Do the fast-food giants really think we’re going to flip over the same-old, same-old burrito just because it has some grill marks on it? Do they really think that a small splash of brown coloring on a large white flour tortilla qualifies as a “texture” upgrade?
Apparently.
The “grilled” burrito is the nosh of the moment at such eateries as El Pollo Loco, La Salsa and KFC .
I admit that La Salsa’s Overstuffed Grilled Burrito does taste great. Tender grilled chicken, melted habanero jack cheese, salsa and guacamole are carefully tucked into a soft, warm tortilla. Like virtually all of La Salsa;s offerings, it’s fresh tasting and delicious. However, the schmear of “grill” marking, which covers only about ¼ of the burrito, is totally superfluous. You can tell that even the cook doesn’t quite buy into this novelty, tossing the tortilla package on the griddle for a couple seconds just so he can say he did it. It’s about $6.
A similarly random blotch of “grill” marks distinguishes the Queso Crunch Burrito at El Pollo Loco. I’m a big fan of this chain but I found this item to have a bland, starchy taste. Yes, the chicken is good. The jack cheese and poblano queso are properly melted. And the crispy mini-strips of multi-colored tortilla is a nice touch. But the overall package tastes like it’s stuffed with mashed potatoes (which it is not). And again, the ever-so-slightly-grilled tortilla wrap is much ado about nothing. It’s about $6.
Then there’s KFC. Gotta love those folks who keep trying to polish a meatball….or rather, a hunk o’ deep-fried, odd-textured chicken. The new Toasted Wrap is billed as 100 % chicken breast, melted three-cheese blend, lettuce and pepper mayonnaise sauce. In reality, it’s a pathetic little flour tortilla, barely warm, with (what else?) one hunk o’ deep-fried, odd-textured chicken, limp scraps of lettuce, a few wisps of cheese (not melted even a teensy bit) and a mayo sauce flecked with pepper that tastes cheap (not freshly ground or cracked) and has a nasty bite. It’s about $1.30.
Comments