Tortilla Flat

It’s American food that pretends to be Mexican. I actually prefer Taco Bell, at least there I know it’s supposed to be cheap and am paying the price. If you really don’t want to explore flavors, if you are the kind of person who says «why bother? I’ll just settle!» Then this is the restaurant for you. Otherwise, taco trio just opened down the street, go there.

Hadn’t ever been here before, but had heard good things about their margaritas, and some alright reviews. Also, it wasn’t my choice to go here, but I am a fan of food and I am a fan of going with the flow. Anyways, for starters– service was very lacking. Our server was nice and friendly for sure, but quite inattentive. Started with bringing the wrong beer, never brought chips and salsa, until we asked some time later, which I do feel, chips and salsa (complimentary) are a staple to be put on the table with or after drinks. Anyways, brings chips and salsa upon request, but does not bring any napkins. We also probably sat for maybe 15 minutes before being acknowledged about ordering. Not to mention, this was later in the evening and there was maybe one other table in the restaurant. Couldn’t find a reasonable excuse for the lack of service. Oh well, onto the food.
Food was alright, nothing special but not horrible either. The chips were good, and hot, which is a plus. The salsa was alright, kind of lack flavored and zero spice to it, which I’m sure many people are into. I split a vegetarian chimichanga. First time I was smart at a restaurant in awhile and actually knew to split something. It was really big and a very reasonable price for the size I think. It came with rice and beans, standard, and sour cream and guac. The guac was really good. The chimichanga itself was fine, I don’t need to rush back. We also had house margaritas, which were definitely on point. They were strong and made well. All in all, okay place, however, I would not come back here if I had a choice. Maybe just for drinks and apps or a happy hour.

This Mexican food spot has been here for years… it’s never been any more than mediocre… it’s less than that tonight.
Pluses…good sized parking lot… decent screened outside deck… the guacamole was decent… chips warm and slightly salted… the bar menu is always decent here… and the Amber draft Dos Equis was cold and inexpensive…
The décor is time warped 70’s tex mex… tacky…the food is cheesy and greasy… carb alert… the crab enchilada… just to unhealthy prepared… the haddock taco… fried…and lacked any spice like a jalapeño crème fresh would have been nice… the rice and beans… both disasters… inedible and frankly just unacceptable for a real chef to serve this…
If I was going to offer a safe play… sit on the deck… have a couple cocktails or cold beer… and have some guacamole and salsa and chips…

Wow… what a bad experience… did not try food, just popped in for a drink. We were the only two at the bar, but were ignored for a good 5 minutes as uninterested bartender chatted with what appeared to be the owners/​managers at end of bar… both of whom saw us waiting, but seemed completely detached and showed no desire to send her over our way. Utter and complete lack of customer service… Margarita tasted totally bereft of tequila… worst we have EVER had… and that is saying something, as we’ve em all over the country. Simple draft beer was delayed by bartender again, as this time she was on a phone call. Owners oblivious. Stay away from this dump!!! Run by people who have obviously given up, and have no interest in running a restaurant… luckily for them and us, they won’t have to worry about it much longer.

Came in this afternoon hoping for an icy cold beer on a nice day and all I can say is we should have known better. The bartender acknowledged us walking in and then proceeded to chat with co-​workers for an extended period of time before deciding she was ready to wait on us. After taking our drink orders (3 beers and a margarita), she then again began chatting with co-​workers with no seeming intentions of getting to our beverages. She then picked up a phone call and had a lengthy personal phone conversation while we were sitting there with no drink or anything to keep us entertained. We left without ever even getting a drink and can definitely say we will never be back to this joke of an establishment.

Sometimes when I get a check at the end of the meal I’m like «that was worth every penny», and this was certainly not one of those times. It gets three stars because the mango tango drink I order was great and the chips and salsa while stale and underwhelming was also endless and free and as a college student I appreciate my food freebies. This is one of those times half stars would be helpful.
Service was some of the slowest I’ve ever experienced. Our server was nice and it may or may not have been his fault things took so long but when you’re hungry and things are taking awhile the blame has to go somewhere.
The avocado quesadilla I ordered was nothing special although I did appreciate the copious amount of cheese on it. Would I come back on my own probably not but if my friends suggest it I’m willing to return.

I haven’t been here in about 7 years, and I have missed it! Still has the best guacamole and fajitas. I had a skinny margarita, perfectly made. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. Started with salsa and chips. I ordered a chicken fajita plate. I didn’t need the (plate) part of it. It came with rice and beans. The beans were not edible and the rice was dry. That is the reason I didn’t give 5 stars

I tend to avoid the food here if I can. It’s too greasy and too drowned in cheese for my stomach to handle. I won’t say no to the free chips and salsa that kept coming. The salsa is spicy and the chips are crispy, so if you get drunk it tastes like ambrosia in your mouth.
While I would say avoid the food, come for happy hour. There is plenty of parking and in the summertime, the outdoor covered patio is open for business. The drinks during happy hour aren’t too expensive. The house margarita is only $ 3.99 and it’s a decent size too.
While some other reviewers mentioned bad service, I didn’t experience that. We had a really nice server in the bar area who patiently split our checks correctly and didn’t make a fuss about it. She was attentive to us and speedy with refilling drinks and taking food orders. I’m sure with our large group, we were probably a hassle but she handled it all with ease and a very friendly attitude.

The only good part of the meal was getting back in my car. The chicken taco was clearly microwaved as the bottom of the tortilla was stuck to my plate. I ordered combo 4 and asked for a ground beef chimi. It came a shredded beef? I guess it was. On a positive note the chips and salsa were good. Do yourselves a favor and NEVER eat here. Please. For your own good.

This place has gone downhill in the recent years. My wife and I went on a Tuesday recently and the only good part was the $ 2 tacos but the tacos weren’t that great. Just glad I didn’t pay more. For one our waitress was drunk. Slurring her words and all. I’ve been a bartender and I wouldn’t serve her at anytime of the day, and she is taking tables? Speaking of tables ours wasn’t even cleaned off from the last people that sat there. I’ll just stop there and just say I’m not going back. Waste of a date night with my wife.

I have been here multiple times and have had great experiences here the past 4 times. I also have visited many other Mexican food restaurants in the Portland area with similar prices. Our party of six called in for a reservation at 630 pm on a Friday night to welcome a friend who was visiting and not familiar with the area. We had recommended to come here based on prior experiences. Tonight I had anticipated another great experience, but instead all that I received was an hour wait for one drink and the awkwardness of asking for my tab — thankfully it wasn’t busy and there were not many people around to witness it. What we experienced tonight opened my eyes to a level of inconsistently I have never experienced in Portland. I recommend to folks who are looking for a consistent dining experience to know that the reviews that have preceded my own have been realized and I will not make the same mistake again.

Worst service I have had in years. Went on July 3^rd with friends for Happy Hour in the bar. Took 10 minutes to get waited on, another 10 to get our 1^st drink. At 6:30, we ordered a 2^nd drink and at 7 were still waiting. Our waitress walked by us several times barely acknowledging us. As we were getting money together to leave she came over and asked if we wanted our bill. We also noticed others leaving after not being waited on. I spoke to the manager who told me «if I had seen it happening, I would have done something».

I don’t understand this place. I always try to give it a 2^nd chance, and they always let me down.
I’ve been here about 5 times, and I leave disgruntled 80% of the time. First, the food and drinks are way overpriced. After a couple drinks, an appetizer, and a dinner, I’m way more in the hole than I should be. Second, the service is terrible. There is not one good thing I can say about the service. The servers aren’t that friendly and they take FOREVER to do anything. If you order a drink or ask for more chips, it will probably be another 10 mins until they come back with what you asked for. I found the food to be pretty decent, but I would not come here if you’re looking for authentic Mexican food; it seems pretty American-​ized.
The one good experience I had here was on one of their Taco Tuesdays. It’s only $ 2 for taco overflowing with meat and veggies. Three of those paired with a $ 5 Margarita on the deck can lead to an awesome Tuesday night experience. But despite this, I would recommend going here. If you want Mexican food, there are many other options. If you’re in this area, simply head west to Westbrook or east to Portland for much better options.

I am at a loss for why this place is still in business. All I can say for positive is: they have a parking lot, they are fairly good sized restaurant for parties, and I guess they have passed inspection because they are still open? Ummm… that’s about all. The food is BAD. The presentation is poor, the service was meh. Everything was smothered in cheese and oils and globed on your plate. Beans were a flavorless brown paste.
Tortilla Flat gives Mexican food a bad reputation, which is too bad because it is one of EASIEST cuisines to make FRESH!
I mean, seriously? How could this go so wrong?! Beans, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, salsa, lime, cilantro! If you are on Rt. 302 and are hungry, look for the nearest 7 – 11.

Service was ok. Food was mediocre (steak was over cooked) and drinks were over priced ($ 10.99 for a marg). The 2 stars are just for the salsa. Chips were fried in reg vegetable oil. Bad flavor.

Among the worst reviews I’ve ever read for a restaurant, but I’m here for lunch escaping blizzard in northern Maine on way to Boston airport as Portland has canceled my flight. Typical Tex-​Mex décor, service with a smile to start and salsa fresh made this morning, not spicy at all but very good chunky with tasty tomatoes and lots of small bits of onion, peppers and spice. Because it wasn’t hot I was brought a finely chopped mix of jalapeño peppers and several good picante sauces to since up salsa to my liking. Pico-​de-​gallo was odd blend of pickled peppers, onions and tomato that needs new recipe and is bland. Fajita chicken typical, meat moist and good portion, no spice, just good onion, pepper and chicken breast properly prepared and had to spice them up ourselves. Guacamole was very good and replaced the pico nicely. Chimichanga had shredded beef upgrade for $ 1, average beef, not terrible, but not as tender as it should be, too much heavy tortilla deep fried, approaching average at best. The chile Releno was very good, a little too much breading, but very tasty. After reading all these terrible reviews, I can’t really complain, food was OK, service and atmosphere pleasant, I’ll come back.

All I can say is… meh.

That was disgusting. How about a no star option??? Okay service, but their idea of Mexican food is to pour heavy cheese all over their food. I had tamales. They were very greasy, had not been prepared in a traditional manner, and were, again, covered in cheese. Be prepared to channel your inner bulemic if you eat here… Yuck!

Bland, cold passionless food. I don’t wanna pile on but I’m amazed people continue to frequent this place. Feel free to use some spices! Drowning your burritos with cheap, plastic, unmelted cheese doesn’t do much for me. Way more flavor at taco bell for a ¼ of the price. This place is a disaster

Host was kind of strange when we entered the restaurant. When the food came, the beans were from a can with some sort of salty gross «taco seasoning wannabe» mixed in and the mini chimichangas came out of the freezer section of the local grocery store. I haven’t hated food from a restaurant in a very long time. This was such a disappointment. I ordered a diet soda and received a regular. I didn’t say anything, but chose not to drink it and stick with the water because the waitress was busy. When the bill came I was charged for the soda. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. Such a shame because the building is so pretty.