Baja Fresh

So, you know the usual lunch convo....

"What do you want to eat?"
"I dunno, what u want?"
"I dunno, what you want?"
*on repeat 5 more times...until yelp deal!*

There you have it, we came here because I saw a deal 15 for 10 bucks...not bad. For tex mex I usually head over to Chipotle or something of that nature.

Today we finally tried Baja Fresh. (btw, its next to my fave chinese lunch place Luya!) I see people with Baja Fresh cups all the time and now I was one of them!

The order: steak nachos and a shrimp & steak burrito.

Steak Nachos - its okay. The steak was not as tasty/seasoned as I would like with spices. I was happy that guacamole was on it with no charge, most places charges extra. Overall, it was ok...

Shrimp and Steak Burrito - I liked that the shrimp was grilled fresh. I actually do prefer that the rice was seasoned more like other places that has burritos. It was better than the nachos.

A lot of people rave about the salsa bar but the hot salsa wasn't hot, so that was kind of disappointing. I really like a salsa with a bunch.

Also, it was kind of pricey, without any deal for a fast food place would have been 20 bucks.

I think i'm going to stick with Luya......

For fast food mexican - this place rises above its competitors.

It has more of a *fresh* taste than Chipolte or Qdoba. Perhaps it has to do with the salsa selection or the liberal use of fresh cut cilantro. They offer the usual choices of tacos and burritos and I really enjoy the fact that you can choose your own salsa to dress it with after you check out. You also get a small amount of chips with each order which helps you save cash instead of having to buy a whole bag if you are eating alone.

This is the only Orlando location and is VERY small. They also seem to have an A/C issue - its always a bit stuffy inside which is rare for a new shopping center in Florida.

Overall - worth going out of your way to try this "fast casual" mexican chain.

Discovered this place while in LA, followed it to Boca Raton while in college and finally found it in Orlando! So obviously I REALLY like it! Way different from Chipotle in that it's cheaper, has more options and less saucey and more about seasoning the food correctly. I'm a big Chipotle fan but this place has my heart. As the name implies, the food is very fresh. There is a good selection of burritos, tacos, and the salsa bar has many different types of salsa from mild to hot. You can also get the large drink which includes $.99 refills for life!

I'm from the DC area, and Baja Fresh was our favorite fast casual California Mexican place up there. So my kids and I were THRILLED to see that the one and only Florida location of the chain opened right next to UCF, where I work. I stop here to pick up dinner at least once a week, and they've never let me down. SO, Why do I love Baja Fresh?

THE CHIPS: Light, fresh, hot and delicious, made of white corn and perfectly salted every time. We like putting them inside of our burritos and quesadillas to amp up the flavor and crunch.

THE SALSA BAR: We each have our favorites that we look forward to. My son likes the hot, smoky Baja salsa. It's dark burgundy in color, with a nice bite and rich flavor. I mix it with the pico de gallo to take it down a notch. They have seasonal salsas too. The mango salsa is divine, with little chunks of fresh mango, cilantro, red peppers and onion. They also have a yummy pineapple salsa in the summertime.

THE GUACAMOLE: It's just perfect. Fresh, spiced just right, it makes a delightful dip for the chips and flautas, and can be added to any menu item for 75 cents. Do it!

THE STANDBYS: Every.Single. Week. my teenage kids demand their Baja Fresh favorites. My daughter loves the black bean burrito with cheese. Baja Fresh has both black and pinto beans and both are worth writing home about, with just the right amount of spice and a nice firm yet soft texture. My son loves the cheese quesadillas, which come with sour cream, salsa, and a side of guacamole that I always steal to dip my chips in.

THE GRILL: I love trying different items every week at Baja. They grill their meats perfectly, so whether I'm in the mood for steak, shrimp, chicken, fish, or carnitas, it's always done right. Lately I've been enjoying the steak and shrimp Baja burrito with guacamole and pico, but I frequently order the crispy chicken flautas, which are some of the best I've ever had.

Try Baja Fresh, I promise you'll LOVE it too!

I think this is the best burrito place around. Much better than Moe's! I was very impressed by the large selection and freshness of Baja Fresh. I really enjoyed my Chicken Burrito, as my lunch partner did there Fish Burrito. The salsa bar has many different types of salsa from mild to hot. You can also get the large drink which includes $.99 refills for life!

Overall: I love this place!

Baja is my favorite fast food Mexican option. I have gotten everything chicken related on this menu from the burritos, salads, nachos, and soft tacos. They perfectly season and grill the chicken.

The salsa bar is the star though, their mango salsa is to die for. It is sweet with a hint of spiciness. Yum!

Baja Fresh has become our go-to place for quick Mexican.

I always get the fish tacos (grilled) so my review is a little biased, to say the least! They're just so, so good! Over numerous visits we've had the steak quesadilla, diablo burrito, and taco combo. Everything was fresh, hot, and appetizing.

The staff at the Alafaya Trail location is always friendly and patient. Especially when I'm pretending I'm going to order something OTHER than fish tacos!

I like that they keep is simple and do it well. I can feel pretty good leaving there knowing splurged on Mexican but it was quality Mexican.

Do yourself a favor, well 2: don't go right at noon for lunch. You'll either be sitting outside (or waiting for a table, food in hand) or you'll have a decent wait. Second, indulge in the salsa bar. Seriously. The mango salsa is worth it!

After reading the awesome reviews I put this place at the top of my UCF area "Must Try" list. I know the masses disagree but I wasn't impressed. I loved the chips...warm, crispy and perfectly salted but one can't survive on chips alone! The Queso was not special, my Tostada Salad looked beautiful however it didn't taste right. Something was seriously off but I can't put my finger on it. I had a bellyache and bad aftertaste in my mouth for hours after eating here, yes I brushed my teeth and it would not dissipate. BTW-My daughter said her chicken burrito was ok but the sour cream tasted funny.

I was a regular at Baja Fresh when I used to live in Washington, DC, and dreamed of finding something like it ever since I moved to Orlando. Finally, I saw the sign for Baja Fresh while driving on Alafaya! Food is, as promised, fresh, delicious, perfectly seasoned! The place is certainly a head above any other Mexican in town. Portions are extremely generous for the price, too - I ordered grilled steak fajita the last time I was there, and could barely finish half of it despite being very hungry.

If you've never been to any of the Baja Fresh location, here's the general idea: it technically would be classified as a fast food place, but Baja Fresh could NOT be compared to Moe's or Chipotle. Think of Baja Fresh as being at the level of Greens 'n' Grille.

Great fast-casual restaurant. I ordered taco's, and my food was ready within 5-8 minutes. I've tried to wahoo grilled fish, the chicken, and the pork carnitas tacos. I thought they were all delicious. The fish, I thought could use a little salt, but they have
salsa's to amp up the flavor! The taste of the food is phenomenal! I loved that they used corn tortillas. It was healthy, light, fast, and delicious!

My taco's came with chips, and there is a salsa bar, which is my favorite part, they have this dark red/brown salsa, which tastes like tamarind a little bit!

They also have a deal if you purchase thier large drink, you can come back and get free refills in the reusable cup for 99c. So thats pretty sweet if you live near by.

I'll definitely be back!