Tijuana Flats

Fun, colorful atmosphere. Love the variety of salsa options and the queso is delicious. So far nothing I had here was a bust. Chimichangas and tacos were great. Parking lot is small and it’s often full but not too crowded. Definitely worth a visit.

Pretty good, would definitely come again for lunch. Weird set up in that you need to get up and order/​pay for food at a counter but then otherwise full service. strange to me. Typical chain restaurant Mexican but better than most. Good variety of hot sauces and relatively inexpensive.

We have been coming to this location for 9yr, since moving to Sarasota. The past two occasions, the service was extremely poor. We have had to wait three times as long as previously for our food to arrive. I hardly think chicken flautas are a culinary challenge but it took us at least 40 min to receive our food today. When my wife inquired why it was taking so long, especially since three tables who had ordered after us received their food, we were told to simply ask for a free meal the next time we come to the establishment again… no visit from the manager no coupons no voucher. I can honestly say that today was the final visit to the Tamiami Trail location due to deteriorating wait times and the lack attention by management to customer satisfication. I will honestly take my chances at the place next door though they have the E. Coli and will simply take some cipro prior to eating there.

Ate lunch while at the hospital. Great flavor, cool concept with multiple sauces, and fair prices

Great hot sauce bar

The staff in service is awesome, never had a meal I didn’t love. We are here often, love happy hour!

It’s Taco Bell but with a cooler looking building. The food is extremely poor quality. It’s seriously not worth trying if you like good food. If you love Taco Bell but like to pay a little more money, then you will love this place.

When Tijuana Flats first arrived in town a few years ago, I was excited about the new concept and the energy the place seemed to have. The novelty of the hot suace bar was interesting and the food seemed good with some interesting flavors. The staff was and remains very attentive and almost every time I have eaten there the service was very good (in the 3 – 4 star range).
The big problem I have come to realize is the food. It’s just not that great. And it is consistently not that great. I just had another dos tacos with soft shell regular tortillas. The tortilla was good but the meat was luke-​warm and not very tasty. It was saved somewhat by the fresh toppings and I would give this set of tocos between 2 and 3 stars. Admittedly though, this was a good day.
I am sure you are asking yourself, «Why does he keep going back, if the foods not that great». My teenage and adult kids do seem to periodically like to eat there. It is a step up from Taco Bell. On a good day maybe two steps up, but don’t count on that.
With it’s good sevice, energy, and novelty it is a complete overhaul of the menu away from being great or even outstanding. But it would have to be a complete overhaul, and I don’t think they see the need.
One important tip. Do not get take out from Tijuana Flats! Just say no! The food is much better hot and eaten immediately upon being served. The trip home gives it time to become mushy and cold and that seems to bring out the worst in their food.

Order at register, then sit and wait for server…
Two tacos, chips & drink… only $ 5!
(I give my soda to my daughter, and add a beer)

I eat here every time I’m in Sarasota. The food is Bomb! Décor is weird and seating a little crowned, but the fun, lively place makes it ok. The service could be figured out a little better than ordering at the counter. They used to offer table service (sort of) but no more. Either way, great food and with a sweet assortment of hot sauces for every level of «hot». Quality of product has taken a dip over the last year or so but I still recommend it. Food usually comes pretty quick, too. Very kid friendly.

Thanks for getting in touch. Next time we come to town we’ll stop in! Stay consistent…

I can’t say it was THE tastiest tex-​mex but then there is the salsa bar and perhaps that is the plan of the place. HOWEVER, our service could not have been nicer or more attentive for a place that you order at the register. A person (both a woman and a man) floated around the restaurant in near constant motion either asking us if we would like a refill or to remove trash from the table. I would certainly give it another try and become more daring with the hot sauce selection. Super clean, nice fresh décor and very community spirit oriented.

I waited for my food 15 min after I ordered my food a couple people that ordered after me got my food. I didn’t have a big order only two tacos and finally I asked and it had been sitting on the side for a while. It was cold and not very good let’s just say there service sucks and chipotle will only have my business from now on !

My first impression was cool décor. Current. Then the food came. Seasoned for older diners, as in no seasoning. (I am at a Mexican, albeit Tex Mex, restaurant, right?) Just in case, it was also lukewarm. Moving on to the salsa… all of it premade, and low quality. Too bad, they have lots of locations… bottom line, «just say no»

Expensive Taco Bell. That’s all this place is. Being from Texas, this place should be ashamed to put Tex Mex in their name. Ordered their beef tacos and I kid you not it was a bigger version of the EXACT taco from Taco Bell. Yuck!!! I seriously can’t believe people actually eat here!

I just moved here from Texas so I know my tacos! To me this place is like a step up from Taco Bell. I got really excited when they said they had a salsa bar. Boy was I disappointed. I came to find crappie airport novelty salsa. It’s really not hard to make fresh. It would really set this place a part!

One star is actually too much to give this place. This could be the worst food I have ever had. Taco Bell is way better. This place was expensive and won’t even give you salsa. Ordered tacos, it came with chips but no salsa. WTF? I will never be back. Quality of food items were bad, cheap. Soooo disappointed.

This location has incredible service!!! Bev was attentive and helped answer my questions about their gluten free options (which they have corn tortillas for quesadillas, tacos, etc and they were delicious!)
Bev and 2 other team members checked in w me while I ate and kept my soda refilled. Great team here! Thanks for a wonderful lunch break!

I love Tijuana Flats! This was my first time at this location, and just as you can always expect, the staff is friendly, fast and the food is fresh and served at great prices. My favorite is the veggie burrito with black beans and rice.

This place used to be a whole lot better. This is a mini-​chain that started in Orlando and now is all over Florida, Georgia, Alabama and a handful of other states. In the beginning, it was great, a definite place to come to but like all popular places, popularity has now pretty much taken its toll on TF.
The venues (though not the prices) are definitely fast food. The staff is still cool though; they are all sexy girls with tattoos and piercings, they look like «Suicide Girls» (Google them).
Their gimmick is the hot sauce bar. You order your food at the counter from a Suicide Girl and then as they’re making your stuff in the back, you choose your seat and select medicine cups of their myriad of hot sauces from their hot sauce squirt bar. The sauces lean from very mild (yellow smiley face) to deadly hot (black teary/​frowny face) and that is the gimmick that used to keep me coming back.
Sadly, that’s just not enough these days. Their portions used to be bigger and were more expertly prepared. Now they’re just a step up from Taco Bell and three times the price.
This particular one in Sarasota features a 4PM-​7PM $ 1 per pint draught happy hour, but you could get real Mexican food up on Washington Ave, take it back to your hotel and drink cheap beer from the Jiffy Mart for a Hell of a lot better price. It would all taste better, too. Wouldn’t have to endure screeching work-​party females or horny beer+testosterone infused frat guys from the local college either. Go to Guadalupana instead:
I’ve also tried the TF’s in Jacksonville and Gainesville and the one in Sarasota is the best of all of them. Don’t waste your time or money on any of them, though.