The guys behind the counter are friendly, but that's no reason to head back to Chido. In fact, I…read morecan't think of a reason to go back. I was craving a burrito the other day, and my colleague mentioned a place--she'd forgotten the name--just down the street. It was Chido. I tried Chido on Mouffetard years ago, and was disappointed with the selection, the cleanliness, the end result. Would this branch be any different? No, it wasn't. Cleaner, perhaps, but that's it.
It's a small joint with stools as chairs and wooden paneling throughout. You stand in line to order, and then stand in line while they prepare your food. It seems as though they wanted to be different from Chipotle, and said "Hey, let's have customers place orders first and THEN prep the burritos!" While this may work for some fast food places, it doesn't work in this tiny place: there's a backlog of people at the cash register and out the door, and not enough counter space or manpower for the guys to fill the orders. Then, there is inevitably the customer who reaches the second line and says "oh, but I'd rather substitute the coleslaw for..." Nope. Too late, you already paid.
Speaking of coleslaw, that is the ingredient that made my burrito the most unburrito-like burrito possible (yet it's a staple on the menu). I felt like I was biting into a mediocre wrap (who puts cabbage and mayonnaise in a burrito?) with no hint of Mexican flavor. No Tex, no Mex. Please don't call yourself a Mexican restaurant if you can't get the basics right.
I'm not sure if it was the strange flavor mix or the excess cabbage, but that wrap (and its corn chips and subpar guacamole) didn't sit right the rest of the day.
