Chilango

Good service, but ever since I had one of their grilled chicken burritos, I feel like I've got the flu! Not the nicest thing I've ever eaten for a lunch and won't be going back. Sorry.

Really good burritos. On a par with Adobo, and the portions are bigger. I’d also recommend the Chicken Salad, which is basically a burrito without the Tortilla and with more ingredients. The one downside is that £1 for Guacamole is a bit excessive.

Staff were very friendly and smiley. I hope they’re well paid because Chilango has some of the best customer service I’ve seen in London. They also have no problem throwing in little extras. For instance, if a burrito is supposed to come with ‘sour cream or cheese’, they’ll give you both on request, as you would hope considering the price!

This is my first review on Qype. I'm a bit of a burrito fan, and Chilango was the first restaurant I wanted to review. I had my first Chilango the day before their official opening, some time ago. I distinctly remember this day, and immediately telling my Mexican best friend that I'd discovered a great place that does authentic tacos similar to those found in Mexico.

Were it not for the fact that I don't quite work close enough to go there regularly, I could easily eat here every day.

Suffice to say that he burritos and tacos are excellent. The staff are friendly and the atmosphere is vibrant, even when the place is full of bankers on a weekday lunchtime. I love that the entire kitchen is visible through a glass wall, and the whole operation is efficient and friendly. Even on days when the queue extends outside the shop, you can still get your burrito within 15 minutes which is great for lunchtime.

If you go to Chilango at lunchtime the queue stretches the length of the building. Of course it does. These are damn fine burritos.

Normally having to queue for things drives me mad, however at Chilango for some reason all it served to do was heighten my anticipation for the arrival of the parcel of meaty, ricey goodness. Especially mouthwatering was having to queue past the large windows of the kitchen, where the staff were preparing the next bins full of gorgeous marinated meat.

It's a very tough gig to try to explain why something's great when there's no one particular thing that stands out about it, other than that it's... well, great! The amount of each burrito ingredient was fine, it was rolled right so when you bit it you got a good mixed mouthful, the ingredients were fresh and tasty, and the assembly was such that it didn't fall apart in your hands.

This is a textbook example of a great burrito, and the only thing preventing me from going there more often is the fact that I've got to go past several other great burrito places to get there. However I'm looking forward to the next time I do!

On the hunt for burritos for lunch from work, I spotted Chilangos on Google Maps. I am somewhat of a "burrito lover" and so was intrigued to go and check out it.

Having arrived I was impressed by what looked like a short queue outside, that was until I got inside and realised it was 5 times as long. That being said it moved along quickly enough and I was at the counter in about 5 minutes or so of waiting.

The counter was stuffed full of the usual options black-pinto-refried, no surprise there, but I was shocked to see the ridiculous prices. Nearly 6 pounds for a chicken burrito and 80p for additional guac???

I know I heard a fellow burrito-buyer squawking about how the place is stuffed full of Goldman Sachs employees, and probably explains the high concentration of Americans, but really? £6.60 for a burrito with guac?

Having been used to 5 dollar burritos in the US, the price of London-burritos is definitely something i find hard to swallow.

To me Chilango is just another burrito joint with extortionate prices, and I will no doubt be heading to Whitecross street or some other direction in future when I feel like I need to douse that inner devil in me!

All round good flavour, quick service, just lousy prices and no substantial advantage for them.

Strangely it took me almost 3 months to venture down to this branch of Chilango, as i was spending most of my time up at the Angel one.

I had been warned that trying to get near the place during the week day around lunch time is dam near impossible, as the line of hungry city workers stretch as far as the eye can see. So i made apoint to go one evening midweek with a friend.

I love Chilango, i love the burritos, i love the sizes, and i love the atmosphere. I always find the staff helpful, energetic and willing to explain any part of the process to any mexican newbies in the area.

For my money, Chilango are the best Mexican joints in london, and the Fleets Street location maintains that trend

I'm from Texas and have been in London (which I love) for 5 years. But I've tried all over town, and no matter how hard I've searched, I've not been able to fill the burrito-shaped hole in my heart/stomach. There are "mexican" and "tex-mex" places dotted around the capital but one thing they typically have in common is sub-par fake mexican cooking. Then Chilanogs came.

The burrito gods smiled kindly on me the day Chilangos threw open its doors 2 minutes from my work. The steak is well marinated and couldn't be more tender - charred on the outside and pink in the center (re). The pulled pork is simmered to perfection. Every time I go in, the pulled pork and steak battle in my head for a place in my stomach - I try to give them both equal opportunities (both always get the job done).

In an attempt at a healthy eating plan for 2010, I'm trying to get the burrito salad more than the burrito. This plan typically fails me when I get to the register as I always feel deserving of the chips and salsa as well. But you've got to treat yourself, or you could go crazy.

My one (big) complaint is that Chilangos used to sell a 250ml bottle of Hardy's Cab Sav (with its own plastic cup) - which my work colleagues and I would drink at our desks when working late. Amazing. Apparently, though, we were the only people to buy the wine and Chilangos has stopped selling it. If they ever bring it back, please try it (its hard to get any work done at night w/out this). At least they have a good beer selection.

To Recap:
Taste = fantastic
Staff = friendly, professional (and they smile)
Location = couldn't be better
Price = it's fine and you're going to be full

Suggestions:
- Please bring back the wine

COME TRY IT!

Burrito bon! Around the corner from the office, huge queue often outside the door but moves very quickly. Excellent Friday lunch takeout. Gives Daddy Donkey a run for its money, which really says something.

Mmmmm Yummy food, huge portions and queues that stretch up the street daily.

The food here is put together in front of you and it all tastes delicious.

The City workers frequent this lively restaurant during the week but there is another branch on Upper Street, Islington if you need a fix on the weekend.

This brightly coloured Mexican is sure to have you coming back for more.

Daddy Donkey vs Chilango, a direct comparison

Size: Daddy D wins, mucho Burrito
Taste: Chilango’s medium sauce is superb, but DD isn’t far behind
Price: A Draw.
Consistancy: Found Chillango’s poorly rolled and a bit sloppy, Daddy D are master burro wrappers.
Choice: very similar, but Daddy edges it with two types or Steak.

Result: Daddy D is a clear winner,

I love guacamole and I have never tasted a guacamole as good as Chilango’s one.
+ Huge and excellent burritos made with fresh ingredients.
+ nice and friendly staff.
+ Coronna and amazing Tequila
=....Definitly one of the best place to eat real Mexican food in London!
Thank you for this Mexican night!

When was the Duck there? It always seems rammed to me - though they keep the line moving. It is dangerously addictive…

Mexican food has landed in London, tell the press it has come to Fleet Street no less. However, I can update you that it does not seem all roses here. The opening was met with fanfare. Much fanfare, FREE FOOD. Free beer, long queues etc etc.

The people cheered, reviews flew in, people talked but now the dust has settles I see 5 members of staff looking bored out onto the street with 3 or less customers in branch. Maybe things are going well and they just made a batch for the delivery boys to take to offices high up in sky, or maybe like I fear, even good places seem expensive for people trying to spend less at lunch except for that Friday team extrangance.

I loved my first taste of Chilingos, they totally took me back to California with a lovely beef chilli burruito and a stunning bottle of Pacifico beer. Simply stunning importing that one, it is a great beer. The food has been discussed here and I would say it was really spot on, but the portion size itself was a bit wrong as all the cheese was in one corner bite for me.

I will go back, just to give those people something to do. Like get me some munch and a Pacifico fro the fridge. One thing they might have got wrong is the opening hours…it is open from lunchtime to late at night, but closed weekends. Tourists still walk that street at weekends, they should take advantage.

I am still having food daydreams about the fresh, delicious, hearty burrito I ate on my recent visit to Chilango’s…THREE WEEKS AGO! Seriously, what do they put in their food? I’m obsessed!

I don’t know if it was the delicately flavoured coriander-lime rice, the comforting mushy beans, the crisp salad or the chunky guacamole, the fact there was no leakage out of the substantial wrap or perhaps all of those things in combination, but I haven’t been able to shut up about the place since. If someone offered me a days work doing something really crap near Fleet Street I’d probably say yes just so I could get lunch at Chilango’s. Apparently they’re closed at the weekend though - boo!

Vegetarian options: veggie burritos / tacos / salad
Vegan options: as above minus sour cream / cheese (the rice and guacamole are dairy free)

I like this place. However, being that most of the time I’d have to bypass Daddy Donkey to get to Chilango, I doubt I’ll go back too often. I think it’s better than most of the Mexican joints in London but (fortunately) we’re starting to have some real options in the way of burritos and other Mexican/Tex-Mex yummies and well, Chilango just sort of falls under the 'just okay’ heading. Good to keep in mind but don’t go out of your way for this one.