Hardees / The Red Burrito

The Burrito: The 1 Pound Burrito

The Burrito-Builder: Hardees / The Red Burrito

Where Is It: Various Places, I got mine in: Galesburg, IL

The Verdict:

The curious case of the Red Burrito. Once upon a time, in the land of plenty.... There were plenty of tans, plenty of saline breasts, and plenty of places to eat, called California. There once was a fast food place that needed some other kind of crazy ass gimmick. It was called Carl Jr's errrrrrrrr The Western Star errrrrrrrrr Hardees. So they built a burrito. It was white. Flour tortilla white. But they said it was red. And the gimmick of the Red Burrito was born! Now-a-days, its not so much of a gimmick to throw a tex-mex item on the menu. But at Hardees, it still seems odd. What I got was the 1 Pound Burrito meal. You get a scoop of beans, some chips with cheese sprinkled over them, a scoop of rice, and the burrito. Curiously, the burrito is not red. Is it bad? Not really. Would I eat this every day? Not really. Its about on par with the basic Burrito Supreme from Taco Bell. I didnt weigh it, but it was pretty full and felt nearly enough to be a full pound. Burrito guts included; ground beef, refried beans, lettuce, rice, salsa, and about two dollops of quac and sour cream. For 6.98, it wasnt a bad spread. But again, its about on par with everyday Taco Bell, or Taco Johns type fare. Beans came straight out of the Old El Paso can, rice was a bit dry, and the salsa certainly was birthed from a glass jar. But as a burrito completist; I needed to cross this off the list, as I've driven past these Hardees/Red Burrito joints in the past, and was always curious. Curious of why the burrito was not red. Anyhow, there is a "salsa bar" on site [it contains: salsa, hot sauce bottle, and a dish of sliced jalepeno's], so it counts. Worst part about the whole thing was the plastic flatware. Which the burrito broke. Its not the best, its not really the worst; but it is deserving of its place next to the semi parking lot of a truck stop.

Where Is It: Knoxville, IL- 1413 Knox Highway 9

Latitude:	40.919447º N
Longitude:	90.294450º W
Altitude:	642 ft

Hot Harry's - Cedar Rapids, IA

The Burrito: Adobe Chicken Super Burrito

The Burrito-Builder: Hot Harry's Burritos

The Verdict: Well, it wasn't bad. It is the first burrito reviewed on the blog, so its a hard argument to win I suppose! Hot Harry's is a chain / franchise from the eastern seaboard, so far this is the first location I've seen this far west. I found the place on a whim, actually on my way to a Taco Bell, near the Lindale Mall area in Cedar Rapids. They offer about 8 burrito options, plus a few tacos. Meats range from Veggie alternative, to a lime steak, and the adobe chicken, plus several others. Pretty typical burrito building options; lettuce, cheese, rice [yet, not white rice!], beans [black or pinto], plus some pico and guacamole. The regular sized burrito runs about 6 dollars, and the super sized is about 7. Also, its assembled in the typical, watch me build it routine, behind a glass sneeze guard. Super burrito got us: one scoop of meat, one scoop of beans, two scoops of rice, a large spooning of sour cream and guacamole, and a hand tossing of cheese and lettuce. Salsa was available in a salsa bar area, with four different options on hand. The chicken was not flavored as deeply as I had expected, but was cut into very large chunks, which was a pleasant suprise! [Probably inch cubes before cooking]. The rice was also not the typical brown or white variety, but had been steamed with some sort of flavoring. Pinto beans were whole, and strained. They also advertise the salsa as being made fresh each day, and the order comes with some deep fried tortilla chips. All in all, not a bad eat! I'd guess the serving size to make a seven inch burrito, about four inches in diameter, on a flour tortilla.

Where Is It: Cedar Rapids, IA- 4862 1st Ave NE

Latitude:	42.027254º N
Longitude:	91.619947º W
Altitude:	633 ft

The BIRTH!!!!


of ....



BUY ME A BURRITO blog !




And just what does that mean? Today, March 24th, 2009, is the day we go live, searching for the best places for you to literally, Buy Me A Burrito!

The point of all this madness, comes from one man, in the Quad Cities [Iowa - Illinois] region, who has a particular quest in life to find, and eat, the best burritos possible. Sounds crazy. But its true. With a bit of leg work, and some electronic utilities, the burrito joints [or Mexican, Tex-Mex food in general], will be noted, and plotted here for others to comment or add to.

So pop a cigar, for the birth of BUY ME A BURRITO!


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