Tortilla Flats — Restaurant in California

In response to the owner: I WATCHED the margarita get poured out of a pitcher! So great you won awards for your margaritas, but on the day I was there, I didn't get one. And yes, you are correct, I posted the same review on Yelp. People do that you know. It is this cool thing called copy and paste. Why in the world would I waste my time writing 2 completely different reviews for such a terrible experience? And for your information, even when using fresh limes, when they have been squeezed and sitting for a long time in a pitcher (remember I watched them pour it with my own eyes) they start to taste stale like out of a bottle even if they were fresh to begin with. And the vegetables in my burrito were bone dry bland flavor. Had nothing to do with spiciness level. I come from the restaurant industry. I know what I am talking about. And finally, part of the reason my review was long was because I actually took the time to write polite and nice things too. I could have left those out after having such a bad experience, and had a much shorter review. Maybe you should have thought about that before your snide comments. You would have done better not to reply at all then to come at me the way you have in your reply.

Sorry... more than 3 strikes, and you're out. I wanted to sit outside and have a good margarita, plus I eat plant based, so with a full bar, outdoor seating, and mentions of good veggie options, I decided to give this place a try. I arrived, and the sweet, young girl working was quite overwhelmed with just 3 tables. It took her a VERY long time to even get me a menu. I come from the restaurant industry, and I know people have off days, so I cut her some slack. I had wanted to sit outside, but I knew just by how overwhelmed she was with only 3 tables inside, that there was NO way I was going to be able be able to eat outside, one of the big reasons I chose this restaurant. I was disappointed, but I understand understaffing and not great staff options can be a real challenge these days. I was happy they had an ACTUAL grilled veggie burrito, not just rice and beans, so I ordered that. I asked a question about a tequila that she had no answer to but told me another server who was coming would know the answer and that was that (she never asked the other server when that server did arrive.) When the burrito arrived, I was pleased with just how big it was. Sadly, the seasoning was quite bland, so I POURED salsa all over it to add flavor. As I began to eat, the next (big) strike happened when I found a very large hair in the food. It is so disgusting when this happens. Hair nets in kitchens are for a reason. I do understand this still happens sometimes, though, even when trying really hard, so I didn't make a big scene, but I did completely lose my appetite, showed the newer server, told her to please take it away, and take it off my bill, and that I would just order my drink. Because she was quite busy, I decided not to ask her about the other tequila from previously and just stick with a classic margarita which was described in the menu as sounding good as the old style classic margarita as tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice. She turns around asks another man to make it, and he POURS IT OUT OF A PITCHER. And mind you, they charge SIXTEEN DOLLARS for this drink. And on top of that there are still only like maybe 7 tables total in the whole restaurant, including the ones who were already there and eating when I arrived. I took a sip of the margarita, and it was AWFUL. Tasted mostly like lime juice from a bottle. i am dumbfounded they charge $16 for a pre-mixed margarita. I can go to a chain restaurant, have cheaper and better tasting food and drinks, better QUALITY drinks for the same price or even cheaper, plus better service. I will NEVER go to this place again. I am amazed this place is able to...

My wife and I have kept trying to like this place. It’s close to our home, and we love the little Soquel Village strip. We’ve had a few unpleasant experiences here over the years, and I guess we forget about them, and keep giving this place the “second chance”.

We headed down there tonight. My wife is pregnant, and was craving a non-alcoholic margarita with salt. She ordered that, and I asked for one with tequila. Mine came with a salt rim, hers didn’t. When the waiter came back, he asked how we liked the drinks, and my wife commented that she didn’t expect it to be blended, but that it was okay, she just really was hoping for the salt rim. He said he’d be right back, and brought back one on-the-rocks, with no salt rim. (Must’ve been that it was loud in there with the live music; maybe he didn’t hear.)

So he walked away at that point, but we were definitely ready to order (maybe he needed to check on another table or something, but it seemed weird that he would drop stuff off and not stick around to see if we were happy.) We had originally asked for waters with our drink order, and had wanted to remind him that we still wanted those.

My wife ordered the vegetarian enchilada and a fish taco combo plate (she’s pescatarian). She got a chicken enchilada, instead. We told the waiter, and they remade it, and didn’t make us pay for that meal. (Which is cool, but not great.)

We also got some guacamole. It needed salt. There was no salt on the table, and my wife finally hassled a bartender/server to find us one, because our server was hard to pin down. We never got the basket of chips we asked for, to finish our guac.

Her fish taco was particularly “fishy” to her. I think I’ll try to eat it later, but agree that it’s a fragrant fish!

We were disappointed to still pay $70 (even after her veggie enchilada was comped) for such a crummy experience.

Not trying to be a jerk at all. I hate leaving bad reviews, but when you go to a place, a few times, trying to like it, and keep having sub-par experiences, you feel like you should tell your neighbors, if you care about them.

We’re willing to consider that maybe they have some great meat dishes that we...

INCONSISTENT. I read a review of this place from a few months ago, before I started writing this. My take away from that review and my experience this past weekend is that the place suffers mainly from inconsistency. We too were a party of six. We also sat on the back patio. The weather was fantastic so the idea of eating outside was appealing. And to be honest that and the company (family) was the best thing about this establishment. Upon arriving we encountered a couple of ladies who swore by the Margaritas. So we ordered a couple of pitchers. What a disappointment. $50 per pitcher was the price. Understanding the amount of money a single bottle of spirits costs a bar and the profit derived from that bottle, my first thought was "why the cheap tequila???" And why did the waitress seemingly blame us for not using the strainer when pouring? The problem wasn't that the margaritas were watered down. The problem was the lack of balance. The cheap tequila overpowered the other flavors. The food was edible but honestly I've had better at some of the local fastfood style Mexican food places in my hometown (Sacramento area). The beans tasted as though they came from a can. The rice was dry and over cooked as though they scraped it from the bottom of the pot that they kept reheating. The Carne Asada (a great barometer of Hispanic food restaurants) was overcooked and a bit tough. Overall the best thing I can say about our time at Tortilla Flats is that we have one more story to add to the stories of the day's events. But not a story that any restaurant should feel proud of. Maybe, if I'd found out the business changed hands or the complete staff, I'd try it again, but my gut is that there are other places in the area that would work a little harder to deserve my patronage.

Two stars!!! this place leaves lots of room for...