Used to be a regular but moved further west and now it's our "every once in awhile place" Decor hasn't changed in the many years we have been coming. And the reviews before of the mafia feel was pretty dead on and funny. I decided to celebrate mother's day on Saturday to avoid the crazy rush of a Sunday mess. We stopped in for breakfast with my family of 4 and always get seated in the front booth of every occasion. I think more than a coincidence :) The same rip has been in the corner booth since I was a teenager and now teenager daughter gets to complain when she rubs against it. The portions are HUGE and if you are really hungry you won't leave that way and if you are kind of hungry you can share or take home left overs. I have no complaints about the food here, or at least any of the breakfast items "because that is usually the only time we are here" Skillets are awesome, waitress's seem to know everyone and try to be friendly and even though ours was slow to refill our coffee and/or drinks the runner girl was always around with a refill and help if we needed it. If you enjoy a hole in the wall place that you can gather and be loud and have a great meal then you should give this a chance. But if your a snobby girl who is going to inspect your silverware and water glass when you sit down then it's most likely not the place for you.
(4)
Angela E.
Horrible service. Period. First visit: The place was not busy. Waited to order. Waited for food. Waited for water. Waited for bill. Second visit: Walked in, waitress looked up then looked back down and completely ignoring us. This did it for us. We will not try again.
(1)
Martha O.
Old rundown, short staffed, odd menu selection, and ever priced, were just some of the issues encountered. All would have been overlooked if the food was up to par... Needless to say, it wasn't. I'm Latina so I know good Mexican food, this was NOT it. Never going back.
(1)
Lola S.
I give this pale 2 stars simply because of its location which is very convenient I those who work in downtown Glendale. Run down decor, sweetly unprofessional staff, strange menu that is mismatched and overpriced & poor tasting food. I have been here several times for business lunches and that will be the only reason I ever return.
(2)
Mike O.
GREAT OLD TOWN GLENDALE DINER. Don't miss the live music for an awesome VFW-like, all-Formica, orange-vinyl dining experience. All that's missing are the brown-striped plates. This is _real_ Glendale, no corporate paint color standards and standard-issue banded-collar button downs, just old school eats and smiles. --Live music Sundays 10:30 to 12:30; bossa, blues, honky tonk and diner rock --teeming with regulars; staff makes you feel like family --service prompt and courteous. My heart would have exploded from caffeine overdose had I taken them up on all the refill offers. --this is the essence of non-corporate bliss in a local joint. --if you like the Tee Pee, you'll love this place. --Mexican undertones in fajitas, chorizo skillet and posole --all American favorites too. Cream of mushroom-based gravy is thick as can be. --dishes that could look good did look good (I'm giving a pass for my gravy-covered eggs and hash -- it LOOKED gross, but tasted great) --great Sunday breakfast spot --right in the middle of antique shop nirvana
(3)
L T.
Worst Mexican food, worst service, even worse margarita. Never ever going back, they serve the locals better than any body else. If you want super good Mexican food and really super service try PEDROS up the street.
(1)
Elaine S.
I work close to Bitzee's so I eat there quite often. Food is always good. Service is friendly. Not only is it a good restaurant, they do a lot of good for the community. Always involved, and making a difference. Highly recommend.!
(5)
Danica C.
My shop is right down the block from Bitzee's and we had to work late a few days last week. Good thing, cuz I had the chance to try Bitzee's nachos. They were so awesome, I ended up eating there 3 days in a row & shared the chicken nachos with my hunny each time. The nachos were smothered in...everything! Chicken was very flavorful and moist, and the portions were so huge that even though I shared (and I'm not a big fan of sharing) we were both stuffed! I'll be back for sure :)
(4)
Tyler W.
Easily the worst food I've have had the displeasure of tasting in a very long time. The dining room is old, well used, and out dated. Margarita was lacking in every way. Spend the remaining of the night throwing up!!! Do not eat here!
(1)
Kevin R.
Stopped in after seeing the Ad on the Glendale Star's web site. The offer of 1 dollar margarita's is False. We stopped in on Thursday and asked for the 1 dollar special margarita as posted on the ad, but were informed that is only on Monday's. I questioned the waitress about the Ad, but to no avail she said no. I question the Ad polices of the local paper for not checking if the customers Ad's are false. Never going back to a business that false advertises.
(2)
Randy I.
Have been going to Bitz-ee Mama's for years. Only for breakfast, but now will be back again. Posole is my fav the portion was enormous! Will probably ask for additional fixings next time.
(4)
Michael N.
Ick. enough said. There are too many better options in the area. I would advise you to use them.
(2)
Michael S.
Bitzee Mama's isn't a restaurant its a Historical Restaurant. LOL Its been there for as long as I been in AZ 1987.. Its one of those places you go for good food relaxing ambiance and hang with good people. You cant go to Downtown Glendale with out popping in for a Beer Ice Tea or Some Food relax and explore down town some more. GREAT PARKING behind Bitzees TOO! Pop in and Tell em you want the Michael LeShane Discount! LOL Im not sure if its a discount or surcharge! LeShane
(5)
Kevin H.
This is just plain awful. One of the many one and done spots that I have hit in the valley over the years. It was quite a while ago, but it was so bad that it is impossible to forget. I love chile rellenos. Not sure what they think they are serving here, but it looked nothing like what I am accustomed to. Admittedly I have partaken in festive Hispanic family events where grandma was in charge in the kitchen, and of course I was tied to her apron so I have eaten some top notch versions. But this. In a nutshell it was possibly half of a canned pepper, laced with some foul cheese-like gloop, and triple dipped in copious amounts of batter. It comes out looking like what I would imagine would be a golden brown silicone breast implant. Though the implant might taste better.
(1)
Julio R.
Food was ok, nothing to tell my friends about. If your in the area come, but not a place to say, lets go eat at Bitz-ee.
(1)
Rebecca P.
Wow, a whole list of less than stellar reviews and then two 4-5 stars in one day! By new reviewers even! That haven't reviewed another thing! WOW! What ever could have happened at Mama's to make not one but TWO brand new reviewers feel SO strongly about the quality of their experience there that they would bother to log on and write a review? I truly want to like Bitzee Mama's. Really I do. So much so that I went back twice more. I know I can be bitchy occassionally so I try to give places more than one shot w/me. The food was average at best but the service just sucked. There were only about 4-5 tables occupied in the whole damn place but yet service was so bad that the customers, myself included, just started getting up and getting what we needed- refills, napkins, whatever. The one waitress, well, I'm not sure if she is truly just slow in the noggin, on drugs or crazy. I could go on but I think you get the picture. I hope these other "4-5 star reviewers" had that good of an experience there and not just an extra 15 minute break as an incentive.
(1)
Miss C.
I am rating this place one star...I am being generous, actually super generous...shame there is not a negative star rating system. I went here one night with a group of family and friends, nothing extreme, just 6 of us. The restaurant was about 1/4 full and they had live music. Was not my choice to come here, we actually came on this evening bc my friend said that she heard the singer was good. It took about 20 minutes before we were greated by our server and another 8 minutes to actually get our drinks. Then our server flat out disappeared. Finally remembering that she only makes money if she talks to the table, our server reappeared and took our food order. 35 minutes later our "food" came out. We all took a minute to stare at our plates to figure out what exactly was on them. I have had more identifiable food served to me in a school cafeteria. The food tasted even worse than it looked and at this point (of course our server never came to see how things were) we were all pretty put out about the whole place. Then the singing act (on break from her Motel 8 on the side of the freeway lounge act) came over to see how we liked the show and the food. We told her exactly what we thought of the food and the service and the singer went BALLISTIC, I mean you would think that we just ran over her dog the way she reacted. Completely irritated and annoyed we wanted out of this place. Sadly it was another 15 minutes before our server reappeared and we asked her the very complicated request of getting our check. Finally making our way to pay the cashier person asked how things were and we told her it was the most disappointing and aggravating experience we had ever had dining out...her reply "Everybody loves us, and we have amazing food, I don't know what you are talking about!" And scoffed off to go do something else. Really lady? Really? Maybe you should check out the other reviews on here... seems like your fan club isn't as big as you thought..... Just thinking about this place to write this review gets my pulse racing. Never Never Again!
(1)
Claudia InA Z.
Very good Mexican food with some American options. Service was good, food was delicious...nice, fresh and hot. Bathrooms had a lot to be desired, they were a mess, but then we were there during Glendale Glitters so that may have been the reason, although they were limited to customer use only. When the place is full, they really should clean up the bathrooms more often.
(3)
Jenny T.
This place is ridiculous. After waiting for almost an hour for food in a restaurant that wasnt that busy, breakfast was inedible. The pancakes were burned, the bacon like charcoal, and my husband took maybe 2 bites of his bitzee skillet. How hard is it to make breakfast? After waiting that long it should have been perfect or at least edible. Blech. Run in the other direction people. Oh and the bathroom plunger with dried toilet paper all over it was a nice touch in the bathroom.
(1)
Maggie F.
When you walk in it's like taking a step back in time, but considering it's in a historic neighborhood were shabby is chic, it's not bad, lol. Service was very friendly, booths are small, food was decent. I heard the people in the booth behind me saying their food was great & I was tempted to turn around & ask what they had but my daughter stopped me short & begged me not to embarrass her, threatening to die if I asked. I decided to be nice & keep her alive, so no idea what they had, but I trust that they liked it :) I had a veggie burger with curly fries & my daughter had a BLT sandwich with regular fries. Both were good, no complaints. Oh, & they are open on Sundays, which is not true of many restaurants in that area. Another plus!
(3)
James S.
Dated. Greasy. Poor/rude service. Taco salad soaking in grease is not good, and when you say something the response shouldn't be well you ordered it. Too bad it has been a west valley staple but something bad has happen.
(1)
Dan M.
If I could give no stars I would. The service was terrible, we were told it would be 15 minutes before we could be sat and there were 6 tables open. After we sat they took our order and after 40 minutes it came to the table slightly warm. The food was bland and I could have done better at home. I would go to Denny's over this. The seats are uncomfortable and need repair and the loud music was a bit much. I couldn't enjoy a nice breakfast in some quiet.
(1)
Nonda R.
Live entertainment, friendly, restroom clean, my dish was good, but my hubbies dish the meat was not seasoned at all and for a fajita they gave him a burrito flour size tortilla and took about 15 mins to bring a second one. Plus hrs are posted wrong on yelp. States open from 6 am to 2 pm even though they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
(3)
Penny R.
One of my all time favorite places to have breakfast!
(5)
Annie W.
The food is OK. Nothing to write home to mom about. After the server realized that part of my friends order hadn't been served we had to remind once again, while the food was getting cold, to bring the rest of the order. I ordered the country skillet. It was pretty bland. The sausage gravy should be renamed to milk gravy due to the lack of sausage. Another of our party ordered the "special", steak and eggs with the steak order rare. His meal was served with well done steak so it was sent back. he received his meal once again but the rest of our party was pretty much finished with their meal. The coffee cups were refilled regularly. Our party of 12 was taken for breakfast without reservation and within the half hour of our phone call. Breakfast pricing was under $10.00. I can't speak for the lunch or dinner menu but breakfast is just OK.
(2)
Thom C.
For a dining experience you won't soon forget, I can't recommend Bitzee Mama more highly. Unfortunately, you'll remember it for all the wrong reasons. Where to begin. First off we showed up on Monday night for dinner. Closed. OK, so I checked their website which says they're only open until 2 on Monday, then Tue - Sat until 9. Showed up Tues at 6 for dinner. Closed again! So on Wed I called & found out that they're open Thu-Sat until 9. I suggested they update their website and got a grunt as a response. If I hadn't had a LivingSocial I would have written this place off but the $10 was non-refundable so I figured 'it can't be any worse than making a "run for the border". I ordered the green chili beef chimi and my GF ordered two shredded beef tacos. I have to way that the incredibly small amount of meat was a pretty tasty morsel, but that's all it was - a morsel at each end with a small green chili in the middle. And how do you screw up refried beans? I can't even begin to identify whatever it was I was tasting. Rancid fat? Even tho my GF ordered the tacos ala carte she got the dinner which included more of the rancid fat refried beans and rice that they had somehow managed to infuse with a sickly pinkish-orange color. In short, even tho I got the whole thing for half price I still felt ripped off.
(1)
Alexander C.
Bitzee Mama's isn't my mama! My mama wouldn't have kept her hungry son waiting forever for his lunch. She wouldn't have let my go thirsty with no refills. She does make a good bowl of salsa so that makes it alright, right? Took my real mama there for lunch.. I ordered the taco salad and ma ordered the cheese enchilada plate.. also a bowl or red chile. Taco salad was alright except the taco shell was so mushy from water it literally fell apart when I picked it up.. glad I wasn't eating the shell. She's old school.. makes a darn good cheese enchilada and refried beans. Struck out again with the red chile.. I swear, can no one except La Canasta make red chile? While the meat was tender and the sauce was smooth it had a weird orange color to it and the meat tasted, well wasn't any beef Ive ever had. On the way to the counter to pay my bill I noticed that almost everyone was eating chimichanga's.. well then, looks like I ordered the wrong thing! Place is also uber cheap. Be careful what you order and mama will be just fine.
(1)
Allen S.
My wife wanted to go to downtown Glendale because it had cute shops and such. It got more exciting when she mentioned Mexican food. This place is what I expected from the reviews. The food was traditionally made and the tomale was real fresh and delish. The Salsa was really really stand-out good which improved the quality of all the items. Unlike other reviews, we had really really attentive service including fast seating, waters filled, asked if we were ready to order when we looked up from menus, etc... This place was a standard, good, sit-down mexican tucked in a cozy little historic downtown. No complaints. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the place solely on the food or atmosphere, but it was a nice spot overall.
(3)
Pam B.
The best Guacamole! Friendly, casual atmosphere..
(5)
Annie B.
I and many of my friends have ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at Bitze-ee Mama's Love the new owners, great customer service - outstanding tamales, green corn, sweet, red - they are all good. Great fajita salad - live music on the weekends - they make you feel like family!
(5)
Lucky T.
Can't quite understand what all the bad reviews are about, but I ordered a shredded beef chimichanga which comes with rice and beans. It was so big I had to stuff it in. I still left the beans and rice pretty much untouched. It was cooked to perfection really, which is why I'm a little confused about others dining experience. I ordered a quesadilla (cheese only), also. Just meh on that one. Also, got a giant order of carrot cake which they do not make but buy it on the outside to serve. Good cake..and I consider myself somewhat of an expert on carrot cake cause I have the world's best recipe, which I mooched off a girlfriend's sister-in-law some years ago...and it took some whining and constant reminders to get it... but I finally did. Service is kinda half-baked, but after reading reviews I expected it. I think I had 4 different people helping me..haha! It's ok...I got served and waited on. I like this place. I would go back. I thought the food was good. Maybe the complainants should order the chimichange platter? As for the food coming out hot...mine was so hot I almost burned my hand on the plate. What happened to make my experience--and I know food--so positive compared to some of these other reviews? Was Mama off the rag and feeling good this day? Who knows, but I surely enjoyed it.
(4)
Albert H.
Wasn't busy on this weekday late morning, and I received prompt attention upon entering and my server greeted me within a minute or so. Chips and salsa were provided and just ok, and I ordered from the lunch special menu which was a little better deal than regular menu items. Food was average to above average, and my server did a good job checking in with me. It was a little pricey - just under $10 for a lunch special with soda, plus tip on top of that.
(3)
Christine R.
This was not good. The scene here was scary at best. I got fajitas. How do you mess up fajitas? Mama did it. My dining partner wasn't all that hungry and sort of sick. She got a grilled cheese. How do you mess up grilled cheese? Mama did it. It's too bad, because downtown Glendale could be cute. I *wanted* to like it. Bad. End of story. ~~~ Update 9/13/08 I probably shouldn't admit this, but we have taken to calling it "Barfy Momma's" around our house. Yes, we are bad.
(1)
Bridget H.
I was actually very hesitant to try this place mostly because of the yelp reviews. I didn't think it was bad at all. The service was very friendly and attentive. The food was decent. I did enjoy the salsa. I ordered cheese enchilada's and they were what I expected them to be. I'll absolutely go back for a second try!
(4)
Nancy H.
It was the WORST food I ever had. The so called green chili burro NASTY. It was some kind of green sauce with cracked black pepper. It was. Just plain gross. Wouldn't go there if you paid me. It is an insult to Mexican food.
(1)
Julie P.
This was one of those places that I wanted to like, just for the mere fact that they are sort of a cornerstone of the downtown Glendale scene. I wanted to like this place so much that I didn't write this review based on one visit, nor two, but three strikes you're out! There isn't much that Bitzee Mama's does well. In fact the only redeeming trait might be the salsa (but even that isn't enough to bring me back of my own fruition). The service is "OMG - I CAN FEEL MY HAIR GROWING" slow. The food is nothing memorable - if you even get what you order (once I ordered a cheesesteak and I just got the cheese - I kid you not, no meat). The prices are actually high for what you get - and check your bill because once I was charged $47.38 for a soda and sammie which I actually had to argue about with the manager (I was pretty sure I could take her, but dang that's just not right). Mama's may have been a staple in the past, but her age is showing and she desperately needs a calgon moment!
(2)
Heather M.
I wouldn't even give it the one star :( I wish I had checked Yelp before I bought my Living Social deal...total waste of money. My boyfriend a native of AZ raved that Bitz-ee Mama's had great Mexican food so I took part in the Living Social deal. We finally got around to going this weekend and what a mistake. We walked in and I was put off by the "hole in the wall" atmosphere but I know that most "dive" restaurants have good food so I decided to put snobbery aside for the moment. We waited a lenghty amount of time for a table as it is preferred over a booth but were ok with that fact. We were plopped down in the middle of a mixed group of individuals dressed in Halloween costumes participating in Karaoke :( This situation was less than ideal but I was going along trying to be a good sport. The menu had a few mexican selections and a lot of diner type of food and my mood got worse...still trying to be a good sport but knew this wasn't going to end well. Our waitress rolled around several minutes later with chips and salsa and took our drink order. The salsa was visually un-appealing and I couldn't force myself to try it but my boyfriend said it was great....it should be noted that he will eat most anything :/ About 8 minutes later no drinks and he said let's bail. The waitress walked past us several times clearing other tables and we were right next to the bar so we weren't quite sure what the delay was??? Sad to say that this restaurant lacks the charm that we were looking for. Luckily there are a lot of other great local business in the area and we will stick to visting them :)
(1)
Gloria S.
My boyfriend and I love Bitz-ee Mama's! The breakfast is pretty great! The chicken fried steak is really good. No grizzly pieces-believe me-I am always the person to find a nasty piece of meat, and I did not find one bad piece. The staff is super friendly, and the prices are good. Parking is easy to find, which is also a definite plus! I would highly recommend it!
(5)
Brenda L.
Ok I had a tamale at the annual Glendale Jazz Blues Fest, I did not actually go inside the place. But the red chili tamale I had was bland and dry with shredded beef brisket at both ends but none in the middle! Where was the red chili? They offered no salsa with their tamales either and sold no drinks outside their business. The set up nor the tamale did nothing for their image.
(2)
Lora T.
Service was bad. We had to go find the waitress and explain we would need to leave if we could not get any service Finally that was resolved and we stayed. Wish we had left. The drinks was so-so and served on a plastic water cup. The taco shell and tostada shell were pre-formed store bought. The chicken was fresh and the lettuce and tomatoes were fresh. We (3 of us) did not get sick and we finished our meal but we most certainly will not return. SO many other much better choices.
(2)
Joshua W.
So I want to start by saying the food was good. The service was atrocious. Our waitress had a major attitude and was absolutely put out to serve us. This was perplexing since there was hardly anyone else in the restaurants. Several times I would thank her to only get nothing in response except a dirty look. The diet soda I was served tasted awful. Someone I was with ordered water only to be served soda. When he mentioned it, the waitress snagged up the soda, threw it away and as she walked away she mumbled "I heard you say diet pepsi." Once our food was ready some guy who had been sitting with another party and was dressed in regular clothes got up, walked into the kitchen, and came out and served our food. This took me a little off guard but in the end it was okay because he was great! Polite and attentive. I ordered the pollo fundido burrito. The green chili sauce had a kick, the tortilla was fresh and the chicken inside had great flavor. The chicken was juicy, shredded, spiced and overall great. They used high quality cheese and the beans and rice were good. They offered two salsas, one chunky and one hot sauce style. Both were good. The complimentary chips were tasty. I always put food above service when I review a place that is the only reason why they get three stars and not two.
(3)
Sandra H.
A very busy place we came in one server for like 2 big tables and 4 smaller tables. Got Our Drinks fast though. Food was good I got the steak and eggs but the steak was very thin and I like mine mooing and it was cooked all the way which is easy to do since the steak was thin. Getting refills took awhile. Finally more servers came on but service was just decent afterwards. Pancakes was amazingly good. Overall I do like the place alot and our server was nice.
(4)
Sonja S.
So - I've given this some thought. The food was okay - not spectacular but not awful. The service as well was okay - borderline marginal. The reason for the 1 star review is the waitress took it upon herself to add a 22% tip to my bill. Now, I'll leave a tip - even for marginal service - but I don't appreciate being dictated how much I should leave. A tip is something I give freely - not something the server determines. If the service had been exceptional, I likely would have left a 20% tip - it wasn't so I was going to leave 15%. Needless to say, I won't be going back.
(1)
Jody S.
Bitzee Mama's is a local tradition in old Glendale, and one of my favorite places to be. It is now in capable hands, and never disappoints. If you're expecting trendy and upscale, please don't go there then post a flaming review. The service is personal, and everything is real and unpretentious. It's also very good Mexican food.
(5)
Ron S.
This was literally the worst meal I have eaten since I ate at my junior high school cafeteria. The flavors were lacking, the service was horrible. I ordered a chicken burrito and it came with nothing but shredded chicken and a tortilla. It was not flavorful. The staff didn't know what the food options were when asked. Also, I asked the waitress what was included in the chicken burrito and she said she would ask, she brought me the food without ever asking what was in it. Poor food. Poor experience. Save your money. Save the time. Save the calories. Yuck!!!
(1)
Liz R.
DISGUSTING. From the atmosphere to the food. Old, run down, holes in chairs, wobbly tables, dirty restrooms... Immediate turn off from the get go. I thought maybe the food would be ok, it was not. I had the two shredded beef taco combo. The shells were store bought, not homemade. The tacos, beans, and rice were soaked from a ridiculous amount of liquid on the plate, I am assuming from the shredded beef. It was less than mediocre food. Here's the kicker - the waitress even screwed up our tab! She did the math completely wrong. She totaled up food, tax, and gratuity (6 or more you get 16% gratuity added) and it was $176!!!! Whaaaat?? The real total was $82. Ugh. Got it fixed and left. This morning I am layingj in bed feeling incredibly sick to my stomach. Started last night... Worse today. Do not eat here!!! Cook at home or go to a better place for Mexican food.
(1)
Toni R.
This place has pretty decent tamales for 3 bucks... I purchased the tamale outside of the restaurant while attending Glendale Glitters. I have not been inside or tried anything other than their tamales but I would buy some again.
(3)
Nancy H.
Terrible. The worst I've ever had. The food was bland, overpriced, my hot meal came out cold.
(1)
Grace S.
I have been going to Bitzee's my entire life. Great food, great people! Love this place!
(5)
Jason T.
The service it's awesome and the good is great. My wife come here every couple of weeks. Locally own and it is great to support local business when you can.
(5)
Sierra C.
Came here with the intentions of drinking margaritas and having some at least decent Mexican food. The Margaritas came in a regular glass, and my fried ice cream came in a margarita glass?? Kinda confusing. My family friends 55th birthday was today and they wouldn't serve her alcohol bc she didn't have her id, she is obviously of age. What we wanted to be a nice quick decent Mexican meal, turned into a big fat joke. Won't come back. I'm sorry!
(1)
Peggy D.
This is a wonderful family place that has great food. We were a party of ten last night that got excellent service and LuLu (one of the owners)came and wished Carol a Happy Birthday! I had the Chili Reano and it was yummy and their house Margaritas are the best!! I give them 10 stars!! Love you guys!!
(5)
Melissa M.
Bitzee mama's has been a family favorite restaurant for as long as I can remember. Their breakfast is where it's at. Large servings, friendly and attentive staff and inexpensive. They are always very accommodating to large groups. Their staff is very involved in the community and it makes for good business.
(5)
J D.
Ok, let me tee this up. I was in the area with my Wife and she wanted to check out the antique shops nearby. Well, I wanted to watch the football games. So, while she shopped, I popped in here for a Beer & some food. I tried the Abondigas Soup and Chips & Salsa. Both were ok. There aren't too many TV's in the restaurant, so I got luck that there were only few tables and I was able to find one with a good view of one of the TV's. The staff was super friendly and attentive. They were probably wondering what I was doing since I spent 4+ hrs in there watching football while Wifey was shopping. LOL Would like to come back for dinner sometime. The rest of the menu looked pretty tempting. Return Factor - 70%
(3)
William P.
Good food, good service. Large portions. Not going to change your life, but a solid restaurant.
(4)
Taric W.
I've dined here since before there was a Yelp! I'm talking waaaay back, like Peabody's-machine way back, when getting your first AOL dial-up connection was a big deal. I don't think much has really changed...well, except that I have the option of downing a margarita at 11am without any guilt. Something about having a live band at ANY hour brings out the charm in tequila. My liver was (surprisingly) not up for that, so I focused on strictly food. Something about their lunch menu seemed to fall kinda flat. Their chimis with green chili are pretty good, but nothing you couldn't get better at other restaurants. With my last visit, I realized that BREAKFAST is what makes this place shine. For a mere $7 I scored a generous chorizo plate with an egg and some refried beans. All with a huge flour tortilla on the side. The first meal of the day goes largely ignored, but with a dive bar atmosphere and solid morning menu, Bitz-ee Mama is something to look forward to on Sundays.
(3)
Cathryn C.
Great food, great service, and wonderful staff! We held my husband's 50th birthday party and everyone appreciated the relaxed atmosphere, good food and excellent friendly service. The restaurant easily accommodated our guests, dj and had an open area for dancing. Their menus options were very flexible, making party planning easy and stress-free. Their mango margaritas were a hit! One guest liked the place and service so much, they booked their upcoming birthday event that night! Thank you Bitzee mama's for all your help in making our party very memorable! We will be back again! !!
(5)
Lynn D.
Total Dive! Slow service, crappy food and DIRTY.
(1)
Tracy D.
It was recommended to us by a promoter of the music at the Watermelon Festival (thank you Warren!!!). We had 7 people and it was right at lunch time and they still got us in very quickly. Service was a bit slow but to be expected right smack in the middle of the festival. Tamales? AMAZING and I'm not a fan of tamales unless they're homemade. Bartender was a hoot (Lulu you're the best) as was the waitress. Will definitely be back as often as we can, being as we have a 3 hour drive to get there.
(5)
Crystal W.
Bitz-ee Mama's has obviously been around for a long time with minimal attention paid to the condition of the restaurant. They really need some new chairs and to update the restrooms. At least there is foamy soap. For me, that makes everything a little better. The atmosphere kind of feels like the Mafia Mexicana could be doing their business here after hours, but I'm always open to adventure and think it's cool. By no means am I implying that it's not safe. It's just the lighting and decor that made me think this way. The service was terrible but my friend and I weren't in a hurry, so I didn't let it bother me. I was absolutely flabbergasted by the massive serving sizes and how inexpensive the menu items are. The cheap margaritas just call your name and I was tempted to have one at 11am. Everything I ate was delicious and I literally took home half of my meal because it was so large. I'd return just for the home-made chips and salsa. Bitz-ee Mama's is good for a low key outing.
(3)
Kristen R.
Used to be a regular but moved further west and now it's our "every once in awhile place" Decor hasn't changed in the many years we have been coming. And the reviews before of the mafia feel was pretty dead on and funny. I decided to celebrate mother's day on Saturday to avoid the crazy rush of a Sunday mess. We stopped in for breakfast with my family of 4 and always get seated in the front booth of every occasion. I think more than a coincidence :) The same rip has been in the corner booth since I was a teenager and now teenager daughter gets to complain when she rubs against it. The portions are HUGE and if you are really hungry you won't leave that way and if you are kind of hungry you can share or take home left overs. I have no complaints about the food here, or at least any of the breakfast items "because that is usually the only time we are here" Skillets are awesome, waitress's seem to know everyone and try to be friendly and even though ours was slow to refill our coffee and/or drinks the runner girl was always around with a refill and help if we needed it. If you enjoy a hole in the wall place that you can gather and be loud and have a great meal then you should give this a chance. But if your a snobby girl who is going to inspect your silverware and water glass when you sit down then it's most likely not the place for you.
(4)
Angela E.
Horrible service. Period. First visit: The place was not busy. Waited to order. Waited for food. Waited for water. Waited for bill. Second visit: Walked in, waitress looked up then looked back down and completely ignoring us. This did it for us. We will not try again.
(1)
Joshua W.
So I want to start by saying the food was good. The service was atrocious. Our waitress had a major attitude and was absolutely put out to serve us. This was perplexing since there was hardly anyone else in the restaurants. Several times I would thank her to only get nothing in response except a dirty look. The diet soda I was served tasted awful. Someone I was with ordered water only to be served soda. When he mentioned it, the waitress snagged up the soda, threw it away and as she walked away she mumbled "I heard you say diet pepsi." Once our food was ready some guy who had been sitting with another party and was dressed in regular clothes got up, walked into the kitchen, and came out and served our food. This took me a little off guard but in the end it was okay because he was great! Polite and attentive. I ordered the pollo fundido burrito. The green chili sauce had a kick, the tortilla was fresh and the chicken inside had great flavor. The chicken was juicy, shredded, spiced and overall great. They used high quality cheese and the beans and rice were good. They offered two salsas, one chunky and one hot sauce style. Both were good. The complimentary chips were tasty. I always put food above service when I review a place that is the only reason why they get three stars and not two.
(3)
Sandra H.
A very busy place we came in one server for like 2 big tables and 4 smaller tables. Got Our Drinks fast though. Food was good I got the steak and eggs but the steak was very thin and I like mine mooing and it was cooked all the way which is easy to do since the steak was thin. Getting refills took awhile. Finally more servers came on but service was just decent afterwards. Pancakes was amazingly good. Overall I do like the place alot and our server was nice.
(4)
Sonja S.
So - I've given this some thought. The food was okay - not spectacular but not awful. The service as well was okay - borderline marginal. The reason for the 1 star review is the waitress took it upon herself to add a 22% tip to my bill. Now, I'll leave a tip - even for marginal service - but I don't appreciate being dictated how much I should leave. A tip is something I give freely - not something the server determines. If the service had been exceptional, I likely would have left a 20% tip - it wasn't so I was going to leave 15%. Needless to say, I won't be going back.
(1)
Jody S.
Bitzee Mama's is a local tradition in old Glendale, and one of my favorite places to be. It is now in capable hands, and never disappoints. If you're expecting trendy and upscale, please don't go there then post a flaming review. The service is personal, and everything is real and unpretentious. It's also very good Mexican food.
(5)
Brianna T.
I wanted to go to creations which is next door but ran into this one and decided to try it. I had the bit zee red chili skillet with a short stack and my company have biscuits and gravy with bacon and scrambled eggs. My skillet was good for something that was simple, definitely filling. I had craved pancakes and tried their pancakes despite the fact I don't like pancakes that much. They were ok but soothed my sweet craving. My company said their sausage gravy is amazing and the bacon was cooked perfect. I, however, don't eat pork products so I couldn't tell you myself how it tasted. I was bummed out that they ran out of apple juice, that was my go to breakfast drink. The other people that were at the establishment had been very loud, obnoxiously loud. Our waiter was very impersonal and seemed like she didn't like her shift. She didn't send off friendly vibes but food was great.
(3)
Deidre C.
I was not happy with service, food or drink and the bill was too high for what we received. The shredded beef tacos the meat was not cooked, several in my party decided not to eat it. Fish tacos- where's the fish. Margaritas - did you leave out the alcohol?
(1)
Reese J.
I can't think of any good reason my family would like this place except that it's in Glendale and that's where most of them live. Maybe also because the waitress' call everyone mija or mijo. That's cute. Siiiiiiiiiiyke! The food is always just mediocre. If I want mediocre I will go to Denny's and pay less. Or cook at home and have a way better meal. I am not a fan of the Mexican breakfast anyway. I can make just as good if not better chorizo and eggs at home. The menudo is meh... The everything else is just meh... I don't know what to say besides meh... Eat here at your own risk. I don't think you will get sick or anything... but I don't like spending my hard earned dollahs on crap. Don't know about you...
(2)
Martha O.
Old rundown, short staffed, odd menu selection, and ever priced, were just some of the issues encountered. All would have been overlooked if the food was up to par... Needless to say, it wasn't. I'm Latina so I know good Mexican food, this was NOT it. Never going back.
(1)
Lola S.
I give this pale 2 stars simply because of its location which is very convenient I those who work in downtown Glendale. Run down decor, sweetly unprofessional staff, strange menu that is mismatched and overpriced & poor tasting food. I have been here several times for business lunches and that will be the only reason I ever return.
(2)
Mike O.
GREAT OLD TOWN GLENDALE DINER. Don't miss the live music for an awesome VFW-like, all-Formica, orange-vinyl dining experience. All that's missing are the brown-striped plates. This is _real_ Glendale, no corporate paint color standards and standard-issue banded-collar button downs, just old school eats and smiles. --Live music Sundays 10:30 to 12:30; bossa, blues, honky tonk and diner rock --teeming with regulars; staff makes you feel like family --service prompt and courteous. My heart would have exploded from caffeine overdose had I taken them up on all the refill offers. --this is the essence of non-corporate bliss in a local joint. --if you like the Tee Pee, you'll love this place. --Mexican undertones in fajitas, chorizo skillet and posole --all American favorites too. Cream of mushroom-based gravy is thick as can be. --dishes that could look good did look good (I'm giving a pass for my gravy-covered eggs and hash -- it LOOKED gross, but tasted great) --great Sunday breakfast spot --right in the middle of antique shop nirvana
(3)
L T.
Worst Mexican food, worst service, even worse margarita. Never ever going back, they serve the locals better than any body else. If you want super good Mexican food and really super service try PEDROS up the street.
(1)
Elaine S.
I work close to Bitzee's so I eat there quite often. Food is always good. Service is friendly. Not only is it a good restaurant, they do a lot of good for the community. Always involved, and making a difference. Highly recommend.!
(5)
Danica C.
My shop is right down the block from Bitzee's and we had to work late a few days last week. Good thing, cuz I had the chance to try Bitzee's nachos. They were so awesome, I ended up eating there 3 days in a row & shared the chicken nachos with my hunny each time. The nachos were smothered in...everything! Chicken was very flavorful and moist, and the portions were so huge that even though I shared (and I'm not a big fan of sharing) we were both stuffed! I'll be back for sure :)
(4)
Tyler W.
Easily the worst food I've have had the displeasure of tasting in a very long time. The dining room is old, well used, and out dated. Margarita was lacking in every way. Spend the remaining of the night throwing up!!! Do not eat here!
(1)
Maggie F.
When you walk in it's like taking a step back in time, but considering it's in a historic neighborhood were shabby is chic, it's not bad, lol. Service was very friendly, booths are small, food was decent. I heard the people in the booth behind me saying their food was great & I was tempted to turn around & ask what they had but my daughter stopped me short & begged me not to embarrass her, threatening to die if I asked. I decided to be nice & keep her alive, so no idea what they had, but I trust that they liked it :) I had a veggie burger with curly fries & my daughter had a BLT sandwich with regular fries. Both were good, no complaints. Oh, & they are open on Sundays, which is not true of many restaurants in that area. Another plus!
(3)
James S.
Dated. Greasy. Poor/rude service. Taco salad soaking in grease is not good, and when you say something the response shouldn't be well you ordered it. Too bad it has been a west valley staple but something bad has happen.
(1)
Dan M.
If I could give no stars I would. The service was terrible, we were told it would be 15 minutes before we could be sat and there were 6 tables open. After we sat they took our order and after 40 minutes it came to the table slightly warm. The food was bland and I could have done better at home. I would go to Denny's over this. The seats are uncomfortable and need repair and the loud music was a bit much. I couldn't enjoy a nice breakfast in some quiet.
(1)
Nonda R.
Live entertainment, friendly, restroom clean, my dish was good, but my hubbies dish the meat was not seasoned at all and for a fajita they gave him a burrito flour size tortilla and took about 15 mins to bring a second one. Plus hrs are posted wrong on yelp. States open from 6 am to 2 pm even though they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
(3)
Alexander C.
Bitzee Mama's isn't my mama! My mama wouldn't have kept her hungry son waiting forever for his lunch. She wouldn't have let my go thirsty with no refills. She does make a good bowl of salsa so that makes it alright, right? Took my real mama there for lunch.. I ordered the taco salad and ma ordered the cheese enchilada plate.. also a bowl or red chile. Taco salad was alright except the taco shell was so mushy from water it literally fell apart when I picked it up.. glad I wasn't eating the shell. She's old school.. makes a darn good cheese enchilada and refried beans. Struck out again with the red chile.. I swear, can no one except La Canasta make red chile? While the meat was tender and the sauce was smooth it had a weird orange color to it and the meat tasted, well wasn't any beef Ive ever had. On the way to the counter to pay my bill I noticed that almost everyone was eating chimichanga's.. well then, looks like I ordered the wrong thing! Place is also uber cheap. Be careful what you order and mama will be just fine.
(1)
Randy I.
Have been going to Bitz-ee Mama's for years. Only for breakfast, but now will be back again. Posole is my fav the portion was enormous! Will probably ask for additional fixings next time.
(4)
Michael N.
Ick. enough said. There are too many better options in the area. I would advise you to use them.
(2)
Kevin R.
Stopped in after seeing the Ad on the Glendale Star's web site. The offer of 1 dollar margarita's is False. We stopped in on Thursday and asked for the 1 dollar special margarita as posted on the ad, but were informed that is only on Monday's. I questioned the waitress about the Ad, but to no avail she said no. I question the Ad polices of the local paper for not checking if the customers Ad's are false. Never going back to a business that false advertises.
(2)
Michael S.
Bitzee Mama's isn't a restaurant its a Historical Restaurant. LOL Its been there for as long as I been in AZ 1987.. Its one of those places you go for good food relaxing ambiance and hang with good people. You cant go to Downtown Glendale with out popping in for a Beer Ice Tea or Some Food relax and explore down town some more. GREAT PARKING behind Bitzees TOO! Pop in and Tell em you want the Michael LeShane Discount! LOL Im not sure if its a discount or surcharge! LeShane
(5)
Kevin H.
This is just plain awful. One of the many one and done spots that I have hit in the valley over the years. It was quite a while ago, but it was so bad that it is impossible to forget. I love chile rellenos. Not sure what they think they are serving here, but it looked nothing like what I am accustomed to. Admittedly I have partaken in festive Hispanic family events where grandma was in charge in the kitchen, and of course I was tied to her apron so I have eaten some top notch versions. But this. In a nutshell it was possibly half of a canned pepper, laced with some foul cheese-like gloop, and triple dipped in copious amounts of batter. It comes out looking like what I would imagine would be a golden brown silicone breast implant. Though the implant might taste better.
(1)
Julio R.
Food was ok, nothing to tell my friends about. If your in the area come, but not a place to say, lets go eat at Bitz-ee.
(1)
Miss C.
I am rating this place one star...I am being generous, actually super generous...shame there is not a negative star rating system. I went here one night with a group of family and friends, nothing extreme, just 6 of us. The restaurant was about 1/4 full and they had live music. Was not my choice to come here, we actually came on this evening bc my friend said that she heard the singer was good. It took about 20 minutes before we were greated by our server and another 8 minutes to actually get our drinks. Then our server flat out disappeared. Finally remembering that she only makes money if she talks to the table, our server reappeared and took our food order. 35 minutes later our "food" came out. We all took a minute to stare at our plates to figure out what exactly was on them. I have had more identifiable food served to me in a school cafeteria. The food tasted even worse than it looked and at this point (of course our server never came to see how things were) we were all pretty put out about the whole place. Then the singing act (on break from her Motel 8 on the side of the freeway lounge act) came over to see how we liked the show and the food. We told her exactly what we thought of the food and the service and the singer went BALLISTIC, I mean you would think that we just ran over her dog the way she reacted. Completely irritated and annoyed we wanted out of this place. Sadly it was another 15 minutes before our server reappeared and we asked her the very complicated request of getting our check. Finally making our way to pay the cashier person asked how things were and we told her it was the most disappointing and aggravating experience we had ever had dining out...her reply "Everybody loves us, and we have amazing food, I don't know what you are talking about!" And scoffed off to go do something else. Really lady? Really? Maybe you should check out the other reviews on here... seems like your fan club isn't as big as you thought..... Just thinking about this place to write this review gets my pulse racing. Never Never Again!
(1)
Claudia InA Z.
Very good Mexican food with some American options. Service was good, food was delicious...nice, fresh and hot. Bathrooms had a lot to be desired, they were a mess, but then we were there during Glendale Glitters so that may have been the reason, although they were limited to customer use only. When the place is full, they really should clean up the bathrooms more often.
(3)
Jenny T.
This place is ridiculous. After waiting for almost an hour for food in a restaurant that wasnt that busy, breakfast was inedible. The pancakes were burned, the bacon like charcoal, and my husband took maybe 2 bites of his bitzee skillet. How hard is it to make breakfast? After waiting that long it should have been perfect or at least edible. Blech. Run in the other direction people. Oh and the bathroom plunger with dried toilet paper all over it was a nice touch in the bathroom.
(1)
Allen S.
My wife wanted to go to downtown Glendale because it had cute shops and such. It got more exciting when she mentioned Mexican food. This place is what I expected from the reviews. The food was traditionally made and the tomale was real fresh and delish. The Salsa was really really stand-out good which improved the quality of all the items. Unlike other reviews, we had really really attentive service including fast seating, waters filled, asked if we were ready to order when we looked up from menus, etc... This place was a standard, good, sit-down mexican tucked in a cozy little historic downtown. No complaints. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the place solely on the food or atmosphere, but it was a nice spot overall.
(3)
Pam B.
The best Guacamole! Friendly, casual atmosphere..
(5)
Annie W.
The food is OK. Nothing to write home to mom about. After the server realized that part of my friends order hadn't been served we had to remind once again, while the food was getting cold, to bring the rest of the order. I ordered the country skillet. It was pretty bland. The sausage gravy should be renamed to milk gravy due to the lack of sausage. Another of our party ordered the "special", steak and eggs with the steak order rare. His meal was served with well done steak so it was sent back. he received his meal once again but the rest of our party was pretty much finished with their meal. The coffee cups were refilled regularly. Our party of 12 was taken for breakfast without reservation and within the half hour of our phone call. Breakfast pricing was under $10.00. I can't speak for the lunch or dinner menu but breakfast is just OK.
(2)
Annie B.
I and many of my friends have ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at Bitze-ee Mama's Love the new owners, great customer service - outstanding tamales, green corn, sweet, red - they are all good. Great fajita salad - live music on the weekends - they make you feel like family!
(5)
Lucky T.
Can't quite understand what all the bad reviews are about, but I ordered a shredded beef chimichanga which comes with rice and beans. It was so big I had to stuff it in. I still left the beans and rice pretty much untouched. It was cooked to perfection really, which is why I'm a little confused about others dining experience. I ordered a quesadilla (cheese only), also. Just meh on that one. Also, got a giant order of carrot cake which they do not make but buy it on the outside to serve. Good cake..and I consider myself somewhat of an expert on carrot cake cause I have the world's best recipe, which I mooched off a girlfriend's sister-in-law some years ago...and it took some whining and constant reminders to get it... but I finally did. Service is kinda half-baked, but after reading reviews I expected it. I think I had 4 different people helping me..haha! It's ok...I got served and waited on. I like this place. I would go back. I thought the food was good. Maybe the complainants should order the chimichange platter? As for the food coming out hot...mine was so hot I almost burned my hand on the plate. What happened to make my experience--and I know food--so positive compared to some of these other reviews? Was Mama off the rag and feeling good this day? Who knows, but I surely enjoyed it.
(4)
Rebecca P.
Wow, a whole list of less than stellar reviews and then two 4-5 stars in one day! By new reviewers even! That haven't reviewed another thing! WOW! What ever could have happened at Mama's to make not one but TWO brand new reviewers feel SO strongly about the quality of their experience there that they would bother to log on and write a review? I truly want to like Bitzee Mama's. Really I do. So much so that I went back twice more. I know I can be bitchy occassionally so I try to give places more than one shot w/me. The food was average at best but the service just sucked. There were only about 4-5 tables occupied in the whole damn place but yet service was so bad that the customers, myself included, just started getting up and getting what we needed- refills, napkins, whatever. The one waitress, well, I'm not sure if she is truly just slow in the noggin, on drugs or crazy. I could go on but I think you get the picture. I hope these other "4-5 star reviewers" had that good of an experience there and not just an extra 15 minute break as an incentive.
(1)
Albert H.
Wasn't busy on this weekday late morning, and I received prompt attention upon entering and my server greeted me within a minute or so. Chips and salsa were provided and just ok, and I ordered from the lunch special menu which was a little better deal than regular menu items. Food was average to above average, and my server did a good job checking in with me. It was a little pricey - just under $10 for a lunch special with soda, plus tip on top of that.
(3)
Christine R.
This was not good. The scene here was scary at best. I got fajitas. How do you mess up fajitas? Mama did it. My dining partner wasn't all that hungry and sort of sick. She got a grilled cheese. How do you mess up grilled cheese? Mama did it. It's too bad, because downtown Glendale could be cute. I *wanted* to like it. Bad. End of story. ~~~ Update 9/13/08 I probably shouldn't admit this, but we have taken to calling it "Barfy Momma's" around our house. Yes, we are bad.
(1)
Penny R.
One of my all time favorite places to have breakfast!
(5)
Bridget H.
I was actually very hesitant to try this place mostly because of the yelp reviews. I didn't think it was bad at all. The service was very friendly and attentive. The food was decent. I did enjoy the salsa. I ordered cheese enchilada's and they were what I expected them to be. I'll absolutely go back for a second try!
(4)
Nancy H.
It was the WORST food I ever had. The so called green chili burro NASTY. It was some kind of green sauce with cracked black pepper. It was. Just plain gross. Wouldn't go there if you paid me. It is an insult to Mexican food.
(1)
Julie P.
This was one of those places that I wanted to like, just for the mere fact that they are sort of a cornerstone of the downtown Glendale scene. I wanted to like this place so much that I didn't write this review based on one visit, nor two, but three strikes you're out! There isn't much that Bitzee Mama's does well. In fact the only redeeming trait might be the salsa (but even that isn't enough to bring me back of my own fruition). The service is "OMG - I CAN FEEL MY HAIR GROWING" slow. The food is nothing memorable - if you even get what you order (once I ordered a cheesesteak and I just got the cheese - I kid you not, no meat). The prices are actually high for what you get - and check your bill because once I was charged $47.38 for a soda and sammie which I actually had to argue about with the manager (I was pretty sure I could take her, but dang that's just not right). Mama's may have been a staple in the past, but her age is showing and she desperately needs a calgon moment!
(2)
JR A.
Friendly waitress, blah food. This is a dive joint that needs the awesome food to keep it going of course, I went there for breakfast. Bad coffee
(2)
Craig F.
I was in downtown Glendale the other day for business and we decided to walk over to Bitzee Mama's for a quick lunch. Well, it was anything but quick. They really weren't that busy, and we waited 10 minutes to be seated, then 15 minutes to put in our order. Needless to say I was rushed at the end to eat and return to my meeting, gratefully the chairman was with me for lunch. The menu offers a nice Mexican and American dishes, but I would suggest the Mexican side, come on, that is obviously their thing, specials of Tamales and such, you can go to McDonald's and get a hamburger (without the wait of course). I ordered the Burrito Enchilada style, which was good and authentic. Once the food arrived, it was hot and had the typical Sonoran taste that you get in Phoenix. The food was good and kept this review above 1 star which is where the service was putting it. They really need to come up with a new culture of customer satisfaction and quick pace to keep their reviews from continuing to decline.
(2)
Kirstin E.
the hubs and I went here this past Sunday for breakfast. Our waiter was realllllllly slow, like we sat down and sat and sat for a good 10 minutes when a lady walked by and asked if anyone had taken our drink order, we said no she asked what we wanted. When she came back she gave us the drinks and said she wasn't our waiter but would go find him. He arrived and was nice. Took our order that was it. The food came out pretty quick. I had the biscuits and gravy. The biscuits tasted frozen but the gravy was good. The hashbrowns were lacking. Hubs got the special which had the most heavenly pancakes ever! Soooo good and so giant! Also I stole one of his sausage links which was very good as well! I will order this next time. Also at some point a freaken lounge act started playing! They weren't any where near amazing, BUT they totally made the experience awesome, we totally dug on the live music while eating our breakfast. Its not the worst breakfast joint, but not the best. The prices are really cheap, we would go back again.
(3)
Anne P.
Wow, reading the other review, guess waiting for your food to be served can be an issue at this restaurant. Try waiting an hour and 1/2. Other diners were so perturbed they left in frustration; the intrepid restaurant staff then offered the departed diners plates to those still waiting for food - TACKY. By the time our food was served, my mother in-laws hot beef was COLD. They supposedly were short 2 cooks. Since they had a large group of women and a Red Hat society that seemed to get their food in good timing, maybe the cooks walked out mid-shift. My husband wouldn't let me make a stink, but after a wait that long, with a hot dish being served cold, there should have been an offer at comping a meal or taking a certain percentage off. How on earth does this place survive? Salsa was good, shredded beef chimi I had was below average and over-fried. At least I know now if ever antiquing in Glendale again I can avoid this restaurant! So far the downtown Glendale restaurants I have tried have been sub-par and not worth trying again (Kimberly Ann's Tea Shop was the other).
(1)
Heather M.
I wouldn't even give it the one star :( I wish I had checked Yelp before I bought my Living Social deal...total waste of money. My boyfriend a native of AZ raved that Bitz-ee Mama's had great Mexican food so I took part in the Living Social deal. We finally got around to going this weekend and what a mistake. We walked in and I was put off by the "hole in the wall" atmosphere but I know that most "dive" restaurants have good food so I decided to put snobbery aside for the moment. We waited a lenghty amount of time for a table as it is preferred over a booth but were ok with that fact. We were plopped down in the middle of a mixed group of individuals dressed in Halloween costumes participating in Karaoke :( This situation was less than ideal but I was going along trying to be a good sport. The menu had a few mexican selections and a lot of diner type of food and my mood got worse...still trying to be a good sport but knew this wasn't going to end well. Our waitress rolled around several minutes later with chips and salsa and took our drink order. The salsa was visually un-appealing and I couldn't force myself to try it but my boyfriend said it was great....it should be noted that he will eat most anything :/ About 8 minutes later no drinks and he said let's bail. The waitress walked past us several times clearing other tables and we were right next to the bar so we weren't quite sure what the delay was??? Sad to say that this restaurant lacks the charm that we were looking for. Luckily there are a lot of other great local business in the area and we will stick to visting them :)
(1)
Gloria S.
My boyfriend and I love Bitz-ee Mama's! The breakfast is pretty great! The chicken fried steak is really good. No grizzly pieces-believe me-I am always the person to find a nasty piece of meat, and I did not find one bad piece. The staff is super friendly, and the prices are good. Parking is easy to find, which is also a definite plus! I would highly recommend it!
(5)
Brenda L.
Ok I had a tamale at the annual Glendale Jazz Blues Fest, I did not actually go inside the place. But the red chili tamale I had was bland and dry with shredded beef brisket at both ends but none in the middle! Where was the red chili? They offered no salsa with their tamales either and sold no drinks outside their business. The set up nor the tamale did nothing for their image.
(2)
Ron S.
This was literally the worst meal I have eaten since I ate at my junior high school cafeteria. The flavors were lacking, the service was horrible. I ordered a chicken burrito and it came with nothing but shredded chicken and a tortilla. It was not flavorful. The staff didn't know what the food options were when asked. Also, I asked the waitress what was included in the chicken burrito and she said she would ask, she brought me the food without ever asking what was in it. Poor food. Poor experience. Save your money. Save the time. Save the calories. Yuck!!!
(1)
Brianna T.
I wanted to go to creations which is next door but ran into this one and decided to try it. I had the bit zee red chili skillet with a short stack and my company have biscuits and gravy with bacon and scrambled eggs. My skillet was good for something that was simple, definitely filling. I had craved pancakes and tried their pancakes despite the fact I don't like pancakes that much. They were ok but soothed my sweet craving. My company said their sausage gravy is amazing and the bacon was cooked perfect. I, however, don't eat pork products so I couldn't tell you myself how it tasted. I was bummed out that they ran out of apple juice, that was my go to breakfast drink. The other people that were at the establishment had been very loud, obnoxiously loud. Our waiter was very impersonal and seemed like she didn't like her shift. She didn't send off friendly vibes but food was great.
(3)
Deidre C.
I was not happy with service, food or drink and the bill was too high for what we received. The shredded beef tacos the meat was not cooked, several in my party decided not to eat it. Fish tacos- where's the fish. Margaritas - did you leave out the alcohol?
(1)
Reese J.
I can't think of any good reason my family would like this place except that it's in Glendale and that's where most of them live. Maybe also because the waitress' call everyone mija or mijo. That's cute. Siiiiiiiiiiyke! The food is always just mediocre. If I want mediocre I will go to Denny's and pay less. Or cook at home and have a way better meal. I am not a fan of the Mexican breakfast anyway. I can make just as good if not better chorizo and eggs at home. The menudo is meh... The everything else is just meh... I don't know what to say besides meh... Eat here at your own risk. I don't think you will get sick or anything... but I don't like spending my hard earned dollahs on crap. Don't know about you...
(2)
Liz R.
DISGUSTING. From the atmosphere to the food. Old, run down, holes in chairs, wobbly tables, dirty restrooms... Immediate turn off from the get go. I thought maybe the food would be ok, it was not. I had the two shredded beef taco combo. The shells were store bought, not homemade. The tacos, beans, and rice were soaked from a ridiculous amount of liquid on the plate, I am assuming from the shredded beef. It was less than mediocre food. Here's the kicker - the waitress even screwed up our tab! She did the math completely wrong. She totaled up food, tax, and gratuity (6 or more you get 16% gratuity added) and it was $176!!!! Whaaaat?? The real total was $82. Ugh. Got it fixed and left. This morning I am layingj in bed feeling incredibly sick to my stomach. Started last night... Worse today. Do not eat here!!! Cook at home or go to a better place for Mexican food.
(1)
Thom C.
For a dining experience you won't soon forget, I can't recommend Bitzee Mama more highly. Unfortunately, you'll remember it for all the wrong reasons. Where to begin. First off we showed up on Monday night for dinner. Closed. OK, so I checked their website which says they're only open until 2 on Monday, then Tue - Sat until 9. Showed up Tues at 6 for dinner. Closed again! So on Wed I called & found out that they're open Thu-Sat until 9. I suggested they update their website and got a grunt as a response. If I hadn't had a LivingSocial I would have written this place off but the $10 was non-refundable so I figured 'it can't be any worse than making a "run for the border". I ordered the green chili beef chimi and my GF ordered two shredded beef tacos. I have to way that the incredibly small amount of meat was a pretty tasty morsel, but that's all it was - a morsel at each end with a small green chili in the middle. And how do you screw up refried beans? I can't even begin to identify whatever it was I was tasting. Rancid fat? Even tho my GF ordered the tacos ala carte she got the dinner which included more of the rancid fat refried beans and rice that they had somehow managed to infuse with a sickly pinkish-orange color. In short, even tho I got the whole thing for half price I still felt ripped off.
(1)
Amanda B.
Mediocre, bland, low quality food topped off with painfully slow service. I worked in the neighborhood and continued to return occasionally "just in case it's gotten better", for reasons I could never fathom once the plate of abysmal food was placed on the table. The salsa and rice are usually good, but that's the most I have to offer.
(1)
Thane E.
I visited this restaurant as part of a civic group annual meeting in the private back room. The meeting was slated to start at 7:00 PM Friday night. Bitzee Mama's had all that I desired in a restaurant. Delivery of my dinner was not delayed, the food was warm, quite good quality and well prepared. Once I had eaten, my dinner plate was promptly taken away. Traffic was low. I can say I had no complaint and would recommend the experience and the establishment.
(4)
James S.
Awful! I was there 4 or 5 years ago and thought it was good, but today was awful. My dining partner couldn't even eat her taco salad. When we asked for a PARTIAL refund we were told no since she ate some of it...How do you know if you don't like it if you don't eat it? Salad was wilted and the beef was way too salty. After we complained service pretty much stopped after we complained. We had to ask for more water but you could tell they were a little put out by our request. I am very disappointed for I liked this place and it has some charm. Not sure what is going on but it sure has changed. Also noticed not as many customers as before.
(1)
Amanda B.
Mediocre, bland, low quality food topped off with painfully slow service. I worked in the neighborhood and continued to return occasionally "just in case it's gotten better", for reasons I could never fathom once the plate of abysmal food was placed on the table. The salsa and rice are usually good, but that's the most I have to offer.
(1)
Thane E.
I visited this restaurant as part of a civic group annual meeting in the private back room. The meeting was slated to start at 7:00 PM Friday night. Bitzee Mama's had all that I desired in a restaurant. Delivery of my dinner was not delayed, the food was warm, quite good quality and well prepared. Once I had eaten, my dinner plate was promptly taken away. Traffic was low. I can say I had no complaint and would recommend the experience and the establishment.
(4)
James S.
Awful! I was there 4 or 5 years ago and thought it was good, but today was awful. My dining partner couldn't even eat her taco salad. When we asked for a PARTIAL refund we were told no since she ate some of it...How do you know if you don't like it if you don't eat it? Salad was wilted and the beef was way too salty. After we complained service pretty much stopped after we complained. We had to ask for more water but you could tell they were a little put out by our request. I am very disappointed for I liked this place and it has some charm. Not sure what is going on but it sure has changed. Also noticed not as many customers as before.
(1)
Toni R.
This place has pretty decent tamales for 3 bucks... I purchased the tamale outside of the restaurant while attending Glendale Glitters. I have not been inside or tried anything other than their tamales but I would buy some again.
(3)
Nancy H.
Terrible. The worst I've ever had. The food was bland, overpriced, my hot meal came out cold.
(1)
Grace S.
I have been going to Bitzee's my entire life. Great food, great people! Love this place!
(5)
Jason T.
The service it's awesome and the good is great. My wife come here every couple of weeks. Locally own and it is great to support local business when you can.
(5)
Sierra C.
Came here with the intentions of drinking margaritas and having some at least decent Mexican food. The Margaritas came in a regular glass, and my fried ice cream came in a margarita glass?? Kinda confusing. My family friends 55th birthday was today and they wouldn't serve her alcohol bc she didn't have her id, she is obviously of age. What we wanted to be a nice quick decent Mexican meal, turned into a big fat joke. Won't come back. I'm sorry!
(1)
Peggy D.
This is a wonderful family place that has great food. We were a party of ten last night that got excellent service and LuLu (one of the owners)came and wished Carol a Happy Birthday! I had the Chili Reano and it was yummy and their house Margaritas are the best!! I give them 10 stars!! Love you guys!!
(5)
Melissa M.
Bitzee mama's has been a family favorite restaurant for as long as I can remember. Their breakfast is where it's at. Large servings, friendly and attentive staff and inexpensive. They are always very accommodating to large groups. Their staff is very involved in the community and it makes for good business.
(5)
Lora T.
Service was bad. We had to go find the waitress and explain we would need to leave if we could not get any service Finally that was resolved and we stayed. Wish we had left. The drinks was so-so and served on a plastic water cup. The taco shell and tostada shell were pre-formed store bought. The chicken was fresh and the lettuce and tomatoes were fresh. We (3 of us) did not get sick and we finished our meal but we most certainly will not return. SO many other much better choices.
(2)
Tracy D.
It was recommended to us by a promoter of the music at the Watermelon Festival (thank you Warren!!!). We had 7 people and it was right at lunch time and they still got us in very quickly. Service was a bit slow but to be expected right smack in the middle of the festival. Tamales? AMAZING and I'm not a fan of tamales unless they're homemade. Bartender was a hoot (Lulu you're the best) as was the waitress. Will definitely be back as often as we can, being as we have a 3 hour drive to get there.
(5)
J D.
Ok, let me tee this up. I was in the area with my Wife and she wanted to check out the antique shops nearby. Well, I wanted to watch the football games. So, while she shopped, I popped in here for a Beer & some food. I tried the Abondigas Soup and Chips & Salsa. Both were ok. There aren't too many TV's in the restaurant, so I got luck that there were only few tables and I was able to find one with a good view of one of the TV's. The staff was super friendly and attentive. They were probably wondering what I was doing since I spent 4+ hrs in there watching football while Wifey was shopping. LOL Would like to come back for dinner sometime. The rest of the menu looked pretty tempting. Return Factor - 70%
(3)
William P.
Good food, good service. Large portions. Not going to change your life, but a solid restaurant.
(4)
Taric W.
I've dined here since before there was a Yelp! I'm talking waaaay back, like Peabody's-machine way back, when getting your first AOL dial-up connection was a big deal. I don't think much has really changed...well, except that I have the option of downing a margarita at 11am without any guilt. Something about having a live band at ANY hour brings out the charm in tequila. My liver was (surprisingly) not up for that, so I focused on strictly food. Something about their lunch menu seemed to fall kinda flat. Their chimis with green chili are pretty good, but nothing you couldn't get better at other restaurants. With my last visit, I realized that BREAKFAST is what makes this place shine. For a mere $7 I scored a generous chorizo plate with an egg and some refried beans. All with a huge flour tortilla on the side. The first meal of the day goes largely ignored, but with a dive bar atmosphere and solid morning menu, Bitz-ee Mama is something to look forward to on Sundays.
(3)
Cathryn C.
Great food, great service, and wonderful staff! We held my husband's 50th birthday party and everyone appreciated the relaxed atmosphere, good food and excellent friendly service. The restaurant easily accommodated our guests, dj and had an open area for dancing. Their menus options were very flexible, making party planning easy and stress-free. Their mango margaritas were a hit! One guest liked the place and service so much, they booked their upcoming birthday event that night! Thank you Bitzee mama's for all your help in making our party very memorable! We will be back again! !!
(5)
Crystal W.
Bitz-ee Mama's has obviously been around for a long time with minimal attention paid to the condition of the restaurant. They really need some new chairs and to update the restrooms. At least there is foamy soap. For me, that makes everything a little better. The atmosphere kind of feels like the Mafia Mexicana could be doing their business here after hours, but I'm always open to adventure and think it's cool. By no means am I implying that it's not safe. It's just the lighting and decor that made me think this way. The service was terrible but my friend and I weren't in a hurry, so I didn't let it bother me. I was absolutely flabbergasted by the massive serving sizes and how inexpensive the menu items are. The cheap margaritas just call your name and I was tempted to have one at 11am. Everything I ate was delicious and I literally took home half of my meal because it was so large. I'd return just for the home-made chips and salsa. Bitz-ee Mama's is good for a low key outing.
(3)
JR A.
Friendly waitress, blah food. This is a dive joint that needs the awesome food to keep it going of course, I went there for breakfast. Bad coffee
(2)
Craig F.
I was in downtown Glendale the other day for business and we decided to walk over to Bitzee Mama's for a quick lunch. Well, it was anything but quick. They really weren't that busy, and we waited 10 minutes to be seated, then 15 minutes to put in our order. Needless to say I was rushed at the end to eat and return to my meeting, gratefully the chairman was with me for lunch. The menu offers a nice Mexican and American dishes, but I would suggest the Mexican side, come on, that is obviously their thing, specials of Tamales and such, you can go to McDonald's and get a hamburger (without the wait of course). I ordered the Burrito Enchilada style, which was good and authentic. Once the food arrived, it was hot and had the typical Sonoran taste that you get in Phoenix. The food was good and kept this review above 1 star which is where the service was putting it. They really need to come up with a new culture of customer satisfaction and quick pace to keep their reviews from continuing to decline.
(2)
Kirstin E.
the hubs and I went here this past Sunday for breakfast. Our waiter was realllllllly slow, like we sat down and sat and sat for a good 10 minutes when a lady walked by and asked if anyone had taken our drink order, we said no she asked what we wanted. When she came back she gave us the drinks and said she wasn't our waiter but would go find him. He arrived and was nice. Took our order that was it. The food came out pretty quick. I had the biscuits and gravy. The biscuits tasted frozen but the gravy was good. The hashbrowns were lacking. Hubs got the special which had the most heavenly pancakes ever! Soooo good and so giant! Also I stole one of his sausage links which was very good as well! I will order this next time. Also at some point a freaken lounge act started playing! They weren't any where near amazing, BUT they totally made the experience awesome, we totally dug on the live music while eating our breakfast. Its not the worst breakfast joint, but not the best. The prices are really cheap, we would go back again.
(3)
Anne P.
Wow, reading the other review, guess waiting for your food to be served can be an issue at this restaurant. Try waiting an hour and 1/2. Other diners were so perturbed they left in frustration; the intrepid restaurant staff then offered the departed diners plates to those still waiting for food - TACKY. By the time our food was served, my mother in-laws hot beef was COLD. They supposedly were short 2 cooks. Since they had a large group of women and a Red Hat society that seemed to get their food in good timing, maybe the cooks walked out mid-shift. My husband wouldn't let me make a stink, but after a wait that long, with a hot dish being served cold, there should have been an offer at comping a meal or taking a certain percentage off. How on earth does this place survive? Salsa was good, shredded beef chimi I had was below average and over-fried. At least I know now if ever antiquing in Glendale again I can avoid this restaurant! So far the downtown Glendale restaurants I have tried have been sub-par and not worth trying again (Kimberly Ann's Tea Shop was the other).
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Divey Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Lynn D.
Total Dive! Slow service, crappy food and DIRTY.
(1)Kristen R.
Used to be a regular but moved further west and now it's our "every once in awhile place" Decor hasn't changed in the many years we have been coming. And the reviews before of the mafia feel was pretty dead on and funny. I decided to celebrate mother's day on Saturday to avoid the crazy rush of a Sunday mess. We stopped in for breakfast with my family of 4 and always get seated in the front booth of every occasion. I think more than a coincidence :) The same rip has been in the corner booth since I was a teenager and now teenager daughter gets to complain when she rubs against it. The portions are HUGE and if you are really hungry you won't leave that way and if you are kind of hungry you can share or take home left overs. I have no complaints about the food here, or at least any of the breakfast items "because that is usually the only time we are here" Skillets are awesome, waitress's seem to know everyone and try to be friendly and even though ours was slow to refill our coffee and/or drinks the runner girl was always around with a refill and help if we needed it. If you enjoy a hole in the wall place that you can gather and be loud and have a great meal then you should give this a chance. But if your a snobby girl who is going to inspect your silverware and water glass when you sit down then it's most likely not the place for you.
(4)Angela E.
Horrible service. Period. First visit: The place was not busy. Waited to order. Waited for food. Waited for water. Waited for bill. Second visit: Walked in, waitress looked up then looked back down and completely ignoring us. This did it for us. We will not try again.
(1)Martha O.
Old rundown, short staffed, odd menu selection, and ever priced, were just some of the issues encountered. All would have been overlooked if the food was up to par... Needless to say, it wasn't. I'm Latina so I know good Mexican food, this was NOT it. Never going back.
(1)Lola S.
I give this pale 2 stars simply because of its location which is very convenient I those who work in downtown Glendale. Run down decor, sweetly unprofessional staff, strange menu that is mismatched and overpriced & poor tasting food. I have been here several times for business lunches and that will be the only reason I ever return.
(2)Mike O.
GREAT OLD TOWN GLENDALE DINER. Don't miss the live music for an awesome VFW-like, all-Formica, orange-vinyl dining experience. All that's missing are the brown-striped plates. This is _real_ Glendale, no corporate paint color standards and standard-issue banded-collar button downs, just old school eats and smiles. --Live music Sundays 10:30 to 12:30; bossa, blues, honky tonk and diner rock --teeming with regulars; staff makes you feel like family --service prompt and courteous. My heart would have exploded from caffeine overdose had I taken them up on all the refill offers. --this is the essence of non-corporate bliss in a local joint. --if you like the Tee Pee, you'll love this place. --Mexican undertones in fajitas, chorizo skillet and posole --all American favorites too. Cream of mushroom-based gravy is thick as can be. --dishes that could look good did look good (I'm giving a pass for my gravy-covered eggs and hash -- it LOOKED gross, but tasted great) --great Sunday breakfast spot --right in the middle of antique shop nirvana
(3)L T.
Worst Mexican food, worst service, even worse margarita. Never ever going back, they serve the locals better than any body else. If you want super good Mexican food and really super service try PEDROS up the street.
(1)Elaine S.
I work close to Bitzee's so I eat there quite often. Food is always good. Service is friendly. Not only is it a good restaurant, they do a lot of good for the community. Always involved, and making a difference. Highly recommend.!
(5)Danica C.
My shop is right down the block from Bitzee's and we had to work late a few days last week. Good thing, cuz I had the chance to try Bitzee's nachos. They were so awesome, I ended up eating there 3 days in a row & shared the chicken nachos with my hunny each time. The nachos were smothered in...everything! Chicken was very flavorful and moist, and the portions were so huge that even though I shared (and I'm not a big fan of sharing) we were both stuffed! I'll be back for sure :)
(4)Tyler W.
Easily the worst food I've have had the displeasure of tasting in a very long time. The dining room is old, well used, and out dated. Margarita was lacking in every way. Spend the remaining of the night throwing up!!! Do not eat here!
(1)Kevin R.
Stopped in after seeing the Ad on the Glendale Star's web site. The offer of 1 dollar margarita's is False. We stopped in on Thursday and asked for the 1 dollar special margarita as posted on the ad, but were informed that is only on Monday's. I questioned the waitress about the Ad, but to no avail she said no. I question the Ad polices of the local paper for not checking if the customers Ad's are false. Never going back to a business that false advertises.
(2)Randy I.
Have been going to Bitz-ee Mama's for years. Only for breakfast, but now will be back again. Posole is my fav the portion was enormous! Will probably ask for additional fixings next time.
(4)Michael N.
Ick. enough said. There are too many better options in the area. I would advise you to use them.
(2)Michael S.
Bitzee Mama's isn't a restaurant its a Historical Restaurant. LOL Its been there for as long as I been in AZ 1987.. Its one of those places you go for good food relaxing ambiance and hang with good people. You cant go to Downtown Glendale with out popping in for a Beer Ice Tea or Some Food relax and explore down town some more. GREAT PARKING behind Bitzees TOO! Pop in and Tell em you want the Michael LeShane Discount! LOL Im not sure if its a discount or surcharge! LeShane
(5)Kevin H.
This is just plain awful. One of the many one and done spots that I have hit in the valley over the years. It was quite a while ago, but it was so bad that it is impossible to forget. I love chile rellenos. Not sure what they think they are serving here, but it looked nothing like what I am accustomed to. Admittedly I have partaken in festive Hispanic family events where grandma was in charge in the kitchen, and of course I was tied to her apron so I have eaten some top notch versions. But this. In a nutshell it was possibly half of a canned pepper, laced with some foul cheese-like gloop, and triple dipped in copious amounts of batter. It comes out looking like what I would imagine would be a golden brown silicone breast implant. Though the implant might taste better.
(1)Julio R.
Food was ok, nothing to tell my friends about. If your in the area come, but not a place to say, lets go eat at Bitz-ee.
(1)Rebecca P.
Wow, a whole list of less than stellar reviews and then two 4-5 stars in one day! By new reviewers even! That haven't reviewed another thing! WOW! What ever could have happened at Mama's to make not one but TWO brand new reviewers feel SO strongly about the quality of their experience there that they would bother to log on and write a review? I truly want to like Bitzee Mama's. Really I do. So much so that I went back twice more. I know I can be bitchy occassionally so I try to give places more than one shot w/me. The food was average at best but the service just sucked. There were only about 4-5 tables occupied in the whole damn place but yet service was so bad that the customers, myself included, just started getting up and getting what we needed- refills, napkins, whatever. The one waitress, well, I'm not sure if she is truly just slow in the noggin, on drugs or crazy. I could go on but I think you get the picture. I hope these other "4-5 star reviewers" had that good of an experience there and not just an extra 15 minute break as an incentive.
(1)Miss C.
I am rating this place one star...I am being generous, actually super generous...shame there is not a negative star rating system. I went here one night with a group of family and friends, nothing extreme, just 6 of us. The restaurant was about 1/4 full and they had live music. Was not my choice to come here, we actually came on this evening bc my friend said that she heard the singer was good. It took about 20 minutes before we were greated by our server and another 8 minutes to actually get our drinks. Then our server flat out disappeared. Finally remembering that she only makes money if she talks to the table, our server reappeared and took our food order. 35 minutes later our "food" came out. We all took a minute to stare at our plates to figure out what exactly was on them. I have had more identifiable food served to me in a school cafeteria. The food tasted even worse than it looked and at this point (of course our server never came to see how things were) we were all pretty put out about the whole place. Then the singing act (on break from her Motel 8 on the side of the freeway lounge act) came over to see how we liked the show and the food. We told her exactly what we thought of the food and the service and the singer went BALLISTIC, I mean you would think that we just ran over her dog the way she reacted. Completely irritated and annoyed we wanted out of this place. Sadly it was another 15 minutes before our server reappeared and we asked her the very complicated request of getting our check. Finally making our way to pay the cashier person asked how things were and we told her it was the most disappointing and aggravating experience we had ever had dining out...her reply "Everybody loves us, and we have amazing food, I don't know what you are talking about!" And scoffed off to go do something else. Really lady? Really? Maybe you should check out the other reviews on here... seems like your fan club isn't as big as you thought..... Just thinking about this place to write this review gets my pulse racing. Never Never Again!
(1)Claudia InA Z.
Very good Mexican food with some American options. Service was good, food was delicious...nice, fresh and hot. Bathrooms had a lot to be desired, they were a mess, but then we were there during Glendale Glitters so that may have been the reason, although they were limited to customer use only. When the place is full, they really should clean up the bathrooms more often.
(3)Jenny T.
This place is ridiculous. After waiting for almost an hour for food in a restaurant that wasnt that busy, breakfast was inedible. The pancakes were burned, the bacon like charcoal, and my husband took maybe 2 bites of his bitzee skillet. How hard is it to make breakfast? After waiting that long it should have been perfect or at least edible. Blech. Run in the other direction people. Oh and the bathroom plunger with dried toilet paper all over it was a nice touch in the bathroom.
(1)Maggie F.
When you walk in it's like taking a step back in time, but considering it's in a historic neighborhood were shabby is chic, it's not bad, lol. Service was very friendly, booths are small, food was decent. I heard the people in the booth behind me saying their food was great & I was tempted to turn around & ask what they had but my daughter stopped me short & begged me not to embarrass her, threatening to die if I asked. I decided to be nice & keep her alive, so no idea what they had, but I trust that they liked it :) I had a veggie burger with curly fries & my daughter had a BLT sandwich with regular fries. Both were good, no complaints. Oh, & they are open on Sundays, which is not true of many restaurants in that area. Another plus!
(3)James S.
Dated. Greasy. Poor/rude service. Taco salad soaking in grease is not good, and when you say something the response shouldn't be well you ordered it. Too bad it has been a west valley staple but something bad has happen.
(1)Dan M.
If I could give no stars I would. The service was terrible, we were told it would be 15 minutes before we could be sat and there were 6 tables open. After we sat they took our order and after 40 minutes it came to the table slightly warm. The food was bland and I could have done better at home. I would go to Denny's over this. The seats are uncomfortable and need repair and the loud music was a bit much. I couldn't enjoy a nice breakfast in some quiet.
(1)Nonda R.
Live entertainment, friendly, restroom clean, my dish was good, but my hubbies dish the meat was not seasoned at all and for a fajita they gave him a burrito flour size tortilla and took about 15 mins to bring a second one. Plus hrs are posted wrong on yelp. States open from 6 am to 2 pm even though they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
(3)Penny R.
One of my all time favorite places to have breakfast!
(5)Annie W.
The food is OK. Nothing to write home to mom about. After the server realized that part of my friends order hadn't been served we had to remind once again, while the food was getting cold, to bring the rest of the order. I ordered the country skillet. It was pretty bland. The sausage gravy should be renamed to milk gravy due to the lack of sausage. Another of our party ordered the "special", steak and eggs with the steak order rare. His meal was served with well done steak so it was sent back. he received his meal once again but the rest of our party was pretty much finished with their meal. The coffee cups were refilled regularly. Our party of 12 was taken for breakfast without reservation and within the half hour of our phone call. Breakfast pricing was under $10.00. I can't speak for the lunch or dinner menu but breakfast is just OK.
(2)Thom C.
For a dining experience you won't soon forget, I can't recommend Bitzee Mama more highly. Unfortunately, you'll remember it for all the wrong reasons. Where to begin. First off we showed up on Monday night for dinner. Closed. OK, so I checked their website which says they're only open until 2 on Monday, then Tue - Sat until 9. Showed up Tues at 6 for dinner. Closed again! So on Wed I called & found out that they're open Thu-Sat until 9. I suggested they update their website and got a grunt as a response. If I hadn't had a LivingSocial I would have written this place off but the $10 was non-refundable so I figured 'it can't be any worse than making a "run for the border". I ordered the green chili beef chimi and my GF ordered two shredded beef tacos. I have to way that the incredibly small amount of meat was a pretty tasty morsel, but that's all it was - a morsel at each end with a small green chili in the middle. And how do you screw up refried beans? I can't even begin to identify whatever it was I was tasting. Rancid fat? Even tho my GF ordered the tacos ala carte she got the dinner which included more of the rancid fat refried beans and rice that they had somehow managed to infuse with a sickly pinkish-orange color. In short, even tho I got the whole thing for half price I still felt ripped off.
(1)Alexander C.
Bitzee Mama's isn't my mama! My mama wouldn't have kept her hungry son waiting forever for his lunch. She wouldn't have let my go thirsty with no refills. She does make a good bowl of salsa so that makes it alright, right? Took my real mama there for lunch.. I ordered the taco salad and ma ordered the cheese enchilada plate.. also a bowl or red chile. Taco salad was alright except the taco shell was so mushy from water it literally fell apart when I picked it up.. glad I wasn't eating the shell. She's old school.. makes a darn good cheese enchilada and refried beans. Struck out again with the red chile.. I swear, can no one except La Canasta make red chile? While the meat was tender and the sauce was smooth it had a weird orange color to it and the meat tasted, well wasn't any beef Ive ever had. On the way to the counter to pay my bill I noticed that almost everyone was eating chimichanga's.. well then, looks like I ordered the wrong thing! Place is also uber cheap. Be careful what you order and mama will be just fine.
(1)Allen S.
My wife wanted to go to downtown Glendale because it had cute shops and such. It got more exciting when she mentioned Mexican food. This place is what I expected from the reviews. The food was traditionally made and the tomale was real fresh and delish. The Salsa was really really stand-out good which improved the quality of all the items. Unlike other reviews, we had really really attentive service including fast seating, waters filled, asked if we were ready to order when we looked up from menus, etc... This place was a standard, good, sit-down mexican tucked in a cozy little historic downtown. No complaints. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the place solely on the food or atmosphere, but it was a nice spot overall.
(3)Pam B.
The best Guacamole! Friendly, casual atmosphere..
(5)Annie B.
I and many of my friends have ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at Bitze-ee Mama's Love the new owners, great customer service - outstanding tamales, green corn, sweet, red - they are all good. Great fajita salad - live music on the weekends - they make you feel like family!
(5)Lucky T.
Can't quite understand what all the bad reviews are about, but I ordered a shredded beef chimichanga which comes with rice and beans. It was so big I had to stuff it in. I still left the beans and rice pretty much untouched. It was cooked to perfection really, which is why I'm a little confused about others dining experience. I ordered a quesadilla (cheese only), also. Just meh on that one. Also, got a giant order of carrot cake which they do not make but buy it on the outside to serve. Good cake..and I consider myself somewhat of an expert on carrot cake cause I have the world's best recipe, which I mooched off a girlfriend's sister-in-law some years ago...and it took some whining and constant reminders to get it... but I finally did. Service is kinda half-baked, but after reading reviews I expected it. I think I had 4 different people helping me..haha! It's ok...I got served and waited on. I like this place. I would go back. I thought the food was good. Maybe the complainants should order the chimichange platter? As for the food coming out hot...mine was so hot I almost burned my hand on the plate. What happened to make my experience--and I know food--so positive compared to some of these other reviews? Was Mama off the rag and feeling good this day? Who knows, but I surely enjoyed it.
(4)Albert H.
Wasn't busy on this weekday late morning, and I received prompt attention upon entering and my server greeted me within a minute or so. Chips and salsa were provided and just ok, and I ordered from the lunch special menu which was a little better deal than regular menu items. Food was average to above average, and my server did a good job checking in with me. It was a little pricey - just under $10 for a lunch special with soda, plus tip on top of that.
(3)Christine R.
This was not good. The scene here was scary at best. I got fajitas. How do you mess up fajitas? Mama did it. My dining partner wasn't all that hungry and sort of sick. She got a grilled cheese. How do you mess up grilled cheese? Mama did it. It's too bad, because downtown Glendale could be cute. I *wanted* to like it. Bad. End of story. ~~~ Update 9/13/08 I probably shouldn't admit this, but we have taken to calling it "Barfy Momma's" around our house. Yes, we are bad.
(1)Bridget H.
I was actually very hesitant to try this place mostly because of the yelp reviews. I didn't think it was bad at all. The service was very friendly and attentive. The food was decent. I did enjoy the salsa. I ordered cheese enchilada's and they were what I expected them to be. I'll absolutely go back for a second try!
(4)Nancy H.
It was the WORST food I ever had. The so called green chili burro NASTY. It was some kind of green sauce with cracked black pepper. It was. Just plain gross. Wouldn't go there if you paid me. It is an insult to Mexican food.
(1)Julie P.
This was one of those places that I wanted to like, just for the mere fact that they are sort of a cornerstone of the downtown Glendale scene. I wanted to like this place so much that I didn't write this review based on one visit, nor two, but three strikes you're out! There isn't much that Bitzee Mama's does well. In fact the only redeeming trait might be the salsa (but even that isn't enough to bring me back of my own fruition). The service is "OMG - I CAN FEEL MY HAIR GROWING" slow. The food is nothing memorable - if you even get what you order (once I ordered a cheesesteak and I just got the cheese - I kid you not, no meat). The prices are actually high for what you get - and check your bill because once I was charged $47.38 for a soda and sammie which I actually had to argue about with the manager (I was pretty sure I could take her, but dang that's just not right). Mama's may have been a staple in the past, but her age is showing and she desperately needs a calgon moment!
(2)Heather M.
I wouldn't even give it the one star :( I wish I had checked Yelp before I bought my Living Social deal...total waste of money. My boyfriend a native of AZ raved that Bitz-ee Mama's had great Mexican food so I took part in the Living Social deal. We finally got around to going this weekend and what a mistake. We walked in and I was put off by the "hole in the wall" atmosphere but I know that most "dive" restaurants have good food so I decided to put snobbery aside for the moment. We waited a lenghty amount of time for a table as it is preferred over a booth but were ok with that fact. We were plopped down in the middle of a mixed group of individuals dressed in Halloween costumes participating in Karaoke :( This situation was less than ideal but I was going along trying to be a good sport. The menu had a few mexican selections and a lot of diner type of food and my mood got worse...still trying to be a good sport but knew this wasn't going to end well. Our waitress rolled around several minutes later with chips and salsa and took our drink order. The salsa was visually un-appealing and I couldn't force myself to try it but my boyfriend said it was great....it should be noted that he will eat most anything :/ About 8 minutes later no drinks and he said let's bail. The waitress walked past us several times clearing other tables and we were right next to the bar so we weren't quite sure what the delay was??? Sad to say that this restaurant lacks the charm that we were looking for. Luckily there are a lot of other great local business in the area and we will stick to visting them :)
(1)Gloria S.
My boyfriend and I love Bitz-ee Mama's! The breakfast is pretty great! The chicken fried steak is really good. No grizzly pieces-believe me-I am always the person to find a nasty piece of meat, and I did not find one bad piece. The staff is super friendly, and the prices are good. Parking is easy to find, which is also a definite plus! I would highly recommend it!
(5)Brenda L.
Ok I had a tamale at the annual Glendale Jazz Blues Fest, I did not actually go inside the place. But the red chili tamale I had was bland and dry with shredded beef brisket at both ends but none in the middle! Where was the red chili? They offered no salsa with their tamales either and sold no drinks outside their business. The set up nor the tamale did nothing for their image.
(2)Lora T.
Service was bad. We had to go find the waitress and explain we would need to leave if we could not get any service Finally that was resolved and we stayed. Wish we had left. The drinks was so-so and served on a plastic water cup. The taco shell and tostada shell were pre-formed store bought. The chicken was fresh and the lettuce and tomatoes were fresh. We (3 of us) did not get sick and we finished our meal but we most certainly will not return. SO many other much better choices.
(2)Joshua W.
So I want to start by saying the food was good. The service was atrocious. Our waitress had a major attitude and was absolutely put out to serve us. This was perplexing since there was hardly anyone else in the restaurants. Several times I would thank her to only get nothing in response except a dirty look. The diet soda I was served tasted awful. Someone I was with ordered water only to be served soda. When he mentioned it, the waitress snagged up the soda, threw it away and as she walked away she mumbled "I heard you say diet pepsi." Once our food was ready some guy who had been sitting with another party and was dressed in regular clothes got up, walked into the kitchen, and came out and served our food. This took me a little off guard but in the end it was okay because he was great! Polite and attentive. I ordered the pollo fundido burrito. The green chili sauce had a kick, the tortilla was fresh and the chicken inside had great flavor. The chicken was juicy, shredded, spiced and overall great. They used high quality cheese and the beans and rice were good. They offered two salsas, one chunky and one hot sauce style. Both were good. The complimentary chips were tasty. I always put food above service when I review a place that is the only reason why they get three stars and not two.
(3)Sandra H.
A very busy place we came in one server for like 2 big tables and 4 smaller tables. Got Our Drinks fast though. Food was good I got the steak and eggs but the steak was very thin and I like mine mooing and it was cooked all the way which is easy to do since the steak was thin. Getting refills took awhile. Finally more servers came on but service was just decent afterwards. Pancakes was amazingly good. Overall I do like the place alot and our server was nice.
(4)Sonja S.
So - I've given this some thought. The food was okay - not spectacular but not awful. The service as well was okay - borderline marginal. The reason for the 1 star review is the waitress took it upon herself to add a 22% tip to my bill. Now, I'll leave a tip - even for marginal service - but I don't appreciate being dictated how much I should leave. A tip is something I give freely - not something the server determines. If the service had been exceptional, I likely would have left a 20% tip - it wasn't so I was going to leave 15%. Needless to say, I won't be going back.
(1)Jody S.
Bitzee Mama's is a local tradition in old Glendale, and one of my favorite places to be. It is now in capable hands, and never disappoints. If you're expecting trendy and upscale, please don't go there then post a flaming review. The service is personal, and everything is real and unpretentious. It's also very good Mexican food.
(5)Ron S.
This was literally the worst meal I have eaten since I ate at my junior high school cafeteria. The flavors were lacking, the service was horrible. I ordered a chicken burrito and it came with nothing but shredded chicken and a tortilla. It was not flavorful. The staff didn't know what the food options were when asked. Also, I asked the waitress what was included in the chicken burrito and she said she would ask, she brought me the food without ever asking what was in it. Poor food. Poor experience. Save your money. Save the time. Save the calories. Yuck!!!
(1)Liz R.
DISGUSTING. From the atmosphere to the food. Old, run down, holes in chairs, wobbly tables, dirty restrooms... Immediate turn off from the get go. I thought maybe the food would be ok, it was not. I had the two shredded beef taco combo. The shells were store bought, not homemade. The tacos, beans, and rice were soaked from a ridiculous amount of liquid on the plate, I am assuming from the shredded beef. It was less than mediocre food. Here's the kicker - the waitress even screwed up our tab! She did the math completely wrong. She totaled up food, tax, and gratuity (6 or more you get 16% gratuity added) and it was $176!!!! Whaaaat?? The real total was $82. Ugh. Got it fixed and left. This morning I am layingj in bed feeling incredibly sick to my stomach. Started last night... Worse today. Do not eat here!!! Cook at home or go to a better place for Mexican food.
(1)Toni R.
This place has pretty decent tamales for 3 bucks... I purchased the tamale outside of the restaurant while attending Glendale Glitters. I have not been inside or tried anything other than their tamales but I would buy some again.
(3)Nancy H.
Terrible. The worst I've ever had. The food was bland, overpriced, my hot meal came out cold.
(1)Grace S.
I have been going to Bitzee's my entire life. Great food, great people! Love this place!
(5)Jason T.
The service it's awesome and the good is great. My wife come here every couple of weeks. Locally own and it is great to support local business when you can.
(5)Sierra C.
Came here with the intentions of drinking margaritas and having some at least decent Mexican food. The Margaritas came in a regular glass, and my fried ice cream came in a margarita glass?? Kinda confusing. My family friends 55th birthday was today and they wouldn't serve her alcohol bc she didn't have her id, she is obviously of age. What we wanted to be a nice quick decent Mexican meal, turned into a big fat joke. Won't come back. I'm sorry!
(1)Peggy D.
This is a wonderful family place that has great food. We were a party of ten last night that got excellent service and LuLu (one of the owners)came and wished Carol a Happy Birthday! I had the Chili Reano and it was yummy and their house Margaritas are the best!! I give them 10 stars!! Love you guys!!
(5)Melissa M.
Bitzee mama's has been a family favorite restaurant for as long as I can remember. Their breakfast is where it's at. Large servings, friendly and attentive staff and inexpensive. They are always very accommodating to large groups. Their staff is very involved in the community and it makes for good business.
(5)J D.
Ok, let me tee this up. I was in the area with my Wife and she wanted to check out the antique shops nearby. Well, I wanted to watch the football games. So, while she shopped, I popped in here for a Beer & some food. I tried the Abondigas Soup and Chips & Salsa. Both were ok. There aren't too many TV's in the restaurant, so I got luck that there were only few tables and I was able to find one with a good view of one of the TV's. The staff was super friendly and attentive. They were probably wondering what I was doing since I spent 4+ hrs in there watching football while Wifey was shopping. LOL Would like to come back for dinner sometime. The rest of the menu looked pretty tempting. Return Factor - 70%
(3)William P.
Good food, good service. Large portions. Not going to change your life, but a solid restaurant.
(4)Taric W.
I've dined here since before there was a Yelp! I'm talking waaaay back, like Peabody's-machine way back, when getting your first AOL dial-up connection was a big deal. I don't think much has really changed...well, except that I have the option of downing a margarita at 11am without any guilt. Something about having a live band at ANY hour brings out the charm in tequila. My liver was (surprisingly) not up for that, so I focused on strictly food. Something about their lunch menu seemed to fall kinda flat. Their chimis with green chili are pretty good, but nothing you couldn't get better at other restaurants. With my last visit, I realized that BREAKFAST is what makes this place shine. For a mere $7 I scored a generous chorizo plate with an egg and some refried beans. All with a huge flour tortilla on the side. The first meal of the day goes largely ignored, but with a dive bar atmosphere and solid morning menu, Bitz-ee Mama is something to look forward to on Sundays.
(3)Cathryn C.
Great food, great service, and wonderful staff! We held my husband's 50th birthday party and everyone appreciated the relaxed atmosphere, good food and excellent friendly service. The restaurant easily accommodated our guests, dj and had an open area for dancing. Their menus options were very flexible, making party planning easy and stress-free. Their mango margaritas were a hit! One guest liked the place and service so much, they booked their upcoming birthday event that night! Thank you Bitzee mama's for all your help in making our party very memorable! We will be back again! !!
(5)Lynn D.
Total Dive! Slow service, crappy food and DIRTY.
(1)Tracy D.
It was recommended to us by a promoter of the music at the Watermelon Festival (thank you Warren!!!). We had 7 people and it was right at lunch time and they still got us in very quickly. Service was a bit slow but to be expected right smack in the middle of the festival. Tamales? AMAZING and I'm not a fan of tamales unless they're homemade. Bartender was a hoot (Lulu you're the best) as was the waitress. Will definitely be back as often as we can, being as we have a 3 hour drive to get there.
(5)Crystal W.
Bitz-ee Mama's has obviously been around for a long time with minimal attention paid to the condition of the restaurant. They really need some new chairs and to update the restrooms. At least there is foamy soap. For me, that makes everything a little better. The atmosphere kind of feels like the Mafia Mexicana could be doing their business here after hours, but I'm always open to adventure and think it's cool. By no means am I implying that it's not safe. It's just the lighting and decor that made me think this way. The service was terrible but my friend and I weren't in a hurry, so I didn't let it bother me. I was absolutely flabbergasted by the massive serving sizes and how inexpensive the menu items are. The cheap margaritas just call your name and I was tempted to have one at 11am. Everything I ate was delicious and I literally took home half of my meal because it was so large. I'd return just for the home-made chips and salsa. Bitz-ee Mama's is good for a low key outing.
(3)Kristen R.
Used to be a regular but moved further west and now it's our "every once in awhile place" Decor hasn't changed in the many years we have been coming. And the reviews before of the mafia feel was pretty dead on and funny. I decided to celebrate mother's day on Saturday to avoid the crazy rush of a Sunday mess. We stopped in for breakfast with my family of 4 and always get seated in the front booth of every occasion. I think more than a coincidence :) The same rip has been in the corner booth since I was a teenager and now teenager daughter gets to complain when she rubs against it. The portions are HUGE and if you are really hungry you won't leave that way and if you are kind of hungry you can share or take home left overs. I have no complaints about the food here, or at least any of the breakfast items "because that is usually the only time we are here" Skillets are awesome, waitress's seem to know everyone and try to be friendly and even though ours was slow to refill our coffee and/or drinks the runner girl was always around with a refill and help if we needed it. If you enjoy a hole in the wall place that you can gather and be loud and have a great meal then you should give this a chance. But if your a snobby girl who is going to inspect your silverware and water glass when you sit down then it's most likely not the place for you.
(4)Angela E.
Horrible service. Period. First visit: The place was not busy. Waited to order. Waited for food. Waited for water. Waited for bill. Second visit: Walked in, waitress looked up then looked back down and completely ignoring us. This did it for us. We will not try again.
(1)Joshua W.
So I want to start by saying the food was good. The service was atrocious. Our waitress had a major attitude and was absolutely put out to serve us. This was perplexing since there was hardly anyone else in the restaurants. Several times I would thank her to only get nothing in response except a dirty look. The diet soda I was served tasted awful. Someone I was with ordered water only to be served soda. When he mentioned it, the waitress snagged up the soda, threw it away and as she walked away she mumbled "I heard you say diet pepsi." Once our food was ready some guy who had been sitting with another party and was dressed in regular clothes got up, walked into the kitchen, and came out and served our food. This took me a little off guard but in the end it was okay because he was great! Polite and attentive. I ordered the pollo fundido burrito. The green chili sauce had a kick, the tortilla was fresh and the chicken inside had great flavor. The chicken was juicy, shredded, spiced and overall great. They used high quality cheese and the beans and rice were good. They offered two salsas, one chunky and one hot sauce style. Both were good. The complimentary chips were tasty. I always put food above service when I review a place that is the only reason why they get three stars and not two.
(3)Sandra H.
A very busy place we came in one server for like 2 big tables and 4 smaller tables. Got Our Drinks fast though. Food was good I got the steak and eggs but the steak was very thin and I like mine mooing and it was cooked all the way which is easy to do since the steak was thin. Getting refills took awhile. Finally more servers came on but service was just decent afterwards. Pancakes was amazingly good. Overall I do like the place alot and our server was nice.
(4)Sonja S.
So - I've given this some thought. The food was okay - not spectacular but not awful. The service as well was okay - borderline marginal. The reason for the 1 star review is the waitress took it upon herself to add a 22% tip to my bill. Now, I'll leave a tip - even for marginal service - but I don't appreciate being dictated how much I should leave. A tip is something I give freely - not something the server determines. If the service had been exceptional, I likely would have left a 20% tip - it wasn't so I was going to leave 15%. Needless to say, I won't be going back.
(1)Jody S.
Bitzee Mama's is a local tradition in old Glendale, and one of my favorite places to be. It is now in capable hands, and never disappoints. If you're expecting trendy and upscale, please don't go there then post a flaming review. The service is personal, and everything is real and unpretentious. It's also very good Mexican food.
(5)Brianna T.
I wanted to go to creations which is next door but ran into this one and decided to try it. I had the bit zee red chili skillet with a short stack and my company have biscuits and gravy with bacon and scrambled eggs. My skillet was good for something that was simple, definitely filling. I had craved pancakes and tried their pancakes despite the fact I don't like pancakes that much. They were ok but soothed my sweet craving. My company said their sausage gravy is amazing and the bacon was cooked perfect. I, however, don't eat pork products so I couldn't tell you myself how it tasted. I was bummed out that they ran out of apple juice, that was my go to breakfast drink. The other people that were at the establishment had been very loud, obnoxiously loud. Our waiter was very impersonal and seemed like she didn't like her shift. She didn't send off friendly vibes but food was great.
(3)Deidre C.
I was not happy with service, food or drink and the bill was too high for what we received. The shredded beef tacos the meat was not cooked, several in my party decided not to eat it. Fish tacos- where's the fish. Margaritas - did you leave out the alcohol?
(1)Reese J.
I can't think of any good reason my family would like this place except that it's in Glendale and that's where most of them live. Maybe also because the waitress' call everyone mija or mijo. That's cute. Siiiiiiiiiiyke! The food is always just mediocre. If I want mediocre I will go to Denny's and pay less. Or cook at home and have a way better meal. I am not a fan of the Mexican breakfast anyway. I can make just as good if not better chorizo and eggs at home. The menudo is meh... The everything else is just meh... I don't know what to say besides meh... Eat here at your own risk. I don't think you will get sick or anything... but I don't like spending my hard earned dollahs on crap. Don't know about you...
(2)Martha O.
Old rundown, short staffed, odd menu selection, and ever priced, were just some of the issues encountered. All would have been overlooked if the food was up to par... Needless to say, it wasn't. I'm Latina so I know good Mexican food, this was NOT it. Never going back.
(1)Lola S.
I give this pale 2 stars simply because of its location which is very convenient I those who work in downtown Glendale. Run down decor, sweetly unprofessional staff, strange menu that is mismatched and overpriced & poor tasting food. I have been here several times for business lunches and that will be the only reason I ever return.
(2)Mike O.
GREAT OLD TOWN GLENDALE DINER. Don't miss the live music for an awesome VFW-like, all-Formica, orange-vinyl dining experience. All that's missing are the brown-striped plates. This is _real_ Glendale, no corporate paint color standards and standard-issue banded-collar button downs, just old school eats and smiles. --Live music Sundays 10:30 to 12:30; bossa, blues, honky tonk and diner rock --teeming with regulars; staff makes you feel like family --service prompt and courteous. My heart would have exploded from caffeine overdose had I taken them up on all the refill offers. --this is the essence of non-corporate bliss in a local joint. --if you like the Tee Pee, you'll love this place. --Mexican undertones in fajitas, chorizo skillet and posole --all American favorites too. Cream of mushroom-based gravy is thick as can be. --dishes that could look good did look good (I'm giving a pass for my gravy-covered eggs and hash -- it LOOKED gross, but tasted great) --great Sunday breakfast spot --right in the middle of antique shop nirvana
(3)L T.
Worst Mexican food, worst service, even worse margarita. Never ever going back, they serve the locals better than any body else. If you want super good Mexican food and really super service try PEDROS up the street.
(1)Elaine S.
I work close to Bitzee's so I eat there quite often. Food is always good. Service is friendly. Not only is it a good restaurant, they do a lot of good for the community. Always involved, and making a difference. Highly recommend.!
(5)Danica C.
My shop is right down the block from Bitzee's and we had to work late a few days last week. Good thing, cuz I had the chance to try Bitzee's nachos. They were so awesome, I ended up eating there 3 days in a row & shared the chicken nachos with my hunny each time. The nachos were smothered in...everything! Chicken was very flavorful and moist, and the portions were so huge that even though I shared (and I'm not a big fan of sharing) we were both stuffed! I'll be back for sure :)
(4)Tyler W.
Easily the worst food I've have had the displeasure of tasting in a very long time. The dining room is old, well used, and out dated. Margarita was lacking in every way. Spend the remaining of the night throwing up!!! Do not eat here!
(1)Maggie F.
When you walk in it's like taking a step back in time, but considering it's in a historic neighborhood were shabby is chic, it's not bad, lol. Service was very friendly, booths are small, food was decent. I heard the people in the booth behind me saying their food was great & I was tempted to turn around & ask what they had but my daughter stopped me short & begged me not to embarrass her, threatening to die if I asked. I decided to be nice & keep her alive, so no idea what they had, but I trust that they liked it :) I had a veggie burger with curly fries & my daughter had a BLT sandwich with regular fries. Both were good, no complaints. Oh, & they are open on Sundays, which is not true of many restaurants in that area. Another plus!
(3)James S.
Dated. Greasy. Poor/rude service. Taco salad soaking in grease is not good, and when you say something the response shouldn't be well you ordered it. Too bad it has been a west valley staple but something bad has happen.
(1)Dan M.
If I could give no stars I would. The service was terrible, we were told it would be 15 minutes before we could be sat and there were 6 tables open. After we sat they took our order and after 40 minutes it came to the table slightly warm. The food was bland and I could have done better at home. I would go to Denny's over this. The seats are uncomfortable and need repair and the loud music was a bit much. I couldn't enjoy a nice breakfast in some quiet.
(1)Nonda R.
Live entertainment, friendly, restroom clean, my dish was good, but my hubbies dish the meat was not seasoned at all and for a fajita they gave him a burrito flour size tortilla and took about 15 mins to bring a second one. Plus hrs are posted wrong on yelp. States open from 6 am to 2 pm even though they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
(3)Alexander C.
Bitzee Mama's isn't my mama! My mama wouldn't have kept her hungry son waiting forever for his lunch. She wouldn't have let my go thirsty with no refills. She does make a good bowl of salsa so that makes it alright, right? Took my real mama there for lunch.. I ordered the taco salad and ma ordered the cheese enchilada plate.. also a bowl or red chile. Taco salad was alright except the taco shell was so mushy from water it literally fell apart when I picked it up.. glad I wasn't eating the shell. She's old school.. makes a darn good cheese enchilada and refried beans. Struck out again with the red chile.. I swear, can no one except La Canasta make red chile? While the meat was tender and the sauce was smooth it had a weird orange color to it and the meat tasted, well wasn't any beef Ive ever had. On the way to the counter to pay my bill I noticed that almost everyone was eating chimichanga's.. well then, looks like I ordered the wrong thing! Place is also uber cheap. Be careful what you order and mama will be just fine.
(1)Randy I.
Have been going to Bitz-ee Mama's for years. Only for breakfast, but now will be back again. Posole is my fav the portion was enormous! Will probably ask for additional fixings next time.
(4)Michael N.
Ick. enough said. There are too many better options in the area. I would advise you to use them.
(2)Kevin R.
Stopped in after seeing the Ad on the Glendale Star's web site. The offer of 1 dollar margarita's is False. We stopped in on Thursday and asked for the 1 dollar special margarita as posted on the ad, but were informed that is only on Monday's. I questioned the waitress about the Ad, but to no avail she said no. I question the Ad polices of the local paper for not checking if the customers Ad's are false. Never going back to a business that false advertises.
(2)Michael S.
Bitzee Mama's isn't a restaurant its a Historical Restaurant. LOL Its been there for as long as I been in AZ 1987.. Its one of those places you go for good food relaxing ambiance and hang with good people. You cant go to Downtown Glendale with out popping in for a Beer Ice Tea or Some Food relax and explore down town some more. GREAT PARKING behind Bitzees TOO! Pop in and Tell em you want the Michael LeShane Discount! LOL Im not sure if its a discount or surcharge! LeShane
(5)Kevin H.
This is just plain awful. One of the many one and done spots that I have hit in the valley over the years. It was quite a while ago, but it was so bad that it is impossible to forget. I love chile rellenos. Not sure what they think they are serving here, but it looked nothing like what I am accustomed to. Admittedly I have partaken in festive Hispanic family events where grandma was in charge in the kitchen, and of course I was tied to her apron so I have eaten some top notch versions. But this. In a nutshell it was possibly half of a canned pepper, laced with some foul cheese-like gloop, and triple dipped in copious amounts of batter. It comes out looking like what I would imagine would be a golden brown silicone breast implant. Though the implant might taste better.
(1)Julio R.
Food was ok, nothing to tell my friends about. If your in the area come, but not a place to say, lets go eat at Bitz-ee.
(1)Miss C.
I am rating this place one star...I am being generous, actually super generous...shame there is not a negative star rating system. I went here one night with a group of family and friends, nothing extreme, just 6 of us. The restaurant was about 1/4 full and they had live music. Was not my choice to come here, we actually came on this evening bc my friend said that she heard the singer was good. It took about 20 minutes before we were greated by our server and another 8 minutes to actually get our drinks. Then our server flat out disappeared. Finally remembering that she only makes money if she talks to the table, our server reappeared and took our food order. 35 minutes later our "food" came out. We all took a minute to stare at our plates to figure out what exactly was on them. I have had more identifiable food served to me in a school cafeteria. The food tasted even worse than it looked and at this point (of course our server never came to see how things were) we were all pretty put out about the whole place. Then the singing act (on break from her Motel 8 on the side of the freeway lounge act) came over to see how we liked the show and the food. We told her exactly what we thought of the food and the service and the singer went BALLISTIC, I mean you would think that we just ran over her dog the way she reacted. Completely irritated and annoyed we wanted out of this place. Sadly it was another 15 minutes before our server reappeared and we asked her the very complicated request of getting our check. Finally making our way to pay the cashier person asked how things were and we told her it was the most disappointing and aggravating experience we had ever had dining out...her reply "Everybody loves us, and we have amazing food, I don't know what you are talking about!" And scoffed off to go do something else. Really lady? Really? Maybe you should check out the other reviews on here... seems like your fan club isn't as big as you thought..... Just thinking about this place to write this review gets my pulse racing. Never Never Again!
(1)Claudia InA Z.
Very good Mexican food with some American options. Service was good, food was delicious...nice, fresh and hot. Bathrooms had a lot to be desired, they were a mess, but then we were there during Glendale Glitters so that may have been the reason, although they were limited to customer use only. When the place is full, they really should clean up the bathrooms more often.
(3)Jenny T.
This place is ridiculous. After waiting for almost an hour for food in a restaurant that wasnt that busy, breakfast was inedible. The pancakes were burned, the bacon like charcoal, and my husband took maybe 2 bites of his bitzee skillet. How hard is it to make breakfast? After waiting that long it should have been perfect or at least edible. Blech. Run in the other direction people. Oh and the bathroom plunger with dried toilet paper all over it was a nice touch in the bathroom.
(1)Allen S.
My wife wanted to go to downtown Glendale because it had cute shops and such. It got more exciting when she mentioned Mexican food. This place is what I expected from the reviews. The food was traditionally made and the tomale was real fresh and delish. The Salsa was really really stand-out good which improved the quality of all the items. Unlike other reviews, we had really really attentive service including fast seating, waters filled, asked if we were ready to order when we looked up from menus, etc... This place was a standard, good, sit-down mexican tucked in a cozy little historic downtown. No complaints. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the place solely on the food or atmosphere, but it was a nice spot overall.
(3)Pam B.
The best Guacamole! Friendly, casual atmosphere..
(5)Annie W.
The food is OK. Nothing to write home to mom about. After the server realized that part of my friends order hadn't been served we had to remind once again, while the food was getting cold, to bring the rest of the order. I ordered the country skillet. It was pretty bland. The sausage gravy should be renamed to milk gravy due to the lack of sausage. Another of our party ordered the "special", steak and eggs with the steak order rare. His meal was served with well done steak so it was sent back. he received his meal once again but the rest of our party was pretty much finished with their meal. The coffee cups were refilled regularly. Our party of 12 was taken for breakfast without reservation and within the half hour of our phone call. Breakfast pricing was under $10.00. I can't speak for the lunch or dinner menu but breakfast is just OK.
(2)Annie B.
I and many of my friends have ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at Bitze-ee Mama's Love the new owners, great customer service - outstanding tamales, green corn, sweet, red - they are all good. Great fajita salad - live music on the weekends - they make you feel like family!
(5)Lucky T.
Can't quite understand what all the bad reviews are about, but I ordered a shredded beef chimichanga which comes with rice and beans. It was so big I had to stuff it in. I still left the beans and rice pretty much untouched. It was cooked to perfection really, which is why I'm a little confused about others dining experience. I ordered a quesadilla (cheese only), also. Just meh on that one. Also, got a giant order of carrot cake which they do not make but buy it on the outside to serve. Good cake..and I consider myself somewhat of an expert on carrot cake cause I have the world's best recipe, which I mooched off a girlfriend's sister-in-law some years ago...and it took some whining and constant reminders to get it... but I finally did. Service is kinda half-baked, but after reading reviews I expected it. I think I had 4 different people helping me..haha! It's ok...I got served and waited on. I like this place. I would go back. I thought the food was good. Maybe the complainants should order the chimichange platter? As for the food coming out hot...mine was so hot I almost burned my hand on the plate. What happened to make my experience--and I know food--so positive compared to some of these other reviews? Was Mama off the rag and feeling good this day? Who knows, but I surely enjoyed it.
(4)Rebecca P.
Wow, a whole list of less than stellar reviews and then two 4-5 stars in one day! By new reviewers even! That haven't reviewed another thing! WOW! What ever could have happened at Mama's to make not one but TWO brand new reviewers feel SO strongly about the quality of their experience there that they would bother to log on and write a review? I truly want to like Bitzee Mama's. Really I do. So much so that I went back twice more. I know I can be bitchy occassionally so I try to give places more than one shot w/me. The food was average at best but the service just sucked. There were only about 4-5 tables occupied in the whole damn place but yet service was so bad that the customers, myself included, just started getting up and getting what we needed- refills, napkins, whatever. The one waitress, well, I'm not sure if she is truly just slow in the noggin, on drugs or crazy. I could go on but I think you get the picture. I hope these other "4-5 star reviewers" had that good of an experience there and not just an extra 15 minute break as an incentive.
(1)Albert H.
Wasn't busy on this weekday late morning, and I received prompt attention upon entering and my server greeted me within a minute or so. Chips and salsa were provided and just ok, and I ordered from the lunch special menu which was a little better deal than regular menu items. Food was average to above average, and my server did a good job checking in with me. It was a little pricey - just under $10 for a lunch special with soda, plus tip on top of that.
(3)Christine R.
This was not good. The scene here was scary at best. I got fajitas. How do you mess up fajitas? Mama did it. My dining partner wasn't all that hungry and sort of sick. She got a grilled cheese. How do you mess up grilled cheese? Mama did it. It's too bad, because downtown Glendale could be cute. I *wanted* to like it. Bad. End of story. ~~~ Update 9/13/08 I probably shouldn't admit this, but we have taken to calling it "Barfy Momma's" around our house. Yes, we are bad.
(1)Penny R.
One of my all time favorite places to have breakfast!
(5)Bridget H.
I was actually very hesitant to try this place mostly because of the yelp reviews. I didn't think it was bad at all. The service was very friendly and attentive. The food was decent. I did enjoy the salsa. I ordered cheese enchilada's and they were what I expected them to be. I'll absolutely go back for a second try!
(4)Nancy H.
It was the WORST food I ever had. The so called green chili burro NASTY. It was some kind of green sauce with cracked black pepper. It was. Just plain gross. Wouldn't go there if you paid me. It is an insult to Mexican food.
(1)Julie P.
This was one of those places that I wanted to like, just for the mere fact that they are sort of a cornerstone of the downtown Glendale scene. I wanted to like this place so much that I didn't write this review based on one visit, nor two, but three strikes you're out! There isn't much that Bitzee Mama's does well. In fact the only redeeming trait might be the salsa (but even that isn't enough to bring me back of my own fruition). The service is "OMG - I CAN FEEL MY HAIR GROWING" slow. The food is nothing memorable - if you even get what you order (once I ordered a cheesesteak and I just got the cheese - I kid you not, no meat). The prices are actually high for what you get - and check your bill because once I was charged $47.38 for a soda and sammie which I actually had to argue about with the manager (I was pretty sure I could take her, but dang that's just not right). Mama's may have been a staple in the past, but her age is showing and she desperately needs a calgon moment!
(2)JR A.
Friendly waitress, blah food. This is a dive joint that needs the awesome food to keep it going of course, I went there for breakfast. Bad coffee
(2)Craig F.
I was in downtown Glendale the other day for business and we decided to walk over to Bitzee Mama's for a quick lunch. Well, it was anything but quick. They really weren't that busy, and we waited 10 minutes to be seated, then 15 minutes to put in our order. Needless to say I was rushed at the end to eat and return to my meeting, gratefully the chairman was with me for lunch. The menu offers a nice Mexican and American dishes, but I would suggest the Mexican side, come on, that is obviously their thing, specials of Tamales and such, you can go to McDonald's and get a hamburger (without the wait of course). I ordered the Burrito Enchilada style, which was good and authentic. Once the food arrived, it was hot and had the typical Sonoran taste that you get in Phoenix. The food was good and kept this review above 1 star which is where the service was putting it. They really need to come up with a new culture of customer satisfaction and quick pace to keep their reviews from continuing to decline.
(2)Kirstin E.
the hubs and I went here this past Sunday for breakfast. Our waiter was realllllllly slow, like we sat down and sat and sat for a good 10 minutes when a lady walked by and asked if anyone had taken our drink order, we said no she asked what we wanted. When she came back she gave us the drinks and said she wasn't our waiter but would go find him. He arrived and was nice. Took our order that was it. The food came out pretty quick. I had the biscuits and gravy. The biscuits tasted frozen but the gravy was good. The hashbrowns were lacking. Hubs got the special which had the most heavenly pancakes ever! Soooo good and so giant! Also I stole one of his sausage links which was very good as well! I will order this next time. Also at some point a freaken lounge act started playing! They weren't any where near amazing, BUT they totally made the experience awesome, we totally dug on the live music while eating our breakfast. Its not the worst breakfast joint, but not the best. The prices are really cheap, we would go back again.
(3)Anne P.
Wow, reading the other review, guess waiting for your food to be served can be an issue at this restaurant. Try waiting an hour and 1/2. Other diners were so perturbed they left in frustration; the intrepid restaurant staff then offered the departed diners plates to those still waiting for food - TACKY. By the time our food was served, my mother in-laws hot beef was COLD. They supposedly were short 2 cooks. Since they had a large group of women and a Red Hat society that seemed to get their food in good timing, maybe the cooks walked out mid-shift. My husband wouldn't let me make a stink, but after a wait that long, with a hot dish being served cold, there should have been an offer at comping a meal or taking a certain percentage off. How on earth does this place survive? Salsa was good, shredded beef chimi I had was below average and over-fried. At least I know now if ever antiquing in Glendale again I can avoid this restaurant! So far the downtown Glendale restaurants I have tried have been sub-par and not worth trying again (Kimberly Ann's Tea Shop was the other).
(1)Heather M.
I wouldn't even give it the one star :( I wish I had checked Yelp before I bought my Living Social deal...total waste of money. My boyfriend a native of AZ raved that Bitz-ee Mama's had great Mexican food so I took part in the Living Social deal. We finally got around to going this weekend and what a mistake. We walked in and I was put off by the "hole in the wall" atmosphere but I know that most "dive" restaurants have good food so I decided to put snobbery aside for the moment. We waited a lenghty amount of time for a table as it is preferred over a booth but were ok with that fact. We were plopped down in the middle of a mixed group of individuals dressed in Halloween costumes participating in Karaoke :( This situation was less than ideal but I was going along trying to be a good sport. The menu had a few mexican selections and a lot of diner type of food and my mood got worse...still trying to be a good sport but knew this wasn't going to end well. Our waitress rolled around several minutes later with chips and salsa and took our drink order. The salsa was visually un-appealing and I couldn't force myself to try it but my boyfriend said it was great....it should be noted that he will eat most anything :/ About 8 minutes later no drinks and he said let's bail. The waitress walked past us several times clearing other tables and we were right next to the bar so we weren't quite sure what the delay was??? Sad to say that this restaurant lacks the charm that we were looking for. Luckily there are a lot of other great local business in the area and we will stick to visting them :)
(1)Gloria S.
My boyfriend and I love Bitz-ee Mama's! The breakfast is pretty great! The chicken fried steak is really good. No grizzly pieces-believe me-I am always the person to find a nasty piece of meat, and I did not find one bad piece. The staff is super friendly, and the prices are good. Parking is easy to find, which is also a definite plus! I would highly recommend it!
(5)Brenda L.
Ok I had a tamale at the annual Glendale Jazz Blues Fest, I did not actually go inside the place. But the red chili tamale I had was bland and dry with shredded beef brisket at both ends but none in the middle! Where was the red chili? They offered no salsa with their tamales either and sold no drinks outside their business. The set up nor the tamale did nothing for their image.
(2)Ron S.
This was literally the worst meal I have eaten since I ate at my junior high school cafeteria. The flavors were lacking, the service was horrible. I ordered a chicken burrito and it came with nothing but shredded chicken and a tortilla. It was not flavorful. The staff didn't know what the food options were when asked. Also, I asked the waitress what was included in the chicken burrito and she said she would ask, she brought me the food without ever asking what was in it. Poor food. Poor experience. Save your money. Save the time. Save the calories. Yuck!!!
(1)Brianna T.
I wanted to go to creations which is next door but ran into this one and decided to try it. I had the bit zee red chili skillet with a short stack and my company have biscuits and gravy with bacon and scrambled eggs. My skillet was good for something that was simple, definitely filling. I had craved pancakes and tried their pancakes despite the fact I don't like pancakes that much. They were ok but soothed my sweet craving. My company said their sausage gravy is amazing and the bacon was cooked perfect. I, however, don't eat pork products so I couldn't tell you myself how it tasted. I was bummed out that they ran out of apple juice, that was my go to breakfast drink. The other people that were at the establishment had been very loud, obnoxiously loud. Our waiter was very impersonal and seemed like she didn't like her shift. She didn't send off friendly vibes but food was great.
(3)Deidre C.
I was not happy with service, food or drink and the bill was too high for what we received. The shredded beef tacos the meat was not cooked, several in my party decided not to eat it. Fish tacos- where's the fish. Margaritas - did you leave out the alcohol?
(1)Reese J.
I can't think of any good reason my family would like this place except that it's in Glendale and that's where most of them live. Maybe also because the waitress' call everyone mija or mijo. That's cute. Siiiiiiiiiiyke! The food is always just mediocre. If I want mediocre I will go to Denny's and pay less. Or cook at home and have a way better meal. I am not a fan of the Mexican breakfast anyway. I can make just as good if not better chorizo and eggs at home. The menudo is meh... The everything else is just meh... I don't know what to say besides meh... Eat here at your own risk. I don't think you will get sick or anything... but I don't like spending my hard earned dollahs on crap. Don't know about you...
(2)Liz R.
DISGUSTING. From the atmosphere to the food. Old, run down, holes in chairs, wobbly tables, dirty restrooms... Immediate turn off from the get go. I thought maybe the food would be ok, it was not. I had the two shredded beef taco combo. The shells were store bought, not homemade. The tacos, beans, and rice were soaked from a ridiculous amount of liquid on the plate, I am assuming from the shredded beef. It was less than mediocre food. Here's the kicker - the waitress even screwed up our tab! She did the math completely wrong. She totaled up food, tax, and gratuity (6 or more you get 16% gratuity added) and it was $176!!!! Whaaaat?? The real total was $82. Ugh. Got it fixed and left. This morning I am layingj in bed feeling incredibly sick to my stomach. Started last night... Worse today. Do not eat here!!! Cook at home or go to a better place for Mexican food.
(1)Thom C.
For a dining experience you won't soon forget, I can't recommend Bitzee Mama more highly. Unfortunately, you'll remember it for all the wrong reasons. Where to begin. First off we showed up on Monday night for dinner. Closed. OK, so I checked their website which says they're only open until 2 on Monday, then Tue - Sat until 9. Showed up Tues at 6 for dinner. Closed again! So on Wed I called & found out that they're open Thu-Sat until 9. I suggested they update their website and got a grunt as a response. If I hadn't had a LivingSocial I would have written this place off but the $10 was non-refundable so I figured 'it can't be any worse than making a "run for the border". I ordered the green chili beef chimi and my GF ordered two shredded beef tacos. I have to way that the incredibly small amount of meat was a pretty tasty morsel, but that's all it was - a morsel at each end with a small green chili in the middle. And how do you screw up refried beans? I can't even begin to identify whatever it was I was tasting. Rancid fat? Even tho my GF ordered the tacos ala carte she got the dinner which included more of the rancid fat refried beans and rice that they had somehow managed to infuse with a sickly pinkish-orange color. In short, even tho I got the whole thing for half price I still felt ripped off.
(1)Amanda B.
Mediocre, bland, low quality food topped off with painfully slow service. I worked in the neighborhood and continued to return occasionally "just in case it's gotten better", for reasons I could never fathom once the plate of abysmal food was placed on the table. The salsa and rice are usually good, but that's the most I have to offer.
(1)Thane E.
I visited this restaurant as part of a civic group annual meeting in the private back room. The meeting was slated to start at 7:00 PM Friday night. Bitzee Mama's had all that I desired in a restaurant. Delivery of my dinner was not delayed, the food was warm, quite good quality and well prepared. Once I had eaten, my dinner plate was promptly taken away. Traffic was low. I can say I had no complaint and would recommend the experience and the establishment.
(4)James S.
Awful! I was there 4 or 5 years ago and thought it was good, but today was awful. My dining partner couldn't even eat her taco salad. When we asked for a PARTIAL refund we were told no since she ate some of it...How do you know if you don't like it if you don't eat it? Salad was wilted and the beef was way too salty. After we complained service pretty much stopped after we complained. We had to ask for more water but you could tell they were a little put out by our request. I am very disappointed for I liked this place and it has some charm. Not sure what is going on but it sure has changed. Also noticed not as many customers as before.
(1)Amanda B.
Mediocre, bland, low quality food topped off with painfully slow service. I worked in the neighborhood and continued to return occasionally "just in case it's gotten better", for reasons I could never fathom once the plate of abysmal food was placed on the table. The salsa and rice are usually good, but that's the most I have to offer.
(1)Thane E.
I visited this restaurant as part of a civic group annual meeting in the private back room. The meeting was slated to start at 7:00 PM Friday night. Bitzee Mama's had all that I desired in a restaurant. Delivery of my dinner was not delayed, the food was warm, quite good quality and well prepared. Once I had eaten, my dinner plate was promptly taken away. Traffic was low. I can say I had no complaint and would recommend the experience and the establishment.
(4)James S.
Awful! I was there 4 or 5 years ago and thought it was good, but today was awful. My dining partner couldn't even eat her taco salad. When we asked for a PARTIAL refund we were told no since she ate some of it...How do you know if you don't like it if you don't eat it? Salad was wilted and the beef was way too salty. After we complained service pretty much stopped after we complained. We had to ask for more water but you could tell they were a little put out by our request. I am very disappointed for I liked this place and it has some charm. Not sure what is going on but it sure has changed. Also noticed not as many customers as before.
(1)Toni R.
This place has pretty decent tamales for 3 bucks... I purchased the tamale outside of the restaurant while attending Glendale Glitters. I have not been inside or tried anything other than their tamales but I would buy some again.
(3)Nancy H.
Terrible. The worst I've ever had. The food was bland, overpriced, my hot meal came out cold.
(1)Grace S.
I have been going to Bitzee's my entire life. Great food, great people! Love this place!
(5)Jason T.
The service it's awesome and the good is great. My wife come here every couple of weeks. Locally own and it is great to support local business when you can.
(5)Sierra C.
Came here with the intentions of drinking margaritas and having some at least decent Mexican food. The Margaritas came in a regular glass, and my fried ice cream came in a margarita glass?? Kinda confusing. My family friends 55th birthday was today and they wouldn't serve her alcohol bc she didn't have her id, she is obviously of age. What we wanted to be a nice quick decent Mexican meal, turned into a big fat joke. Won't come back. I'm sorry!
(1)Peggy D.
This is a wonderful family place that has great food. We were a party of ten last night that got excellent service and LuLu (one of the owners)came and wished Carol a Happy Birthday! I had the Chili Reano and it was yummy and their house Margaritas are the best!! I give them 10 stars!! Love you guys!!
(5)Melissa M.
Bitzee mama's has been a family favorite restaurant for as long as I can remember. Their breakfast is where it's at. Large servings, friendly and attentive staff and inexpensive. They are always very accommodating to large groups. Their staff is very involved in the community and it makes for good business.
(5)Lora T.
Service was bad. We had to go find the waitress and explain we would need to leave if we could not get any service Finally that was resolved and we stayed. Wish we had left. The drinks was so-so and served on a plastic water cup. The taco shell and tostada shell were pre-formed store bought. The chicken was fresh and the lettuce and tomatoes were fresh. We (3 of us) did not get sick and we finished our meal but we most certainly will not return. SO many other much better choices.
(2)Tracy D.
It was recommended to us by a promoter of the music at the Watermelon Festival (thank you Warren!!!). We had 7 people and it was right at lunch time and they still got us in very quickly. Service was a bit slow but to be expected right smack in the middle of the festival. Tamales? AMAZING and I'm not a fan of tamales unless they're homemade. Bartender was a hoot (Lulu you're the best) as was the waitress. Will definitely be back as often as we can, being as we have a 3 hour drive to get there.
(5)J D.
Ok, let me tee this up. I was in the area with my Wife and she wanted to check out the antique shops nearby. Well, I wanted to watch the football games. So, while she shopped, I popped in here for a Beer & some food. I tried the Abondigas Soup and Chips & Salsa. Both were ok. There aren't too many TV's in the restaurant, so I got luck that there were only few tables and I was able to find one with a good view of one of the TV's. The staff was super friendly and attentive. They were probably wondering what I was doing since I spent 4+ hrs in there watching football while Wifey was shopping. LOL Would like to come back for dinner sometime. The rest of the menu looked pretty tempting. Return Factor - 70%
(3)William P.
Good food, good service. Large portions. Not going to change your life, but a solid restaurant.
(4)Taric W.
I've dined here since before there was a Yelp! I'm talking waaaay back, like Peabody's-machine way back, when getting your first AOL dial-up connection was a big deal. I don't think much has really changed...well, except that I have the option of downing a margarita at 11am without any guilt. Something about having a live band at ANY hour brings out the charm in tequila. My liver was (surprisingly) not up for that, so I focused on strictly food. Something about their lunch menu seemed to fall kinda flat. Their chimis with green chili are pretty good, but nothing you couldn't get better at other restaurants. With my last visit, I realized that BREAKFAST is what makes this place shine. For a mere $7 I scored a generous chorizo plate with an egg and some refried beans. All with a huge flour tortilla on the side. The first meal of the day goes largely ignored, but with a dive bar atmosphere and solid morning menu, Bitz-ee Mama is something to look forward to on Sundays.
(3)Cathryn C.
Great food, great service, and wonderful staff! We held my husband's 50th birthday party and everyone appreciated the relaxed atmosphere, good food and excellent friendly service. The restaurant easily accommodated our guests, dj and had an open area for dancing. Their menus options were very flexible, making party planning easy and stress-free. Their mango margaritas were a hit! One guest liked the place and service so much, they booked their upcoming birthday event that night! Thank you Bitzee mama's for all your help in making our party very memorable! We will be back again! !!
(5)Crystal W.
Bitz-ee Mama's has obviously been around for a long time with minimal attention paid to the condition of the restaurant. They really need some new chairs and to update the restrooms. At least there is foamy soap. For me, that makes everything a little better. The atmosphere kind of feels like the Mafia Mexicana could be doing their business here after hours, but I'm always open to adventure and think it's cool. By no means am I implying that it's not safe. It's just the lighting and decor that made me think this way. The service was terrible but my friend and I weren't in a hurry, so I didn't let it bother me. I was absolutely flabbergasted by the massive serving sizes and how inexpensive the menu items are. The cheap margaritas just call your name and I was tempted to have one at 11am. Everything I ate was delicious and I literally took home half of my meal because it was so large. I'd return just for the home-made chips and salsa. Bitz-ee Mama's is good for a low key outing.
(3)JR A.
Friendly waitress, blah food. This is a dive joint that needs the awesome food to keep it going of course, I went there for breakfast. Bad coffee
(2)Craig F.
I was in downtown Glendale the other day for business and we decided to walk over to Bitzee Mama's for a quick lunch. Well, it was anything but quick. They really weren't that busy, and we waited 10 minutes to be seated, then 15 minutes to put in our order. Needless to say I was rushed at the end to eat and return to my meeting, gratefully the chairman was with me for lunch. The menu offers a nice Mexican and American dishes, but I would suggest the Mexican side, come on, that is obviously their thing, specials of Tamales and such, you can go to McDonald's and get a hamburger (without the wait of course). I ordered the Burrito Enchilada style, which was good and authentic. Once the food arrived, it was hot and had the typical Sonoran taste that you get in Phoenix. The food was good and kept this review above 1 star which is where the service was putting it. They really need to come up with a new culture of customer satisfaction and quick pace to keep their reviews from continuing to decline.
(2)Kirstin E.
the hubs and I went here this past Sunday for breakfast. Our waiter was realllllllly slow, like we sat down and sat and sat for a good 10 minutes when a lady walked by and asked if anyone had taken our drink order, we said no she asked what we wanted. When she came back she gave us the drinks and said she wasn't our waiter but would go find him. He arrived and was nice. Took our order that was it. The food came out pretty quick. I had the biscuits and gravy. The biscuits tasted frozen but the gravy was good. The hashbrowns were lacking. Hubs got the special which had the most heavenly pancakes ever! Soooo good and so giant! Also I stole one of his sausage links which was very good as well! I will order this next time. Also at some point a freaken lounge act started playing! They weren't any where near amazing, BUT they totally made the experience awesome, we totally dug on the live music while eating our breakfast. Its not the worst breakfast joint, but not the best. The prices are really cheap, we would go back again.
(3)Anne P.
Wow, reading the other review, guess waiting for your food to be served can be an issue at this restaurant. Try waiting an hour and 1/2. Other diners were so perturbed they left in frustration; the intrepid restaurant staff then offered the departed diners plates to those still waiting for food - TACKY. By the time our food was served, my mother in-laws hot beef was COLD. They supposedly were short 2 cooks. Since they had a large group of women and a Red Hat society that seemed to get their food in good timing, maybe the cooks walked out mid-shift. My husband wouldn't let me make a stink, but after a wait that long, with a hot dish being served cold, there should have been an offer at comping a meal or taking a certain percentage off. How on earth does this place survive? Salsa was good, shredded beef chimi I had was below average and over-fried. At least I know now if ever antiquing in Glendale again I can avoid this restaurant! So far the downtown Glendale restaurants I have tried have been sub-par and not worth trying again (Kimberly Ann's Tea Shop was the other).
(1)