Mission Burrito in Leicester

*2018 update: Mission Burrito in Leicester has now sadly closed*

Last week I reviewed Deliveroo (the new restaurant delivery service in Leicester), with a promise to review the actual food I had delivered from Mission Burrito.

When I saw that another Mexican fast food place was opening up in the same location as the recently closed down Mexican joint, Chilacas, I can’t say I was overly excited. I had been to Chilacas on a few occasions and was always left feeling disappointed. The veggies were always soggy, the rice flavorless and the guacamole clearly shipped in frozen (you can tell because it has a sticky consistency and is a weird, neon green color). I figured Mission Burrito would just be another incarnation of this place. Well, I was wrong.

I first stopped into Mission Burrito on a Saturday evening after a bike ride to take a couple burritos back home. The decor is simple compared to the previous restaurant, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’d rather have a simple restaurant with good food than a gimmicky atmosphere that serves up subpar grub.

I ordered a veggie burrito with a whole wheat tortilla (nice to have the option!). You are then given a choice of black or pinto beans, but the server kindly informed me that the pinto beans have bacon in them, so only the black beans are ok for vegetarians and vegans. I had them stuff my burrito with grilled peppers, beans, rice, salad and some zingy hot sauce. I also ordered guacamole and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was freshly made and looked lovely. When I commented on this, the manager said they prepare all their food fresh in-store that day, rather than having it shipped in frozen like others do. I have to say – the manager was really enthusiastic about their branch, the restaurant and the food. It’s always nice to go places where the staff take pride in their shop or restaurant.

When I tried the burrito back home, it was really good! Needless to say I was surprised – especially as I didn’t feel it needed anything else (like salt or extra hot sauce).

When we ordered food for lunch from Deliveroo a couple weeks later I went for the burrito salad bowl, which is basically the same thing as the burrito but without a tortilla. The salad was huge and incredibly filling – especially if you manage to eat it all like I did 😉 What I especially liked was that they weren’t stingy with the guacamole like most places are – they really load it on. Big thanks to Mission Burrito for feeding my avocado habit.

If that weren’t enough avocado, I also ordered a side of chips and guacamole. The guac was delicious (as already mentioned), and the chips were really tasty too. They had a nice corn flavor and just the right amount of saltiness.

All in all I really like this little Mexican fast food stop. Sure, it might not be the most authentic Mexican food, but you won’t find that in England anyway (I’m from Arizona – we’re spoiled out there). But it is a great option when you’re craving something different. I hope they stick around.