Food: Tortilla Flats

Walking along Queen West, there was a delicious deep fried smell in the air... it was Tortilla Flats. Now, before you judge or read any (bad) online reviews, pause for a moment and read on. 

I don't generally guess my way through Toronto restaurants - I like to do some research before settling on a place. I'd never heard of Tortilla Flats before, and I don't remember ever having good tex-mex anywhere in Toronto.

Date visited: February 18th, 2011

There seemed to be a few groups inside, and they told us we could sit anywhere. A server quickly came by and asked us about drinks. He took a while to come back, but when he did, he apologized for the wait. Were we waiting? I didn't really even really think about it, but appreciated the apology anyway.

After a number of questions and requests for recommendations, I had a few thoughts...  I like reinforcement that I've made a good menu selection. I've ordered a lot of disgusting things from restaurants and been disappointed, and I wish someone had been honest enough to tell me I'd made a bad choice! For example, I really wanted the "Kitchen Sink Dip", because it seemed to have everything I could ever want in a tex-mex layered dip - refried beans, guacamole, salsa, chili, cheeses...the guy didn't really offer any feedback.

Tasty: Kitchen Sink Dip & Tortilla Chips

But when I asked for an entree suggestion because I was torn between Flautas and the Enchilada, he said the Flautas were horrible and to not order them! Okay...perfect. The enchilada was very fresh tasting and had acceptable chicken chunks. No objectionable chicken bits here... I could have done without the side of yellow rice though. I meant to omit that, but forgot. It wasn't bad, there was just too much food.

I also enjoyed a good margarita with crushed ice - not too sweet/sour and just the right amount of tequila. I wish it had been Margarita Thursday.

So, I must say the prices were reasonable, and the service was great. Again, I will say that most of the time I'm unimpressed with restaurant service in the city, and don't usually expect anything. When the experience is good, I'm pleasantly surprised and offer a good tip.

The food, tasty beverage and relaxed atmosphere all contributed to a lovely adventure in food...I would definitely return to this place, despite what you may read on Urban Spoon. It had a lot of bad reviews, but I'd give it another go. Until my next visit is a total bust, I stand by my recommendation!

Final thought: Eat there!