579708 Fri Dec 12 19:18:33 -0800 2008 3 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 4243259 So, I bit the bullet and tried the Chino Loco burrito place at Greenwood and Queen. My friend and I got the pork with chow mein, and the special -- a BBQ rib meat with mashed potato. We tried half of each and both concluded that overall, they were just okay. After reading reviews, I was hopeful, but feel a bit let down overall. The menu is exciting -- seems like a really cool fusion of mexican and asian flavours. But that fusion falls short when it counts. The meats are cooked perfectly, beautifully seasoned, and very very tasty. Not dry at all -- very moist and flavourful. The problem is that the accompaniments don't complement the flavours of the meat - what is clearly the headliner in a good burrito. In particular, the BBQ rib and mashed potato was a contrast in well rounded BBQ flavour, and bland mashed potatoes. I know what the guys were going for here, but it didn't really work. When I think of a great BBQ pork, I think about a tasty, acidic slaw (maybe cabbage and fennel) as a complement. Not mashed potatoes. The house pork with chow mein -- again, the pork was great, but the chow mein was kind of slimy and cold. The drive home from the restaurant is only five minutes, and we dove right into our picks -- the potatoes and chowmein, added when cold, absorbed any actual heat out of the meat, making for a bit of a let down overall. The three guys working at the place are definitely engaging. Very friendly, -- they were raised in the neighbourhood, and are committed to being a contributing member of the community. They're even hosting an appreciation bowling night. But in their enthusiasm, they forgot to offer any of the optional toppings, but remembered to suggest the toppings that cost extra -- cheese and sour cream. Don't offer the free stuff, but recommend the stuff that costs more... bad first impression. So there wasn't any extra flavour to offset the blandness of the chowmein and the potatoes. Unfortunate. All that said, I may give them another try -- instead being a bit more discerning about my choices, and assertive in my request for more toppings. The owners seem to be really open to suggestions and I don't think they'd have much problem getting feedback. It seems like they're still working out the kinks of running a small business, and over time, I hope that with the support of the community and dedicated neighbours as customers, that they'll be successful in enhancing their overall service and most importantly, the flavour profiles of their burritos. Fri Dec 12 19:18:33 -0800 2008 48711 cfmcgrath18 1 4386723 i went to chino locos this past sunday afternoon and it was a pleasant experience. my SO and i were greeted right when we came through the door. they were fairly busy (take-out orders and walk-ins). very simple menu of about 4 or 5 items. i ordered the basa filet with chow mein, and all the other toppings except cilantro, sour cream and cheese. my SO ordered the chicken with the rustic rice with all the toppings. there was no mashed potato option. here's their menu: http://www.chinolocos.com/menu.html both burritos were wrapped with whole wheat wraps and pressed with a lean mean grilling machine. i think mine would've been better if it was in the sandwich press for longer because the chow mein was still a bit cold and it didn't have the nice grill marks. overall, the flavours worked well together with the meaty fish and the black bean sauce. they don't mess when they say spicy so beware! my SO thought his rice was a bit dry so next time he'll go with the chow mein. the portions were really big too. my SO is a big eater and the burrito filled him up. i had 2 big chunks of fish in mine. the 3 guys working there are super friendly and enjoy chatting with all the customers. the cashier/expediter noticed my SO didn't have a drink and gave him a glass of water without asking. i would definitely go back if i lived closer to chino locos. great atmosphere, tasty food, reasonable prices. Wed Feb 04 09:19:21 -0800 2009 4243259 227269 eaterjt 1 4829643 My first experience was OK. They did screw up my order by including a couple of things I'd asked them to hold, but I was eating in, so they quickly made me a new burrito while I waited. The second time was today and it was truly terrible. I ordered take out and went to a neighbouring store while they made my order. I came back and the young girl working handed me a bag and said my here you go and said my name. I walked home and discovered both burritos were totally wrong... again. I called and they said that I had taken someone elses order. I told them I woud quickly drive back and make the switch. When I got back they not so subtly scolded me for taking the wrong bag. I explained that the girl handed it to me and said my name but they clearly thought i was lying and again repeated that this was basically my fault. Now I was pissed and told them that before I leave again I want to check to see if my order is correct as they had also made a mistake last time I was there. The guy behind the counter then got angry with me and said I should have told him that they had made a mistake last time so he could ensure they didn't make one again with the same customer. You would assume they always try to get orders correct, but I guess not. So it turns out one of my burritos was in fact wrong and I told them that. The guy who takes the orders showed me the order -- and he had actually written it down wrong (which is what I think happened last time too) and used this as evidence that I had "ordered wrong". So no apology for giving me the wrong order, no apology for making my order incorrectly and instead scolding me for causing all of these problems myself somehow. Not a good sign for their future success. It's too bad because it was a good idea and they seemed like nice guys at first, but they just don't know what they're doing. I'll never be back and I'll be warning my friends in the neighbourhood to steer clear as well. If they would have just said sorry and maybe offered me a discount for next time or even just been nice and friendly, I would have felt totally differently -- but instead they decided to blame their customer for their own stupid mistakes. Sat Jul 04 13:14:28 -0700 2009 4243259 252109 hateterroni 2 4829819 people in the hospitality industry who never accept responsibility for making mistakes (not to mention become hostile with patrons) are clearly not looking to be in biz for the long term. such terrible treatment you had. Sat Jul 04 14:44:50 -0700 2009 4829643 219915 tuttebene