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| - Imagine if Chipotle and Filiberto's had a baby, and read on!
I've been eagerly awaiting the opening of this "shipping container restaurant" next to Dutch Brothers on 83rd Avenue and Thunderbird Road. Anytime we can get a non mega chain in the Peoria/Glendale area, I'm the first in line. The construction on this building was slow going, and it wasn't until last night that I realized it was open, as I drove to Sprouts in the same parking lot. I am still unsure if this is a soft opening, but according to their Facebook, they've been open nearly a month. Very curious.
Let's discuss the notion of a drive thru/walk up only restaurant. I think it is entirely novel and very fitting that Brushfire Tacos y Tapas is literally steps away from Dutch Brothers. While the drive through is not yet open, the walk up window is. I love the innovative use of the storage container to house an entire restaurant, it is a way to "upcycle" or use something old in an innovative way. It seems almost too forward thinking for this side of town, or even this state; it's very "Portland." I'm thrilled!!
Enough of the restaurant and anticlimactic opening; let's discuss the food. My boyfriend and I sampled just about every Mexican option this evening, spending nearly $30 on enough food for at least 3 people. Next time we will sample some things off of the Tapas side of the menu. I tried one of each:
Vegetable Taco- I only ate a few bites, but this was very good. The primary ingredient tasted like breakfast style potatoes with a mix of peppers, mushrooms, and salsa. It wasn't spicy, but it was flavorful and would be filling for vegetarians and non vegetarians alike.
Chicken Taco/Burrito- Pretty straightforward but still good. The chicken was somewhere in between Filiberto's and Chipotle: better quality than Filly B's, but not as flavorful or juicy as Chipotle. Basic taco with pico de gallo and cheese. My boyfriend got the Chicken Burrito which is their standard one. It's as big as a Chipotle Burrito rolled with rice, beans, guac, lettuce, pico, cilantro lime dressing, and cheese. Overall, more ingredients and flavors than a standard Chipotle burrito. He thought it was overall better than a Filiberto's chicken burrito, and almost better than Chipotle if only the rice had more flavor.
Al Pastor Taco- Warning, no Al Pastor ever satisfies me like America's Taco Shop, so it's almost a futile effort that I sample Al Pastor everywhere. The pork was fine, but had an almost unnaturally sweet pineapple flavor. I liked that they were generous with the pineapple on it though, but it tasted just like cold, canned pineapple tidbits. Just an okay taco.
Shrimp- When I unwrapped it (I live only 1/2 a mile from Brushfire) it was literally ice cold. The tortilla and filling felt like it came out of the fridge. Maybe because they put some sort of coleslaw on top, and then wrap it up. No matter, it was a cold turnoff. I only ate 1 bite, and the shrimp itself was tasty.
Side of rice/beans- The whole pinto beans were VERY tasty and to me had more flavor than Chipotle. I only wish their rice was equally good. It lacked flavor, seemed undercooked, and dry. It touts that it is cilantro lime, but you could hardly see any specks of cilantro, and if their was lime juice detectable at all, it tasted artificial.
Desserts- This is important: their desserts are AMAZING. As good of a warm churro as any you'd hope to eat. While the tacos were lukewarm at best, somehow the churro stayed hotter than anything else, and I ate it last. Very good!! I think it was supposed to come with chocolate and it didn't, but who cares?! Then there is the Espresso Flan, an unusual idea. It was delicious and unique, easily the tastiest thing we ordered from Brushfire!
So, overall I would say 3-3.5 stars for food, but due to its convenient location and novel concept I gave it 4 stars. You should definitely give Brushfire a try; as far as I know it's the first location in Arizona. I'd love to see Peoria as the home to more restaurant debuts like this! I hope they work out some of the kinks, most importantly: not overcooking rice and meats, and serving food at the proper hot temperature. So if you're look for a fast way to satisfy your taco craving that is a step up from Filiberto's, but yet not quite to the execution level of Chipotle, give Brushfire a try!
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