I was really excited to try this spot so took my out of town family here for dinner. The service was great but we were all disappionted with the food. I had the fish taco and it was, by far, the most uninspiring I've ever had. It was bland and I was still hungry when we left. Everyone else said their food was below average. On a good note, the house margaritas were great. Overall, overpriced for what you get and there are plenty of amazing mexican joints in town so I recommend spending your pretty pennies elsewhere. read more

The 2 stars is solely for the service. I don't understand the excellent food ratings. My girlfriend and I went there because it had great yelp reviews, but our food was........bad. The rice and beans had absolutely 0 flavor. Good thing we ate so many chips. Margaritas were bad with huge ice chunks in it. The only thing to take away from this experience was we ate at a new place for us. Very disappointed read more

Went with a group of people. Loved the homemade tortilla chips and salsa. I totally loved my flatbread enchilada (vegetarian with various nuts and seeds) and the quite potent watermelon margarita! My daughter enjoyed her nachos (small size was plenty for her), and my teenage daughter got the carne asada super burrito, which she said was great with tender carne asada. Way too much for her though. My BIL, who is Mexican-American and knows his food, got a mole enchilada dish, and was disappointed. It was not what he was expecting. Great restaurant but know that the dishes are not necessarily the traditional ones. Small restaurant- recommend making reservations. Especially since our party of 6 had to wait a bit without reservations. read more

We went to Tortilla Flats (again) for dinner the other night. This is one of our favorite restaurants! The food, service and ambiance is great! A wonderful dining experience. read more

Worst meal I've eaten in a long time! Chili beans as refried!? Burnt boxed rice and a soggy plate of slop with spaghetti sauce, the cheese is cheap and rubbery. I was so disappointed I was out of there in less than 20 minutes. So I know my food was not cooked to order. The original margarita was out within a minutes time and tasted like a cheap mixer in a ridiculous glass. The chips and salsa were the best part of this meal. read more

The food wasn't just your basic combo plate mexican fare. The meals were skimpy and the prices were definitely "caro" (steep). If you appreciate ambiance, cleanliness, service and creativity in food, then it will do. It wasn't authentic Mexican but at least it wasn't your basic gringo basura (garbage) either. I would go back there if the authentico grub doesn't turn up. read more

After visiting their artsy website, this place seemed to be worth checking out. When we arrived, my initial impression was favorable. I always place a high premium on ambiance and was not disappointed when I saw the beautiful Mexican pottery and other native deco on the walls. The overall vibe was reminiscent of a little Spanish church I had visited in Northern New Mexico in my youth. Initial impressions can be deceptive, unfortunately. The food itself was quite disappointing. The dried-out brown rice and black bean side dishes were don't-even-bother tasteless. My tilapia filet was just okay and my wife's chile relleno and taco were average. I ordered a Grand Margarita, which is supposed to include cointreau and gran marnier, but instead had the unmistakably cloying flavor of generic triple sec (way cheaper in price), which to me has always tasted like the artificial orange favoring used in chewable baby aspirins. Yucko! The service was indifferent-to-poor. Even though the place was not busy at all, the waiter never bothered to see if we needed anything and never asked how we liked the food. Nor did he refill our water glasses. At one point I attempted to engage him in conversation (both in English and in Spanish, which I speak fluently), but he had absolutely no interest in extending that form of hospitality. When we were obviously finished, with the check and credit card sitting there in full view, he passed our table at least 10 times without bothering to pick it up, and we had to hunt down the hostess(?), to pay and LEAVE (the best part of the meal). I wonder if our friend, el camarero, correlated the small tip with his crappy service. I doubt it. Bottom line: Better options abound in the Santa Cruz area. Manuel's in Aptos is WAY better. Even Little Tampiquo, about a block away, is better than this hype. read more

We've eaten here a few times now, and I feel like I can write an accurate and honest review because the first time I ate here was obviously not a fluke. Bottom line, the food here is overpriced and bland. Now it does appear to be healthier than your average taqueria, which is nice. However, healthier doesn't necessarily mean tasteless and heat is not a flavor. We tried everything from the tamales to basic tacos, and both kinds of beans. Everything, even the meat fillings, lack basic seasoning, and I'm not necessarily talking about taco seasonings, I mean even salt and pepper. The shredded chicken is extremely bland and just tastes like it was blanched. However, the beef and chicken are nice and tender. They have the potential to be excellent if they had some flavor. The refried beans have a little heat, but other than that they don't seem to have any other seasoning either. Last straw, the basket of chips we received last time was cold and stale, and had clearly been sitting around all day. We can get fresh and tasty Mexican food for half the price of this place at many other local places. I've tried this place a few times now, and I don't intend to go back. read more

Service was okay. The server was quick with the food and drinks and we were sat pretty quickly. The food was not good. I ordered the red pepper salmon with black beans and rice. The salmon and rice were cold and the beans were dry. The beans also tasted like canned chili. My nephew had the carne asada and found a long piece of hair that he bit into. The server replaced it quickly but unapologetically. Overall, service isn't bad but probably would have been better off getting Mexican food elsewhere. read more

I've been going here since I was a kid. I'm not sure why the ratings are low. It is my idea of what a sit down mexican restaurant should be. Good margaritas. I always get the flatland enchiladas. They are an awesome vegitarian mix of nuts, seeds, tomato, and spices. I'm not even vegitarian but I love it. Their half side of rice and black beans are good too. Their salad with honey sesame dressing is very good too. My family usually orders some of the daily specials which are always solid. read more

So overpriced. Totally mediocre. Were in California... You have way too many excellent options to go to Tortilla Flats! Nice waitress though. read more

I hate to write a negative review, but I'm really disappointed. The food at Tortilla Flats is always awesome. HOWEVER - tonight my wife and I had a "date" as the daughter was on a school trip. The food was superb - but the service was dreadful. We didn't get water - the server never checked back for a second drink or coffee or desert. It was busy but not extreme. Our server simply "checked out". We live in the neighborhood and love the food - I hope in the future then quality of the service will rise to the quality of the food. read more

The food was marginal. Granted, I got something basic, but you would think they could do much better. The service was not friendly. It is insulting that they don't give chips with their take-out food. Yes, you can purchase them, but if you sit in the restaurant, take up space, and have them clean up after you, you get the chips for free. Go figure. read more

I have been eating here since the 80's. Best Mexican restaurant in the world! For health nuts: try the Flatland tostado or taco, its good beyond belief:) read more

This is the BEST Mexican food ANYWHERE!...BEST Margaritas (made with alcohol - not sugary mix) , best Mole enchiladas or Tostadas anywhere. (try their vegetarian) We eat here minimum, 2x a month...horrible traffic at dinner time = 10 miles or we would easily eat here 2- 3 x a WEEK. TOASTADAS are so fresh, packed with meat, cheese, beans veges. Great service. Save $$, park on a side street...walk a block if necessary....or don't eat here...so we get a table!! read more

The green corn tamales were the best tamales I've had in my life!!! I want to keep going back to try more of their seasonal tamales. Yum!!!

I've been to this place a couple of times recently only because a friend likes it here. However, I'll NEVER go back. After my meal with my granddaughter, I waited to use the bathroom. The cook had entered just ahead of me so I waited for him to come out. You know where this is going if I'm talking about a bathroom experience. At any rate, the cook left and returned to the kitchen. I entered and discovered there was no soap in the only soap dispenser. No soap also meant the cook did not wash his hands after using the bathroom. That is pretty disgusting. Upon leaving I mentioned the soap issue to the waitperson behind the bar who was also my server. He was just slightly more interested in sanitation than the cook - which is a tiny fraction above nothing. Nothing happened about the soap - the cook continued cooking with his disgusting unsanitary self - handling food that you and I both consumed. If this is the attitude of the employees, the owner needs to find new employees. I'm not going back ever. read more

A friend who lives nearby recommended we have dinner at Tortilla Flats, and what a find it is! We had a great meal, starting with the delicious Grand Margarita. I had the pork tamale and Santa Fe red sauce special, another had the portabello mushroom appetizer, and the enchiladas were great. We had dessert which was good but not great--next time I'll just focus on the fabulous, innovative Mexican food. Definitely we'll be back; such an excellent choice in the Santa Cruz area. Service was excellent and helpful. read more

Absolutely LOVE this place. I come here quite frequently and have never been disappointed. Food is great, margaritas are amazing! My favorite things to get are either the Durango enchiladas or enchiladas poblano, and their tostada grande is very good also. The original and grand margaritas are to die for, and if you like more fruity drinks the pomegranate marg is delicious. 5 stars from me! read more

I guess I'm just not getting what people like about this restaurant. I can appreciate that what we often get in mexican restaurants is a bit more Americanized, and I'm no expert, but this restaurant missed some basics in my opinion. Also, a clean restaurant should be a given, sort of like utensils to eat with. Doesn't get me excited. They must have run out of salsa carafes when we went as we didn't get one, but they help was always there with salsa for us. The good. The Margaritas are good and strong (likely why the bar of 6 stools is filled at most hours). The unique sauces they put on their dishes are tastey, so this sets them apart. They don't drown their dishes in the sauce either which is nice. The service was great. They were very very very accommodating of our 5.5 month old daughter but I would not recommend this restaurant for babies as it's a bit cramped and people had to make an effort to get around the high chair. I would say it is adults only. The bad. The beans and rice taste like they were plated as soon as they opened, waiting for an order, and were under a heat lamp for a good amount of time before served. The beans were pretty flavorless (not that refried beans jump out at you, but these were exceptionally bland).I didn't go out to eat for beans and rice, but when it's that bad, it can ruin the rest of the experience. The shrimp enchiladas we had didn't have much going for them except the sauce. I would have sworn the shrimp were just boiled and thrown in. The burritos a la carte are pretty small (which I'm told an authentic mexican burrito is) so if your going for a good size burrito I believe they have a big one on the menu...order that. We won't be going back as we are still on the hunt for our 'favorite' mexican restuarant in Santa Cruz, Soquel, Capitola area. read more

OK, so I've only eaten here this once and that'd be likely the last time as well. Barely scratched the surface of the menu granted but hey...first impressions!!!! All ya others who love it, go ahead and love it, I'll stay outta your way. Big problems for me...weak flavor, pathetic proportions, below average service. Had the following: Roasted Red Pepper enchiladas, two small, flat, barely filled tortillas at a cost of $11.99 a la carte! Way too much sauce, far overwhelmed what was barely present inside the tortilla's. I would have no idea what I was eating if I hadn't ordered it. Oh well, also included half a slice of stiff tomato and a few shreds of bad iceberg lettuce. Flatland burrito, an interesting concoction of nuts/grains that subs for meat. Liked the flatland stuff itself, great alt to meat for the veggie's out there. However, as a burrito, at a cost of $4.50 a la carte, it was about the size of an eggrole, seriously. The tortilla itself was stiff, not pliable like the nice burritos you get elsewhere. But had the same not lovely tomato and lettuce as above. Table also had a beef taco which I wanted to steal cuz it actually looked appetizing. At a cost of $4.50 a la carte also, I'd say far from a decent value. It though was a healthy looking taco, filled as full as a large shell could be. Additionally, the table chips and salsa were terrible. Chips only so-so and the salsa was flavorless, no flavor of the ingredients or any zing that a salsa should have. We burned through a modest basket of chips right away and there was never an offer to refill. Too bad cuz the East and South area of Santa Cruz could use better offerings of Mexican food. El Chino, Casa Rosita, Tampico are decent but only decent. read more

YUCK! I only gave it 2 stars for the service and the decent key lime pie. 3 people had told us about the place, so we went last night with family members. The margarita and sangria were terrible. The margarita tasted like artificial limes and the sangria tasted like grape jello with chemicals. The guac needed salt to add some flavor to it. I've had better chips from Taco Bell. I didn't care for the salsa; it lacked flavor, as well as the black beans. No one in the group finished their plates and they were polite enough not to say the food was bad. What a disappointment. read more

Best Mexican food we've ever eaten! It's unique with special flavors that set it apart from all other Mexican restaurants. It's not "gloppy" like I find most Mexican food. The Margaritas are out of this world as are their chips and salsa! Service always good! We've been coming here for 30 years...ever since we moved to Santa Cruz...and consider it a top "find." Never had anything but fantastic food here and the desserts are out of this world! We always bring out of town guests here and they love it too! read more

The food was pretty good. They do have a vegetarian protein sub for all their dishes that is very tasty, with a nutty texture that we enjoyed. We were waited on quickly and got our food quickly. The restaurant itself has an authentic Mexican feel. The 3-Star, average review is because the restaurant filled up while we were there and I suddenly realized how small the place is. Tables are a foot apart and when the margaritas start kicking in, it gets too loud to hear yourself talk. And then the kicker. They had ONE server for the entire main dining area. Took way too long to get our check after dinner. MAYBE they had a staff no-show? We'll try again during non peak hours. read more

Fantastic mexican food..about the best I can remember in a long time. The original margarita's are great, lots of different tastes in everything from the salsa to the salmon tacos. Chili relleno was fantastic. Service was very good without being overbearing. Cant wait to go back. read more

Good enchilada and taco plate but just decent service and small, crowded place

My family and I came here for dinner about a month ago. The service was average and their super burritos were okay. The reason for the four stars is their tamales. Try them. They are delicious! It's like fireworks in my mouth. They're that tasty. I wouldn't have rated this place if it weren't for their tamales. This restaurant is a bit pricey (for their average burritos), but you won't regret it if you get the tamales. read more

A good choice for those who don't like Mexican food. Nicer atmosphere than most Mexican joints, nice bar and well-dressed waiters. The food is another story. I had the worst chile relleno ever, and my companion had a mole dish (it was mole week) which was tasteless beyond bland. read more

Excellent food and Service. Very surprised what another reviewer said about watered down Margaritas. Far from it! They have the best Ritas in town! Menu specials are always a good bet. A great local restaurant that thrives because it is original and delicious. Can have LONG waits on holidays, best to try it during the slower weekdays if you can. read more

My favorite restaurant in Santa Cruz county. The food is amazing, and the desserts are incredible!

We have spent a lot of time in Mexico and eat Mexican food a lot. We went here for lunch because it is close to home and close to the freeway. The place was almost empty, but the waitress was REALLY slow and LOUD when she was hanging out in the kitchen (open) talking to the cook. The music was too loud. The food was okay but VERY overpriced (12.95 for 2 enchiladas and NO rice or beans). The margaritas are over $9 each. Next time, Watsonville here we come... read more

nice atmosphere and friendly service. The food is good and I would definitely return. It's very cozy and feels like you are in a very comfy Mexican cantina. read more

This restaurant has been a favorite of ours for many years. Tonight that changed. While we enjoyed our meal, it took way too much time for our table to receive our chips and salsa after we were seated. Further, it took too long to be asked if we'd like to be served drinks. This was early evening; the restaurant wasn't even busy yet. However, once the restaurant did get busy and we'd finished our meal, we decided to have dessert and one last drink. Well, the host decided that he needed to ask us if we were going to have more drinks because the place wasn't a bar and he needed to seat more customers, completely overlooking the fact that we were still eating dessert. We'd told him earlier that we were celebrating a birthday there; he didn't seem to care. His concern was only for the number of customers he could get into the restaurant on a busy night, not for the experience of the customers while there. We won't be going back to Tortilla Flats. They've lost our business forever. read more

Several bad experiences! Quesadillas were so undercooked. It was like eating a block of Colby cheese inside a cold tortilla. This last experience was a disaster. I walked in and the place smelled like a wet dog..PUNGENT ODOR!! It took awhile to adjust. Horrid. I ordered FAJITAS, no meat. Seems simple..I get a tiny bowl of over cooked "frozen broccoli" with chopped celery and a tiny bowl of canned refried beans and rice. Cold tortillas..no serving plate. No toppings..BROCCOLI! !! Complete disqust. I ended up walking down the street to other less expensive Mexican restaurant and asked for same thing. I got a HUGE to go box of FRESH cooked FAJITAS, no meat, and all the toppings. For half the price and friendly service. Don't waste your time and money on this place. I heard it was great years ago. To bad it's a dive now. Yuck! read more

Been going to this place for a long time. The food is above average, as are the drinks, usually. The current waitstaff, with an exception or two, is, without a doubt, almost comically bad. Took my wife and son in after a baseball game tonight, there were two other people in the entire restaurant, our waitress, if you could somehow call her that, didn't come to the table for ten minutes, didn't bring chips, nothing. It got worse ( if possible) didn't ask how the food was, wouldn't bring a to go container, did not give a rats ass about a thing, it was almost as if she was trying to be horrible, which she was. I'd rather have lousy food and semi decent service than deal with her, ever again. It ain't that hard lady. read more

5 friends and I were referred here from good reviews. THE FOOD WAS VERY AVERAGE Our plates were incredibly over priced. 2 enchiladas =14$$$ This is without beans and rice or anything else to compliment the meal. The mole is so so. The waitress was nice. I would not support that this place is any gem of any kind. read more

I went back and forth between giving this place 1 or 2 stars. It gets 2 solely for the cute decor. The food was mediocre at best. After reading some of the yelp reviews and seeing their website I expected to be getting a great mexican meal. Nope. Not even close. My Mahi Mahi tacos were BORING, small pieces of fish (including quite a bit of the dark, less appealing meat) set in a cold flour tortilla with flavorless chuncks of tomato and some iceberg lettuce. The veggie tostada and shrimp burrito were equally disappointing. It was WAY too expensive for both quality and quantity. I suggest hitting almost any other mexican resturante in the area. Maybe I the place used to be better. Or maybe you just need a good margarita buzz to appreciate the food... Overpriced. Overrated. Go to the Palomar for great, cheap eats & margaritas in their taqueria. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants. I come here for one thing only: Pablano Enchiladas with carne asada. The steak is delicious and the creamy pablano sauce makes me drool just thinking of it right now. Of course, pairing it with one of their Original margaritas is a must. The margies are really expensive, but they are big, delicious and incredibly strong! Also, the tamales are sweet. They are super delicious and unique. Oh, and be prepared to wait. The place is small and always busy. read more

The enchiladas were very tasty, but for the price you get very little. My wife and I each had enchilada's (two different kinds) and they tasted great, they were just way over priced for what we got. We had great service though. read more

My cousin frequents this place and I couldn't wait to try it with her! The Grande Margaritas are delish and potent! I felt a bit loopy after ONE. The chips were a little stale and the salsa was good, but not as chunky as I like. It was a smokier chipotle salsa - not just salsa fresca. The food was very good - and the place was packed! I had the chicken enchilada and chille relleno. Everything tasted very fresh and nothing was over salted or greasy. They had a nice kids menu as well. I will definitely come here again next time I'm in town! read more