Avoca Mexican Grill opened its doors to the public the day before school started. The Pulp staff went to the new joint to compare it to Marshall Street staple Chipotle. The staff ordered the bare-bones of a chicken burrito: chicken, tortilla, black beans, rice and lettuce. This is how the two Mexican food joints stack up.

Avoca Mexican Grill

Pros: Since it’s still relatively new, the line is almost non-existent at this restaurant. This makes for a quick and easy dining experience. The food comes out hot and fresh, shortly after orders are placed. It’s easy to find a seat, and the relaxed vibes of the place are a welcoming invitation to eat there.

Cons: The restaurant lacks a cohesive theme, as the Asian and Mexican cuisine clash in a confusing way. Many patrons hover outside the doors, peeking inside trying to get a better understanding of the restaurant’s vision before walking away. With posters featuring Paris and Venice on the wall and the different cuisines, this place lacks an identity for people to grab on to.

Chipotle

Pros: It’s one of the most successful fast food chains for a reason — it’s simply delicious. From packed burrito bowls to mouth-watering lime chips and salsa, Chipotle’s product is simple but tasty. The meats are well-seasoned, and the constant busyness of the joint guarantees that your meal was recently prepared.

Cons: You never know what you’re going to get when dining at this student-favorite chain. Serving sizes are uneven as employees frantically try to serve the consistently long line winding to the door. This either results in massive burritos or a disappointing amount of your meat of choice. The tiny space is always packed and loud, which can be uncomfortable.

 

Price Comparison

Avoca Mexican Grill

$6.79 with choice of chicken, steak or ground beef. It comes with brown rice, black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, sour cream and guacamole for no extra charge. They’re running a $5 special for the burrito/burrito bowl, which the owner said will continue for a couple of months.

Chipotle

Prices vary based on meat choice.
Chicken: $6.80
Steak: $7.80
Carnitas: $7.25
Barbacoa: $7.80
Sofritas (tofu-mix): $6.80
Veggie: $6.80

Each meal comes with choice of brown or white rice, veggie fajitas, black or pinto beans, four different styles of salsa, cheese, sour cream and lettuce. Guacamole is an additional charge of $2.05.

All prices are before taxes.

Taste test

Rice

On this particular day, the Avoca burrito’s brown rice was underwhelming to say the least. It was bland, under-seasoned and lacked any distinguishable flavors. In contrast with Chipotle’s signature cilantro-lime, Avoca’s rice fell flat.

Winner: Chipotle

Black Beans
Avoca’s black beans were mushy and greasy in an unpleasant way. Chipotle’s bean texture was far superior as you could feel the shape of the bean as you chewed, whereas Avoca’s beans lacked that same satisfying consistency.

Winner: Chipotle

Tortilla

Avoca’s tortilla felt greasy and was chewier than a standard Chipotle flour tortilla. Chipotle’s is much lighter and has a warm, airy feel to it, while Avoca’s felt like more of a burden to eat.

Winner: Chipotle

Chicken

The chicken was the saving grace of the Avoca dish, deliciously seasoned with a nice spicy kick. The freshly prepared chicken was sliced in longer strips compared to the Chipotle’s chicken chunks, which made a difference in the texture of the burrito.

Winner: Avoca

Overall

Chipotle is still the burrito king of Marshall. Despite longer lines and a higher price, the international franchise wins the taste test over the newcomer.

Winner: Chipotle

Published on September 14, 2015 at 9:02 pm

Contact Jacob: jagedets@syr.edu