Battle of the Mexes

This week was a little different for me. I decided to take on a challenge to help the people of Penn State choose a decent Mexican meal.

My challenge included Chipotle, Taco Bell, Qdoba, California Tortilla, Moe’s and Mad Mex. At each restaurant I ordered a burrito for a decent comparison, but of course they didn’t all contain the exact same items.

I decided to rate each restaurant on their price (/$$$), food quality/freshness (/10), environment (/10), and overall (/5).

California Tortilla

My first heavenly stop. I walked into California Tortilla to be greeted by a large menu of options. They have menu burritos or build your own, but the Crunchy BBQ Ranch burrito sounded too good to turn down. It was quite busy in there so I decided to take my burrito for the road.

This burrito usually has grilled mesquite chicken, but I substituted it with steak. There’s also rice, black beans, BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, tortilla strips, Romaine and salsa.  I paid $10.58 for the burrito (substituted with steak) and a regular sized drink, kinda pricy.

The lady behind the counter was quick but polite, and the food came out within a few minutes which was impressive for the amount of people they had. This burrito tasted fantastic, and the tortilla strips were a nice crunch. It held together very well and wasn’t spicy at all, so for people who hate spicy foods this could be a good option for you.

Price: $$
Quality: 8
Environment: 7.5
Overall: 4

Chipotle

I’ve always loved Chipotle, and this time I got myself a good ole burrito with brown rice, steak, black beans, mild salsa, corn, sour cream and lettuce.

The employees speak very very fast, so for a first-timer it could be overwhelming. I only got the burrito and a water cup this time, because broke college kid. My total was $7.64, but with a drink it would’ve been around $10.

One of the good things about Chipotle is you know it won’t take too much time to get your food because you walk with it as they make it (unless there’s a line out the door like on weekends).

I filled my water cup with actual water and took a seat at the island facing the street, probably one of the most uncomfortable ways to eat as people pass by and look in the window (do not recommend). The tables were kind of dirty, but I soon understood why as I took my burrito out of the basket and it was leaking bean juices. There was some spice to the steak, but I’m all about a little kick to my burrito so it was gucci.

Overall there was definitely some let downs, like my burrito falling apart all over my hands and the table as I ate it, but the flavor was so awesome it makes up for it.

Price: $$
Quality: 9
Environment: 6
Overall: 4

Qdoba

My next burrito was form Qdoba – and at this point I’m so over Mexican food. This was my first time ever having Qdoba so I was admittedly both nervous and excited.

There was only one woman behind the counter, and when she realized there were people in line she had to ask someone to come help her. The man asked what I wanted, so I went through my order: white tortilla, brown rice, black beans, steak, salsa, corn, sour cream and lettuce.

Similar to Chipotle it was a walk-with-the-food process. Overall it felt so slow, not time wise, but communication wise (if that makes sense). It just seemed like everything slowed down, much different from the hectic environment of Chipotle for sure. The vibes felt weird in there so I got my burrito and a drink to go, even though there were no more straws so I had the torturous drive home without sipping my fountain soda.

I unwrapped my burrito and went in, but I must admit it was nothing too special. For one, the “brown rice” tasted like straight up white rice in pasta sauce like my grandmother makes sometimes. The steak didn’t have an outstanding flavor, and the tortilla didn’t hold together that well.

For my burrito and drink I paid $10.91, God bless my bank account.

Price: $$
Quality: 6
Environment: 5
Overall: 2.5

Mad Mex

My final stop was Mad Mex. I’m sick to my stomach of steak and beans, but I took it down anyway. I also never had Mad Mex.

First of all, this burrito was a square shape, but it was very large. I ended up eating it with a fork because it really wasn’t wrapped properly. The salsa did not taste good, and it was on the side. There was a ridiculous amount of bean in this burrito, and very little lettuce. The steak was amazing, though. It was strips of steak that seemed very well prepared and tasted awesome. I paid $10.07 for just the burrito, so a drink would have probably brought it to around $12.

Overall I wasn’t the biggest fan of the burrito, but it was definitely fresh. I like how the restaurant had an indoor and outdoor option, and that it’s a true restaurant rather than a grab-and-go type of deal.

Price: $$$
Quality: 8
Environment: 8
Overall: 3.5

This experience has taught me that burritos are hella expensive downtown, but some of them are definitely worth it (once in a while).

P.S. Mom if you read this, please put money into my account since I wasted it all on Mexican food thx.