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| - I decided to try this place out after passing by it numerous times and hearing from a coworker that it is the equivalent to Chipotle. Due to the fact that the nearest Chipotle isn't within walking distance and I was craving something of the variety, my curiosity got the best of me.
As one reviewer mentioned, the ingredients that Z-Teca uses are definitely fresh, and the reason as to why the establishment got one star to begin with, however, that's as far as my semi-positive review of this place goes.
Adopting itself after Chipotle, and even places like Burrito Boyz, Z-Teca definitely misses the mark when it comes to the DIY burrito's and bowl's dealio. I ordered a grilled chicken bowl to-go. Unlike Chipotle and other places they didn't have a selection of rices, leaving the customer to only choose between one... (An option is always nice, especially since customers are obviously subject to having expansive palettes). However, I was willing to overlook this as the rice not only looked good but they also filled the bowl up quite a bit (a little more than halfway), which I was definitely pleased with. Next came the grilled chicken, which they barely added any of; less than half a spoonful. As for the toppings it was the same old, same old: sour cream, cheese, shredded romaine, salsa, corn and guac (extra, of course). They were skimpy as hell on the sour cream... Which when taking into consideration the formulation of a bowl is crucial as it's essential to the incorporation process when trying to mix everything together whilst eating and making everything not "dry". And along with that, they also did not add enough cheese. The shredded romaine was cut in way too big of pieces, I prefer thinner slices as they make eating and trying to get more than one thing on the fork at once easier. As for their salsa they definitely tried to up their game in comparison to their competitors via the addition of not only two but five different options. But as a first time eater at this establishment and in fear that I would be coughing up a storm and experiencing a runny nose if I had gotten one of the spicier salsa options I opted for the classic, Pico Di Gallo, settling for one that was definitely mild. The salsa lacked any sort of flavour, and again, of course, they were skimpy on it. Lastly was the corn, one of my favourite things about getting the bowl at Chipotle, but their corn felt extremely watered down and flavourless... Definitely not a good thing and left me heavily disappointed! As for the guac, which you OF COURSE need to pay extra for, BUT is a MUST when eating a bowl or anything of any sort, they were skimpy on... Now this really broke my heart considering I consider the addition of the guac both a necessary and essential part to my bowl eating experience... I could not believe the audacity to add a minuscule dollop... I was tempted to ask for a bit more, but refrained out of fear of being rude and pushy.
After eating the bowl I came to the realization that the overt addition of the amount of rice acts as a filler so they can skimp on the rest... Since they were so skimpy on the toppings once I got to the end of my bowl, and the last forkful layer of my rice, it was all dry and had nothing on it. Eating just plain dry rice is never fun, especially when you can have it incorporated with so many wonderful flavours, IF the workers just had been a bit more generous... Thus I was disappointed.
This place is definitely not a competitor whatsoever right now when it comes to places of this nature and I think that they definitely need to up their game and follow in the blueprint that those before them have lain out, with their own twists of course! This place definitely has the potential to be great, as it's got the right idea but they really need to focus on their flavours, not skimping and not using the rice as an additive bowl filler.
If I'm going to be paying the Chipotle price I want the Chipotle quality! Enough said.
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