We had our first family dinner at Frita Batidos in October 2018. My daughter and I had previously visited as part of a school group and wanted to return as a family. We have since visited several more times to allow us to update our review.
Frita Batidos offers Cuban street food. Fritas are burgers and Batidos are tropical milkshakes.
About Frita Batidos
Address: 117 W Washington, Ann Arbor
Parking: Nearby metered Street & paid city lots.
Restaurant Type: Counter Service. Food brought to table
Indoor Seating: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes, (more in spring-fall when Washington St closed)
Takeout: Yes,
Takes Reservations: No, but you can order takeaway online
Kids Menu: Yes
Kids Eat Free: No
Good For Special Diets: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Nut Free. Check their Menu Guide
Frita Batidos Menu
Fritas
A Frita is Cuban burger made with spicy chorizo. Frita Batidos switches this up and offers several varieties – chorizon, chicken, fish, beef, and black bean. The fritas are topped with fries on an egg bun.
On our first visit, my daughter shared a chicken frita with a friend and I had the fish. This time we shared a fish frita. The chicken frita is made with ground chicken and spices to be more like a burger than a chicken breast sandwich. The fish frita patty reminded me of a crab cake (but with fish). My husband opted for the beef frita.
At an added cost, you can add toppings to your frita – Muenster cheese, cilantro-lime salsa, tropical slaw, avocado spread, bacon, egg. My husband added cheese and salsa to his frita.
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Batidos
A Batido is a tropical milkshake made with ice, fresh fruit, and ice cream. My daughter and I each had the Coconut Cream on our first visit. This time the three of us shared a Passion Fruit and a Coconut Cream. I preferred the Coconut Cream, but both were very good.
Other Batidos flavors are Fresh Lime, Hibiscus, Chocolate Espanol, and a seasonal Batido. They also offer a lighter batido with mango, pineapple, and just a spoonful of ice cream.
Other Menu Offerings
In addition to the fries that come on the burger, we added a small order of Garlic Cilantro Fries. It was plenty for the 3 of us to share. Regular fries are also available as a side item.
We had several people recommend “The Best Snack Ever” – coconut ginger rice, cheese, cilantro-lime salsa, and black beans.
They also offer plantain crisps, tropical slaw, coconut-ginger rice, and a Light Bright salad.
For Mother’s Day 2021, we ordered their Make Your Own Sandwich Bar (from the seasonal menu). We loved our sandwiches, but even more I liked getting servings of Best Snack Ever and Tropical Slaw (now comes with crisped plantains). I liked both, but the Best Snack Ever was definitely my favorite.
Churros
For dessert, Frita Batidos offers Churros. These are a bargain at $2.50 each. My family of 3 split 2 Churros, and even brought some home.
Churros Espanol is a serving of 2 churros and a side of dipping chocolate.
Kids Menu
Frita Batidos offers a kids menu. At 12, my daughter shared with me instead of ordering from the kids menu. The Kids Menu offers a mini frita (beef or black bean only) or mini grilled cheese All are served with fries and seasonal fruit.
I appreciate their simpler kids menu offerings. With simple items like a grilled cheese it is easier for families whose children have a less adventurous palate to eat at Frita Batidos.
Frita Batidos Atmosphere
Frita Batidos features Cuban Street Food. The atmosphere pays tribute to this heritage with picnic tables, and lighting. During the daytime the restaurant is bright. At night, the lights are dimmed and the tables have candles.
In the spring through fall, Frita Batidos greatly benefits from the closure of Washington St allowing for outdoor seating. This truly fits their origins in Cuban Street Food. We met a friend on a Friday night this summer and were able to find a seat outside after placing our order. For the outdoor service, they brought us glasses and a water carafe.
Service
Frita Batidos is a combination of a counter-service and table-service restaurant. You order at the counter, but then your food is brought out to you and the staff cleans up and attends to your needs.
Seating
Frita Batidos offers community seating at indoor picnic tables and seating at two bar counters – one in the front window and one in the back. There is also a picnic table or two outside for nice days. It was raining (and 50) when we arrived, so no one was sitting outside. Since our last indoor visit they have expanded into the neighboring space and offer additional seating.
When they are busy it can be a challenge to find a seat. On our visit, it seemed to work out that people would leave as new people placed their order and looked for seats.
The picnic bench seating might be difficult for families with younger children. Update – a reader just told me they have high chairs that attach to the table. You just need to ask for them. If you have a stroller, it is probably better to leave it outside than to try to navigate inside with it.
Noise
You are seated at communal picnic tables which allows for maximum seating. It also means there is a lot of noise. When your food is ready, the staff brings it out and calls your name. I could barely hear them calling our name.
I would not recommend Frita Batidos for families with children who are sensitive to noise or need extra personal space.
Visiting Frita Batidos
Frita Batidos is in Downtown Ann Arbor. They are on Washington St just west of Main Street. Their address is 117 W. Washington, Ann Arbor.
Frita Batidos is open daily. Their operating hours are: 11a-11p Sunday through Thursday, and 11a-midnight Friday and Saturday. However, we recommend verifying the hours before you visit.
If you prefer take-out, they offer a Make It Yourself Sandwich Bar that serves 4. Our family of 3 was able to get 2 meals each out of it.
Frita Batidos Review
We definitely enjoyed our visits to Frita Batidos. They are a great option for a quicker meal. I prefer visiting in daylight hours when it isn’t so dark in the restaurant.
It is definitely on our list to return in the future. I’d like to try some other menu options.
Have you been to Frita Batidos? What’s your favorite dish there?
They do offer high chair seats that attach to the side of the table if you ask!
Thanks! I’ve updated the seating section to reflect that. With a 12 year old, I didn’t ask and didn’t see any in use.
I always get the beef frita with an extra side of garlic cilantro fries – their fries are great. I’ve never ordered a Batido for myself but a friend had the chocolate one once, and I was surprised that it was more like a slushee vs. a milkshake.
Of the two batidos I tried I liked the coconut cream better. I want to try chocolate.