When you're in the mood for some tasty fast Mexican food that doesn't laden your arteries with grease and fat, look no further than Baja Fresh. Having discovered this counter-service restaurant about a year ago, I've been back many times and have always had a great experience.

Healthy
According to Baja Fresh, the food contains no lard or MSG, and they don't use anything that's frozen or comes in a can. The chips are made in cholesterol-free canola oil. Everything's prepared fresh at each location, and from the taste of the food, I'd have to say they're not lying. The tomatoes are always ripe and juicy, the cabbage is always crisp, and the salsa at the salsa bar always tastes freshly made.

Great Taste
My favorite item, which I go back to time and time again, is the Baja Fish Taco. Wrapped in two soft corn tortillas, you get freshly cooked breaded snapper, crisp shredded cabbage, Pico de Gallo salsa, and a very tangy, tasty, creamy sauce. Unfortunately, the sauce probably isn't all that great for you, but it's what makes it taste so great. According to the Baja Fresh Web site (www.bajafresh.com), each Baja Fish Taco contains 143 calories and 9 grams of fat.

If you're looking for an even healthier alternative, I'd suggest the Baja Chicken Taco, which comes in at 90 calories and only 2 grams of fat. However, I think it lacks the zing that the fish taco offers, but with a little of the salsa from the salsa bar, you can liven it up and make it tasty.

If you're in the mood for something a bit more hearty, I recommend the Burrito Ultimo -- charbroiled chicken or steak, jack & cheddar cheese, grilled peppers, chilis, onions, rice, sour cream, and Baja salsa. Uh oh, just looked on the Web site and according to the nutritional information for the steak version, this behemoth comes in at a whopping 1109 calories and 50 grams of fat! Hmm, guess that's the last time I order that one. The site does mention, however, that you can lower the fat by 25 grams and the calories by 342 if you eliminate the cheese and sour cream.

For a healthier alternative, try the Burrito Mexicano -- charbroiled chicken or steak, black or pinto beans, rice, chopped onion, and hot or mild salsa. The steak version comes in at 933 calories and 25 grams of fat -- half that of the Burrito Ultimo.

My only complaint about the burritos is that the steak isn't very tasty. It seems to be very dry and tough -- almost jerky-like. I haven't tested it out, but you might want to try the chicken burritos instead.

Another of the reasons I continue to crave Baja Fresh -- their Baja salsa! Not as chunky as Pico de Gallo, this stuff is very dark and looks almost muddy; in fact, I was skeptical about trying it on my first visit. I did, though, and was very pleased -- it's definitely one of the best salsas I've had. It has a very unique smoky flavor. It has a little bit of kick to it, but it's not too spicy for most palates. Definitely give it a try.

Service
I've never had bad service at Baja Fresh. The staff is usually pretty young, but they're friendly and polite and serve you as quickly as possible. The food usually takes at least five minutes before it's ready and can take up to 10 minutes if they're busy. It's worth the wait, though, and you know that you're getting fresh food and not something that's been sitting under a heat lamp.

Price
Prices at Baja Fresh are reasonable -- not as cheap as Taco Bell, but this is so much more than Taco Bell. The Baja Fish Tacos are $1.95 each, and the Baja Steak Taco and Baja Chicken Taco come in at $1.85 each. Each are served with a side of tortilla chips. You can get the Tres Tacos combo (any of the three, plus a side of guacamole) for $5.60. The burritos range from $3.50 for the simple Bean and Cheese and $4.85 for the Grilled Vegetarian, to $5.25 for the Burrito Ultimo and $6.95 for the Burrito "Dos Manos," which is so huge it takes "two hands."

Decor
Baja Fresh has a bright, clean, simple atmosphere, with white walls and a black-and-white tiled floor. It's always clean, and the staff is continuously cleaning up the salsa bar and restocking the straws, napkins, and so on.

Many Bay Area Locations
I frequent the Baja Fresh on El Camino Real in Palo Alto (near Charleston), but there are also locations in Cupertino, Berkeley, Lafayette, San Ramon, and two in San Jose. Two more are opening soon in Campbell and Livermore. You can also find Baja Fresh throughout California, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Virginia.


Recommended: Yes