Burrito Beach

I ordered the «skinny combo»…which is kind of embarrassing to ask for, but that’s not really the point of this 2 star review. Anyway, they were out of chili so they offered to give me guacamole instead. Which is great, except then they charged me for chips to go with it :|
When I’m back at work, I start to eat my chicken taco only to realize 2 bites in that the chicken is super pink in the middle. So here’s hoping I don’t get food poisoning!
The chips and guac were pretty tasty, but I just can’t excuse super under cooked chicken. Ugh.

I like coming here for my lunch break. Music is lively. The whole operation is solid. The women behind the counter are cheerful and very fast with the food. Good experience always. And I love how they offer Quinoa.
I would like to share more with Gregory Schulson. Can I have his email address? Would be great.

Burrito Beach is a comparable establishment to Chipotle (fast, casual Mexican-​style chain) and since I’m not frequenting them anymore, I had them for lunch today. I had a salad bowl which consisted of fresh chopped romaine, Mexican rice, black beans, sautéed veggies, jack cheese, corn salsa, tomatoes, grilled Baja chicken, and a yummy salsa verde. (I had my choice of protein and salsa.) I also had some sort of creamy, spicy dressing on the side
(I think Chipotle?), and it was delicious. For lunch, my meal was filling, and at $ 9 for lunch, perfect.

Great chicken burrito! Definitely on par with the chicken burrito I get from Chipotle!
You’re in and out pretty quick here!

A nice take on Mexican/​Tex-​Mex fast food. Tons of options for burritos, tacos, etc. The food won’t put Bayless out of business, but for fast food, it’s great.

While walking around the street this place grabbed my attention for a quick snack. I chose nachos with cheese, salsa and jalapeño. Crisp nachos and cheese really tasted well. I would really like to visit this place again on my trip to downtown.

IMO the best fast Loop breakfast for people following a diet high in healthy fats and lower in carbs that want whole foods options. For under 5 bucks you can get scrambled eggs, cheese guac, sauteed veggies made fresh to order. Very nice staff too.

Updating my review to one star. I was starving today, waited too long to order from Chipotle so I went here …
Once again, up charged, this time for rice and beans with NO indication it was extra from their employees. Seriously, these people need to be trained to tell you when something is extra. Sometimes I feel like I just want a tshirt for Chipotle that says «yes I know the guac is extra», but at least they are considerate of your dime. Burrito Beach will nickle and dime you whenever possible!

With no end to the Arctic (maybe even sub Arctic by now) air in sight, I have been availing myself of enclosed (read: Pedway) dining options. I have been to the BB in the train station, but far prefer this location for its ordering setup, plentiful seating (at least when I’ve been in), and friendly staff. Even during lunch rush the lines move fairly quickly. My default is the three beef tacos; I’ve also been known to try the salads if I am feeling virtuous. Sides (chips and guac) are solid and the best part is the selection of hot sauces, which I have found to be very comprehensive and generously portioned. The value is pretty reasonable and the ingredients are fresh, always pluses in my book. I’m looking forward to trying some of the soups on a return visit. Overall, this is a far better option than anything under the generic silver foil, and a good way of getting my fix of Mexican while staying toasty.

My go to breakfast (and sometimes lunch) spot when I’m working out of my company’s Chicago office. I love the fact that they make eggs for the breakfast burritos to order. Most of the ingredients seem pretty fresh (with the exception of the chirizo).
Make sure to add some hot sauce to your breakfast before running out as without it their food lacks kick.

So to keep the argument going, I’m not a Chipotle fan. I don’t care for their food and just because it’s more farm to table friendly doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
I like having my cheat days at BB for the nachos or shall I say nacho bucket. I can load up big time including a side of guac (which will cost you extra) for $ 7.77. Jackpot literally. And they are good to boot.
I’ve never had to wait in a long line and the people there have always been friendly. I’ve tried their burritos/​tacos at other locations and they are A-​Ok so I feel the nachos take it over the 4 star goal line.

It’s 90 something degrees so I’m basically avoiding the outdoors like the plague. Fortunately, I have numerous dining options in my building so decided to wander down and find something that wouldn’t send me into a white hot heat rage. The well known places of Chicago (Pret, Cosi, etc) were all packed until I saw a fairly short line at Burrito Beach, which I’d never heard of. This, combined with a sign that said low calorie options had me sold.
I am probably going to cause an uproar based on the reviews here, but I like Chipotle and this place equally. Americanized Mexican food is usually about 10 ingredients put together to make a giant collection of menu items — and I’m easy to please if you don’t screw those up.
I got the organic quinoa bowl with grilled veggies, guacamole, and cheese. The lettuce portion of this was significant which is definitely a bonus for healthy eaters. The ingredients were fresh and I appreciated the recyclable containers they come in. It wasn’t the greatest thing I’ve eaten, but for a chain I was pleased. It’s a rarity that I find places that have Diet Dr. Pepper fountain drinks. Don’t think I’ll forget that, Burrito Beach. I also noticed buffalo chicken and goat cheese options. While not particularly Mexican — I want! I imagine I’ll be back soon to check these out.

This place isn’t all that bad. I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here, but I work in the building and find it to be a solid lunch option. I usually order the grilled chicken quesadilla and although it’s pretty greasy, it’s good. They fold their quesadillas differently — two folds, one from one side to the middle and the opposite side to the middle, instead of your typical fold in half style. I like this way since it makes eating it easier without all the insides spilling out all over.
For a side they give you some chips which I don’t like at all, but they allow you to substitute rice or beans at no additional cost. I find this to be pretty awesome.
In total, a quesadilla with a side of rice or beans will run you around $ 6 — pretty cheap if you ask me considering the other options in the area. In Arnold’s words, I’ll be back.

Ok to put things in perspective I’m rating this compared to other franchise fast food places, so its not in the same ballpark as La Pasadita. Service wise as long as they’re not getting my order wrong I don’t care if they’re talking to each other for the 2 — 4 minutes that I’m standing there. Some ppl need to get over themselves and relax if they’re not asking you about your first born and how your day is going. I’ve never had a problem with service there and I don’t think they’ve ever gotten an order wrong for me or were ever rude. They have a lot of ppl there working the lunch rush which gets you in and out fast.
Compared to Chipotle I definitely like this more, you’re going to get more meat at this place which is a major irk of mine at Chipotle. Lots of fresh veggies and decent salsa. I love their chicken its seasoned well and its always fresh. The roasted veggies are nice too and the guac is pretty good.

Blecch.
Went to Burrito Beach for lunch today because I’ve never tried it and I got bored. Conclusion: Blecch. As I write this I feel gross and bloated and just generally unwell.
BB is like Chipotle if the quality was lower, the cuisine less authentic, and the price about equivalent. And I say this knowing full well that Chipotle is about as «Mexican» as Panda Express is «Chinese.» BB is less Mexican than Chipotle, the flavors less nuanced, the trays of ingredients less fresh. Consider this.
I got a bbq chicken salad, which was a small amount of lettuce, a large amount of mushy, overcooked, flavorless rice, black beans, and bbq chicken that was mostly sauce and the sauce was way too sweet and clashed with the other toppings. My other toppings were corn, cheese, and tomatillo salsa. These flavors should not have clashed, yet somehow, they did.
Also, because of the amount of sauce on the chicken, plus the dressing, plus the wet lettuce, plus the beans that were clearly not strained, the whole thing was a soggy mess before I even got a fork into it.
Good points: The guac was pretty good, the chips indistinguishable from Chipotle’s (although there were significantly less of them), they have diet Dr. Pepper in the fountain.
Anyone from the South would compare this more to Moe’s than Chipotle due to the trashy Tex-​Mex flavor combos (bbq chicken, buffalo chicken, etc). But Moe’s is WAY more successful at this venture, as their fast pseudo-​Mexican grub is actually super tasty and wonderful.
Skip this mess.

Here’s the thing, every restaurant in the Illinois Center has workers that really really hate their jobs, because not once have I seen someone smile or seem like they are having fun. They are too busy chatting with one another that they look past the fact that they are working in a customer service industry. I understand that the Illinois Center is huge and has so many people walking through their doors everyday, but still, please at least have a smile.
2 stars cause not only is the service bad, food is just ok.

I had a good experience on my first Burrito Beach experience but I was just not thrilled with what I got. Greg S. the Owner took time out of his busy day to apologize for my not stellar experience and offered some suggestions for my next trip, now that’s customer service at its best!
Well lucky for me Burrito Beach caters to the 200 W Chicago building like once a week and I got a change to try out Greg’s suggestions and the Tacos were delicious !
I’ve learned my lesson, don’t get wheat tortillas they just don’t compare. I am officially a Burrito Beach convert !

I have changed my review (below) from 4 Stars to 1. The change reflects the changes I have experienced at BB when the Carlos the Manager and Myra the front counter person left. Service went down hill but I stuck with them. Service is really poor even though the lady working the front counter in the morning is realy nice. It’s poorly managed.
Today was a tipping point. I went out of my way to go to BB and got there 15 minutes after they were supposed to open. They were closed and the doofus manager smiled/​laughed and tossed her arms in the air like ‘too bad, not open’. This was not the fist time they were late opening. They are often way behind on completing their set up causing me to wait.
I’m done. I used my punch card last week and have no reason to go there again.
It’s fast food. So, my review is based on whether I can get edible food, fast at a decent price. The answer in this case is ‘yes’ on all counts.
What makes this location better than most — and better than other fast food places — is Carlos the manager and his team. This morning he opened the doors for me 15 minutes early to take my order. His positive attitude and consumer-​centric approach is reflected by the people he has working for him.
Hot tip: Try the Low Carb Scrambler for breakfast. Romaine lettuce, bacon, salsa, cheese, guacamole, and toppings for less than $ 5.00.

I actually prefer this Burrito Beach to the one on Lake/​State as well as the one on Michigan/​Ontario (or is it Ohio?).
They are also lax (aka don’t check) on coupon expiration dates! Shhhh ;)
Coupons remind me, they do send a lot of those in the mail and with some pretty good, usable deals!

The nachos are pretty good! I like a lot of stuff on my nachos, healthy and unhealthy. Not authentic of course, but since when are nachos authentic Mexican anyway?
You don’t go here for «real» Mexican. you go here because it tastes good and it’s right by your job or your dealer or wherever you go during the day.