Gothamist: BurritoVille Out of Business?

Hagar7

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 17:05:58 -0500

I thought there was something wrong when all of the locations disappeared from SeamlessWeb about six weeks ago. It was mostly terrible, service was always slow, and you were guaranteed at least one mistake per order. On the plus side, you got a lot of food for the money and it was one of the few places where my vegan friends could deal when we were in a pinch. I personally will sincerely miss the White Chicken Chili. That is all.

Phaedrusnyc

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:53:58 -0500

I have no idea of the reasons for all this Burritoville hate. Aside from it being in extremely poor taste, considering people have lost their jobs, it's also smarmy and snobby. It wasn't "authentic" Mexican? So what? People eat inauthentic Chinese, French, Italian, Sushi, etc, everyday, if the food is decent (anyone here ever hear of "fusion" cuisine?). Burritoville had HUGE portions for the money, the food was decent, the totillas were freshly made, and it's one of the few chains that catered both to vegetarians and Atkins dieters (I can't stand ordering food from restaurants with a bunch of "extras" I can't eat and have to throw out- the tortilla-less burritos were a godsend). As for the people who claim Chipotle is "cheaper"- well, you really need to work on your rudimentary math skills. Every time I ever ordered from McMexican I got the same exact thing I got at Burritoville, and it always cost more, without fail. Since the choices at Chipotle are also rudimentary, it seems like you're comparing apples and oranges here.

Kevin Walsh

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 18:03:17 -0500

>>>I threw my burrito across the restaurant, splattering the wall with sour cream (I had asked for none), rice, beans, cheese and chicken (I believe it was). You're guaranteed excellent service when you do that. www.forgotten-ny.com

mikens

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:35:34 -0500

I noticed Burritoville downtown on water street is closed this week. then i just heard on radio about them being closed. I always liked them for a fast lunch.

naderW75

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:11:08 -0500

Burritoville was bound to go out of biz - the staff at west 72nd was slow and rude. Deliveries took longer and longer. With no management in sight, the inmates ran the asylum. Gabriela's has always been far superior Mexican anyway.

msanthropic

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:39:44 -0500

Best thing about Burritoville was feasting on free chips while waiting for your order.

JanetG

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:42:26 -0500

I'm with emily and teany. Not a lot of veg*n options in the area of the Nassau Street site, particularly in the evening, and I'm going to miss eating there. If "chorizo" and "burrito" are reserved words to you, I'd be happy to order the "Moosewood hippie atrocity", if I could.

TSOL

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:30:23 -0500

"veggie chorizo"!?! Brown-rice-and-tempeh-mushroom "california mexican" is BULLSHIT. Call it what it is, a Moosewood hippie atrocity. It is to Mexican food what velveeta and ketchup on wonderbread is to Italian. Adios!

brxbmrzfan

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:35:44 -0500

the one in the financial district has been shut for at least two weeks. i just thought it was a health department issue.

ericf

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:21:20 -0500

I stopped eating at Burritoville in Chelsea after I got food poisoning . Uncle Mo's is pretty good, and haters, believe it or not, I am loving Qdoba... and I'm from SF.

Pull My Finger

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:08:29 -0500

Now where am I going to go to get the runs?

longacre

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:43:29 -0500

They should have racked up a couple dozen billion in debt, then they would have been "too big to fail." I for one am not upset about this at all. Their burritos were big, but didn't taste all that amazing for the price...there was no way they could compete with Chipotle, which is better tasting and cheaper. Best burrito I've had in NYC: Uncle Mo's in Chelsea.

Jen Chung

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:48:08 -0500

@pontiac-- that's terrible! Those poor employees, to think they are going to work and to find it closed. Sigh.

smitty

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:11:19 -0500

Guess they are no long "Mexcellent".

pontiac

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:38:58 -0500

the one on 39th near 9th ave is closed, and there's sign on the door that says "Employees Hotline" and a phone #

bclm

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:24:29 -0500

I think anyone from Texas, the Southwest, or California knows that Mexican food in NYC is for the most part, not too good. I try not to eat Mexican food until I fly out west. Or go to Sunset Park, Brooklyn. And the veggie chorizo at Burritoville was literally the only thing I have ever eaten that has given me heartburn. I thought I was dying and vowed never to go there again.

ImFeelingBlue

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:21:53 -0500

I sensed a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of tacos cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

Dude69

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:18:23 -0500

I like Bville and the free chips/salsa takes the cake. Now we are stuck with lame national chains like Qdoba and Chipotle for fresh Mex food. Please San Loco open up more stores in midtown!!

msl422004

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:15:18 -0500

Looks like they weren't able to convince the Federal Reserve Bank to bail them out. First Lehmann, now Burittoville. I for one am not mourning this loss; just give me Chipitle and Paquito's in the East Village and all my burrito needs will be satisfied.

kamamamama

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:13:25 -0500

where will the mice go? does no one think of the mice?

teany

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:12:35 -0500

I was never a huge fan of their burritos, but I LOVE(D) the veggie chorizo. Waaah!

historyisaweapon

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:06:49 -0500

There is no god. I went there for lunch multiple times a week. That sucks.

goyogago

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:53:45 -0500

way overpriced... alarmingly mediocre food... really, who cares. get some soft tacos from a cart and save $4.

meowster

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:53:39 -0500

SF people need to STFU about "real burritos". Burritos don't even exist in Mexico. If you 'KNOW REAL BURRITOS' so well, then open up a REAL burrito place for yourself and all your californian friends and zip it.

TJ

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:52:24 -0500

Ummm...this is not a big deal. Did any of y'all ever hear of Taco Bell? /just kidding /runs for life

faprilano

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:47:56 -0500

the one on 53rd b/t Lex and 3rd is gone. i'm surprised, they always were packed at lunchtime.

emilydickinson

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:44:22 -0500

That's sad, I'm a huge fan of Bville, and have eaten lunch at the one between Fulton and John for ages. It's a great, cheap veggie lunch. Plus, free nachos? I will miss you Tempeh Burger Wrap on whole wheat, no sauce. I don't understand how they could be bankrupt, there is a line every single day.

timmmyk

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:44:07 -0500

The one on 23rd & 8th has been closed with acurtian over the window all week.

brooklynbs

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:41:35 -0500

Several years ago I was ejected from the Burritoville on Nassau St. for arguing with the manager over a botched order and inaccurate charge on my credit card (they charged me several hundred dollars for a burrito and told me that the corporate office would have to handle the problem). In a fit of rage, I threw my burrito across the restaurant, splattering the wall with sour cream (I had asked for none), rice, beans, cheese and chicken (I believe it was). Good riddance Burritoville!

slyseekr

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:39:52 -0500

YAY!!! Oops.

TimSPC

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:30:27 -0500

Burritoville Population: Zero

ides_of_march

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:29:24 -0500

Alka-seltzer and Pepto-Bismal are down dramatically in affected areas too. Coincidence? I think not.

Toby von Meistersinger

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:27:41 -0500

I was by the one at 39th and 9th earlier this week at lunch time and it was shuttered closed.

matty

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:25:28 -0500

NYC Mexican food is a contradiction in terms.

JH4285

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:19:18 -0500

I won't cry any tears. I had a burrito from the West 72nd (?) location once and it was pretty bad. It is a bummer that a local chain is biting the dust though.

littlepinkknife

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:17:57 -0500

At my office we used to go to the one on 2nd Avenue all the time - we were friends with the guy who works there (and now works at Chipotle) and he told as that ALL burritovilles in the city are closing down! waah!

MidC Frank

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:16:26 -0500

an entry in Wikipedia??? WTF??? And this is what kids today use when they do their homework - ay yi yi. adn damn -- I was one-more-paid-burrito to go for my next free one!

esquared

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:16:23 -0500

F*^k. I'm not one for chain stores, but I agree with mdowning, those two locations are good (and the restroom downstairs in the EV location--good call mdowning). If even a chain restaurant can't afford to do business in NYC, who can? I guess I'm just gonna have to start going to the banks, withdraw money, and eat them. But they have no free chips and salsa!

spnder

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:16:20 -0500

As a San Francisco transplant who knows what a real mission burrito tastes like, I say "Good day to YOU sir!"

bigandtall

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:14:51 -0500

If you regularly go to the one on 44th and 9th, you don't have to resort to Chipotle. Check out Paloma on 45th on the north side of the street just east of 9th Ave. It's right across from Piece of Chicken.

Bongo23

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:13:54 -0500

Good riddance to them and their stupid square burritos.

mdowning

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:12:20 -0500

that sucks. the one on bleecker was good, and the one on 2nd ave. wasn't bad either (really lovely downstairs restroom). shit.

dbc

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:11:46 -0500

No Burritoville bankruptcy filing (yet)--I just did a search on the court's website.

SikBug

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:10:20 -0500

I think the one in the bottom of the Chrysler building has been gone for some time now. That place sucked anyway, only good thing was the free chips and salsa, which the bums would come in and snag real quick and then run back out with anyway.

brandonz

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:04:15 -0500

Yeah the one on 9th Ave near 44th has been shut all week... I had figure it was just this location (closed by health dept.?) but I'm sad to hear they are done for. Chipotle blows.

midtown

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:02:21 -0500

done in by archenemy Jimmy Buffet

fugothamist

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:59:05 -0500

we need more banks, so this is a good thing