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The El Vee

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    Review: Burrito Works

    by theelvee_w2oe3m May 9, 2012May 9, 2012

    There has been a very noticeable trend of burrito joints popping up in the Lehigh Valley and last year Fegley Enterprises, the team behind the ever-expanding and always-popular Brew Works brewpubs jumped on the chance to enter the fray when they opened Burrito Works in Allentown.

    Burrito Works takes a kind of  Subway-style approach to their operation.  When you enter and head into the burrito portion of the restaurant (there’s an attached coffee shop as well) you start at the glass display case.  After deciding what you want (burrito, burrito bowl, taco, or salad), you go through what meats, rice, beans, cheese, and salsa you want on your order.

    For meats you have three choices: chicken marinated in witbier, beef marinated in porter, or pork marinated in blonde ale, all of which are then slow-roasted and pulled.  You can also opt for a meatless vegetarian burrito.   Next up you’ve got five choices of salsa in varying degrees of heat.  On the lower end there’s pico de gallo and corn salsa, in medium intensity there’s salsa verde, and on the hottest end there’s pineapple habanero and pico el Diablo.

    To finish it out you can add brown or cilantro-lime rice, black lager or pinto ale beans, and cheddar jack or sour cream.  There’s other signature burrito options for order as well.  The restaurant also touts custom and signature “pizzapatas”, which are pizzas on a grilled flatbread.  Sides include chicken tortilla soup, Mexican bean soup, chili, and beer & cheese soup.

    One of the main draws to Burrito Works over other shops is its liquor license.  They serve two Brew Works beers on draft, usually one being a pale ale and the other something hoppier as to counter spiciness.  This is a welcome change from most burrito places around the Lehigh Valley where you have to BYOB, if that’s even allowed.    They also feature nice extensive bottle list that lets you choose beers from across the world to pair with your food or to take out.

    Another great addition to Burrito Works is the local artwork on display throughout the restaurant.  Changing out  monthly, the pieces range from paintings to decorative furniture.  The atmosphere of the restaurant is very quiet and warm.  Summer is the best time to visit Burrito Works.  Why you ask?  Because they have a an outside area that allows you to enjoy a beer and your food while relaxing in the shade.

    The place isn’t without flaw, however.  The food itself is mediocre  to bland.  Without dumping on some hot sauce (which they have a nice selection of, by the way), it just doesn’t cut it.  The marinated meats lack additional flavoring and seasoning and don’t contribute much more than protein to the dishes. The salsa is another point of contention, particularly in the heat department.  The pico el diablo, supposedly topping off the spiciest end of their heat chart, fails to deliver.  It’s mildly spicy and could certainly use a hell of a lot more kick.

    Staff there seem terribly lackadaisical as well, even for a burrito shop.  In one occurrence the staff just seemed mad at the world, completely dissatisfied with having to serve customers.  During another visit employees were move friendly and helpful, but had loud, inappropriate conversations while we dined in an otherwise empty sitting area.

    Despite these downfalls, Burrito Works is certainly an enjoyable place to visit.  Minor changes, like some better employee training and bringing the food up a notch, would bring Burrito Works to another level.  The food quality itself is fine, but what they do with it could be improved.  Still, if you’re in downtown Allentown and looking for a quick meal and a beer there’s far worse you could do.  If they could get the food up to the level of Cali Burrito and have the employee quality level to boot they would fare far better.










    Final Rating:

    Burrito Works
    818 W Hamilton St
    Allentown, PA 18101
    484.223.3805
    http://www.thebrewworks.com/burrito-works/
    Burrito Works Facebook

    Correction: It was originally mistakenly stated that Burrito Works carries tofu.  They only offer a vegetarian meat-free option.

    May 9, 2012May 9, 2012
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  • FoodReviews

    Review: Hello Burrito

    by theelvee_w2oe3m January 20, 2012January 20, 2012
    January 20, 2012January 20, 2012

    With the rash of burrito shops that have opened across the Lehigh Valley, it’s time to take on another. Hello Burrito, which opened in late 2010, has been serving up various wraps, salads, and quesadillas on the north side of town.

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  • DrinksFoodReviews

    Review: The Mint Gastropub

    by theelvee_w2oe3m July 11, 2011
    July 11, 2011

    The Mint had a lot of promise even before it put up a sign: an economic development liquor license granted to them for a fraction of the cost they might otherwise have paid, an interesting concept of turning a dumpy-looking bank into an upscale restaurant, and then there’s that vault they spoke of converting into wine storage. The restaurant is now open and we dropped in a few times. Read on for the review…

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  • FoodReviews

    Review: Dave’s Gelato and Deli

    by theelvee_w2oe3m March 28, 2011March 29, 2011
    March 28, 2011March 29, 2011

    While I was driving around checking out a few restaurant scoops I happened upon the other, non-Lehigh University location of Dave’s Deli and Gelato so I decided to pop in for an impromptu review. How did they fare?

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  • DrinksFoodReviews

    Review: Molly’s Irish Grille and Sports Pub

    by theelvee_w2oe3m January 26, 2011
    January 26, 2011

    Molly’s Irish Grille and Sports pub is a relatively new establishment on the SouthSide of Bethlehem that took over the spot of the beleaguered Lehigh Pub that drove off clientele after calling…

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  • DrinksFoodReviews

    Review: Robata of Tokyo

    by theelvee_w2oe3m December 23, 2009January 19, 2011
    December 23, 2009January 19, 2011

    Robata of Tokyo is a fairly well-known Japanese sushi restaurant situated a stone’s throw from the iconic PP&L building in downtown Allentown. Not only does it provide for a nice, relaxed atmosphere, the food is prepared particularly well, however the atmosphere may be lacking a few qualities.

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  • FoodReviews

    Review: Euroyogurt

    by theelvee_w2oe3m November 24, 2009January 19, 2011
    November 24, 2009January 19, 2011

    If you haven’t been on the Southside of Bethlehem for a while, there’s a relatively new establishment that’s been bringing in hordes of First Friday attendees in search of a refreshing treat that goes by the name of Euroyogurt. Euroyogurt is a rather healthy treat that comes in small, medium, or large dishes and gets healthier with additions of toppings.

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  • FoodReviews

    Review: Blue Sky Cafe

    by theelvee_w2oe3m November 17, 2009December 14, 2010
    November 17, 2009December 14, 2010

    The Blue Sky Cafe is a small eatery on the Southside of Bethlehem that showed a lot of promise and charm from the exterior. I had high hopes and expectations going into the cafe due to an outstanding sample of butternut squash jalapeno soup I sampled from Blue Sky at the Taste of the Valley event back in August. I was unfortunately let down due to poor service and sloppy practices.

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