Tijuana Flats

The food here is tasty, and you get a good amount for your money. I really enjoy their blackened chicken quesadilla. They are really more of a taco joint; serving things like burritos, quesadillas, chimichangas, and enchiladas. I really have to give props to the employees and the excellent service they provide. Every time I enter the restaurant I am greeted and the employees always have suggestions if you can’t decide on something to eat.
Last time I ate there, I ended up waiting about 15 – 20 minutes for my food, which was an unusually long wait for that restaurant. The manager, Rosie, walked up to me, apologized for the wait (there was just an error with their system) and then refunded the money for my meal! I did not voice any complaints, they chose to do that themselves. That’s what I call excellent customer service! Shoutout to Rosie and Joey for making my day that much better!
I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone by UNCC who wants tasty mexican food with excellent and friendly service.

This restaurant is now CLOSED. Second time a store closes seemingly overnight without any notice whatsoever. The store just north of Charlotte also closed in a very similar fashion about two years ago.

I use to frequent this restaurant when I lived in Orlando Fl. It was always one of my favorites. When it opened up here I was excited to see not much has changed. The service is fantastic and everyone is overly polite. The Hot Sauce Bar makes every visit an adventure and the chimichanga (wet on all sides) is amazing. I have to go back asap.

Okay food with 5 star service — it’s not what you would expect from a fast casual restaurant but they have possibly the best service I have ever receive in any restaurant in Charlotte.
Waitress greeted us at the door and while it’s self seating and order at the register, she took the time to walk us through the menus and tell us their special — $ 5.49 for two tacos, a side if chips and a drink! (Every Tues) I also noticed they have a burrito special on Thurs $ 5.99 for a burrito, chips and a drink. Both great deals. The employees continued to check on us refilling our drink and getting us anything we needed. When trying to find a place to throw out my trash when we finished, an employee assured me they would take care of everything. That statements sums up my experience at Tijuana Flats.
As for the food, it was generally okay. However, the guacamole was so good that at $ 3.99 for a large container with chips, I don’t think I will ever buy it from the grocery store again! The salsa while not traditional Mexican style, which I typically prefer, I thought was great too. At $ 2.99 for a large container with chips, again I think it would be crazy not to pick this up over the grocery store kinds that can cost more than that for salsa alone. The tacos were as good as any other fast casual restaurant but nothing that would draw me back there on their own. Not bad just nothing special.

Was here for a Unilocal event. What a selection on the menu. Don’t forget they have their Tuesday-​Tijuana Tuesdaze special– Two Tacos, Chips and a drink for only $ 5.49. Did not want to forget their Throwback Thursdaze for only $ 5.99.
Fiesta time here at Tijuana Flats. Glorious food and delicious too.
Chips with three dips all freshly made. All time favorite is the Guacamole.
Was not prepared for the Atomic Bomb that totally blew me away. Felt like a cartoon character with stem coming out of my ears after biting into the jalapenos poppers. I do not have an iron stomach or gut. Bring it the water hose. It was not so bad after the first bite. By the second and third bite I did not feel a thing. My immunity built up to the hot and spicy stuff.
The entrees were delicious. Chicken Tacos and Beef Burritos. Top of the evening with Churros and Cookie Dough Flautas. Got my sugar fix for the evening.
Excellent service by the entire wait staff. Coming over to check if we needed more drinks and how the food was.

I tried out Tijuana Flats for the first time thanks to a Unilocal event. As a fan of Mexican food, I’m always willing to try as many places as possible. This place has a different vibe than your typical Mexican place. You won’t find the typical cheesy Mexican restaurant décor at this place. They have brightly colored graffiti art covering the walls and tongue-​in-​cheek wall art.
As part of the Unilocal event, I got to try the tijuana trio, jalapeño poppers, chicken soft tacos with rice and black beans, chicken flautas, beef burrito, and cookie dough flautas and cinnamon sugar churros.
The tijuana trio (salsa, guac, queso) is a great appetizer. The chips are lightly seasoned and the guacamole is surprisingly delicious. I say ‘surprisingly’ because sometimes chain Mexican restaurants can make bland guac. Not the case here, though. I didn’t try the salsa or the queso because the guac was holding my taste buds hostage.
Jalapeño poppers were delish but HOT. Don’t think because there’s fried dough, sour cream and cheese that the heat is diminished because it is not.
The chicken soft tacos and black beans were good but the rice was a let down as it was over cooked, as in crunchy rice pieces. This may have been due to the size of the event and having to prepare a large amount so quickly so I won’t knock it too much.
Chicken flautas and beef burrito were OK but not anything I’d order on my next visit.
My favorite part was dessert. The cookie dough flautas (with chocolate syrup) were decadent and I’m still thinking about them. SO GOOD and I implore you ORDER THEM if you go. The churros were good but I’ve had better at other establishments.
Overall, I will be coming back and trying out the other locations (there are more TF locations coming to an area near you in NC!).

Tijuana flat falls flat for me.
They have some cool things/​ideas going on but as a whole, they are not very good. I hate to say that because I wanted to like them.
I will say the service was super friendly but that is pretty much where the good things about this place stop.
The salsa is gross. The cheese dip is melted cheddar and nothing great, the guacamole is bland. I ordered the chicken bowl and the rice was so dry as well as the chicken. They were both pretty flavorless. I added black beans and there were about 3 in there.
Overall, just a waste of calories and time. I was 2 feet from Moe’s which would have been a better option. Seriously.

This is quickly becoming a go-​to fast casual option for me when I’m in Dilworth. The food is fantastic here. The menu at Tijuana Flats has great variety, definitely more than any other fast Tex Mex style restaurant. It extends beyond the usual staples of tacos & burritos, including enchiladas, chimichangas, tostadas & horizontal lambadas. There are also a variety of ingredients, the food is not over-​seasoned and everything is well prepared.
With Tex Mex, we all pretty much know what we’re getting, burritos, tacos, some mixture of meat, beans, lettuce, salsa, corn or flour tortilla, etc. However, this place has something different…
The most valuable appointment in the restaurant is the sauce bar, a counter with a host of different sauce choices. Now some might say, «Poo-​poo! Who needs all those sauces? Those are just for show,» or «I don’t even like sauces.» However, and I mean no disrespect, those people are pinheads.
I’m unsure how many sauces there are. Maybe around 20, 25, a thousand. I went to college for Literature so, don’t know much bout numbers ‘n ciphers ‘n such. There is a sauce for just about any particular taste bud. Some are mild, some are murderously spicy, some made from habañero peppers, some from chipotle peppers. There are green sauces, red sauces, yellow sauces. Sauces for bosses, sauces for hosses, sauces in vases. Some are as sweet as a candied treat and all complete any meat with or without added heat. You get the drift.
I guess for the churchy types some of the sauce names are NSFW or not kid friendly. Don’t like it? Go to Taco Bell and get you some boiled horse meat. My apologies, I should never encourage anyone to go to Taco Bell… ever.
All this talk of sauces should not shortchange the food, which is outstanding. You can taste that the veggies and meat are fresh and everything everything is prepared to order. Wheat tortilla alternatives are available for good colon health or whatnot. And of course for a cheap pig like me, the portions are healthy at fair prices. Wait, what? The meals are definitely the star, but they have to share double billing with the sauces.

I was so happy to see Tijuanas come to Charlotte as I was a big fan in Florida and Virginia Beach. For this specific location I was especially impressed. The server was super friendly and attentive. I could tell they put a lot of attention to the food being prepared carefully too. We always get the black bean flautas so I can’t speak to their burritos, but GET THESE. Crispy tortillas that you can smother in queso, guacamole, lettuce, onion, tomato and sour cream. We split these with a side of rice and beans and add a side of chips and salsa which is a generous portion. All that and a drink was $ 12. This is by far my favorite fast food Mexican place as the food is consistently good and I’m over the cold burrito line other places offer.
Finally I think when evaluating restaurants, it is important to assess it based on what type of place it is trying to be. Therefore comparing Tijuana Flats to Cantina 1511 isn’t even fair as they are offering two different dining experiences. TFs is fast food that is tasty but adds some extra perks to the regular grab a bite places, such as a more playful and entertaining ambiance (and nice patio outdoor seating), options for alcohol, and servers who bring your food, refills your drinks, and clears your table.

After blowing out a tire on our car nearby, it only seemed logical to grab some burrito’s while we waited a few hours for AAA to arrive (.apparently from Tennessee.)
At this TJ Flats, you order your food at the counter and then from there it is full waiter service at your table. After placing your order at the counter, the fun begins…
This place has a hot sauce bar with all different types of sauces, varying in spiciness, and little plastic cups/​shot glasses. Naturally, the goal is to take a shot of each sauce prior to your food coming out. This isn’t really pleasant., as you may have guessed… but it is fun and satisfying.
Now that my face and head were sweating, it was time to eat the burritos. Nothing remarkable here. Probably my biggest gripe is that the burrito wrap to filling ratio was way off. The burrito looks massive, but it’s primarily for show. I ended up with a few sq. ft. of wrap left over.
Everyone was really nice and the hot sauce bar was awesome, but the food did not really pan out. It’s worth going if you want to play the hot sauce game, but aside from that, you would most likely leave Chipotle more satisfied.

This was my first time in this restaurant. The décor is a bit odd inside and has some sort of neon glow. We stood in line and waited our turn to order. It’s very similar to moes/​chipotle. My fiancée and I both got the Tijuana burrito mine with steak and his with chicken. There is a decent little sauce bar with all sorts of hot sauces ranging from mild to insanely hot. I enjoyed that part! I didn’t see any salsa and am not sure if that is included but we ordered a little side of queso. Halfway through the meal fiancée realized he was missing chicken in his burrito. When we alerted the manager she quickly corrected it and mad a new burrito. Overall this is decent but not really comparable to chipotle in my opinion. The food is pretty good though if your on this side of town.

The inside is generically wacky, as if designed by Martha Stewart after taking peyote. It’s complete with made up meal size names, mexican style popart, multi-​colored lights, Sugar Ray playing on the radio (yes it was). Customer service is on par with Chik-​fil-​a, as I had my water filled up and trash taken away, granted I was the only one there at 4pm on a Friday.
The chicken and bean burrito wasn’t bad. I did not NOT like it. It’s the first burrito I’ve ever had with olives.
It’s great if you want to bring your kids somewhere before grabbing a drink with your bros at Icehouse.

After reading previous reviews, and being a lover of all Mexican food, I figured I needed to check this place out. I was prepared to be confused walking in, as some other Unilocalers mentioned, but there was a woman who greeted me at the door and told me exactly how it worked.
I ordered the «pick dos» and it was a great way to go! Had a taco and enchilada. The chicken and beef were equally seasoned and fresh, as well as the toppings (you get your pick of tomatos, onions, lettuce, olives, sour cream and jalepenos). You also get your choice of side. I went with the chips — again fresh and had a nice seasoning blend on them.
They have a hot sauce bar that you can experiment with also, which is cool. I kind of wished that you got salsa with your chips or that there was a salsa on the hot sauce bar to go with the chips. I feel like it just goes hand in hand.
All in all, great meal, friendly staff, and they offer a 10% discount for all public servants (police, fire, emt, and teachers)!

I lived in Orlando for about 5 years and frequented the flagship store quite often.
Imagine my shock and surprise as I’m driving down East Blvd one day and see the «Coming Soon!» sign with the Tijuana logo on it.
It kind of went beyond shock and surprise. It turned into excitement. Then there was giddiness. Then there was euphoria. And then I had to wait a couple of months for it to actually open…
BUT, YOU GUYS. SO GOOD.
Tijuana is one of those places you have to experience in order to «get it». Everything runs smoothly despite the appearance of chaos. The food is wonderful. I always end up getting a chimichanga. And churros. Fresh, hot churros.
I want to wrap up my review with three little words:
HOT SAUCE BAR.

For my 1^st experience here, it was not good.
I will start with the positives, the staff is friendly.
Now the rest: Reading the reviews, there seems to be a common experience of not knowing what to do when you walk in the door. This is the 1^st mistake of many made by Tijuana Flats.
The next mistake is the ordering process, the burrito comes with nothing and you need to pick your toppings, the issue is they do not list all of the toppings. You have to ask if you can get guacamole or rice or vegetables.
The worse of the issues is the taste of the food, everything tastes canned and not fresh. For example, there is a lack of salt and lime in the salsa.
All this being said, TF is overpriced for canned food. If you are on E Blvd and are craving Mexican, go to Cantina 1511.
Most places that have moved into this location have not survived, as of now, looks like TF will be another one that does not stack up to the competition on the same road.

I’ve been here twice now and great experiences both times.
I’m going to mention the ordering process like every other Unilocaler before me. Its odd. Its not what you expect. I’ve seen people walk in the door, look around and walk out. I’ve seen people walk confidently in, just to be turned around and given a menu back at the door.
This is how you do it, so you can avoid all the looks.
1. Walk in the door
2. Grab a menu from the nifty menu holder thats located to the right of the door
3. Follow the weird beer & wine lined path that leads around the perimeter of the store counter-​clockwise until you reach lighting where you can read the menu
4. Decide what delicious food you’re going to get.
5. Add Churros to your list.
6. Continue your journey to the registers where you’ll speak to the nice employees about what you would like to eat.
7. Tell them your name
8. Find a seat
9. Peruse the hot sauce bar
10. Find your seat
11. Listen for your name to be called and the delicious food to be brought to you.
Phew, 11 steps.
I’ve ordered the chicken flauta’s both times that I’ve been here because I like chicken, I like guac, I like queso… therefore this is my food. I’m hoping that I’ll branch out more next time, but odds are I’ll get suckered back into ordering my flautas again.
The churros are amazing. If you followed my list, you will know this.
I like that the staff is very attentive, you will not want for a refill while you’re here. But if you haven’t been here before, and you didn’t follow my list (shame on you), it may be a bit confusing at first. But don’t worry, they don’t laugh at the newbs.

A good quality burrito joint.
The ordering process is a little confusing to the uninitiated. Pick up a menu, and walk along the right wall to place a order at the counter. You then sit down and they bring your order out to you by calling your name.
They have a tons of different options for your burrito, so take your time and you can finding something you like on the menu
1 THING that you have to experience is: CHURROS. They have amazing churros. OMG so good. I probably could eat 3 orders every time I go there.

I remember there was a Tijuana Flats up in the university a few years back, don’t know if it is related, but I did miss them during lunch times at the office. East Blvd is a good new home for this tex mex restaurant. They do things a bit differently where you order at the counter and they bring it out to you once the food is ready.
The atmosphere inside has tons of stuff to look at, especially the crazy celebrity photos on the wall near the register line.
Definitely should try their hot sauce bar with stuff ranging from okay to «death»… I just like looked at their hotness markings cause the death icon is a black smiley face with two x’s across the face’s eyes.
I had the «no“rrito chicken bowl with everything on it. Pretty darn good and decent kick — I could have added more heat, but decided to play it safe that evening. Also had Tripple C Brewing’s Baby Maker on tap so I was a pretty happy camper after dinner.
Servers and cashiers are super nice and really check on you if you need any refills or plates cleared. Definitely will be back!

I stopped in here for lunch to try the place out. I left unimpressed.
Once entering, I was a bit confused. The ordering counter is in the back with tables in front of that. An employee greeted me and gave me a menu directed me on where the line forms.
The entire restaurant is a bit dark which is odd considering how much colored lighting abounds in the place. Even the ordering counter is dark. So you place your order, give your name, pay and someone brings out your food to your table.
I ordered a chicken burrito bowl and an order of chips and queso. There are like 20 different kinds of salsas on the hot bar for your choosing. The 3 I tried left me craving more heat even though they said «Hot». The burrito bowl and queso had two things in common… lots of salt and they were both kind of meh. The burrito bowls at Chipotle and Picante are much better than this.
The queso at TF looked and tasted like it came out of a can. The chips were the best thing in this order and started using them with my burrito bowl.
Aside from that, the staff was friendly and helpful and they have 2 craft beers on tap here, currently one from Lonerider and one from Triple C. There are lots of other bottled beer selections.
Overall, staff and beer are not enough for me to want to come back. I’ll stick to Moe’s up the street.

I am SO thrilled that Tijuana Flats is back in Charlotte! They just opened at their East Blvd location yesterday after previously having 3 locations in Charlotte a few years ago. The new TF is in the building on East Blvd. that was previously Italian Pie. I believe Tijuana Flats is superior to Moe’s, Chipotle, etc. The freshness of their ingredients is evident. From the black olives to the jalapeños, you can tell they pride themselves on using fresh ingredients. Be sure to try many of the sauces at the hot sauce bar (my favorite is Smack My Ass and Call Me Sallly!).
The service here is also always remarkable. Even though you order food at a cash register, your food is brought to you and guests are frequently checked on at tables as well as offered drink refills. I did notice, though, that the staff at this location is super eager to help since they’re brand new. It was almost a little overwhelming but I’m sure that will settle a bit after time.
It’ll always be 5 stars for Tijuana Flats from me. I am so excited to have TF back in town and in such a convenient location.