Did you ever have one of those nights where plans had to keep changing? This was one of those. It brought my brother and I to Baja's, though, which made for a pleasant surprise in an evening of disappointments. Baja's has an extensive salsa bar, which you serve yourself and bring back to the table to accompany the basket of tortilla chips which promptly appears. Service was quick and friendly, and our entrees, when they arrived, definitely hit the spot. It's neither fancy nor pretentious, and they're clearly committed to offering good food at a good price. read more

Baja's Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Orange, Connecticut

A hole in the wall that has been around for ever from what I'm told. The staff was super friendly. The food? A-ma-zing! True, authentic Mexican food. We loved everything. The special burrito could have fed 2 people! The fish tacos were delicious! The kids loved their nachos. And the salsa bar is really cool! The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because the tables and chairs were meh... looked old and a bit run down. The place deserves nicer furniture without going overboard with tablecloths and such. We will definitely be back though. read more

Absolutely LOVE this place! The carnitas, carne asada & fish are AMAZING! The margaritas are consistently delicious. The pricing is fair and atmosphere is casual, comfortable (maybe a little dated). All the serverers are great, but Samantha is our favorite... she's attentive, warm and fantastic with the kids. She is the BEST server EVER! (She made me say that) Our "go to" whenever we pass through Orange! read more

So I farted and instead of making me feel uncomfortable the waitress said oops I'm sorry..totally saved the night Salsa was on point and since I'm a bad ass I tried the hot ones..pretty good Wings were great too even though this is a Mexican place My dates food was really good to I tasted while he was in the bathroom read more

Baja's Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Hole in the wall...without any holes in the walls of you know what I'm saying - Mexican Near Me - Orange, Connecticut

This is a small hole-in-the-wall Mexican place right next to a McDonalds that you've probably driven by 20 times. However, their food is pretty good! They have a serve yourself salsa bar with mild and hot salsas and plenty of chips on the table. Before going here, someone commented they don't have bowls and I couldn't think how that mattered until you try scooping up salsa with a chip from a plate...it's hard! I had a bean and cheese burrito for my meal which was relatively inexpensive (compared to some other menu items) but I was surprised it was refried beans mixed with cheese. It tasted good, but I was expecting whole beans, cheese, and possibly a few other ingredients rather than a bean/cheese paste inside. read more

Considering the lack of good authentic Mexican food on the CT coastline, it is nice to have at least a couple options that aren't an overtly pandering chain restaurant trying to lure in people that can't tell the difference between "típico" and Olive Garden Mexican. That said, Baja's is much better Mexican food than Puerto Vallarta (probably its main competitor?), and also cheaper.* The nachos especiale here will feed three people (or two extremely hungry people) for roughly $12, and the salsa bar is free and unlimited. The value alone there is just insane enough that you can add margaritas and still not spend a ton on eating out. And the bartender here makes very strong drinks! So it's just a great value all around for good food. The ambiance isn't fantastic, but it feels authentic and it's not so bad as to be distracting. One main downside here is that the tortilla chips just don't hit the mark for me. They're on the thick side and kind of flavorless, and I much prefer the paper-thin variety. When eating them with nachos you will appreciate having a more robust chip, but I do wish they had more salt and more corn flavor. I would normally remove a star here, but Baja's is such a rare find in CT that I feel like I need to bring them up a peg! Overall, you won't find better Mexican in this area of CT, and it comes at a great value, so I highly recommend going to Baja's. * Note: I don't think PV is outright bad but it's ridiculously overpriced for what it is. read more

Baja's get 4 stars for amazingly authentic Mexican food with one star off for smelling like tires. Just kidding (although it does smell slightly of tires, unfortunately...) This is the most unsuspecting little place that would be difficult to find unless you've been doing some Google-ing or word of mouth. It's quite clear that they know it, too, because almost EVERYONE there is a regular, which I love. It makes you feel like you've become part of an awesome secret club. What it doesn't entail is the automatic knowledge that there's a salsa bar... So you just end up sitting at your table eating chips and only chips without any salsa until your phenomenal waiter comes up to you and suggests that you might want to go to the salsa bar (very kindly). That being said, I ended up with a chile relleno burrito and my partner got a fish burrito. Both were exceptional. My pork was amazingly soft and had clearly been marinated and cooked slowly over some time. Pork never gets that soft when I cook it at home! Plus, the flavors were amazing, although it's enmeshed in sauce that happened to splatter all over my shirt. That's okay--I'll forgive them. The fish burrito was also quite good and full of goodness. But how could I forget the salsa bar! They have around 8 salsas for you to mix and match and when they say spicy they mean spicy! Beware! But they have some phenomenal ones. While I didn't like the red spicy, I loved the green spicy that I would mix with their pico. Delectable! The restaurant was quite clean, although they have a reflective protector against the window, making the restaurant a bit dim. The faint odor of tires slightly downgrades the overall appeal of the restaurant, but the food is spot on. Our service was also phenomenal throughout most of our time there, but we had a hard time getting the check at the end and ended up staying 30 minutes extra sadly! I think that it was because of a large group arrived and understaffing, but I wish this hadn't of happened! Overall, a great spot for Mexican food in the greater New Haven area that's perhaps worth driving out for. read more

This place is deceivingly delightful if you can pass the severe tire smell of town fair tire right next door, you would discover the gem of a place this joint is even with the grumpy American tattooed waitress who needs a shot of tequila to get a little patience and tolerance to waiting on tables but my rating of the place won't be affected by her bad behavior. Salsa bar is great and offers non spiced to ridiculous dragon heat salsa. Chips are fresh and thick and can handle a serious salsa coating. Menu is big and offers some great choices...typical chicken dishes as chicken burrito or chicken chimichangas lack the pizzazz and moistness of the beef versions which burst with flavor, zest and tenderness. The fish burrito on the special menu is insanely delicious and affordable priced at $9.95-my cocktail was more expensive than my entree while my entree was far more satisfying than my drink. Ambiance is very simple but if you want some good consistent Mexican that comes true to Mexican and NOT Tex-mex, this place is great even with grumpy American tattooed waitress and rubber smell which seems far more prominent in the summer season. Dessert selection is not too shabby and definitely worth a try. read more

This is the best Mexican food in Orange and West Haven. The fajitas are exceptional and come with generous guacamole. Raphaels especial is a complete burrito with a little bit of everything, including your choice of proteins, if wanted. Baja's's has been here for years and continues to serve excellent food with warm and competent service read more

When my family and I leave home (San Diego Ca), we refuse to eat Mexican food in any other city, because it's usually a complete disappointment. How can one compete with southern Cali tacos, beans, mariscos, etc? That being said, we found ourselves trekking across Orange CT for graduation ceremonies (across the continent mind you) last week and landed at Baja's Mexican Restaurant. I was skeptical at first because we were on the complete opposite end of the continent where my Mexican food loyalties lie. And let me tell you, Baja's has me rewriting my traveling rule about this. Baja's is legitimate, from the ambience, to the service, and especially in the quality and authenticity of the food. The beans hold up to any yellow-and-orange-striped, 24 hour, (Whatever)-bertos taco shop that Californios can offer up. The carrots and jalapeños in the ice tray are legit, the texture to the heat to the taste. The chips and salsa roja esta buenísimo. Heck, the whole style of the restaurant made me forget I was in CT and back home in Chula Vista CA. The tostada ceviche and the shrimp cocktail had us wondering where in the eff do these people get their ingredients around here. We asked, sounded like a secret thing the head cook has going on, who we heard is also from SD and has been in charge since Baja's opening. We stuck to the SD classics, carne asada fries, bean burrito, shrimp burrito, carne asada tacos, margaritas, and ceviche and not one of these dishes was below excellent. The servers were great conversationalists and very hospitable and our family thanks them for an epic experience that we weren't expecting so far from home. Baja's is authentic Baja food. And it's in CT which is even more rare, I assume. 2 thumbs up for these guys. Great job, CT is lucky to have you! read more

Baja's Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Dad eating shrimp cocktail - Mexican Near Me - Orange, Connecticut

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First time here. I had great service and great food! Thank you! Salsa and steak tacos are so good also.

Have been driving up and down the Post Rd forever and never would have noticed this little Mexican place in a non-descript strip mall down the street from Best Buy. But thanks to Yelp another great discovery. Nice and clean on the inside with a good amount of tables to sit at. We ordered one shrimp enchiladas and one shredded beef enchiladas plate. Some of the most delicious Mexican food I have ever had...fresh, tasty and both were loaded with the protein of choice, and I mean loaded. There was even extra shrimp IN BETWEEN the two generous enchiladas. If you look at the photo of the shrimp enchiladas that the owner posted...that is EXACTLY the size of the portion I received so I am definitely a believer...just one small thing..thought the staff could have been a bit more talkative/helpful.. noticed a salsa bar on our way out and was not aware there were any sauces available for their great tasting nacho chips that arrived with no dipping sauces...we just thought that is how they do it...would have liked to try a few. Also no one came over to ask us how the food was, if we needed anything else, etc. Not a big deal but did notice it. read more

My first time visiting Baja's Authentic Mexican Restaurant. The wait staff was friendly and engaging. The salsa bar had a great selection and excellent salsa. The restaurant was clean. The food was tasty and delivered quickly. I would recommend this restaurant to anybody. read more

First off, I want to say that pre-covid I've been to Baja's several times to dine-in and have always had a good meal with great service. Recently I ordered take-out and as another reviewer mentioned, the food was packaged with little more than 2 paper plates with some tin foil. Needless to say the food looked like it had been in a mixer by the time we were ready to eat. Since almost all restaurants are now offering take-out, it's probably in the restaurant's best interest to do a better job at preparing take-out orders since people may choose to go elsewhere. Perhaps try using disposable plastic containers? Overall I would definitely recommend Baja's, but just think the take-out needs to be improved for a better at-home dining experience. read more

Huge portions of authentic Mexican food. Salsa bar is great too. Really Good prices. Don't let the fact that this restaurant is in a strip mall in Orange Connecticut fool you it's really great food. read more

This is the best Mexican restaurant in the new haven area in my opinion! First they have an awesome homemade salsa bar! Who doesn't love that! One side is mild salsa's, the other hot! I like the fuego side :P Their food is delicious! I always am drawn to the Carne Asada burritos (get the special one with guac etc in it) or the Carnitas. Both meats are delicious. This place also has some one the most delicious rice I have ever had. Always very moist and flavorful!! Not dry like other places. Like their beans too! Baja's is not for the ambience however! But clean and delicious food! Do yourself a favor and check it out! read more

So it had been a while since I'd been to Baja when I wrote my initial review. My husband and I went the other day and split a fish burrito especial and pollo asada plate and, man, that stuff was good! Is the decor kind of sad? And does the parking lot smell like tires? Well, yeah. But is the food more than good enough to make up for it? No question. So, so, so good. read more

Hooray for strip mall Mexican food! This place takes me back to some of the best hole-in-the-wall joints back home. They serve great, fresh, food at reasonable prices, in an awkward environment. The chips are fresh and crisp with a good amount of salt and the variety at the salsa bar is impressive. The pico de gallo was delicious and paired well with the other salsas available and ridiculously well with the limes provided. I had the seafood burrito especial which was large and very good but a bit pricey at $16. Considering the combo plates cost less this burrito being served alone was a bit much. My friend had the flautas and was very pleased. His plate was large enough to eat well and have another serving for later. It's a shame that this place isn't closer to home but at least I know it's waiting for me. read more

Ok, you East Coast people don't know squat about Mexican food. Only us West Coast people do. In fact, this place should probably expand their doorway so my enormously fat head and pretentious ego can fit through it. ....Of course I'm writing facetiously here. Read enough Mexican food reviews by Californian Yelpers and you start writing like them. But seriously, this place is good. Everything tastes really fresh. At first I thought the prices might be a little high, but after seeing the portions, I realize they're fair. read more

Find another place to get good mexican food...not worth the time or money. THE GOOD: *Food tasted decent and the portions were large. THE BAD: *There were NO BOWLS for the salsa - they gave us a bread plate to load up at their salsa bar. I asked for a bowl and they said they don't use bowls. I can't eat salsa from a bread plate...it just simply does not work. *The lighting was terrible - we could barely see our food. *No "KIDS" menu. Just had to order off the regular menu. THE UGLY: *The prices were too high...way too high. Here's what we ordered: *1 Chicken Burrito - $12.99 *1 Beef Taco - $3.59 *1 Cheese Quesadilla (for our 5 year old daughter) - $6.99 *1 Hot Dog (for our 2 year old boy) - $6.99 *2 Apple Juices (for the kids) - $4.00 *1 Soda - $2.00 (they came by and gave me a refill on my soda and charged me for 2 sodas - I asked when the bill came and they said they don't give free refills - would have been nice to know that before I got the bill) - $4.00 TOTAL BILL: $41.01 - I added a $4.99 tip (which I still don't feel right about) - $46.00 total. To some, that may not be a big deal - I am used to paying half the price and getting better service, better tasting food, all the soda I want and A BOWL for my salsa! I suggest finding another place to eat. read more

The best Mexican food I've ever found in Connecticut. Chili verde or Carnitas plate are the way to go. For the full review, visit my Stefcations blog (the URL's in my Yelp profile). Here's an excerpt: Its exterior may not be much to speak of, and its décor may be best described as no-frills. But what it lacks in ambiance, it more than makes up for in incredibly delicious food. First things first. Upon arriving, visit the salsa bar. You'll get basket after basket of free homemade tortilla chips and as much of their amazing salsa as you wish. Choose from about half-a-dozen kinds - from the mildest of smoky chipotle salsas to fresh pico de gallo to the hottest habanero variety, in a lovely shade of bright green. I have a hard time deciding between my two fave dishes - the carnitas plate and the chile verde. The former is a mouth-watering marinated pork served with rice, refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, and two of most fantastic flour tortillas around. The latter is also pork, served with the same accompaniments, but marinated in a flawless chili verde sauce for so many hours that the pork literally melts in your mouth. So, so tasty. In my experience, the portions are quite generous; I almost always leave with leftovers (probably due in part to the fact that I can't tear myself away from the salsa bar). read more

Attention, Cali friends. Good Mexican food does exist in the Northeast! I was introduced to Baja's a couple of months ago by foodie friends who loved the place. I had the rolled taco and enchilada combo. I was pleased, but not ecstatic. I was mostly in love with the margarita and the salsa selection, all were full of flavor. Suggestion: small bowls for the salsa for the table to share instead of awkward plates that make all my salsas mix together. Please? Round 2: I went for the carnitas. They were exactly what I was hoping for...tender, well-seasoned, perfect serving size. The rice and beans were better than I recall from the first time. Friend got the Chile Verde plate and we were in love with that, too. The green chile sauce was superb. Mr. Manager was quite pleased with himself, and deservedly so. After he learned that we were well-versed in the ways of Mexican food, he still guaranteed that we would not be disappointed. How right he was. :) read more

I love that place. The salsa buffet is so good. Food is fresh and delicious. Staff is very friendly. I'm obsessed with the chimichangas and with the shrimp cocktail. Portion are good and price is no bad read more

First time at Baja's today and I will definitely be back again. My friend warned me that it was a hole in the wall next to a tire place, and I did pick up the hint of tire smell in the air upon walking in. However, the food and service was so good that I don't care one bit. I've been to worse looking dives with great food. Nothing scares me anymore. The salsa bar is phenomenal. The green salsa was so hot that it was almost too hot for me, which is saying something because I love spice! I loved the chunky veggies and the smoky, dark hot salsa combination. My carnitas chimichanga was delish-- big chunks of juicy pork and loads of sour cream. Served with rice and beans- I could only finish half and felt really full. You really get your money's worth. The service was also great. Our waitress was sweet and accommodating. The place was almost empty so we had our choice of table. People who don't like this place because of the location or what it looks like are close minded. Judge it on the food and service! They wouldn't be there 20 years if the place didn't turn out good food. Cannot wait to go back! read more

Heard great things about Baja Restaurant so we wanted to see whether it lived up to its name. My husband hung out a lot in Baja while living in SD so he was looking forward to Cali-Mex food. We were excited hearing about the salsa bar even though it had only six stations consisting of: mild to hot salsa, pico de gallo, verde sauce and pickled carrots with jalapenos. I went to a Mexican place north of Philly that had more choices from their salsa bar. Also, my friend said they used to hand out small saucers here which were easier to scoop out of. Now they hand out only flat saucers. We ordered a lot of food so we were not so pleased when the young waitress took our order without writing it down. I made a comment that 5 out of 10 times they usually get orders wrong. I was right! Our chile rellenos came out with black mole instead of the riojo version and they did fix that for us. And my husband ordered a second item which never came. Also, my poor daughter ordered 1 beef taco and 1 cheese enchilada combo but she got a bean burrito instead. We tried to tell the male server that she ordered a combo which was different than what she got. But he said what she wanted was not a combo they offered because he knows since he wrote the menu. Well, excuuuuse me! Clearly, he was not listening to us. She got a bean burrito - since when is that a combo? Instead of acting all defensive he should have listened to us. Several of us were ticked off. The few mistakes would have been solved if the waitress simply grabbed a pad and a pen. The highlights before this disappointment were the monstrous carnitas burrito, chile rellenos stuffed with cheese and Raphael's special (a heart attack of everything possible in a burrito). I love to eat fish tacos and have yet to find a fish taco on the East Coast like the ones in SD, like Roberto's or Rubio's. So tonight I was disappointed to get a soggy-half crispy fish roll under a bed of mushy lettuce and tomatoes and sour cream in a double tortilla. Why can't East Coast Mexican joints figure out how to put chunks of fish with salsa in a hand made corn tortilla. They need to learn from cooks in SD or Mexico. To top it off my husband was not satisfied with the quesadilla- not the way they make it in Baja. Authentic Mexican they are not! (closest thing to real Mexican is a hole in the wall joint in Wallingford owned by a Mexican guy- it is our secret) read more

My boyfriend and I love Mexican food so we decided to give Baja a try as we were in the locality. First impression from the outside was that it didn't look like your regular Mexican places. For some this may be a deterrent. Our Waitress was Jessica who was very friendly, open, knowledgeable about the menu and showed a genuine interest in us. I ordered the Vegetable fajitas and and my boyfriend had the Shrimp tacos. Although my dish didn't come wrapped in the flour tortillas I did find the dish tasty and adequate. I liked that you could choose your own salsa from the salsa bar. It was very fresh. I also ordered a margarita which I found was to a standard I like. Overall, I will return to Baja. It has many positives and dining at an affordable price. One negative was no open WiFi but this is only a minor aspect. read more

Baja's Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Orange, Connecticut

Ugh. Sunday afternoon, one other customer in the place. Our surly waitress is herself dining with a friend. We are intruding by sitting down. Not one even close approximation of a smile. Prices are much too high for everything. House margaritas $8:00, Huevos Rancheros (eggs) are @ 14 dollars!!!!! Mom wants an enchilada with carnitas-last visit it was 8.99, today 14.99...the 'cook' determines these prices. The place is as tacky and bare bones as it gets. We walked. Never again. read more

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN I'm usually not a fan of Mexican food. We went to this place based on the reviews. Its located in a small strip mall right next to a pawn shop. Nothing about the outside yells "Try Me.". I'm glad we did not get discouraged. There were only a few people inside, but we were told it was early. Our waitress schooled us on the menu and educated us in the fact they are NOT texmex. She claimed "we are the real deal!". With that being said we decided on a house Margarita (STRONG) and the Shrimp ceviche (DELICIOUS). We then ordered the fish tacos (Needed a crunch) and chicken fajitas. When the fajitas arrived, the wifey asked "Where's the sizzling plate?". Our waitress quickly replied "That wouldn't be authentic". Both dishes were great. The rice that was served was bland for my taste but overall I was very pleased. I guess I can now state "I AM A FAN OF AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD...not texmex". Give them a try!!! read more

Baja's Authentic Mexican Restaurant - Shrimp Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Orange, Connecticut

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Excellent menu selection, service, and margaritas made with Montezuma tequila. I had the chili verde dinner which was delicious. Wife had a carne asada Fish which she thoroughly enjoyed. We will be back. read more

I went to Baja by word of a friend who said the "Rafaelo's Especial" is to die for and I MUST go....so I did and I tell everyone I know the same thing. I bring a friend who then eats, and goes back with a friend and eats, and goes back with.... well, you get the picture. Yes, this is place right next to Town Fair next to the old Boomer McLoud. If you can get past the smell of tire as you wait for a table, Mexican goodness awaits you, I promise! On two occasions when it was real busy and there's been a wait, the owners have served margarita's to guests who waited in line. Once you're seated you're served fresh tortilla chips, and you can help yourself to the salsa bar. I tend to go for the ones with heat, which are excellent, I'm sure the mild ones are just as tasty. The ceviche is always my app of choice and is always perfect. Since it's mexican and hey, who cares about calories when it's mexican the chicken flautas are amazing and so is the Rafael's Especial... it's a burrito which I kid you not, can feed you for 3 days. I've never ordered anything other than the house margarita because that's what I was served in line that first time and it was delicious! I recommend everyone try this place at least once...... read more

Love it! Great Mexican food that is quick and delicious. The portions are very large and I can rarely get through half my plate. The salsa bar is great with lots of variety. Their special mole sauce (which I usually hate) has great flavor. Cons - service is a bit fast-foody and the strip mall location isn't appealing, but I think the food makes up for that. read more

The food was pretty good. Had the shrimp diabla and enjoyed it. The salsa bar was pretty interesting, having many different types of salsa to sample. The wait staff was very friendly, she even challenged us that we could not finish the dessert. We had easily finished it, and the waitress wound up giving us one of the desserts on the house. Very nice place and would recommend going back there again. read more

I USE 2 love this place. It was way better a decade ago but- friends & I still go. when the staff is on the ball - which is not consistently the case- its really good Cal-Mex. I luv their HUGE quesadillas, NOT their fish tacos, great margaritas & salsa buffet, decor stinks, ample parking, good for groups. read more

I should not have waited this long to post. Bajas has been our go-to mexican restaurant for over 20 years. Truly delicious mexican food and always a friendly, relaxed time. Thanks for taking the guesswork out of 'where to go' when we're hungry! (Their Margaritas are great!) read more

Blink and you will miss this place. It is in a strip mall on the post road and doens't look particularly appealing from the outside. However....once you get in and taste the food, you will realize why people come here. It's delicious! I love the salsa bar, it's a neat idea. I had chimichangas...pretty darn good. Definitely better than Taco Loco and Cancun Charlies. The drinks were pretty strong too....and you can't beat the prices for the amount of food they give you! read more

Definitely one of the better Mexican places in new haven. Don't let the strip mall signage and its location next to a tire store deter you, a good meal can be had here at good prices. read more

I Love this restaurant. My husband and I come in and get the Perfect Margaritas with Patron silver and the Baja steak quesadillas. We also get the awesome guacamole and mild salsa from their salsa bar. We think this is the best Mexican in the area and even did a Cinco de Mayo pub crawl a few years ago sampling guacamole and margaritas from six different restaurants from Stamford to Orange and Baja came out on top! We also have been to Cabo San Lucas many times so we know good Mexican food. I think the low ratings are more indicative of the décor and lack of ambience, not the food. We have never had a bad meal here, the food is always fresh and the servers are pleasant. If we want a restaurant with ambience and décor, we will go to the city or Greenwich but for great Mexican food, this place can't be beat! read more

I've come here since I was a kid. Love the bean and cheese burrito and the salsa bar. The lighting is nice, the music is catchy, and the food satisfies my tex-mex cravings. It's worth a visit if you've never been. read more

Don't let the outside scare you!! The restaurant is in need of a makeover inside and out but we were pleasantly surprised with our meals and the portion size. We love Mexican food and I have to say this was the best rice I have ever tasted. Great! I didn't give it five stars because as soon as we walked in we were handed menus and told to seat ourselves. They only had one other table! The restaurant looks very dirty and dated but the taste of the food was impressive. Total dive but it delivers quality food. read more

I'll keep this short - Baja's has unfortunately declined in quality over the past five some-odd years (even the review I wrote in 2011 was somewhat backward looking). While I think the recent 1 star reviews are a bit harsh, I agree there's really nothing special about Baja's anymore. I also think they should update the furniture and deep clean the place. I used to look forward to Baja's visits - now, it's a fallback destination. read more