Taco Del Mar's Mojito Burrito
By kmikeym from May 24, 2006
Right away one is struck with how fun it is to say "mojito burrito". Walking by Taco Del Mar I saw a window sign advertising the new Mojito Burrito and I was impressed that little Taco Del Mar was inventing such a bold new food. The 'Mojito Burrito (TM)' was announced one month ago today on April 24th when Taco Del Mar unveiled their new multi-million dollar advertising campaign showing people enjoying their newest product offering. If you've ever seen a Taco Del Mar commercial you will agree that the one thing Taco Del Mar should not send press releases out about is these commercials. They are terrible.
But regardless of the terrible television commercials, the Mojito Burrito (TM) caught my attention. A mojito is, according to wikipedia, "traditionally made of five ingredients: mint, rum, powdered sugar, lime juice, and club soda." These are not things I would think would make good burrito fillings (well, maybe mint and lime), but the design of the advertising (part of that multi-million dollar campaign no doubt) was clearly selling this burrito on it's close relationship to the drink favored by Ernest Hemingway.
After entering Taco Del Mar, it was like a mojito-advertising attack squad had just left. Everything was saying MOJITO. When I told them I wanted the "Mojito Burrito (TM)" I was asked what kind of wrap. This sort of threw me as I expected the Mojito Burrito (TM) was a pre-set list of special ingredients. So I picked a wrap (whole wheat), and then I picked the style of beans (black), and the meat (chicken), and basically everything else. The only difference between the mojito burrito and a regular burrito was the sauce they used. Mojito sauce.
I paid for my burrito and looked at the receipt:
Ticket #: 17 Register 1 - 19471617 Wed, May 24 2006 - 12:58:10 PM Cashier: Wand S ------------------ 1 JMB CHK BUR 4.99 1 SML DRINK 1.39 ------------------ Subtotal: 6.38 Tax: 0.00 Total: 6.38 Credit: 6.38 Change: 0.00
No mention of mojito. I didn't see this as a good sign. Sitting down I quietly unwrapped my burrito and took a hesitant bite. It tasted like Taco Del Mar. I took another bite, thinking perhaps the sauce wasn't evenly spread out. I started eating faster, trying to ignore the flavors I was accustomed with and seeking out the hidden and mysterious new flavor of that much-advertised sauce! IT HAD TO BE THERE! Before I knew it I was looking at a pile of crumpled tin foil. My burrito was gone, and I never tasted any mojito.
In my post-burrito funk, sipping on my Coke, I thought to myself, "Am I just not able to detect it? Is it such a subtle flavor that my crude sense of taste dulled from years of speed-eating have left me unable to taste that presumably delicious mojito sauce?" I was wrecked. But I wasn't giving up that easily.
I asked for a side of the mojito sauce, explaining that I thought my burrito masked too much of the flavor. He seemed unsurprised and filled a large dipping container full of the precious green sauce. I took it back to my table and tentatively dipped a chip into it. I lifted it to my mouth, my mouth starting to water, and I paused for a moment. This was it. The entire essence of the Mojito Burrito (TM). The subject of a multi-million dollar advertising campaign. This was like eating money.
The first flavor was a mild green chile salsa vibe, followed by the oily and salty chip. I waited for the mint and lime explosion. I waited for the mint and lime explosion.
I waited for the mint and lime explosion.
I took another swallow of Coke. It wasn't me. My sense of taste was fine. The problem was simply an incredibly under-whelming sauce being promoted as a new food. They lied to me. They lied to all of us. Taco Del Mar Franchising Corporation went so far as to trademark the words Mojito Burrito based on "a proprietary tangy lime-cilantro sauce" which tastes nothing like a mojito.
<< | Posted on May 24, 2006 at 2:36 PM | >>
Oh I have! There is a reason this became the "it" drink and still remains a staple. It is by far one of the best things to order (though sometimes they are a bit pricey and I have heard that some bartenders complain they are hard to make).
Posted by Mikey @ May 24, 2006 3:51 PM
Many bars don't like to stock fresh mint, because you really only use it for mojitos and mint juleps, and it's perishable. Bars in restaurants are usually stocked, tho.
Posted by freddy @ May 24, 2006 4:05 PM
p.s. What other travesties could this new trend lead us to? Manhattan tuna melts? Jaeger burgers? White russian Kettle chips?
Posted by freddy @ May 24, 2006 4:17 PM
Maybe it's for the best. I'm a big fan of mojitos, but I can't imagine them transforming to burrito form and tasting good.
Also, I kind of like the TDM commercials. "Taste Fufilled." Cheesy, but in a really comforting way.
Posted by mokin @ May 24, 2006 4:47 PM
That mojito sauce looks just like the regular green chili. Hmm...I sense an overstocking of regular green chili and a marketing scheme. Plus, obviously a mojito burrito should be in a green tortilla.
Posted by Liz @ May 25, 2006 2:31 PM
Some place close to where I work once had $2 Mojito happy hours and, in true Tapas tradition, all the free mini-Cuban sandwitches and calamari fritas you could snarf down. SUPERBOWL XXXVIV made them permanently raise their prices- the end of an era. They served their drinks with a little stick of sugarcane. Oh how many saturday mornings I and the person whose house I woke up in ralfed up squid and minty lawnclippings after a friday night of drinking the horrors of the workplace off our minds. If I could remember any of those evenings a little more clearly, I'm sure I would be nostalgic.
To me, "mojito burrito" sounds like a mixture between hangover comfort food and the proverbial "hair of the dog".
Posted by rev @ June 7, 2006 9:11 AM
Mojito sauce (wonderful) shouldn't be confused with mojito cocktail (also wonderful). It's a Cuban condiment, light on the chilis & heavy on the garlic, with lots of orange and lime. Not even sure if mint comes into it at all.
Trader Joe's sells an acceptable version; try it!
ohiggins
Posted by Keith @ July 3, 2006 11:57 AM
Your assessment of the Mojito Burrito (TM) is dead on!
I, too, went to a Taco Del Mar expecting some wonderful concoction - what I got was a Taco Del Mar burrito. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I fully expected a lot of lime and / or mint in the salsa / sauce, and it was lacking.
I think we'd all be better off if we just get a burrito and eat it while we drink a mojito (or four or five).
Posted by Falcon @ July 9, 2006 1:09 PM
the reason your burrito did not taste like a mojito is because your support to use mint and not cilantro i know because i make the sauce for my family
Posted by jii @ August 29, 2006 9:48 AM
Keith had it right - Mojito is the name of a sauce as well as the name of a drink. Mojito (sauce) is made of garlic crushed in a mortor with salt, to which is added chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice and olive oil. I've seen recipes (the better ones) that include fresh lemon and orange juice. Also, many cooks include a bit of white vinegar to balance the sweetness of the fresh juices.
Here are some receipe variations:
http://www.recipezaar.com/8725
http://www.elagasse.com/mojolagas.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/30/AR2006053000250_pf.html
Posted by Foodlover @ September 23, 2006 11:04 AM
They should have gone with a name like THE NEW TDM Burrito, cuz thats all it is...a Taco Del Mar Burrito. The whole point of a Mojitio flavored anything is that it in some way tastes like (if only a little bit) a mojito. I was totally let down.
Posted by burritobummer @ February 8, 2007 12:39 PM
The obvious next choice is the Margarita Fajita. Oh!
Posted by Rico Del Mar @ August 3, 2007 10:38 PM
I NEED to see the commercial for this! Assist a brother in his search.
Posted by Dax @ October 24, 2007 6:40 PM
well I never see that commercial but I tried the mojito burrito so many time and I think is the best , the cilantro and lime sauce call mojitos taste like the real green mexican sauce :) I don't care the price I will still eating at taco del mar !!
Posted by sara @ October 25, 2007 6:54 PM
well I never see that commercial but I tried the mojito burrito so many time and I think is the best , the cilantro and lime sauce call mojitos taste like the real green mexican sauce :) I don't care the price I will still eating at taco del mar !!
Posted by sara @ October 25, 2007 6:58 PM
well I never see that commercial but I tried the mojito burrito so many time and I think is the best , the cilantro and lime sauce call mojitos taste like the real green mexican sauce :) I don't care the price I will still eating at taco del mar !!
Posted by sara @ October 25, 2007 6:58 PM
well I never see that commercial but I tried the mojito burrito so many time and I think is the best , the cilantro and lime sauce call mojitos taste like the real green mexican sauce :) I don't care the price I will still eating at taco del mar !!
Posted by sara @ October 25, 2007 6:59 PM
well I never see that commercial but I tried the mojito burrito so many time and I think is the best , the cilantro and lime sauce call mojitos taste like the real green mexican sauce :) I don't care the price I will still eating at taco del mar !!
Posted by sara @ October 25, 2007 6:59 PM
well I never see that commercial but I tried the mojito burrito so many time and I think is the best , the cilantro and lime sauce call mojitos taste like the real green mexican sauce :) I don't care the price I will still eating at taco del mar !!
Posted by sara @ October 25, 2007 7:00 PM
Post a comment:
Okay, BUT, have you ever had a mojito? If you have never had a mojito, all is not lost, because maybe the whole purpose of this adventure was to open your eyes to the existence of the finest cocktail ever ever ever invented. Go to a GOOD cocktail bar (or better yet, a Cuban restaurant) where they take their mojitos seriously, and get yourself one. You will be sure you have died and gone to heaven.
Posted by lucie @ May 24, 2006 3:39 PM