Little Tijuana Restaurant
(612) 872-0578
17 E 26th St
Minneapolis,
MN
55404
44.9554
-93.2775
Neighborhoods: Whittier, Powderhorn
What People Are Saying About Little Tijuana Restaurant
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
In Short
A legendary nocturnal spot, this cantina is equipped for an alternative late-night crowd: old carpet, duct-taped pleather booths and loud punk music. Servers with hot-pink hair and body jewelry aren't afraid to enforce the many rules--no refills, no substitutions, one-hour limit on tables and a minimum for tabs. The menu covers all basics of Americanized Mexican fare: generous portion of chicken enchiladas smothered in not-too-spicy tomato sauce and taco dinners that allow for leftovers.
User Reviews
CubbieFan1969
June 26, 2009
This owner makes his own tamales from scratch each morning. The fagitas are outstanding. Salsa choices are excellent and delicious.
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pinkyred
May 31, 2009
Little tijuana has been around for 40 plus years for many good reasons. It’s one of those places that people talk about enough that it has a nick-name: lil t’s, and that doesn’t happen for just anybody. The menu is pretty affordable, and the portions are certainly too big for me to finish alone, and for anyone complaining that it’s not master chef quality food... really, what do you expect when you look at the place? I don’t even mean that in a bad way at all- it’s greasy, cheesy mexican comfort food- and at 2 am after a few good hours of drinking, could anything be better? probably not. Little t’s isn’t a restaurant to go to if youre looking to have the staff bowing and scraping to your every whim- and that’s part of the fun. To anyone complaining that there are rules, well, you saw the signs when you sat down. If you can’t abide by them, then this isn’t the place for you. And you know what, if you just take their word for it, the food really is pretty good. Think of it this way: if you are trying to make all these modifications and have the cooks create you something new that they haven’t made 80 times already that night, chances are it’s not going to be awesome and it will be sent back and cause way too much chaos for everyone. They are well practiced in what they do serve, don’t ask them to experiment. And as for the servers- they’re amazing. The number of people that pass through that restaurant every day is staggering- and they do a pretty great job staying on top of it. And they do a lot more than just run your food- they’re comedians, interpreters, psychiatrists, bouncers, diplomats, food allergy experts, toxic waste handlers (some people sadly just can’t hold their drinks), baby sitters and much more. And most of them do it for ten hours at a time in high heels. And every piece of information about pricing and what sides cost are on every single menu. Knowing that sour cream or guac cost extra, that’s your job. And sodas? seriously? Theyre something like 32 ounces- my boyfriend and I can’t even finish one when we split it. And if you do manage to finish one, and are offended by the idea of not getting a free refill- they will bring you water for free if you ask, you don’t HAVE to sit there parched!
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chrisinmpls
May 27, 2009
I've been coming to Little Tijuana for many years and it is consistently my all-time favorite for Mexican comfort food. While other restaurants in the neighborhood also feature Mexican cuisine, Little T's will always hold a very special place in my heart. The atmosphere is always a little edgy, which is a breath of fresh air in an age of so many boring, contrived concept restaurants. Whenever I've gone there, I've been impressed with the freshness of the ingredients and the generous portion sizes. Whether I've ordered the 'small' Greek salad, which could be an entire light lunch itself, or the magnificent chicken chimichanga or any of the traditional sandwiches (yay, BLT!!!), I've never been disappointed. Frankly, I'm baffled by the spate of recent bad reviews. Judging by the reviews, I'm inclined not to take them at all seriously since they're snipy, poorly-written and seemingly vendetta-filled. Little T's is a neighborhood institution that always draws an eclectic crowd from Whittier and far beyond. Here's to another 45 years!!
read full reviewThe Details on Little Tijuana Restaurant
Know Before You Go:
Little signs in the booths warn against leaving money at the table. Heed them and pay at the counter.
Category:
Payment Methods:
Check, American Express, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, Late Night Dining, People Watching, Lunch Spot, Date Spot, Group Dining, Cheap Eats, Bar Scene
General Info:
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
No
