As a lunchtime fix, it sure beats the food court
For months I had avoided the lunchtime trip with the guys from work to Mucho Burrito, mainly because I was expecting a Taco Bell experience, and that grossed me out. It wasn’t until I walked by the 109 Street and Jasper Avenue location to see a lineup out the door that I realized I should give this young franchise a chance.
Mucho Burrito has done something pretty clever; they have made Mexican food cool again. They must have had some young whippersnapper in marketing who came up with the gourmet focus and tagged on phrases like “fresh Mexican grill.” It’s not false advertising—Mucho Burrito is a whole class above the Mexican food court memories of my childhood. There’s no mystery kitchen in the back, there’s no deep fryer, and there is no Chihuahua in any of their advertisements.
I rounded up a group for a Friday lunch at the downtown location, and even though the lineup was out the door again, it moved fast and there were plenty of tables to choose from. My co-worker Bob was also new to the Mucho Burrito experience and was eager to let me order for him so he could relax at the table. I quickly told him no, this is like Subway, you get to build your own burrito. As soon as he figured that out, he was pretty excited.
When I made it to the start of the line I had finally decided on the burrito pequeno for $6.99 (aka small, a 10″ burrito). I chose the whole wheat tortilla option and watched as my server gave it the three second grill. As a meatatarian I was torn between the beef, pork, chicken or steak, but thanks to some advice from my server and my desire to support our pork producers, I happily decided on the shredded pork. A quick scoop of cilantro lime rice and black beans and I was on to the next girl in the assembly line. I went for the medium tomato salsa and a scoop of the corn and bean salsa, cheese, cilantro, sour cream and the mystery burrito sauce. I was sold on the guacamole upgrade for 99 cents. I love guacamole. And while some people may think 99 cents is a rip-off, I saw an avocado for $1.69 this week. I think 99 cents for a scoop of guac at Mucho Burrito is pretty good deal.
In two seconds she had my now enormous burrito rolled up. I shifted along to the friendly face behind the till who hooked me up with a Jarritos lima-limon drink ($2.99)—a tasty carbonated Mexican lime drink that wasn’t as sweet as I would have guessed. By the time we settled into our seats the four of us had each decided on something different. Bob had settled on the smothered burrito for an extra $1.50. His messy burrito covered with southwest tomato sauce, topped with cheese and sour cream came in a handy plastic container but he still managed to get it on his khaki pants in less than two bites. His only response was that his burrito was “wicked awesome.”
Kathy had decided on a chicken bare burrito bowl ($7.59), which is basically a burrito served in a baked burrito bowl instead of on a tortilla. It looked good, but it was Jody’s chicken and bean quesadilla with melted cheese ($8.99) that was calling to me. Jody doesn’t share food, but since he knew I was doing research he let me snag a very small corner of his meal. Thanks to Jody, I know what I will be ordering on my next visit to Mucho Burrito.
My own burrito was absolutely delicious. Even though it was enormous and spilling out of the tortilla, I was able to pound back my fresh Mexican treat. It was a perfect blend of everything I like; pulled pork, cheese, cilantro and guacamole. Even though I felt like a bursting burrito, the four of us shared a couple of cinnamon rolls (99 cents) for dessert.
I must admit, I was unfairly judgemental on Mucho Burrito before I tried it. Even though Bob was secretly upset there were no mexi-fries, we were all satisfied with our lunch. I finally figured out what all the fuss was about with my male coworkers. Even though I think it is slightly disgusting, I work with a couple of guys who can miraculously pound down the classic “Mucho Burrito” on a regular occasion. When I asked one of them why he likes Mucho Burrito so much, his eyes glossed over and a smile appeared on his face. “I just love it. I love the price point, I love the portion, it tastes fresh, and yet I walk away feeling like I had a healthy lunch.” It certainly is a major step up from the Mexican fast food options of years past.
I have learned that I should not judge a Mexican food chain before I taste its goodness. I like that Mucho Burrito has an efficient assembly line staffed with friendly faces, they have a clean environment with fresh ingredients, and I like getting a customized burrito that fills me up but doesn’t make me feel bad about myself after. Plus, the people watching at the downtown location is fantastic. Watching everything from women in high heels to men in designer suits line up for a burrito is pretty entertaining. I guess when you have a really good product, you can make eating off a tray socially acceptable
Sharman Hnatiuk
Vue Weekly
May 19, 2009