Apparently Monday at 1:30pm is the time to hit up the new Baja Fresh on Lexington btw. 45+46th. 5 people in line. Nobody at the salsa bar. Got my food in five minutes. (A stark contrast with… I don’t know… say… opening day.) Finally, the chance to enjoy one of the things I really miss about living in Los Angeles: the Baja Chicken Burrito. Since this chain opened up their first Manhattan location last Monday I’ve heard a lot of words thrown around. Overrated, overhyped, meh. To those people I say… you may be right.
Expecting Mexican food greatness from Baja Fresh is like hoping for rare roast beef on your Arby’s Sandwich. And complaining that it’s not real Mexican food is like wishing that In N Out Burger served thicker patties. You don’t compare In N Out to JG Melon; you compare it to McDonalds. In other words, in the world of fast food pseudo-Mexican corporate chains (Chipotle, Qdoba, Taco Bell), Baja Fresh is the king. And in a terrible Mexican food city like New York, any decent addition is welcomed with open arms.
Of course I base that opinion entirely on the Baja Chicken Burrito, which is pretty much the only thing I order at Baja Fresh. But after hearing negative things about the New Jersey locations of Baja Fresh, I was concerned that this NYC franchise wasn’t going to be able to pull it off.
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Posted by Zach Brooks at 10:30 am, June 2nd, 2009 under *3rd btw. 45+46th, Baja Fresh, Fast Food Chains, Mexican.
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