What a pleasant surprise! On a whim, we decided to stop in. We haven't been to this location since it was a Schlotzsky's. We ordered the enchiladas(one beef and one chicken) with all the toppings. It came with rice and beans. We got free chips and salsa, too. Since we told them that we were newbies, the friendly manager(Sean) came over to our table and suggested some of the hot sauces and made us feel very welcome. We will definitely be back soon!
(4)
Amanda C.
I love it. I'm new to the area after 5 years outside the US so I've been jonesin for some standard Mexican food. Is it just me or are there really so few options in Clearwater? The two places I went to locally before TF were flippin terrible- I ate it, but regretted it at 4am when wakened with life-wrenching miserable cramps that left me torn between boredom & agony on the loo for an hour (I've experienced this a few times here after eating Chinese or Mexican- wth? I spent 5 years in a germy 3rd world country, I should have resistance to the bubonic plague at this point). Just saying. I come back to civilisation (here) & the only problems I've had are with small places with standard Mexican or Chinese...like they don't have hygiene standards, PLUS those places have served odd variations of Chinese or Mexican that were just disappointing. ALL that said, when my Dad & bro came to visit I was nervous about any place we'd be interested in. WELL TF was pretty much the opposite of those other experiences. It's the best place I've eaten at that I'd frequent regularly- 4 times already, so a weekly thing for me now. Idk about tex mex but the enchiladas are perfect, the beef nachos are loaded, the tacos are BIG (fun!), the cookie flautas are da bomb.com ...anything I didn't order & my family did was happily inhaled. The place is bright & colourful inside, with funky decor & a pleasant environment. The girls working there are awesome- friendly, amenable, helpful, & attentive without being intrusive at all. And I've never had even the slightest tummy rumble after. They serve great food & do it very well. Delicious food, great staff, clean place =) it's a yummy food paradise in a city that desperately needs it O_O
(5)
Dominick T.
Nice place for mexican food. I love that they serve fresh mexican dishes. Many places with this volume would take shortcut, but the grilled burritos, and beans are always good. They hot sauce bar is also manditory. Nothing like multiple sauces. Pay attention to the heat ratings. This location always has a trivia question for free chips and salsa. I wish they all did that!
(4)
Christina C.
Huge portions for low prices, what's not to like? You can get any type of Mexican fix here, burrito, enchiladas, tacos, they have it all, but this review is in honor of their taco salad. Their taco salad is hands down my favorite taco salad ever. The bowl is fried perfection. It is not like a taco shell that some taco salads come in, but instead it is deep fried amazingness. I like getting the blackened chicken with it that always adds a bit of a kick. It is filled with so many different vegetables that you forget it is a salad. I get it every time I'm here and at times I even crave it. It is that good. They have taco tuesdays where you can get two tacos, chips, and a drink for about $4.99. That is pretty amazing. They have a huge variety of salsas, which will help you specialize your meal. It gets pretty busy during lunch time, but service is still pretty quick. Just order at the counter and wait for your food. Even at its busiest, there seems to always be parking.
(5)
John B.
Always good, and Taco Tuesdays can't be beat!
(5)
Mike M.
We've been coming to this location for years and have always been greeted the minute we walk in the door. The staff including, the always hands on managers, are very consistent in their work ethic, friendliness, and genuine care of us and all of the guests. Tijuana Flats is a fun place to go hang, eat some fresh, yummy food, drink a few beers, and relax. It's obvious walking in the door, and if you need to see it in writing, check out their manifesto posted on the wall for everyone to read! I almost always go for the megajuana burrito and make it a meal with beans and rice. Other favorites are the tostadas (awesome), tijuana trio, blackened chicken salad with avacado ranch, and flautas. Beers are cheap, especially during happy hour!
(5)
Sara H.
I just don't get it. To me this is watered down white people Mexican food. The best thing about them is their hot sauces but the food is pretty terrible. I've tried a few locations and I'd gladly not eat at any of them ever again. Don't get me wrong, I myself am white people. A Jewish white girl from Queens none the less! So its not like I'm the ultimate say on Mexican food. However! Having lived in L.A. for 8 years and eating tons of amazing Mexican food (even the white people versions were amazing) Id have to say this is sub-par. I'd rather eat Taco Bell if I wanted crappy tacos and burritos. Now that's some good shit. And you know it.
(1)
Jason O.
Love it. Everything has always been wonderful. Even my super picky g/f that doesn't normally like Mexican food found something she liked. I'm seriously addicted to the mega-juana beef burrito; totally worth the extra 1$ to up the size. Only two draw backs: 1) my butt becomes a WMD, and 2) so full and bloated I can't move. But so worth it! ;) Fantastic hot sauce selection; I absolutely LOVE that they carry super hot sauces for hardcore spice fans like me. I always use Red Death.
(5)
Ryan M.
Tijuana flats is a pretty darn good place to get Americanized fast Mexican food that isn't half bad. Thy offer a deals throughout the week. Taco Tuesday is a deal I am a fan of and get a couple times a month. The only downside to this place is sometimes you get a lot of chips and a lot of fillings in your tacos and sometimes you get a little bit if filling and a couple of chips. Not really consistent on what you get. However the deal is pretty nice. It still does not deter me from getting it. I would suggest this place to anyone that wants some unique tasting tacos. They have an awesome sauce bar for their own unique flavor hot sauces. I love the Smack my ass and call me Sally sweet chili sauce. Give it a try.
(4)
Stephanie W.
We were staying at a hotel nearby and were happy to find a Tijuana Flats! We were surprised to see they had an old drive thru window to pick up your phone in orders. It was almost empty, so service was fast and friendly. Everything tasted good, so it's hard to complain.
(4)
Duane D.
This Tijuana flats is a stand-alone location with a drive-thru where you can call ahead to-go orders --- that is pretty cool. Food was good at this location, as usual, but the service was lacking. Our orders came out wrong a couple times and drink refills were pretty slow. I'm hopeful they were just having a bad day.
(3)
Jay J.
I love this place. They have the freshest most delish food around. I love that you can go on their website and order your food.
(5)
Idalia D.
Tijuanna flats is my favorite place, so I was happy I found this hidden gem thanks to Yelp! It was great service and the food was awesome as always! You get a lot of food so be prepare to eat yummy food!
(5)
Gerald M.
It takes about ten times eating here before you learn how to order. Very confusing to me...there's no easy button or pictures. Having said that, the chicken flautas were great.
(3)
Danan C.
I love the food and staff here! The food is spiced so perfectly! The chips and queso are better than any other I've ever had. That's a strong statement coming from me because I grew up with Mexicans. They have plenty of parking, they have plenty of room inside the building, but their outside seating is tiny.
(5)
Amanda P.
As a Texan, it's hard to find good Tex-Mex here in Tampa. Tijuana Flats is the best I've found - best queso in Tampa! The quesadillas were also quite good, but a little too greasy. Four stars for the awesome queso. From now on, I'm ordering that as a meal! The chips have a unique salt and pepper seasoning (there has to be something else in there) and it makes them extra tasty. The interior is loud and fun, but there is not enough seating inside. Don't forget to answer the question of the day on the chalkboard behind the register for free chips & salsa! Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdaze with 2 tacos, chips, and a drink for $5.99, so expect a longer wait and more competition for seating, especially around lunch.
(4)
Francois D.
I called in my order which was extremely simple but the girl who took the call was very ditzy. She somehow couldn't understand not wanting sour cream on one of the burritos and also had computer issues. After re explaining my order several times the girl finally got it. However as usual when I got there the person who brought me my order was very pleasant and nice to deal with and the food was fantasimo. Besides the frustrating phone call if still keep on coming here.
(4)
Nancy C.
The food was awesome. All of the reviews are right....very good. Hot and tasty ...delicious. Our waitress couldn't have been better. We were newbies there and she walked us through everything! Never had such an great server. Go Bailey!!! Will surely make this our fave place. Its right around the block and has the right prices.
(5)
Regina S.
I am now getting hooked on their "specials'. Last night was a double order of Chimi's. They let me order one chicken and one beef. They do not skimp on anything. Service is amazingly prompt and you are greeted at the door. I have walked in and ordered. Ordered on-line and then last night called my order in and every time it has been correct. So far this is the best Mexican food I have had since moving to Florida. It's a tough follow being from Southern California. Place looks clean even when busy.
(4)
April N.
It's rare that a place gets every item in an order wrong. Tijuana Flats seems to specialize in this talent. The food you get will be good, it just might not be what you wanted or ordered.
(2)
Sam M.
I am not a big chain guy, but in Tijuana Flats case I am willing to make an exception. They have a decent selection of tex mex items I picked a "bowl" style item they call a "Norrito". Its a platter with rice beans carnitas and a dollop of guac on top. TF's thing is the hot sauce bar. They range from timid to "Katy bar the door". I'm sorry but this cat is not eating the ghost pepper sauces. I settled for a nice mild habanero sauce instead. Here they consider that a medium. The food arrived promptly. I really liked it They make a good carnitas here. The staff here is very helpful. 90 locations and growing. Put one in Minneapolis please.
(4)
Jennifer C.
Tijuana Flats is one of my favorite places to eat when I visit Florida, and I ate their quite a bit when I lived there. The restaurant is very colorful and cheery. The food is very fresh. I love getting the vegetarian burrito with black beans. It comes in three sizes depending on how hungry you are. You can customize it with the ingredients that you like. Once you have your food there is a hot sauce bar with at least 8 to 10 varieties of hot sauce to put on your food, and the selections change up regularly.
(5)
Jade S.
Not authentic Mexican, more like tex-mex, but SUPER yummy! This is a chain of restaurants and they are all similar. The food is tasty, plentiful but a little pricey. I think it's worth it though! The interior is decorated very funky with a comic book theme and inspiration from the people who work there (the employees decorate the ceiling tiles!). The food is great, from quesadillas to tacos & chimichangas in various sizes depending on your appetite. The best is the queso sauce and chips. Oh yum!
(4)
James F.
I guess this is the Florida take on Mexican food??? The food was ok but I really wouldn't put it any higher than maybe a Del Taco for quality!! The place is noisy, the service is kind of flat, the hot sauce bar was a joke!! If this place were in Southern California it would be out of business in a week!
(2)
Suzy G.
Came here on a recent trip to the Tampa Bay area. So happy to find this place! The hot sauces were amazing and there was such an amazing array of flavors and spices to choose from, our favorite was the mild sauce called "Smak my ass and call me Sally", which we found quite amusing. We arrived towards the end of the evening, and the place was practically empty. Our server, whom we found out was from New Jersey, (not too far from where we are from) was super nice and even gave us a free order of chips because it was our first visit there. We ordered the taco salads which were freshly made to order...and I must say, one of the better ones I've had in recent years. When we return to the area, we will definitely come back to this place!
(5)
Adam M.
Well, I went back to TJ Flats this year. Bitterness reigns in my heart over the 'trivia incident' whereby I was CHEATED out of winnable chips and salsa, and the trivia question they had up this time was insanely difficult. Who is wasting their time naming mountains in South America? They're not exactly moving fast like athletes with jersey names and numbers. The sauce bar hadn't changed with its many beautiful mild-to-lethally hot sauces, rows of pumps and tiny paper cups standing by. The menu, however, HAD changed, significantly. Gone from the tall, laminated one-sheet was the steak-n-cheese burrito, though I was able to order it under a different name. I BOUGHT my chips and salsa like a damned pedestrian, but at least the chips were still freefills. It was late and the place was empty, which I prefer. The not-exactly-waitresses were not as cute as before and didn't come around often to fill the freefill drinks. The manager was decent; back in the old days there was a new one every week. Prices remained fairly steep. News of the recession/depression never reached TJ Flats. TJ Flats, the whimsy of our relationship is gone. Now you're just a crazy ex-girlfriend one immediately regrets seeing again. I like Taco Bell well enough that I don't need you anymore, except once in a great while.
(2)
Brittany P.
Yumm. I love restaurants that try to use organic meat, and have fresh, natural ingredients and healthy options. The chicken burrito I had was awesome. Can't wait to go back and try more.
(4)
Felipe G.
Tijuana Flats offers a wide variety of tex-mex standards including tacos, chimichangas, flautas, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas and salads. Each menu items can be made with ground beef, steak, chicken, blackened chicken or rice and black beans with fresh lettuce, tomato, black olives, jalapenos (fresh cut not pickled.. yum!), cheese and sour cream. Ordering an item "PowerLite" means they will use lower fat cheese and sour cream which is good when you are trying to eat healthier. The atmosphere of the restaurant is casual and you order at a counter, but then the food is brought back to your table and waiters/waitress come by to fill up drinks and clean up your table. So it is half way between fast foot and sit down dining. One of the best aspects of the place is their Hot Sauce bar. Varying locations will have different amounts of sauces, but this Largo location has one of the larger bars with a wide number of varieties (15-20). Some of the sauces change from month to month so you get to try new types all the time. The prices are reasonable and the service is friendly and dependable. Another thing I love about Tijuana Flats is the speedy service. When I call them with a take out order, it is always ready the second I walk in the door and all the order is always correct. Also the staff at all the locations always seems to be very friendly. I tend to always get the dos tacos hard shell with black beans and it makes for a delicious vegetarian meal. Both their black beans and refried beans are vegetarian-friendly so that is a definite plus. A small side of queso goes great as a dip for the chips that come with the meal, and if you are extra hungry you can get a rice and beans side for a small up-charge. As silly as this may sound they used crushed iced in their drinks and it is yummy. They also offer a good selection of beers including mexican ones like Tecate, Modelo (especial and negra), and Dos Equis. This location also has Shock Top on draft. I definitely prefer Tijuana Flats over Chiptole, Moes, Qdoba or other places like that. It is a Florida chain (starting in Olrando) so it is local too. I'm a big fan.
(4)
Thomas M.
The food is not bad especially when eating in. The last two times I have gotten Takeout, have not been to my liking, e.g. the food was cold by the time I got it home and I am no more the 10 min. travel. This last time in an effort to insure the food would be ready and hot I entered a pickup time of 7:00p,. I arrived there at 6:45 to await the 7pm pickup. The food was already out and bagged went I arrived to pick it up 15 minutes early. Nice? No. because by the time I got it home it was cold, so I do not know how long it sat before I got their.
(1)
Rich D.
I've visited this Tijuana Flats location about 3 times over the past 4 years. It's conveniently located on the southwest corner of Belcher and E. Bay in Clearwater. The store is a typical fast food layout, always clean and neat, with plenty of seating in front of and to the side of the order counter. The staff is always friendly, and ordering taking and food delivery is always prompt. Tijuana Flats serves up a fair sized menu squarely in the Tex-Mex tradition. Although the delivery is fast food, it's a significant step up from any Taco Bell-type store in the area. I'm not a fan of most Tex-Mex style restaurants, and vastly prefer the places where you can get more authentic Mexican flavors. But that's not a criticism of places like Tijuana Flats....they are what they are, they shouldn't try to be something else, and for what they do they do it well. I usually order the basic taco or enchilada dinner, and it's always been good. Baskets of tortilla chips have always been warm and tasty. Which brings me to the one thing that I truly don't like about Tijuana Flats, their basic salsa. Yes, they have a huge selection hot sauces......I imagine the biggest in the area. But I find their basic salsa simply harsh tasting, almost like they've taken some tomatoes along with with some variety of pepper in there and pureed it far too long into a monochromatic liquid. I suppose if you look at it as a hot sauce in a long line of other offerings to cover many flavor ingredients in Tex-Mex, it's ok. But I vastly prefer salsa's where it's a bit more clear, liquidy, richer and more complex in taste, and you can see what has gone into the ingredients.....the kind of salsa you can find at virtually every taqueria around town. Yes, it's nitpicking, but for my taste buds, the salsa should be the crowning flavor on top of a soft corn tortilla, meat filling, cilantro, maybe some onions. And for me, the salsa here just doesn't pull that off very well. Other than that, though, I've simply enjoyed Tijuana Flats for what it is, a chance to get a shot of Mexican quickly, with a minimum of effort and time. Actually achieving what I suppose Taco Bell tries to do, but falls far short of most of the time. With so many good authentic taquerias in the area, I'm not likely to drop in here unless it's for convenience. My scores on a "Pinellas taqueria scale": Atmosphere: 4 Service: 5 Food: 4 Value: 4
(4)
Lauren V.
Smack My Ass & Call Me Sally? Absolutely! While my loyalties lie with the Westchase location, I work crazy close to this one. As far as I'm concerned, Tijuana Flats is legit y'all. Plus, I love the sauce bar! Try Jason's Mom's Hot Sauce...perfect blend of sweet and spicy. The service is quick. The drink refills are a-plenty (not to mention the amazing crushed ice situation!). I've tried most of the things on the menu and haven't found a bad one in the bunch!
(4)
Brandon P.
Great food. I always get the pick two with chicken, cheese, black beans, sour cream and the habanero sauce. Mmm awesome!
(5)
Deborah B.
The right price! for a cheap quick meal.
(3)
Roger W.
This should be called a Mexican deli. You order at the counter and take a number and they bring it to you. We did not stay.
(1)
Al B.
Ok... Been here many times, today was bad.....like me and my family barely made it home bad. I have never been on the weekend, that was a mistake I will never make again. Whom ever is the cook on the weekends needs to find a new job, not handling food.
(1)
William C.
YES! This is where I get my fast Mexican food fix. Love the burritos, tacos, and nachos. With the largest selection of hot sauces (That you can also buy and take home) I've seen, and you can try them all. The staff is friendly, you order at the register and they bring the food to your table. Hot Hot Hot, and delicious. Mmmmm.
(5)
Bill C.
Best Tex-mex around...great portions..great variety of hot sauces and fun staff. Been to more than 15 locations and its always consistent.
(5)
Ryan F.
I was going to try this out based on other review sine I has a desire for some Mexian but after walking in I had second thoughts. It's not a big place which is fine. What got me was the order process. I had it in my mind that a dinner should be a sit down and a waitress/waiter will take your order. They do things different here. Upon entering your supposed to order at the counter like every other fast food joint. Uhh, no. There was a salsa bar on a wall in the front of the restaurant that looked interesting. Perhaps I'll try it for lunch sometime.
(2)
Lori W.
Two cheese enchiladas with red sauce ...yum! I am visiting from Oklahoma and I am very impressed. Not just with the food, but the service was great too. Try the "Smack MyAss and Call Me Sally" mild hot sauce. Delicious pairing of sweet and sassy !
(5)
Ben N.
You wouldn't know it from the photos posted here, but the place offers more than hot sauce. Among the selection is burritos, rice bowls, chimichangas, quesadillas, etc. with each dish is offered a slew of toppings that you can take or leave. The chips aren't bad, the salsa is pretty good. The queso dip varies in quality in an unmeasurable way, from day to day. The jalapeños are bright green, fresh cut, and rather hot. Also, there is a decent (if small) selection of beer, to help with the hot sauce bar and the intensity of the peppers. The food quality is decent, certainly not the best. There isn't much else to expect with Americanized Mexican food. The ingredients aren't as bad as other fast food places, either. There are options for healthier eating, too; wheat tortilla, making an item "power light", customizing toppings, and more. The staff is always friendly, but be prepared. It is not uncommon for them to forget your order while the family waits to eat, watching others around you doing what you came there to do. Also, the orders aren't always right, even when they read it off to you as you are picking it up. This mainly goes for the drive through orders, but it can happen anywhere. This being said, there has never been a time where I have let the staff know of a mistake and it wasn't either handled promptly with replaced items, or a coupon for a meal on them wasn't issued. No aggression, just an apology and some customer satisfaction.
(4)
Melissa H.
Was hungry, and had never been - even though it's right down the street from me. I wanted to eat there, but was confused because although there was an ordering counter, there were also servers... I stood at the door waiting for someone to tell me what to do, for a few minutes before I just grabbed a menu and sat down. They were not that busy, and the server's knew I was there... I had questions about the menu, and it seemed like I could have had the plague or something because they acted like i wasn't there. I was about to stick my foot out and trip a waitress to get her attention, when I guess one of them noticed I was looking a little confused & bothered. I explained to her I had never been in there before. She told me I could order through her or the counter., then walked away. I wanted to ask her more questions, like what "carnitas" are, but she skitted away so fast, I had to Google it on my phone. I should have left, but I was in pain from hunger.. So I went up to the counter and ordered Dos tacos with carnitas (roast pork, yall - thanks Google), one hard, one soft; and an order of the Tijuana Trio nachos (comes with melted queso, guacamole, & salsa). The nachos were really good. The guacamole was yummy. Then the server brought out my tacos, and lo and behold there were nacho's served with it. Hello?? Why didn't the girl who took my order inform me that the tacos already came with nachos?? Food was ok/good, service was below par. Not impressed with this place, and won't be going back.
(2)
Mike H.
Semi-fast food Mexican food. You walk in and get handed a menu, then you walk to the register and order and pay then sit down. They bring you your food and refill your drinks. Service was quick and friendly and I was asked 3 or 4 times if I wanted a drink refill. I ordered chips and salsa and a carnitas burrito with rice and black beans. Chips were good, salsa was definitely subpar. Beans and rice were excellent, the burrito was huge. Burrito was tasty.
(3)
Deborah B.
The right price! for a cheap quick meal.
(3)
John B.
Always good, and Taco Tuesdays can't be beat!
(5)
Mike M.
We've been coming to this location for years and have always been greeted the minute we walk in the door. The staff including, the always hands on managers, are very consistent in their work ethic, friendliness, and genuine care of us and all of the guests. Tijuana Flats is a fun place to go hang, eat some fresh, yummy food, drink a few beers, and relax. It's obvious walking in the door, and if you need to see it in writing, check out their manifesto posted on the wall for everyone to read! I almost always go for the megajuana burrito and make it a meal with beans and rice. Other favorites are the tostadas (awesome), tijuana trio, blackened chicken salad with avacado ranch, and flautas. Beers are cheap, especially during happy hour!
(5)
Sara H.
I just don't get it. To me this is watered down white people Mexican food. The best thing about them is their hot sauces but the food is pretty terrible. I've tried a few locations and I'd gladly not eat at any of them ever again. Don't get me wrong, I myself am white people. A Jewish white girl from Queens none the less! So its not like I'm the ultimate say on Mexican food. However! Having lived in L.A. for 8 years and eating tons of amazing Mexican food (even the white people versions were amazing) Id have to say this is sub-par. I'd rather eat Taco Bell if I wanted crappy tacos and burritos. Now that's some good shit. And you know it.
(1)
Jason O.
Love it. Everything has always been wonderful. Even my super picky g/f that doesn't normally like Mexican food found something she liked. I'm seriously addicted to the mega-juana beef burrito; totally worth the extra 1$ to up the size. Only two draw backs: 1) my butt becomes a WMD, and 2) so full and bloated I can't move. But so worth it! ;) Fantastic hot sauce selection; I absolutely LOVE that they carry super hot sauces for hardcore spice fans like me. I always use Red Death.
(5)
Ryan M.
Tijuana flats is a pretty darn good place to get Americanized fast Mexican food that isn't half bad. Thy offer a deals throughout the week. Taco Tuesday is a deal I am a fan of and get a couple times a month. The only downside to this place is sometimes you get a lot of chips and a lot of fillings in your tacos and sometimes you get a little bit if filling and a couple of chips. Not really consistent on what you get. However the deal is pretty nice. It still does not deter me from getting it. I would suggest this place to anyone that wants some unique tasting tacos. They have an awesome sauce bar for their own unique flavor hot sauces. I love the Smack my ass and call me Sally sweet chili sauce. Give it a try.
(4)
Stephanie W.
We were staying at a hotel nearby and were happy to find a Tijuana Flats! We were surprised to see they had an old drive thru window to pick up your phone in orders. It was almost empty, so service was fast and friendly. Everything tasted good, so it's hard to complain.
(4)
Duane D.
This Tijuana flats is a stand-alone location with a drive-thru where you can call ahead to-go orders --- that is pretty cool. Food was good at this location, as usual, but the service was lacking. Our orders came out wrong a couple times and drink refills were pretty slow. I'm hopeful they were just having a bad day.
(3)
Jay J.
I love this place. They have the freshest most delish food around. I love that you can go on their website and order your food.
(5)
Idalia D.
Tijuanna flats is my favorite place, so I was happy I found this hidden gem thanks to Yelp! It was great service and the food was awesome as always! You get a lot of food so be prepare to eat yummy food!
(5)
Gerald M.
It takes about ten times eating here before you learn how to order. Very confusing to me...there's no easy button or pictures. Having said that, the chicken flautas were great.
(3)
Ryan F.
I was going to try this out based on other review sine I has a desire for some Mexian but after walking in I had second thoughts. It's not a big place which is fine. What got me was the order process. I had it in my mind that a dinner should be a sit down and a waitress/waiter will take your order. They do things different here. Upon entering your supposed to order at the counter like every other fast food joint. Uhh, no. There was a salsa bar on a wall in the front of the restaurant that looked interesting. Perhaps I'll try it for lunch sometime.
(2)
Lori W.
Two cheese enchiladas with red sauce ...yum! I am visiting from Oklahoma and I am very impressed. Not just with the food, but the service was great too. Try the "Smack MyAss and Call Me Sally" mild hot sauce. Delicious pairing of sweet and sassy !
(5)
Al B.
Ok... Been here many times, today was bad.....like me and my family barely made it home bad. I have never been on the weekend, that was a mistake I will never make again. Whom ever is the cook on the weekends needs to find a new job, not handling food.
(1)
Dominick T.
Nice place for mexican food. I love that they serve fresh mexican dishes. Many places with this volume would take shortcut, but the grilled burritos, and beans are always good. They hot sauce bar is also manditory. Nothing like multiple sauces. Pay attention to the heat ratings. This location always has a trivia question for free chips and salsa. I wish they all did that!
(4)
Ben N.
You wouldn't know it from the photos posted here, but the place offers more than hot sauce. Among the selection is burritos, rice bowls, chimichangas, quesadillas, etc. with each dish is offered a slew of toppings that you can take or leave. The chips aren't bad, the salsa is pretty good. The queso dip varies in quality in an unmeasurable way, from day to day. The jalapeños are bright green, fresh cut, and rather hot. Also, there is a decent (if small) selection of beer, to help with the hot sauce bar and the intensity of the peppers. The food quality is decent, certainly not the best. There isn't much else to expect with Americanized Mexican food. The ingredients aren't as bad as other fast food places, either. There are options for healthier eating, too; wheat tortilla, making an item "power light", customizing toppings, and more. The staff is always friendly, but be prepared. It is not uncommon for them to forget your order while the family waits to eat, watching others around you doing what you came there to do. Also, the orders aren't always right, even when they read it off to you as you are picking it up. This mainly goes for the drive through orders, but it can happen anywhere. This being said, there has never been a time where I have let the staff know of a mistake and it wasn't either handled promptly with replaced items, or a coupon for a meal on them wasn't issued. No aggression, just an apology and some customer satisfaction.
(4)
Marty C.
What a pleasant surprise! On a whim, we decided to stop in. We haven't been to this location since it was a Schlotzsky's. We ordered the enchiladas(one beef and one chicken) with all the toppings. It came with rice and beans. We got free chips and salsa, too. Since we told them that we were newbies, the friendly manager(Sean) came over to our table and suggested some of the hot sauces and made us feel very welcome. We will definitely be back soon!
(4)
Amanda C.
I love it. I'm new to the area after 5 years outside the US so I've been jonesin for some standard Mexican food. Is it just me or are there really so few options in Clearwater? The two places I went to locally before TF were flippin terrible- I ate it, but regretted it at 4am when wakened with life-wrenching miserable cramps that left me torn between boredom & agony on the loo for an hour (I've experienced this a few times here after eating Chinese or Mexican- wth? I spent 5 years in a germy 3rd world country, I should have resistance to the bubonic plague at this point). Just saying. I come back to civilisation (here) & the only problems I've had are with small places with standard Mexican or Chinese...like they don't have hygiene standards, PLUS those places have served odd variations of Chinese or Mexican that were just disappointing. ALL that said, when my Dad & bro came to visit I was nervous about any place we'd be interested in. WELL TF was pretty much the opposite of those other experiences. It's the best place I've eaten at that I'd frequent regularly- 4 times already, so a weekly thing for me now. Idk about tex mex but the enchiladas are perfect, the beef nachos are loaded, the tacos are BIG (fun!), the cookie flautas are da bomb.com ...anything I didn't order & my family did was happily inhaled. The place is bright & colourful inside, with funky decor & a pleasant environment. The girls working there are awesome- friendly, amenable, helpful, & attentive without being intrusive at all. And I've never had even the slightest tummy rumble after. They serve great food & do it very well. Delicious food, great staff, clean place =) it's a yummy food paradise in a city that desperately needs it O_O
(5)
Christina C.
Huge portions for low prices, what's not to like? You can get any type of Mexican fix here, burrito, enchiladas, tacos, they have it all, but this review is in honor of their taco salad. Their taco salad is hands down my favorite taco salad ever. The bowl is fried perfection. It is not like a taco shell that some taco salads come in, but instead it is deep fried amazingness. I like getting the blackened chicken with it that always adds a bit of a kick. It is filled with so many different vegetables that you forget it is a salad. I get it every time I'm here and at times I even crave it. It is that good. They have taco tuesdays where you can get two tacos, chips, and a drink for about $4.99. That is pretty amazing. They have a huge variety of salsas, which will help you specialize your meal. It gets pretty busy during lunch time, but service is still pretty quick. Just order at the counter and wait for your food. Even at its busiest, there seems to always be parking.
(5)
Francois D.
I called in my order which was extremely simple but the girl who took the call was very ditzy. She somehow couldn't understand not wanting sour cream on one of the burritos and also had computer issues. After re explaining my order several times the girl finally got it. However as usual when I got there the person who brought me my order was very pleasant and nice to deal with and the food was fantasimo. Besides the frustrating phone call if still keep on coming here.
(4)
Nancy C.
The food was awesome. All of the reviews are right....very good. Hot and tasty ...delicious. Our waitress couldn't have been better. We were newbies there and she walked us through everything! Never had such an great server. Go Bailey!!! Will surely make this our fave place. Its right around the block and has the right prices.
(5)
Regina S.
I am now getting hooked on their "specials'. Last night was a double order of Chimi's. They let me order one chicken and one beef. They do not skimp on anything. Service is amazingly prompt and you are greeted at the door. I have walked in and ordered. Ordered on-line and then last night called my order in and every time it has been correct. So far this is the best Mexican food I have had since moving to Florida. It's a tough follow being from Southern California. Place looks clean even when busy.
(4)
April N.
It's rare that a place gets every item in an order wrong. Tijuana Flats seems to specialize in this talent. The food you get will be good, it just might not be what you wanted or ordered.
(2)
Sam M.
I am not a big chain guy, but in Tijuana Flats case I am willing to make an exception. They have a decent selection of tex mex items I picked a "bowl" style item they call a "Norrito". Its a platter with rice beans carnitas and a dollop of guac on top. TF's thing is the hot sauce bar. They range from timid to "Katy bar the door". I'm sorry but this cat is not eating the ghost pepper sauces. I settled for a nice mild habanero sauce instead. Here they consider that a medium. The food arrived promptly. I really liked it They make a good carnitas here. The staff here is very helpful. 90 locations and growing. Put one in Minneapolis please.
(4)
Jennifer C.
Tijuana Flats is one of my favorite places to eat when I visit Florida, and I ate their quite a bit when I lived there. The restaurant is very colorful and cheery. The food is very fresh. I love getting the vegetarian burrito with black beans. It comes in three sizes depending on how hungry you are. You can customize it with the ingredients that you like. Once you have your food there is a hot sauce bar with at least 8 to 10 varieties of hot sauce to put on your food, and the selections change up regularly.
(5)
Jade S.
Not authentic Mexican, more like tex-mex, but SUPER yummy! This is a chain of restaurants and they are all similar. The food is tasty, plentiful but a little pricey. I think it's worth it though! The interior is decorated very funky with a comic book theme and inspiration from the people who work there (the employees decorate the ceiling tiles!). The food is great, from quesadillas to tacos & chimichangas in various sizes depending on your appetite. The best is the queso sauce and chips. Oh yum!
(4)
Danan C.
I love the food and staff here! The food is spiced so perfectly! The chips and queso are better than any other I've ever had. That's a strong statement coming from me because I grew up with Mexicans. They have plenty of parking, they have plenty of room inside the building, but their outside seating is tiny.
(5)
Amanda P.
As a Texan, it's hard to find good Tex-Mex here in Tampa. Tijuana Flats is the best I've found - best queso in Tampa! The quesadillas were also quite good, but a little too greasy. Four stars for the awesome queso. From now on, I'm ordering that as a meal! The chips have a unique salt and pepper seasoning (there has to be something else in there) and it makes them extra tasty. The interior is loud and fun, but there is not enough seating inside. Don't forget to answer the question of the day on the chalkboard behind the register for free chips & salsa! Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdaze with 2 tacos, chips, and a drink for $5.99, so expect a longer wait and more competition for seating, especially around lunch.
(4)
Roger W.
This should be called a Mexican deli. You order at the counter and take a number and they bring it to you. We did not stay.
(1)
James F.
I guess this is the Florida take on Mexican food??? The food was ok but I really wouldn't put it any higher than maybe a Del Taco for quality!! The place is noisy, the service is kind of flat, the hot sauce bar was a joke!! If this place were in Southern California it would be out of business in a week!
(2)
Suzy G.
Came here on a recent trip to the Tampa Bay area. So happy to find this place! The hot sauces were amazing and there was such an amazing array of flavors and spices to choose from, our favorite was the mild sauce called "Smak my ass and call me Sally", which we found quite amusing. We arrived towards the end of the evening, and the place was practically empty. Our server, whom we found out was from New Jersey, (not too far from where we are from) was super nice and even gave us a free order of chips because it was our first visit there. We ordered the taco salads which were freshly made to order...and I must say, one of the better ones I've had in recent years. When we return to the area, we will definitely come back to this place!
(5)
William C.
YES! This is where I get my fast Mexican food fix. Love the burritos, tacos, and nachos. With the largest selection of hot sauces (That you can also buy and take home) I've seen, and you can try them all. The staff is friendly, you order at the register and they bring the food to your table. Hot Hot Hot, and delicious. Mmmmm.
(5)
Bill C.
Best Tex-mex around...great portions..great variety of hot sauces and fun staff. Been to more than 15 locations and its always consistent.
(5)
Adam M.
Well, I went back to TJ Flats this year. Bitterness reigns in my heart over the 'trivia incident' whereby I was CHEATED out of winnable chips and salsa, and the trivia question they had up this time was insanely difficult. Who is wasting their time naming mountains in South America? They're not exactly moving fast like athletes with jersey names and numbers. The sauce bar hadn't changed with its many beautiful mild-to-lethally hot sauces, rows of pumps and tiny paper cups standing by. The menu, however, HAD changed, significantly. Gone from the tall, laminated one-sheet was the steak-n-cheese burrito, though I was able to order it under a different name. I BOUGHT my chips and salsa like a damned pedestrian, but at least the chips were still freefills. It was late and the place was empty, which I prefer. The not-exactly-waitresses were not as cute as before and didn't come around often to fill the freefill drinks. The manager was decent; back in the old days there was a new one every week. Prices remained fairly steep. News of the recession/depression never reached TJ Flats. TJ Flats, the whimsy of our relationship is gone. Now you're just a crazy ex-girlfriend one immediately regrets seeing again. I like Taco Bell well enough that I don't need you anymore, except once in a great while.
(2)
Brittany P.
Yumm. I love restaurants that try to use organic meat, and have fresh, natural ingredients and healthy options. The chicken burrito I had was awesome. Can't wait to go back and try more.
(4)
Felipe G.
Tijuana Flats offers a wide variety of tex-mex standards including tacos, chimichangas, flautas, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas and salads. Each menu items can be made with ground beef, steak, chicken, blackened chicken or rice and black beans with fresh lettuce, tomato, black olives, jalapenos (fresh cut not pickled.. yum!), cheese and sour cream. Ordering an item "PowerLite" means they will use lower fat cheese and sour cream which is good when you are trying to eat healthier. The atmosphere of the restaurant is casual and you order at a counter, but then the food is brought back to your table and waiters/waitress come by to fill up drinks and clean up your table. So it is half way between fast foot and sit down dining. One of the best aspects of the place is their Hot Sauce bar. Varying locations will have different amounts of sauces, but this Largo location has one of the larger bars with a wide number of varieties (15-20). Some of the sauces change from month to month so you get to try new types all the time. The prices are reasonable and the service is friendly and dependable. Another thing I love about Tijuana Flats is the speedy service. When I call them with a take out order, it is always ready the second I walk in the door and all the order is always correct. Also the staff at all the locations always seems to be very friendly. I tend to always get the dos tacos hard shell with black beans and it makes for a delicious vegetarian meal. Both their black beans and refried beans are vegetarian-friendly so that is a definite plus. A small side of queso goes great as a dip for the chips that come with the meal, and if you are extra hungry you can get a rice and beans side for a small up-charge. As silly as this may sound they used crushed iced in their drinks and it is yummy. They also offer a good selection of beers including mexican ones like Tecate, Modelo (especial and negra), and Dos Equis. This location also has Shock Top on draft. I definitely prefer Tijuana Flats over Chiptole, Moes, Qdoba or other places like that. It is a Florida chain (starting in Olrando) so it is local too. I'm a big fan.
(4)
Thomas M.
The food is not bad especially when eating in. The last two times I have gotten Takeout, have not been to my liking, e.g. the food was cold by the time I got it home and I am no more the 10 min. travel. This last time in an effort to insure the food would be ready and hot I entered a pickup time of 7:00p,. I arrived there at 6:45 to await the 7pm pickup. The food was already out and bagged went I arrived to pick it up 15 minutes early. Nice? No. because by the time I got it home it was cold, so I do not know how long it sat before I got their.
(1)
Rich D.
I've visited this Tijuana Flats location about 3 times over the past 4 years. It's conveniently located on the southwest corner of Belcher and E. Bay in Clearwater. The store is a typical fast food layout, always clean and neat, with plenty of seating in front of and to the side of the order counter. The staff is always friendly, and ordering taking and food delivery is always prompt. Tijuana Flats serves up a fair sized menu squarely in the Tex-Mex tradition. Although the delivery is fast food, it's a significant step up from any Taco Bell-type store in the area. I'm not a fan of most Tex-Mex style restaurants, and vastly prefer the places where you can get more authentic Mexican flavors. But that's not a criticism of places like Tijuana Flats....they are what they are, they shouldn't try to be something else, and for what they do they do it well. I usually order the basic taco or enchilada dinner, and it's always been good. Baskets of tortilla chips have always been warm and tasty. Which brings me to the one thing that I truly don't like about Tijuana Flats, their basic salsa. Yes, they have a huge selection hot sauces......I imagine the biggest in the area. But I find their basic salsa simply harsh tasting, almost like they've taken some tomatoes along with with some variety of pepper in there and pureed it far too long into a monochromatic liquid. I suppose if you look at it as a hot sauce in a long line of other offerings to cover many flavor ingredients in Tex-Mex, it's ok. But I vastly prefer salsa's where it's a bit more clear, liquidy, richer and more complex in taste, and you can see what has gone into the ingredients.....the kind of salsa you can find at virtually every taqueria around town. Yes, it's nitpicking, but for my taste buds, the salsa should be the crowning flavor on top of a soft corn tortilla, meat filling, cilantro, maybe some onions. And for me, the salsa here just doesn't pull that off very well. Other than that, though, I've simply enjoyed Tijuana Flats for what it is, a chance to get a shot of Mexican quickly, with a minimum of effort and time. Actually achieving what I suppose Taco Bell tries to do, but falls far short of most of the time. With so many good authentic taquerias in the area, I'm not likely to drop in here unless it's for convenience. My scores on a "Pinellas taqueria scale": Atmosphere: 4 Service: 5 Food: 4 Value: 4
(4)
Lauren V.
Smack My Ass & Call Me Sally? Absolutely! While my loyalties lie with the Westchase location, I work crazy close to this one. As far as I'm concerned, Tijuana Flats is legit y'all. Plus, I love the sauce bar! Try Jason's Mom's Hot Sauce...perfect blend of sweet and spicy. The service is quick. The drink refills are a-plenty (not to mention the amazing crushed ice situation!). I've tried most of the things on the menu and haven't found a bad one in the bunch!
(4)
Brandon P.
Great food. I always get the pick two with chicken, cheese, black beans, sour cream and the habanero sauce. Mmm awesome!
(5)
Shae D.
Really good floutas.
(4)
Melissa H.
Was hungry, and had never been - even though it's right down the street from me. I wanted to eat there, but was confused because although there was an ordering counter, there were also servers... I stood at the door waiting for someone to tell me what to do, for a few minutes before I just grabbed a menu and sat down. They were not that busy, and the server's knew I was there... I had questions about the menu, and it seemed like I could have had the plague or something because they acted like i wasn't there. I was about to stick my foot out and trip a waitress to get her attention, when I guess one of them noticed I was looking a little confused & bothered. I explained to her I had never been in there before. She told me I could order through her or the counter., then walked away. I wanted to ask her more questions, like what "carnitas" are, but she skitted away so fast, I had to Google it on my phone. I should have left, but I was in pain from hunger.. So I went up to the counter and ordered Dos tacos with carnitas (roast pork, yall - thanks Google), one hard, one soft; and an order of the Tijuana Trio nachos (comes with melted queso, guacamole, & salsa). The nachos were really good. The guacamole was yummy. Then the server brought out my tacos, and lo and behold there were nacho's served with it. Hello?? Why didn't the girl who took my order inform me that the tacos already came with nachos?? Food was ok/good, service was below par. Not impressed with this place, and won't be going back.
(2)
Mike H.
Semi-fast food Mexican food. You walk in and get handed a menu, then you walk to the register and order and pay then sit down. They bring you your food and refill your drinks. Service was quick and friendly and I was asked 3 or 4 times if I wanted a drink refill. I ordered chips and salsa and a carnitas burrito with rice and black beans. Chips were good, salsa was definitely subpar. Beans and rice were excellent, the burrito was huge. Burrito was tasty.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : Yes Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Marty C.
What a pleasant surprise! On a whim, we decided to stop in. We haven't been to this location since it was a Schlotzsky's. We ordered the enchiladas(one beef and one chicken) with all the toppings. It came with rice and beans. We got free chips and salsa, too. Since we told them that we were newbies, the friendly manager(Sean) came over to our table and suggested some of the hot sauces and made us feel very welcome. We will definitely be back soon!
(4)Amanda C.
I love it. I'm new to the area after 5 years outside the US so I've been jonesin for some standard Mexican food. Is it just me or are there really so few options in Clearwater? The two places I went to locally before TF were flippin terrible- I ate it, but regretted it at 4am when wakened with life-wrenching miserable cramps that left me torn between boredom & agony on the loo for an hour (I've experienced this a few times here after eating Chinese or Mexican- wth? I spent 5 years in a germy 3rd world country, I should have resistance to the bubonic plague at this point). Just saying. I come back to civilisation (here) & the only problems I've had are with small places with standard Mexican or Chinese...like they don't have hygiene standards, PLUS those places have served odd variations of Chinese or Mexican that were just disappointing. ALL that said, when my Dad & bro came to visit I was nervous about any place we'd be interested in. WELL TF was pretty much the opposite of those other experiences. It's the best place I've eaten at that I'd frequent regularly- 4 times already, so a weekly thing for me now. Idk about tex mex but the enchiladas are perfect, the beef nachos are loaded, the tacos are BIG (fun!), the cookie flautas are da bomb.com ...anything I didn't order & my family did was happily inhaled. The place is bright & colourful inside, with funky decor & a pleasant environment. The girls working there are awesome- friendly, amenable, helpful, & attentive without being intrusive at all. And I've never had even the slightest tummy rumble after. They serve great food & do it very well. Delicious food, great staff, clean place =) it's a yummy food paradise in a city that desperately needs it O_O
(5)Dominick T.
Nice place for mexican food. I love that they serve fresh mexican dishes. Many places with this volume would take shortcut, but the grilled burritos, and beans are always good. They hot sauce bar is also manditory. Nothing like multiple sauces. Pay attention to the heat ratings. This location always has a trivia question for free chips and salsa. I wish they all did that!
(4)Christina C.
Huge portions for low prices, what's not to like? You can get any type of Mexican fix here, burrito, enchiladas, tacos, they have it all, but this review is in honor of their taco salad. Their taco salad is hands down my favorite taco salad ever. The bowl is fried perfection. It is not like a taco shell that some taco salads come in, but instead it is deep fried amazingness. I like getting the blackened chicken with it that always adds a bit of a kick. It is filled with so many different vegetables that you forget it is a salad. I get it every time I'm here and at times I even crave it. It is that good. They have taco tuesdays where you can get two tacos, chips, and a drink for about $4.99. That is pretty amazing. They have a huge variety of salsas, which will help you specialize your meal. It gets pretty busy during lunch time, but service is still pretty quick. Just order at the counter and wait for your food. Even at its busiest, there seems to always be parking.
(5)John B.
Always good, and Taco Tuesdays can't be beat!
(5)Mike M.
We've been coming to this location for years and have always been greeted the minute we walk in the door. The staff including, the always hands on managers, are very consistent in their work ethic, friendliness, and genuine care of us and all of the guests. Tijuana Flats is a fun place to go hang, eat some fresh, yummy food, drink a few beers, and relax. It's obvious walking in the door, and if you need to see it in writing, check out their manifesto posted on the wall for everyone to read! I almost always go for the megajuana burrito and make it a meal with beans and rice. Other favorites are the tostadas (awesome), tijuana trio, blackened chicken salad with avacado ranch, and flautas. Beers are cheap, especially during happy hour!
(5)Sara H.
I just don't get it. To me this is watered down white people Mexican food. The best thing about them is their hot sauces but the food is pretty terrible. I've tried a few locations and I'd gladly not eat at any of them ever again. Don't get me wrong, I myself am white people. A Jewish white girl from Queens none the less! So its not like I'm the ultimate say on Mexican food. However! Having lived in L.A. for 8 years and eating tons of amazing Mexican food (even the white people versions were amazing) Id have to say this is sub-par. I'd rather eat Taco Bell if I wanted crappy tacos and burritos. Now that's some good shit. And you know it.
(1)Jason O.
Love it. Everything has always been wonderful. Even my super picky g/f that doesn't normally like Mexican food found something she liked. I'm seriously addicted to the mega-juana beef burrito; totally worth the extra 1$ to up the size. Only two draw backs: 1) my butt becomes a WMD, and 2) so full and bloated I can't move. But so worth it! ;) Fantastic hot sauce selection; I absolutely LOVE that they carry super hot sauces for hardcore spice fans like me. I always use Red Death.
(5)Ryan M.
Tijuana flats is a pretty darn good place to get Americanized fast Mexican food that isn't half bad. Thy offer a deals throughout the week. Taco Tuesday is a deal I am a fan of and get a couple times a month. The only downside to this place is sometimes you get a lot of chips and a lot of fillings in your tacos and sometimes you get a little bit if filling and a couple of chips. Not really consistent on what you get. However the deal is pretty nice. It still does not deter me from getting it. I would suggest this place to anyone that wants some unique tasting tacos. They have an awesome sauce bar for their own unique flavor hot sauces. I love the Smack my ass and call me Sally sweet chili sauce. Give it a try.
(4)Stephanie W.
We were staying at a hotel nearby and were happy to find a Tijuana Flats! We were surprised to see they had an old drive thru window to pick up your phone in orders. It was almost empty, so service was fast and friendly. Everything tasted good, so it's hard to complain.
(4)Duane D.
This Tijuana flats is a stand-alone location with a drive-thru where you can call ahead to-go orders --- that is pretty cool. Food was good at this location, as usual, but the service was lacking. Our orders came out wrong a couple times and drink refills were pretty slow. I'm hopeful they were just having a bad day.
(3)Jay J.
I love this place. They have the freshest most delish food around. I love that you can go on their website and order your food.
(5)Idalia D.
Tijuanna flats is my favorite place, so I was happy I found this hidden gem thanks to Yelp! It was great service and the food was awesome as always! You get a lot of food so be prepare to eat yummy food!
(5)Gerald M.
It takes about ten times eating here before you learn how to order. Very confusing to me...there's no easy button or pictures. Having said that, the chicken flautas were great.
(3)Danan C.
I love the food and staff here! The food is spiced so perfectly! The chips and queso are better than any other I've ever had. That's a strong statement coming from me because I grew up with Mexicans. They have plenty of parking, they have plenty of room inside the building, but their outside seating is tiny.
(5)Amanda P.
As a Texan, it's hard to find good Tex-Mex here in Tampa. Tijuana Flats is the best I've found - best queso in Tampa! The quesadillas were also quite good, but a little too greasy. Four stars for the awesome queso. From now on, I'm ordering that as a meal! The chips have a unique salt and pepper seasoning (there has to be something else in there) and it makes them extra tasty. The interior is loud and fun, but there is not enough seating inside. Don't forget to answer the question of the day on the chalkboard behind the register for free chips & salsa! Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdaze with 2 tacos, chips, and a drink for $5.99, so expect a longer wait and more competition for seating, especially around lunch.
(4)Francois D.
I called in my order which was extremely simple but the girl who took the call was very ditzy. She somehow couldn't understand not wanting sour cream on one of the burritos and also had computer issues. After re explaining my order several times the girl finally got it. However as usual when I got there the person who brought me my order was very pleasant and nice to deal with and the food was fantasimo. Besides the frustrating phone call if still keep on coming here.
(4)Nancy C.
The food was awesome. All of the reviews are right....very good. Hot and tasty ...delicious. Our waitress couldn't have been better. We were newbies there and she walked us through everything! Never had such an great server. Go Bailey!!! Will surely make this our fave place. Its right around the block and has the right prices.
(5)Regina S.
I am now getting hooked on their "specials'. Last night was a double order of Chimi's. They let me order one chicken and one beef. They do not skimp on anything. Service is amazingly prompt and you are greeted at the door. I have walked in and ordered. Ordered on-line and then last night called my order in and every time it has been correct. So far this is the best Mexican food I have had since moving to Florida. It's a tough follow being from Southern California. Place looks clean even when busy.
(4)April N.
It's rare that a place gets every item in an order wrong. Tijuana Flats seems to specialize in this talent. The food you get will be good, it just might not be what you wanted or ordered.
(2)Sam M.
I am not a big chain guy, but in Tijuana Flats case I am willing to make an exception. They have a decent selection of tex mex items I picked a "bowl" style item they call a "Norrito". Its a platter with rice beans carnitas and a dollop of guac on top. TF's thing is the hot sauce bar. They range from timid to "Katy bar the door". I'm sorry but this cat is not eating the ghost pepper sauces. I settled for a nice mild habanero sauce instead. Here they consider that a medium. The food arrived promptly. I really liked it They make a good carnitas here. The staff here is very helpful. 90 locations and growing. Put one in Minneapolis please.
(4)Jennifer C.
Tijuana Flats is one of my favorite places to eat when I visit Florida, and I ate their quite a bit when I lived there. The restaurant is very colorful and cheery. The food is very fresh. I love getting the vegetarian burrito with black beans. It comes in three sizes depending on how hungry you are. You can customize it with the ingredients that you like. Once you have your food there is a hot sauce bar with at least 8 to 10 varieties of hot sauce to put on your food, and the selections change up regularly.
(5)Jade S.
Not authentic Mexican, more like tex-mex, but SUPER yummy! This is a chain of restaurants and they are all similar. The food is tasty, plentiful but a little pricey. I think it's worth it though! The interior is decorated very funky with a comic book theme and inspiration from the people who work there (the employees decorate the ceiling tiles!). The food is great, from quesadillas to tacos & chimichangas in various sizes depending on your appetite. The best is the queso sauce and chips. Oh yum!
(4)James F.
I guess this is the Florida take on Mexican food??? The food was ok but I really wouldn't put it any higher than maybe a Del Taco for quality!! The place is noisy, the service is kind of flat, the hot sauce bar was a joke!! If this place were in Southern California it would be out of business in a week!
(2)Suzy G.
Came here on a recent trip to the Tampa Bay area. So happy to find this place! The hot sauces were amazing and there was such an amazing array of flavors and spices to choose from, our favorite was the mild sauce called "Smak my ass and call me Sally", which we found quite amusing. We arrived towards the end of the evening, and the place was practically empty. Our server, whom we found out was from New Jersey, (not too far from where we are from) was super nice and even gave us a free order of chips because it was our first visit there. We ordered the taco salads which were freshly made to order...and I must say, one of the better ones I've had in recent years. When we return to the area, we will definitely come back to this place!
(5)Adam M.
Well, I went back to TJ Flats this year. Bitterness reigns in my heart over the 'trivia incident' whereby I was CHEATED out of winnable chips and salsa, and the trivia question they had up this time was insanely difficult. Who is wasting their time naming mountains in South America? They're not exactly moving fast like athletes with jersey names and numbers. The sauce bar hadn't changed with its many beautiful mild-to-lethally hot sauces, rows of pumps and tiny paper cups standing by. The menu, however, HAD changed, significantly. Gone from the tall, laminated one-sheet was the steak-n-cheese burrito, though I was able to order it under a different name. I BOUGHT my chips and salsa like a damned pedestrian, but at least the chips were still freefills. It was late and the place was empty, which I prefer. The not-exactly-waitresses were not as cute as before and didn't come around often to fill the freefill drinks. The manager was decent; back in the old days there was a new one every week. Prices remained fairly steep. News of the recession/depression never reached TJ Flats. TJ Flats, the whimsy of our relationship is gone. Now you're just a crazy ex-girlfriend one immediately regrets seeing again. I like Taco Bell well enough that I don't need you anymore, except once in a great while.
(2)Brittany P.
Yumm. I love restaurants that try to use organic meat, and have fresh, natural ingredients and healthy options. The chicken burrito I had was awesome. Can't wait to go back and try more.
(4)Felipe G.
Tijuana Flats offers a wide variety of tex-mex standards including tacos, chimichangas, flautas, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas and salads. Each menu items can be made with ground beef, steak, chicken, blackened chicken or rice and black beans with fresh lettuce, tomato, black olives, jalapenos (fresh cut not pickled.. yum!), cheese and sour cream. Ordering an item "PowerLite" means they will use lower fat cheese and sour cream which is good when you are trying to eat healthier. The atmosphere of the restaurant is casual and you order at a counter, but then the food is brought back to your table and waiters/waitress come by to fill up drinks and clean up your table. So it is half way between fast foot and sit down dining. One of the best aspects of the place is their Hot Sauce bar. Varying locations will have different amounts of sauces, but this Largo location has one of the larger bars with a wide number of varieties (15-20). Some of the sauces change from month to month so you get to try new types all the time. The prices are reasonable and the service is friendly and dependable. Another thing I love about Tijuana Flats is the speedy service. When I call them with a take out order, it is always ready the second I walk in the door and all the order is always correct. Also the staff at all the locations always seems to be very friendly. I tend to always get the dos tacos hard shell with black beans and it makes for a delicious vegetarian meal. Both their black beans and refried beans are vegetarian-friendly so that is a definite plus. A small side of queso goes great as a dip for the chips that come with the meal, and if you are extra hungry you can get a rice and beans side for a small up-charge. As silly as this may sound they used crushed iced in their drinks and it is yummy. They also offer a good selection of beers including mexican ones like Tecate, Modelo (especial and negra), and Dos Equis. This location also has Shock Top on draft. I definitely prefer Tijuana Flats over Chiptole, Moes, Qdoba or other places like that. It is a Florida chain (starting in Olrando) so it is local too. I'm a big fan.
(4)Thomas M.
The food is not bad especially when eating in. The last two times I have gotten Takeout, have not been to my liking, e.g. the food was cold by the time I got it home and I am no more the 10 min. travel. This last time in an effort to insure the food would be ready and hot I entered a pickup time of 7:00p,. I arrived there at 6:45 to await the 7pm pickup. The food was already out and bagged went I arrived to pick it up 15 minutes early. Nice? No. because by the time I got it home it was cold, so I do not know how long it sat before I got their.
(1)Rich D.
I've visited this Tijuana Flats location about 3 times over the past 4 years. It's conveniently located on the southwest corner of Belcher and E. Bay in Clearwater. The store is a typical fast food layout, always clean and neat, with plenty of seating in front of and to the side of the order counter. The staff is always friendly, and ordering taking and food delivery is always prompt. Tijuana Flats serves up a fair sized menu squarely in the Tex-Mex tradition. Although the delivery is fast food, it's a significant step up from any Taco Bell-type store in the area. I'm not a fan of most Tex-Mex style restaurants, and vastly prefer the places where you can get more authentic Mexican flavors. But that's not a criticism of places like Tijuana Flats....they are what they are, they shouldn't try to be something else, and for what they do they do it well. I usually order the basic taco or enchilada dinner, and it's always been good. Baskets of tortilla chips have always been warm and tasty. Which brings me to the one thing that I truly don't like about Tijuana Flats, their basic salsa. Yes, they have a huge selection hot sauces......I imagine the biggest in the area. But I find their basic salsa simply harsh tasting, almost like they've taken some tomatoes along with with some variety of pepper in there and pureed it far too long into a monochromatic liquid. I suppose if you look at it as a hot sauce in a long line of other offerings to cover many flavor ingredients in Tex-Mex, it's ok. But I vastly prefer salsa's where it's a bit more clear, liquidy, richer and more complex in taste, and you can see what has gone into the ingredients.....the kind of salsa you can find at virtually every taqueria around town. Yes, it's nitpicking, but for my taste buds, the salsa should be the crowning flavor on top of a soft corn tortilla, meat filling, cilantro, maybe some onions. And for me, the salsa here just doesn't pull that off very well. Other than that, though, I've simply enjoyed Tijuana Flats for what it is, a chance to get a shot of Mexican quickly, with a minimum of effort and time. Actually achieving what I suppose Taco Bell tries to do, but falls far short of most of the time. With so many good authentic taquerias in the area, I'm not likely to drop in here unless it's for convenience. My scores on a "Pinellas taqueria scale": Atmosphere: 4 Service: 5 Food: 4 Value: 4
(4)Lauren V.
Smack My Ass & Call Me Sally? Absolutely! While my loyalties lie with the Westchase location, I work crazy close to this one. As far as I'm concerned, Tijuana Flats is legit y'all. Plus, I love the sauce bar! Try Jason's Mom's Hot Sauce...perfect blend of sweet and spicy. The service is quick. The drink refills are a-plenty (not to mention the amazing crushed ice situation!). I've tried most of the things on the menu and haven't found a bad one in the bunch!
(4)Brandon P.
Great food. I always get the pick two with chicken, cheese, black beans, sour cream and the habanero sauce. Mmm awesome!
(5)Deborah B.
The right price! for a cheap quick meal.
(3)Roger W.
This should be called a Mexican deli. You order at the counter and take a number and they bring it to you. We did not stay.
(1)Al B.
Ok... Been here many times, today was bad.....like me and my family barely made it home bad. I have never been on the weekend, that was a mistake I will never make again. Whom ever is the cook on the weekends needs to find a new job, not handling food.
(1)William C.
YES! This is where I get my fast Mexican food fix. Love the burritos, tacos, and nachos. With the largest selection of hot sauces (That you can also buy and take home) I've seen, and you can try them all. The staff is friendly, you order at the register and they bring the food to your table. Hot Hot Hot, and delicious. Mmmmm.
(5)Bill C.
Best Tex-mex around...great portions..great variety of hot sauces and fun staff. Been to more than 15 locations and its always consistent.
(5)Ryan F.
I was going to try this out based on other review sine I has a desire for some Mexian but after walking in I had second thoughts. It's not a big place which is fine. What got me was the order process. I had it in my mind that a dinner should be a sit down and a waitress/waiter will take your order. They do things different here. Upon entering your supposed to order at the counter like every other fast food joint. Uhh, no. There was a salsa bar on a wall in the front of the restaurant that looked interesting. Perhaps I'll try it for lunch sometime.
(2)Lori W.
Two cheese enchiladas with red sauce ...yum! I am visiting from Oklahoma and I am very impressed. Not just with the food, but the service was great too. Try the "Smack MyAss and Call Me Sally" mild hot sauce. Delicious pairing of sweet and sassy !
(5)Ben N.
You wouldn't know it from the photos posted here, but the place offers more than hot sauce. Among the selection is burritos, rice bowls, chimichangas, quesadillas, etc. with each dish is offered a slew of toppings that you can take or leave. The chips aren't bad, the salsa is pretty good. The queso dip varies in quality in an unmeasurable way, from day to day. The jalapeños are bright green, fresh cut, and rather hot. Also, there is a decent (if small) selection of beer, to help with the hot sauce bar and the intensity of the peppers. The food quality is decent, certainly not the best. There isn't much else to expect with Americanized Mexican food. The ingredients aren't as bad as other fast food places, either. There are options for healthier eating, too; wheat tortilla, making an item "power light", customizing toppings, and more. The staff is always friendly, but be prepared. It is not uncommon for them to forget your order while the family waits to eat, watching others around you doing what you came there to do. Also, the orders aren't always right, even when they read it off to you as you are picking it up. This mainly goes for the drive through orders, but it can happen anywhere. This being said, there has never been a time where I have let the staff know of a mistake and it wasn't either handled promptly with replaced items, or a coupon for a meal on them wasn't issued. No aggression, just an apology and some customer satisfaction.
(4)Melissa H.
Was hungry, and had never been - even though it's right down the street from me. I wanted to eat there, but was confused because although there was an ordering counter, there were also servers... I stood at the door waiting for someone to tell me what to do, for a few minutes before I just grabbed a menu and sat down. They were not that busy, and the server's knew I was there... I had questions about the menu, and it seemed like I could have had the plague or something because they acted like i wasn't there. I was about to stick my foot out and trip a waitress to get her attention, when I guess one of them noticed I was looking a little confused & bothered. I explained to her I had never been in there before. She told me I could order through her or the counter., then walked away. I wanted to ask her more questions, like what "carnitas" are, but she skitted away so fast, I had to Google it on my phone. I should have left, but I was in pain from hunger.. So I went up to the counter and ordered Dos tacos with carnitas (roast pork, yall - thanks Google), one hard, one soft; and an order of the Tijuana Trio nachos (comes with melted queso, guacamole, & salsa). The nachos were really good. The guacamole was yummy. Then the server brought out my tacos, and lo and behold there were nacho's served with it. Hello?? Why didn't the girl who took my order inform me that the tacos already came with nachos?? Food was ok/good, service was below par. Not impressed with this place, and won't be going back.
(2)Mike H.
Semi-fast food Mexican food. You walk in and get handed a menu, then you walk to the register and order and pay then sit down. They bring you your food and refill your drinks. Service was quick and friendly and I was asked 3 or 4 times if I wanted a drink refill. I ordered chips and salsa and a carnitas burrito with rice and black beans. Chips were good, salsa was definitely subpar. Beans and rice were excellent, the burrito was huge. Burrito was tasty.
(3)Deborah B.
The right price! for a cheap quick meal.
(3)John B.
Always good, and Taco Tuesdays can't be beat!
(5)Mike M.
We've been coming to this location for years and have always been greeted the minute we walk in the door. The staff including, the always hands on managers, are very consistent in their work ethic, friendliness, and genuine care of us and all of the guests. Tijuana Flats is a fun place to go hang, eat some fresh, yummy food, drink a few beers, and relax. It's obvious walking in the door, and if you need to see it in writing, check out their manifesto posted on the wall for everyone to read! I almost always go for the megajuana burrito and make it a meal with beans and rice. Other favorites are the tostadas (awesome), tijuana trio, blackened chicken salad with avacado ranch, and flautas. Beers are cheap, especially during happy hour!
(5)Sara H.
I just don't get it. To me this is watered down white people Mexican food. The best thing about them is their hot sauces but the food is pretty terrible. I've tried a few locations and I'd gladly not eat at any of them ever again. Don't get me wrong, I myself am white people. A Jewish white girl from Queens none the less! So its not like I'm the ultimate say on Mexican food. However! Having lived in L.A. for 8 years and eating tons of amazing Mexican food (even the white people versions were amazing) Id have to say this is sub-par. I'd rather eat Taco Bell if I wanted crappy tacos and burritos. Now that's some good shit. And you know it.
(1)Jason O.
Love it. Everything has always been wonderful. Even my super picky g/f that doesn't normally like Mexican food found something she liked. I'm seriously addicted to the mega-juana beef burrito; totally worth the extra 1$ to up the size. Only two draw backs: 1) my butt becomes a WMD, and 2) so full and bloated I can't move. But so worth it! ;) Fantastic hot sauce selection; I absolutely LOVE that they carry super hot sauces for hardcore spice fans like me. I always use Red Death.
(5)Ryan M.
Tijuana flats is a pretty darn good place to get Americanized fast Mexican food that isn't half bad. Thy offer a deals throughout the week. Taco Tuesday is a deal I am a fan of and get a couple times a month. The only downside to this place is sometimes you get a lot of chips and a lot of fillings in your tacos and sometimes you get a little bit if filling and a couple of chips. Not really consistent on what you get. However the deal is pretty nice. It still does not deter me from getting it. I would suggest this place to anyone that wants some unique tasting tacos. They have an awesome sauce bar for their own unique flavor hot sauces. I love the Smack my ass and call me Sally sweet chili sauce. Give it a try.
(4)Stephanie W.
We were staying at a hotel nearby and were happy to find a Tijuana Flats! We were surprised to see they had an old drive thru window to pick up your phone in orders. It was almost empty, so service was fast and friendly. Everything tasted good, so it's hard to complain.
(4)Duane D.
This Tijuana flats is a stand-alone location with a drive-thru where you can call ahead to-go orders --- that is pretty cool. Food was good at this location, as usual, but the service was lacking. Our orders came out wrong a couple times and drink refills were pretty slow. I'm hopeful they were just having a bad day.
(3)Jay J.
I love this place. They have the freshest most delish food around. I love that you can go on their website and order your food.
(5)Idalia D.
Tijuanna flats is my favorite place, so I was happy I found this hidden gem thanks to Yelp! It was great service and the food was awesome as always! You get a lot of food so be prepare to eat yummy food!
(5)Gerald M.
It takes about ten times eating here before you learn how to order. Very confusing to me...there's no easy button or pictures. Having said that, the chicken flautas were great.
(3)Ryan F.
I was going to try this out based on other review sine I has a desire for some Mexian but after walking in I had second thoughts. It's not a big place which is fine. What got me was the order process. I had it in my mind that a dinner should be a sit down and a waitress/waiter will take your order. They do things different here. Upon entering your supposed to order at the counter like every other fast food joint. Uhh, no. There was a salsa bar on a wall in the front of the restaurant that looked interesting. Perhaps I'll try it for lunch sometime.
(2)Lori W.
Two cheese enchiladas with red sauce ...yum! I am visiting from Oklahoma and I am very impressed. Not just with the food, but the service was great too. Try the "Smack MyAss and Call Me Sally" mild hot sauce. Delicious pairing of sweet and sassy !
(5)Al B.
Ok... Been here many times, today was bad.....like me and my family barely made it home bad. I have never been on the weekend, that was a mistake I will never make again. Whom ever is the cook on the weekends needs to find a new job, not handling food.
(1)Dominick T.
Nice place for mexican food. I love that they serve fresh mexican dishes. Many places with this volume would take shortcut, but the grilled burritos, and beans are always good. They hot sauce bar is also manditory. Nothing like multiple sauces. Pay attention to the heat ratings. This location always has a trivia question for free chips and salsa. I wish they all did that!
(4)Ben N.
You wouldn't know it from the photos posted here, but the place offers more than hot sauce. Among the selection is burritos, rice bowls, chimichangas, quesadillas, etc. with each dish is offered a slew of toppings that you can take or leave. The chips aren't bad, the salsa is pretty good. The queso dip varies in quality in an unmeasurable way, from day to day. The jalapeños are bright green, fresh cut, and rather hot. Also, there is a decent (if small) selection of beer, to help with the hot sauce bar and the intensity of the peppers. The food quality is decent, certainly not the best. There isn't much else to expect with Americanized Mexican food. The ingredients aren't as bad as other fast food places, either. There are options for healthier eating, too; wheat tortilla, making an item "power light", customizing toppings, and more. The staff is always friendly, but be prepared. It is not uncommon for them to forget your order while the family waits to eat, watching others around you doing what you came there to do. Also, the orders aren't always right, even when they read it off to you as you are picking it up. This mainly goes for the drive through orders, but it can happen anywhere. This being said, there has never been a time where I have let the staff know of a mistake and it wasn't either handled promptly with replaced items, or a coupon for a meal on them wasn't issued. No aggression, just an apology and some customer satisfaction.
(4)Marty C.
What a pleasant surprise! On a whim, we decided to stop in. We haven't been to this location since it was a Schlotzsky's. We ordered the enchiladas(one beef and one chicken) with all the toppings. It came with rice and beans. We got free chips and salsa, too. Since we told them that we were newbies, the friendly manager(Sean) came over to our table and suggested some of the hot sauces and made us feel very welcome. We will definitely be back soon!
(4)Amanda C.
I love it. I'm new to the area after 5 years outside the US so I've been jonesin for some standard Mexican food. Is it just me or are there really so few options in Clearwater? The two places I went to locally before TF were flippin terrible- I ate it, but regretted it at 4am when wakened with life-wrenching miserable cramps that left me torn between boredom & agony on the loo for an hour (I've experienced this a few times here after eating Chinese or Mexican- wth? I spent 5 years in a germy 3rd world country, I should have resistance to the bubonic plague at this point). Just saying. I come back to civilisation (here) & the only problems I've had are with small places with standard Mexican or Chinese...like they don't have hygiene standards, PLUS those places have served odd variations of Chinese or Mexican that were just disappointing. ALL that said, when my Dad & bro came to visit I was nervous about any place we'd be interested in. WELL TF was pretty much the opposite of those other experiences. It's the best place I've eaten at that I'd frequent regularly- 4 times already, so a weekly thing for me now. Idk about tex mex but the enchiladas are perfect, the beef nachos are loaded, the tacos are BIG (fun!), the cookie flautas are da bomb.com ...anything I didn't order & my family did was happily inhaled. The place is bright & colourful inside, with funky decor & a pleasant environment. The girls working there are awesome- friendly, amenable, helpful, & attentive without being intrusive at all. And I've never had even the slightest tummy rumble after. They serve great food & do it very well. Delicious food, great staff, clean place =) it's a yummy food paradise in a city that desperately needs it O_O
(5)Christina C.
Huge portions for low prices, what's not to like? You can get any type of Mexican fix here, burrito, enchiladas, tacos, they have it all, but this review is in honor of their taco salad. Their taco salad is hands down my favorite taco salad ever. The bowl is fried perfection. It is not like a taco shell that some taco salads come in, but instead it is deep fried amazingness. I like getting the blackened chicken with it that always adds a bit of a kick. It is filled with so many different vegetables that you forget it is a salad. I get it every time I'm here and at times I even crave it. It is that good. They have taco tuesdays where you can get two tacos, chips, and a drink for about $4.99. That is pretty amazing. They have a huge variety of salsas, which will help you specialize your meal. It gets pretty busy during lunch time, but service is still pretty quick. Just order at the counter and wait for your food. Even at its busiest, there seems to always be parking.
(5)Francois D.
I called in my order which was extremely simple but the girl who took the call was very ditzy. She somehow couldn't understand not wanting sour cream on one of the burritos and also had computer issues. After re explaining my order several times the girl finally got it. However as usual when I got there the person who brought me my order was very pleasant and nice to deal with and the food was fantasimo. Besides the frustrating phone call if still keep on coming here.
(4)Nancy C.
The food was awesome. All of the reviews are right....very good. Hot and tasty ...delicious. Our waitress couldn't have been better. We were newbies there and she walked us through everything! Never had such an great server. Go Bailey!!! Will surely make this our fave place. Its right around the block and has the right prices.
(5)Regina S.
I am now getting hooked on their "specials'. Last night was a double order of Chimi's. They let me order one chicken and one beef. They do not skimp on anything. Service is amazingly prompt and you are greeted at the door. I have walked in and ordered. Ordered on-line and then last night called my order in and every time it has been correct. So far this is the best Mexican food I have had since moving to Florida. It's a tough follow being from Southern California. Place looks clean even when busy.
(4)April N.
It's rare that a place gets every item in an order wrong. Tijuana Flats seems to specialize in this talent. The food you get will be good, it just might not be what you wanted or ordered.
(2)Sam M.
I am not a big chain guy, but in Tijuana Flats case I am willing to make an exception. They have a decent selection of tex mex items I picked a "bowl" style item they call a "Norrito". Its a platter with rice beans carnitas and a dollop of guac on top. TF's thing is the hot sauce bar. They range from timid to "Katy bar the door". I'm sorry but this cat is not eating the ghost pepper sauces. I settled for a nice mild habanero sauce instead. Here they consider that a medium. The food arrived promptly. I really liked it They make a good carnitas here. The staff here is very helpful. 90 locations and growing. Put one in Minneapolis please.
(4)Jennifer C.
Tijuana Flats is one of my favorite places to eat when I visit Florida, and I ate their quite a bit when I lived there. The restaurant is very colorful and cheery. The food is very fresh. I love getting the vegetarian burrito with black beans. It comes in three sizes depending on how hungry you are. You can customize it with the ingredients that you like. Once you have your food there is a hot sauce bar with at least 8 to 10 varieties of hot sauce to put on your food, and the selections change up regularly.
(5)Jade S.
Not authentic Mexican, more like tex-mex, but SUPER yummy! This is a chain of restaurants and they are all similar. The food is tasty, plentiful but a little pricey. I think it's worth it though! The interior is decorated very funky with a comic book theme and inspiration from the people who work there (the employees decorate the ceiling tiles!). The food is great, from quesadillas to tacos & chimichangas in various sizes depending on your appetite. The best is the queso sauce and chips. Oh yum!
(4)Danan C.
I love the food and staff here! The food is spiced so perfectly! The chips and queso are better than any other I've ever had. That's a strong statement coming from me because I grew up with Mexicans. They have plenty of parking, they have plenty of room inside the building, but their outside seating is tiny.
(5)Amanda P.
As a Texan, it's hard to find good Tex-Mex here in Tampa. Tijuana Flats is the best I've found - best queso in Tampa! The quesadillas were also quite good, but a little too greasy. Four stars for the awesome queso. From now on, I'm ordering that as a meal! The chips have a unique salt and pepper seasoning (there has to be something else in there) and it makes them extra tasty. The interior is loud and fun, but there is not enough seating inside. Don't forget to answer the question of the day on the chalkboard behind the register for free chips & salsa! Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdaze with 2 tacos, chips, and a drink for $5.99, so expect a longer wait and more competition for seating, especially around lunch.
(4)Roger W.
This should be called a Mexican deli. You order at the counter and take a number and they bring it to you. We did not stay.
(1)James F.
I guess this is the Florida take on Mexican food??? The food was ok but I really wouldn't put it any higher than maybe a Del Taco for quality!! The place is noisy, the service is kind of flat, the hot sauce bar was a joke!! If this place were in Southern California it would be out of business in a week!
(2)Suzy G.
Came here on a recent trip to the Tampa Bay area. So happy to find this place! The hot sauces were amazing and there was such an amazing array of flavors and spices to choose from, our favorite was the mild sauce called "Smak my ass and call me Sally", which we found quite amusing. We arrived towards the end of the evening, and the place was practically empty. Our server, whom we found out was from New Jersey, (not too far from where we are from) was super nice and even gave us a free order of chips because it was our first visit there. We ordered the taco salads which were freshly made to order...and I must say, one of the better ones I've had in recent years. When we return to the area, we will definitely come back to this place!
(5)William C.
YES! This is where I get my fast Mexican food fix. Love the burritos, tacos, and nachos. With the largest selection of hot sauces (That you can also buy and take home) I've seen, and you can try them all. The staff is friendly, you order at the register and they bring the food to your table. Hot Hot Hot, and delicious. Mmmmm.
(5)Bill C.
Best Tex-mex around...great portions..great variety of hot sauces and fun staff. Been to more than 15 locations and its always consistent.
(5)Adam M.
Well, I went back to TJ Flats this year. Bitterness reigns in my heart over the 'trivia incident' whereby I was CHEATED out of winnable chips and salsa, and the trivia question they had up this time was insanely difficult. Who is wasting their time naming mountains in South America? They're not exactly moving fast like athletes with jersey names and numbers. The sauce bar hadn't changed with its many beautiful mild-to-lethally hot sauces, rows of pumps and tiny paper cups standing by. The menu, however, HAD changed, significantly. Gone from the tall, laminated one-sheet was the steak-n-cheese burrito, though I was able to order it under a different name. I BOUGHT my chips and salsa like a damned pedestrian, but at least the chips were still freefills. It was late and the place was empty, which I prefer. The not-exactly-waitresses were not as cute as before and didn't come around often to fill the freefill drinks. The manager was decent; back in the old days there was a new one every week. Prices remained fairly steep. News of the recession/depression never reached TJ Flats. TJ Flats, the whimsy of our relationship is gone. Now you're just a crazy ex-girlfriend one immediately regrets seeing again. I like Taco Bell well enough that I don't need you anymore, except once in a great while.
(2)Brittany P.
Yumm. I love restaurants that try to use organic meat, and have fresh, natural ingredients and healthy options. The chicken burrito I had was awesome. Can't wait to go back and try more.
(4)Felipe G.
Tijuana Flats offers a wide variety of tex-mex standards including tacos, chimichangas, flautas, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas and salads. Each menu items can be made with ground beef, steak, chicken, blackened chicken or rice and black beans with fresh lettuce, tomato, black olives, jalapenos (fresh cut not pickled.. yum!), cheese and sour cream. Ordering an item "PowerLite" means they will use lower fat cheese and sour cream which is good when you are trying to eat healthier. The atmosphere of the restaurant is casual and you order at a counter, but then the food is brought back to your table and waiters/waitress come by to fill up drinks and clean up your table. So it is half way between fast foot and sit down dining. One of the best aspects of the place is their Hot Sauce bar. Varying locations will have different amounts of sauces, but this Largo location has one of the larger bars with a wide number of varieties (15-20). Some of the sauces change from month to month so you get to try new types all the time. The prices are reasonable and the service is friendly and dependable. Another thing I love about Tijuana Flats is the speedy service. When I call them with a take out order, it is always ready the second I walk in the door and all the order is always correct. Also the staff at all the locations always seems to be very friendly. I tend to always get the dos tacos hard shell with black beans and it makes for a delicious vegetarian meal. Both their black beans and refried beans are vegetarian-friendly so that is a definite plus. A small side of queso goes great as a dip for the chips that come with the meal, and if you are extra hungry you can get a rice and beans side for a small up-charge. As silly as this may sound they used crushed iced in their drinks and it is yummy. They also offer a good selection of beers including mexican ones like Tecate, Modelo (especial and negra), and Dos Equis. This location also has Shock Top on draft. I definitely prefer Tijuana Flats over Chiptole, Moes, Qdoba or other places like that. It is a Florida chain (starting in Olrando) so it is local too. I'm a big fan.
(4)Thomas M.
The food is not bad especially when eating in. The last two times I have gotten Takeout, have not been to my liking, e.g. the food was cold by the time I got it home and I am no more the 10 min. travel. This last time in an effort to insure the food would be ready and hot I entered a pickup time of 7:00p,. I arrived there at 6:45 to await the 7pm pickup. The food was already out and bagged went I arrived to pick it up 15 minutes early. Nice? No. because by the time I got it home it was cold, so I do not know how long it sat before I got their.
(1)Rich D.
I've visited this Tijuana Flats location about 3 times over the past 4 years. It's conveniently located on the southwest corner of Belcher and E. Bay in Clearwater. The store is a typical fast food layout, always clean and neat, with plenty of seating in front of and to the side of the order counter. The staff is always friendly, and ordering taking and food delivery is always prompt. Tijuana Flats serves up a fair sized menu squarely in the Tex-Mex tradition. Although the delivery is fast food, it's a significant step up from any Taco Bell-type store in the area. I'm not a fan of most Tex-Mex style restaurants, and vastly prefer the places where you can get more authentic Mexican flavors. But that's not a criticism of places like Tijuana Flats....they are what they are, they shouldn't try to be something else, and for what they do they do it well. I usually order the basic taco or enchilada dinner, and it's always been good. Baskets of tortilla chips have always been warm and tasty. Which brings me to the one thing that I truly don't like about Tijuana Flats, their basic salsa. Yes, they have a huge selection hot sauces......I imagine the biggest in the area. But I find their basic salsa simply harsh tasting, almost like they've taken some tomatoes along with with some variety of pepper in there and pureed it far too long into a monochromatic liquid. I suppose if you look at it as a hot sauce in a long line of other offerings to cover many flavor ingredients in Tex-Mex, it's ok. But I vastly prefer salsa's where it's a bit more clear, liquidy, richer and more complex in taste, and you can see what has gone into the ingredients.....the kind of salsa you can find at virtually every taqueria around town. Yes, it's nitpicking, but for my taste buds, the salsa should be the crowning flavor on top of a soft corn tortilla, meat filling, cilantro, maybe some onions. And for me, the salsa here just doesn't pull that off very well. Other than that, though, I've simply enjoyed Tijuana Flats for what it is, a chance to get a shot of Mexican quickly, with a minimum of effort and time. Actually achieving what I suppose Taco Bell tries to do, but falls far short of most of the time. With so many good authentic taquerias in the area, I'm not likely to drop in here unless it's for convenience. My scores on a "Pinellas taqueria scale": Atmosphere: 4 Service: 5 Food: 4 Value: 4
(4)Lauren V.
Smack My Ass & Call Me Sally? Absolutely! While my loyalties lie with the Westchase location, I work crazy close to this one. As far as I'm concerned, Tijuana Flats is legit y'all. Plus, I love the sauce bar! Try Jason's Mom's Hot Sauce...perfect blend of sweet and spicy. The service is quick. The drink refills are a-plenty (not to mention the amazing crushed ice situation!). I've tried most of the things on the menu and haven't found a bad one in the bunch!
(4)Brandon P.
Great food. I always get the pick two with chicken, cheese, black beans, sour cream and the habanero sauce. Mmm awesome!
(5)Shae D.
Really good floutas.
(4)Melissa H.
Was hungry, and had never been - even though it's right down the street from me. I wanted to eat there, but was confused because although there was an ordering counter, there were also servers... I stood at the door waiting for someone to tell me what to do, for a few minutes before I just grabbed a menu and sat down. They were not that busy, and the server's knew I was there... I had questions about the menu, and it seemed like I could have had the plague or something because they acted like i wasn't there. I was about to stick my foot out and trip a waitress to get her attention, when I guess one of them noticed I was looking a little confused & bothered. I explained to her I had never been in there before. She told me I could order through her or the counter., then walked away. I wanted to ask her more questions, like what "carnitas" are, but she skitted away so fast, I had to Google it on my phone. I should have left, but I was in pain from hunger.. So I went up to the counter and ordered Dos tacos with carnitas (roast pork, yall - thanks Google), one hard, one soft; and an order of the Tijuana Trio nachos (comes with melted queso, guacamole, & salsa). The nachos were really good. The guacamole was yummy. Then the server brought out my tacos, and lo and behold there were nacho's served with it. Hello?? Why didn't the girl who took my order inform me that the tacos already came with nachos?? Food was ok/good, service was below par. Not impressed with this place, and won't be going back.
(2)Mike H.
Semi-fast food Mexican food. You walk in and get handed a menu, then you walk to the register and order and pay then sit down. They bring you your food and refill your drinks. Service was quick and friendly and I was asked 3 or 4 times if I wanted a drink refill. I ordered chips and salsa and a carnitas burrito with rice and black beans. Chips were good, salsa was definitely subpar. Beans and rice were excellent, the burrito was huge. Burrito was tasty.
(3)Shae D.
Really good floutas.
(4)