Chavez Supermarket – 4/5
Was taking the train to Redwood City for dinner and a movie the night before my Spanish midterm a good idea? Probably not, even if I did manage to study during the “dinner” portion of the evening. Was it entertaining and delicious? Sure. Was it necessary for maintaining my sanity? Absolutely. Did I just get my butt kicked by 10 pages of Spanish grammar? Vamos a ver. We’ll find out soon enough.
Food — 5/5
My shredded chicken burrito was super authentic, fresh and filling (maybe a little too filling, if we’re being honest). It had just the right amount of kick, and the ingredients and flavors all came together seamlessly in a warm, fluffy flour tortilla. They menu is enormous — for any dish there are about 8 different meat options, including multiple varieties of chicken, beef, pork, seafood and even goat. The options extend even further when you realize that you’re standing in the back of a supermarket and have an entire store’s worth of drinks, desserts and sides for practically pennies.
Service — 4/5
Counter order. The burrito-making process was super speedy, and they even had enough self control to not laugh at my Spanish (which, to be fair, is pretty good for a white Jewish girl).
Price — 5/5
You’re gonna lay down about $7 for a burrito, which may sound like a lot, but a) it was really really good, and b) it was definitely enough food to split into two meals. Not that I did that, but it’s totally possible. That was more or less the most expensive item on the menu — other meat entrées ran around the same, and everything else was very cheap.
Location and Setting — 3/5
If you happen to be in Redwood City (going to the movies, shopping at World Market aka the coolest store ever, or craving a visit to the local history museum), it’s within convenient walking distance of the downtown. Before I went, I didn’t know if it was in a sketchy part of town or not, but it’s really pretty decent. The Supermarket is a very low-key neighborhood place, located next to the laundromat, with lots of apparent regulars hanging out inside and out. The inside “restaurant” area is little more than a few tables in the back area of a supermarket, but it’s clean and well-lit, and it’s easy to take your food to go and walk to any one of the nice outdoor seating areas downtown.
Good for… late night Mexican food cravings, or lunch with your guys. When I say your guys, I mean the ones who already love you (as a friend, or otherwise). This probably isn’t a great first date venue, but maybe later along? Perhaps once the need for perfect breath becomes less critical, if that’s ever really the case. Either way, it’s definitely a good place to stop for take out on the way to a Niners/Giants game, or maybe tacos can make be a good pizza alternative on in-house poker night or even fuel a really hardcore study session. The bottom line is this: find an excuse, because Chavez is worth the trip.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Stanford chapter.