Ever since I started attending UW-Eau Claire in the fall of 2022, it’s been a goal of mine to explore the city via its culinary offerings.
While I’ve discovered some truly astounding dining options across my four years here (shoutout to Valley Burger, Acoustic Cafe and Burrito Xpress), what’s always stood out to me more are the unusual food options I’ve stumbled across.
In our wonderful city, I’ve had Grinders, Reuben eggrolls, a breakfast skillet topped with cheese curds and a meal simply titled the “Silly Special.” Yet, during the fall 2024 semester, I discovered a meal that stands above the rest in terms of its silliness.
Guac N’ Roll, a name that drew me in with its silliness alone, is a family-owned Mexican restaurant that began as a food truck in 2019 before opening their first sit-down location at the very silly address of 420 S. Barstow Ave. in 2023.
While Guac N’ Roll’s menu features much of the typical Mexican restaurant fare — tacos, burritos, quesabirrias, etc. — the arguable standout items on their menu are the Barstow Burrito and Barstow Burrito Bowl, or as I like to call them, the French Fry Burrito and French Fry Burrito Bowl.
You’ve heard of french fries loaded with burrito toppings (Guac N’ Roll also has this on their menu, and I believe California Tacos does as well), but Guac N’ Roll decided to do a mega switch-up and have a burrito/burrito bowl loaded with french fries.
What comes of this truly unique creation is something simple yet spectacular. Outside of the french fries, the Barstow Burrito Bowl features typical ingredients: rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, your choice of meat, your choice of salsa, etc., with the flavor being comparable to similar menu items you’d find at other Mexican restaurants.
The french fries add more to the dish than you might expect. While they don’t add much flavor on their own, they soak up all the other flavors very well, and their soft chewiness creates a very satisfying variety in texture that can’t be found in other burrito bowls.
In preparation for writing this article, I went down to Guac N’ Roll for my third all-time Barstow Bowl, and it was as good as always. What differentiated this experience from my others, though, was my beverage.
I’m putting the blame on myself for this one. I completely missed that a Jarrito was what I was looking to order, and instead ordered a JarriLoco, or a Jarrito laced with chili powder and served in a glass dressed up to look straight out of a crime scene.
As someone who is not a fan of spice, I was very grateful that my fruit punch Jarrito was still refreshing, even with the chili powder. The sticky, chewy, spicy substances that surrounded the straw and lip of the cup, though? I could only stomach a few small bites.
Would I accidentally (or purposefully) order a JarriLoco again? No. Would I return to Guac N’ Roll and order a fourth Barstow Burrito Bowl and counting? Absolutely.
While I’d love to make it to Guac N’ Roll at least one more time before graduating this spring, I’m not sure whether the iconic Barstow Bowl would be my order. I’m very curious about how the french fries fare in typical burrito form as well as the other fascinating items on the restaurant’s menu (Birria Ramen? Hello?).
Overall, I’d give the Barstow Bowl and Guac N’ Roll an 8.5/10 rating. The food quality is, again, very similar to places like El Patio/Burrito XPress, Casa Margarita and California Tacos (with me personally preferring a few of those places).
However, in terms of uniqueness, Guac N’ Roll has a one-of-a-kind menu that really makes it stand out among a loaded Eau Claire Mexican restaurant scene. If you’re like me and enjoy taste- testing funky cuisines, Guac N’ Roll and their Barstow Burrito Bowl are a must-try.
Coleman can be reached at [email protected].
