You definitely don't want Taco Bell. O___O
It only causes pain... pain and suffering.
I've never been to chipotle or Panera, though.
No, trust Eich, you don't want Taco Bell. It is the lowest common denominator of imitation
"Mexican" food. (shudders)
Chipotle is pretty darn good, for a chain. It is pricey (though to be honest, they aren't competing head-to-head against cheapo vendors like McD's and Taco Bell), and the industrial-concrete store decor has all the charm of Communist high-rises circa 1970. But it's delicious, it's sustainable, and they treat their workforce fairly (for fast-food workers). (Plus, their burritos are huge, so at least you're getting good value for money.)
Likewise, Rubio's Fish Tacos are yummy (originally a San Diego specialty -- there's even a Rubio's at the airport).
Even better, though, visit any cheap little Mexican or Guatemalan (or Hispanic, generally) hole-in-the-wall burrito joint in California. For example,
Pancho Villa's, where I eat sometimes. That's not even counting the high-brow, totally
auténtico restaurants in places like Berkeley and San Francisco, where you can get Yucatan-style
cochinita pibil or
huitlacoche tacos. (It's a black fungus better known as "corn smut," and I think it's awful -- but it sure is authentic.)
If you want to stir up an argument, just ask whether the Bay Area or L.A. has better Mexican food.
Sorry if I tormented anyone with these gloating descriptions. If any of you are ever in Northern California, I'm happy to take you burrito-hunting!
