Updated Review written 8/5/23
I had a burrito this time.
Today I was back at my favorite Firestone for an emergency tire change which means going to my favorite place to wait for my car to be returned to me. Lucky me this place serves burritos.
I was tired before I even woke up today, having spent last night up until 2am in a Casey's parking lot watching a salesman put a donut on my car. Now already well into Saturday I was on a timer to find a replacement tire before I was stranded until Monday. I’ve been sitting on this review for weeks, always intending to finish and post but never quite getting around to it.
So while I wait for hours to get worked into an understaffed auto shop I might as well try the burritos.
When I visit I’m usually the first to arrive, having already been waiting for fifteen minutes for them to open. My stomach, which had been a tight knot of stress all morning, finally loosens into an intense hunger that can only be solved by fast casual dining.
I was served a tightly wrapped mound approximately the size that people describe with their hands when they talk about the fish they caught over the weekend. I proceed with caution - having known burritos to explode and deflate on impact, overstuffed to the point of failure. I carefully slice down the center to reveal a simple, but well packed burrito. I wasn’t immediately greeted by a pool of beans and rice soaking the tortilla into a thin vellum. I had clear layers showing you exactly what textures to expect from each bite.
This is not a mega loaded super awesome one of a kind burrito that you serve in a trough. This is a respectable burrito just trying to get you through lunch without needing a wardrobe change. My tension settled with each bite and I even let myself start to enjoy the mad scramble to finish work intended for my main PC on the travel tablet.
I still wouldn’t go out of my way for this but I always look forward to it when I have to drop my car off with the doctor.
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The Original Review I started writing back in April.
Waiting for an Alignment - Burrito in Algonquin.
I had Tacos.
I have the expectations for my car set rather high, so I’ve been doing my part by staying on top of maintenance and repairs. The best $200 I ever spent was for lifetime alignments at Firestone. I’ve already had four. My first experience with a Firestone location was a disaster and I vowed to take advantage of every free alignment I could get out of the corporation as long as Helios shall live. I found a much nicer Firestone in Algonquin with great techs and fantastic customer service. They also have something else that no other Firestone has that makes me return again and again to that location.
They have a Burrito next door while you wait.
If you’re picturing a giant burrito you can just walk into it’s basically that but it looks like this:
This is not the best food you will ever have in your life, but it does rank as a solid seven, when you’re limited to walking distance for options. The kitchen is large and clean, I suspect Catering is their major business. There’s always room to sit in the dining room. They serve beer - Dos Equis Lager or Amber - and they even have a drive thru (although I doubt you can order the beer to go). You can get yourself a decent lunch and drink here for less than 20 dollars, even with a tip.
Tacos come in the standard options of meat with a good omen of double corn tortillas for every one.
Note to self: return to try burritos since it’s called burrito? DONE!
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Burrito Parrilla Mexicana
2321 W Algonquin Rd, Algonquin IL 60102
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Originally published to Patreon August 6, 2023