Carne Asada fries for the win! Delicious! Fast service! This is my favorite Castenada's location

The dinning room is only opened from 7am to 12pm..... Only the drive thru is opened 24/7 Most excellent for the midnight Munchies. A large selection of meats vegetarian and vegan meals Cool indoor and outdoor seating . Handicapped accessible. Handicapped parking in front. Awesome staff and decent prices. Easy access off hwy 62 . There is plenty of parking in back for trailer parking .

Hey, for a local Mex food place this is a great spot. I gave it 5 stars for food based on an expectation for tasty local mex. The breakfast we had was great. We were going to a different place for breakfast next door that was highly reviewed. But the wait looked crazy. So we went to plan B. And this should be a plan A. The atmosphere is a little lacking. Must have been a fast food place once. But the day we were there the staff were super friendly and the food was out of this world and it is obvious by the cleanliness of the place they care. No, its not 5 star LA downtown shirt and tie. Its 5 star tastes great lots of food for a decent price going hiking all morning. Stop by. Have breakfast, I think you'll like it. Also they make their coffee with cinamon in it. Really pops it up over diner coffee. Got the Huevos Rancheros and California Burritto.

Great little spot. Really tasty tacos cabesa, and the San Filepe fries were an interesting take on the "disco fries" and "garbage plate" dishes popular in the northeast. It was delicious, but a lot of food. The two of us struggled to finish it.

If I had to take the price out of the equation, I would say this is alright Mexican food, good for fast food and good for the place being open 24/7. Now if I had to include the price, you are getting a bang for your buck. It isn't the BEST but it is far better then other drive through establishments. Will be coming back here when I leave Joshua tree late at night :)

Food is a hit and miss. Sometimes it's delicious and others it's not. But this day was good. Kids chicken nuggets were cooked well and my California breakfast burrito was perfect

Really great large portions delicious and fast. Open 24/7 gotta love that! I had machaca burrito and pastor sopes with horchata!

Ive had alot of mexican food, but the chef here is amazing. We were working up there and ate there 7 times in mid feb 2023. Omg, everything is so deeply flavorful. Reminds me of Santa Fe, NM. Other castenadas and mex restaurants don't compare, really. And I'm truthful. And the salsa and baked jalapenos are amazing. I was totally surprised. Burritos there are huge. Not mickey mouse. If youre hungry eat here. Chicken burrito is amazing as were the relleno burrito and the carnitas burrito.

I usually only go to the Twentynine Palms location but I finally decided to go to this location. I went through the drive thru. The lady at the window was very nice. I did have to wait at least one minute for the lady to acknowledge me at the speaker to take my order. I am not sure if she just didn't know I was there or she was busy. The drive thru only had one other person in it. If you have a truck I am not sure you will make in through the drive thru because they have a very very narrow drive thru. I ordered the Breakfast California Burrito. It was sooo yummy. I would definitely go to this location again.

We eat at this place every time we’re in town. Love the carne asada fries and chimichanga. Manny makes us feel like we’re family. Love it! Try it for yourself.

We loved our mini tacos , and whole wheat chicken wrap and chips with salsa. The service was great , just don’t let the run down feel of place influence you .

I gave 4 stars for atmosphere but that's not bad but it is what it is a guiick in and out eating establishment. It is no wonder why there are so many of these locations in the chain. The food is really good. I have numerous times taken advantage of their 24hr. drive through.

This place will forever be known as Santana's and like their motto says... SANTANA'S ES MUY BUENO! I've tried basically all the good stuff, and I stay away from anything I don't know the translation of. But everything from the California burrito wif NAW PICO to the chicken flautas, to the enchiladas really is my bueno and I eat here way more than I'd like to admit.. 10/5 stars! Sidenote - The infamous "beans" incident happened a LONG time ago so you are safe from the unwanted extra"sour cream" you didn't order.

Swung through for breakfast burritos through the drive thru. Incredibly quick turnaround for incredibly good food. Solid size burritos for the price.

Erik Black

Really good California burrito. Great after hiking in Joshua Tree. Plus they were open on Thanksgiving this year and that was really great to find. Definitely will come back the next time I’m in the area.

Travis C

We got their famous carne asada french fries. They are a little expensive but the portion size is large and is good for two people. It's totally worth it.

Anthony Haverland

Dropping by to show my home Castanedas some lovee.! Food is consistently good. Great team. This Birria plate was fuegooo! I always get rolled tacos, beef tacos, or chille rellano, . And breakfast California on Sundays. My go to. Thanks for feeding me. Keep up the delicious good work.

andrew lane

Used to be good. Haven't gone back since I found this solid metal wire in my burrito after taking a bite and almost died and they even refused to give me a refund. Place is dirty and the food is always frozen and not fresh but they charge fresh prices with horrible attitude even after tipping for fast food. Smh

Brandan

Food was really good tonight! Who ever was cooking did a great job. I have gone before and not so good. But tonight was on point! The food was fresh and hot. The beans rice were very tasty!

Arty and Mary Jacobs

The food was good. basic fast food restaurant with good service and very clean dining area inside.

+1

Wandering in Paradise

Great Castanedas in Joshua Tree with a large menu of Mexican options. Really large portions for low prices. We got the Asada plate and breakfast California burrito. Pretty short wait to get your food and attentive staff. Outdoor seating as well.

If you’re looking for a lot of food for not much money, this place otta’ do the trick!

Formerly Santana's, Castadena's appears to basically be the same. A great spot to grab that last burrito before heading into the park or to grab that first burrito after leaving :P Good authentic southern California Mexican food! Also great chips, salsa and guacamole! Go try it out and stop listening to lame reviewers like myself!

I ordered 2 #7's, 2 shredded beef burritos, rice and beans, i paid $45.00 i got 2 med drinks, when I got home and opened the box I found that the burritos was made with the x-large tortillas, inside was about 2 tablespoons of meat, that's it, it was mostly tortilla, and the tortillas was not cook fully, we were very upset with the meals and the price we paid, DelTaco serves so much better quality meals for a whole lot less, don't waist your money on this place, oh and they didn't even give napkins.

Service has always been "just enough" without a smile. The burrito is a late night legend to drunk locals who still refer to it as Santana's. Take it to go. Best bang for your buck in town. 25 years, never got sick eating it. Authentic.

We stopped here after a day in Joshua Tree National Park. We had been craving Mexican for days, and it hit the spot. Price point was good, customer service was just fine. Sodas weren't watered down. It was filling, better than any other fast food Mexican I've had (though not as good as sit down/mom and pops joints). Bathrooms were locked, which is annoying, but they were also clean. No shade for parking. If you approach them coming from the National Park, pull in past them. The first side (their left) is the drive through. I would happily stop here again.

Coming out of Joshua Tree NP, everyone in our party was quite hungry; this place was a pleasant surprise! While the men's room could use a redo (it looks quite old and not very clean), the food was very good and filling (though greasy), and the portions were sizeable for the price. The food seemed authentic Mexican, and the selection of salsas was tasty. Overall a good experience and would definitely eat here again.

Went to JTree for a couple of days and stayed at the motel about one block over. This is a nice restaurant; very clean. You order at the counter from a picture menu over the counter. My wife and I each had a dinner. I had a burrito and a stuffed chili pepper. Of course there was rice and beans included. I must say the food tasted freshly prepared and was very flavorful without being too spicy. All dinners come with a drink, and you serve yourself from the soda machine. You can dine inside or outdoors, and they also have a drive thru, plus you can phone in an order to pickup. The total bill for both of us with tax was only $20.47, a price very hard to beat. To sum up, we liked this restaurant and their very courteous staff and would be happy to dine there again.

The food here was just Ok. Couple of carne Asada tacos and a carne asada burrito. What could go wrong? Nothing really, everything was just OK. Super nice person took my order and I asked for extra salsa which was granted in great quantity. Muchas gracias! I came in later in the evening before closing and they had one gal up on a ladder cleaning the ceiling fan. Everything else was really clean throughout though the decor was dated for sure. No fear in returning here and lots of good points add up to a solid 4 stars.

Basic Mexican fare. Tastes like they use lard in the brand and tortillas (the only acceptable way) the burritos are basic ,but you can add to, which ends up making it a $20 burrito. Not an Urban Food Log, but a worthy meal none the less

Joel Hunt

I had the California Burrito and I found it to be very good! If I could do it over I’d ask for more green salsa to go with it - but I use a fair amount of salsa usually. I also ordered chips and salsa and the chips were thick, warm, and tasty but the salsa is actually pico de gallo which was odd. A heads-up that “chips and salsa” is actually “chips and pico de gallo” would have been nice. The ambiance was a little one that could benefit from some freshening up but also fits with the gritty vibe of the town. I would definitely return here.

Paul Mittermiller

Tasty quick Mexican fast food. The food is delicious and the employees are super nice. The ambience feels like a fast food joint.

Tasnim Ara Islam

I recently visited this restaurant on my way back from Joshua Tree National Park for dinner. We ordered the Asada Plate and the Steak Ranchero Plate. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and the delicious sauces provided. The meat was incredibly juicy and freshly cooked, making for a satisfying meal. Definitely recommend this place for anyone looking for a tasty and satisfying dining experience.

Rosa Cendejas

Close to Joshua Tree National Park. Authentic food thanks to the cooks! Had Chicken torta, was pretty good. To get into the restroom you need a key to get in, restroom could use a touch up. Many tables for groups. High chairs are available. No changing table in womens bathroom, so change your baby before you go in. This place offers drive thru for those travelers on the go.

Michael Fortenberry

Restaurant has a lot to offer as far as Mexican style food. I had the Carne Asada burrito with some of the salsa from the salsa bar. Overall it was a good burrito, not great, but good. It was full of flavor and enough food for about two people. Overall I recommend this restaurant.

The drive thru speaker sucks, can't hear each other most of the time, most workers there are rude, bed side manners suck. Food is hit and miss there. I usually just go for my husband, otherwise I'm not a fan at all. Prices are kinda high too.

They are tripping. Compared to 10 years ago it's disappointing! So it’s now 2023.. not any better got complete order wrong! everything!!🥺i take it back I asked for a jalapeño sliced on top one of the two carne asada super fries. They put a good amount on the nachos not one single carne asada fry… The tacos were not traditional white guy tacos… yes I’m wahwahing

Used to be pretty good, has gone downhill lately. Portions are smaller , food doesn't seem to have any flavor. Used to eat there a couple times a week but I've stopped . too hit or miss on whether it will be good or not

This one is alright. Carne asada could use some spices or better grilling, salsa is more spicy than flavorful. Staff is very nice, location clean. But food missing personality.

Ok food can use a bit more authenticity, and higher grade quality ingredients for the price, carne asada tends to be a bit rubbery chewy with quite a bit of grisle and produce used is a hit and miss, but there open all the time weather employees have an attitude or are in a good mood that particular day

Food was made promptly for pick up. Lady on the phone was polite & didn't rush me even tho I could hear how busy they sounded. The food was great tasting. But the prices & quantity of food was way high!! I spent $68.47 for chicken nachos. Was very small & toppings came in tiny plastic cups not measuring 1/4 even. Even though the portion was small there was still only enough toppings for 3 or 5 chips. I got 2 tacos combo. Again sided of rice & beans was smaller than a kids meal serving. And Arroz y camarones had decent amount of shrimp but one 1/4 cup maybe for the entire meal. The rice is the main filler so I was disappointed on 3 items costing so much & fed 2 people for almost $70 for very little food. Wasnt given a cost so when i signed the bill i was very surprisied. They gave a free bag of chips even but no salsa. But the food was very good. No complaints on quality or service. Just quantity & price. Was no utensils inside either. Luckily I was headed home to eat.

R. DaNell

I mean... it was what it was. I didn't have very high expectations. Not from California, figured I'd try a California burrito. I saw this place is like a chain, so wasn't expecting super quality family-ran style food. The burrito was ok. Not great, not particularly good. Just ok.

Darlene Lage

I am have been a patron for over 20 years, this place used to be a 5 now it's barely a 3. The prices keep going up while the quality and quantity keep going down. The green sauce was jelly, the carrots should have been thrown out awhile ago. I included the picture of half of my burrito because after I ate a quarter of it I wondered where the carne asada was in my California burrito, the cheese, and the tomatoes in my pico were also missing. Burrito tastes like onions, fries, and tortilla. Found out that was due to the fact that each half of my 7.5 inch burrito had a tablespoon of meat, no cheese or tomatoes but a ton of fries and onions. What happened??? What's missing from my salsa, hmmm?

Tastes like nothing at best, tastes like old at worst. The guacamole is some kind of green liquid... At least the Pepsi tasted like Pepsi lol PS : for the quality of the food our lunch was NOT cheap (35$ for 2 people)

Normally they would get 4 stars. Never 5 because the restaurant is never really clean. Tonight...they are lucky to get 2 stars. I had a #1. ...taco..tostada. ...beans and rice. Tostada was broke in half. ..maybe had a teaspoon of cheese on it. Taco was so hard I couldn't eat it. They are super stingy with the cheese

Typical mexican fast food. They use cheap ingredients but unfortunately the prices didn't correspond with the quality of food. We had greasy tacos and enchiladas covered in a sauce straight out of the can. They charge extra if you want onions or cilantro. Almost 3 bucks for a little cup of each. The food was edible but we were a bit disappointed.

This place isn't the same since someone bought it and changed the name from Santanas. Got a California burrito today and paid over $10.00 for a burrito that should cost $5.00. Burrito was not filled with carne asada and fries,cheese and guacamole like it usually is. Been eating at "Santana's" for over 30 years. This place is a disappointment now

The service here could of been a little bit more better, felt as if he didn't want to take my order. Asked for limon very dry and sour. Chicken taco were good but dry. Could of has a little better service.

This is a pretty nasty place. I should have looked at the reviews more closely. Bathroom had no paper towels and was not clean. No offer of water. Coffee was cold but she nuked it and it was good. Needed a knife to cut my huevos Rancheros' corn tortillas. They did not supply one so I used my pocket knife. The condiments table was a nice touch. The rice was good and the beans were outstanding. They actually made the eggs over medium like I asked them to do which was nice. All in all the foods was real good except for the dried out corn tortillas that I could not eat. It just seems like there's no one really taking care of a place that cares. Sad.

Long story short, this place is mid, and you can do better. Honestly, the food is overpriced for what it is. And the fact that combos don't even come with a drink? That's a bit dumb. Personally, I wouldn't waste my time with this restaurant, especially with better options on nearby. The food isn't bad, but it's definitely not good enough to justify the price. Service is okay, not the friendliest but not the worst. Inside was clean tho, prolly helped that it was empty.

This is the worst Castanedas of all them in my 7 years in the desert. They are the only one to charge for sour cream, which I’ve never had an issue with. They are also the only one to cut your quesadilla once. I’ve been fine with these little details. Then I go the last time, and I was given a meal in the drive-thru with no protein because I did not tip I assume. I had to go to the Castanedas in Palm Springs the same day to actually feel full, paying double. I only recommend this location if you’re desperate. Even yucca valley, right down the road, does not charge for sour cream, like literally every single location in the Coachella valley. I am not normally one to leave a review but this one was a long time coming and this little kid pushed it over the edge for sure.

Food is totally average. It’s unclear to me how these guys are still in business. It’s really difficult to mess up Mexican food.

Quality of food has dropped over the last two years. The last two times I went I tasted old meat and prior to those experiences the burritos are smaller and have almost no seasoning or over stuffed with ingredients like pico instead of substantial ingredients. No seasoning and meat that shouldve been tossed a few days ago(tasted like the smell of old carpet). This place used to be my favorite restaurant for over a decade. What happened?

In theory, this food is absolutely incredible. 1/10 times that I have dined here has it been good. At least one part of the innards of my burrito is messed up, such as burnt fries in the california burrito or a complete lack thereof. Sometimes the tortilla is burnt to a char, and other times the carne asada is of the worst quality. I do want to be fair and add that twice in the past three years has it been good and only once at the Joshua Tree location sometime back in 2019.

Jimmy Elless

I don't do this. I literally HATE doing this but I have to on this one. Sorry, but it was that bad and people need to know about this. Unless you're John J. Rambo, who can eat things that will make a billy goat puke, don't eat here. For the last 15 years, I've given this place a chance and regretted it every time. I ate here 5 years ago and swore I would never eat here again. Last night, we decided to give them a try again. We ordered 2 orders of nachos and a california burrito....$52 and I had to pay extra for the jalapeños. The jalapeños....they practically pulled it off the vine and literally rough chopped it up, including the butt of the jalapeño. Who puts raw jalapeños on nachos??? Pickled jalapeños...pickled ones go on nachos. Everyone knows this. I was up 3 times last night with massive heartburn and my wife was up at 3am with diarrhea. The nachos chips were way over done. I can still taste the chips the next morning. The whole nachos order was cold. I paid $17 for those nachos and threw half of it away. I'm not doing this anymore. Never coming here again.

The food here is ordinary and nothing special for a Mexican food restaurant with dining out (drive-thru) but the worst is the customer service! I have ordered the largest order of Nachos and asked if it came with beans and was told "yes" in a condescending voice and when I got to my office there were no beans!!! This morning I call my order in thinking that it would be easier but it wasn't. I walked in and had to face the most miserable looking young lady who could care less about her job and bothered that I was there. She didn't greet me and didn't offer any chili's, salsa and didn't even place napkins in my bag. She was also cleaning counters with a dirty rag and didn't wash her hands before reaching into the drawer for a spoon which she placed in my bag to go. I will be letting the health department know.

Foods pretty good but when I ordered my food the cashier asked me if I would give him a tip I said sure I was a little worried if I didn't he would spit in my food. So he said well how much I said well let's make it two bucks to make it an even $10 order. After I ordered there was a poor homeless lady that asked him if she to get a water cup he says well it would be $0.25. She didn't have the $0.25 and asked if she could pay him later he refused and said no. I whipped out a quarter handed it to the dude and said give her a water cup. I thought about it for a minute that really irritated me that the cashier would ask me for extra money for doing his job and would not give this lady a water cup he says it was owners policy. when I got my food I looked at him and said that's pretty sad that you're asking me for extra money for doing your job and you could not give this poor lady a water cup. You just gotten two free dollars and cant fork out a quarter. I will never spend another dollar in that place hopefully not.

I got retried burnt fries with my $15 San Felipe Fries. I would not even give them 1 star! I live in Joshua Tree California and it is a flip of a coin if the food is going to be good! This is it! I am not coming back!

It's like they pre make popular orders and put them under some heat lamp. Like refrying their fries 100x's. It's old and gross. You ask for anything extra...they charge you, but they don't add it. And then they want a tip if you use your card in the drive thru. Lazy a$$ cooks. The front person was the only thing good about this place. My suggestion.. Go to Yucca and eat at the Mexican restaurant there. Or buy a TV dinner. Don't eat here.

Terrible. Couldn't order at the window after spending 20 minutes. She said, "you have to order at the call box." She would not allow me to order and of course the line was around the block. She was sorry, but not as sorry as myself for picking the wrong restaurant. Call box was no where to be found. Ended up at Andrea's in 29 palms. Better spot.

Could not even eat the taco shells. Hard as a rock could not chew. Ask the kid that worked there if this is how Southern California does taco shells. He says he didn’t know because he doesn’t eat their taco. Ask the cook and they said they were changing the oil now. Waste of $40.00!

Why serve cheese on a burrito when its not listed on the menu. What a waste of my time and food waste. If every breakfast burrito gets cheese why does the menu not say that. Ordered a Machaca burrito, cheese is not listed as an item it comes with. Asked for a remake and the manager acted annoyed. Said all breakfast burritos come with cheese. This of course is not stated on the menu either. Than had to wait 15 minutes for the remade burrito.

I ordered a takeout chicken burrito that was supposed to come with guacamole and salsa. When I got home I found it had nothing but incredibly bland chicken, no guacamole, no salsa, nothing. I will never go back.

I ordered Verte fries and carne asada nachos. without the carne asada and had shredded beef put on instead, simple right? The fries were burnt. The nachos are half of what they usually are with barely any meat tomatoes mostly just guacamole. now I did order it without sour cream which seems that's about the only thing they did right. I'm more than likely probably will never come back here again cuz it's not the first time this has happened... if there was a button for no stars then I'd probably give them a zero star rating. Plus customer service you can all hear them in the back talking playing quarters very loudly the playing quarters wasn't tonight but it has happened in the past

The Carne Asada burrito literally looked like someone had spit a bunch of chewed up meat back into a tortilla with a tiny pinch of Pico and whatever the green looking spit stuff was ( I guess this was the guacamole) . Probably the nastiest looking 10 dollar burrito I've received from anywhere. The tortilla was decent though lol

Horrible place. I've been eating here since when it was known as Santana's. They have slow service, undercooked/overlooked food and on top of that they constantly mess up he order no matter how many times you tell them what you want and don't want on the order they will still mess it up. I had to return a burrito 3 times because they didn't understand that I didn't want tomato and pico on it. Save your money and eat somewhere else.

old dusty dirty building, employee was confusing and got the order wrong, food was incorrect and horrible.

This isn’t the Castaneda’s I grew up loving. I ordered a carne asada burrito and a conga burrito, and both were disappointingly small. I paid $28.12 for two items that felt like they belonged on the dollar menu.

FOOD POISONING ALERT. Got bubble guts and threw up multiple times. Fries were cold and gross… the burrito too. Should have known. The place was very dirty. Restroom smelled like they had 173 dead road runners stuffed in the walls. All of the tables were dirty too. Never will I go to this place again.

8 years ago I would have given them 5 stars. There food was great. The portions were always more than enough and a drink was included with a combo. I haven't eaten here in a few years so I decided to try it. I had a simple order...Nachos with cheese. I got all the way back to work and was charged for a tray of chips with NO CHEESE. The amount of grease in my tray made the chips at the bottom inedible. I also ordered a California burrito combo for my husband and noticed on the receipt that drinks are now sold separately. I will not eat here again. I understand now why there are always so many complaints on Facebook

Wish could give zero stars horrible customer service. My wife order rolled tacos and you charge $15 for only three rolled tacos ? Best part they was hard as a brick. I ordered a California burrito and had food poisoning also diarrhea. Do not eat here especially if you are visiting Joshua tree or live here. Absolutely worst Mexican food I have had in California

Please for the love of God turn off your open sign when you're not open. I work nights and half the time I drive through at 1am starving and the open sign is on and someone in the building, with lights on, tells me they're closed. But the open sign is on and it's supposed to be 24 hours. Come on now. Please just turn it off if you're not open so I don't waste my time and get hangrier. I order extra food for home and tip well. Just turn off the sign so I don't keep getting my hopes up. It's been over a year of me being hangry after work so pretty please don't advertise being 24 hours if you're not. Turn the light off for cleaning and maintenance or whatnot so I don't look ridiculous going through the drive through and get waved away by someone. Thanks.

Their enchiladas were terrible... the “meat” inside were heated up frozen cube nibblets that they stuck in a tortilla. Not to mention the SERVICE was terrible. They charged me twice when I asked for one meal. Did not give me my drink. Or sauce. Absolutely horrible experience. BEST BET is to go to the one in Yucca or 29.

Absolute worst service ever. I have eaten here plenty of times and never had an issue, the food isn't spectacular but its usually pretty quick and right by my house. I placed an order through door dash for pick up. I showed up 5 minutes early and went to the drive through. No one answered so I pulled up to the window where I was ignored for the next 20 minutes. I didn't want to be rude and knock on the window but I should have. They clearly saw me and heard my old loud truck pull up. I called 3 times. No answer. Then went to the front door and knocked on the glass. Nothing. Never got my food. If I could give 0 stars I would those lady's in there are obviously miserable

I have been going here on and off for 3 years. The last few times, I was turned off by the quality of the food. It has gone downhill by a huge margin. The beans are paste, the food has zero quality, and they do not serve the same food with garnish as other locations do. Never going there again. The locale in Palm Desert is awesome!

So gross. Gross food. Gross inside dining room. Everything served in styrofoam containers. Just awful. If you’re starving just go across the street to The Dez and grab a sandwich and you’ll be glad you did.

I have been there two times and seriously disappointed. The second time I went I ordered two tacos to go and onion rings. The onion rings tasted very old and were super greasy and the two beef tacos had been deep fried, I had to throw it all out. I would never go there again! The girl at the window, could not make change for a twenty, she had to do it three times before she could get it right. So sad to see an adult woman that can't make change, I was embarrassed for her:( I never see any cars there, that should have been a sign. Absolutely terrible food.

Clearly told the person at the counter that I was allergic to dairy. After some huming and hawing she said they get their flour tortillas from someone else, so I asked for their suppliers ingredients list, which she said they don't have. Should have walked out then, but ordered tacos on corn tortillas instead. The plate came out with cheese, after being very clear there should be no dairy on the plate and had them remake it. The food was mediocre, and my friend with me said his chorizo wasn't very good.

⸻ Disappointing Experience After 5 Years of Loyalty I’ve been a loyal customer at Castaneda’s Mexican Food in Joshua Tree for over five years, often eating here several times a week. Sadly, after a recent experience, I won’t be returning. I ordered a chicken quesadilla and sides, but the food was not only made incorrectly the first time—it was remade with stale, foul-tasting chicken. After three trips back and forth and a delayed refund of $15.46 to my debit card (my last available funds), I asked for a simple cash refund. The manager refused and told me, “That’s not my problem.” The customer service was shockingly dismissive, especially toward a longtime regular. If you’re looking for quality Mexican food in Joshua Tree with reliable service, you may want to look elsewhere

If you go to a Mexican restaurant and they serve you green liquid as Guacamole, you know that’s not where you want to be… Bad food, servers don’t care abt what you want, most of it oily. No salt, seasoning or taste. Go to the subway right opposite if you need some food.

This place use to be good but now just a huge disappoinment. It feels like the workers don't like there job and if u come through the drive through don't forget to tip or they may give u old burnt stale potatoes in your food!

Most fakest Mexican food I have had. If i can give them no stars i would. Didn't even get half way through the meal. No one in my party could. Salty beans, sour rice that may have been past its date. Even the sodas were wack. Just colored carbonated water. No flavor in anything. I just cant

Food was terrible couldn’t finish it , my stomach got upset as soon as i took a bit , shrimp taco is tasteless , cheese quesadilla was very bad , they use yellow cheese , instead of white queso , should have believe all bad reviewers. Well lesson learned. Wish I can give them a zero . Oh cheese quesadilla came with nothing no sour cream or any veggies on the side like it usually does. Disgusting experience all over

Don't do it! Food comes straight out of microwave, no effort is made to conceal this. My order was pulled out when I was standing at pickup window. Nothing tasted fresh and I felt lousy after eating. Half our order went in the trash.

I went to order two chicken enchiladas, and was asked by the man at the register if I wanted to make it a combo with rice and beans, and I agreed to the upgrade. He did not tell me that the enchilada combo is actually only cheese, and no meat. I waited there for a ridiculously long time even though nobody else was coming into the restaurant, only to find out that I paid $10 more for enchiladas with no meat and a small side of rice and beans. This establishment is a complete and total joke. If you want Mexican food, you'll have to go to Yucca Valley or 29 Palms.

Stuart Okunami

Went with a party of four, two orders were wrong. Two of us got food poisoning. I would say staff is not welcoming. Not normally one to complain but would recommend you find another spot. Especially for the price.

Daniel Rios

Went with a group of four one person didn’t get the right order got home ate it and got sick.

Janet Allmon

This is more of a fast food type restaurant. There is no wait staff. The food is served in plastic to go boxes. Self serve soda fountain is turned off on the customer side of the counter. I ordered super rolled tacos. My husband ordered #18. Both orders had a shredded meat in them that had no seasoning. We both used salsa on our orders. I ate one of the five rolled tacos. My husband had one bite. Neither of us liked the rolled tacos. His food was not good either. The only thing with a mild flavor was his Chile Rellanos. We did not eat the rest of our food. It was acwaste of $30. So disappointing

Lyndsey Andreasen

I did not enjoy my order at all. I ordered the #13 chimichanga and a side order of chips with guacamole and cheese. I was not expecting the cheese on the chips to be shredded cheese and not queso… The chips were not good due to the grease they were fried in - same for my chimichanga. The guacamole tastes just like the cheap jar stuff from the grocery store. The rice was the only good thing in my order, however, there was only 2 measly bites of rice. Refried beans were extremely watery. My partners burrito was pretty good.

Chris O

I ordered 3 carne asada tacos, ended up getting bland grease casserole. Tastes like nothing, still managed to get sick tho. Looks like the cook ate the ingredients and regurgitated into a tortilla. I knew it was gonna be bad from the looks, however my family's order was over $60 and I figured I might as well try since they spent so much. Oh man do I regret that. Don't know why I keep coming back, maybe because I miss Santana's. All 5 of family members including I got sick from the food. Message for the owners and management: I hope that you guys get diarrhea for a week straight, although you probably already have it if these are your standards for food. One good thing I can say is the employees were polite. Still not coming back though.