When I heard a fast food burrito joint was coming to Eau Claire, I was ecstatic. When I heard it was a Burrachos, 329 Water St. and 5314 Prill Rd., I was a bit disappointed it wasn’t a chain I recognized.
After I got over it, I googled the restaurant to check it out. A menu similar to a certain beloved fast-food burrito chain, I had hoped that Eau Claire finally had a place where I could feed my cravings for huge, tortilla wrapped packages of goodness. After eating there, I found Burrachos was definitely not “MexMyWay.”
The restaurant is decorated in a combination of brushed metal, concrete and wood with fiery colored accents. Two-dimension metal sculptures are hung on the walls, giving the space an urban contemporary feel, with an eerie similarity to another burrito chain.
The menu is situated above the order line. Patrons have a choice of a burrito with beans or fajita-style veggies, a burrito bowl – think burrito minus the shell – crispy tacos, soft-shell tacos, nachos or salads, with meat choices of chicken, steak, pork, beef or ground sirloin or guacamole for vegetarians. All are priced at $5.75. Meat-lovers can double the meat on their burritos for $1.59.
Proportion-wise, all choices are huge. The burritos are massive and stuffed to the max with ingredients of your choice. If you order tacos, you get three soft-shell or four crispy tacos, your preference.
When it comes to meat choices, avoid the pork. On one burrito, the meat was so dry and overcooked it was crisp. The chicken, though sometimes underseasoned, is the best bet. An accompanying guest of mine had the steak and said it was tolerable.
Customers are encouraged to be as specific-or as picky-as they’d like with their toppings, which includes basics like cheese, lettuce, salsa and sour cream and additions like guacamole and queso cheese sauce. Burrachos offers four different kinds of salsas: Pico de Gallo, corn, Casa chipotle and no Picante.
I recommend the Pico de Gallo. Besides looking the freshest of the bunch, this salsa seems to have the most taste. If you’re
looking for heat, however, you’ll have to taste elsewhere.
When it comes to the additions, avoid the guac and stick with the queso. The guacamole is pretty much a tasteless combination of avocados and onions. It will set you back $1.35. The queso sauce has a nice cheesy flavor with a little kick that adds a little something to your otherwise not-so-flavorful burrito. The sauce costs $2.00 per container or dollop, whichever you prefer.
On one of my first visits to Burrachos, I chose a fajita-style chicken burrito with Pico de Gallo salsa, lettuce, cheese, sour cream and guac, with a side of queso cheese and chips. The main attraction of my entire meal was the gooey, cheesy queso sauce, which I ended up pouring over my burrito to give it some flavor. I wised up on a later visit and requested the cheese sauce in my burrito. Inside is a lot less messy than outside. Either way, though, you’re probably going to need a fork.
Patrons can also get sides of salsas, queso cheese sauce or guac with a bag of chips, ranging from $1.25 to $2, to top off their meal. The menu also offers a tortilla soup for $2.89. Aside from food the restaurant also offers an extensive beverage menu including beer, soda and juices.
Burrachos by no means feeds my cravings for my beloved burrito joint. The décor and menu may be a bit deceiving, but can’t hide the subpar food. It does however, at least curb the yearning until I make the trek East or West.
