The Vegan Variant: Qdoba

August 31, 2006

Submitted by Nicole on Wed, 2006-08-30 17:23. Food | Restaurants | Vegan Variant (Nicole is taking leave of Dane101 as she is also taking leave of Madison. We are interested in keeping the column going, but possibly as the "Veggie Variant"? In addition, we are always looking for more food writers of all stripes. If you are interested, drop us a line: editor AT Dane101

DOT com. And a big thank you to Nicole for her consistency and shining a light on an overlooked niche in Madison - Ed.) Qdboa or Chipotle.... they both are on the same side of State Street, and only a few doors down from each other. In Chipotle's defense, they do seem to be all about using free-range meat and organic ingredients. However, they are owned by McDonald's, so that essentially kills it all on the spot. Qdoba is a chain as well, but independently owned. I've never eaten at Chipotle, so I can't compare taste, price, or atmosphere, but I can tell you why I do like Qdoba. There are two options for the meat-free inclined: the Vegetarian Burrito and the Grilled Vegetable Burrito. Well, those are the main options; you could also get the chips and salsa, make a veggie taco, or a veggie "Naked Burrito" as they call it, which is a burrito minus the tortilla wrap, so... it's a bowl full of rice, beans, salsa, and possibly vegetables. Anyhow, the Vegetarian Burrito is a white flour tortilla wrap with white rice flavored with cilantro and lime. You can choose between black or pinto beans (I always pick black), and then that is all you get aside from toppings. To keep this burrito vegan, you could only then add salsa and lettuce. Their salsa is very good. I always get the Pico De Gallo, which means "Beak of the Rooster" and it is called this because this particular kind of salsa is a mild, vegetable relish, and the way it has been traditionally eaten is by plucking chunks out with the thumb and forefinger, looking similar to a rooster's beak. But anyhow, trivia aside, this salsa has tomatoes, onions, some pepper, cilantro, and lime. It's refreshing and adds a nice tang to the extremely starchy burrito. I usually will ask for extra salsa and less beans and rice. There is also a corn salsa, which is a little spicier (a "medium" salsa), and a salsa verde, which is "hot". The Grilled

Vegetable Burrito is the same as the Vegetarian Burrito, but it also has seasoned, grilled vegetables added. It usually consists of zuccini, summer squash, and grilled red pepper. Again, you have the choice of black or pinto beans, and it comes with the cilantro-lime rice. The vegetarian burrito is a little cheaper, and with a good amount of salsa, in my opinion, it's better than the Grilled Vegetable Burrito. Their tortilla chips are good as well, having a cilantro lime seasoning on them. They are very salty too (I don't know about you, but I loooove salt!). When paired with the Pico De Gallo (or salsa of your choice), it's pretty filling. The only gripe with the chips and salsa there is that they give you this tiny plastic container of salsa, which is hardly even enough to last you through half the order of chips. If you want a second one, it usually costs you more money. Lame... Now I know there are a couple other Mexican restaurants

in town like Casa De Laura, Frido's, and La Hacienda. There are carts too. I am very wary about Mexican food, from a vegan perspective, because a lot of the time refried beans contain lard, there can be a lot of hidden cheeses, and many things can be cooked with meat (if authentic). Frido's is out of my price range, so I never have gone there. La Hacienda has drawn me in a few late nights with friends, and I have ordered the only vegetarian item on the menu, which is the vegetarian burrito. It is refried pinto beans (not containing lard for this burrito only, I believe), with lettuce and tomatoes (and cheese, but they will hold it, if you ask). Honestly, yes, it is authentic, and I would prefer to support La Hacienda than a franchised chain, if possible... but I just don't like the burrito that much. It just tastes sloppy and fatty. The reason I like Qdoba so much is because the ingredients taste fresher and you have a much greater selection of options if you are

vegetarian or vegan. The rice at La Hacienda is cooked in a meat-based stock (chicken or beef), so the rice isn't edible if you are veg. All you can get is that one burrito, or fill up on the complimentary chips and pico de gallo salsa offered pre-meal (which is pretty awesome, of course). La Hacienda is great for authentic Mexican food, but if you are vegetarian or vegan, your options are very limited, and if looking for a fresh, healthy meal, it's not really the place to go. And finally, a follow up for anyone who wanted to know where Vientiane stands with fish sauce... There had been a question and an answer about this soon after I wrote the article, both by readers. The answer was that yes, they use fish sauce, but they can make it without. Somehow, the comments disappeared (which seems to happen sometimes). Someone asked the question again, so I am going to answer here: Vientiane actually uses oyster sauce, but you can request it to be left

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