WESLEY CHAPEL — Ask Owen Kwiecinski at the new Bubbakoo’s Burritos in Wesley Chapel the obvious question: how the build-your-own burrito chain is different from Chipotle, Moe’s or Qdoba, and the answer comes fast: the variety.
While Bubbakoo’s uses the same Chipotle-style assembly line, it is much less restrained about what they’ll put inside a tortilla. And they aren’t just throwing avocado on something and calling it Mexican fusion. It actually creates some unusual mashups with American comfort food and other inspired flavors.
“We’re talking about bringing in flavors from all over the place, throughout the world, throughout the country, and trying to throw them into a Mexican entrée dish,” says Kwiecinski, a franchise business consultant with the smallish chain. “I always like to say our food is great, but it also just tastes fun.”
The food
When it comes to the mashups, the first one that jumped out was the Papi Hibachi, a Japanese-inspired burrito built on steak and shrimp, cilantro-lime rice, black beans and cheese.
The Chiwawa, a ball of fried rice, cheese and panko breadcrumbs, deep-fried seemed interesting. You can get it filled with whatever you choose, or get it smashed into the bottom of a burrito bowl in place of seasoned rice, then smothered in queso and loaded with toppings.
But we went with the Birria Dilla, a cheese birria quesadilla with a yummy consome. Made in a quesabirria-style, with cheese on the outside of the tortilla and inside, we were pleased as the birria was flavorful. The California Steakhouse burrito, which swaps rice for curly fries, was another of our choices, and the combination worked for us, as did the crispy jalapeno ranch burrito. And the Boom Boom Shrimp tacos could have been more generously filled, but what was there was also tasty.
But we tried the Loaded Nashville fries, and it may have been our favorite — curly fries topped with Nashville hot chicken, spicy queso and a drizzle of ranch. What made the basket sing, however, was the diced pickles mixed in throughout, which surprisingly was the perfect enhancement for this combo. Next time, we’ll try it with tater tots or as a burrito, which sounds promising.
Nod to health
Dietary restrictions aren’t an obstacle here. Between vegan and vegetarian options like the Plant Power Bowl (fajita veggies in a burrito bowl) and Fit Body, Keto salad and Veggie Lover bowls, Bubbakoo’s has a surprisingly large offering of healthy options.
Pro tip
Bubbakoo’s menu takes full advantage of the protein craze, with a High Protein Post Workout burrito bowl, but we loved the Cup of Protein concept if you just need a quick six ounces of grilled chicken in a cup boasting 52 grams of protein. Just don’t get distracted by the rest of the menu.
Pro tip counterpoint
We tried the Apple Pie Egg Rolls, and while they weren’t light and crunchy like we expected, the chewiness worked for us. It comes with a caramel sauce, but you barely need it thanks to the sweet insides.
Our verdict
We wouldn’t normally hit up a fast-casual burrito chain (aggressively closing in on 200 locations), because been there, done that. But some of the unique combinations we saw online compelled us to check it out. And we’d swing by again to get to some of the rest of the stuff, like the Sweet Chili Shrimp tacos, Pineapple Express or Aloha Pineapple burritos, or Mango Habanero taco salad, or maybe the crispy chicken bacon sriracha ranch quesadillas.
Bubbakoo’s Burritos is located at 33791 Wesley Chapel Blvd., just west of Morris Bridge Road. It is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. For more information visit Bubbakoos.com.
