Baja Fresh Mexican Grill
- Price Range: $
- Takes Reservations: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
61 reviews
Milpitas, CA
"What would I change about Casa Azteca? Absolutely nothing - which is why I am giving them the coveted five-star rating. You can tell they…" read more »
10 Reviews for Baja Fresh Mexican Grill
Not bad if you get there before the weekday noon rush. Don't know about weekends, since I've never been there on a non-workday.
I usually hit this place up once a week (on average), but only because every time I go, my receipt offers me $2 off my next purchase if I go to mshare.net/bajafresh and fill out a survey. The online survey takes all of five minutes, and then *poof!*, an instant $2-off coupon, bringing the cost of my burrito below $5 and fitting into my budget. Once the $2-off offers stop coming, I'll probably stop going, as $8 for a burrito and a soda is pretty steep.
The mango salsa is pretty good, though inconsistent (sometimes it'll be watery, other times it'll be chunky enough that you feel like you need a knife).
Ever since the advent of the online survey thing, their service has gotten a bit better, and the salsa bar seems fresher than at the Una Mas restaurant I used to frequent. And after a year of going there regularly, they finally started using the "order number" printed on the receipt to match your food to your order. Their previous methods -- of taking your name and calling out the name, and then of handing out buzzers -- just didn't make as much sense.
On the downside, the parking lot is a bit tricky to navigate; a lot of people just don't know how to look at the slant of parking spaces to figure out which way to go. Also, the music selection changes more frequently than John Kerry was accused of flip-flopping on political issues during the 2004 presidential election.
But in terms of the food: it's mostly fresh, which is all they really advertise. Definitely not "authentic" mexican, but sometimes you want something that's safe for people who don't deal with spicy food as well as others, eh?
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Very busy at lunch...call & order ahead for take-out or go after 1:30. The food is fresh, the place is clean and the staff is friendly.
I like this location. Easy parking...and yummy menu (as always). But this location has an expanded salsa bar! Aye! Aye!
Prices-- they are just okay. -1 star.
The customer service is always slightly confusing here. -1 star
Don't want the grease with the roach coach, then go to Baja Fresh. People knock it for not being authentic..but that's what you get when you choose an establishment, right? I love the basic simplicity of their taco when I am hungry and am trying to eat right, you know? No on the fried nachos that lack cheese, and the fish tacos leave you longing for World Famous in San Diego. Either way, great alternate to the grease. Just note that you do compromise on the flavor. If you are really hungry...make it an enchilada style burrito..and drench that puppy in cheese and sauce...WOWZA. NOTE: I did forget to include that like Amen...the service is slower than a turtle watching molasses...so be warned...remember their slogan!!!
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I like this place better than Chipotle, I've decided. We went here last night for dinner; it's the same as any other Baja Fresh, though it's in a slightly rundown shopping center. I ordered the Baja Ensalada without cheese or tortilla strips and the chick behind the counter interrupted me twice while I was ordering and got huffy when I said, can I finish ordering?
The salad was great, as usual. We sat outside. It was pretty good.
The food is great, but when you call, oh my god...does anyone speak english anymore? I mean how hard is it to order a: Shrimp burritto with only: Chicken, Shrimp, Cheese, Onions & Cilantro? Everytime I call I have to literally walk them through the order 3 times, and they stil get it wrong. That is my only problem. Learn the language. I hate language barriers!
The food is good, although inauthentic. The salad choices are good, the salsa bar is great and has a range of choices from mild to hot, and then they offer bottled hot sauces too. I've never had a problem with too long a delay, and like that I can order, hit Trader Joe's, and come back to pick up my order. But it really can't compete with real taquerias for authenticity.
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I have to agree with Armen. There seems to be some service problems between ordering and the actual receiving of food.
We ordered three things to-go on a weekday evening, took a seat and waited for our number to be called. There were two patrons eating in, and no one else in line. 15 minutes pass, nothing....another 10 minutes pass and I decided to ask about our order. The order was being prepared (I guess take out orders that are phone in receive priority).
After a few take-out customers pick their orders up, my number still hasn't been called. ARGH. I went to back to the counter, gave them my ticket and inquired about my order. Turns out my order was accidentally given away!!! It took over 45 minutes to get my take-out!!!
Don't bother ordering here unless you are prepared to wait a LONG time.
I like Baja Fresh. It is food and it tastes good and it doesn't matter if it isn't what an authentic burrito is supposed to taste like. That said, I am never going to Baja Fresh again.
When my coworkers and I go there for lunch (at least once every couple weeks) at least one of us gets shafted by the slow service.. like everyone else in the group is practically done whent he last guy gets his food. So its always a concern in my mind when I go in there hungry.
My girlfriend and I went there last Saturday night. The place was maybe half full, and we didn't wait in line at all. We ordered two burritos at 7:17pm. Nothing fancy, just two burritos. It usually takes a while so we went over to Trader Joe's across the parking lot and did some grocery shopping. When we got back, our food still wasn't ready. In fact, our food wasn't ready until 7:50. If my calculations are correct ( I doublechecked), thats 33 minutes to prepare 2 regular burritos. I can understand a delay to cook fresh meat, etc. But 33 minutes? For two burritos? Never again.
One star added because the manager gave us 2 free meals because of the wait (and I hadn't even said anything about the wait).
I like all kinds of "Mexican" food, and I'm not above an occasional trip into Baja Fresh if I happen to be near one when hunger strikes.
It's usually fresh, fast (although I agree this location can badly violate this assumption from time to time) and filling.
So I dropped by one evening last week when I just needed to eat between two events. First thing I noticed is that the menu has been totally revamped. Many items are gone, just gone. For those that remain, prices have gone up 20%+.
Example: The cheapest meat burrito which I swear used to be just about $5.00 is now $6.50. If you want it wet style, add another $1.49. That makes it a freakin $8.00 burrito. And this isn't one of mondo ginormous burritos you'll find at some local places, it's a sad little burrito which seems to just scream "just one full scoop of meat - PLEASE".
I admit, I wasn't a loyal customer even before this visit. The huge price increases will make certain I don't become one.
JF
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