Description: It took me a few years to brave the lunch line at Boloco, the local Boston burrito chain with several downtown outposts. The line quite literally spills out the door of the restaurant and down the sidewalk on most days. It wasn't until one day my co-worker decided that she wanted to run in and get a burrito while I was across the street at a lunch place with a line half-the-length that I realized how quickly they move the line at Boloco. She had obtained her burrito in less time than it had taken to move through the line at the other restaurant. It was then that I vowed that the line would no longer frighten me away.
The menu at Boloco consists of mostly burritos and burrito bowls (burritos without the tortilla). They have several varieties that all can be prepared with your choice of beef, chicken, vegetables or tofu. So far I have two favorite varieties that I trade off between; "Classic Mexican": a blend of cilantro, tomato salsa, pinto beans, cheese and rice; and the "Summer": black beans, mango salsa, rice, and jack cheese. Both varieties are absolutely delicious and are prepared with organic ingredients. The Boloco menu seems endless offering varieties such as "Bangkok Thai" or " Teriyaki," but for those that don't like any of the pre-determined varieties they see, they can always "Make their own" choosing their own combination of ingredients.
The burritos at Boloco are much healthier than burritos found in other fast food joints. They offer a "mini" size, which is the perfect size for me for lunch; yet is under 400 calories for most varieties. They also offer smoothies that are prepared with fresh fruit and non-fat frozen yogurt which make excellent afternoon snacks.
The Boloco staff is super friendly and professional. They move you through the ordering process quickly, yet do not seem impatient with customers that aren't quite sure what they want. They have a super-efficient order system which allows your order to get translated from the person on the register to the person preparing your burrito without any mix-ups. They run the burrito preparation counter like an assembly line. No matter how crowded Boloco is, it has never taken longer than five minutes to get my lunch from the time I ordered it.
Among Boston lunch places, this is one of my favorites. Do not be intimidated by the line if you want a delicious, healthy lunch when you're in downtown Boston. The staff is awesome, and they seem to be making a concerted effort to recycle the waste that their restaurant produces. A definite "must eat".
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