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![Qdoba Grill [Image taken from Qdoba Grill website]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2404/2164567073_1df5ee94d3_o.jpg)
There has been a trend that I have noticed in the Southwest. An increasing number of these fast food places who tack onto their name, “Mexican Grill.” Recently, I visited the recent addition to the Valley, Qdoba Mexican Grill.
The moment I entered the place I noticed that you approach the counter the same way you would the other chains like this place. You have a menu at the door, you pick your burrito, taco, or bowl, your meat, and your fillings. Still more of the same. The first thing I noticed was that the price for 3 soft tacos was about $2 more than that of 4 hard tacos at one chain and $1 more for the other. I bit my tongue and proceeded.
My server put what appeared to be a cup and a 1/2 of chicken into my soft tacos. For the price I was spending, I would have thought I would be getting more for my money. I was asked for my salsa topping. I looked at their choices and not a one looked fresh at all. I picked the spicy red.
Turning around, I noticed the decor. Plastic cacti line the walls, the walls are all a tone too bright, and the dining area is just a bunch of tables and chairs with 2 booths at the opposite walls. Very open, not very inviting.
The moment of truth: the first bite. A massive disappointment. The tortillas were too chewy, the chicken was tough, and the salsa was a medium variety, at best. I was hoping that my opinion would have changed after finishing one, but the next two were as bad as the others.
After this shocking disappointment, I thought I would try and find out more about this company. I saw that it is a subsidiary of Jack-in-the-Box. I have always received a perfect meal from Jack-in-the-Box, but Qdoba is a Mexican Grill you can pass on. There are cheaper, better tasting options out there if your in the mood to fill your Mexican Fast Food fix.
January 14th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I’m sorry but I have to defend Qdoba. As you said, it is a subsidiary of a fast food chain and, like Chipotle (owned by McDonald’s) there’s only so much you can expect. It’s not going to be gourmet and maybe it’s not the Southwest food you’re accustomed to, but if you take it for what it is - it’s really quite good. I like Qdoba far better than Chipotle and think the chicken is tasty, the rice is unbeatable and the salsa is very mild - just the way I like it. I’m clearly a big fan and it fed my hungry college student self many a night. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, you just can’t critique a fast food restaurant as if it were something it doesn’t even claim to be.
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January 16th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Maxine, I feel I need to explain my reviews for you. Whenever I enter a place for food, I have no intention of any expectations. I did not know it was a subsidiary until after the fact. The mention of it was to emphasize that I would have expected better from the parent chain. I made no mention of Chipotle in my article, but that is a place I will make a post about soon. As well, I was reviewing the overall experience, the taste was one part of the issue. I was not able to get any rice so I can not say for sure if their quality was any better. I was not comparing the southwest food you would get at a sit down place to Qdoba, I was comparing it to the other places in the area that call themselves a Mexican Grill. What I said about the salsa was that it was not a hot sauce it claimed to be. This is a fast food place, you do not sit down, wait for a waitress, wait for your food, and wait for a bill. You order up, you wait maybe 2 minutes, and you pay for your food if you hadn’t already. Qdoba needs some help, maybe I will go back in a few months and try it again. The reason I do this is to show if you are getting your money’s worth of food, not to flaunt being a gourmet by any means.
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