An In-Depth Critique of Americanized Mexican Food on SU's Campus

Hi. I’ll have one burrito bowl, hold the E. coli please.

Last week, the CDC officially declared the end of the two Chipotle E. coli outbreaks (Praise Jesus, Hallelujah). It’s comforting to know that a major staple food in the college diet has been spared a terrible fate. But let’s be honest, were we really that concerned in the first place? Did the bad rep really stop us from loving the classic chicken burrito bowl? The world would have to literally end before I stopped eating Chipotle.

I’m no expert on Americanized Mexican cuisine, but I’m always up for trying new foods. Food.com in Newhouse recently started offering a Chipotle-esque bar, complete with burritos, rice bowls, and overpriced guac (yes, I know the guac is extra).

While I’m glad I ventured out of my comfort zone, I still feel like Chipotle is one of those things too sacred to be messed with. Here’s my play by play comparison of the ingredients:

Chicken:

Chipotle’s spicy chicken is frankly unparalleled to Food.com. If your taste buds prefer more flavor, you will be better off at Chipotle. But if you’re in the mood for something more low key, you may enjoy the blander chicken at Food.com. Just know that as a hardcore 'Potle addict, it will be tough to adapt.

Toppings:

Food.com has all the good stuff when it comes to toppings. There’s the usual assortment of lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, guac, etc. Anything a girl could dream of. A+ in that respect.

Price:

The chicken rice bowl with guac at Food.com cost me a whopping $8.25, and maybe that’s part of the reason it didn’t taste as good as I expected. At that price, I can't help but feeling you might as well get the real deal rather than the knock off. However, if you have SUpercard money, it's basically free. Major key #success.

Verdict: With the E. coli gone, Chipotle’s back, alright. (Although, in my opinion, it was never gone).

Was the Food.com burrito bar as good as Chipotle? No. But did I still eat the whole thing? You bet. It’s definitely a good option if you’re craving Chipotle right before/after class but are too lazy to walk across the street. And it’s nice to have options. But never try to pretend it's the real thing.