Tijuana Picnic

I Was really looking forward to this place but it ended up being a huge disappointment. Place was pretty dead for a Friday night. Me and my boyfriend got seated at a booth table and 5 min. In some drunk chick comes up to us saying that the bartender told her there was an outlet under our table for her to plug her phone in. Like ok seriously this chicks phone is just chillin on our table. Fine. We ordered the Sangria which had a funky after taste and then decided to switch to vodka and seltzer. The seltzer was flat so it was water vodka. Service was horrible. Took forever to take our orders and was not attentive at all. I did give three stars because the mushroom and goat cheese tacos, steak tacos and rib skewers were amazing! The roasted chicken entrée was nothing special. Chicken was a little under cooked and blah.

Came on a Tuesday night, no wait, not surprised, food and service was ehh. It wasn’t busy but waiters took forever to attend to you, you have to make eye contact with them before you can get them and it was hard to catch their attention. One part I didn’t like about the menu is that for the tacos, you have to order a minimum of two for the same flavor, if you want steak tacos, you have to order two of that and they’re $ 6 each, pretty pricey and they’re actually small for the price, the steak was way to salty for my taste, the mushroom was okay, El Sombrero tastes way better! The place was really loud, I’m right across my friend and I have to lean in every time otherwise I cannot hear her at all. This might be a fun place for groups and parties. The guac was good tho!

this is for friday night drinking in the basement area. Downstairs is small, half the room is tables the other half is a long bar. Standing Space in between tight, fortunately we grabbed some stools at the bar. Quick highlights–
* Played good jams
* delicious cocktails– the spicy margarita and their take on the Moscow mule were
(also +$ 12 each)
* got crowded early, but bartenders were hustling
Drinks alone were delish, I’m intrigued to come back for their funk Sunday brunch.

Good food, good drinks, PATHETIC customer service (wait staff excluded, just the hostess). The hostess has been rude to my friends and I. We’re all working professionals who were trying to kick back on our Friday night. Instead we got treated like garbage by the first person we saw when we walked in the door.
Everything else was pretty good (⁴⁄₅ stars) but a shitty hostess who is rude, crude and mannerless takes away from a positive vibe.
Will never, EVER return here — nor will I ever suggest this place to anyone. DO NOT COME HERE.

Seriously some of the best food on LES. Their steak tacos are the greatest thing I’ve ever eaten and the duck empanadas changed my life. I get the watermelon bean salad every time I go it’s delicious. Also, how about all fresh juices in their cocktails, none of that awful sour mix.
Now real talk: don’t be a fucking extra bitch. If you decide to turn this restaurant into your bday photo-​op, you will have a bad time. If you interrupt a server while they are taking another party’s order to demand more shots, you will have a bad time. If show up with a fuck ton of birthday decorations and throw tinsel all over the restaurant, you will have a bad time. And if you vomit all over the stairwell that leads into the bar, no, the bouncer will NOT let you in, even if it IS your birthday.
Carrying on that way ruins your experience, the other patron’s experience, and the staff’s entire night.
If you want good service, be a good person. Don’t order a pitcher of margarita, drink all of it, then protest the price (even though it’s clearly stated on the menu). Don’t ask to turn off the music so you can make a bday toast, because chances are, there are 6 other bdays in the house. And DON’T snort cocaine off the tables. It’s a goddamn restaurant. Not your living room.
Be a civilized person, DON’T vandalize the bathrooms, and this place will be great. But if you’re a self-​absorbed asshole, You will not have a good time.
The person you are reflects the service you get. Seriously. I saw these guys give a party a free round of shots simply because that party was comprised of nice people — not garbage people who treat the staff like shit.
Remember: it’s a goddamn restaurant. Don’t do your latest strip routine on the pillars downstairs. And it is expensive. If you can’t afford to eat here, there’s a Taco Bell around the corner. Thank you.

Super overpriced. Came here for a birthday dinner food was extremely average. Margarita pitchers were not good especially for $ 80 a pop. Shots were $ 16 each.
Service was good. Overall unimpressed and extremely overrated for what it is.

Food was good but our server did not care about her job at all. We had to chase her down for everything. Good if you need something for a big group, but wouldn’t go back unless I was desperate.

Food was good, waitress was ok, but the guys clearing the table were horrible, they brought out food but didn’t bring out utensils, when I asked for utensils they gave me one but did not bring for the other 8 people at table do we had to ask again… they brought out the birthday cake without cleaning the table, I had to move glasses and food aside so we could fit cake on the table, very amateur… this was my husbands birthday and it really felt like the staff could have cared less. I won’t go back there, but I will go back to their other restaurant Indochine… where the staff is educated in service.

This place would be a great spot to go with the girls before a Saturday night out. The food is literally tiny, I wish I had taken pictures, but I kind of felt like I was a giant holding little person food when I lifted my short rib skewer.
Unfortunately, my friends and I weren’t super aware of the tiny food thing at Tijuana Picnic. My friend picked it randomly for her birthday dinner, and we all happily went. The margaritas were good, and the food was actually tasty, but it is just so small.
My real issue with this restaurant is the service. It was SLOW. It was 7pm on a Tuesday, so it’s not like we were there on the weekend during prime time. We had ordered salsa and guac with chips, and ended up having more salsa and no more chips. Had to ask for chips twice and received them about 25 minutes after the initial ask. Then we got more about 3 minutes later. Asking twice didn’t mean we wanted two more bowls of chips…
Anyway, the culmination of this service issue was at the end of the meal. See — I arrived first to the restaurant (as always), and told the hostess it was my friends birthday and discussed with her the option they have for birthdays. I told her we were happy to add the $ 14 dessert plate to the bill and got it all settled upfront. YAY! Except that when we were done with our food, the waiter came over to ask if we wanted any dessert. We were all a little confused because the birthday girl was like «I don’t know, maybe, do you guys want any?» and we had to shoo him away to tell him we’d think about it. At this point, my friend goes up to the hostess to remind her about the dessert plate, to which she says «yes I know, and the waiter knows.» Um. If the waiter knows, why wouldn’t he just bring over the dessert plate instead of making this awkward dessert discussion happen? It was so bizarre. And then my friend obviously figured it out because we were all looking at each other and it was FINE but come on — I could do better than that.
This restaurant is exactly what you would expect to find on the LES, it’s trendy and kind of annoying and nothing special. 3 years ago I would have loved this place.

So nom!!! Went here for a girls night and the food and atmosphere was perfect. The staff was cool and nice. The drinks were great as well. We ordered a pitcher of margaritas for the table. Between the 4 of us we each had 2 drinks from the pitcher.
The food was unreal. I had the duck empanadas, shortrib skewers, and the fluke ceviche. All were phenomenal. Definitely recommend getting the duck empanadas.
I don’t really have anything bad to say. Hit my expectations nail on the head.
go here.

Swanky casual, what a combo. A Tijuana picnic, you might say.
Didn’t partake in drinks, but enjoyed light bites. Their short rib skewers were a crowd pleaser, and their chips and guacamole — that salsa was spicy, lordy!
You can barely see inside, so it’s perfect for a blind date. Blind date. Get it?
But really, this is the perfect setting to whisper Spanish songs to potential lovers.

Fun spot, particularly for a girls’ dinner. It’s a typical LES restaurant in terms of ambiance and price point. The guacamole was particularly good, but the highlight early on in the meal was the sangria. We were all hooked. We all had the vegetarian and shrimp tacos, both of which were great. The ceviche was fine but I wouldn’t recommend it in particular. All in all an enjoyable experience!

My girlfriend made a reservation for her 30^th birthday. Prior to our arrival her husband ran in to a problem with the hostess Emily on the phone. Our original reservation was for nine people, when he called to add another person she gave him a very hard time. However the real problem occurred when we arrived our reservation was for nine people at seven pm. The table we were seated at seemed small for such a large party, when we inquired about the larger table next to us Emily replied that is for a larger party of nine. When we explained that we were a party of nine she rudely replied your reservation is for seven people. She then went back upstairs. Our waiter then came over and when he saw we we’re to many people for the table we were seated at he kindly moved us over to the other table.
The drinks and food were okay. I highly recommend the steak tacos they were my favorite.
Our waiter was attentive and helpful. If it wasn’t for Emily I would have given this restaurant at least 3 stars. I have never encountered a hostess as careless and rude in my life.
Overall Tijuana Picnic is a cute restaurant with decent food and drinks.

Takes reservations– yay. We started at the bar and I ordered the Smokin Maid which was super refreshing with a little kick. Landon was our bartender he was very helpful as my friends and I talked out drink options and was fun to chat with until we were ready to sit. The atmosphere was really fun without being obnoxiously loud at all. Waiter was very friendly and helped us make some decisions. The most memorable and incredible dishes were hands down the crispy duck wings and steak tacos– both so succulent and prepped with amazing sauces, on the sweet side but I’m very sugar-​sensitive and they tasted great, not toooo sweet. Would definitely come back. Great place to take a crew for a fun night, such a crowd pleaser.

Came here on a Saturday afternoon for brunch after a late night drinking and clubbing.
Minus 2 stars because the music was way too loud for any place serving breakfast/​lunch, in my opinion. I don’t know if 70s disco music blasting your eardrums as you’re trying to enjoy a nice meal with friends is their thing, but I wasn’t digging it. All we wanted to do was converse with each other and not have to yell over the music to talk. We even asked the waiter to turn it down with no change. It totally took away from the dining experience. D:
Saving graces of this place: the guac & tortilla chips!, groovy 70s interior design, FAST water refills, party of 4 sat quickly despite our lack of reservation, good customer service when the waiter comped a hot chocolate because my friend’s dish took long to finish.

Wandered in here after not being able to get a seat at Sons of Essex. It must have been meant to be because my boyfriend and I are still talking about how amazing our dinner was the next day. The corn alone was heaven. We wish we could have eaten 2 more ears each. The tuna tartare tacos were so refreshing I instantly thought of how delicious they would be in the heat of summer with a margarita.
The grill master in the kitchen is a god. Their ability to get the perfect amount of char on each bite of our swordfish skewers and skirt steak made each mouthful one if ecstasy. The entrée portions were so large that we were able to share one and 2 small plates.
We thought we had experienced everything Tijuana Picnic had to offer, but than came the churros. One bite of these melt in your mouth delectables and you’ll wonder why you ever were satisfied with those dried out cinnamon sticks you once thought were churros. All and all a perfect meal and one of our new favorite eateries.

Made reservations here for a coworker’s going away dinner. I was a little skeptical due to the mixed reviews about the portions being small and overpriced. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. We are a group that likes to eat and share so we opted out of getting entrees and instead got a little of everything else.
Sangria:
We ordered Sangria which I am not typically a fan of so I also got a vodka soda (just in case). The White Sangria was excellent and came with Papaya and White Pear which I have never heard of. It was delicious and not overly sweet like the sangria I’m used to. Did I mention happy hour until 7pm? A lovely surprise!
Duck Wings:
Amazing! I love duck and i love spice and this was perfect. Not for those who can’t handle a tinge of spiciness (whimps). Did I mention they were delicious?!
Guac:
Not bad, had corn and some other stuff in it. I’m a simple Guac connoisseur but this is overall an enjoyable starter for any group. Unless you hate corn.
Short Rib Skewers:
An ABSOLUTE must! The meat was tender and juicy and the flavor was amazing. We ordered two rounds of this.
Chicken Skewers:
Eh, nothing special in my book. Has the same chewy consistency of Chinese food chicken. Go with the short rib. My friend loves chicken skewers typically and was not a fan (shocking to us all).
Steak Tacos:
We also ordered two rounds of this. Lots of meat and very flavorful. Do it!
Chicken Tacos:
Eh again, the chicken was not fairing well for us.
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tacos:
A surprising crowd favorite, this vegetarian dish was so flavorful that we would have gladly chosen this over the chicken tacos. The goat cheese is on the bottom and is a nice addition. There is also corn in this, a warning for those like me who does not believe in corn. This i will say is a must!
Corn on the Cobb:
As i have maybe mentioned i’m not a fan of corn. Its not that i don’t like it i just… don’t.
This was ordered for me and I had no intention of indulging but i will say i am so glad i did!
The flavor was the perfect combination of spicy, sweet and salty. It was cooked perfectly and came with a knife (so it was also neater than i thought). i really enjoyed this despite my reservations at first.
Dessert:
I was hooked on getting the Tres Leches ever since I saw a pic of it on Unilocal in a mason jar. I’m also a huge Tres Leches fan. My group opted for two Tres Leches to share and an order of Churros. The Churros were good, i’m not a big fan but the caramel sauce was delish and the Churros had a great consistency.
The Tres Leche has a passionfruit whipped cream which was nice but NO MASON JAR.
This was not only a problem for me visually but also because the cup it came in left room for only a scoop of cake and a mountain of whipped cream. I was not disappointed in the taste at all just the quantity i guess. Maybe its because I had to share :/​
I left stuffed, satisfied and only slightly broke. Definitely a place I will return to. Maybe by then they will return the Tres Leches to their rightful place, in a mason jar.

So this place can really be a hit or miss. A group of buddies and I came here on a Saturday night (¹⁄₉) and we were able to get in because one of my friends called in advance to make a reservation (no reservation=good luck coming in). The first floor was a nice cozy atmosphere. The drinks one the top floor were all well made and the waiters/​waitresses were on their A game. We had some appetizers to much on (empenadas, duck wings, tacos) and they were all very good.
The lounge area in the bottom floor though… not as delightful as we had expected it to be. The drinks were alright to modest, but the real disappointment came from the DJ. He was playing some old school music which was alright considering the crowd which is catered to here, but thats essentially what he was playing all night long. Just old school music. I appreciate older music for sure, but I’d like some top 40/​hip hop when i’m out in the LES on a Saturday night. A few lady friends of mine tried speaking with the DJ but he just brushed them off when they asked him to change up the music. I was really let down because of this DJ, my friends and I heard so much great things about this place but it just fell short of our expectations. I’d consider coming back in a few months to give it another chance, but its not too high on my list of places to go back to.

Excellent food, but overpriced enough that I probably won’t return. I had the chips with guacamole and cheese empanadas (they were out of the duck ones). Everything was delicious, but it was more than $ 20 for those two dishes — way over the top. Pass!

Yikes, this place has a lot to work on. I want to focus only on the food & drinks, but even those were sub par.
The service was just straight up horrendous. After sitting down, it took 40+ mins until we actually got our drinks. The waiters kept asking me if I wanted to check in my coat and purse in the most aggressive manner («No and please stop grabbing them»). They never actually stopped by to check on the food — likely because they were busy casually taking shots at the bar. And then, of course, it took them another 30 min to swipe through the check. Woof.
Food-​wise:
— I absolutely loved the Eggplant side (awkward? maybe)! Grilled with chipotle sauce, it was amazing
— Veggie Tacos were served cold and were filled to the brim with corn. I couldn’t even taste the mushrooms and goat cheese pretty much was lost in the mix.
— Guac was tastey (with a bit of kick) but comically small.
Honestly the only thing I liked about this place was the beaded curtains out in front. Yup, that’s about it. Maybe also the fact that they had decent hand soap in the bathroom.