Qdoba Mexican Grill

This Qdoba was not what I've come to expect from the chain.  The place was dead and relaxed so I wandered in for some food. Everything seemed old and dry. The sauces and queso had a thick heavy skin on them like they have not been touched in hours.  The chicken on my burrito was dry and the whole dish had a sour taste to it.  The queso was ok not really bad or good. I will give them credit for the chips for being spot on and enjoyable.  I am disappointed here as they did not live up to my expectations of Qdoba .

I do love Mexican food.  And Qdoba is close.

Seated at the bar reserved for people eating alone, I looked out at the gray sky and scenic view of Charlestown Road and decided that the complimentary leftover newspaper that the restaurant provided was the better choice for occupying my eyes.  Preparing to occupy my stomach was a portly grilled chicken burrito with white rice, black beans, medium salsa, cheese and sour cream that was so stuffed that it was literally bursting through the freshly-heated tortilla.

I had watched this burrito being made in the assembly line fashion that restaurants like these have adopted to move people through quickly and efficiently.  It is a system that works.  The factory-like feel is promoted further by the hard, bare surfaces of the light woods and metals that make up the décor.  I feel like I've seen this before...  It isn't especially welcoming, is particularly loud due to very little acoustic absorption and probably won't age so well.  But, it is likely easy to clean and looks modern now.

Back to the food.

I've probably eaten my weight in burritos several times over.  The Qdoba grilled chicken burrito is decent, but something is missing.  I'm not talking about the fact that the side that held the sour cream was cold (because it was) or that it wasn't filling (which it was).  No, there is some flavor that is missing.  The chicken tasted very good.  The tortilla had a nice texture.  Maybe some lime juice on the rice?

I tried to remedy it with one of their hot sauces.  Qdoba offers two types and patrons are allowed to just pick up the bottles and take them to their tables.  There is Cholula as well as Tobasco Green.  There is not, however, what I have come to relish on burritos: the smokey, spicy flavor of Tobasco brand Chipotle pepper sauce.

And there it is: Chipotle.  Qdoba is not Chipotle, but man-oh-man does it ever try to be.  I don't know which chain came first, so I can't say exactly who is copying whom, but Chipotle does it better.  Their burritos are more flavorful, their options a little broader, their ingredients taste fresher and they are more environmentally conscious (if you're into that kind of thing).

But, since there is not Chipotle nearby, Qdoba will have to do when I'm craving a burrito.

Dear Chipotle, please bring a restaurant to New Albany so I can go there for lunch.  Thanks!  Kyle.

I love Q-Doba in general.  A fellow yelper states that this chain is like a "Taco Bell for grown ups" and she hit the nail on the head.  This is a fast-casual chain that specialized in Tex-Mex food prepared quickly right in front of your eyes.

Burritos are the size of Popeye's arm and the Mango Salad is one of my fav salads in general.  (The Mango salad is a season item... I wish I could get it all year round.)

Good:  Location is very close to other retail shopping.  Bad:  This particular strip mall location is somewhat absorbed in a strip mall and has a plain-Jane look from the outside.