Review: Tijuana Flats offers delicious gluten-free Tex-Mex

It’s Taco Tuesday at Tijuana Flats, but I won’t be ordering a taco.

Instead I order my go-to, which is also one of the only safe gluten-free options at this delicious Tex-Mex restaurant: a steak Norrito bowl with a small side of queso, which I pour all over my food.

Now, let me preface this by admitting that there are technically a handful of options on Tijuana Flats’ gluten-free menu. However, when I talked to the staff about my gluten “allergy,” they recommended that I stay clear from any of the corn tortillas and chips, as they are dipped in the same oil as wheat containing ingredients. After removing those items from the gluten-free menu, the only things left are a Noritto bowl and a salad bowl made without the shell. I don’t know about you, but if I have the option between a salad and something else, I never choose the salad, so I will only be focusing on the Noritto bowl.

Tijuana Flats started in Winter Park, Fla., and has since expanded into six different states. With 100 restaurants today, it’s a full-on chain. This counter-serve style restaurant offers Tex-Mex meals and is home to a one-of-a-kind hot sauce bar, featuring some of the hottest hot sauces in the world.

The interior of the restaurant is covered in murals depicting skulls and flames, but the abundance of these vibrant illustrations prevents them from giving off any bad vibes. If you ever get stuck waiting in line to order, you won’t get bored, as the wall by the cash register is lined with pictures of famous athletes, musicians, actors and other celebrities that have visited the location.

This is what the steak Noritto bowl looks like before I mix it all up and dump the queso on it. I recently learned that it used to come with black olives as well, so it’s common for people to request that addition. Photo by Meagan Meredith

Moving on to the actual food, the Noritto bowl comes with salsa-based rice, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole and green onions, all of which is gluten-free. If that doesn’t all sound as appealing to you as it does to me, you can easily request the subtraction of some of those ingredients. This seems to be common, as every time I order it, they ask me 100 times whether or not I want it “all the way.” Also, if you’re like me and you need some meat on your plate, you can safely add steak or chicken to it as well. Of course, this will cost you more, but if you’re on a gluten-free diet, that’s not out of the ordinary for you.

Like I mentioned earlier, I also order a small side of queso to dump on it, which I highly recommend if you’re a fellow cheese lover. Their queso is phenomenal, and that’s coming from a Texan. Just remember that the chips aren’t safe to eat, so you’ll either have to bring your own or dump it on your food like me.

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a huge fan of Tijuana Flats. Although the gluten-free options are very limited, what we can eat is full of so much flavor that it’s never been an issue for me. I crave Tijuana Flats more than any other restaurant in Gainesville, Fla., and it’s almost always my first choice when I get to choose where to dine.

I have never experienced any celiac related issues after eating here, and the staff has always been more than willing to accommodate me. If you’ve never tried Tijuana Flats, check out their website to see if there is one near you. If you live in Florida, chances are there will be one in your area, and if you’re in Gainesville like me, you can choose between the Archer Road location and the University Avenue location. I’ve been to both, and you’ll receive the same great food and service at either.

Just a few days ago, I found myself telling a friend that I was going to miss Tijuana Flats more than anything this summer when I’m back at home in Dallas. Seeing as Texas is the home of Tex-Mex, and hardly anything can beat some of the authentic Tex-Mex meals that I’ve consumed in my lifetime, if that statement doesn’t speak volumes about Tijuana Flats, then I don’t know what does.