Tijuana Flats

The menu sounds so fresh and bountiful. Well-​ordered steak salad with toppings-​for 8.00 I had to search for the steak tomatoes and cheese and I don’t think any guac was put on/​basically lettuce (not all fresh) in a bowl… Disappointing

Chipotle for the south! Tijuana Flats has customer service and delicious down to an art. Much like a Chipotle, it can be a little overwhelming when you walk in. There is art and color plastered all over the walls, the floor plan is open, and the prominently displayed hot sauce bar beckons your overstimulated brain. Fear not, they have trained their quirky cashiers to reel you back in before you bolt out the door from anxiety.
Have you ever been here before? If the answer is «no» they guide you through a quick tutorial– here’s the menu, here’s what it means, here’s what «get it wet» means, here’s a combo deal, is it Tuesday? Then there’s a special. You order at the counter and then they don’t just leave you hanging. They show you the hot sauce bar, explain what the smiley faces mean according to spiciness.
I have been several times, and each time I am greeted and asked if I have every been there. They make eye contact with you and WANT to tell you about their product. I am always offered some sort of a deal-​a combo, a dessert, an addition. It isn’t pushy, though. They just know that that menu is a little overwhelming and want to make sure you got everything your little heart desires.
The food is fresh and delicious. The queso has a great consistency and the burritos are seriously gigantic-​definitely two meals worth unless you are a starving college kid or teenager with the metabolism of the Roadrunner. They even let you upsize that burrito if you are truly craving a massive amount of food or a mild heart attack. The Megajuana doubles down on meat/​beans and cheese.
I have never had anything that I didn’t enjoy, though I will say the most bang for your buck is the burrito– it comes with chips. They are moderately priced and if you just opt for the food, not the combo, it runs you about 8 or 9 bucks.
Considering the portion size and the amount of stuff you can get-​jalapenos, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and cheese, and you can pick wheat or white tortilla, it is well worth the price.
I usually get my burrito wet (.99 upcharge) and share this tidbit: Verde is the best, the queso gets lost on the burrito, and while the chipotle is tasty, the tang can overpower whatever else you have going on in the burrito.
Plus, the owners have a sense of humor and seem like genuinely nice human beings– they give back to the community, they offer a rewards card!!! (I love those), and they have a great laid back-​we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we do take our product and its awesomeness seriously-​vibe that makes me a believer.

I had never eaten at a TF before (I’d usually go for Moe’s or Chipotle), but a good friend praised it highly, so I gave it a shot.
I don’t have a long lunch break at work, so I placed my order (for a beef-​and-​black-​bean salad) online. In addition to all the fixings, I chose the POWERTHIN option (or whatever it’s called) for lowfat cheese and fat-​free sour cream.
The salad itself was more interesting than other places, with a mix of greens, rather than just the usual iceberg or romaine. The toppings were mostly plentiful (the fresh jalapenos were a nice touch, instead of the typical pickled variety) and the whole wheat taco shell (that was an interesting change of pace) held up well, still crunchy afterward. Overall, it was very tasty.
My one quibble would be that the overall dish was kind of dry, even after I mixed in the whole container of salsa (and while I’m at it, what Tex-​Mex place charges extra for SALSA?) and all of the guacamole. This was likely due to the fact that the salsa was quite thick, and there was very little sour cream.
But still, I was in the mood for a taco salad, and Tijuana Flats — which is closer to my office than both Chipotle and Moe’s — certainly satisfied. The online ordering was easy and convenient, and the person who gave me my order was quite pleasant.
Was it distinctive enough to make it my taco salad of choice? No, but I’d certainly go back due to the favorable geography.

Love this place, food excellent, staff friendly and efficient. Would like to see bottled beer prices return to where they were when they opened.

Took advantage of «Throwback Thursday» and ordered the Cheese & Black Bean Burrito with an order of churros. Since I tend to stand in line FOREVER here attempting to narrow down my choices from a large assortment of things I love, I decided to go online and order ahead so only my dog knew it took 25 minutes to finally make up my mind.
I got there and parked in the To Go parking and the door immediately opened and I was warmly greeted. Got handed off to a cashier who had my physical receipt ready for signing and after waiting about two minutes — long enough to decide which of the gazillion sauces to pick, my ordered was handed to me and I was on my way.
Couldn’t help waiting until I got home to sample the churros (eat dessert first — remember the Titanic!). To my surprise they were wrapped in paper inside of a to go cup. Very clever. They were a tad over done for my taste and there were plenty to enjoy later.
The burrito was huge and stuffed with everything I ordered — just 86’d the jalapenos and sour cream. It was still hot enough when I got home. The only disappointment was the skimpy amount of cheese, so I just added one of my slices.
Good service. Good food, fast and well prepared!

We went there to take advantage of their Fathers Day Special. We had our new puppy and I knew we could eat outside. The hospitality was second to none! The manager greeted us at the front door, he knew we would be eating outside because of the puppy. He brought out a clean bowl of water with ice in it AND a treat for the puppy.
He went above and beyond customer service. He and his team kept our drinks topped off. Very impressive and appreciated. The food was delicious and outside area kept clean and neat. I highly recommend this place especially if you want to have your dog with you, the hot car is no place for a dog. BRAVO!!!

Would get five stars if it was consistently good. I worked at this location and know the managers have high expectations that they strictly enforce. The problem is, lazy front and back of house workers. They see an old employee and decide to try to screw me out of my food being prepared properly. I know what flautas are supposed to look like, and I know a mega chimi gets more than one spoodle of meat! I enjoy going to other locations now. Great management and overall, great service!

The food is good, prices are great, and the staff is awesome!

I’ve regretted this food both times I’ve tried it. It’s even terrible when you’ve got drunk munchies.
The only thing I would recommend getting here is a beer.
However the deep friend cookie dough dessert is supposedly really delicious if you are in the mood to eat like you’re at a county fair.
Also kids aren’t allowed at the hot sauce bar.
If you’re going to commit fast food carbicide, just go eat at Taco Bell; it’s better.
If you’re looking for a sit-​down Mexican place with a stiff margarita go to Mi Pueblo.

Stoner alert: the cookie dough flautas. I repeat. The cookie dough flautas. That is all.

Two words. Absolutely Terrible. Not sure this place could even qualify to label their food as «Mexican.» I had the chicken burrito. There was hardly any chicken at all in it. Mostly lettuce, a small amount of chopped tomato and some white cheese like item that was tasteless. My wife had the chicken taco which had exactly 6 small little cubes of overcooked chicken. The rice which was crusty and dried out and refried beans which were bland and tasted like they were straight from a can. PLUS, they charged $ 2.49 for this so called «rice and beans.» This place is a train wreck. I complained on line to their comment section of their website and heard NOTHING. Guess the management and ownership are basically in the business of taking your cash and feeding you crap and if you don’t like it– too bad. Please do yourself a big favor, do not waste your time and money on this place. ANY alternative for Mexican Food has to be world’s better than this place.

Oh Tijuana Flats. You became my go to Mexican spot during my four days in Florida. Everything about you I love.
The friendly service.
The decent prices.
The delicious food.
The hot sauce bar.
I ate here a few days in a row and got something different everytime. The burito’s are great tho. So filling. And so good. I’m sad you’re so far away. :(

Meh… I like lunch here because they are convenient to my office in Lakewood ranch. However I’m a vegetarian and there have been a few times that I find a piece of chicken in my vegetarian black bean burrito and don’t get to eat lunch. I’ve posted this feedback on their website and never heard back from anyone. I must just keep coming back because of their hot sauce bar.

I’ve had the tacos here on «Taco Tuesday». They were sloppy and had practically no toppings. I think there was meat, cheese, some onions, and maybe two tomatoes per taco, I asked for them loaded. They were also very bland, not worth your time or money.

If Moe’s is average, and average is a 3-​Star, you have to give Tijuana Flats a higher rating than that. I’ve been a Moe’s customer for a decade now, but after visiting Tijuana Flats I’ll be going here in the future. Tijuana has far more flavor in their products and isn’t as bland at Moe’s and Chipotle and many other like spots.
I’m from Southern California where these kind of places are everywhere. Tijuana Flats is as close to them as it gets in Florida. (And yes, this was my first time eating here.) After seeing a half dozen between Ocala and Venice we decide to give this one a try and thought it was a great spot for lunch. The guacamole and chips tasted homemade rather than the out of the canister stuff we’d tasted at other similar chains. And, the tacos and burritos were superior as well. For a quick lunch you can’t go wrong.

A sweet spot in Sarasota.
Staff was awesome. We ordered our food at the counter, nice and casual. The gal who rang in our order was happy to accommodate my food regulations and effortlessly make suggestions. Once seated, two different staff members checked in on us multiple times for refills and asked us if we needed anything. Exceptional attitudes and no complaints on service.
I always appreciate a menu that offers a variety that accommodates all different lifestyles. From vegan options to hormone-​free meat, they seem to have a good idea on how to please a palette. I ordered the Taco Salad with no meat/​dairy, and I was blown away at how flavorful and fresh it still was! Not to mention, the citrus vinaigrette that it came with was delicious! Yum.
Two side notes: I enjoyed reading through the restaurant’s birth story, environmental and community-​focused efforts and their funny mandate list. Also, the sauce bar is killer. I tried Jason’s mom… okay, wait. That didn’t sound right ;)
Thank you Tijuana Flats! I’ll be back next time I’m out this way!

I’d say 3 and half stars…
i gotta say, they just need more meat in their tacos, salads, .basically everything on the menu. I’ve been here plenty of times and its just bordering on pathetic. My mom came here for the first time with me a few days ago and her quesadilla had just a couple ridiculous chunks of chicken inside. It was sent back.
Though very tasty, I make better at home. With 3 times more meat!!!
The other annoying thing is that they are so over-​staffed that someone is always dropping by the table to see if we need refills .if everything’s OK.. YES-it’s okay, for the 6^th time. Let us EAT!
There. Now I said the cons, the pros are that the hot sauce bar is the best and u really don’t find it anywhere else.
Also, the staff IS very friendly, …I just would like to get a bite in at least once without having to answer «yes thank u we r fine», without my mouth being full.

Cool little place nestled in the West Lakewood Ranch area.
Walking in I was a little apprehensive about what to expect because we were the only customers to arrive in the middle of lunch time.
But we are risk takers.
So I ordered the Dos Tacos. Big crispy corn taco shells filled with ground beef, cheeses, black olives, tomatoes, jalapenos and I added guacamole for extra taste with a side of crunchy chips and salsa.
My guest ordered the Bang’in Chicken Salad, a big bowl made of whole wheat tortilla shell, filled with greens, grilled onions and green peppers and spiced chicken.
They have a sauce bar to try any flavors you please or should I say dare to… I dare to but a few of them… Yikes! Moy Caliente!
It was a fun experience and the taste was actual pretty good.
Great story of how the franchise came about. I read it while dinning.
From a Broke to stoked!

Definitely a favorite of mine as far as any chain-​style restaurant goes. Consistent at every location and definitely fresh. I love how they warm the Burritos in the pan just to get the outside a little crispy.
The staff is super friendly and the food is pretty quick. Lots of customizable options. Highly recommended but beat to stay and eat. Tacos and Burritos are best hot off the grill!

I think I like this place, so four stars it is for now after two visits. Yes, it’s a chain, but the food and price are right, and I’m a fan of the hot sauce bar. (Maybe b/​c it brings back memories of the hot sauce bar in Key West.)
Food is fresh and standard American-​Mexican food. The chicken taco and beef taco are good. Both come with rice and beans (black or refried). Their queso is one of my favorites. It’s mild, so add some of your favorite sauces for a kick.
The hot sauce bar can be overwhelming at first, but they have an easy code of smiley yellow face to painful black face to gauge spiciness.
On weekend evenings they may have a band outside playing for the outdoor diners. Your view will be the parking lot of Khol’s, so enjoy the funky décor inside if you prefer.
You are supposed to order at the counter then take a seat and they’ll deliver your food for you, but I watched some seniors come in and sit down expecting table service and the staff obliged without a word.