Bang Bang

Tijuana Flats - Fort Walton Beach, FL
http://www.tijuanaflats.com/

The Florida gulf coast is my favorite place to vacation. I lived in Mobile, AL for over 3 years and took in the gulf culture and way of life during my time there. Another thing I cherished (and miss) there is the food. From Cajun spice to steamed seafood, some dishes are only found in the deep south. I try to visit the area from Destin to Biloxi at least once a year, being that it is only a short road trip away from Memphis. This year was a 5 day vacation to Fort Walton Beach that we wished to have been longer.

Laura and I packed out bags and made the 8 hour drive south to our Seacrest condo directly on the beach. 3 weeks earlier, my brother took his family to the exact same area and found a Mexican restaurant inland, closer to downtown Fort Walton, called Tijuana Flats. This Tex-Mex joint isn't anything related to the gulf coast but it surely is something that we lack in Memphis. After hearing him rave over the great prices and the hot sauce bar, I knew we had to pay them a visit. We decided on our first night that Tex-Mex sounded pretty good after the journey down from Memphis.

Tijuana Flats is a chain that is found all over the east coast with several locations in Florida. I looked up their website on my phone and was tickled by the colors and graphics. I knew it would be a fun experience before stepping foot in the place. We found it in an old Burger King which wasn't your typical Mexican-type sit down restaurant where you munch on free salsa and sip on pitchers of margaritas. On the contrary, however, it was no Taco Bell. You place your order, go find a seat and they bring it to you when it's ready. Upon placing our order, I noticed their huge craft beer selection and ordered a beer only found at brew festivals back home. Laura then noticed their "Bangin' Choices" on the menu which are meals that tossed in their "Smack My Ass Bangin' Chicken Sauce". The chicken burrito would be my choice and we placed our order.

Upon walking to our table out on the patio, we passed the hot sauce bar. I stopped dead in my tracks and marveled at the huge assortment of hot sauces, free to add to your meal. After picking my jaw up off the floor, I made my way to the bar and began testing various sauces. I found some to be very sweet with no heat, some to be vinagery with a mild punch and others to be pasty thick with a super hot kick. I found 4 worthy of trying with the burrito, pumped them in to separate small paper cups and took them to the table. Our meals were delivered shortly after sitting down and I began to see what the hype was all about. I was instantly taken back by the flavor of the chicken in the large burrito. It was extremely good but it wasn't smacking my ass just yet. I then began trying the different sauces, starting with the sweet ones and ending with the hottest. I found the "Green Ghost" sauce to be awesome but more mild than advertised. I then tried my favorite of the night, the "Pyro-Mania", which is a blend of habaneros and chipotle peppers. The heat from the habs blended awesome with the smoke from the chipotles and I ended up going back for more. I finished off my huge burrito, pouring Pyro-Mania over every bite, and then wiped the sweat off my chili head.

Before we left, I was told that they have a heat challenge where the brave contestant has to eat numerous drops of their hottest sauce on a tortilla chip. The current record for the Fort Walton location is 51 drops. As we finished our beers, they started closing up the restaurant. I told Laura that we should come back for the challenge toward the end of our vacation but sadly, we never had the time. Hopefully this becomes a yearly vacation for us and if so, I vow to become the record holder for that challenge! In the mean time, I will prepare and suggest that any Florida vacationers try and find a Tijuana Flats near them!