The Red Burrito – Oak Ridge, TN

The Fast-Food Connoisseur



Due to my familiarity with most burger joints and chain restaurants, a good friend has encouraged me to write reviews of our local fast–food purveyors. It looks like a good time to give it a shot. I will set aside my diatribe against the two McDonald's closest to my residence for another time and, instead, focus on a good experience I had yesterday.

I was in Oak Ridge helping a friend move and took a break for lunch. We had noticed that Hardee’s had added the intriguing name “The Red Burrito” to their sign. I stop by Hardee’s occasionally, but it has never been one of my regular eateries. We decided to give The Red Burrito a try. As the name implies, it is a Mexican fast-food seller operating within the Hardee’s. Apparently, CKE (the company that owns Hardee's & Carl's Jr.) is trying out a new concept.

Expecting a Taco Bell type of experience, I noticed that the menu was somewhat limited. They offer a few choices of burrito, taco, taco salad and (oddly, I thought) buffalo wings. My friend Jeff ordered a regular beef burrito combo for himself and a chicken quesadilla for his five-year-old daughter Sarah. They quickly paid and were given a table card so that their food could be brought to them, a nice touch that Hardee’s has implemented to make them seem more like “casual dining”. They left me to order as they went off to get drinks and find a table.

I stood at the counter for several minutes watching the young man behind the counter as he continued the conversation with his coworkers that he had been having before we entered. Just as I was about to upbraid him for ignoring my presence he said, in a tone no different from his conversation and without looking at me, “order when you’re ready”. I had been ready for a while, but suppressed my irritation and ordered the Red Burrito combo with beef and a side of guacamole.

By the time I got to our table my friend’s food was being delivered. His burrito was brought first. It looked very good and quite large for a fast-food burrito as his daughter and I watched him eat it. It was served on a plate with large portions of rice and beans. A few minutes later the quesadilla was brought out. Sarah seemed to completely enjoy it. By the time I received my order Jeff had finished his meal and Sarah was about halfway through hers.

The scale of my combo meal pleasantly surprised me. My burrito was quite large and covered in cheese and sauce. Rice and beans on the side complemented the burrito. For some reason mine was brought in a to-go box, even though my receipt clearly said “here”. Because of the box, my portions of rice and beans seemed smaller than Jeff’s.

The restaurant boasts that they make their chips and salsas fresh everyday. Although the chips were not quite perfectly fresh, I am used to much worse in fast-food. The Red Burrito offers three styles of salsa and two kinds of hot peppers on a “Salsa Bar”. I found that by mixing equal parts of the “hot” and “fresh” salsas I was able to achieve the appropriate flavor and consistency for my palate.

Over all, my experience with The Red Burrito was a good one. The service was standard for a fast-food restaurant (read horrible). The food itself was bland when compared to real Mexican dining but great for a fast-food chain. The portions were large and filling. If you want good Mexican food, I suggest that you go to a good Mexican restaurant. If you want something decent and fast (and your spouse just wants a burger) try The Red Burrito in Oak Ridge.