Baja Grill Southlake vs Baja Grill Grapevine vs Baja Grill Keller

First off I'd like to say that I like this restaurant.  I like their food and margaritas.  But, each location has its pros and cons.  Overall the prices are good, drinks are good and the menu selections are pretty typical for this area:  Brisket Tacos, Enchiladas, Flautas, Fajitas, etc...

Southlake has better food and drinks. The bar is stocked better than the other two and the bartender we always seem to have there is very good.  He was originally the bartender we had the first time we tried the Grapevine location and they moved him over.  We've tried many of the menu items at the various locations and every time the Southlake Baja Grill wins on flavor and freshness. Of the three though this location lacks on atmosphere.  They are located in what was once Michaels which was a fine dining and wine bar. The layout and decor don't really jibe with the Tex-Mex feel but the food trumps it most times.  Their ceviche is clearly the best of the group.  Always fresh and flavorful and the presentation is much better.  The tequila selection here is also way better than the other two locations.

Grapevine has a great atmosphere but the food can be less than expected.  The bar seems to alway be out of the better tequilas when we go and they don't even have our standards here, unlike the Southlake bar which seems to be better stocked.  The food has been really spotty here.  Ceviche seems to be lacking something. Its not fishy but its just lacking flavor. At both the Southlake and the Keller locations the food seems a little more fresh. Hard to pinpoint the reason but it seems like grill or the fryer oil was dirty.  I'd say the food was just OK at this location. Margaritas are always good even with the poorly stocked bar.

The Keller location just never has appealed to me. It's small and just seems a little bit to stripmall-ish for me.  We've only gone for lunch a few times but none of the trips there are very memorable.  The bar is about the same as the Grapevine bar and the food is a little better but not quite as good as the Southlake location.

Overall...if you just want to drink, have chips and salsa and watch some sports or people watch then try Grapevine.  If you are looking for better food and a more relaxed atmosphere then try Southlake.  I could only recommend the Keller location if you happen to be over near the Keller/Watauga border and wanting something reasonable and quick.  Otherwise I'd suggest Fresco's for that part of town.

Things to try at Baja Grill:    Frozen Baja Blue Margarita, Fajitas, Ceviche

El Paisa - Colleyville

I had driven past this place many, many times and kept wanting to try it. Well, the wife and I decided to check it out for breakfast one morning.  They have a drive through but we went inside to get the full experience.  We took a few minutes to check over and figure out the menu. It was our first time there you know so our bearings were a little off.  I ordered Huevos Rancheros and she ordered a couple of the breakfast tacos.  I think our bill was like $6 with a drink. Crazy low prices. So far so good.  The kitchen seemed a little scattered at first but things settled down pretty quickly.  We were not sure of the protocols of the place so we grabbed a booth and checked around to see what was going on. 

Our food came out pretty fast which we like when we order breakfast.  My heuvos were excellent. The "ranchero" sauce was flavorful and spicy but not too spicy (and I like spicy!) and the eggs were just how I like them.  The breakfast tacos were also very good. She had one bacon and one sausage. I tried a bite of both and each was tasty and satisfying.   Behind the counter they have a few sauces in squeeze bottles. Be sure to grab these with your food. The green has a nice kick and the red/orange has a great flavor.

So breakfast was a success...

We made it a point to go back and get something off the dinner menu.  This time we tried the drive through service.  With a little bit of a communication error at first (the order takers English wasn't great and my wife is the whitest white girl when it comes to Spanish) but we got our order in.  I had the beef enchilada plate and my wife had the flauta plate.  Flautas in Texas don't follow any specific rule.  They can be beef, chicken or pork and come in corn or flour variations.  Personally, a flauta should be a flour tortilla and a taquito should be a corn tortilla...but that's just me.  Add on some chips and salsa and two drinks and we might have broken the $10 barrier....maybe.   Our food came out pretty fast for being made to order.  The bags were heavier than I expected.  We hit the road and headed home to see what we were getting into.

The flautas were great. Crispy but not overcooked with plenty of rice and beans.  I found the beans to be better than some of the big restaurants around the area. My enchiladas were surprisingly good.  I stated before I was a bit of a snob with enchiladas but all I could think while I was eating it was "how did they make this sauce?"!  Vibrant orange in color I couldn't think of what could make that color. It wasn't a cascabel. It wasn't spicy but it had a great flavor and the consistency was really nice.  The enchiladas were stuffed with a seasoned ground beef that was very good also.  Again, plenty of rice and beans to go along.  Even with just 2 enchiladas in the plate I was quite satisfied after I finished.  They  also have really good chips and salsa. The salsa has a nice kick to it. Loved it.  I used the leftover salsa to make my own Huevos con Salsa a couple days later. 

We love this place.  I keep wanting to stop in and find out how they make that sauce. At this time I would say they get a 5 out of 5. No complaints, good food and good service both inside and at the drive through.

Just a note...the El Paisa in Grapevine is only a Taqueria and they don't make anything onsite there. You have to go to the Colleyville or Bedford location for anything other than tacos.