I went for a walk and ended up at one of my favorite fast-food "fresh mex" establishments: Baja Fresh. It was precisely what I was looking for, and though I didn't set out to arrive there, I believe that something greater pulled me in the direction of the steak fajita burrito that awaited inside.
I remember just last Friday though, the craving for Chipotle was such that I got in my car and drove to
Does anyone else find that despite these two establishments being similar (and for the purposes of my question, feel free to throw in any joint of this ilk), there are times when only one, or the other will do? In your opinion, what are the differences that matter? Is one truly, overall, better than the other?
(I’ve got almost the entire afternoon free, but I can’t leave the office yet, so I’ll be pondering this for awhile)
1 comment:
Ok, ethics...a few ramblings…
We got our Chipotle and Baja Fresh within a few months of each other. First Chipotle, about 3 blocks away, and then Baja which is only @ ¼ block away. Before that, I used to have to make about a seven block trek to Burrito Beach, which was very hit and miss. I only did the tex-mex thing about once a month back then. I used to have a burrito beach card with about 8 of 10 punches. I was close to that free burrito! Haven’t been there since the two giants moved in…I don’t even know if it’s there anymore. I threw the card away.
I do Chipotle to Baja at close to a 10:1 clip, I bet. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Baja, but I don’t know….maybe I’m just not doing it right. What’s with all those different burritos, anyway. Ultimo, Baja, Mexicano…what the flip is up with that?!? None of them are spot on to what I want. I think Chipotle’s got a great system going on there -- encouraging you to manipulate the process in order to arrive at something that you really want. (Most important command – “Not TOO much rice.”) At Baja, I feel like I’m being a pest asking for any variation to their menu. I mean, you have to ask special for sour cream!??! Kiss my ass. And can anybody tell me what their guac policy is?!?!? Then there’s the whole name-giving thing. I cherish anonymity in the lunch lines…maybe that’s a mild form of social anxiety disorder, but give me a fucking number, for Jim’s sake. (When forced, I usually say “Bill” in such a situation. My name’s not “Bill.” Sometimes I say “Blake….Billllll Blake.” A burrito to the first person who catches that reference!) Then that whole watery salsa and pepper station deal. N-n-n-n-no. That doesn’t fly, man. I want my sauce in there…I don’t want to have apply salsa bite by bite. Although, with that watery stuff they got it might not be advisable. Not much worse in this world than burrito juice.
I mean…I’d really like to give Baja more of a chance, but I haven’t been overly impressed with the whole operation. I have gotten their fish tacos a couple of times, though, and those aren’t bad. I like getting a few chips tossed in, too, greasy though they may be. Again, I might not be doing it right. Any suggestions?
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