Nice authentic Mexican restaurant in Montclair . Love the the chicken tinga burrito - pretty massive. Steak tacos were good as well. Lunch specials are pretty good and decent portions. read more

Tinga Fresh Mexican & BBQ - Steak tacos - Mexican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

This has been my favorite restaurant in the world since I was five years old. delicious food every single time -- super consistent, and THE staple for my family for over two decades (and the stuff is wonderful, and the ambience is lovely). if i could only eat at one restaurant for the rest of my life, it'd be Tinga. read more

Stopped ordering from them a couple years ago because the food was just never that good. But for some reason, decided to torture myself again tonight and yep--I regretted it. Got the bbq brisket sandwich. Literally like chewing cardboard. No cole slaw or anything to spruce it up a bit.And I paid extra for chips when, what do you know?, IT CAME WITH CHIPS. (Maybe tell people this when they order??) Not to mention they were stale! Not sure how this place hasp stayed in business all these years. But now I really am done. read more

I haven't had Tinga in a very long time. I used to deliver for them when I was younger so i pretty much have had everything. My favorite used to be the bbq beef brisket burrito. They have good salads in taco bowls and the chips are freshly made every day. They seemed to be falling off years ago so I can't confirm if they are good now. We drove by the other day and I said I need to stop in and try again. Dana the owner was a cool boss to work for. Him and Juan the manager weee the best. I will update review when I try them again soon. read more

We stopped by this place as it was opening up for dinner service. The waiters were so kind they let us in because it was chilly outside. We ordered nachos and tacos. We tried the nachos grande which was so good. It comes with a vegetarian chilli topping that was addictive. And as you can see from the photo, a huge amount of guacamole. We also ordered smoked brisket tacos. The meat was well seasoned and well cooked. And the tacos had so much filling (pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, lettuce). It also came with a side of beans and rice. It was a decent amount of food for the price, we couldn't finish all we took the rest to go! read more

Tinga Fresh Mexican & BBQ - Nachos Grande - Mexican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

See all

Service: 4/5 Bathroom: 3/5 Food 1.5/5 steak quesadilla - rejected by my son but not terrible but def some of the worst quality steak I've had in a quesadilla - little to no salt/seasoning bbq brisket - tender but flavorless, no salt/no sauce rice and beans were okay good/easy parking but much better options nearby wish i had ordered a jarritos read more

When you're here you're family. Food was delicious, service was above and beyond, and they went out of their way to accommodate our big party with short notice. The vibe was perfect. We'll definitely be coming back. read more

Went for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Food was warm at best, not as flavorful as I expected considering it's a Mexican restaurant. The Guac tasted processed and way too creamy. Not impressed with food but service was great. read more

Excellent experience and food as usual. Service was quick and friendly. The chips and guacamole were fresh and tasty. I enjoyed the bar size burrito and salad lunch special. read more

Tinga Fresh Mexican & BBQ - Bar sized chicken Tinga burrito with side salad - Mexican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

See all

Probably the worst tacos/food I've ever had! Upon walking in I found the atmosphere small, simple, and cool with its Mexican decor! I was noticed when I walked in but not greeted. There was one table occupied with two men having lunch. I stood there looking at the menu in front and decided I wanted to stay. After a few minutes the cashier/server (only visible worker) came to me and I was seated. Socially awkward vibes from the worker but I know how to mold so it was all good. He seemed so shy and uncomfortable speaking with me. Nonetheless, after being seated my order was taken quickly, a good suggestion was made after I asked, and some chips and salsa were served. I was starving and excited to try it. I ordered one steak taco and one fish taco. The tacos had rice and beans included as a side. I was hoping that wasn't to make up for a shortfall. I'm obsessed with tacos and from my experience every place that has amazing ones knows you don't need extras. -Chips and salsa 9/10 -Beans 2/10 (verrrry weird after taste) -Rice 0/10 (blah) -Steak taco 1/10 (took one bite and the small steak portion slid fully out. It was so fatty and chewy like bubblegum unable to eat it normally) -Fish taco 1/10 (plain tasting/ lots of filler as you can see in the photo. It was pretty much a vegan taco) I was starving so I just ate enough to sustain myself and took a mental note that I'd never be back or recommend this place. I was SO surprised with how terrible each food item was. Truly terrible. I usually enjoy most things I eat/try. This was NOT that. This place has so much potential! I know they can do better. read more

See all

wow wow wow, get anything with their BBQ sauce on it. Its not too sweet, and gently smoked. i loved my BBQ chicken burrito so much, the owner came over and gave me free BBQ sauce to take home. great service, lovely decor, and good food. read more

Great casual Mexican restaurant in Montclair. I went with a couple of my friends and we had a great time having lunch and drinking some margaritas. This place is BYOB so you can bring your own bottle and get some margarita mix from the restaurant and have yourself some yummy drinks. Food: we had to start of with the guacamole and chips. Then we enjoyed our entree. For my entree i had the chicken tinga burrito bowl. I enjoyed my food a lot. read more

See all

Absolutely disgusting. Threw up as soon as I got to the parking lot. Not even an overexaggeration. Chicken barely even looked cooked. Didn't even give straws for the drinks either during a pandemic. Thank god Cold Stone is a few doors down so I could wash the taste out of my mouth. 0/100 stars. Mexican Taco Salad was the pits read more

Family loves it here. We've sat outside on the patio and the food is always good. My sister always orders the salmon burrito so I got her a gift card to the Montclair location for her birthday! The guy let me know the gift card was only good at the location I bought it at. Wish the servers wrote down your order... This one waiter we get always forgets something/ messes something up. read more

One of my favorite spots in Montclair. Nice big portions, staff is so friendly. They always treat you like a regular. Everything is fresh and made on the spot comes out nice and hot. Their guacamole is awesome! I highly recommend this place if you're in the area. read more

Tinga Fresh Mexican & BBQ - Carne Asada Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

My favorite mexican restaurant in the world since I was a kid. My favorite tortillas in the world. So soft and delicious and huge portions. Great for everybody and strongly miss the millburn location. Service is friendly and knows and recognizes my family. Has literally watched me grow up. Great ambiance and fun decor. I always come back to tinga, no matter how old I am or how far it is. Wish there was another one closer to South Orange. read more

Third or fourth time now ordering catering. Unlike the first time where I ordered for 10 and got food for 20, this time I ordered for 12, and got enough protein for probably 12. Still plenty of rice, beans, tortilla chips, tortillas, and accoutrements. Food has been fresh, tasty, and seemingly prepared with care each time Always look forward to when I can order lunch from Tinga! read more

I went back after a while. Did a take-out. The staff was friendly and helpful in ordering. I enjoyed my burrito. Even got free chips. read more

I would say 3 stars is spot on, but look. You can see the reviews. You can figure out pretty quickly this isn't authentic Mexican. It's Tex-Mex. Go in with that attitude and enjoy the good portions and homemade chips. I don't really have complaints about my... I think it was a chicken enchilada... except I ordered it with the spicy sauce and if that's what it was cooked with, then that sauce is not spicy. The basic salsa was spicier. Either way, gotta deduct for that. I can't comment on service because this was brought in by someone else, but the food itself... if you like Americanized "Mexican" food you will want this over any chain in the area. If you demand the real thing, I doubt you'll find it in Montclair but let me know if you find it! read more

Ordered takeout. There must be a tortilla chip shortage that we were unaware of because we received the teeniest, wimpiest vendor-packaged bag of chips with our $10 guacamole side. It was almost laughable how tiny it was. I remember this place being known for great portion sizes, and I was surprised to see how low the ratings have gotten on their Yelp page (I really used to enjoy their food), but here I am adding in a one-star review. This wimpy bag of tortilla chips is a representation of what Tinga has become- laughably disappointing. read more

Tinga Fresh Mexican & BBQ - Mexican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

The employees were all super nice but that's about the only positive thing I have to say about this place. My chicken quesadilla was extremely bland and my boyfriend could barely eat his bbq burrito. I ordered a small side of queso hoping that would help to give the quesadilla some flavor but honestly, it just made it worse. I should've known right away I was going to be disappointed since not even their salsa was edible. I wanted to like this place because it's cute and the staff was friendly but I'm sad to say but this might just be the worst Mexican food I've ever eaten in my life. read more

Very disappointed in "grilled" tofu tacos. Barely anything in it other than a uncooked piece of tofu. Have ordered the beyond bowls before, which is a nice veggie option, but ok. read more

Tinga Fresh Mexican & BBQ - "Grilled Tofu tacos" - Mexican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

See all

Unsure if the chef was having a bad day or the quesadillas are downright subpar. Way too much chicken, making it impossible to even hold. Besides that, the guacamole is pretty good and service is quick. Perhaps I will think twice before ordering from here again. I can tell the chef has lots of potential, maybe just had a bad night sleep. read more

Tinga Fresh Mexican & BBQ - Chicken quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Tinga? More like Blanda. I ate here yesterday. Not going back again. The food has no seasoning. The veggies have no flavor. You don't even get the cilantro flavor! The chips were good but how are your tacos flavorless? How? They try to be vegan then their home made seasoning has honey. Can't even eat here. Not going back ever. Wasted my money on a Saturday night. Doesn't even serve alcohol! Virgin margarita? What is this? read more

My husband and I enjoyed a nice dinner here a few days ago. Warm welcome and seated in their lovely dining area. Enjoyed chips and fresh salsa. Our dinners were delicious. I enjoyed the enmoladas with mole sauce and a full plate of rice, pico, and lettuce. My husband's chicken tinga tacos with rice and beans were great, too. The service was friendly and quick. We've been coming for 12 years and it is always a good experience. read more

Pretty decent lunch spot in Montclair. There's outdoor seating in the front of the restaurant and seating inside. The decor is nice. My party of 3 went today around lunch time and there was plenty of seating inside and were seen immediately. I had the shrimp taco meal and it was good. It comes with rice and beans but you can substitute for a salad instead. Parking is primarily metered street but can find free street parking in the street over. read more

Blackened fish tacos were slamming! I highly recommend. They did not have a lot of non alcoholic beverage options, but other than that, the place was good. read more

Tinga Fresh Mexican & BBQ - Blackened Fish Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

See all

Good food, average prices. Small venue, close, almost cramped seating. Lively informal atmosphere. Friendly prompt attentive staff.

Tinga sticks around mostly because it's not the best Tex-Mex spot in the area, but because it's always solid. The burritos are well balanced, just the protein could always use a little more seasoning. I used a side of Molé to bring some more flavors and my home hot sauce collection to make things interesting. read more

I came in here with a friend and her daughter and a weekday evening. We were quickly graded and seated which was great as the staff was very accommodating. After looking through the menu quickly, we ordered out meal and it came out shortly after. Again, the staff was very helpful with waiting on us and we were very appreciative of it. The food was ok. My friend and I both ordered a low carb option of shrimp w sautéed spinach and cheese. I had to actually order a side of black beans to give the meal a little extra umph because it was a little bland. All in all, the food was alright, the service was better. Will I come back? Maybe maybe not.. read more

Tinga Fresh Mexican & BBQ - Mexican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

See all

I have been ordering from Tinga since they opened 20 years ago! Never disappointed, food is consistent and delish!!! The chicken Tinga burrito is my go to, guacamole is fresh and tasty. Always a win win!!! I have eaten at plenty of Mexican restaurants and Tinga is still on the top of my list. read more

First time in this restaurant. I was impressed on how the ribs taste. I lived in Houston Texas for almost 20 years. I can't believe the taste of their ribs. I definitely competes with the bar bq in Houston. Will definitely be going back to this place. This place will see me regularly. It reminds me of Houston. read more

I had a carne asada burrito with a side of guac for the first time ordering out from here and it did not disappoint! The portion alone was amazingly big, enough to share with my mom and still be full. The entire meal tasted fresh and the flavors were irresistible. The Guacamole was chunky just like I like it. Zero complaints! And they have a dog friendly patio!!!! read more

We're a regular here, being close to home and addicted to good Mexican fare. These folks bring it, every time. It's not fancy, not expensive, and not creative -- it's solid, authentic Mexican for when you're in the mood. Try the Chimichangas -- they're killer. The CS is *always* spot on, and delivery always seems to come early (who can say THAT?) Chips & Guac is a staple here as well. read more

This is good introductory Mexican food for Americans. It's not authentic Mexican food. But they try. The dishes are pretty standard, tacos, quesadilla, burritos, etc. chips and salsa as app when you sit down to eat. Service was okay , small location so it can get busy when it's a full house. They offer outdoor seating in the spring and summer. I ordered a spicy chicken burrito with guacamole and pico . I wanted to love it but sooooooo much guacamole that it overpowered the dish. There was a 70 / 30 balance of chicken and guacamole ratio, maybe some love that but it felt way too mushy to be a burrito. Needed lettuce or rice to balance the dish. Overall it's okay, not the must go to place for authentic Mexican food! read more

Tinga Fresh Mexican & BBQ - Mexican Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Ordered from the catering menu for my daughters birthday. The amount of food was incredible and absolutely delicious! The Make Your Own Fajitas were a huge hit. Highly recommend it. And the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful read more

Tinga is not authentic Mexican food, but it is still a good place to get a Tex-Mex fix. Their entrees and dishes have been around for a while, I've come to their location since I was a kid. Customer service is always great, and the food is good. I don't come here too often anymore, but their burrito is massive and the one item I order each time. read more

Found this place while walking around the neighborhood one Sunday. We walked in and was led to outdoor seating. No alcohol--its BYOB. I'm not sure what the reasons are for that as you'd assume that would bring in some cash...but I'm sure the owners have their good reasons. The food came in large portions. As others commented, it's not authentic Mexican food. It's mediocre nothing too special. The mole sauce over the enchiladas was pretty good. Reasonable prices. They had some Music playing in the outside patio area. I'd say the food and overall experience is equivalent to three solid stars. read more

10/10 service, everyone here was genuinely happy to serve everyone food and made sure we had the best experience possible. And example of this was when I was giving my order and they gave me samples based on what I ordered make sure I'd like it before I actually bought it or when they recommended the Flan (9/10) and they were genuinely happy when we liked it. read more

We were in the mood for burritos and decided to order from Tinga. Delivery was on time and great. However, the food is very average. We got a mission burrito, chicken burrito, carne asada burrito as well as chili con carne and nacho grande. Everything was very basic. There wasn't a good sauce or any variety in flavor. The flavors that were there weren't bad but it left us wanting something more. The chili con carne had peas and carrots which I'm not sure are normally in it, it wasn't something we enjoyed. Overall it was an okay meal, we don't see ourselves ordering from here again. read more