The Burrito Blog

Baja Fresh

Baja Fresh Denies Faneuil Hall Tortillas

This happened forever ago, but I should alert Bostonians rather than ignore it: Baja Fresh in Faneuil Hall has closed.

There's some new restaurant going in there, and they will not be serving frijoles, tortillas, or anything resembling Mexican food.

Baja Fresh was a paltry improvement, and Faneuil hall has regressed to its former status: my least favorite place.

Sunday, September 17, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for Baja Fresh Denies Faneuil Hall Tortillas

What Lies Beneath The Steak Tostada

Greg and I went to Faneuil Hall after work the other day to grab some Baja Fresh. I'd been before, but never in Boston.

I should mention that I was paying for Greg's meal in exchange for a Burrito Blog t-shit design. Why is this important? Because he got the most expensive thing on the menu.

I've got to give high marks for presentation on this thing. Just look how nicely everything is arranged, and how hearty those ingredients look.

All is not as it seems.

Once Greg dug around a bit, it became apparent that 'Tostada' really means 'salad' at Baja Fresh.

Sunday, May 22, 2005 by Jonah. Permalink for What Lies Beneath The Steak Tostada

Burrito Oasis In Faneuil Hall

I never took a class in photography, but my untrained eyes thought this shot was pretty telling. You can see how Baja Fresh dropped right into Boston's historic Faneuil Hall (Map). There are something like 40 food spots in Quincy Market, and Baja is killing the competition, except Pizzeria Regina, of course.

Anyway, I got the Baja with rice added to it. It's basically a regular burrito with no beans or rice, but it has guacamole. Who came up with that one?

You've got to add your own hot sauce, so I went with the salsa verde. I always feel interrupted adding sauce between bites.

Was I impressed? Not really. But there's not much else around this part of town for beans and rice.

This Baja Fresh meal was rated: 3.8.

Sunday, May 22, 2005 by Jonah. Permalink for Burrito Oasis In Faneuil Hall

Welcome To Baja Fresh Mexican Grill

My first visit to Baja Fresh was in Pentagon City, Virginia. Junior Burrito Analyst Mike Schwimmer and I were on a tear around the district to find some excellent burritos. That quest led us, well, outside the district.

Owned by Wendy's International, Baja Fresh is huge, with 300 restaurants in 28 states as of May, 2005. Of these, about half are franchised (Yahoo! Finance). Update: Wendy's sold Baja Fresh in late 2006 to a private investment group. Details here. That same investment group, operating under the name Fresh Enterprises, later bought La Salsa.

My biggest complaint about Baja is their pre-fabricated menu items. See, you're not encouraged to go up and order a burrito and spec out its contents. They want you to get the Ultimo, the Fajita Burrito, the Baja or something like that, kind of like Taco Bell.

Upsides include the free tortilla chips, the enchilado style option, and the ability to call in your order ahead of time, if you're into that sort of thing.

Sunday, May 22, 2005 by Jonah. Permalink for Welcome To Baja Fresh Mexican Grill | Comments (10)