I love burritos, and have been there are few times and been disappointed, not by the service, but by the food.  It has been two years, though, and I'm thinking of giving it another try.  How is the food nowadays?

The burritos are better than they used to be, Pat. If it's been two years, I'd say give it another go.

Beer and guacamole.  Who the fuck eats adobo sauce?  Pussy.

Odd, I got a wrong order just yesterday. I think the burritos are slightly better than in the past, but they had a looong way to go. And please, ruby, tell me where all these other places are.

They do make a mean black and tan.

They have the basic theory of Mexican food, but none of the flavor. People make excuses, but yes, you can get all the ingredients to make decent Mexican food in Duluth. A curry burrito? Flavorless red chile? At least the beer is good.

None of these tennis player/sexually harassing body-builder restaurants are actually good, but they appear that way due to contrast with the utter mediocrity of the average establishment in Duluth.

You had the best burrito ever and have not been back?

I loved the fajitas at Chipotle, but Little Angie's up here is different but almost better.  My wife worked at Chipotle during college and got me totally addicted.  Whenever we go to the cities we bring one back in a bowl with the tortilla packed separate.  I've emailed them, but they have to have several stores in one location.  They have them in cities a quarter of the size of Duluth, but not here for some reason.  The Little Angie's fajitas have a sweet taste that makes them almost better and local.

I love the bar at Burrito Union, but when they stopped letting you order like Chipotle I eventually stopped eating there.  The major thing I didn't like was that the chicken is runny, where at Little or Chip it is cooked on a grill.  The other thing was that there wasn't cilantro in their rice, whereas at Little A's you have it in the salsa and can mix it in and it comes in the rice at Chip.

I ate there many times to support local, but Lil Ang's is local too.  They also have a special on Mondays after the tourist season ends.  There us are happy hour specials too that are great.... Nothing beats a Fitger's beer though.

I keep praying for Chipotle up here, and I keep emailing them.

Black and tans, people. (Ask for the Stuck Boat. It's on the menu.)

If'n ya don't cotton to the grub, at least go for the suds.

The Brewhouse has great food and a pretty good black-bean burrito!  Burrito Union has an awesome atmosphere, great beer, some OK food -- let's not go crazy town, people.

I love the Brewhouse and am fine with Burrito Union -- I like their quesadillas and the fish tacos. I've always had good service at Burrito Union, but I don't go there on weekend evenings, it's usually a lunch destination after a walk through Chester Park.

Burrito Union's food is god awful.  But the thing of it is, there's no decent southwestern food here in town.  Why is that?  It can't be that difficult.  I think someone could make a whole lot of $ with a great Mexican restaurant.

Buriito Union is the new Pizza Luce.

"I've only been eaten in the restaurant a handful of times and thought service was normal."

I have never received this service at the BU.

"I've only been eaten in the restaurant a handful of times and thought service was normal."

Dang, maybe I should give BU another try. 

I'm a Chipotle fan myself...

If they just flat out copied Chipotle they would do just fine and make a killing.  I think for the price people expect a bit more than what BU is offering.

What place has the worst wait staff in town since this has become a witch hunt?  

Brewhouse has improved, but they were the worst a few years ago.  BU made me stop going based on what some of you are saying about them not letting you substitute.  Anchor has some mean staff, but it is kind of expected.  Rumor: I did hear that there are some shady characters who hang out late around the Anchor and that if you think it looks like a dive bar on the main floor you should see what lives in other spaces...

I've always had great service at Little Angie's, Black Woods, Sala, Krathong, Duluth Grill, and some other local eateries.

Buck:  I am sure the powers that be check out this site often.  There are multiple threads from over the years saying this same thing, but service is never a priority at any of the Brewhouse's resturants.  I love the Brewhouse's fries and am addicted to the place... Much better at the bar than at the tables.  Like I said though, that place has improved a lot in the service category.  

Is anyone else ever bugged that when you buy a growler downstairs in Fitger's there is a tip area? Do you tip, because I don't.  Also, should you tip at a buffet?

Chipotle, a chain, is not shit. It tastes ten times better than Burrito Union, and I know very few people who would say otherwise.

I've never had bad service at the Brewhouse. I've been impressed repeatedly by how good the service there is, even when the place is packed. I'm surprised to hear the complaints here. I've wondered aloud more than once how the Brewhouse manages to hire and hang onto such smart, personable servers.

Overly priced rice stuffed burritos, disgusting bathrooms and rude, uncaring wait help. I don't go the Union any more.

I don't know, guys. Seems to me that making a burrito the size of a football just by cramming it full of white rice does not equal "a great burrito." You're all being duped by quantity over quality when it comes to Chipotle. However, their meat does taste better than Burrito Union's.

Last time I ordered delivery from Burrito Union, I ordered a 2-fister salad bowl and got about half the amount of food that was in my one-fister the time I ordered prior. And after adding the two sides of sauce I wanted (which I didn't receive at all), it cost me $16. I was so angry I almost fire-bombed the place (not really). Seriously, though, I was absolutely insulted. Rod and Tim can eat a bag of 'em if they think their price points are acceptable in this community.

From now on, I'll order from Hacienda and walk over to pick it up.

I thought Hacienda had closed.  Last time I went past, it was still closed.  Has it reopened?

The inconsistency at Burrito Union is the reason some people prefer chains like Chipotle. If you have limited funds, you don't want to be disappointed. So places like Burrito Union that frequently dole out terrible food or terrible service drive people to chains where you are pretty much just eating canned goods. The thing is, they're cheap and they're always the same. Some people are into that, mainly because of places like Burrito Union that give indie restaurants a bad name.

I like Burrito Union's wings and the wiffer likes the fish tacos.  I've had the jerk, buffalo and the suicidal wings and liked them all.  (FYI - suicidal give a bad dose of hot butt.  Exciting!)

The service blows! I only do takeout.

Please noooo Chipotle.  I have always liked Burrito Union's food. Ding Nacho's are awesome with the pork.  Wings are good (when they're warm).  Fish tacos are also yummy, and I've only had a couple of salsa's over the years that I didn't care for.  

I think for the most part a lot of the prepping is done in-house with somewhat fresh stuff.  I've been told they make all their own sauces, but I do agree that unless you shell out the extra few bucks for seasoned sour cream, guacamole or ding sauce the food is sorta bland.  Which is a bummer since the food's already on the verge of being overpriced.  

The service has gotten a lot better since the new manager came, but it's still real spotty depending on which high-school senior or half-in-the-bag server you get (the staff always seems to be drinking behind the bar).

That being said, the place has obviously got some improvements to make. Maybe the most important being a new system for getting orders to the people making food, because I have also gotten a lot of f*cked up orders. Another thing would be staff training. But I think the quality of the food is good, the menu could use some diversity once they get the rest of their shit together.  The atmosphere is fun, and usually laid back even if there is a bunch of college bro's lined up on wing night, they have one of the best rails in town and some very creative bartenders.

Is P.Smithers the new manager, I felt like I just read an advertisement.

Mark, Chipotle is great and a decent chain.  I support local, but they taste too good to ignore.  The chicken is grilled with adobe spices and tastes much better than the watery slop that BU tries to pass as chicken.  The rest of the chains can go under, but Chipotle would be nice up here.

What turned me off to BU was when they stopped letting you order like Chipotle unless you were taking out.  I mean they REFUSE to let you order that way and eat there.  I once pretended I was taking out and then told them I changed my mind and wanted to eat in and they got really pissed off.  It was the rudest waitress I have ever seen.... Well... There was one time that was worse:

At the Brewhouse abuot 3 years ago I ordered my beer and the waitress stood 6 feet away from me and talked with a friend for 35minutes.  I am not exagerating, I watched the clock.  When she finally came she messed up my beer order by bringing me the wrong beer, took it away all pissed and then charged it to me on the bill.  It was the worst experience I ever had at any resturant.  EVER.  I don't see that waitress there anymore, but it still pisses me off when I think about it. 35 minutes...

3 years later still. Pist Pfffft smoke a joint

+1 for -Berv

P. Smithers did sound like a Swedish Mafia (love that!) representative posting.

Once again, agree with most of you who think that BU food sux. I really don't get those who like the fish tacos there. Go over to the Brewhouse and try their fish tacos. What a dichotomy if that's the correct word.

+1 for the need to get some great Mexican food in town. Chipotle, though better than BU, still is overstuffed and gross IMHO. Head down to the Twin Cities and try Boca Chica, La Cucaracha, El Burrito Mercado, a la Salsa, or best yet Barrio or Masa. 

We just need a restauranteur to get after it. Throw some nice beers in, some fine handmade Margs, and they'd kill it.

Lindo has great fish tacos and I love their shrimp tacos too. I do wonder if an OP is onto something, it does seem like most people complain about the meat used in BU's dishes. I had grilled veggies quesadillas last time I was there and they were yum.

Longest wait for a BU beer?  12 minutes

Coldest Burrito in town?  BU

Worst 'Mexican' joint in town?  Little Maggies Bait Shop. 

AKA Little Angies Cantina.  Surprisingly provided me with a little extra 'wriggling' protein once upon a chocolate 'Turtle' desert.  Seems to have survived fine without my patronage since 1999 though.

Little Angie's has the best entree sysco can provide.

@endion - My 'wriggling' comment refered to the presence of more than a few larvae squirming around in my pecan cluster.  The anthropologist in me had no problem with that.  The rest of me did.

How did a thread about a food rant turn into attacks against everybody... geesh!

I am in no way endorsed, or employed for that matter, by Burrito Union.  My roommate use to work there though.  I also went to school for management so I'm sort of ingrained to analyze why their service blows so much ... with the largest complaints seeming to be about their timeliness and accuracy.  

In the end, I know at least a few of the staff by name, so if something sucks I'm not afraid to tell them so.  I do agree they have some loose ends to tie up before they could be considered one of the better places for a casual bite to eat in town, compared to Brewhouse, Luce, etc.