Don Ustaquio, owner of the place, very friendly and helpful, and good food. And super cheap I recommend it. In this place you enjoy. Something From the Past Come And You Will Be Surprised!!
Karan V.
Love it! Love it! Love it! Love it! Love it! Love it! You gotta stop by if you're in Iowa. This town has its own charm. A cute place with a real passionate chef. I was so happy I stopped in this place for food. The food was awesome we had chicken chimichanga, veg quesadilla, chicken taco & pineapple cake. Every piece was delicious. The food was the least expensive i have ever had and portion was huge. Chimichanga was insanely huge. Call him for an order of tresleches, it is a bliss. Only thing to remember carry cash. No cards accepted. Chef knows English so ask him anything in English :)
Christian Lopez
The tortillas from the tacos we ordered, you could tell it was from a packet, wasn't freshly made tortillas which was a bummer. The beef seemed as if it was refrigerated and heated up in the microwave, super chewy and terrible taste. Plus we didn't hear no sizzle or even smell the beef being cooked. The bread was not freshly made, hard as rock, and the bathroom looked like it was from a scary movie. Probably not returning to this place.
Cindi
The el pastor tacos were the best I've ever had. (Second best were from a mom and pop restaurant in a large Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago.) The owner can cook AND bake! His chips and 4 sauces (complimentary) were delectable. The empanadas, coconut cookies, and rolls were perfection. I wish I lived nearby; I'd eat there several times per week!
Angel Solis
I imagine, this is what it would be like if I had a mexican grandpa to cook for me. The bakery goods are phenomenal as well ??
Holly Cook
Wonderful food and very friendly service!
FidencioDaBarbervlog
The tortas and tacos are good!! Good place!
Angel Selby
OMG!! The tacos are TO DIE FOR!!!!! The hot sauce is amazing and the service is top notch! I recently moved to CJ and I will NEVER eat anywhere else in town!! ❤❤❤ Haven't had tacos this good since I lived in New York City!!!
kevan A
Best tacos in Iowa. Hands down. Get the steak, you won't be disappointed!
The last time we were in Columbus Junction we stopped here to buy a guava pastelito and saw all the delicious food being eaten at the small countertop. We knew we had to come back for a full meal and so happy we did. Honestly, not only was the food better than the restaurant across the street but the owner was the nicest guy! Great conversation about his journey to Iowa and great company while we enjoyed our meal. (But don't worry, I'm sure he'll leave you alone if you prefer, we just enjoy conversation.) The best part was that he had tamales available. Tamales are hard to come by in Iowa and we really miss them. His tamales were good but so were the tacos we ordered plus instead of serving them with crema like other places in Columbus Junction he served a great green chili salsa with fantastic flavor. It was like a bit of south Texas with the tamales and sauce. But, they best part is that this is a bakery so you can finish your meal with a sweet treat. Fresh pastelitos, or tres leches, or sweet empanadas. Delicious and good.
Joel Heilman
Good Chimichangas!
Nathan Dowell
The baked goods and. Cakes are awsome
Jared T.
When you step through the doors of the Santa Ana Bakery and Panaderia, you leave Iowa. In Santa Ana, the food is delicious, the Jarritos cold, and the futbol exciting. It is a small one man shop, run by a man who immigrated to America with a few dollars in his pocket and a dream of running his own restaurant and bakery. Many pastries and other items are available in the front of the shop. The menu is painted on the wall, and specifies, "Whatever you want, ask in English." I did, and what I received was a delicious steak burrito, filled with fresh avocado, perfectly cooked steak, and other delicious ingredients. The salsa-I should say salsas-are delicious. He brings out four different flavors-habanero, jalapeno, chipotle, and salsa verde. The Habanero salsa may be the best I have ever had. It packs a terrific wallop without overpowering its more subtle flavors. The restaurant has a sense of place and time that is immediately identifiable. More character than a James Mitchener novel. Santa Ana is the place to go if you're looking for terrific food and service in an authentic, authentically good restaurant.
Don Ustaquio, owner of the place, very friendly and helpful, and good food. And super cheap I recommend it. In this place you enjoy. Something From the Past Come And You Will Be Surprised!!
Love it! Love it! Love it! Love it! Love it! Love it! You gotta stop by if you're in Iowa. This town has its own charm. A cute place with a real passionate chef. I was so happy I stopped in this place for food. The food was awesome we had chicken chimichanga, veg quesadilla, chicken taco & pineapple cake. Every piece was delicious. The food was the least expensive i have ever had and portion was huge. Chimichanga was insanely huge. Call him for an order of tresleches, it is a bliss. Only thing to remember carry cash. No cards accepted. Chef knows English so ask him anything in English :)
The tortillas from the tacos we ordered, you could tell it was from a packet, wasn't freshly made tortillas which was a bummer. The beef seemed as if it was refrigerated and heated up in the microwave, super chewy and terrible taste. Plus we didn't hear no sizzle or even smell the beef being cooked. The bread was not freshly made, hard as rock, and the bathroom looked like it was from a scary movie. Probably not returning to this place.
The el pastor tacos were the best I've ever had. (Second best were from a mom and pop restaurant in a large Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago.) The owner can cook AND bake! His chips and 4 sauces (complimentary) were delectable. The empanadas, coconut cookies, and rolls were perfection. I wish I lived nearby; I'd eat there several times per week!
I imagine, this is what it would be like if I had a mexican grandpa to cook for me. The bakery goods are phenomenal as well ??
Wonderful food and very friendly service!
The tortas and tacos are good!! Good place!
OMG!! The tacos are TO DIE FOR!!!!! The hot sauce is amazing and the service is top notch! I recently moved to CJ and I will NEVER eat anywhere else in town!! ❤❤❤ Haven't had tacos this good since I lived in New York City!!!
Best tacos in Iowa. Hands down. Get the steak, you won't be disappointed!
The best place around. A must stop.
Restaurantji Recommends
Absolutely amazing food...
The last time we were in Columbus Junction we stopped here to buy a guava pastelito and saw all the delicious food being eaten at the small countertop. We knew we had to come back for a full meal and so happy we did. Honestly, not only was the food better than the restaurant across the street but the owner was the nicest guy! Great conversation about his journey to Iowa and great company while we enjoyed our meal. (But don't worry, I'm sure he'll leave you alone if you prefer, we just enjoy conversation.) The best part was that he had tamales available. Tamales are hard to come by in Iowa and we really miss them. His tamales were good but so were the tacos we ordered plus instead of serving them with crema like other places in Columbus Junction he served a great green chili salsa with fantastic flavor. It was like a bit of south Texas with the tamales and sauce. But, they best part is that this is a bakery so you can finish your meal with a sweet treat. Fresh pastelitos, or tres leches, or sweet empanadas. Delicious and good.
Good Chimichangas!
The baked goods and. Cakes are awsome
When you step through the doors of the Santa Ana Bakery and Panaderia, you leave Iowa. In Santa Ana, the food is delicious, the Jarritos cold, and the futbol exciting. It is a small one man shop, run by a man who immigrated to America with a few dollars in his pocket and a dream of running his own restaurant and bakery. Many pastries and other items are available in the front of the shop. The menu is painted on the wall, and specifies, "Whatever you want, ask in English." I did, and what I received was a delicious steak burrito, filled with fresh avocado, perfectly cooked steak, and other delicious ingredients. The salsa-I should say salsas-are delicious. He brings out four different flavors-habanero, jalapeno, chipotle, and salsa verde. The Habanero salsa may be the best I have ever had. It packs a terrific wallop without overpowering its more subtle flavors. The restaurant has a sense of place and time that is immediately identifiable. More character than a James Mitchener novel. Santa Ana is the place to go if you're looking for terrific food and service in an authentic, authentically good restaurant.