I found it impossible to find this burrito bowl hidden lunch spot in Hanover, NH reviews until ... I found and entered the name of the restaurant in a web search. The burrito bowl-style menu is similar to a Chipotle offering but without the big franchise ownership attached. There are 3 locations, total, at time of reviewing. The prices are on the higher side but I believe it is because of the quality of the ingredients. The ingredients do taste absolutely fresh and it's a B Corp. So, they pay their employees $15 p/h, use bamboo bowls, naturally-raised meats and organic tofu and have certain causes which they support.
Walking in, I immediately smelled a seasoning that I'm not used to smelling when I walk into a Mexican-based restaurant. I thought it might be cumin, but the chef said while they do use cumin, it's only in one recipe. I guess I smelled something like chili seasonings instead of the smell of roasted meats, so maybe they were preparing a sauce, or something.
I really liked how friendly the employees were and the layout of the restaurant. The crew were helpful.
The row of two booths is only for thin or small customers. I couldn't feel comfortable in one of those booths - no room - so we moved to the booths along the wall.
I loved the artwork on the long wall! It was gorgeous and nice to know they support a local artist. I asked about what the BCorp aspect of the business supported and the employee told me she wasn't sure but to look on the back wall. I was too distracted by the gorgeous and colorful artwork to get back to the wall to eventually find out what the missions of the B-corp were. I also looked on the website for what their cause, but on a quick peruse, I couldn't find anything. Feel free to leave comments on this to help I and others, please. :)
Things to make sure to try while you are here: the chocolate chip cookies, the mango salsa, the brown rice with cilantro and the nacho chips. The rice, especially, was good because it wasn't too brown and earthy.
The guac had a vinegar flavor, which might be a regional New England style of prep here, since I've tasted that vinegar flavor in my guacamole before at another place. It's like those here up north like their guac tart with tang, but I'm not sure. I prefer just a slight lime taste.
I tried the Teriyaki OG bowl. This is roasted broccoli, roasted carrots, caramelized onions, teriyaki sauce and rice. My advice: do get the teriyaki sauce on the side, or get it reduced in the amount of sauce they offer. The sauce was overpowering and had a less-than-homemade taste to it. The carrots are strongly and freshly marinated, which was a tasty surprise and would be good without swimming in the sauce. We got tofu added to our bowl and that was good. I did end up ordering another side of $3 rice after the fact to balance out the amount of sauce flavoring to it, however, instead of complaining about "my bowl was smothered in sauce."
We also got the Summer Bowl with black beans, melted cheese, mango salsa and brown rice with cilantro. I don't recall any melted cheese flavor, but maybe it was the cojita. Loved the mango sauce: it tasted fresh and homemade. You can pick any protein. The grilled chicken was fine. I wonder what the carnitas taste like. Guessing the flavor is traditional. I also did not try the Magic Loco Sauce, but it sounds intriguing, for sure.
Boloco bills itself as Modern Mexican, and since I don't know about what makes it modern, I wonder if it's basically the sauces and seasonings vs. the cooking preparation since the offering is basically a burrito and burrito bowl shop.
I found a bottled green chili siracha on the table made in China, yet it tasted like a nice Thai sauce instead of a garlicky hot sauce. This hot sauce was not at all the flavor I was expecting because it was more velvety hot on the taste buds than crisp and spicy. (It's interesting that this sauce is made in China given that Siracha originated in Thailand.) So, if you want a Thai flavor at Boloco, and aren't going to dine at the nearby TukTuk Thai restaurant for the real deal, order the Boloco OG Bowl with no sauce and use a bit of the Green Siracha hot sauce on the table, to your liking. I loved that there was also a Tabasco brand Siracha - made stateside - on the table, as well. Didn't try it out of this trip.
The nacho chips are delicious! They are not too course, sturdy and salty.
Get the chocolate chip cookies because they are very good. Homemade and tasty. And they looked homemade, as well, which made them charming.
Also, I got the bottled Coke vs. the Mexican bottle of Coke. Usually the bottles from Mexico are a bit more hyped. My bottled soda was energizing which is probably excellent for students.
Finally, I loved that after eating this meal that I had energy, instead of feeling sluggish. This is credited to a campus restaurant which decides to offer a higher-end version of a Chipotle with B-Corp values. read more