By Al Downham
This summer, a battle born in blood and salsa came to campus. Of course, I am referring to The Battle of the Burrito. And today, a victor has risen.
Since Burrito Boyz — an Ontario burrito chain from Toronto — opened its Dundas Street East location two minutes from Chipotle, the popular fast food chain, tensions rose among Rye High burrito lovers. In light of the only campus news students care about, an awkward but inevitable question has to be asked: who rolls the best burrito?
Many fellow students may simply judge on taste, since each joint’s prices aren’t too far off each other ($5-10 at Burrito Boyz vs. $10-15 at Chipotle). Some may even admire Chipotle’s anti-GMO [Genetically Modified Organism] and animal friendly platform, despite the fast food industry’s high production and international trade disputing their claims of sustainability. The longer you look at each chain’s menu, the clearer it is that our answer is in the finer details, and this is where the Burrito Boyz prevail.
The primary reason for Burrito Boyz’s superiority is its variety. Last time I checked, Chipotle didn’t stick squid into their burritos. And surprise, it tastes goddamn incredible.
The multinational Mexican grill has taken pride in their simple menu of steak, chicken, carnitas (pork), barbacoa (beef) and sofritas (tofu) filling, but it’s ultimately their downfall. My Boyz not only offer steak, chicken and veggie soy, but more adventurous options such as sweet potato, halibut, haddock and shrimp.
The international chain has the same issue with their lack of toppings. Chipotle offers fajita veggies — containing bell peppers and red onion — and iceberg lettuce, a vegetable with a taste exciting as tree bark, while Burrito Boys offers 10 separate toppings. As a picky eater, I’m not a fan of a restaurant lumping two of three vegetable options together, whether I enjoy them or not. Don’t tell me how to live my life, Chipotle.
Not only are menu options at Chipotle limited, but the uncertainty of your wrap’s size makes its price unpayable. They already charge $2.11 for guacamole, Gross. They don’t do that at Burrito Boyz.
Workers hustle to complete orders in under five minutes, throwing ingredients into a tortilla. The portions of your meal are inconsistent every time. It’s no wonder many Chipotle customers cheat the system, buying larger naked burritos with tortillas on the side.
If I wanted a small meal , I’d go to Burrito Boyz where I can get one with a drink for less than $10.
If you don’t have to build your own burrito, the connoisseurs at Burrito Boyz got your back. They’ll weigh your meal before wrapping, asking if you’d like more when it’s underweight. It may take 10 minutes, but good things happen to those who wait.
Chipotle has exploited their popularity built upon Buzzfeed references and taken advantage of burrito lovers like myself in the name of profit. They’ve become a long-term boyfriend that we’ve settled for. Do not despair, for a new boy has arrived to treat us far better than before.
Come on people, they don’t even take debit.
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