Ohio City Burrito - Funky Mexican

Over the weekend I headed out to the IX Center to check out the Motorcycle Show, overall not bad, but was a bit disappointed that there was no BMW display. On the way home figured I would stop in Ohio City and check out the new Tanqueria. I have a soft spot for good cheap Mexican and ever since Que Tal folded, I have had to head out to Oberlin when I got the urge (see Agave Review here). Ohio City Burrito is located at 1844 W. 25th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44113 (map is here). Just a small storefront with a small patio area out front, but the skeleton holding a burrito certainly seems promising in an offbeat manner. Inside is a narrow shop set up with tables up front, with the counter in the middle and a walled off prep kitchen in the back. The decor is funky Mexican with warm golden brown walls, a white tin pressed ceiling and just enough decor to make the place look inviting. The large front windows let in a lot of light and the promise continues. The menu is quite simple and straight forward, even for this type of place, a meat burrito, a veggie burrito, tacos, taco salad, nachos, chips and salsas. The meat items come with a choice of chicken, beef or pork, but I of course went for the veggie burrito. I ended up with a big burrito stuffed with both black and refried beans, rice, veggies, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, cheese and salsas. A nice touch is that items such as the fajita veggies and the guacamole are included in the price, where some places charge extra. The burrito was very tasty and well balanced, although a bit milder then I would have expected based on the medium salsa, although I was of course able to spice it up with hot sauce. The guacamole was fresh and had the right mild taste and umami feel. The refried beans were especially good, with a warm earthy taste without being overpowering. The rice was moist and mild to allow a nice base to the burrito. About the only thing disappointing were the fajita vegetables, which were OK, but could have used some more carmelization and probably a bit more salt. What I ended up with was a very good meal at a reasonable price. While not quite as memorable as the burritos from Agave or Que Tal, OTC provides a very good product at a good price. This is a major upgrade over what you would get at Chipotle or any of the other Mexican Chains and hopefully OTC will do well.

Agave - Oberlin Tanqueria

With the good weather this last weekend a little road trip on the motorcycle to try to find some good food sounded like a good idea, so I headed West to Oberlin, Ohio to see what a nice liberal college town would have to offer. On the main square at 19 W College St, Oberlin, OH 44074 I found Agave Burrito Bar and Tanqueria. For those familar with Chipolte or the late lamented Que Tal, you know the basic set up, you order a burrito, plate or salad and then tell the person what items you want off the steam table, however Agave presents some very good and very high quality choices. I had a vegetarian burrito in a spinach tortilla. For $6.50 I got a giant burrito stuffed with rice, beans, roast veggies, sweet potato puree, lettuce, cheese, guacamole, salsa and a couple of their sauces. In addition to the usual items, you will have choices like the sweet potato puree and a couple of home made sauces. I believe they had a tomatillo cream, a red pepper sauce and another one. Overall, this was one of the more tasty burritos I have had in a while and well worth the price. All of the items were excellent and the salsas had some real zing to them and contrasted nicely with the velvety guacamole. It was also nice to get distinctive flavors from each item. I wanted to try the Chipolte Pecan Brownie for desert, but they were out. Maybe next time. Decor is nice, with a number of Mexican masks on the wall and cacti and succulents in the front window with some warm earthtone walls. A very nice, relaxed place with food made from scratch and seasoned well. Agave also has beer and a small bar selection, so you can wet your whistle. If you are out Oberlin way and looking for a good quick meal, give Agave a try.