Tia Rosa’s Taqueria

Way to crowded and noisy for me. Somewhat over decorated, too.
I had a chicken salad and because there were tiny bones in the chicken meat I did not enjoy it. I would of had them take it back however we seldom saw our waiter or anyone else to help us. We had to ask for our eating utensils. I will think twice about going back to Tia Rosa’s.
The others in our party were happy with their meals and there certainly was a generous portion of everything. That’s the positive side of the place.

The food was so bland that it’s not surprising that only snowbirds can tolerate eating here. This place is about as Mexican as John McCain. High prices, tiny portions and tasteless food. What a shame.

The salsa was a 2 because the chips were cold and it cost a dollar fifty extra and they brought it out in little solo to go containers. The chicken mole was a 3. The cinnamon flavors with the chocolate didn’t work well together but the heat factor was just right. The butternut squash chile verde pork enchilada was a 4 Great combo of salty and sweet. The cheese enchilada was a solid 5. The smokiness in the red sauce was absolutely delicious.

We have eaten at Tia Rosa’s for many years and always loved the food. We finally got around to visiting their new place. The food and service was outstanding. I always order something different and have never been disappointed. One of the best places for Mexican in the area. Can’t wait to go back.

Love the food, never disappoints. Just wish that they had chosen a location with more seating. The place is usually packed whenever I go, seating can be hard to find. And the seating they have is awkward. But I’ll keep coming back for the food!

High priced and pretty bland. Nothing special and parking is horrible. The place is packed and I can’t figure out why, the food was nothing to write home about. Tasted like Wonderbread Mexican food. Tables are set up so you are wedged in tight and it’s not about service at all. The hours are weird too.

Good Mexican for «fast food»
Service was good and food came out quick.
I would recommend this place

This place only gets 2 stars for cleanliness. Service was non existent, so was flavor. The prices were outrageous and the ‘mexican’ food was mediocre at the very least. Their salsa was canned tomato sauce, no flavor whatsoever. I cook better at home. The fact that we spent $ 43 and chips were extra is just ridiculous. If you want really good ‘fast’ Mexican, go to senior taco. Even their waitstaff had attitude. Too bad, because they are so close to my house. Just very disappointed:(

Terrible.
Tiny burritos at huge prices. No flavoring. They also forgot our order and we had to inquire as to the status. Really, the only positive experience was using the clean restroom.
I ate three burritos and my lady friend had two. No hot sauce.
Go elsewhere.

Bad service! My 3^rd time at this location, I want to like the place. Always have to wait, the food is not as good as Mesa Drive location (the original) Rosa’s! McKellips location is better in service and the food is better. I will not be going back to Higley and Guadalupe Tia Rosa again

This place has been so hyped up we decided to give it a try for lunch one day.
EVERYTHING IS ALA CART.
No service to be had. EVERYTHING is extra or on the side. If you want salsa or any sauce of any sort you have to ask for it and its a hassle because the service is non-​existent.
I witnessed a male serving food and he had his bare hands on a lady’s burrito before he set it down in front of her to keep it on the plate. I don’t think that is acceptable. I just wanted a refund at that point, especially since the wait was terrible.
We had to ask how much longer our lunch was going to take as our break was almost over and we still had not received our purchases after waiting 15+ minutes. The food came out about 5 minutes after that. No salsa, no extra anything, back to the line… SIGH.
We will not be returning to Tia Rosa or visiting any other locations.
I wish they put as much thought into their food service and presentation as they did the wall décor.

I love this place. The food is fresh and has a unique flavor that can only be found at Tia Rosa’s. The beans are smokey and delicious. The beef is amazing. Try the red chili. It’s more of a spicy shredded beef than a stew.

Incredibly mediocre Mexican food at high prices. Strike one, one they close at 9 PM, even on Friday & Saturday, what kind of a successful restaurant closes at 9 PM? Also, they are not open on Sundays. We were there at 8:30 pm on a Saturday and there was a steady flow of customers, they could probably capitalize on being open until 10 or 11.
The dining room is clean and inviting but a bit too bright (no ambiance), they do have several televisions with a variety of sports on. I got the Chicken burrito which was bland and not very flavorful, I ordered the Grande size which was not very grande, the small size which my son got was absurd, he ended up having to get a second one. The only reason I got a Chicken Burrito is a steak burrito was twice as much ($ 4.99 for chicken, $ 9.99 for steak). The guacamole & salsa was flavorless, the salsa may as well be ketchup. The chips are too thin and too little salt variety.
Their prices are way to high for a self serve restaurant, this alone will keep me from returning.
The Horchata was tasty and they did have bottles of Negra Modelo which is nice.
Three stars, not memorable but not horrible, Might stop in again but certainly won’t be one of my regular stops.

Over priced! Decent food but you get very little for what you pay! We all know rice and beans are cheap. And a real Mexican food restaurant should offer decent salsa. I need more cilantro and jalapeño! I don’t mind spending money for some good carne asada tacos, margaritas, and chips and salsa! I had high hopes for a good place close to home. Very disappointed! (Though the carne asada itself was tasty!)

Totally loved their small beef burrito. The enchilada and tacos are also good. I couldn’t even waste a single one of their homemade chips. Come on ova to this busy joint, you won’t be disappointed.

Of course it is difficult to match the «old» Tia Rosa with it location, the food, the ambiance. That being said, the new incarnation on Greenfield is a great compromise. It has a simplified menu, no waitstaff, and is appropriately small for the area. I assume they are fiscally sound and will not be pushed out (like the «old» Tia Rosa) because of a greedy landlord.
Now, about the food here. I had a salmon enchilada and the wife a chicken mole enchilada. Total bill for a party of 2, $ 17 bucks for a delicious dinner. Their salsa are really good too. The place was jammed on a Tuesday night and everybody seemed to be happy to be here. The premises were clean. Parking was easy.
Yes, you have to step up to a counter and take a number. But, the great food makes up for the inconvenience. If I want a fancy restaurant I will dress up a little and pay 3 times as much.
I have earmarked Tia Rosa as a go-​to place for a not-​so-​fancy dinner.
Four stars is deserved!

No Bueno.
We tried this location as it is closer to our house. We walked in at 8:30 and the girl at the counter immediately said «we close in 30 minutes!». I told her, «yes, that’s why we are here at 8:30».
We ordered two tortilla soups, a flying saucer and chips and salsa. The salsa was served in the smallest condiment plastic to go cups possible. Although you order at the counter, I would never expect at a restaurant that you have the options to «dine in», to be served tortilla soup in a styrophome cup!!! My daughter ordered a flying saucer and she was served on a plate. This really bothered me.
Food was ok, but I can’t handle feeling like I’m picnicking when we are dining out. We’ll opt for Gecko Grill or the original Tia Rosas next time. I would MAYBE go back for take out only.

This «original» Tia Rosa is a conundrum because the food is good but the overall experience is confusing. Question to answer: are you a counter service restaurant or sit-​down dining experience? Let me help:
Counter Restaurant: walk up, order your own, pay for chips and salsa that are served in disposable bowls that are way too small for even the broken chips to dip. You expect this at a counter restaurant and come to accept it. Expect counter experience.
Sit-​Down: PRICIER but a willing exchange for the service, ceramic, glassware and maybe some fancy napkins or something. Expect sit down prices with all the corners cut.
In the end, I’d be much happier if you were priced like a counter restaurant. Good is good but overpriced. And give us a bowl that can fit a chip!

Food is as good as before the relocation (which is far superior to the food at the Rosas that took over the McKellips location), but the service is really poor.
I called in an order when when I left my home, and I was promptly put on hold. I drove for five minutes to get to the restaurant, when I did there was no one in line and the employees were just screwing around. So I placed my order at the counter instead, and then finally someone answered the phone and took me off of hold. I was on hold for almost a minute before they answered and by then I had already ordered in the store. They are going to have to do better than that.

I got the Macho Nachos with beef and a steak taco which is heavily over priced. The taco just lacked overall flavor. The beef in the Nachos was dry to my liking but the retried beans cheese made up for what could have been a disappointing dish. The salsas, red and green both were really toned down for someone like me enjoys a little heat as far as red sauce goes. This place I would recommend for a person who would shy away from a real deal Mexican hideaway. I gave it 3 stars for the comfortable environment. Peace!

Let me start by saying Mexican food is not my most favorite of cuisines. I came in here out of convenience and I wanted something fairly quick. They deliver on both counts.
The food is acceptable. One person complained in another review the portions are too small for the money. I think Americans are brainwashed to believe we need to have super-​sized portions in everything. Hence the obesity problem, but I digress…
I ordered one grilled salmon taco. It was 4 bucks. It’s salmon so it’s bound to be a little more pricey, but I was ok with it. I also ordered a side of refried beans (1.49) and a 2 Oz side of guacamole (.99).
I probably waited between 5 and 10 minutes. The food came out pretty fast and it was a 6″ double flour tortilla overflowing with salmon, mango and others bits. I put on some salsa and the guacamole, and it was hard to eat because there was so much stuff. The beans were tasty and an ample amount. Chipotle hands down has the best guacamole. The guac was ok. The only complaint I have is they stuck a bunch of wilted lettuce on the plate. It neither looked good or tasted good. Note to chef: If it looks bad, leave it off the plate. Thank you.
I didn’t feel like the portions were too small at all. I felt my hunger was satisfied. For what I got (taco, beans and guac) in spent 6.99. Not bad at all.
Overall, I would come back. It’s not a bad little joint. Cheers!

—-Date 01÷31÷2015−−−
I was driving this morning, coming South on Greenfield Road approaching Brown Road in Mesa AZ. In the strip mall on my left (NE corner of Greenfield & Brown) I saw a sign hidden in the parking lot lot. The sign was behind the «Epic Hair Studio», and visible when people walked out of the gym there into the parking lot. The sign said the following:
«Coming Soon, Tia Rosa. Until we open, please visit us at our location in Gilbert off Higley Road. »
If this comes to fruition, and it does come back into business at this location, I will be a regular customer… again. Hope that the food is still good!!!
— – Date 08÷20÷2015−−−−
Eluding to my previous comment, there is a location of Tia Rosa @ the NE corner of Greenfield & Brown in Mesa. They have been open for maybe 2 – 3 weeks maximum. The place is actually more like a taqueria or cantina, and more of a casual fast food type.
I was really put off by it. This is the reason I rated 2 stars. I went in there and ordered the three tacos combo (seafood tacos). The portions were very tiny. It amounted to two star food (quality and quantity) for five star price/​cost. I was really disappointed. My wife has some other colorful words to say that are not politically correct to say (she described the food and place with four letter words).
I can find better tacos, seafood or otherwise, with appropriate portion, at a lower price at a Mexican food street kiosk or «walkup» in metro Phoenix any day. The Mexican markets (even those in Mesa) make better tacos. Going to this location was a real let down! I was a fool to spend my money here!
I hope that you are able to turn it around, as you will disappoint many followers with what you are doing at Greenfield and Brown in Mesa today. You might as well have just kept the Gilbert location on Higley, and never bothered to re-​open in Mesa AZ.

Finally realized this place is open! Was excited to see this place going in but it felt like they were under construction for ever.
I wanted this place to be awesome because Hacienda de Rosa’s Restaurante was just awful. This is a walk up and order place but you can take a seat in a pretty large floor space for dining-​in. Like I said before we came in to order and go, my wife and I both got the cornitas seafood and it was awesome!
Service was pretty quick to even though the place was super busy. We are in the area so it’s great to find an awesome Mexican food place nearby. Keep up the great work! :-)

Stopped in last night and instantly fell in love, had the supreme nachos with beef and it was awesome, nice smoky flavor to the beef and great verde salsa added some nice acidity, came back the next day and ordered Carne Asada which was equally awesome, this is the kind of restaurant this area needs, really going to make this place a regular joint for me, do yourself a favor and check them out.