Baja Fresh Menu Items Ranked Worst To Best

A good philosophy behind serving food is something that will always draw in new customers and retain existing ones. At Baja Fresh, a Mexican grill that prides itself on always using fresh ingredients as opposed to the stuff in tin cans that so many other spots serve, their philosophy is simple: "Life should be full of variety, zest, and positive energy, energized by good health and good nutrition." Ain't that the truth. If you're craving a meal comprised of fresh natural ingredients instead of all the sodium, saturated fats, and oils prevalent in most eateries, a trip to Baja Fresh should be on your to-do list.

Naturally, when you walk into Baja Fresh you're not going to immediately know what to order. They have a variety of tacos, burritos, and salads — locking in that final decision isn't always easy. You want to make sure what you order is well worth your time and money. So, before you get over there, keep this article in mind to avoid any mistakes. These are Baja Fresh menu items ranked worst to best.

Who doesn't love a plate of loaded nachos? It's a perfect food to offer at a party or order all for yourself. There are a whole lotta different textures and flavors all happening in one dish, and that's exactly what you expect when that tray of smothered tortilla chips arrives at the table. At Baja Fresh, the Nachos are topped with shredded cheese, either black or pinto beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, and your choice of protein. As much as your appetite is imploring you to order these, it's best if you go for something else instead.

The big issue here is the melted shredded cheddar cheese that comes sprinkled on top. Unfortunately, it doesn't take very long for the cheese to harden once the nachos leave the heat of an oven. The result is a plastic-like texture that coats almost the whole tray, and it's as unappetizing to look at as it is to eat. The rest of the ingredients are tasty on their own, but trying to enjoy them alongside a layer of cold and hardened cheddar cheese is next to impossible.

Sometimes you're in the mood to eat something with your hands and make the meal a hands-on experience, but other times you just want a big bowl of food and pair of utensils so you can fork as much stuff into your mouth as possible. At Baja Fresh, one of the options offered is the Baja Bowl. Your protein is served over a bowl of Baja rice, either black beans or pinto beans, roasted veggies, onion, cilantro, and salsa verde.

The salsa verde adds moisture to each bite. Without it, you can tell the whole bowl would taste rather bland, which isn't the flavor profile you strive for when you go out to eat. And, you better like cilantro, because this is super cilantro forward. Cilantro can be a polarizing herb, so keep that in mind if you're someone who tends to stay away from the stuff.

While the idea of a salad might seem like a boring plate of lettuce and a few other veggies sprinkled throughout, the Tostada Salad at Baja Fresh steps the salad game up quite a few notches. You have a choice of chicken, steak, or shrimp, and the protein hops into a crispy flour tortilla bowl with lettuce, black beans or pinto beans, fresh hand-made guacamole, shredded jack cheese, fresh pico de gallo, and sour cream. There's a whole lot going on in this crispy bowl.

All the flavors work really well together, and the fact that they're all fresh and hand-made means the flavors are bright and refreshing. The sour cream and guacamole add excellent moisture to the dish, and the shredded jack cheese is soft and slightly salty, which gives each bite a bit of that umami sensation that keeps you going back for more. 

However, there is one big downside that makes this dish worth passing on: The tortilla bowl has a tendency to become extremely soggy due to all the ingredients, and that makes for quite an unpleasant texture. An actual bowl would do a much better job.

When the craving for food hits, sometimes you just gotta burrito it up. And, if you're in the mood for a burrito, why not make it as ultimate as possible to stave off all feelings of hunger? Well, Baja Fresh offers the Burrito Ultimo to stop the rumbling beast in your belly. The burrito comes with your choice of protein, grilled veggies, freshly made Salsa Baja, both jack and cheddar cheese, Baja rice, and sour cream. A couple of these ingredients work really well, but then the rest leave this item pretty lackluster.

The two elements of this burrito that really work well together are the sour cream and Salsa Baja. The salsa has a bit of a kick — when paired with the cooling sensation of the sour cream, it tastes really nice. But those two elements alone can't save this burrito from tasting rather bland. The veggies and the rice really don't have much flavor to them, so your stomach fills up but your mouth is left wanting more. 

Baja Fresh offers customers a choice of three different salads for anyone looking to get a nice helping of roughage in their diet. One of the options is the Chili Lime Salad, and even though the list of ingredients is long enough to make your head spin, everything works. The salad comes with a choice of chicken, steak, or shrimp served on fresh salad greens and kale, pico de gallo, onions, bell peppers, jicama, fresh avocado, cotija cheese, and tortilla strips all tossed in a chili-lime dressing.

Don't feel intimidated by this dish. Each ingredient complements the rest — so if you're craving a unique salad, go for it! The fresh avocado gives the salad a lovely creaminess, and the tortilla strips make for a wonderfully crunchy texture. The cotija cheese lends a nice salty punch, but unfortunately, the lack of chili flavor is a letdown. 

Although, when the word chili is in the name of something, you'd like it to have at least a kick of spice. Not the case here. Move past this if you're looking for a salad that packs the heat you crave. 

Simplicity can often reign supreme. Sure, loading a whole bunch of tasty ingredients onto a plate is sometimes what you're looking for when hunger strikes, but many times something simple and basic with high quality ingredients does an even better job of satisfying you. And you're in luck when it comes to the Americano Taco at Baja Fresh. It's a simple item that doesn't have any bells and whistles shouting out at your stomach. But, sometimes it does leave you craving a little more.

The taco is on a warm flour tortilla filled with your choice of protein, lettuce, ripe Roma tomatoes, shredded cheese, and your choice of hot or mild salsa. The quality of the ingredients here is what makes this a great option when you're not looking for anything over the top. Nothing is overpowering, and the salsa marries all of the ingredients in one yummy matrimony. You might even finish up and wish you ordered something with a little more pizzazz, so keep that in mind. 

Any time you see the word "diablo" in the name of a dish, you know your appetite is about to travel down one heck of a spicy road. Those who cower in the face of heat need not apply. But, if you love your food to leave your tongue pleasantly scorched, Baja Fresh offers the Diablo Burrito. The burrito comes with your choice of either black beans or pinto beans, rice, shredded cheese, diced onions, cilantro, and, of course, the fiery Diablo Sauce ready to have your palate dancing.

The star of the show here is obviously the Diablo Sauce — take the sauce away and you have a standard burrito. The sauce is definitely not for the faint of heart, and even those who do have a high tolerance to spice might want to keep a cold beverage handy to quell this inferno. However, the addition of cilantro helps to cut through the heat and offers a bit of reprieve, and the bright fresh herb pairs well with the spicy sauce. 

If you're a daredevil, give the Diablo Burrito a shot! However, keep in mind that sometimes the amount of diablo sauce is skimpy, and it won't deliver that spice punch you want.

A plate of sizzling fajitas is one of those things that draws everyone's attention when a server walks it through a dining room — the juicy sizzling meat and incredible smell, wow! At Baja Fresh, customers can order the Fajitas and expect a plate of tasty meat or seafood accompanied by a slew of other super fresh ingredients that make for a great option.

The dish comes with a hefty amount of either grilled meat or seafood, so you're definitely getting your money's worth when you order the Fajitas, and that's always a huge plus. The meat is served alongside roasted veggies, Baja rice, either black beans or pinto beans, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo. All of the ingredients are super fresh, which means they pack a lot of flavor.

The best part about this dish, however, is that it comes with several flour tortillas on the side, so you can mix and match ingredients to create a variety of fajitas, which is always a great thing. And it's why — along with the scrumptious taste — it lands so high on our list. 

Wahoo might be the most fun name for a fish species ever. It conjures up an image of someone going down a waterslide screaming, "Wahoooooo!" Well, as much as you like to have fun in life, your appetite also wants to have fun when it comes to eating. At Baja Fresh, you can get your Wahoo on in the form of the Fire-Grilled Wahoo Taco. Wild caught Wahoo is wrapped in a corn tortilla and joins forces with slices of fresh avocado, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, and creamy avocado salsa.

The Wahoo is super tender, and it flakes apart in your mouth almost as if it's melting. It's a wonderful texture and the fact that it's fire-grilled means there's a bit of tasty char on the outside that gives a nice textural crunch. All of the other ingredients offer great fresh flavors, but it's the avocado salsa that ties them all together with the mellow creaminess of avocado. Go ahead and Wahoo! You deserve it!

Shrimp are always great on their own, but when you pop several of 'em in a taco alongside a bunch of other fresh ingredients that all work well together, you up your shrimp game significantly — and who doesn't want to do that? Well, fans of shrimp tacos can look no further than Baja Fresh. Customers have the option to order the Grilled Shrimp Taco, and when you're in the mood for those little ocean crustaceans, this is a sure-fire way to satisfy that mood perfectly.

The handheld vessel is a corn tortilla, and inside that soft wrapping is sliced avocado, shredded cabbage, freshly made pico de gallo, and several juicy fire-grilled shrimp. The shrimp are super succulent, and burst with a light ocean flavor with each bite. The flavor of the shrimp is brought out even more, however, with help from the avocado salsa drizzled on top. The salsa is fresh and creamy and goes perfectly with the oceanic morsels of delight.

When you fry a piece of flaky fish, the end result is a lovely texture of crunchy outside and soft middle that plays perfectly together on the palate. Combining opposite textures is just like combining opposite flavors; a dish is always made better when the combo is performed correctly. One of the best tacos on Baja Fresh's menu is the Crispy Wahoo Taco. You get a delicate filet of wild caught Wahoo that's fried to a beautiful golden brown paired with shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, and a lovely tangy salsa. If you like fish tacos, this is a must order.

The fish is fried to perfection, with the crispy outer shell never feeling overly battered and greasy. The fish itself falls apart in your mouth almost to the point of melting, so the textures are fantastic. The rest of the ingredients are super fresh, which makes them complement the fish really well. 

What helps land this dish near the top of our list, however, is the tangy salsa. It's super creamy and has a delicious zesty flavor that cuts through any slight greasiness from the batter. After this taco you'll wish every piece of fried fish you eat comes with a side of that salsa.

Sometimes an entire plate of nachos can seem daunting if you're the only person picking at it. The pile of loaded chips stares at you menacingly as you try to take them down one by one. However, at Baja Fresh, people who want the great taste of nachos without the massive pile of crispy tortillas in front of them can order the Nacho Burrito and have that problem solved immediately. This is one burrito that you have to try, and you'll immediately realize what a clever and incredibly delicious invention this is.

This burrito is packed with enormous flavor. You get a choice of either black, pinto, or mixed beans, and they hop inside a warm flour tortilla to snuggle with rice, a whole lotta cheese, Jalapeños, sour cream, 6 Chiles Salsa, and crispy tortilla strips. You get a great amount of heat from the diced Jalapeños and salsa, and the sour cream helps cool everything off so it's never an overwhelming amount of spice. 

The cheese is super gooey so you get that great Instagram-worthy cheese pull after every bite — and the texture is perfect thanks to the added crunch of the tortilla strips. Adding a crunch to something soft always enhances it, and this is one beast of a burrito that knows exactly how to play its cards right.