Raging Burrito and Taco - Decatur Atlanta Georgia

You can find Raging Burrito and Taco at 141 Sycamore St, Decatur, GA 30030. This is the strip of stores and businesses behind the Decatur Square when faced from Ponce. Parking is both good and bad for this area - in general it sucks a bit due to how busy it is, especially around prime feeding times. The good news is that there's a bunch of on street parking and nearby lots. The bad news is that pretty much everything is pay-to-park but Decatur did a pretty smart thing and put technically advanced meters in place so you can use a credit card - you can also input your mobile and if you start running out of time you can pay for more from your mobile - it's awesome.

This is my first visit to Raging Burrito - it seems like every time I've wanted to go in the past there was a wait and frankly too many other restaurants nearby to hold out for this one. Fortunately I was with a group who had either called called ahead or waited it out (they were already seated when I arrived) so no wait for me. The interior of this place is typical for this row of buildings - exposed brick walls with a mix of industrial and modern fixtures, and some eclecticism like a wall of African-styled masks. There's additional seating to the back and also a hidden patio.

The food is Tex-Mex with a focus on jumbo burritos and their "World Famous" margaritas. They also have a handful of local craft brews on tap, but on this late afternoon I went for the margarita - quite tasty and served in a pint glass so enough to whet-your-whistle for a while.

We started with an Appetizer Trio (choice of dips - we went with Raging Avocado Sauce, Homemade Guacamole and Queso Dip - all were quite good and the chips very fresh, served warm.

Dinner included lots of beans, melty cheese, salsa fresca and plenty of cilantro on pretty much everything. I thought the food quite good as were the margaritas.

The service was a bit iffy - the party included 8 people and the place was busy - we had to hunt for a server a few times to get basics like water, napkins and setups. I think we would have stayed for an extra round if it had been better. In general the experience was 3.5 stars but I feel like being generous and will round up to 4/5.

(also published to Yelp)

Willys Mexicana Grill - Brookhaven Atlanta Georgia

You can find this location of Willy's Mexicana Grill at 3883 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta GA 30319. This is the Kroger Cherokee Plaza just south of the Brookhaven MARTA station. Parking is out front of this very busy parking lot - be careful entering and exiting as the drivers in this part of town are known for their below-average intelligence and skill ad navigating the roads.

As my devoted readers know, I'm a big fan of the giant-burrito concept, having developed a love for the "log of love" from back in the Tortilla's days (if you haven't been around, Tortilla's used to occupy a spot on Ponce De Leon Ave that coincided with my living and working in the Little Five Points/Ponce/Highlands area). The idea is that you pack a large flower tortilla with beans, rice, lettuce, cheese, pico de gallo and meat - usually chicken, beef or pork - to capacity and serve it wrapped in foil. You then casually unwrap this package while adding tomatilla verde or spicy red salsa as you devour it to the bottom of the wrap, while eating a few chips for texture. It's really a very simple and beautiful thing, which many have emulated (Chipotle, which isn't bad and Moe's, which only accomplishes this marginally come to mind). Of all the local burrito shops, I think Willy's Mexicana Grill is the best local chain.

In this incarnation of Willy's, you'll find many of the new fixtures, interior refinements and most importantly, the giant overhead ducting that redirects the cooking odors to the outside. You'll also find a pseudo-deck (sort of a glass-enclosed porch) so you can sit in the semi-cold of winter without your but freezing to the seats (in the summer it seems a bit too warm and muggy to me). In any case, I've been wanting to drop by this location and I found the interior to be clean and the food familiar. Service was a bit underwhelming - the guy took a stale burrito shell and gave it about a second of steam before trying to wrap - of course it fell apart and he had to build it again. It was about as unspectacular as I've seen at a Willy's (compared to my recent visit to a newly opened Kennesaw location which was fantastic, this one left me high-and-dry).

The food as usual was tasty but this time I passed up the nasty "Roasted Tomato Fiery Hot Salsa" - I still don't know what they were thinking with that steaming burnt pudding of fail - hopefully they're replace it was something truly worth eating. In any case, this location, based on my first visit, rates a 3/5.

-- John


(also posted to Yelp)

Willy's Mexicana Grill - Chastain Rd - Kennesaw Georgia

You can find this location of Willy's Mexicana Grill at 600 Chastain Road NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144 - this is the stretch of Chastain that stretches between I75 and I675 just north of Town Center Mall and host of several restaurants and of course a Starbucks. Parking is in the lots out front and to the sides but be warned that it's a high traffic area and a bit difficult to navigate around the divided roads - I'm not sure what the developers were thinking when they provided these buildings for restaurants - actually I doubt if they took much time to think through the traffic at all, after experiencing this area a few times myself.

This Willy's is one of their "new concept" done in a high design, industrial-modern style - quite beautiful inside as these types of restaurants go - love the stainless hood that rolls up from the food prep areas to the high ceilings. Those of you who know me also know that I'm a big fan of Willy's - it's become a staple for me to visit the location at the Publix near the Concourse which has provided me with fantastic food for over 10 years. I was quite excited to try this new Willy's and thrilled to see the interior.

We went through the line much like I have at previous locations - the staff was good about asking the right questions and building my burrito and everything looked and went quite well. At the sauce station I noticed a new selection - Roasted Tomato Fiery Hot Salsa and of course I had to try it. The food was good and consistent but wow - that new salsa is a total failure - it basically tasted like burnt mush - ugh. I don't know what Willy's was thinking introducing this one. Stick with the habanero, chipotle or tomatillo.

In any case, other than the disgusting new salsa, the food was consistent, the restaurant spotless and the interior amazing. I've now visited a few times and the experience every time has been a good one. Still sucks trying to get out of the lot though.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)
 

Takorea - Dunwoody at Georgetown Shopping Center

You can find this location of Takorea at 4474 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Atlanta, GA 30338 in front of the Georgetown Shopping Center in the old Guthrie's location. While the former Guthrie's was a good option for fried chicken, with so many other options nearby it had a hard time competing. Nice to find a Takorea now at the same location, this time with additional outside seating via a covered patio. Limited parking to the front, but plenty in the Georgetown lot.

I first became aware of the Takorea in midtown and ate there one evening with friends during trivia night. I later sampled the parent location, Hankook Taqueria on Collier Rd in West Atlanta. This location has the same awesome food but with the same fast-casual, order-at-the-counter vibe. During lunch the line often extends out the door. It's easier to spot the ready marquee near Chamblee Dunwoody Rd - just know that the restaurant is closest to the road and is stand-alone, unlike those businesses that are incorporated into the main shopping center row anchored by Kroger (so it's not in the same building at Starbucks, Goldberg's or Farmburger - all also excellent options, by the way).

I've been coming to this Takorea since it opened mid-2014 and somehow have selfishly visited over a dozen times without more than a passing review. This shopping center is conveniently located between my work (near 400) and my home near spaghetti junction, so it's super, super convenient for a quick bite or as a place to camp while traffic works itself out. They have a few decent local beers on the menu so I can sit on the patio and watch the messy roads while sipping a brew and maybe a taco or two.

If you haven't tried the Koran taco yet it's quite a treat. This involves the spicy and sweet flavors usually reserved for grilled Korean food, inside of a soft tortilla or wrapped in a burrito. The flavors are super complimentary and just lend themselves well to one-another - and you also get the convenience of wrapped food. I like to bring people who haven't had Korean and might have some fear of the cuisine here to Takorea and have been very successful in converting them to Korean cuisine.

Speaking of bringing people here, this is a great lunch hangout but I would suggest that you either come earlier or later as I've already written, the line can go out the door. The interior is part Mex-brightness and part Asian with robot-looking guys prancing around the room - quite fanciful-whimsical. The menu is broken down into three main categories, Snacks, Tacos and Burritos. You order from a simple paper menu at the counter, grab your drink and sit with a numbered stand. Someone brings you your food and then it's a race to not woof everything down too fast and actually enjoy your food.

Here are some highlights of items I've sampled:

Sesame Frieds - Tossed in sesame oil and red pepper flakes. These are delicious but some of my friends, who I later found out did not like sesame oil and which is a prevalent flavor in Korean cooking, did not like them. Otherwise they are crisp, slightly tangy with the nutty flavor profile.

Quesadilla - bulgogi (Korean marinated beef), roasted onions and jack cheese. Move over carne asada, this version is sweet-savory and an excellent introduction food. Ask for a side of hot sauce (GQ Dip made with Gochujang).

Man-doo - the traditional Korean dumpling - sic fried dumplings, filled with ginger scallion pork.

Gogi-nachos - chips and jack cheese topped with bulgogi - I liked these but the portion really should be doubled. Make sure you get extra jalapenos.

Kimchee Fried Rice - your basic fried rice made with hot sauce (Gochujang) - really delicious with great mouth feel. 

Bibim-bop - beef, gevetables, fried egg w/pepper sauce on rice. I know I'm supposed to like this dish but it's never been one of my favorites (here or elsewhere - my mom didn't make it). I think it's the cold/hot relationship that doesn't work for me.

Of the Tacos, I've tried the Chicken (both fried and BBQ), Beef, Pork, Fish and Shrimp. I like getting the three taco special with one of each flavor.

Burritos - I've had the Chicken, Beef and Pork, all delicious but I do wish they were about 25% bigger.

Entree Salad - I prefer the chicken over the beef, but I generally like that combination with lettuce. Ask for a side of the hot sauce.

In all, I thing you'll enjoy this place - kick back with a local craft, a handful of tacos and a side of the fried rice and you'll leave with a smile and a warm belly. Enjoy!

-- John