Izote Southwest Grill & Bar

Good quesadillas. Friendly service. Sorry to see it go.

Liked it. Great food and value. $ 9 menu items with fresh warm chips.
But sign closure says Moe’s is coming. Bummer!!!
This was locally owned so not sure if they bought into franchise or… Had bar so maybe they didn’t do well.

I honestly don’t know what anyone sees in this place. The first time I tried it, the food was cold and bland, but I decided to try again in case they were having an off day. They were not having an off day. I got 3 tacos – 1 chicken, 1 beef, and 1 steak. Each variation was more bland than the last. The guacamole was actually brown. The cilantro didn’t even taste like cilantro. I didn’t even know that was possible. 2 stars. One for the friendly server and another for not charging for two sides of brown guac.

My boyfriend and I both got food poisoning from here.
It had potential but never again. We should have turned around when we saw that no one was inside on a Saturday night.
Bartender was super nice though.

This place is great. Fresher than Chipotle or Moe’s with better bang for your buck. There are even seasonal options available at the Chef’s choice if you ask your server for items not listed on the menu. You can order in-​line for quick service, or be seated and a server will take your order. This bar has better taquilla options than most Mexican/​Southwest restaurants.

This is good healthy filling food for a great price. You will need to give them some time to prepare your meal in front of you. If you like it hot, then go for it! If you want less heat then that’s up to you. There is a comfortable bar area with drinks that match the theme here. If you like a casual setting to enjoy a satisfying meal, then this is your place.

This place excels if you like lots of fresh toppings. If your more of just a meat rice and cheese person skip it you wont be happy. That said while the portions are smalls than chipotles and moes the ingredients are fresher and there is more of a selection. To give you an idea I got my burrito bowl with rice, black beans, chicken, spicy slaw (really good), corn, mango salsa, avocado (which they dice up on the spot), cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. There were plenty of toppings that I didn’t choose. I really enjoyed my $ 9 bowl. It comes with tortilla chips but they taste off.

Stopped here for a quick bite on the way to Vermont. Saw the mixed reviews but decided to give it a shot since it was so easy to access from the freeway. The only thing I can say for this food is that it filled our stomachs.
Boyfriend got a steak burrito which was ver bland but edible. I had an unwrapped burrito with Pico De Gallo, Corn and Guacamole… After a few bites it was decided that one of those toppings was sour. After concluding that the Pico was bad, I ordered a kids quesadilla and let the server know. She said she would look into but did not offer to refund either of my meals. The quesadilla was edible so we went on about our way.
When we left, a fairly long line was building. Not sure how they can be that busy with such bland food, rotten Pico and lackluster service. Convenience must be its one redeeming quality. In hind site, we probably should have gone to Subway. One star for somewhat edible food and another for the friendly man who made it.

It’s okay, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. I’ve only been during the day, so maybe it’s better at night since you can drink.

Moe’s and Chipolte just don’t cut it anymore since I tried Izote. Free avocado and guac plus a bar with some pretty good happy hour deals! The food is always fresh and delicious.

We were in Hartford for a business meeting and stopped by Izote for a quick dinner. The menu and ambiance was similar to Moe’s, except this place has a bar/​lounge area. The food had a little more spice than Moe’s and I hate to keep comparing it to Moe’s but they are similar. We loved the food and would definitely return when we are in town.

So today is a great promise: fresh made Mexican food. However, the excuse that leaves a lot lacking. Service was very slow, prices are way too high. The most redeeming quality was there mango salsa. Otherwise, despite this being very close to our home, we don’t plan on going back.

Wow. Disappointing. Saturday night and just my wife and I here plus one other couple. Must not be popular. Menu is one page for food and four pages for drinks. They serve the food with a plastic fork wrapped in plastic. No other utensils. Help hard to find. I think buffalo wild wings next store is a far better option.

My coworker and I go here frequently for lunch. We’d go more often but it is a little pricy, food plus a soda is about $ 11. The menu is very basic but you can customize what you would like on your selection, like a Subway. My Texan coworker says the meat is not seasoned well but for a New Englander, the chicken is a bit spicy. They make the nacho cheese sauce and guacamole onsite so there is some inconsistency between visits. The taco salad is very good.

Mediocre — everything is basically $ 9. (Except for kids meal $ 5)
— chips super salty. Couldn’t even eat them
— hot and mild salsa both tasted like tomato paste out of a can.
Place was clean and convenient, but give me Chipotle any day over this place.

I do business with the owner and he insisted, on my lunch break of course, that I try one of the steak quesadillas. Up until this point I have been completely content with Taco Bell taking care of my quesadilla craving, and after the one I ate at Izote, I don’t think that will be the case anymore. The ingredients are fresh, the steak is hand cut, seasoned, and cooked in house. I cant wait until my next meeting in Windsor so I can stop in again. A+
–Jon S

So glad to have this place near my workplace!
This restaurant was recommended to me recently by two different people saying it was a quick, casual place, to grab lunch that was kinda like Moe’s. Well, if you know me, (which you probably don’t), I love Moe’s!
Izote is located in the Price Chopper plaza in Windsor. It is easy to find and there is plenty of parking. Upon entering the restaurant, there is a large menu on a board, which is helpful so you can figure out what you want before you order. Unlike Moe’s, everything was straightforward and listed all the possible ingredients. The ordering process is exactly the same as Moe’s. Unlike Moe’s, this restaurant has a full service bar and looks like it would be a great place for happy hour!
Here is where this restaurant stood apart from Moe’s…everything had a much fresher, more flavorful taste and it seemed there were more ingredients to choose from without upcharges. I got a burrito unwrapped (basically a burrito without the wrap, so in a bowl) with beans, chicken, their homemade slaw, cheese, pico de gallo, fresh jalapenos, olives, guacamole and hot salsa. I got back to work to eat it and the blend of all the flavors was magnificent! I can’t wait to go back again soon.

I’ve been to Chipolèt and I’ve been to Moe’s. Izòte is better, fresher, tastier, better, friendlier and did I mention better too!
My only introduction to Mexican cuisine was Taco Bell and my Irish Grandmothers failed attempt at tacos growing up in CT. After my first visit to the Chipolèt in Baltimore Maryland around 2005, I thought, «that is it, Mexican couldn’t get better», but I was wrong Izòte is truly better.
I’ve have tried each and every item on and off the menu, and each of them is unequivocally fresh, tasty and 100% customizable. The reason I always hated Mexican food is because of 2 ingredients that I can’t stand, Sour-​cream and beans. Everything I order excludes those two ingredients and I go to Izòte because they know that no two tongues are alike. Of course I’m I the minority when it comes to my dislikes, however when you are with mixed company (kids), they can make each Burrito, Taco, Quesadilla and/​or salad as complex or as simply as your heart desires.
The prices are reasonable and everything comes with tortilla chips which are extraordinarily delightful.
They serve beer and even have a custom 25 foot bar. While the bar stays open late they often are pretty dead after lunch time. Expect to see the business crowd in there due to the close proximity to the Windsor business district know as Day Hill Road.
If I had to say anything negative about Izòte it is that consistency is not their motto. While they are always fresh and tasty, the portions seem to vary with each server. They each have their own style and even then, I never quite get the same size burrito even though I order the same ingredients each time. Not a huge deal by any means and not enough for me to take away a star.
The reason I had to take away the star and the most they can get with me is 4, is because the only meat/​poultry you should order is the Chicken. While the Pork is okay, the steak and the beef leave much to be desired. If you stick with the Chicken or vegetarian you will be very pleased.

Quick and easy eat place

The first time I ate here I was underwhelmed. I ordered a chicken salad and they took that literally, it was just lettuce and chicken, womp womp.
I swore never to return, but this being one of the healthier fast food restaurants in the area, and me being hungry and pressed for time on my lunch break, i decided to give them another try.
They’ve improved, I’ll give them that. I ordered the southwest salad and there were a ton of toppings to choose from. I ended up adding the mango salsa, cilantro, rice, black beans and slaw to my salad. But the chicken was so spicy I could hardly taste anything else. And it wasn’t even spicy in flavorful way, it was just spicy and bland.
My second experience was better than the first, but its still just, meh.

Yes, it is a Chipolte knock-​off, but the key is that it is not a chain, so that leaves me to think it is a locally-​owned small business — which I’m happy to support.
I think they have done a decent job in replicating the Chipolte /​Moe’s system, but that pretty much makes the experience unremarkable. The only big difference is that they have a full service bar, so you can sit down and have a margarita with your fast-​food.

My brother and I have a monthly lunch date and this restaurant has been added to our list of rotating restaurants (which also include Buffalo Wild Wings, Giant Grinder and a shady Chinese Food Restaurant). I only have an hour for lunch so I love that this is a restaurant where I can get my food in five minutes or less and spend the majority of my lunch hour eating and chatting with my bro.
Izote is not fancy by any stretch of the imagination but as Dan R. said, where else can you get a taco salad, burrito or quesadilla for about $ 8. As with it’s chain counterparts (Moe’s and Chipolte) they offer a variety of toppings to choose from and even when you order a salad (as I do 90% of the time) you get a side of chips and guac for free — unheard of.
There is also a self serve salsa bar with three types of salsa — hot, mild and mango salsa. I LOVE the mango salsa which has just the right amount of heat to it. When I went the last time there were even mandarin oranges in it. I know that is not traditional but it is so freakn’ great.
In addition to the bottled beers that can be purchased with your meal, the restaurant also has a full service bar. Not sure though if you sit at the bar and they bring you the food or if you order, pay and sit at the bar. Something to investigate in the future.
All in all a solid restaurant to grab a quick bite.

Not sure why so many reviews were negative. Went there for lunch last weekend and we were very happy with what we received. How often can you spend $ 8 and get so much food that you can take half home for the next day? We had a chicken quesadilla and a salad with shredded pork– both were more than good. There are so many toppings that you can add to the pile (yes it is like a Subway assembly line –but so what?), What is unheard of is that you can add guac for no charge– I;ve never seen that anywhere, Some places charge $ 8 for a bag of chips and a Dr. Pepper– Hell –I spent $ 6.45 for a freakin’ Valentines Day card this morning. Believe me, you get a ton for your eight hard-​earned singles here. Oh, and did I mention a salsa bar with mango salsa? Muchos gracias, amigo.