Baja Fresh

I was totally happy with my experience at Baja Fresh, the food was ready really quick and tasted great! The staff was friendly and nice and the restaurant was clean and appeared to be well maintained. The queso wasn’t my favorite ever but I think that was more about my taste than the way it was prepared - I did appreciate that you could buy a queso serving for one!

When I came in, it was pretty much empty and I got my food right away. The only difficult part was the parking lot. There’s a Chick-fil-A in the same plaza and the line often wraps around in a loop and close off the parking spots for this location.

Some of the worst Mexican food you can find in Phoenix. The inside of the restaurant smells like sewage, pico de gallo is old and disgusting, tacos under filled and bland. Paid extra for mango salsa which was not included with the order.

Fresh, quick, and delicious! The staff are all so friendly. They brought food to an elderly couple instead of making them walk to the pick up counter. It was really sweet.

So happy to have Baja back in Phoenix!! Salad was great, loved the chips and salsa while I waited!! The manager even checked on us during the busy lunch hour:)

You can smell the grilled chicken before you even hit the front door. Everything is so fresh here. You can't go wrong!

I really enjoyed the chicken quesadilla I ordered. Staff was fast and friendly. Love the salsa bar!

Just because I ask for extra vegetables doesn’t mean I don’t want the whole piece of chicken in the meal! There was like 4 bites, I need protein working out. Guess I’ll go back to making my own food even tho I got more when I ordered shrimp smh

Baja Fresh is back in Phoenix? What, what? Hell to the YES! Score! If you have followed me or read any of my previous reviews, you know that I love Baja Fresh. I was impressed when I first had Baja Fresh during my teenage years, and I still love it now that I'm in my 40's (Jesus, that sounds horrible, like I'm an old decrepit man!)! I was super excited to hear that Baja Fresh was reopening here in Phoenix! My wife is a huge fan, too, so we decided to bring the family down here last Sunday. Easy to get to, right off the 51 for the most part, and since it was Sunday, Chick Fil A next door was closed and there was a ton of parking. Might not be the case if they are open, but regardless, it's easy to get to. I went with a Steak Burrito Ultimo, my wife went with a Steak Burrito Mexicano, and we got a Chicken Quesadilla for the kids to share. We got a large drink in the souvenir cup and a couple of waters. Total was like $30.00, but I had a $5.00 off $20.00 coupon (sign up for their email club...they sound out coupons all the time!) so it came out to just under $25.00. Here is how everything was................ Steak Burrito Ultimo- When I come here, this is what I get 90% of the time. Don't mess with a winner! Steak, rice, peppers, cheese and sour cream. Great flavors, great texture and overall a flat out delicious burrito. I still claim they were better back in the day, but this one I had today brought back some of those memories. I really enjoyed it! Chicken Quesadilla- My kids are picky little shits! They like pizza, Chick Fil A, McDonalds, and tacos I make at home. That's about it, honestly. Whenever we go out (if it's not to one of the places mentioned above), it's a roll of the dice if they will actually eat something. They each ate about 1/4 of the quesadilla. I downed the other half, and it was delicious! Lot's of cheese, lots of grilled chicken, and they hook you up with a massive amount of sour cream and guacamole....so much so, that I added some of it to my burrito, finished off the quesadilla, and still had some left over. They definitely don't skimp out on the portions here. My wife enjoyed her Burrito Mexicano, and the chips and salsa they provide are always delicious. The original Baja salsa is the families favorite. Something about that dark brown salsa...it's soooo good! Service was very friendly. Our cashier was all smiles and the place was doing a bustling business early Sunday morning. All the employees seemed in a good mood, and everyone in the restaurant was grubbing down, enjoying themselves. I can see myself making the trek down here a few times a month. Super stoked that this reopened! Now I can only wish/hope that they open one in the West Valley closer to my house. (If the owner/manager/corporate is reading this, we have PLENTY of room to build out here in Surprise, and I'm sure you would make tons and tons of money if you opened one out this way...wink, wink ;-), lol!)

It's back!!! Baja Fresh has returned to its previous location on 16th St. and Camelback! It used to be a weekly lunch spot for me, and has been greatly missed! From what I can tell from a quick visit, not much has changed. I usually get a beans and rice plate with black beans. If you have them leave off the cheese, it's vegan. It's a huge serving for $3.25 (inc. tax) - usually enough for two meals for me - and so good. I used to order a side of chips for $1 but when I asked for them on this visit, the counter person said chips come with everything. When I got the plate - no chips - so I asked for some and was given a small portion. Next time I'll press harder for the $1 bag if they still have it, because the salsa requires far more chips than a side serving. Which brings me to the main point of my excitement - the salsa. I love salsa bars, and Phoenix just doesn't have enough of them! The salsa bar is the main difference to me between Chipotle & Baja Fresh. I'm addicted to the molcajete and verde salsas, but like the rest of them as well. They are fresh and full of flavor. I was sad that they didn't have any mango salsa today, but that's a reason to go back soon! The restaurant is still counter serve, but now they have beepers for you to know when your order is ready, which is much better than them shouting a number. Servers were attentive and everything was clean and new. Let's hope the restaurant stays in this location for good!

Truth be told, it had been well over 10 years since I had been to a Baja Fresh when I decided to try it again recently. I ordered a bean and cheese burrito and a grilled chicken taco. The taco had a zesty green sauce and flavorful cheese that you could actually taste among the many flavors of the taco. The burrito was bursting with cheese and whole pinto beans. It didn't fall apart until I was almost done with it, but I was so full, I couldn't finish it anyway so it didn't matter. Salsa bars make me insanely happy, so of course, theirs was no different. My favorite was the medium, which was a little smokey but still had chunks of tomato and onion. They have a good selection and range of heat to their salsas as well. Everyone gets a bowl of chips to enjoy their salsa with every order. I was impressed by witnessing the manager checking on diners and clearing trays. He asked how their meal was and if their was anything he could do to improve their experience. It shows that employees take pride in their work, which shows in the final food product.

I think I remember this place being better, but it just turned into an average burrito experience. Most items with chicken (white shredded) are just north of 8 bucks and you get various choices of styles. The Ultimo just had rice, meat and sauteed veggies. The veggies were good, but made the whole burrito a bit wet inside. It wasn't bad, but just middle of the road for that style. The other issue was the salsa bar as none of the four salsa's I tried had any flavor at all. That includes the good ole pineapple, the fresca, and two medium varieties. Very strange that all tasted alike, no matter the heat or color. I will say that the rice was soft and tasty, but got drowned out by the watery veggies, so keep it dry inside is my suggestion.

Hi Baja Fresh! Welcome back!!! I have missed you since the day you were shut down back in 2011. I am so glad that you have returned. You have to try the Smokey fundido queso! It was one of my most favorite queso. Far better than at any other restaurant!! I definitely will make a weekly trip to Baja Fresh. Please stay open for good!!!

THIS IS MY VERY FAVORITE RESTAURANT for quality fast food!! Their employees are fabulous and accurate every time! I just made a custom order on post mates and LUZ at this location went out of her way to accommodate my order so kindly. I would be devastated if they ever closed this joint bec everyone has reduced their quality and raised their prices and I'm willing to pay more just to keep the quality of meet and fresh produce like Baja Fresh represents! PLEASE SUPPORT this local business so they make it through difficult times so I can selfishly order from them forever haha ! THANK YOU BAJA FRESH and especially LUZ! Sincerely Local business owner as well :) Shana The Credit Shrink

Wow, the Chicken Ultimo burrito was delicious! I was amazed at how well the vegetables were cooked! Most restaurants don't cook them long enough for my liking, but this place does it PERFECT! This will definitely be my go to burrito here! The Tostada Salad with chicken was good, but it didn't come with salad dressing not sure if I have to ask for that separate Updated 8/30/18 I had to drop from 4 stars to 3 stars - that first time with the vegetables cooked to perfection was just that one time. The last 2 times I ordered they were crunchy. I had a bowl last for the first time. Something was spicy (thinking it was the pinto beans) so needless to say won't be ordering the bowl with beans again and $2 for a spoonful of guacamole, won't be doing that again either. The Mexican street corn is ehhhhhh!

My daughter and I stopped by to get some "fresh & fast" food while in the area shopping at target. We walked in and we're not greeted. Not to mention we were the only customers in sight. We ordered our food and waited over 20 minutes for our food with over 5 people working on shift. Do not recommend this location for anyone and we will not be returning.

Baja fresh is back! And they're still...ok! I got my old go to, the último burrito.... It wasn't bad. It was just what I expected from Baja fresh. They have their same old salsa bar, which was nice. I wouldn't come here all the time, but it's nice that it's an option again.

Why can we not have more of these around the Phoenix area? Why? They are originally from California but based in Scottsdale now, yet there is only 1 in the Phoenix metro area!? Don't get me wrong, it's a great one but why can't there be more of these around town? Let me break it down for you folks. Whoever is saying this is Tex-Mex is 100% wrong. This is Baja-Mex style, which is very similar. I spent most of my life in California (and also in Florida!) where fish tacos are KING and am definitely a fish taco snob. I have no idea why there are so many Rubio's around when this place is 1,000,000 times better. When I was younger and we had Rubio's in California and it was pretty good, but never mind blowing. Baja Fresh was what blew our minds and not only still does but has some how gotten even better. Their service is always top notch, their food is top notch, everything about them is done right. Not Chronic Tacos, not Rubio's, not even Wahoo's in California can light a match to Baja Fresh. This place is the Shangri-La of Taco shops and the absolute best, most flavorful fish tacos you will ever eat. Not even our favorite little local taco shop on the beach in San Diego (and let me tell you, they are insanely good) is as good as Baja Fresh. If I had the money I would start a Franchise myself, but until that day comes I can only HOPE that they would open one up here in North Phoenix around Arrowhead Mall/Lake Pleasant area. I swear if people would get Rubio's out of their brain and try this place there would be no competition. C'mon Baja Fresh, put some of those marketing degrees to use. You guys have MAGIC when it comes to food and business, get it out there. Please. I will be your most loyal customer, you have my word. Baja Fresh in North West Phoenix (Peoria!) Please! And if you're lucky to be within a day's drive of any Baja Fresh do yourself a favor and try their food, which is beyond good. Not only is it so incredibly flavorful (it has a fresh, wood planks BBQ grilled taste to it) but unlike Rubio's who gave me 3 shrimp on the last shrimp taco I ever got there (what a joke, it didn't even taste good) they give you generous portions. Nothing too enormous, but just right (keep it up!) I just can't explain how much I love Baja Fresh. As far as I'm concerned it's the best fish Taco I've ever had.

3 1/2 stars, but I'm rating them 4 to bring up their score. For some reason, my friend Sage is addicted to this place. I don't know why. So we always end up eating here. I don't really like Mexican food, but when we want something cheap, and fast this is a good option. I like the different salsas especially the mango when it's in season. It's in a great location with plenty of parking spots, and we always get great service from the staff.

I came here to get food today. I ordered tacos, and quesadillas for my family. We all got food poisoning. Within an hour of eating the food we all started to feel bad. The shrimp tasted good but the end outcome was a very disappointing experience.

Tried the Impossible bowl and it was disgusting - complete waste of $14. I'm sure they have better tasting food, but that bowl was not it.

I am really unhappy. I was so upset when the Baja Fresh Arizona restaurants were all closed down at the same time, and thrilled when they recently returned. I have been to this location a couple times and they just don't seem to be on their game. Twice I have had my take-out order prepared incorrectly. This last time, we ordered an original Baja taco plain, with just the meat. When we got it home, we opened it up to find it was covered in onions and cilantro. The gentleman who took my order repeated it back to me correctly, so I know it was the person who prepared it. They also used to show you your food when it was ready to make sure it was correct and that no longer happens. Maybe they should reinstate that policy.

Ok can I just say...WOW. Wowowowowow. This place is... amazing. The staff... amazing. The food... amazing. The salsa bar... amaz, you get it. I had the nacho burrito with shrimp. There was shrimp in every bite. No rips off here. It tasted like Smokey bbq heaven. My husband got the Mexicana with chicken, yum. The place was clean and beautiful. But for us the real kicker was the staff. The nicest, most helpful people. They even gave us ice for our to-go bag! Now, my shrimp won't rot away and die while we're at the Celebrity Theatre!! Thank you Baja Fresh, we love you.

First time here. It's like a fast casual Tex mex place. I got the Baja bowl with everything and chicken. Also queso.... because well QUESO. They had a great salsa bar and containers to take some to go. The bowl was very good, had lots of flavor. My complaint is there was maybe 8 tiny pieces of chicken. Also the queso was like a yellow/orange color so not the traditional kind which was a disappointment for me. Food was ready quick & friendly service though.

Baja Fresh is back!!!! I went in on a busy weekday afternoon...business was booming. I was able to place my order quickly. Probably a little too quickly because I panicked and ordered the steak nachos. I NEVER order nachos. Then I saw a little ad for the street corn pop up on the register screen so I had to get that too. Got my drink and was lucky to find a seat. There were a ton of people working and even though it was full, the dining area was clean and the salsa bar was fresh and full. My order came up pretty quick...OMG that nachos are HUGE! They can easily feed two people...not sure what I was thinking. The steak was good, not overdone. I wish there would have been a little more cheese but the toppings that were piled high made up for it. You know how you sometimes get nachos and all the ships in the center are bare? Not here. Everything was covered and every bite was a little different. That street corn though? Highly recommend. Glad to see that you are back in the valley Baja Fresh. I can't wait to visit you again!

I am literally in tears of Joy to see this place open again! I promise I will stop by at least once a week this time to keep you guys in business! Please Tell Tim Koch to never close again!

So so so happy they are back to the valley, and just as good as always. Thrilled that none of the recipes have changed, and now I don't have to get excited every time I drive through Blythe just to get a Baja fresh on the California side! Can't wait for the one in Chandler to open up, that is close to my house!

I have missed eating at Baja Fresh ever since I arrived in Phoenix. Finally foynd one in Glendale. I love the chicken nachos...they are my absolute favorite item on their menu. This location is close by..the staff are all amazing. They'll be seeing me often.

Decent food but ordered and had it delivered and they for got my entire guacamole dip and game me too many chips

I have ordered delivery from you guys and the last 3 times you have not put in the salsa i ordered. I guess it's my fault to continue to order from you. I'm done, I'll take my business somewhere else. Thanks for nothing. I know it seems trivial to complain about salsa but really, how hard is it to complete a togo order

Messed up my order. Went with my dad. I ordered a chicken burrito. He at first ordered steak then switched to shrimp... somehow at the end end we both got shrimp burritos. It was horrible. I only ate it to avoid a complaint. I later found out Chipotle was near and would have rather gone there b

A bit disappointed right now. Ordered a Baja Steak burrito, love it, it's great. Also ordered a steak quesadilla that cost me $10 and it's missing 3/4 of it!!! A little bit of cheese in the center with a bit of steak. Excuse me but where is the rest of my cheese and steak that I paid $10 for???? If I wanted a tortilla I would have ordered that! Will not be coming here again that's for sure.

UNDERSTAFFED. I have been in the restaurant for over 40 min and still don't have any food. I ordered 3 items -- only one taco had to be cooked! Only 1 cook and 1 order taker working tonight. Absurd!

Was so excited when someone told me a Baja Fresh was back, so sent my hubby yesterday for my burrito. While it tasted good I thought the previous in Scottsdale was so much better. Not in flavor, just that my burrito here seemed 80% salsa or pico and less chicken. Plus the ends were a but empty. Other than that the flavor was great, guac was good. Will be back.

I want to like this place but I don't. I like virtually all restaurants that have Mexican food, or claim to be Mexican. But not this place. Been to this location several times, usually ordering some type of burrito and each time I don't finish my meal because I think it tastes terrible. I honestly think the frozen burritos you heat up in your microwave are better. I'd rather go to Chipotle, Cafe Rio, Rubios, Someburros, or even Taco Bell over this chain.

If I could leave a 0 star review, I would. Natalie C. Was my cashier and seemed like she was either extremely new or extremely high on some type of substance. My wife and I placed a simple order yet it took over 40 minutes for us to get our food. 4 other people came in, placed orders and got their food before we did. One of those orders were completely messed up and the customers weren't too happy. Another person was trying to pay with cash and Natalie C. told the customer that he needed to pay with exact cash because the register had no change, he did not have exact cash and almost left until a cook came from the back and said "no, only this register is exact cash, the one right next to you has change." The cook & Natalie C both touched the money with their gloves on, surprisingly Natalie changed her gloves but the cook didn't. The cook then proceeded to touch another customers chips and other good items as he boxed their food up with his surety gloves. When I finally got my food, I asked Natalie "does it usually take this long to get food?" She stared in my face and with an attitude, she " do you want any sauce?" I said sure, she got me the sauce and I asked her again. Her response was they are short staffed which was a terrible excuse because they had 3 people in the kitchen & hardly anyone in the restaurant. There were a few other things that Natalie C. did that led my wife and I to think she was definitely high but I don't feel like typing it all out. I know companies are short staffed now and will hire pretty much anyone but this is no excuse. Will not be going back here again.

I was so exited when Baja was Back! I have eaten there many many times since. As I would return I started to notice less and less meat. Today was the last straw. I ordered a carnitas, steak and chicken burritos and all were just like the picture i added. As you can see it is 98% pico with the rest being tortilla and meat. I understand why restaurants may skimp on the meat but Id take a 60-40 split, hell even a 70-30 would be better than this. This was just terrible. I wont be returning, and I suggest you not try it.

I usually like Baja, but I didn't realize that when I asked for a Diablo with chicken and No beans, it would be filled with rice and very little chicken. I basically received a rice Diablo. I didn't even know that was a thing. Beware of any item that has rice as a filler, because rice will be the main ingredient.

I have eaten here on several occasions for lunch, and have really enjoyed my experience here. They have a great menu with fair prices, and a good amount of food to fill just about anyone up! Service here is always quick and friendly, and I usually enjoy my time here. The only downside, is that this place always seems to be insanely busy every time I go on lunch during the week. I don't always have time to blow 20 minutes on my lunch to go here, but when I do, I always get really good food. I've been getting the tacos here when I do eat at Baja, and thier pretty darn good. They even have a salsa bar in the corner! Minus the lunch time rush, this place is worth a stop in to eat at, any day of the week. I will be back in the future for more!

I was shopping for a car on Camelback and wanted to grab some lunch so I popped into this Baja Fresh. It's a standard franchise with indoor seating and a complimentary Salsa Bar. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/baja-fresh-mexican-grill-phoenix-2?select=3RbzbIpybV2t5JTnUlKW7g#3RbzbIpybV2t5JTnUlKW7g http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/baja-fresh-mexican-grill-phoenix-2?select=k8RRAeOV1KfQZdwsWrXsyg#k8RRAeOV1KfQZdwsWrXsyg I ordered a Steak Burrito Mexicana, $6.99. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/baja-fresh-mexican-grill-phoenix-2?select=3RoT6ekmCU5HJ8HFQCWhFA#3RoT6ekmCU5HJ8HFQCWhFA http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/baja-fresh-mexican-grill-phoenix-2?select=S5ZTPEbX2I9PsbUVNdqmUA#S5ZTPEbX2I9PsbUVNdqmUA The Burrito was fresh and tasted good. The employees were very fast and efficient. Overall, it was a good experience. Return Factor - 75%

Yummm!!! I mean seriously - YUM!! Everything I've ordered off the menu has always been fresh, tasty and made exactly the way I order. The salsa bar is ALWAYS clean and orderly with lots of options for different pallets. Customer service? Excellent! I've never had a bad experience here.

We used to eat here a lot in Michigan until they closed . Now that we live in Arizona we were happy to see one close by . The food was great ; my favorite is the burrito ultimo with chicken . It tasted just like I remember. Great food ; great service ! Definitely will be back

Just ordered a bean and cheese burrito. Wait time was fast, and burrito seemed like a generous portion, and it was great. Staff was friendly and place is clean. My ONLY complaint is that they play horrible music. Why not just play Mexican music? Your a Mexican food restaurant... this top 40 crap is real off putting to me personally. But hey, maybe they don't really want people to dine in they would probably prefer that you take it to go

This location is great!! What makes it better than Chipotle? The food is fresh and prepared to order, the kitchen is in the dining area so you can watch the food being made. You won't find gross cafeteria food served under heat lamps and warming trays here. My favorite is the Baja Burrito, I really hadn't been a fan of guacamole before but this burrito is so delicious! Recently I ventured out and tried the Nacho Burrito, which is also great! I didn't find it spicy though like it was supposed to be, but no complaints. It had been a few years since I had last had Baja Fresh and am very happy I got hooked on them. Also, if you sign up for their Club Baja online they send you emails every so often for $2 of $8 or $5 off $15, both nice savings if you go often as I do.

A go-to favorite! Their burritos are delicious, and the salsa bar is awesome. The staff is always super friendly, and their email list sends coupons pretty regularly. It's a great fresh Mexican option -- one of my top in the valley!

I know they've been back for a bit but it's taken awhile for me to get back here and I forgot how great this place is. Still us high quality ingredients. Everything is fresh. Salsas are still great.

So happy they're back! Love the food here and tortilla soup is a must! Don't skip this awesome place, great if you're craving fresh tacos and are sick of chipotle.

Absolutely delicious every time! Queso is ALWAYS on point. Carne Asada is always tender, flavorful & scrumptious. So glad they reopened.

I'm glad it's back. I missed Baja fresh in the Phoenix area. The closest one was in El Mirage Ca, or Las Vegas that I ever found. It's identical to the old one on Camelback, now located on the other side of the same parking lot. Baja Fresh is the closest tasting Mexican food to the taquerias in California. All the salsas are good there. Baja Fresh keeps me from ever wanting Chipotle.

I don't know if it's because there was a big catering order last night, but I waited 25 minutes for my to-go order of two wahoo tacos and one tortilla soup. I just would have appreciated some kind of acknowledgment like a thank-you for waiting. I think that's a pretty long wait for fast-casual. My food was decent but I think it will be a while before I patronize this place again.

I'm not sure why I love Baja Fresh but I do. Get a side of diablo sauce it is unbelievable and spicy. I love the salsa bar and think for the price the quality of food is actually really good. The only thing I don't like is the dining room it's really small and not properly maintained during busy times.

I ordered a burrito for lunch and waited 10mins still didnt get my food, I had to go up to the counter again and see where is was, then I heard her tell the cooks to make the burrito, how does that get missed?! I saw at least 7 people who came after me receive their food me. I think it had to do with the color of my skin.

Welcome back Baja Fresh!! This was highly anticipated for my family and it does not disappoint. The food is delicious, the service is on point and it's always very clean. We even mentioned on our first visit that we had a hard time getting a high chair. Our next time back (less than a week later) they had more high chairs!! If you are in the area (or far) it's worth the trip!!

Honestly thought Baja Fresh would revamp the menu but it's just as disappointing as before. They should have just remained closed. I went in today for a shrimp burrito with the cilantro lime sauce. It was bland, flavorless, and a disappointment. Nothing has changed, honestly they can't compete with Cafe Rio or even Chipotle. I will not be eating at Baja Fresh ever again.

Poorly managed. Employees laughed and found it funny that they had given my order to someone else. I waited 26 minutes for a bean burrito. They gave me a coupon for a free guacamole which I don't want. They definitely should've refunded my money. Salsa bar was mostly empty. Overall just a terrible experience.

Great food and great employees! Baja carnitas tacos are killer with spicy fish sauce! Also employees are always happy and pleasant.

My roasted burrito with steak was so fresh and yummy the staff is very friendly I am glad they brought it back to this location will definitely be back sorry no picture but it was so good I couldn't wait to eat