By Tyler Yank
Please excuse me if I’m being too forward, but I have a secret to share: I hate lunch. Honestly, it is the most confusing meal – there are too many options, it is too soon in the day. I only finished my Cheerios two hours ago, gang. Now I’m supposed to be consuming big meaty sandwiches and thick soups? Sushi and noodles at this time of day? Really? We’re doing this?

For too long, I would easily spend half of my lunch hour pacing the office, bugging my co-workers for restaurant suggestions, and ultimately end up listening to my stomach growl. My indecision would usually lead me to have yet another bagel and chai tea for lunch. Nutrition fail. Luckily, one day a friend asked me to meet her for lunch at Burritoville. First, let’s just make one thing clear: if someone is going to name a restaurant Burritoville, there is a 100% chance I will eat there, and so will you. The heavens may or may not have sung that day.

Located on Bishop Street, just north of de Maisonneuve, Burritoville easily boasts some of the tastiest, healthiest, vegetarian Tex-Mex food in the city. A favourite among Concordia students, the fresh and affordable burritos, tacos and quesadillas leave you questioning why you ever eat anything that is not filled with sweet potato. While plates typically hover around the $10 mark, for a few extra dollars, their iced tea and raspberry lemonade – served in tall glasses – are more than worth it. Oh, and choosing a side dish is officially a competitive sport: three types of nacho chips (black bean, chipotle or corn) available with several homemade salsa options, not to mention a quinoa salad, a sprout salad, and a daily soup. Fact: I’m out of breath just writing about it.

Housed in a three-storey, old-style Victorian home, Burritoville also serves up dinner with an accompaniment of exceptional local talent. Upstairs, you’ll find an adorable stage, a grand piano and a stocked bar – poetry readings and performances by local singer-songwriters are the general fare. Of course, I have a personal penchant for Wednesday afternoons: a casual cello/drum/guitar jam session in the main dining room, as I eat (read: inhale) my roasted vegetable quesadilla.

Burritoville also exemplifies how simple ‘going green’ can be. All food is organically grown and/or locally produced, leftovers (blasphemy!) are composted, and all packaging is biodegradable. The best part: they now deliver (by bicycle, of course) to a huge swath of downtown and Plateau.

Hear that? That’s the sound of my lunch dreams coming true.

Where: 2055 Rue Bishop
When: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 11pm
Pay: Cash, Debit, Visa, Mastercard.
Call: 514-286-2776

http://www.burritoville.ca/