The Burrito Crawl

Three Arts & Culture staffers take on Grand River's Mexican Mile and rate four very popular burrito shops.

 

Published in Volume 4, Issue 5, March 1, 2006
Read the full article at TheBigGreen

 

Erik Adams: Normally when I go to Big Ten, I go for the chimichanga (what can I say, I’m a man who likes things deep-fried). But as this was a burrito crawl I was forced to leap out of the frying pan and into the gastronomical explosion of chicken, beans, rice, guacamole, sour cream and salsa that is the deluxe chicken Big Ten burrito.

The superiority of Big Ten’s offerings almost makes it unfair that we went there after Taco Bell. Though a little heavier on the beans than usual, it’s that in-house marinated chicken that’ll get you every time. My only complaint would be that the guac and sour cream seemed focused at either end of the burrito, so the midsection was devoid of that dash of cool deliciousness. And as good as it was, I’ll be sticking by the chimichanga in subsequent visits.

Meat: 5

Fixins: 4

Tortilla: 4

Overall: 4

 

Cara Binder: Friends from Ann Arbor have always raved about their wonderful burritos from Big Ten, so when it moved into East Lansing I tried one right away. Since then, Big Ten has been my no. 1 pick for burritos, and that has not changed since the burrito crawl. I stand by the fact that they have the best food around.

 

Their prices are extremely reasonable, and they take Spartan Cash which for some reason always makes me feel like I’m not spending any money. The burritos are big, the chicken is marinated in goodness, the cheese is melted perfectly, and all of the toppings are fresh. And not only do you get a burrito, you get chips and delectable salsa, which makes any meal better (if you ask me.) The atmosphere is excellent with a long table reminiscent of a grade school lunchroom table. You are absolutely forced to sit next to or across from strangers, so conversation about how wonderful the burritos are or what is on the plasma screen TV comes naturally. This is a nice change from other parts of campus when people avert eye contact and play with their iPod. So, with good prices, burritos so big that you can take some home for later, free chips and salsa, and good East Lansing bonding, Big Ten is my top pick for burritos on Grand River.

meat:4

fixins:3

tortilla: 4

overall:4