By Raina Burusnukul
Page & Online Editor
In early March, Amarillo welcomed rising Chipotle competitor, Qdoba, to its food scene. The fast-casual Mexican restaurant boasts several entree options, ranging from nachos to burrito bowls. Among my friends, family and even on social media, I’ve noticed quite a positive stir surrounding Qdoba as of late, and was eager to try it for myself. When I learned that Amarillo would be getting its own location, I was ecstatic to see whether or not the hype and adoration for the restaurant was warranted or if it was hogwash.
For my first Qdoba experience, I decided to play it safe and stick with a burrito bowl, as I could soup up my order without worry of my tortilla giving out halfway through. I chose the adobo chicken as my meat, cilantro-lime rice, black beans, romaine lettuce, pickled jalapenos, corn salsa, pico de gailo and cotija cheese as my fixings, topping my bowl with their salsa verde and guacamole. Along with my customized bowl, I got a side of their Diablo queso and a hefty bag of chips.
When I first took out my bowl, I was a bit taken aback by how hefty it was. The paper bowl was filled to the brim and even sagged a little under the weight. As unappealing as that sounds, I was left quite impressed. Having been accustomed to the narrow and often light bowls I get from Chipotle, I wasn’t expecting the $10 I had paid for the bowl to go that far.
For the first few bites, I was fairly impressed with my bowl. But by the sixth bite, I became a bit bored. The gobbs of rice and beans they had padded my bowl with began to drown out the other fixings, and before I knew it, the chicken became lost in its sea.
Although I wouldn’t say the bowl was underseasoned, boasting a variety of different spices, the adobo chicken lacked the salt needed to really tie everything together and accentuate its flavor. I’ll give it to Qdoba for not overdosing me with sodium, though, something Chipotle tends to do with my bowls.
Another qualm I had with my bowl was the gumminess of the rice, something that happens when rice is overcooked or absorbs too much water. By the aforementioned sixth bite, I became aware of the rice’s texture and found myself picking around it, looking for bits of chicken to curb my distaste.
However, their Diablo queso made up for the disappointment. It has this quiet yet intense spice that overwhelms your tongue if you’re too heavy-handed, but a delightful, rich texture that smooths the pain over. It also reminded me a lot of the popular Samyang Buldak Carbonara Ramen, which features a similar flavor profile. Although I ordered a serving of the queso on the side, it’s free of charge to add to your entree. This is the case for their guacamole as well, which is refreshing, having been long accustomed to Chipotle’s additional charges for guac.
While I wouldn’t say my trip to Qdoba was a complete bust, I feel as though it didn’t live up to the hype my friends and family had given it. I was expecting to abandon my loyalties to Chipotle, but as far as burrito bowls go, I wouldn’t say that’s the case after my experience. However, that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on Qdoba. I’ll likely spruce for their nachos, quesadillas or burritos during my next visit and give them a second chance.
Leave a Reply