The Battle for the Best Burrito

Which one is better?

The+Battle+for+the+Best+Burrito

Artwork by Brent Gelick

For a long time, there has been a heated debate between my friends and me on whether Chipotle or Sharky’s takes the throne for the best burrito. Each restaurant provides its own flavors, ingredients and presentation — all of which are significant factors in this decision making process. 

Burritos are a very popular menu item in the United States. According to Answers.com, approximately 386 million burritos are eaten each month in the U.S. 

In this review, I will be focused very intently on the quality of the burritos. I am also going to take into account the presentation and taste in order to determine for you, the avid burrito consumer, which restaurant has the best burrito.

At Chipotle, the burritos are made in front of you. The basic Chipotle burrito ranging near $7. You have control over what ingredients you want, and more importantly, how much of them you want. If the server makes a mistake then you can easily fix it, and it is extremely helpful to instantly have the burrito in your hands when it is complete — especially if you are in a rush. 

The wrapping is very well done with the tin foil and is fairly easy to peel away. We have to consider that the initial bite is mainly the tortilla unless you take a shark bite. However, the ingredients are well spread throughout the burrito. The consistency of the ingredients gives a mouthful of flavor from either the corn, guacamole or pico — each their own delicious, distinct flavor. The chicken has a touch of spice and a burst of flavor. The rice soaks up the moisture of the meat and completes the burrito, partnering with any ingredient just perfectly. Overall, in my professional opinion, the Chipotle burrito is a gem. 

I was met with a small line when I arrived at Sharky’s. The basic burrito here costs around $9, so I decided to order the Fiesta Burrito. It arrived quickly after I ordered it at the register. It was easy to unwrap, just like Chipotle, and they even served it with complimentary chips. The burrito was cut into halves, which surprisingly made eating it messier. Let’s just say that I used a lot of napkins. Overall, the Sharky’s burrito is more bland than Chipotle, and I did not get that burst of flavor and spices as I had hoped for. To my surprise, the Mexican rice did not have any more flavor than the white rice at Chipotle. Overall, the Sharky’s burrito proved to be mediocre.

When comparing both the famous Chipotle and Shaky’s burritos, I have to say Chipotle takes the crown. The flavors were outstanding when compared to Sharky’s, and I had a much more enjoyable experience eating it. Even though Sharky’s had a better presentation with the side of chips and a free salsa bar, in my opinion, Chipotle’s burritos have a taste that is unprecedented. The burrito as a whole came together to make a masterpiece that ends the debate over which restaurant has the best burrito.