California Tortilla — Restaurant in Bethesda

It is hard to go wrong with California Tortilla (or Cal Tort for short), which is not really authentic Mexican (maybe California-Mexican), but more of a high-end fast taco place. We have been customers since the first one opened (I think that was before my kids were born, i.e., 2000, but I might be wrong). All I know is that we have never been disappointed with this Cal Tort location (the original store but a location across the street from where it all started).

My favorite part of the store is the wall of hot sauces, ranked in heat, that can make any meal mouth numbing so that it tastes great. I actually do love some of the menu items (the chicken caesar burrito, which is what I think I ordered the first time I was ever there), but the healthiness (i.e., method of preparation) of some items seems to have waned.

Anyway, my kids, who are now in their 20s, still order the kid's burrito meal and love it, and I occasionally make it back for either a burrito or a bowl, which makes me feel like I am...

I'd wager others had a better experience than I did, and the place seemed popular enough, but it was the worst Mexican food experience I've ever had.

The place seemed nice enough, and the prices were decent, but the food was sub-par.

I ordered the BBQ burrito (I don't recall the exact name), which said it came with everything from ranch to beans to meat to BBQ sauce and rice. However, it seemed that it was mostly (70-80%) decent rice (I've made better) and a few dry pieces of meat. Next to zero BBQ or beans and no ranch flavor that I could find. It's the first burrito in my life that I've been unable to finish.

The chips were decent, but the guacamole was cheap and the salsa was appalling. It was little more than diced tomatoes and cilantro.

I think the worst part by far is the fact that it upset my stomach for nearly an hour afterwards and gave me trouble on the toilet, something that's never happened before (even with cheaper places like Taco Bell).

Hopefully others have better...

1st experience with California Tortilla and I approve! I had the California Screamin' burrito and it was pretty good. I forgot to order it without the fajita vegetables so I take responsibility for that mishap. The kids that were with me approved of their food as well. One ordered the Korean Bbq Burrito and the other ordered the Bbq Chicken Quesadilla. The service was prompt and friendly. The only downside was the Wall of Flame with too many sauces to choose from. It was hard to narrow it down to only one or two. I picked 3 I'd never tried before and 1 I've had a lot of times. I would visit California Tortilla again if I'm near one and in the mood for fresh...