Vladimir Rakhmanin
Deputy Online Editor
Dublin has, for some reason, become a hotbed for Mexican food over the past few years. Assorted burrito places have begun to pop up all over town, some of them quickly becoming student favourites. Indeed, what’s not to love? Burritos are cheap and filling, the two key requirements of student food. ‘Tuzo’ is the newest competitor to enter this already highly active sector – having opened on Dawson Street on Monday, they are in direct competition with the excellent ‘Little Ass Burrito Bar’ just a little down the road. Being a massive Mexican food aficionado (people often complain about how I can’t shut up about burritos), I decided to check the place out, and see how it ranks within the impressive roster of Dublin’s eateries.
The first thing to note about ‘Tuzo’ is it closely resembles ‘Chipotle’, the highly successful US Mexican fast food chain, in terms of the system of operations. What I mean by this is that there is a wide range of Mexican dishes available to choose from, such as burritos, fajitas and tacos – ingredients are also selected freestyle, meaning you can pick and mix the things that go inside your selected food item. The décor is a little quirkier than ‘Chipotle’, however, giving it a more homely feel.
On my first visit to ‘Tuzo’, I had a pork burrito with the spicy salsa and guacamole as an extra – on my second visit, I had a beef one with the same extras. For a start, the burritos are of a very reasonable size – they’re longer than those in ‘Little Ass Burrito Bar’, but lighter. This makes them relatively easy to eat – this is great news, considering that this is usually a problem for food of this type. While they are not of the same gargantuan size as those in ‘Pablo Picante’, they are still large enough to leave you feeling full. The amount of salsa added is also perfect – there is just enough moisture within the burrito, but not so much as to make the whole thing drip all over your lap (I’m looking at you, ‘boojum’).
All the other ingredients were incredibly fresh, and very tasty. The meat was exceptional both times – succulent and juicy. The chunk sizes were just right, as well. ‘Tuzo’ also passes the guacamole test, offering a great cold extra to balance out the warmth of the rest of the ingredients. I just wish that it was offered for free, but then again I can’t think of any other burrito places that do this, so I won’t hold it against them.
Unfortunately, the one area where ‘Tuzo’ doesn’t quite succeed is the spiciness of the salsa – I had the spiciest version both times, and didn’t feel the heat at all. I’m not asking for the same blackout-inducing devil sauce that the folks at ‘Pablo Picante’ have concocted, but it would have been nice to add some spice to the already great meal. Of course, you could add some of the sauces which stand on every table. I was very pleased to see ‘Mic’s Chilli’ in the establishment, an Irish brand which I feel doesn’t get enough recognition.
Finally, I was amazed at the friendliness of the staff. They really tried hard to make everyone feel welcome in their newly-opened restaurant, and I could sense that they were genuine and sincere, offering help to those unaccustomed to Mexican cuisine.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with ‘Tuzo’ – their proximity to college will no doubt net them some regulars. If they continue to maintain this quality, they will certainly join the list of great burrito places, alongside with ‘Pablo Picante’ and ‘Little Ass Burrito Bar’.
