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Tijuana Mexican Food
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
164 Broadway(between 2nd St & Park St)
Chelsea, MA 02150
(617) 884-7494
- Nearest Transit:
-
Park St @ Williams St (111)
Broadway Opp Cross St (112, 114, 116, 116/117, 117)
Pearl St Opp Essex St (114, 116, 116/117, 117)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
Kelly A. said: "I stopped here for the second time this evening, and had the most amazing dinner. Seriously. My belly is so darn happy right now. First, let me state for the record that I adore dosas. Any kind. Love 'em. But they're kind of hard…" read more »
20 reviews for Tijuana Mexican Food
20 reviews in English
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Review from Tod A.
Chelsea, MA
11/13/2011
My girlfriend and I went there with no real expectations, but walked away impressed! Our friend who joined us said, 'Thanks for taking me to a great Mexican restaurant!', which sums up our experience nicely. The food was fresh and flavorful - between us, we had the shrimp enchilada, a combo plate (flauta, burrito, enchilada) and the chilaquiles de peurco - and the marguritas were yummy too. All in all, an excellent experience.
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Review from NANCY R.
Chelsea, MA
12/16/2011
Went their for lunch...
As soon as you walk in -it smelled like pee.
Why we didn't turn around and leave- I have no clue- I wanted to eat Mexican food so bad!!
Food was bland.
Not good at all- better places elsewhere.
In the short time we were there we were approached by random people- 3 times!!
They just walked in and asked for money or try to sell you things... even a drunk guy walked in asking for money.
All this while we were eating!!!
I have never felt so uncomfortable in my life.. and I grew up in Chelsea!!!
We asked the waitress if that happened alot and she said yes! ....Really?!
The smell of pee should've been a sign to turn around and LEAVE!!!
and the fact that the Chelsea Police Station didn't make me feel safe.
I DO NOT recommend this place..Unless your an MMA Fighter!! -
Review from April C.
I've never been to Chelsea. I don't even know how to get there.
So how did I wind up at Tijuana Mexican Food, you ask?
Well, I've got the wonderful (and punctual) Commonwealth of Massachusetts to thank for my introduction to both Chelsea and TMF.
And how did this happen, you ask?
I knew you'd ask, so listen here, kids. You see, the Commonwealth decided to take full advantage of my civic duty by sending me a summons (to the farthest edge of Suffolk County) who's date fell a mere FOUR days after my 3 year service mark (coincidence? methinks not). Oh, they're good. They're realllll good.
And so, this glorious union of April C., Chelsea Trial Court and Tijuana Mexican Food came to be. Oh, and what day you ask?
On St. Patrick's Day.
So, you can imagine my disdain when I was interviewed by the judge for 10 minutes in front of the entire court, doing my damndest to partial my way right out of this trial (which, she disclosed, was expected to last the full three days) and I ended up being "Lucky Juror # 2, come on down!" (cue: "The Price is Right" theme song, gosh, I love that show). $*&^%!!!!!
I sat in agony in my surprisingly comfortable juror seat, bitterly reading over my "Trial Juror Handbook" and contemplating how the f^@& I was going to get back home from Chelsea the next two days, when suddenly, the court announcer guy called "Juror # 2"; my head shot up so fast I almost gave myself whiplash. "You may take your original seat". I swear to god, my mouth dropped open, I was nearly shaking with pure joy. I tell you, it took every ounce of control in me not to let a shit-eating grin cover my face. I triumphantly walked back to my seat. The court people deliberated stuff for a while longer, or whatever they do, and the announcer said "We have a jury". Gasp! The judge dismissed the rest of us and I was free. The irony being that I felt like I had just gotten away with a crime. A serious, serious crime.
Now, now, kids, I know I just spent the bulk of my review describing my experience at the Court House and I apologize, but sometimes, the most important part of a review is how you got to the place, not your experience there (and remember, not everything I tell you is always true). At the least, it sets you up to realize how blissful this meal of freedom was for me.
I was welcomed into an empty TMF by a kind, middle aged (I'm assuming Mexican) woman who walked me through the colorful, dim restaurant to my table, across from what looked like a full bar. She placed complimentary chips and salsa (pretty good) on my table and after browsing, I ordered the chicken tostadas, for a reasonable $6.95 with a side of Modelo Negro. It was 1 pm St. Patty's Day after all, everyone else in the city is drinking already!
The tostadas were awesome!!! Fully loaded with everything; beans, salsa, sour cream, guac (you don't have to pay extra!), lettuce, cheese. Refried beans and rice on the side made the perfect complement and the portion sizes were just perfect.
The hostess/waiter woman was extremely friendly and all the while smiling. They've kind of got a bit of Mexico-ADD though; with the ceilings pumping out Mexican music and the walls broadcasting a spanish soap, I wasn't sure which one I was supposed to be into. I kind of flopped back and forth between the TV, and then the music, during the commercials. It worked.
Overall, TMF definitely serves up at least 4 stars in my book. I'd need to revisit when business is a little busier to get the full effect of service and quality, and I would go back (just spare me the court date), which is why they get all four.
Metered parking lines the streets out front; and know what else makes Chelsea worth visiting, other than a jury duty summons? 25¢ in the meter gets you 1 hour, my friends, not 10 minutes. Thank you. -
Review from Dan P.
Chelsea, MA
10/24/2011 1 photo
My girlfriend and I got take out from here a few weeks ago and it was pretty good. We weren't overly impressed, but it was still pretty good. We liked the guac and chips the most. I got a combo plate, and most of it taste the same. not sure if we will be back or not
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Review from Paul M.
7/25/2011
Tijuana is a Mexican restaurant located in the heart of downtown Chelsea. I know some people get sketched out by the area, but it's really not that bad and the police station is directly across the street. The food is worth it, trust me.
My family found Tijuana because back many years, Tijuana used to have two locations: the one it's currently located at and one just outside Union Square next to the Dunkin Donuts, where a sushi place now resides. We fell in love with that Tijuana and when they closed down we became determined to go to the Chelsea branch. Thank God we did!
Tijuana is one of those places you actually kind of feel good and bad for going to. You feel good because it seems like a family operated kind of joint and giving them business just seems right. You feel kind of bad because the amount of food they give you for what they charge almost makes you feel like they're actually losing money by feeding you.
It starts out with their chips and salsa. Their chips are good, their salsa is awesome. It's chunky, but it's liquidy at the same time and it has such a deliciously powerful flavor of fresh cilantro and red onions that it's hard to just have one batch. These are complimentary and they're way way better than the over salted, over limed, over cooked, chips and out of a bottle salsa they tend to charge $4.00+ at other places.
Then comes the real food. For appetizers the queso asado (melted cheese, chorizo, and red onions w/ sour cream and guac and tortillas on the side) is always amazing, though when you're above the age of 12 you start to realize you're eating you're daily caloric intake with one bite basically. It's so worth it though. The carnitas (cubed pieces of pork) are also quite good. I'd recommend avoiding the guac as an app though, they serve the stuff with everything so you probably won't need it.
For entrees they prepare awesome standard "Mexican" fare, though I believe the proprietors are actually Salvadoreño. If you're looking for enchiladas, tacos, burritos, chimichangas etc. I'd recommend trying a combination plate. They each come with a taco, an enchilada, and one of either chimi, flauta, burrito, and maybe one other option. They also come w/ rice, beans, and a small salad. I think these cost like $9.99 and you will not be hungry. You'll probably have leftovers, especially if you've been fiending on those chips and salsa like me. P.S. the combination plates can come w/ salsa verde, roja, or mole- get the mole it's great!
I also really enjoy the pupusas, which are like thick, meat/cheese pies made of masa (and are Salvadoreño in origin). Ask for the traditional pickled cabbage accompaniment and they're happy to supply for no additional cost (at least I don't think they charge). Sopes are sort of a tostada meets pupusa. Instead of that crunchy, taco like tortilla shell as the base for the tostada, a sope uses the same sort of thick masa pancake as a base (no filling in the sope version though).
Something I just recently tried though (7/15/2011) was the whole red snapper. This was bliss. They cook the whole snapper and serve it to you, head and all, and it is so fresh and so well cooked. The meat holds together nicely while being super moist. It's not bony, as you might expect/be afraid of, as the meat comes cleanly off the main skeletal structure-thingy. I'm not a marine biologist, sorry. A spritz of fresh lime juice a little guac and maybe pico in one of the supplied tortillas and you've got marvelous fish tacos. The large fish (and it was a large snapper, about 14 inches I'd guess) cost like $16- and it scales based on fish size. This is the WHOLE fish we're talking about. That is an insanely good price for a whole fish, cooked to perfection, with rice beans, salsa, guac, sour cream, tortillas on the side. Get it. Just...don't make eye-contact with the little guy...it's kind of awkward as you pull his delictable flesh from his bones.
The drinks are awesome too but this has got to be where they stay in business (Read: tad expensive) so please, act like a wino and order a pitcher of something so that I can get my Mexican fix from a legit place. The sangria is great if you like cinnamon. I do, so I'm buh-da-buh-buh-bah lovin' it. The carafes are the way to go though as I think two glasses would cost you about what you'd probably pay for 3+ in a carafe (I think it's like $6 and change a glass and the carafe is like $14). Ditto margaritas/pitchers (glasses I think are $9 and the pitcher is like $20). If you don't order from the bar, expect your bill to be less than/around $25 for 2. If you order from the bar expect it to be just about double what you'd normally pay for the food.
Service= friendly & attentive Ambiance=good Max characters, lo siento!Listed in: Waterin' Holes, Best Values, Cheap Eats, Mucho Mexico!, The Few...The Proud...The…
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Review from Vanessa G.
Lowell, MA
9/3/2011
I ate at Tijuana last night and the previous reviews did not lead me astray! It was pretty delicious. I had a combo plate of taco/enchilada/flauta, rice and beans. Everything was good but there was a language barrier and I didn't expect the flauta to be on a flour tortilla, which it was. I have a gluten allergy so I couldn't eat that part but it sure looked delicious. My friend had three tostadas and cleared her plate as well. And we enjoyed margaritas. $40 for two people for a sizeable meal, I can't complain. Just need to be careful with my allergy and not get too adventurous because the wait staff just didn't seem to understand. That's ok though.
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Review from Steven L.
Cambridge, MA
12/2/2011
I used to live in Chelsea when it was supposed to be up and coming. That never happened so I moved. I tried this place and really wanted to like it because I could walk there but it just never got me excited.
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Review from Steph P.
2/5/2010 1 photo
YUM! My cousin wanted to take me to this place so badly and I have to say I really enjoyed myself! The decor is so cute, little knick nacks all over the place (including a bull with balls and all) and bright colors.
We ordered the queso app, which I swear tasted like the ill fated chili cheese burrito from Taco Bell. It was a mix of actual cheeses and chorizo served in a cast iron skillet. I had 2 steak tacos and I don't know what that meat was marinated in, but I could have eaten a mountain of it. The tacos had a fresh salsa and avocado on them. My cousin ordered a burrito the size of his forearm that also came with rice, beans and salad ($9.95!!!). I think the best part though was the sangria! A mini carafe for $7.95 made for 4 small glasses. It had a great sweet and spicy cinnamon taste.
The waitress was nice and smiley and very attentive (the place was pretty empty, we were there about 5:30p) and we saw her make a margarita by squeezing fresh limes into a glass. Will definitely try that next time.
Total bill $30! Will for sure be back there!Listed in: Cheap Eats!, La Comida Mexicana
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Review from Melissa S.
Chelsea, MA
12/28/2008
I've been here several times for sit-down and for takeout. I have to admit the first time I went here I felt a little bit awkward when I walked in and everyone in the dining room watched us gringos walk in.
There was a Mariachi band playing which was great, but a little too loud for the small dining room.
Food is good, the papusas are tasty. I've brought friends here and they have enjoyed it too. The prices are very reasonable and you get a lot of food for your money. -
Review from Sarah M.
Washington, DC
4/29/2010
Like some other reviewers, I liked, but didn't LOVE my experience here.
Pros:
-the guacamole. it was chunky and creamy at the same time, with nice hunks of avacado and tomato in there.
-the attentive service. our waitress was so helpful and friendly!
-the margaritas, which seemed to be made with a healthy amount of tequila :-)
-the perfectly cooked rice and the tasty beef in the burrito
cons
-the chicken in my enchilada (I got the combo) was so dried out
-the taco was just ok
Overall though, it's a fun place to go and the food was (on the whole) a little above average. -
Review from Susan M.
Somerville, MA
4/21/2008
This place really got me excited. The ambiance is perfect! (mariachi bands, yellow walls, lots of chotchkes!) Chips and salsa = good, sangria = good and cinnamony, beer selection = good.
I was, however; disappointed in my chile relleno. I use it as a standard by which to test the restaurant and it made me sort of sad. Personal opinion but I thought it was too battered and the cheese wasn't right. It was alright but nothing to get excited about. My dining companion got the fajitas which were better.
The place seems authentic. Has chimichangas and flautas and chiles but it just fell short for me. Sad really. -
Review from Jill R.
Boston, MA
8/27/2010 1 photo
Food very good and authentic. Fun drinks, good service and meal was plentiful. We got this tip from the cable guy who put in our new service when we moved into town, it was well worth it! Oh yeah the ice cold beer and tequila was a crowd pleaser.
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Review from Ron M.
Montebello, CA
6/29/2010
So who goes to Boston to have Mexican food? This guy that can't go a couple of days without having tortillas rice and beans. The micheladas are pretty good here although they are called something else. I'm still trying to figure out what that is. They also serve elotes(corn) as an appetizer with lime smelly cheese and whatever else makes them so good to eat. They have a nice choice of meats to choose from for your tacos. I liked the asada and the al pastor. Not a bad little Mexican place in Boston.
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Review from Brian H.
Chelsea, MA
11/13/2006
Welcome to Chelsea's hotbed of Mexican dining -- Tijuana is just across the street from Cinco de Mayo, and El Rancho Grande is just a few blocks away. None of the three is all that formal, but Tijuana is the place that people host Christmas parties at. The food is, of course, great - the mole poblano and the chicken tijuana are my favorites, though my wife goes for the chicken fajita. Can't go wrong. Mariachi bands play on the weekends.
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Review from Stephanie B.
Lynn, MA
1/10/2009
Three of us went for dinner tonight and had a great time! The food is your typical average Mexican. I had the chicken chimis, which were pretty darn good! Someone else had a chile relleno, which he said was "not bad", and the third (and smallest of us) had a burrito and joined the clean plate club -- even though it was ginormous. Loved the flan. A good beer list and a couple of margaritas may be influencing our good cheer, but who cares. The Mariachi band totally rocked! They take requests! Service was speedy and friendly. I would def go back to this little joint, and Chelsea is a totally funky town to drive through. They do have a tiny bar if you just want to belly up.
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Review from Zachary A.
MA
5/20/2007
not very good...actually it was horrible. the food was super salty and it took forever to get...actually the service was as bad as the food.
i was let down...really let down. i believe the best mexican food resides in Somerville & Eastie.
that is all... -
Review from heath c.
Chelsea, MA
7/9/2008
I really enjoy this place everytime we go. The food is very good, I have tried a variety of dishes on the menu and liked them all. this place brings me back to my trip in mexico. And after a few drinks go enjoy the park across the street.
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Review from Eileena T.
Salem, MA
12/22/2008
Ehh, it wasn't bad, but I have had much better.
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Review from Kate L.
Chelsea, MA
3/7/2011
Really good margs - no fake sugary mix in them. Good service. GREAT FAJITAS and large enough for 2 for $13 bucks. Both chicken and steak are great. Guac is so-so, chips are average. Great for families always room for you!
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Review from Soren V.
Winthrop, MA
6/20/2009
we've been coming for years, it's a fast, easy cheap way to have Mexican. Is it the best in the world, no , but decent and fast.
