrito with green sauce (with Valencia sauce added after). - Mexican Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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Huge portions, clean shop, fresh ingredients, fast delivery, busy at lunch would go back Order hot sauce (it is not very hot) and be prepared to saw through the fresh tortilla with a knife, too big to pick up by hand read more

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Friday night is take out night at my house. 3 months ago I tried Costa Vida for the first time (my daughter and husband recommended) said it was the BEST. And it was, the chicken Quesadilla was sublime. Well its Friday night takeout and we were all excited for Costa Vida. We went to the 130 Ave location. What a s..t show. I got a chicken and cheese quesadilla - no veg (I ordered veg). my daughters burrito turned into a salad. my husbands burrito was ok. I think anyone can make a chicken and cheese quesadilla with no flavour. Taco Bell you cant be any worse read more

Let's get a few things straight here. As far as Calgary Mexican food goes, it's not bad. But these guys don't hold a candle to a Texas taqueria. Have brought several Americans here and they were unimpressed to say the least. My visit landed me a chicken burrito with watery refried beans and soupy chicken wrapped in a tortilla that had been sitting on top of a microwave. I'm not saying this is the worst Mexican ever, but anyone in the know can tell the difference between mushy Mexican fast food and authentic fare. If you are into spicy food don't even bother as the hottest thing they have is Cholua. What really gets me is that they have the balls to ask for tips on their interac machine yet don't provide table service. They must think their customers are idiots. read more

Costa Vida - Mexican Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Unlimited horchata. I'm not sure what more needs to be said this chain Mexican restaurant combines authentic Mexican food with the speed and ease of a Subway style restaurant period for a quick lunch this should not be missed. If you are into Mexican food and don't mind the cafe Style Dining this place is really really a legitimate place to try. read more

Costa Vida - Mexican Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

I truly enjoyed the food here. I ordered a burrito and it was delicious and very filling. I love the cinnamon rice drink too. The staff was friendly. Service was fast. Food was hot. You stand at the counter like you do at Subway. The only drawback was it was noisy. It was a bit hard to hear my lunch companion. I wonder if there's something they could do to make it less noisy. But I would go here again for sure. I already recommended Costa Vida to my family. Oh and the prices are reasonable. I have to drive my daughter to work today. I think I will stop in and pick up something to bring home. read more

Stopped at Costa Vida for lunch with my brother and his family. He had enjoyed a burrito meal recently and wanted us to try it as well. The burrito meal was a hefty size and some salad on the side. Two people could share this entree unless you were really hungry for yourself . I had a sweet pulled pork natcho order which was quite tasty but it was almost same cost as the burrito meal . The cinnamon milk was tasty which you could get by the pop machine area. Clean dining area and friendly workers ! Good fresh Mexican food here. read more

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I usually go to Mucho Burrito, but decided to try Costa Vida at 130 Ave and compare the quesadillas. This was the worst quesadilla I have ever had and it was over $13.00. No vegies, no beans, nothing but chicken and cheese and a tiny side of salsa and sour cream. To say the grilled chicken was dry is an understatement. Will never go back again. Karen W read more

We go here occasionally if we're in the area and want something quick but don't want "fast food". The portion sizes are definitely quite large and the food quality is fairly average. The staff are generally pleasant and friendly. read more

Costa Vida - Mexican Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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This is a goto whenever I'm hungry and too lazy to cook, or when girlie is the same. The food is great, prices reasonable, efficient and friendly staff and an easy to access location. When she gets food and I'm not hungry, I get myself a Mexican beer from their offerings. The challenge is to finish it before they finish making her meal. I always win. They're quick, but not that quick. read more

what a rip off. a bowl of chips with cheese on them a small container of picodegallo. $18. they were average for flavour.

Great food and service. I was a regular, but something awful happened. The food portions got smaller and prices went up. The Gf and I used to have dinner for 2 drinks included for just over $20. Today I went in got only 2 burritos for $33. Outrageous price hike given I got less food with my order. Good food, now greatly over priced. Lost me as a customer. read more

Eat here if you like beetles in your chicken tortilla soup. We went here at 6 pm Saturday, June 27, 2015. My husband ordered a kid's meal for our daughter and two chicken tortilla soups for ourselves. We were then told the soup had to "heat up". After nearly 10 minutes of waiting while my daughter's meal was getting cold, the young food preper/server ladled the soups up. When my husband brought them back to our table we immediately saw a smaller-sized beetle floating on the top of one of the soups! Needles to say, we were grossed out. My husband immediately took the two soups back to the cashier to return them. The cashier took the soup with the beetle away and showed it to a man on the prep line. He was dressed in a black uniform, and a bushy black beard and was wearing earrings. The cashier then came back and told my husband they would get him another soup ( from the same pot in which the beetle was served). My husband said he just wanted a refund. The cashier was refunding the cost of one soup, when my husband said he didn't want either soup because the whole soup pot clearly was contaminated with a bug in it. The cashier then took the refunded cash from the cash register and dropped it into my husband's hand. My husband looked at her and said, "what, no apology for the bug, nothing?" The cashier simply said, "well, my manager said it was just a piece of burnt tortilla." My husband said it was clearly a bug because a burnt tortilla chip doesn't have legs and a head. The cashier then shrugged her shoulders and took the next customer's order. We went to sit down, expecting the "manager" to come over and apologize for the bug, but no one came. As we waited, we watched the same preper/server who had just served our soup cleaning out the garbages. That's when we left. Our appetite lost. We will never eat here again and have begun telling our friends and family of our horrible experience at Costa Vida. read more

Costa vida is an American chain, where I first encountered it. It is simply amazing. It's definitely not authentic mexican, but they don't pretend to be, so just relax. This might sound weird, but get the Sweet Pork Salad. It's large enough for two people. They have a lime/cilantro/ranch dressing which tastes like melted joy drizzled on your dream-girl's tummy topped with a river of self-assuring high fives. Trust me. It's good. read more

Costa Vida - Drizzling the creamy tomatillo ranch dressing on the sweet pork salad. So good! - Mexican Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Costa Vida is a fast casual Mexican restaurant similar to Mucho Burrito with a menu featuring burritos, enchiladas, tacos and quesadillas. On my first visit to this location, I tried the sweet pork burrito. In addition to the chosen meat, the burrito came stuffed with seasoned rice, beans, hot sauce and cheese. After a quick grill press, the burrito was served alongside a brief salad of lettuce and salsa. I enjoyed the warm stretchy tortilla but found the meat and sauce lacking in heat, despite opting for the hot sauce (over medium and mild). Living close by, I do plan on visiting, especially since they have an in-app ordering option. read more

Similar to Chipotle in the States, this is a fast food style place. You walk along the line and choose your dish. But, unlike Chipotle this place is great. The food is fresh and doesn't taste fast food like at all. If you are looking for something quick, yummy and filling, this is the place to be. The nachos were huge but I just wish there was more sides with it; can never have too much guacamole. read more

Love this place! Been coming for years since it opened in highschool. So many good memories and much better than Mucho Burrito and makes Chipotle in the states look like a joke. Super generous portions and friendly faces. I prefer this location to the 130th one. read more

Best Mexican food joint I've tried here so far , much better and generous portions than some other Mexican food places around town, Plus food is FRESH And DELICIOUS! Definitely a Canadian style Chipotle but BETTER! Well worth the try ! read more

This place is cool. They definitely play up the Spanish meaning of costa vida in the decor.. beach life. I like the surfing videos that play on the tv. People are comparing this to Chipotle but the only comparison is that it's Mexican 'fast food'. This is fresh tasting and delicious. Chipotle is like if Taco Bell and Subway had a baby (in my opinion). The food is tasty, so flavorful and decent sized portions. It is a bit on the pricey side and their corn tortilla burritos are weird... more like quesadillas because they don't wrap them. Maybe the flour ones are different? I really like Mucho Burrito but this place is on par, although these guys are more expensive. read more

Omg the extra enchiladas are fabulous, at least I think that's what they're called. They put extra stuff over the outside and the inside, the meats are a good selection, nice flavour and taste great. They've got loads of different salsa & veggies to try but not being a bread/tortilla/gluten fan I have to say I'm addicted to their enchilada & borrito wraps. The servings are huge, it's our favourite take out. We've never eaten in but this place is always clean and buzzing with people. I love that they can make it really spicy for me too. Please never leave, we love you!! read more

Very disappointed with my experience here tonight. I've been here about 7-8 times and finally took my husband and he's officially been scared off from ever trying it. For starters the staff weren't wearing gloves and were touching all the tortillas and from one order to another. I should have said something right then. I got sweet pork enchiladas. The corn tortillas were harder than usual and didn't seem fresh. The refried beans were so watery I would have needed a spoon, except then I found a black hair in my food and saw the guy who prepared my food picking his nails and completely lost my appetite. Which was fine by me because despite going through the heater oven, my meal was quite cold, especially the beans and rice. I should have complained at the store but I was irritated and left. I am going to call though. This used to be my favorite place and now I'm not sure... I still feel sick and my stomach is sore. read more

Not impressed mediocre food at outrageous prices and they seriously charged me extra for one scoop of salsa. Seriously are they that cheap. Also bugs all over the area near soda fountain and dirty tables. People are not good at keeping restaurant clean. read more

This is a solid build-your-own burrito place in the style of Chipotle. The ingredients are fresh and diverse and the overall taste is good. If you are really craving this sort of place, I would say that it is leagues beyond mucho burrito but then again that's not a hire bar to set. The place is styled so that you walk in and get in line to order your food. It has a Subway style counter so that you can see the ingredients as you are pointing them out. As with most of these places things like guac/sour cream can be extra. The decor is a tex-mex/cal-mex style and there is amble seating. This is a great place for a good lunch or mexican inspired dinner. However, don't come here thinking you're getting anything close to authentic Mexican food. In general, I found the flavors good but a little underwhelming. The thing I did like, though, was that the tortillas are pressed and cooked right as we order then which is a nice touch and gives the whole burrito a little added freshness. However, the base flavor of these tortillas did not wow me. All-in-all, I would definitely choose this place for a quick lunch over McDonalds or Timmys but I wouldn't drive down in the South just for this. read more

So I am a regular here. I've been at the Macleod address as well as the 130th. The primary difference that I can see is the staff. Macleod once had people who understood that considerate service is appreciated in loyalty and word of mouth support. No longer. Well to be clear it is no longer a given. Today the person I went to lunch with asked if the staff were always so "rude" and I had to admit that the last several times they were. I have never had that kind of treatment at 130th. Because the Macleod location is so close to work it wound up that I was there once a week minimally but no longer. IF I return to Costa Vida it will be at the 130th location where they still smile. PS: the woman who works the toll on Macleod has always been lovely and is the exception that used to be the rule. read more

Found this place through Yelp. Was very satisfied. Food was awesome; very tasty. Ingredients were fresh. Service was quick and polite. Would definitely recommend. read more

Finally. A great mexican place. Drink the Horchata! Delicious Enchiladas smother in salsa and cheese are a must! Disfrutalo! O algo asi ! ;) read more

The food is great but the last 2 times I ordered, the service hasn't been great. The first time I ordered curb side I waited at least 15 minutes for my order to be brought out and I ended up having to go in to get it. And today when I ordered I waited 15 minutes before it was brought out (they did say sorry), and once I got home and opened my order they gave me a tacos instead of a quesadilla. read more

Found this Mexican resto by accident. And with the cool colors , we decided to check it out. I ordered the honey pulled pork burritos while hubby ordered enchiladas. The server is friendly and prompt and even suggested the sizes when having our order since it's our first time. I'm glad I listened to his advice since it's plenty and if I just ordered coz of what I thought was enough, it would be too much! I picked the smaller burritos and usual sides, with just water for a drink. Food looks fresh, tastes fresh and with a diff twist that I haven't tried yet the other Mexican Restos ~ I.e ~ eating the burritos in a plate and with side dishes to boot . I loved how they marinated the salad dressing into the lettuce so it's more flavorful and tasty. Would definitely go back and try some other menus . read more

Good food. Staff making the food gets orders confused. Desperately needs handicap parking.

Amazing place to go to for Mexican food! Ingredients are fresh, and the flavors are superb. You cannot go wrong with anything you would order. read more

I had a beef burrito and my wife had chicken enchilada. We both got sick from this fast food mexican joint. Food wasn't that tasty either. I thought it was really funny theres a big sign near the cash register saying tortillas are made on the spot when you see the workers take the wheat wraps out of a plastic bag and throw it on a hot plate. read more

Love this place! Been here a few times and always enjoyed it! Pretty cheap for the amount of food that you get. Service has always been good too! read more

Costa Vida - Mexican Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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This is the most exciting thing to happen to Southland Crossing Mall in a looooong time. Costa Vida is a very large and clean fast food Mexican restaurant, which hails originally from the US. Walking in, the place was busy, even on a Wednesday night but were quickly greeted by friendly staff who asked us if we were newcomers. They guessed correctly, so they explained how the menu worked and I was pleasantly surprised when they asked if there were any food allergies we may have. The breads are warmed and baked fresh when you order and while the menu isn't extensive, what they do offer is very fresh and filling. For ten bucks, I got 2 fish tacos with beans and rice. The rice and beans were perfectly cooked, not gummy or dry like they tend to be in some other fast food joints. All the veggies like cabbage and cilantro were crispy and you can tell the tomatoes and lettuce are cut by hand, not the pre cut bagged business. Each day they have a different item of the menu on special. The best part is the Costa Vida card. each time you make a purchase, a percentage of your dollar amount spent goes back on your card. This eventually adds up to free $$ to spend on a meal. I am elated have a quick, healthy (ish) fast food option in my hood for those lazy nights I can't be bothered to cook. . . I'll be redeeming my card for free food in no time. read more

My brother and I went here the other day for lunch. We are used to restaurant style Mexican food but we thought since we were in the are we would give Costa Vida a try. For a fast food place Costa Vida was delicious. I got the extra spicy beef burrito smothered in cheese and sauce. It was much better than I had anticipated and they serve very large portions. I definitely will tell all my friends about this place and will be back for sure! Thanks. read more