Chipotle burrito or Hot Head burrito?

[MarkXIX]

I'm always curious to know exactly what this "super Mexican" food is when people say that whatever version of Mexican someone seems to like comes up.

I have like five places to choose from here, at least three of which are staffed almost exclusively by people who clearly do not speak English as a first language and I find the food mediocre at best.

So, start naming places or posting reviews or I call bullshit.

 

[Carson Dyle]

You sure as hell don't have to locate "super" Mexican food to better a Chipotle burrito.

 

[Ichinisan]

You sure as hell don't have to locate "super" Mexican food to better a Chipotle burrito.

Bullshit. I have eaten at a lot of Mexican restaurants in my lifetime and I have never enjoyed any of them even half as much as Chipotle.

My mind doesn't even associate Mexican food with feelings of "good" or "satisfying." Instead, I always find real Mexican food to be disappointing.

...but I salivate just thinking about eating at Chipotle.

 

[zerocool84]

Bullshit. I have eaten at a lot of Mexican restaurants in my lifetime and I have never enjoyed any of them even half as much as Chipotle.

My mind doesn't even associate Mexican food with feelings of "good" or "satisfying." Instead, I always find real Mexican food to be disappointing.

...but I salivate just thinking about eating at Chipotle.

That's a shame because I've eaten at two Chipotle restaurants both 50 miles apart and both were exactly the same, bland food.

I'll take worse quality food that tastes better than better quality food that tastes worse anytime.

 

[OverVolt]

That's a shame because I've eaten at two Chipotle restaurants both 50 miles apart and both were exactly the same, bland food.

I'll take worse quality food that tastes better than better quality food that tastes worse anytime.

Maybe you have the genetic thing where cilantro tastes like soap to you. And thus what is otherwise a delicious chicken burrito instead tastes like a bar of dial. Cause you have some pretty irrational hate of chipotle going on here.

I agree its not the best food EVAR, but it makes a really nice meal. The chicken/rice/veggies/cheese/lettuce/salsa/beans/sourcream etc are all high quality. Maybe you just don't get enough extras? I dunno.

 

[Belegost]

Ok, for those benighted souls who have never had good Mexican food, here's a set of places to go in San Diego to save yourself from a lifetime of blandness.

(sorry about the Yelp links, most of these places don't have a website, and Yelp has pictures of the killer food. So as much as I hate Yelp, it's a necessary evil here.)

My personal favorite for killer Diablo shrimp burrito and fish rolled tacos - Cotija's in Santee
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cotijas-taco-shop-santee

Runner up for having top-end carne asada, and really good vegetarian burrito (macho or something)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-azteca-taco-shop-la-mesa

When I was in college, I would stop by places in Clairemont on my way to/from La Jolla; Lolita's is killer Mexican food, and has absolutely huge burritos (seriously, check the pics, I swear you could hide a baby inside them)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lolitas-taco-shop-san-diego

When I needed to stay closer to campus, Cotixan was the choice - good hot sauce, solid carne asada, not as good as the 3 before, but still so far ahead of Chipotle the distance would be best measured in parsecs.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cotixan-mexican-and-seafood-san-diego-4

 

[destrekor]

Maybe you have the genetic thing where cilantro tastes like soap to you. And thus what is otherwise a delicious chicken burrito instead tastes like a bar of dial. Cause you have some pretty irrational hate of chipotle going on here.

I agree its not the best food EVAR, but it makes a really nice meal. The chicken/rice/veggies/cheese/lettuce/salsa/beans/sourcream etc are all high quality. Maybe you just don't get enough extras? I dunno.

I don't get any extras, since Chipotle doesn't offer queso, which offends me greatly.
That out of the way, I know I don't have the genetic issue with cilantro, and my version of a tasty burrito from Chipotle is whole rice, pinto beans, barbacoa, cheese, and sour cream. I don't really do veggies.
And I don't find it bland at all. I've had burritos from authentic mexican places that have their own flavor, and obviously different from Chipotle's flavor profile, but I'd never call it bland. Not remotely.

I wonder if the soapy cilantro flavor lends itself to some kind of bland counter-balance with the other flavors in the burrito.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

not sure who are worse, the mexican food hipsters or the pizza hipsters

Chipotle has higher quality ingredients and is more simple of a setup, whereas Hot Head is more like Qdoba only one step further where they have to try and offer more gimmick ingredients to jazz their otherwise inferior product up.

IMO it works, Hot Head can offer a unique enough experience (their sauce system can *really* spice/sweeten things up) to where I'll go there occasionally instead of Chipotle, and I find myself going there more often now that Qdoba is effectively up-charging everyone for guacamole whether you want it or not (seriously, the price of my identical burrito order there jumped $1.50 literally overnight a couple months ago, Qdoba can go suck a fuck)

For a first timer I'd say Chipotle is probably the safer bet for its simplicity. If you really end up disliking Chipotle at a fundamental level there's probably not a good chance the slightly different ingredients or sauces Hot Head offers will be enough to make you like it.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Maybe you have the genetic thing where cilantro tastes like soap to you. And thus what is otherwise a delicious chicken burrito instead tastes like a bar of dial. Cause you have some pretty irrational hate of chipotle going on here.

I agree its not the best food EVAR, but it makes a really nice meal. The chicken/rice/veggies/cheese/lettuce/salsa/beans/sourcream etc are all high quality. Maybe you just don't get enough extras? I dunno.

I love cilantro and I think Chipotle is crazy bland.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Ok, for those benighted souls who have never had good Mexican food, here's a set of places to go in San Diego to save yourself from a lifetime of blandness.

(sorry about the Yelp links, most of these places don't have a website, and Yelp has pictures of the killer food. So as much as I hate Yelp, it's a necessary evil here.)

My personal favorite for killer Diablo shrimp burrito and fish rolled tacos - Cotija's in Santee
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cotijas-taco-shop-santee

Runner up for having top-end carne asada, and really good vegetarian burrito (macho or something)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-azteca-taco-shop-la-mesa

When I was in college, I would stop by places in Clairemont on my way to/from La Jolla; Lolita's is killer Mexican food, and has absolutely huge burritos (seriously, check the pics, I swear you could hide a baby inside them)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lolitas-taco-shop-san-diego

When I needed to stay closer to campus, Cotixan was the choice - good hot sauce, solid carne asada, not as good as the 3 before, but still so far ahead of Chipotle the distance would be best measured in parsecs.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cotixan-mexican-and-seafood-san-diego-4

If I was going to name a few places in LA that I think kill chipotle, I'd say

1. El Tepeyac Cafe
I love their ranchero salsa and both their Hollenbeck de machaca and Hollenbeck (regular is pork) are outstanding burritos. Really good enchiladas too, and some of the best refried beans I have had.

2. King Taco
I always went to the one on Soto & Cesar Chavez. Love the carnitas there, as well as their red salsa (think it's made from arbol chiles)

3. Tacos El Gavilon
Great taco joint on South Central near Washington I think. I always loved hitting them up about 2AM. Cabeza, carnitas, and carne asada are awesome.

Still, my favorite tacos are the al pastor from street vendors in Tijuana. Nowhere in the US does it compare. Speaking of that, another favorite is Kentucky Fried Buches in Tijuana. Deep fried chicken necks in an awesome salsa.

 

[Ns1]

Still, my favorite tacos are the al pastor from street vendors in Tijuana. Nowhere in the US does it compare. Speaking of that, another favorite is Kentucky Fried Buches in Tijuana. Deep fried chicken necks in an awesome salsa.

might not be MX, but there are lots of legit al pastor vendors in LA with trompos. Just gotta go when the health department aint out 😉

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Just gotta go when the health department aint out 😉

Always figured that's why it's better in Mexico. Since they have it on a spit slow cooking it all day. Where do you recommend for great al pastor so I can check it next time I'm in LA?

 

[Ns1]

Always figured that's why it's better in Mexico. Since they have it on a spit slow cooking it all day. Where do you recommend for great al pastor so I can check it next time I'm in LA?

Tacos Tamix vs Tacos Leo is the classic LA al pastor battle. Only go after dark - if you don't see the trompo just leave.

Nobody bats 1.00 though - one time I went to Tamix the main guy went on break right before I got my tacos. His replacement wasn't nearly as good with the knife =(

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Ok, for those benighted souls who have never had good Mexican food, here's a set of places to go in San Diego to save yourself from a lifetime of blandness.

(sorry about the Yelp links, most of these places don't have a website, and Yelp has pictures of the killer food. So as much as I hate Yelp, it's a necessary evil here.)

Because only good/real Mexican food can be found in southern California? There are plenty of Mexicans illegally all over the southern states of Amerika.

 

[Mai72]

Went to a fab Mexican restaurant when I lived in North Korea. Forget the name. Awesome Mexican food.

 

[QueBert]

I'm always curious to know exactly what this "super Mexican" food is when people say that whatever version of Mexican someone seems to like comes up.

I have like five places to choose from here, at least three of which are staffed almost exclusively by people who clearly do not speak English as a first language and I find the food mediocre at best.

So, start naming places or posting reviews or I call bullshit.

In San Diego - Taco's El Gordo, best mexican food you will eat maybe anywhere. I see 4 1/2 stars on Yelp with over 1500 reviews. All I have to say is some people are haters, this place is 5/5 and 10/5 compared to Chipotle.

Vaqueros (The Barrel) Burrito the size of a 6 month old baby, super fucking delicious. It's in the hood and I've gotten starred down at 2 am by some big ass Samoans while waiting in the long ass line. It's like a 30 minute wait even late at night, but no thing. I'll risk taking an ass whooping to get one of their Adobada Quesdillas again without so much as a 2nd thought.

Those are my 2 main spots, but imho pretty much any hole in the wall will at worst compete with Chipotle when it comes to taste. Chipotle is bland as fuck, it's like how the shit can the burrito have more sodium than a Quad Baconator combo from Wendy's but it lacks flavor? People on here will tell me "that's because you don't order it right" wtf? You shouldn't have to have every fucking option they offer to make it taste like something. I will agree that most hole in the wall mexican spots are bland and overrated. No different than Shitpotle. The difference is I can get twice as much food for less money at most hole in the walls spots. If I'm going to eat bland overrated food I might as well get the most for my money. Also even the meh spots will have shit Chipotle doesn't like Adobada & Carne Asada Fries. If they were about half the price I would recommend them pretty highly, at their prices I laugh. And please nobody bring up the "quality" of their ingredients and how it makes it worth it. It's a gimmick to me because the hole in the wall places often use super low quality shit yet can still make it taste far better.

 

[Belegost]

Because only good/real Mexican food can be found in southern California? There are plenty of Mexicans illegally all over the southern states of Amerika.

I lived 5 years in NM, a year in AZ, and now a year and a half in CO. I have family in TX that I visit from time to time, I have had plenty of mexican at plenty of places in all those states - I have yet to find mexican food to rival SoCal, or even get close.

NM has New Mexican food, which is crazy awesome, but it's a unique flavor all it's own.

The only places you will find better mexican food, you're also going to be at risk for kidnapping by a drug cartel.

 

[CZroe]

No one in San Diego knows Benny's Mexican Food?! Carne Asada Burrito.

They are almost the only reason I didn't eat at Chipotle often when I lived in San Diego, though I didn't delude myself into thinking that Chipotle was bland and flavorless. 🙄 Better options for the price does not make Chipotle taste bad!

 

[Scarpozzi]

HotHead was here, but went out of business....replaced by a true taco stand....and then another burrito joint.

I liked HHB's sauces. They had a good variety. However, their meat selection wasn't that good. Chipotle and Moe's are better. If you skip the meat, HHB would win in my book.

 

[Ferzerp]

If you like a burrito overstuffed and contains 80% rice soaked in lime sauce, 10% beans, and 10% meat + flavorings, then go to chipotle.

(I'm not saying its' bad - in fact its pretty good. I have no idea what the other joint is so I can't compare)

Or just order it without rice like I do. As a bonus, you get less of a ridiculously huge portion.

 

[QueBert]

No one in San Diego knows Benny's Mexican Food?! Carne Asada Burrito

They are almost the only reason I didn't eat at Chipotle often when I lived in San Diego, though I didn't delude myself into thinking that Chipotle was bland and flavorless. 🙄 Better options for the price does not make Chipotle tase bad!

So when I can get equal taste for half the price or better taste for half the price or at worst no more money. What's the reason to ever eat there? Better options for the price to me means eating there is absolutely pointless.

 

[smackababy]

So when I can get equal taste for half the price or better taste for half the price or at worst no more money. What's the reason to ever eat there? Better options for the price to me means eating there is absolutely pointless.

He never said their wasn't better places to eat, he said your moronic "Chiptole is bland" proves you have eaten too many paint chips and scalding pizza to have any taste buds left on your tongue.

 

[CZroe]

So when I can get equal taste for half the price or better taste for half the price or at worst no more money. What's the reason to ever eat there? Better options for the price to me means eating there is absolutely pointless.

Think about what you said. Now think about why a Whole Foods organic banana with a grain-fed, free-range, certified-organic, non-GMO, hormone-free, steak costs more than a normal factory-produced banana and steak at the normal grocery store.

Now: DROP the stupid price argument. We've told you all along why it isn't a valid criticism for their palatability.

 

[Brainonska511]

Now thing about why a Whole Foods organic banana with a grain-fed, free-range, certified-organic, non-GMO, hormone-free, steak costs more than a normal factory-produced banana and steak at the normal grocery store.

Because rubes will pay more for things that they *think* are better. Some of those things are legitimate and some of those things (eg: non-GMO/organic) are total marketing BS that people just eat up.

 

[KeithTalent]

Ahh, Chipotle thread; I knew QueBert would be here spreading his nonsense. Chipotle and attractive skinny white girl threads; bank on it. 😀

KT