Fresh off the heels of Rich's Q'Doba Grand Event, the up and coming kings of fast food burritos added a little something extra to their menu. I headed to my local Q'Doba and decided to see what this Mango Salsa uproar was all about.
Since it's Mango Everything Season, I decided to go big with a steak burrito with, no beans, fajitas, white rice, cheese, guac, sour cream (well kinda, Q'doba likes to play coy with it's sour cream portions), tomato salsa, and the reason for my visit, the new Mango Salsa.
True to form, these burritos are massive, and exactly the right amount of food you want to stuff yourself with. I didn't get any of their world famous queso, which is a usual staple of a Q'Doba burrito, but today, we were here to let the mango do what it do!
When the burrito artist (can we call them that?) was putting together the tortilla rolled masterpiece, I noticed a shockingly small amount of mango salsa was added to the roll. I get it, I'm sure the flavor is intense, you want to add, not overpower, and preserve that delicate balance of percieved freshness and flavor. In my mind, the mango salsa must be pretty strong. The worlds strongest? Lets find out.
Biting into this thing, it hits all the notes, nothing incredible, nothing bad, but where in the hell was this mango salsa? I kept biting into the burrito, looking for that flavor. My suspicions of a weak mango portion must have been correct, I couldn't taste anything mango related in this thing. As a diligent food blogger, I went to the counter and asked for a side of mango salsa, determined to taste what was left out surely on accident.
dumped onto my already existing burrito
With this new salsa piled high on top of my burrito, I was surely about to be brought to a tropical sweet paradise, filled with steel drum music and the sound of crashing waves. Instead? Nothing.
My head spinning swirling around wondering, where the hell was the mango? A full cup filled with what was supposed to be this crazy new thing, the centerpiece of an ad campaign, the reason you pull off the exit with your children and say "you know what kids? you've all been good, let's head to Q'Doba" and the kids are supposed to cheer and praise your name. 30 years later when they're grown, they tell their kids that one time dad took them all out, and they look into your eyes and their eyes start to well up with happiness from a fond memory. Instead? What'd we get? A whisper of mango flavor with just a bunch of random salsa ingredients. Kids screaming in your ears, pissed, wishing you just went to Chipotle, disappointed for generations.
wheres the mango?
So, instead of tossing the burrito in the trash, and giving the manager double middle fingers as I walked out the door, I tried to add some semblance of flavor to this tasteless behemoth of a burrito.
Franks Red Hot
In the end, the Mango Salsa wasn't bad, but it wasn't good, it just wasn't there. It had a small semblance of sweetness to it, which might be better served with a side of chips, but even then, why order mango when there is no mango to be found? I'd say it might have been an off day, the salsa wasn't prepped properly, but I went for a second visit and felt the exact same way. If you're making a specialized flavor of something, and put all your cash behind promoting it, I say how bout we make it taste like what we're saying. Or taste like anything at all. I was highly disappointed with what I recieved, and hope Q'Doba reads this, panics, and starts pulling the mango levers at the salsa plant, casing mass blackouts from a flavor overload.
I give the new Q'Doba Mango Salsa a D. As a flavorless salsa filler, sure, why not.
As something mango flavored? No thanks.
Review by Josh
Yo! Wanna get at your favorite Food Blog Fat Guys? Want us to review your stuff? Have some ideas for reviews? Want to be the one to tell us about the newest kind of Oreos/chips/ice cream/Fast food thing? Want to send us pictures of your dog and/or breasts?
One of the perks of being a world famous food blogger, is that once in a while you get invited to big events put on by some of the biggest restaurant chains in the world. It's the food blogger version of walking the red carpet. Anyone who's anyone in the food blog world is there. So you can't pass these events up or someone might think you fell off your game. Well you know that the Fatguyfoodblog crew doesn't play like that. So when Qdoba hit us up with an invite to their latest shindig, you can bet I RSVP'ed, PLUS ONE.
Not only did Qdoba just open three new locations in Seattle, but they also just started offering a great selection of local craft beers and wine to pair with their food. On top of that, they have a new loaded tortilla soup. With all of this in mind, my lady and donned our red carpet outfits and hopped in the Fatguyfoodblog stretch Hummer and pulled up to the University Plaza location and got out like Brad and Angelina.
After signing a few autographs and posing for some pictures with people, we made our way inside. We were greeted by the awesome staff and directed to our seats. Almost at once things began being served. When the Assistant Manager Cody asked me which beer I would like to try, he took one look at the FGFB shirt I was wearing and decided that instead of just bring me one of the beers, he was going to bring me all of them. And the wine too. See, this is the kind of stuff that happens when you're sporting a Fatguyfoodblog t-shirt. This logo demands attention and is well respected in the food world. Those who own one will back me up. If you want to join the elite, you can get one here!
Now that I've successfully plugged our designer t-shirts, let's get back to the review. The first thing to arrive was the Loaded Tortilla Soup. Let me tell you, this is not an item I would have ordered usually. Why? Eh, I'm not much of a soup guy. If I go to a rad place like Qdoba that's rocking tacos and burritos all day, the last thing I'm thinking is soup. That's why it was such a great surprise. Chock full of fresh veggies and chicken with slabs of tortilla shell sticking out of it, you couldn't go wrong. Usually it comes in a massive tortilla bowl, but since we weren't that pumped about it beforehand, we asked for a smaller sample. MISTAKE. It was excellent. The drizzle of sour cream over it ended up being the proverbial icing on the cake. It's like your favorite taco, in soup form. I would 100% get this again.
Then came the beers. Three at first, Schwarzbier from Dru Bru, Boombox IPA from Hilliard's, and Dru Bru IPA. A few minutes later he added to that Manny's Pale Ale from Georgetown and the Dru Bru Kolsch. So many beers! My lady isn't one for beer so luckily they were all mine. As quick as I slugged them down they would bring another. I felt like Thor in a diner.
Of all of them I had only had Manny's before. But there wasn't a beer I had that I didn't enjoy. They told me which beers paired really well with specific tacos but I'll be honest, I glazed over. My plan was to just drink all the beers and eat all the tacos. I was surprised that I ended up liking the Schwarzbier so much from Dru Bru. I'm not usually a fan of darker beers. They end up being really heavy in my guts and make it hard for me to perform at top level. Aka: eat a lot of tacos. But this one went down smooth and wasn't heavy like I expected. I was pleasantly surprised.
When presented with the option of wine, I wasn't too keen on it because let's face it, I write for a blog called FATGUYFOODBLOG. I look like a barbarian. What do I want with wine? Ale? Mead? Fine drinks. I usually leave wine for those with a more refined taste. But when I heard it comes in a can and has a money on the logo, I told them to sign me the hell up. It's called The Infinite Monkey Theorem and they offered both red and white wine. I'll tell you what, if you're a wine snob, you probably won't be into this. If you're the opposite of a wine snob, this might be the wine for you. THERE'S A CHIMP ON THE CAN. A CHIMP! I feel like someone needs to tell Joe Rogan about this stuff.
Then a full run of the Knockout Taco's arrived. You may remember these from our review a little while back. This was a nice surprise, but what surprised me the most was when the Assistant Manager, Cody, delivered them and told us every single ingredient that was in each of the different tacos right off the top of his head. This guy is a Knockout Taco expert and blew my mind with his knowledge. When I praised him at being able to do this he shrugged it off like a boss. True professional.
The Knockout tacos didn't disappoint. Just like last time, the Two-Timer ended up being my favorite one. But a lot of these shined in ways that they didn't the first time around. I think the issue with the first time around was that we tried them literally days after they dropped. I don't think the crew at the location we went to really knew how to make them yet. This time around the Mad Rancher wasn't just a pile of lettuce. These were very well done and you know what? Beer went a lot better with them than fountain soda, that's for damn sure.
Lack of bacon was not an issue this time around. When bacon was on one of these, it was there in FORCE. Also, did I mention the wine had a chimp face on it?
A few fans came up to take selfies with me so I paused from the meal to duckface and throw up a peace sign or two. Signed a girls boobs, which my lady did not approve of. Then I went back to decimating this spread. I think between the two of us, we did a pretty good job. Also I drank lots of beer and wine so I was glad that the FGFB Stretch Hummer had a driver because if I drove home it would have probably looked like a scene from Mad Max: Fury Road.
TERMINATED.
As we finished up we were given our VIP gift bags. Inside there was so much Qdoba swag. I decided I needed to put a bunch of the stuff on at once and pose with the Qdoba Luchador. This new location is definitely one of the best Qdoba's I have ever been in. Not only is the layout great, but it has a very comfortable atmosphere and you can tell they spared no expense stepping it up to the next level. I really loved all the artwork and the soft lighting. Let's face it, any place that has a masked luchador wrestler on the wall is going to get a thumbs up from me.
I blame this shot on all the beer.
Before we left I asked a couple of the dudes who helped make this thing possible to take a moment and let me grab a shot of them so I could give them a should out here.
Cody Fasching, the assistant manager. Extremely nice and a damn Knockout Taco expert. If you walk into a Qdoba and see this dude working, you know you're in good hands. He also knew everything there was to know about the beers and wines. Assistant Manager? Qdoba, what's the deal. Jump him up to full on manager ASAP. Seriously.
Then there was Keith Johnson, the director of west region operations for Qdoba. He might be the high up brass of the company, but for this event it was all hands on deck and Keith was awesome. He had a lot of excitement about the different items I tried that night and you could tell that he knows more about this stuff than I could know in ten lifetimes. Awesome dude and he made a great amount of time to stop and chat with each of the VIP guests like myself.
As we said our goodbyes and made our way out the secret back exit to avoid the throngs of fans outside, I felt a slight sadness. Like when a really raging party dies down and everyone goes home. Luckily Seattle has plenty of Qdoba locations to visit, so I knew I would be back. Soon. Really soon. Like...maybe even the next day.
Big thanks to Holly for being my +1!
In the end, I have to say this was a great event that won't soon be forgotten. Got to try a bunch of great stuff, got to drink a ton of great beer and wine, and went home with some freebies. Not to mention getting to experience one of the newest and coolest Qdoba locations on Earth. If Qdoba ever has another one of these parties in my neck of the woods, you can bet I'll be there.
For more information on what Qdoba has to offer, check out their website! https://www.qdoba.com/
We recently got a couple of emails from readers wanting us to review the new Knockout Tacos from Qdoba. So with our endless list of high up contacts in the world of food, we managed to get directly in touch with them and asked if they might have some more information they could send along about the Knockout Tacos. A couple days later I get the best package that we've ever gotten from a company in the mail. Why? BECAUSE IT WAS FILLED WITH INSANE STUFF!
Not only did I get my very own taco stand, a Knockout Taco spinner, a hammer, and a rubber chicken, but also? TEQUILA. Can't go wrong there. There's one other awesome item that came in this box, but I'll save it for the end of the review. Keep your eyes peeled.
But now it's time to put on my referee shirt once again, to call the six way match between these competitors. Get ready, ladies and gents, FOR THE Qdoba KNOCKOUT TACOS Battle Royal!
Rolled up to my local Qdoba a little bit after they opened, flashed my Fatguyfoodblog credentials so they knew I meant business, and ordered all six Knockout Tacos, a side of chips and queso and a fountain beverage so I can wash it all down. Being the referee for this intense a match up is tough work, you gotta stay hydrated...
After dunking a few chips into the cheesy goodness of the queso, it was time to spin the damn wheel!
MAD RANCHER IT IS!
THE MAD RANCHER!
The Mad Rancher is grilled chicken, bacon, guacamole, picante ranch, lettuce, pico de gallo, and cotija cheese. But...as you can see, it just looks like a pile of lettuce. Automatically, no matter how good this one is, I'm taking points away. Because no taco, sandwich, burger, or even salad needs this much lettuce. It's out of control. The flavor wasn't bad, once I took an hour and a half to dig the lettuce off. The chicken had a great flavor and the picante ranch and pico together made for a nice tangy taste. I'm not sure I even tasted one piece of bacon on here so it might as well not even be listed. Not bad, but the chances of the Mad Rancher winning this bout are kinda slim...
THE TRIPLE THREAT!
Up next is the The Triple Threat! This taco has grilled steak, bacon, 3-cheese queso, fajita veggies, pico de gallo, and cotija cheese. This one was a fun medley of flavors. The steak is okay, but the main thing that pops out is the fajita veggies. This one was pretty much dominated by the flavor of the peppers and onions. I think the queso is a neat addition that leaves a nice creamy cheese aftertaste too. Triple Threat beats out the Mad Rancher with ease! One quick side note, cotija cheese? Never had it before this week. Qdoba LOVES this stuff. You can tell because it's on nearly every one of these. It's kind of an intense flavor too that when you taste it alone, you think it might be too much. But it ends up taking a back seat to the other taco flavors, luckily. Let's move on!
THE GLADIATOR!
The Gladiator! By name alone this one should be the winner. On the Gladiator you get grilled steak, bacon, pico de gallo, lettuce, Caesar dressing, cilantro and cotija cheese. The Gladiator definitely delivered in the bacon department, unlike the Mad Rancher. This one had a very unique flavor from the rest. The Caesar dressing stood out big time and took center stage. It was almost like a steak and bacon Caesar wrap. Can't go wrong with that at all. The Gladiator did a great job of entertaining my taste buds and is a definite contender to win this slobberknocker.
Next contender to step into the ring? THE DRUNKEN YARDBIRD!
The DRUNKEN YARDBIRD!
The Drunken Yardbird is tequila lime chicken, guacamole, salsa verde, cilantro, minced onion and cotija cheese. This one had a very tangy flavor throughout. I think it was a combination of the flavoring from the chicken and the salsa verde together. It was heavy on the cilantro too, but overall decent. The guac really shined through on this one too, and for guac fans, just so you know, theirs is not a chunky guac,(which I usually prefer) but it was still great. But does the Drunken Yardbird have what it takes to beat five other taco competitors? Doubtful.
THE TWO-TIMER!
Suddenly the lights go down. Heavy entrance music begins and through the curtain comes the Two-Timer! He slaps the awaiting hands of fans on the way to the ring and poses on the top of the turnbuckle. The Two Timer is pulled pork, salsa roja, shredded cheese, lettuce, and pico de gallo in a crispy taco with cotija cheese...wrapped in a flour tortilla spread with 3-cheese Queso. Let me tell you this. The Two Timer entering into this match was kind of like that time Stone Cold Steve Austin handed out stunners to an entire ring full of wrestlers at once...
BY GOD IT'S THE TWO TIMER!
The Two-Timer does not mess around. It's clearly playing off an old Taco Bell creation but who cares because this one is made with premium ingredients and tastes incredible. The pulled pork is so tender it will bring a tear to your eye. It bursts with flavor. And then the two hit combo of the crispy and flour shells being held together with cheese queso? Forget it. Here's your true Knockout Taco right here. The Two-Timer is a clear contender and very possibly the winner...but let's not count out the final contestant here...
THE BOHEMIAN VEGGIE!
The Bohemian Veggie! This one has shredded cheese, black beans, corn salsa, guacamole, salsa verde, minced onions, cilantro and cotija cheese. It's basically all the stuff that isn't meat from the other knockout tacos tossed into one. It tastes very fresh because of the fresh veggies and salsa, but it's also like biting into a water balloon. There's so much liquid from the veggies and all the different salsas that it tries it's best to explode all over you the second you try to eat it. Eating this was like taking a bite of a really good taco and then realizing that you didn't get any of the main part of it, so you peek back inside to see where you went wrong. Good flavor, and if you're a vegetarian and enjoy plentiful black beans, you just might like this.
COULD THIS POSSIBLY BE OUR WINNER?
HAHAHAH. You think Fatguyfoodblog is going to crown a veggie taco the winner? NOT WHILE I AM CALLING THIS MATCH! The Bohemian Veggie gets disqualified for being too damn wimpy. There's a clear winner here and it's the Two-Timer. He single handily took out five other taco competitors with ease and pinned them all, 1-2-3. I proudly declare the Two-Timer the winner of the Qdoba Knockout Tacos Battle Royal!
For more info on this promotion or other great food items from Qdoba, check out their website: https://www.qdoba.com/
Thanks for reading folks. If you need me, I'll be practicing my hurricanranas and moonsaults in my back yard. Hoping to debut in Chaotic Wrestling this summer.
As always, if you have something you think we should check out, drop us a line! If you just think we rock and want to tell us, we'd love to hear it! If you're a company and you'd like to send us some stuff to sample, hit us up! We can be reached in many ways. HERE THEY ARE:
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