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Tijuana Garage
Rating Details »
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Little Five Points353 Moreland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 475-8888
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
14 reviews for Tijuana Garage
Tijuana Garage a.k.a. The Restaurant Formerly Known as Sabroso-- "Sabroso" is such a better name. It means "delicious" in Spanish. Just the word Tijuana makes me think of hookers, which is not something I need dancing around in my brain when I'm eating a fish taco.
Anyway, this place is owned by the same company that owns Front Page News. You know what that means: HUGE portions of mediocre food. If you like Mexican food, or anything even remotely resembling Mexican food, you do NOT need to be at Tijuana Garage when there are places like El Myr and Luna Nueva also in Little 5 Points.
(I will admit, the margaritas are good, but then again it's hard to screw up a margarita.)
When I was new to Atlanta last year, I was a semi-regular at Sabroso. The location is convenient, coupons were plentiful, and the food was decent and came in huge portions. Funnily enough, right around the time they switched to Tijuana Garage, it kind of fell off my radar. I went back a few weeks ago for the first time since the switch.
To be honest, I don't see much difference now that things have switched. A few menu items have changed, but for the most part the decor and atmosphere (AND drink specials) are pretty much the same.
I've always been a big fan of the bottomless chips and salsa. This time they seemed a bit more salty & garlicky than they used to be; no complaints here, though. The service was spot-on as always, very friendly and attentive which I've come to rely on at this restaurant.
I got a combo platter that was a bit more hit-and-miss than I'm used to at Sabroso. The chicken enchilada and carnitas taco were the highlights of the plate, both huge and full of flavor. The chorizo burrito was surprisingly bland compared to when I used to get them in the Sabroso days. It just didn't have much taste, but it might have been a fluke. I didn't even finish my side dishes, but that could have been because I was a tortilla chip glutton only 15 minutes earlier, or because the rice and beans were resoundingly mediocre. I still got plenty of satisfying food to eat when all was said and done, so it's all good.
I really wish they'd do something about the parking situation, though. When we tried parking in the assigned lot a few properties down, some guy wanted to charge $5 and said our money would be refunded in the restaurant. So it's either a choice between shady parking lot vs. cramped garage.
Overall, Tijuana Garage is still 90% Sabroso in my opinion, and that's ok. It's a decent place that is a good value as long as you have one of their ubiquitous coupons. If you sign up for their Rewards list, they'll send you a coupon (good for Front Page News, too) just about every month for BOGO dinner meals. I don't think I'd be willing to pay full price, unfortunately. I'll still be back every once in a while, especially to check out the new "adult themed" trivia nights, which have me a bit intrigued!
I ate here for the first time a couple of weekends ago. Its got a good patio atmosphere, similiar to what you find at Front Page News next door. Their menu is quite extensive, I mean not as extensive as some Buford Highway Mexican place ie no goat balls. I settled on a burrito. It was good and filling and I would say a step up from those cheap Mexican slop places. In other words the food had some flavor. As a big fan of salsa I can tell you that I over indulged with the free salsa and chips, so the salsa evidently passed my taste test.
Service was good and the waitress had no problems splitting up the tab for our party of four. If I am in the L 5 points area and in the mood for some Mexican food, I'd make a return trip.
As perhaps mentioned elsewhere, I often judge the success of a restaurant meal by whether I could make better food at home. In the case of Tijuana Garage, this comparison makes me want to cry.
I thought it was definitely better than when it was Sabroso. The tacos are really good. We got a bbq taco, carnitas taco and a fish taco. I still did not care for the salsa, it is way too salty and garlicky. We got the jalapeno margarita, and I honestly don't know whether I loved it or hated it. I think in the future I will just stick to a regular margarita.
The patio is the best part, with a two-sided bar that faces both the inside area and the patio area. There is a fountain in the middle and lovely plants and lighting everywhere.
Is it a place I will remember when pondering over a place to go out to eat? No. But if reminded or asked by someone else, I would go again.
In the mood for a taste of Mexico ... so, we parked in the very scary parking lot and walked around to the entrance. There wasn't much of a crowd inside or out but we opted for inside. We were seated quickly .... but then .... we waited quite a long time for someone to approach the table and take our drink order and we waited another long while, for the dude to come back with the drinks. When he finally returned with two, very weak, Texas margaritas, he asked if we would like something to "start with". The answer was "sure, cheese dip with jalapenos". He stood there with a bewildered look on his face ... and after several moments had passed, he finally mumbled "queso?" ... and we nodded slowly so as not to confuse him.
He came back with chips and salsa .... no queso. He took our order ... we reminded him about the "queso" and he said "oh yeah, I'll get that". Twenty-six minutes later our food arrived ... no queso. We decided it wasn't worth asking for a third time. The food wasn't terrible but it certainly wasn't worth the wait. I don't think we will be returning to Tijuana Garage until I see better .... much better ... reviews showing up on Yelp.
A word to the owner/manager/hiring guru at Tijuana Garage ... try training ... lots of training for your staff. Take them on a field trip to Ecco to see how their job should be done.
I grudgingly went here today with the BF... I say "grudgingly" because I am still hungover from 4th of July.
I am glad I got my lazy butt out though. Tijuana Garage currently has coupons in the Savvy Shopper, but, even better and on a more consistent basis, they have a "Buy One Get One" deal when it is raining outside! What a good idea!!! Unless of course, we suffer a drought and it doesn't rain.
I got a Blue Moon ($5), we ordered guacamole ($3.99), and I ordered Nachos ($7.99, for one of the hugest plates of Nachos ever!... I brought home a ToGo box jam-packed to the brink with leftovers!!!). Mr. Mateo got the Shrimp Fajitas. They hooked him up fat with shrimp! He even had a ToGo box as well! Though not spectacular, the food was good. The service was a tad slow, but I was not in any hurry to do anything productive that's for sure.
So, the reason I am a fan is this: They had a solo act playing there named Troy Cono... He was great! I requested two songs- Karma Police and Patience- which he nailed.
Also, the patio is just sexy. There are fountains, little birds (I threw them chips... hehe), and plants. The bar area is really kicking and I would definitely hit it up for a few more brewsky's were I not sleepy and in need of rest that is not alcohol induced (gosh, I am sounding like a drunk, aren't I?!!).
But seriously, it was a really neat place. We will be back as they had various specials and things going on throughout the week. Plus, I love me some Little Five Points!!!
Go Kickball Summer 2009 official league bar = I'll be spending Saturday afternoons and evenings here in the coming months.
This relationship didn't get off to the best start. I guess we got there somewhat early (1pm) because the staff definitely didn't seem to want to deal with us, at least not the hostesses. Our waitress came through though, bringing plenty of chips and salsa, even leaving the salsa at the table once we'd had to ask for replacements twice.
I got the taco platter - rice, beans, and 3 tacos: chorizo & beef (that's right, chorizo and ground beef mixed together), brisket, and carnitas. The only one worth eating was the brisket. The chorizo/beef was flavorless and so greasy that it had already soaked through the crispy taco shell to the point of disintegration by the time it got to the table. The beans were boring and the rice was mushy. The brisket, however, was delicious. From now on, I'll be ordering these a la carte so that I don't have to eat anything else.
It's $5 to park in the lot next door, but they do give you a $5 for the restaurant.
And this place is still having an identity crisis. The only thing that identifies it as Tijuana Garage is the sign out front. Everything else still says Sabroso.
WOW - there are actually positive reviews of this place.
I wonder how that happened.
The patio is nice. We did have a great seat next to the fountain with a fan.
The house margaritas were fine.
However I usually choose a Mexican restaurant for the food.
Is there a good enough reason for Mexican red sauce on enchiladas to taste like ketchup?
I totally do not think so.
There was nothing redeeming on the plate.
I've eaten at Tijuana Garage a couple of times but always seem to forget it's there. Not because of any terrible experiences, but really because there are so many better options for Mexican (Tex-Mex, whatever). I will say the patio makes a difference with the outdoor bar and fountain (fish included), but here are my Pros vs Cons:
PRO: Bloody Marys were good
CON: They had no Absolut Peppar, which would have made them even better.
PRO: With the well vodka, I think the BM's were like $5.50
PRO: Chips and salsa good. Ordered two grilled fish tacos that came with beans and rice. The portions were just right (cheap too), and I was starving when I got there.
CON: The pieces of fish in my tacos were small cube-like oddities, which had me thinking my order was swapped for tofu tacos instead. The flavor really came from the sauce (I think it was some kind of aioli sauce), so it was still good, but certainly far from the best fish tacos I've ever had. Call me crazy, but I ordered the fish tacos because I like the taste of fish. So it was a bummer that all the flavor was buried in the sauce.
PRO: Not to sound confusing, I still liked my meal, I'm just speaking comparatively.
PRO: The weather was perfect in the shaded portion of the outdoor patio (complete with fans, which make for a nice breeze).
CON: The bar stools are too high for the high-top tables, so I felt like I was up on a perch while eating and drinking (it's a minimal complaint, as I wasn't necessarily uncomfortable). Yet had there been a regular table where we could've all sat comfortably in the shade, I would've opted for it).
PRO: The service was friendly, good and timely.
PRO: I like the decor of the restaurant, especially the mariachi band sculpture on the corner of the patio. They look like fun guys.
CON: Being that I've been to some pretty seedy bars in my lifetime, I've had plenty of bathroom encounters that are burned in my memory and have left my skin crawling. However, given that this place is not a seedy bar and the bathroom is otherwise huge and well equipped, I took a moment when I opened the door to decide if I could go any further. It seriously looked like it hadn't been cleaned from some crazy party the night before. I can't imagine that the early afternoon "rush" made it such a shit hole (pun intended) when there was barely anyone in the restaurant. The smell was fierce, not one dry spot on the oversized counter I could put my purse on to wash my hands, paper towels flown around everywhere, small puddles of water (I hope) on the floor, and I'm thinking, "wow, women did this". I should've peeked in the men's room just to see if there was any improvement.
PRO: Location and parking. It's a short stroll to the heart of L5P, which makes it a good parking spot if you're planning on hanging-out in the area.
CON: The parking garage is a tight fit, and getting out is never as easy as getting in. I think my friend had to do at least a 5 point turn to get us out of there, so if you're concerned about less expert drivers causing a ding to your car, I'd opt for the outdoor parking on the other side of the restaurant.
Conclusion: I'll come back again because I did enjoy myself and the food wasn't bad. Yet I'd rather just use it for a watering hole rather than a place for lunch or dinner. Sitting at the outdoor bar and maybe snacking on some chips and salsa would be good enough. There are just too many better places in Atlanta to fulfill that craving for Tex-Mex.
My kickball team went here after a game on Saturday. Don't judge me for playing kickball, it's fun even though I am just terrible, divas don't do well with balls flying towards them. Anyhow. So the chips and salsa are the highlight. The food was below average in my opinion. I had a chicken burrito and it was pretty boring, bland, blah, etc. I had a margarita which was also blah. The outdoor patio was nice and the service was fair, but seemed kind of inconsistent. I wouldn't come here for any reason other than this is the official league bar for Go Kickball, other than that, it's kind of blah.
The patio was beautiful and the service was a little slow but pleasant. The manager made a point to come to every table and say hi. The salsa wasn't anything special but the fish, fried chicken and brisket tacos were amazing. There was a large selection of margaritas as well as the beer selection. Will I go back? Absolutely!
Very tasty! Great chips and salsa and the drinks are not bad either.
Fired chicken taco's were very good and the wife got the bbq pork
sandwhich with sweet potato chips.
Its good check it out!
Sadly, Tijuana Garage is no longer in business. This location is now a tapas restaurant.
