My wife and I went here Tuesday April 9th and got there around 6:30 in the evening. We had our name added to the waiting list. The servers started seating people out of order and the waiting list disappeared to the bar. Once seated, it took over 10 minutes to be asked for a beverage and 20 minutes to take our order. My food arrived cool to temp and my wifes green chile was under cooked. We were never asked about our food and only were able to make a comment after we paid the bill. We have had good experiences here before but were really disappointed this time. read more

We went here b/c they were offering crepes for a limited time. None of the crepes were vegetarian. Even the spinach crepe has chicken broth. My partner ordered the crepe and was disappointed that it was heavy on the cheese and the price, $17.00, which was not listed on the menu? I ordered the burrito w/o the shell and was disappointed as well. The vegetables on the burrito were scant, mostly green peppers and onions with three very small pieces of overcooked and funky tasting broccoli. There was approx 4 tiny cubes of tomatoes along with the ever so exciting head lettuce. The rice was dry and the dish had a lot of cheese and was small in portion. With an abundance of local, organic produce in Santa Cruz, I wonder why Tortilla Flats is so conservative with their portions and quality of vegetables? read more

Great service, full bar and warm ambiance. The margaritas on ice served in hand blown glasses are outstanding. I love that the owner grows some of the chilies that are used. Tortilla Flats has mole week. They have up to 12+ different regional moles of Mexico that are very uniquely crafted. There are also other weeks with different themes throughout the year so it really mixes it up. Some of my favorites are the chips and salsa, green chile enchiladas with chicken and house garden salad with super fresh greens and vegetables. All the salad dressings are fresh and unique. It's not your regular Mexican food. If you want clean, defined flavors, This is it!! read more

I was visiting Soquel and my sister-in-law took me to Tortilla Flats. What a treat! The atmosphere is inviting with more of a South American decor. The menu is intriguing with fresh seafood dishes, along with more traditional mexican fare. The margaritas are to die for! The service was friendly and helpful, especially considering the menu choices. I'd definitely go back! read more

It was really nice of Yelp to remove my review because they don't think I'm a real person. You think they would have sent me an email to confirm I truly exist rather than just assuming I'm fake because I have a yahoo email addres. Tortilla Flats is so damn awful I am compelled to repost my review. The service at this place is downright terrible. This is the only restaurant that I have never left a tip at in my entire life. So, what happened? I go there for lunch with a friend at 12:30. There are three tables - all with food. We were immediately served, but it took 10 minutes to receive a menu. Another 10 minutes for the waitress to come by (she wasn't the person who gave us the menus.). I ordered a vegetarian burrito. It tasted like it was made with leftovers from the day before and simply reheated in the microwave. It was the worst thing I ever tasted. The person I ate with ordered some kind of nut enchilada. The nuts were rancid. The waitress never came by to see how the food was (she actually left the dining area completely), didn't care when 30 minutes later she brought the check by and we told her the nuts were rancid and the buritto was awful. My advice: GO ELSEWHERE!!! read more

Read all the yelp reviews before going. In town from SF and needing a restaurant in the soquel area, we decided to try Tortilla Flats, based on the good reviews. All I can say is those reviewers must have started with a pitcher of margaritas before their meal. This is, and was by far, the worst Mexican food I have ever had! The enchilada was inedible, the fish tacos were undercooked and had a fishy odor, the carne asada was tasteless. Really, really bad. We left most of our plates untouched, but because our party of 4 were so hungry after a long conference day; they ate it anyway. The 1 star is for the staff, who were very polite and refunded us 2 dishes. Honestly I am not sure what passes for good Mexican food if Tortilla Flats is considered a "good" restaurant. If you want really good authentic Mexican walk down the street towards Main Street on Soquel and step into Mexico and great Mexican food, on the right side of the street just past sunrise cafe. The best part of our experience at Tortilla Flats was the chips and salsa. It was an expensive mistake, we want you to avoid if possible. It has nice decorations, it's clean.... just very bad food. read more

My mother & I both have been eating at Tortilla Flats for close to 30 yrs. Cheryl puts her heart & soul into the restaurant. She makes her own desserts, that are the best I have ever had.(Banana Cream Pie, Awesome!) Her sauces are the best too. All of the fruit & vegetables she grows herself or buys from local farmers. It is my all time favorite restaurant. The food is always great, services is wonderful. I really can't say enough good about this restaurant. I think some of the poor reviews my have come from an ex-employee and/or people that are never happy with anything. Tortilla Flats is great if your wanting lunch or getting together with friends for dinner and drinks. GREAT GREAT RESTAURANT, if you haven't tried it, you should!!! read more

Beef enchilada was pretty good. Rice and beans that came with were un-edible! Beans were ranch style chili beans that tasted disgusting, rice was dry with an awful taste. Overpriced and a waste of my time and money. read more

If it's mexican food you want, avoid this place. Only mexican thing about this restaurant might be all the pottery they got laying around. Canned beans, like really? Really salty meat as well. They really deserve an episode of kitchen nightmares with chef Ramsay Gordon . read more

We ordered food to go and were disappointed when the server added a tip. They just put it into the containers. We won't order to-go again.

Tortilla flats never disappoints! As a proud vegetarian they were easily able to accommodate my dietary needs. We had a fiery redhead as our server and she was sassy and fantastic! She was very attentive and after ordering several tasty rounds of mango margaritas she recommended a prickly pear margarita that my husband and I thought was to die for!!!!! Amy was not only beautiful but so great at her job, this place is such a great local spot treat yourself! read more

Average food that's way over-priced. From the reviews, I was expecting much better. It's just not.

Sad to admit this place is really pathetic. Unless you have very midwestern tastes when it comes to Mexican food. We used to eat here 30-40 years ago and should not have relied on nostalgia to make the decision to go here again. The food was beyond bland and in some cases just plain bad. And when you add that ordering a couple of enchiladas will set you back $14 or more, this is a serious rip off. Service was indifferent in a most congenial way. I really have no idea how anyone could say their food is GOOD? NO way -- even the tortilla chips were soggy! I think it's time for them to find something to do with their time that they're good at. read more

Waited on getting water and drinks. Stale tortilla chips. Crab burrito special looked pretty but it tasted like a crab crepe with bland sauces and some sort of quince (?) jelly on top it. I think there may have been some seafood in there because I tasted a very occasional tiny shrimp. Prices are excessive. read more

We went here for dinner to celebrate a friends birthday. The problem was not the food, that is consistently good (although expensive). We had our 16 month old daughter, who was unusually fussy. She was not having a melt down, but was fairly loud between periods of quiet. We were trying our best to calm her. The waiter came to us to tell us that someone in the back was complaining that they could not eat because they were so disturbed by her. I said, "OK" and then he walked away. Not sure about what to do with this information, we did eventually get her to settle down, but noticed that our service became non-existent at that time. We had to flag down a different waiter (Dylan, who was awesome and the most mature of anyone that we dealt with despite that fact he is 18) to get even a water. Our waiter made it apparent that we were done ordering and asked if we wanted the check. I then asked to speak with the owner and was put on the phone with the manager, who told me that he would have just walked his kid outside to get them to stop crying and that other people shouldn't have to be disturbed while they eat. He said that maybe the waiter didn't handle it the best and did apologize. I feel like this could have been handled far better. There are a lot of people that have children, are we not supposed to take them in public because they may cry and upset someone else? We will not be going back to Tortilla Flats and would not recommend them to anyone that is looking for a family friendly environment. read more

While the interior decoration and service were good, as well as serviing the salsa in a carafe (nice touch), it doesn't make up for the food. The salsa was very good until it is paired with stale chips. The taco / chile relleno combo platter was ehhh. The taco was very good with plenty of meat. The chile relleno wasn't outstanding. However, the beans and rice were some of the blandest I've ever had. No amount of salt or salsa was able to revive them. It always seems like good beans and rice are the key differentiators for a good mexican place. In comparisson with other mexican food places the prices were a little more, and considering the very so-so food I probably won't come back. read more

Very Bad experience. I took my wife and two close friends to this restaurant. It was a Friday night and the place was crowded, and we waited 40 minutes to be seated. My friend's Mom and me ordered the Salmon Tamales Special. The Tamales tasted fishy and not fresh. I should have stopped eating imeadatly and asked for something else, hindsight. At the restaurant, just after finishing my dinner, I started to feel a little queasy. I felt like I was about to throw-up so I made it quickly to the restroom. As I closed the restroom door, my hand was soil by Human Waste that was on the door handle. I immediately tried to wash my hands to find that the soup dispenser was out of soap, empty, No Soap, No Soap. I was gagging and threw-up. Went back to the table payed the 80 check and got out asap, because I felt like I was going to have to rush home, in a very timely manor. I had a rough night to say the least. The next morning I heard from my friend. Her Mom was feeling ill and was up all night in her bathroom. After watching my in agony all night my wife called the Restaurant to tell them. The girl who answered wasn't concerned, so my wife asked for the Manager and was told that the Manager wasn't there, but would call us back. That Never Happened. Today, a day latter, I'm finally starting to feel better. The point is the Manager never called us back so that we could warn that something in the food made us sick. Obviously they don't care. No soup in the bathroom tells me that the staff can't wash there hands which may help explain the Human Waste on the Restroom Door Handle read more

YUM! I used to eat here all the time about 10 years ago, recently went back for the first time since then, and it is just as good! Margaritas are excellent and their tofu which you can put in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc. is delicious! I love this place. read more

Our favorite little restaurant. We love the Monday and Tuesday tapas menu and the flatland enchiladas are to die for. If they have it, try the banana cream pie. Amazing!! read more

There's nothing wrong with their food, but it's not "Wow" either, it's just "OK". And their prices are a bit higher than I typically see at this type of restuarant. I also found their staff to be a little rude and unattentive. I was waiting for a friend to finish parking his car and get his child out of the carseat when my table became ready. The staff told me I couldn't sit down until my entire party was there (ok, I've heard that at other places, although I was a bit surprised since my friend was already in the parking lot.) I told them that was ok, I'd just wait. But then they (staff) continued on to tell me I might sit there for over an hour and not order anything while I waited for my friend. I really felt since I had already said I was fine waiting instead of sitting down, they didn't need to start accusing me of things I hadn't done and wasn't planning to do. After sitting down and ordering our drinks, we got our chips n salsa very quickly, but had to ask 2 more times for our water. The food portions weren't small but they certainly weren't large either compared to other restaurants like this. It was plenty of food for a meal for an average sized appetite. read more

Last night, 5 of us had dinner for a friend's birthday at this establishment. The environment was welcoming and decor very interesting. There was a large party of 12 or more along with another table of 4 behind us. We were excited to taste the food here as it was recommended by a friend. The service was decent but no specials mentioned or highlighted. We ordered 2 orders of cheese enchiladas poblano, chicken enchilada with mole, and a quesadilla supreme. For drinks, we had 2 margaritas and 2 sodas plus a water. The food arrived in a decent time, but not at all what we expected. This place may have the worst rice and beans combo I have ever tasted. My quesadilla was not supreme by any means; it didn't even come with any kind of meat. The enchiladas poblanos were a bit better but still plain in the eyes of my friends. The mole order was well liked but didn't come with rice and beans and at $14, way overpriced. The cheese had a rubbery texture and the guac was too plain. Overall, this experience spoiled our night. I became ill after this quesadilla and one friend, got food poisoning from the poblano. We do not recommend this place to anyone. Past reviews had been positive, but in 2011, this establishment has sunk below the standards set before them. $75 for 4 dinners, 2 margaritas, and 2 sodas? This place needs a major overhaul. read more

We just discovered this place a few weeks ago and have been there several times since...the food is INCREDIBLE! And the service....excellent, which is hard to find in this area. The margaritas are great, too..very strong! read more

The food is not very good. It all tastes like it came out of a can and is very over-priced. The ambiance is nice but it doesn't make up for the mediocre food. read more

Rude and inflexible with seating if your entire party is not present; then they take chairs away from your table so party members you are still waiting for can't join you! I'll never go back there again! read more

Indifferent service, and so loud we were unable to have a conversation across the table without yelling. We both found the food to be interesting and we enjoyed the margaritas. Overall the biggest downside was the noise level, which made it difficult to enjoy the experience. read more

Tortilla flats was pretty gross food. Beans taste like they out of a can .The rice was brown. It's not authentic at all. It's not even Mexican food. read more

I was very dissapointed in this place both times I went.I ordered a shrimp taco and got cold bay shrimp in a tortilla. The staff was uninterested when I tried to order a surprise dessert for the birthday girl of our party. There are 2 much better mexican restaurants within 1 mile that are 75% better. read more

Not impressed. We had a table of 6 and all ordered drinks. Asked the waiter at the beginning of the meal to bring us water as well and he never did. The portions were small and the food was not that great. The beans were unpalatable. I ordered a shrimp enchilada, expecting regular sized shrimp. It was cocktail shrimp in one very tiny flour tortilla. Not enough food for me given that I refused to eat the beans and rice after the first couple mouthfuls. I see other's raving about the margaritas, but honestly, our table was not impressed with the ones we got. Some of the tapas were ok, but still, I've had much better. I had high hopes given all the good reviews I'd read. read more

I decided to go here with a friend based on Yelp reviews, but I can honestly say that it was the most bland place I have ever been. The waitress was boring and timid and did not seem to enjoy working there, and the staff members somehow made the atmosphere tense and uncomfortable. The food was mediocre, not as flavorful nor filling as I was expecting from a Mexican restaurant. I don't plan on ever returning - I can get better food, service, and atmosphere elsewhere. read more

I have read all the reviews here. The bad ones are just plain wrong period. Old, white? Maybe some; so what? They're cool, experienced, friendly, hip people. Better than snotty and clueless. We've eaten here and many other Mexican restaurants for a long time. The food, service and place is consistently the best...the best. No question. Amazing special events; mole week, tamale week, tapas week; the daily specials are stunning. The margaritas; fantastic. The food is anything BUT bland. Whoever wrote that has no functioning taste buds left. The deserts; delicious. If you enjoy intimate, friendly, delicious, unique, hip places; this is it. Viva Tortilla Flats! read more

Great food. Great service. Reasonably priced. How does Mexican food get better than that? The food was unique, tasty, served fast and hot, by friendly staff. read more

its great when its not crowded. the food TASTES delicious. thats the real selling point here. ingredients are noticeable fresh. corn tamales are the bomb. waitresses are always nice and friendly. interesting Tapas Tuesday menus. read more

i had the green corn tamales. sooo scrumptious. the tamales were made out of sweet corn with no stuffing. i was disappointed on the fact that i only received 2 pieces of meat in the sauce :( good thing the veggie tamales was the same price as the regular tamales! i wasn't a big fan with the beans, but on the plus side, they serve brown rice instead of the typical mexican rice! i was expecting chips and salsa to go with my to-go order, but received none :( guess that only taquerias do that. so this place lost .5 star for the lack of meat and .5 for the disappointing refried beans. overall, i shall come back to try the other items on their menu! read more

My husband and I thought we would try this place based on the reviews. Its cute inside, however the food was not great. The beans tasted bitter, and not authentic. My son wouldnt eat them (all he orders is rice and beans) the rice also left much to be desired. It wasnt the authentic mexican food we were looking for. Our waiter was also very slow to serve us and seems put out. We were not impressed. read more

By far the coziest restaurant in town! Food is so so, but I'm so in love with the Margie's and atmosphere ill go back again and again!

Tortilla Flats is the best Mexican in the area. My husband and I are definitely foodies and my husband, being vegan, it is really hard to find a GOOD place we can both eat at. Valentine's Day 2017 my husband worked late and they accommodated us with a 8:45 p.m. dinner reservation. They stop seating at 9:00. Our meal was just as good as always and we were at the end of everyones shift. Give them a try. read more

Have I really not reviewed TF? Srsly? This is my Friday night go-to. Mole enchiladas are the bomb. Great salsa & chips. Huge margaritas. I don't know how you leave here unhappy, srsly. Hubby is in love with their cheesecakes (which they make). :) read more

Yummy cactus margaritas! Friendly service and tasty tapas!

both my husband and i thought our meals were way too salty. also the rice is brown rice :( and the beans definately had no lard in them...and no taste either. if you would rather skimp on flavor for healthiness then you can have this place. manuel's in aptos is still superior after 35 years of going there. read more

our friends who live here recommended this place. The marguaritas were good, service friendly and fast. My enchilada was very good, rice a little tasteless and overcooked, I had black beans which were more like refried black beans, but good. The salsa that comes with the chips on the table was pretty hot, good for my husband but too hot for the rest of us. They don't have any other, would love it if they offered a salsa fresca. We were a party of six. I would go again. read more