z-teca

Awesome place! Clean, fast, super yummy and not as expensive as Chipotle. Will definitely come back when I’m in the area.

My taco salad, besides being expensive for what was presented was as follows:
The beans were cold and dry (sitting out in the air instead of in liquid before being put into my salad). The toppings tasted pickled. The rice was cold and tasteless. One word «yuck.» I won’t be returning.

I decided to try this place out after passing by it numerous times and hearing from a coworker that it is the equivalent to Chipotle. Due to the fact that the nearest Chipotle isn’t within walking distance and I was craving something of the variety, my curiosity got the best of me.
As one reviewer mentioned, the ingredients that Z-​Teca uses are definitely fresh, and the reason as to why the establishment got one star to begin with, however, that’s as far as my semi-​positive review of this place goes.
Adopting itself after Chipotle, and even places like Burrito Boyz, Z-​Teca definitely misses the mark when it comes to the DIY burrito’s and bowl’s dealio. I ordered a grilled chicken bowl to-​go. Unlike Chipotle and other places they didn’t have a selection of rices, leaving the customer to only choose between one… (An option is always nice, especially since customers are obviously subject to having expansive palettes). However, I was willing to overlook this as the rice not only looked good but they also filled the bowl up quite a bit (a little more than halfway), which I was definitely pleased with. Next came the grilled chicken, which they barely added any of; less than half a spoonful. As for the toppings it was the same old, same old: sour cream, cheese, shredded romaine, salsa, corn and guac (extra, of course). They were skimpy as hell on the sour cream… Which when taking into consideration the formulation of a bowl is crucial as it’s essential to the incorporation process when trying to mix everything together whilst eating and making everything not «dry». And along with that, they also did not add enough cheese. The shredded romaine was cut in way too big of pieces, I prefer thinner slices as they make eating and trying to get more than one thing on the fork at once easier. As for their salsa they definitely tried to up their game in comparison to their competitors via the addition of not only two but five different options. But as a first time eater at this establishment and in fear that I would be coughing up a storm and experiencing a runny nose if I had gotten one of the spicier salsa options I opted for the classic, Pico Di Gallo, settling for one that was definitely mild. The salsa lacked any sort of flavour, and again, of course, they were skimpy on it. Lastly was the corn, one of my favourite things about getting the bowl at Chipotle, but their corn felt extremely watered down and flavourless… Definitely not a good thing and left me heavily disappointed! As for the guac, which you OF COURSE need to pay extra for, BUT is a MUST when eating a bowl or anything of any sort, they were skimpy on… Now this really broke my heart considering I consider the addition of the guac both a necessary and essential part to my bowl eating experience… I could not believe the audacity to add a minuscule dollop… I was tempted to ask for a bit more, but refrained out of fear of being rude and pushy.
After eating the bowl I came to the realization that the overt addition of the amount of rice acts as a filler so they can skimp on the rest… Since they were so skimpy on the toppings once I got to the end of my bowl, and the last forkful layer of my rice, it was all dry and had nothing on it. Eating just plain dry rice is never fun, especially when you can have it incorporated with so many wonderful flavours, IF the workers just had been a bit more generous… Thus I was disappointed.
This place is definitely not a competitor whatsoever right now when it comes to places of this nature and I think that they definitely need to up their game and follow in the blueprint that those before them have lain out, with their own twists of course! This place definitely has the potential to be great, as it’s got the right idea but they really need to focus on their flavours, not skimping and not using the rice as an additive bowl filler.
If I’m going to be paying the Chipotle price I want the Chipotle quality! Enough said.

For a fast food chain, this is serviceable food. The various ingredients are within view and you can build you own burrito/​quesadilla/​tacos. I view this as a North American chain and not a Mexican chain. I know. They sell Mexican dishes such as tacos and quesadillas but these are not authentic Mx. And don’t get me started on burritos, an American invention!
At any rate, this is relatively simple food that can satiate any craving. I had a tortilla soup (definitely not the authentic kind, but I wanted a small soup) and a cheese quesadilla.
Expensive fast food compared to Mc Donald’s but never regrets when eaten.

Ordered through the Grabb app. Waited for 20 mins without any update. Had to go to them and ask about my order. Turns out they didn’t even check the app for new orders. Had to wait 10 more mins for it. Was very annoyed since I only had an hour lunch time before going back to the office. Disappointed enough to not go back again. I don’t recommend the tacos either. They’re cheaper than buster’s sea cove next to them but just doesn’t taste as good. Had the battered cod burrito and it was mostly rice and fish. Where are all the other toppings I ordered?!

Dropped in heut it was clean and Modern. I was able to have a Multi Grain Wrap first off. Then I was afraid they would chalk this full of Rice (filler). But they didn’t. I had a Pork Burrito, with all manner of nice Veg, cheese. I also like it Hot, so they chopped a whole fresh Jalapeño into it for me. This was a Big Burrito in the end. Held under a Hot Press for a minute. It was damn tasty and filling. At over $ 10 ea, it better be a good size. I was very Satisfied.

Went here for the first time on Saturday night for take out. Burrito was AMAZING. Cool Layout and décor

The food was OK. Lacked real flavour. Portions were also OK. They need to step up to the likes of Burrito Boys and Chipotle.

These guys rock. I’m grubbing the shrimp burrito down as I type and my wife’s digging the shrimp ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ burrito bowl/​salad. Fresh and great price!

Good consistent quality of food. Staff is always smiling and friendly. They could do though with increasing regular store hours (theyre in a hot area!). Its a little bit pricier than other places but hey this is downtown toronto and you do get what you pay for (quality). I prefer this place to chipotles.
Con: they need a better music playlist and/​or sound system lol

2 stars = Meh. I’ve experienced better. Fact is I’ve experienced WAY better.
Z-​teca gets 2 stars because the ingredients seem very fresh and for burritos they do press/​grill them at the end (a technique sadly missed at many burrito joints).
Other than that the actual flavours are lacking all around. As my husband calls it, there’s an overriding ‘tang’ that can’t be ignored and sours the rest of the dish. I went for a chicken burrito bowl yesterday and although I left feeling light (these aren’t the one pounders you get elsewhere), I still highly regretted my lunch decision.
Go to Burrito Bandidos.

It was ok, but nothing special. Compared to what I get at Chipotle, I felt this place nickel and dimed me.
I think the prices are pretty much the same. I got the chicken bowl in a large container but the food barely filled the container half way. Food was just ok, could have gotten more food for the price I was paying.
They charge extra for coin or roasted green peppers and onions (faijta vegetables) so I’d prefer Chiptole for that alone.
It’s a decent option in the area at night if you don’t want to go to a sit down restaurant.

Same as the usual burrito place, nothing really stood out to me. We got the grilled chicken burrito as well as the pulled pork burrito. You can only have either rice or lettuce and no guacamole.
The place itself is well lit up and looks very clean/​modern. But I prefer my Burrito boyz instead. Not to mention the burrito is more expensive and a little smaller than Burrito Boyz. $ 8.25 vs the $ 6 from Burrito Boyz.

a really good burrito place, nothing over the top, great price, great quality
i would recommend it as the best place in the area
⁵⁄₅

Ordered burrito bowl. Meat was fresh and everything tasted okay. Weird décor — felt very street like because the garbage cans looked like they were literally taken off the street. However, if you are hungry, want something quick while in the Entertainment district, it’ll hit the spot.

As said before, pretty pedestrian burrito/​taco place. Portions are on the smaller side compared to other places.
On the plus side the place is clean, bathrooms are large, clean and have motion sensing lights as well as nice steel sinks.
Overall very meh! Unfortunately cause the design and cleanliness are both pretty good but the food fails to impress or make it past par.

My second burrito chain of the week, Z-​Teca on my burrito bonanza tour! Z-​teca is very similar to other burrito chains; they offer the standard fare — burritos, bowls, salads, quesadillas & tacos.
Only one size for their burritos, when I got mine it was an average size. They only offer two tacos on their menu — a bit of set back considering three is the average at other chains.
My chicken burrito was descent but no major highlights. I liked their salsa options.
Z-​teca offers a cheap meal options on the trendy King West theatre strip; check it out if you are in the area.

I found myself coming in here more than I usually would because I was in this area a lot during tiff and I would say that they are more looks than quality. They did offer a 10% discount with a festival ticket so my meals were just a little cheaper than they would have been otherwsie. They don’t have a very large menu but they have everything you would look for if you’re in the mood for a burrito-​themed meal.
Plenty of seating and I’m a big fan of their interior settings, and in for this particular strip of King St I believe it’s the only one where you could expect a quick meal (unless you want Subway).
Staff were not exceptional but nothing to complain about, and their doors open policy towards the street (at least when the weather is nice) attracted a couple of birds while I was eating, always good to have some entertainment during meal times!

Everything here is kinda standard. Usual burrito place menu — burritos, bowls, salads, etc. Boring and not enough selection.
I got a salad and it was just a big pile of lettuce with about 3oz of meat and some beans and other burrito toppings thrown on top. Kind of a rip of for $ 10, I was definitely still hungry afterward.
Interior is clean and there’s more seating than your standard take out type place.
Nothing to get excited about.

Nothing really stood out about this place for me. The burrito was pretty good but easily could have been better. A pro about this place is that their hot sauce is actually hot. They need to add some spice or something as the carnitas just seemed bland.
The décor is nice, but kind of feels like a Chipotle ripoff.
I would probably go back if I was in the area and looking for lunch, but I wouldn’t make a special trip.