Qdoba: Cinco De Mayo & Naked Burrito
http://www.qdoba.com
I told you that I couldn’t turn down $.50 beer and $.05 chips and salsa!
Epic Portions had a post about Burrito Wars yesterday and it made me want to give Qdoba another chance. I usually prefer Chipotle, but I couldn’t turn down the deal.
What I Ate: Naked Burrito, Chicken, Habenero Salsa, Mild Salsa and Sour Cream.
Get this, $8.50 for the whole meal including my wife. We had enough points on our Qdoba card to get an entree for free.
I have to admit, it was really good. The chicken tasted like they made it recently. The Habenero Salsa was pretty hot, it had a nice kick. With basically the same ingredients as my Chipotle Burrito Bowl, the Qdoba version seemed to be less salty. I like Chipotle’s rice a little better than Qdoba’s.
Would I Buy It Again? Yes. Great meal and super cheap. I was disappointed the last few times I visited Qdoba. I have to admit though, Qdoba is closing the gap. The Qdoba reward card is a nice touch and the menu is far superior. Nutrition facts put the Naked Burrito around 600 calories. Brief nutrition facts are available on their website.
-WIBIA
Tags: Carmel, Chipotle, cinco de mayo, Food, Indianapolis Food Review, naked burrito, Qdoba
Nice post. There are a ton of these fast casual Mexican joints around me…Chipotle, California Tortilla, Moe’s, Baja Fresh…and there is a Q’doba too but it’s the only one I’ve never been to. Everytime I pass by it I tell myself I have to check it out. I like that Qdoba has a points card…how does theirs work? Cali Tortilla has a points card…for every dollar you spend you get a point…50points gets you $5 “Burrito Bucks” on the card…they sometimes run double points days (or months)…The trick is to go to your co-workers when they are running double points day and tell them you are making a food run…I have almost $50 “Burrito Bucks” on my Cali Tortilla card.
I’ve never been to Q’boda, gotta see if there is one near me. I like the Epic Portions comparison, very thorough. I’m not a huge Chipotle fan…I like Baja Fresh but really the neighborhood joint is always the best.
Guess you can’t beat free though
Nice. We have Moe’s too and I am not a fan. Qdoba Rewards is but 10 entrees (in most markets) get one free. Pretty lame, but better than nothing.
http://www.iloveqdoba.com/LearnMoreOffers2.aspx
We have Bajio here as well. http://www.bajiomexicangrill.com/ It is just ok, portions are huge! Take a minute and look at their location map, it is pretty funny how they have ignored CA and the east coast.
Nice work on the Cali Tortilla card. I have never heard of it, so it would be cool to see a post. Hint, hint!
I am a big taco truck fan and I think that I would forget about all the fast casuals if I had one remotely close.
I can tell you that Baja Fresh does not even hold a candle to Qdoba or Chipotle. Baja Fresh is awful.
As for Qdoba vs. Chipotle, it comes down to what you prefer. I think Chipotle tastes better, but Qdoba has a larger menu variety. I prefer taste so I choose Chipotle more often, but if I want something out of the ordinary burrito/taco fare, I go to Qdoba.
That said, nothing beats running for the border. Sure, Taco Bell’s ingredients are a lower quality, but everything tastes so damn good.
I posted about it very early on in the GG history..
. http://www.grubgrade.com/2009/02/19/food-news-california-tortilla-burrito-elito-card/
Oh yeah, I remember this. This seems like years ago.
I’m not a huge fan of either Qdoba or Chipotle…mostly because I VERY seldom do chain restaurants. Holly, however, is a huge fan of Qdoba and eats there frequently. Their food, to me, is…ok. Not outstanding, not terrible, but ok in a pinch.
Aw man I don’t see any queso sauce. You gotta get the queso at Qdoba.
I was tempted, but trying to cut down on cheese (and mayo). The queso is pretty good though, I like their nachos.
What is your local burrito pick? I will hit La Hacienda on Meridian. We need to figure out how to make a tenderloin burrito.
“That said, nothing beats running for the border. Sure, Taco Bell’s ingredients are a lower quality, but everything tastes so damn good.”
Spot ON!