Hot burrito in a foil pan

We had a division lunch at Bajio Grill the other day, and while I was sitting there eating my burrito, I had a few thoughts. Wasn’t it just a few years ago that there weren’t any of these cookie-cutter Mexican restaurants? And now they’re all over the place — Café Rio, Costa Vida, etc. They’ve multiplied like rabbits. Are they everywhere or just in Utah?

Now I’ll flirt with heresy: I don’t really like any of them. I try hard to understand what the appeal is, but I just don’t get it. Sure, the food’s edible, but I’d never choose to eat it on my own — I only eat it when I’m with other people. Disclaimer: yes, I realize this is purely my own taste, and it’s totally fine that everyone else and their dog and their grandmother seems to adore if not worship this trinity of Mexican restaurants (or at least one of the three).

I do find it funny, though, that the customer experience at each one is pretty much exactly the same. It’s like déjà vu every time. (I have to admit that the main reason I wrote that sentence was so that I could put the accents on “déjà vu.” :)) And frankly it’s somewhat confusing to the uninitiated, not to mention frantic and hectic to a degree. They could stand to rethink the ordering line. (This is the designer in me speaking.)

Anyway, as for what food I do like, I prefer Asian, particularly Thai. Which is no big surprise, seeing as I spent two years in Thailand as a missionary. :)

Short random note: I was googling around to find what Costa Vida was called (I thought it was Costa Azul, but it obviously wasn’t) and came across this post as one of the top hits. Turns out it’s a Utah blog (which makes me suspect this is probably a Utah phenomenon) and not only that but one of my friends had commented on it as well. The web is actually a really small world — smaller than you’d think. :)

I don’t live in Utah, and I’ve never heard of those restaurants.

Thank You Ben!!!

Personally I think that those restaurants are disgusting. I far prefer Asian, authentic Italian and Greek. Anything but Mexican. The sad thing is that Mexican food items are taking over the shelves at the grocery stores as well the restaurants. I can’t even find Dill Pickle Chips at the store now. Seems like Mexican flavored chips have replaced them. Then there are the street, or should I say parking lot, vendors who sell tamales out of their trunk. Why I would far prefer to be assaulted by an Asian offering egg rolls or Crab Rangoon.

Oh come on, Cafe Rio’s great :). I know, it’s a matter of opinion, but I REALLY miss that place.

Andy: Hmm, interesting.

Janet: You’re welcome. :)

Joe: It’s definitely a matter of opinion. :P

Your sisters always want to go to Cafe Rio, I don’t think it’s that spectacular, the lines are too long, and the tables are jammed in there.Bajio’s is ok.

Of the trinity I only bow before Costa Vida. I always get the same thing: Sweet Pork Burrito, black beans, medium (hot) sauce, smothered (cheese on top), with the lettuce and tomatoes and a side of their amazing house ranch. mmmm it’s so good….

I also really like the Yellow curry at Thai Ruby’s. double mmmm

P.s. I sat with your family at the Glen Beck fireside last night

I don’t live in Utah, but in the last half-dozen years or so a rash of (what I think are) the same type of restaurants have cropped up in Washington state. They’re these small restaurants that specialize in big fat burritos made with the innards of your choice, selected Subway-style from behind a glass partition.. right? Places like Taco del Mar, Baja Fresh, Boloco, etc.

It seems they all have their genesis in San Francisco. Wikipedia tells me that this type of burrito is called the “San Francisco burrito” and that these are often referred to as Fresh Mex restaurants.

Or are y’all’s different?

Ben - I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m a mountain of disappointment whenever my friends suggest we go there for lunch/dinner. I always have to say “Lets go to a place that serves real food.” I could go on and on, but you’ve done such a wonderful job of that in your post, I’ll close my comments by saying “ditto.”

George: Yeah, they mentioned that on Monday. :) I’m with you on the curry, too. Thai food is pretty much the best. Ever. :)

rikker: That’s them. Interesting. At least now I can lump them into one broad category together — I don’t like Fresh Mex. There. That felt good. :P

James: Glad to hear it. :)

I actually quite like Fresh Mex/Tex Mex. But I also like Thai, Indian, Pakistani, Middle Eastern, Greek, Italian and other Mediterranean cuisines. I would like point out a point that’s already been made: it’s all a matter of personal taste. I, for one, don’t like sushi but I don’t go around calling everyone who eats sushi disgusting, pseudo-culturized Americans.

As for the Fresh Mex/Tex Mex restaurants, they’re all over the east coast and also much of the Midwest, from what I’ve noticed in trekking cross-country on a few occasions.

Also, perhaps the reason there are more Mexican restaurants (Fresh Mex or otherwise) popping up and more diverse ethnic foods appearing on the shelves in Utah grocery stores is . . . (drum roll, please) the population is becoming more diverse. As a side note, I spent a few weeks in Utah back in May and was appalled by the level of blatant racism among LDS people towards Latinos. This is really a personal soapbox issue for another time, but I would ask that we all personally examine our attitudes: why all the dislike for Mexican themed restaurants and the ethnic food stuffs that are apparently “taking over the shelves at grocery stores?” Is it simply a matter of one’s personal taste buds or is it something far deeper? Just something to think about. Please.

e.

I have a Mexican/American daughter-in-law and grandchildren, I also have a Vietnamese son-in-law and grandchildren. I raised my family to accept all cultures; we are not racists just because we don’t like Mexican food.

However, seem as how you brought it up, I do get sick and tired of all the illegal immigrants who have gang fights in my front yard at midnight, sell drugs, tag everything in my neighborhood, wake me up with Latin music at 4:30 am, litter the yard and parking areas with garbage that attracts roaches, and drain our country’s financial resources (all in the name of cheap labor for some distressed business owner)…

In my grandson’s kindergarten class only 4 kids speak English so his education suffers while the tax subsidized resources go to the illegals anchor child. I have to fight for a parking space because there are two or three families living in every apartment unit on the street. And, the subsidized housing complexes are full of $30,000 SUV’s with Spanish speaking owners who are only allowed to make $27,000 per household. We tax payers are paying the subsidized part of their rent.

I have paid over $5000 in medical expenses since January but don’t qualify for any government help. If I couldn’t afford the care, I would go without it. I did that and for four years was blind because I couldn’t afford a simple operation, yet the illegals get medicaid, WIC, subsidized housing, head start, food stamps and have jobs that pay $17.00 per hour. They cost American tax payers more than the Iraq war every year. Then they turn around and thank us by demonstrating for their rights at a high school by raising the Mexican flag at their high school with the American flag upside down underneath it.

I don’t think it is racist to want the politicians, police and other civil authorities to enforce the law anymore than it is racist to prefer one ethnic food over another. Even my Mexican and Vietnamese in laws agree, but then they came here legally.

So that’s my soapbox… just something to think about.

Janet, I agree that the system is broken. I work in the health care industry and the majority of people I see who utilize services like medicaid and disability are middle to high income people, not poor people. Mainly it’s because they have the resources required (knowledge, time, and otherwise) to navigate the complexities of the system.

If you give me the benefit of the doubt, I mean this as gently and non-argumentatively as can possibly be. I’ve come to believe tolerance isn’t enough. I can tolerate something or someone, all the while building up annoyance and irritation towards it or them. Love is much better. My parents’ neighborhood has several houses that sound like your neighbors. When some moved in right next door, my mom, not knowing if they spoke English or not, tried a simple “hi.” Over time they became the kind of neighbors who had short chats (limited by language barriers). They didn’t even become friends, but they had enough of a relationship that they respected each other and my parents would not hesitate to mention things like, the music being too loud in the middle of the night. And they would ask us to move a car when they needed more parking space along the sidewalk. I think the more a person is marginalized and pushed away the more they push back. It’s human nature.

“Our message … is one of special love and concern for the eternal welfare of all men and women, regardless of religious belief, race, or nationality, knowing that we are truly brothers and sisters because we are the sons and daughters of the same Eternal Father” (First Presidency statement, 15 Feb. 1978).

Amen, e. Right on the money.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m fairly sure that for me it’s just a taste buds thing. (I’m a quarter Latino. And I like seeing more ethnic food stuffs on the grocery store shelves.) Yes, there are problems with the current immigration system et al., and I acknowledge that, but I can easily picture myself in the shoes of the illegal aliens and I can’t say I’d do any differently. I’m all for treating them with compassion instead of hate. We don’t need any more wars.

Janet said:
“Personally I think that those RESTAURANTS are disgusting.”

e’s leap:
”I, for one, don’t like sushi but I don’t go around calling everyone who eats sushi disgusting, pseudo-culturized Americans.”…

Intolerance, lack of compassion, hate, warmongering… ~ wow! Some of the leaps and long jumps here never cease to amaze me.

e, I agree with the First Presidency statement. Do you agree with the twelfth Article of Faith, or do you believe compassion nullifies it? When a black man stole something to obtain money to free his son who was a slave, Joseph Smith made the man answer to the law, then afterwards gave him a fine horse to sell to get the money to free his son.

Ben, I also like ethnic food on the stores’ shelves. I only regret the growing lack of diversity in it. I know that you like Thai food. Check out the Great China Store (about 90th South exit just east of I 15 on the south side of the road). It’s big and the best in the area. And, they will special order anything.