Qdoba Smothered Burritos

I was contacted by the Roaring Forks restaurant group and asked if I was interested in trying the new smothered burritos from Qdoba and sharing my thoughts on my blog. I didn't have to think long about that because I have a love-love relationship with Qdoba. The three cheese queso nachos might possibly be my go-to meal and I can't get over their chips! I taste a hint of lime on them and it's really refreshing.

My guy and I stopped into Qdoba for lunch and went all in on two smothered burritos, guacamole and chips and beverages- you know, a nice light lunch!

We got in line to order and a sample of what a smothered burrito looked like was on the counter. I told the smiley employee that I was going to dive into one of those and she explained it to me before starting the production.

She explained that the smothered burrito is more like an enchilada where all hot things go on the inside and cold items on the outside, minus the outside smother. She also shared that they were offering a queso version of the smothered burrito. The new sauces are Red Bold Chile, Smoky Chipotle Cream and Tangy Verde.

Because of my love for the Queso, I chose that option and we went to town making my burrito. Here are all the options in making the burrito.

Inside:
Whole Wheat or Flour Tortilla
Cilantro Lime White or Brown Rice
Black or Pinto Beans
Grilled Steak, Grilled Chicken, Pulled Pork, Seasoned Ground Beef, or Shredded Beef
Smoky Chipotle Cream, Bold Red Chile, Tangy Verde or Queso Smother

Outside:
Smoky Chipotle Cream, Bold Red Chile, Tangy Verde or Queso Smother (this doesn't have to be the same as what you put inside!)
Pico de Gallo, Salsa Verde, Roasted Chile Corn, Salsa Roja, Fiery Habanero Salsa
Sour Cream
Guacamole
Shredded Cheese
Lettuce

My burrito:
Flour Tortilla, Cilantro Lime White Rice, Black Beans, Grilled Chicken, Queso Smother both inside and out, shredded cheese, sour cream and pico de gallo.


My Guy went with a very similar burrito but with the Smoky Chipotle Cream Smother inside and out, and guac on the side.

They don't wrap these burritos in foil like their other ones, because of the sauces, so they are served on a plate. 

Because we didn't think those were going to fill us up (HAHA), we ordered guacamole and chips too!

Qdoba has those interesting Coca-Cola soda machines where you pick your type of soda (Coca-Cola, Mello-Yello, etc.) and then can add different flavors to it. I went with a Diet Cherry Coke and my guy went with Cherry Mello-Yello. The machines are unique and a little touchy with the buttons, but I love the end result of the soda with a little extra flavor.

 We grabbed a table and dug in!

The burritos were very large, as most Qdoba burritos are. But I think the addition of the sauce really brought them to a new level. I love the extra flavor and have I said enough about how much I love the queso yet. The meat itself is seasoned really well, but mixing it with some cheese, always makes it better. (My true Wisconsinite flare is really showing isn't it?) I can't believe it, but I dominated that burrito. And I even had room for some of the chips and guacamole. Qdoba has their guacamole perfected and it is divine! I could eat just that and chips for lunch and be very satisfied!

It definitely was more like an enchilada with the sauce on it. This makes it a bit longer of an eating process than a regular burrito because you are using a knife and fork, instead of just your mouth from the foil wrap! Nothing wrong with taking your time to eat, but I can see that being a negative for some that like a meal on the go. (I could never eat one of their burritos on the road as they are just way to big to manage for me. But I have seen some friends manage it with no issues.)

Overall, these were very filling and quite tasty. I would like to try another sauce sometime and maybe even change it up with one sauce on the outside and another on the inside. Woah - crazy talk I know. I recommend you try this sometime too! But go there very hungry!

Roaring Forks (Qdoba) provided me compensation for a post featuring their product, but the review is my own honest opinion of the product.

Premium Cocktails Without All the Work

As a woman in my early 30s, I enjoy my fair share of cocktails but sometimes I hate pulling out all the ingredients (or even having to go buy all of them) to make a margarita or cosmopolitan -- and sometimes the pre-made ones by Mike's or Smirnoff are just too sweet and don't taste right. 

Well, I think I might have found the solution. Kiss Mix Premium Liquor Cocktails sent me some of their product and asked for my honest opinion on them. I was pretty stoked when I saw the awesome insulated cooler filled with goodies show up at my door.  How cute are these cans with the lip prints on them?!

  

I just so happen to be going to a Milwaukee Brewers game with a few ladies and in Wisconsin, we tailgate before we go into the games. This was the perfect time and place to try out the cocktails. I added a blue ice pack to the cooler before leaving the house and the drinks were perfectly chilled for tailgating. 

 

Tory and Kelly were just as excited as me to try the cocktails and so we each chose one to start with. I love Cosmopolitans (and the color pink) so I started with that one. It was a pomegranite and cranberry, so it wasn't as tart as other cosmos that I have had. You can definitely taste the alcohol in them but it doesn't over power the flavor. I really liked this one - shaken over ice and it would be excellent out of the can too.

 

Tory chose the screwdriver and said that it had a really good 'real orange juice' taste to it and not a fake carbonated taste. I took a sip and agreed that it tasted really good. We also didn't notice any aluminum taste to the drinks which is good and sometimes a thing that people dislike about canned beverages.

Kelly chose the Lemon Drop and although she has never had a lemon drop shot before (the girl needs to get out - jkjk Kelly), she liked the flavor. She thought it tasted like a nice hard lemonade and on a warmer summer night, really hits the spot.

We then popped open the Margarita and Gin & Tonic to try. The Margarita was pretty good with a nice, refreshing lime taste. I'm not a Gin & Tonic fan and neither was Tory or Kelly so we weren't really sure about the taste. If they had a Vodka & Tonic version, I would be all over that. I definitely tasted tonic but I don't really know gin to know how accurate the taste was. I see on the website you can submit flavor suggestions!

We then went into the game and enjoyed a Brewers win - that didn't happen very often this season, but I still enjoy watching my guys take the field and rack up some hits. And....there is always next year!

I recommend trying these Kiss Mix Premium Liquor Cocktails the next time you are looking to have a premium drink without all the effort. They do really resemble the taste of the real thing. The alcohol content is 8% per each 8oz can and they are made with natural flavors.

And, because they are in cans, you can take these to places that fancy glasses can't go - such as beaches, pools, boats, etc. 

I was shopping at Woodman's this past weekend and saw that they carry the Kiss Mix Cocktails and the packages also had rebates on them - so take advantage and go out and get one. I also see from the Kiss Mix website, they are found at a few stores in the area.


Kiss Mix Premium Liquor Cocktails provided me a goody bag of their beverages. Although I was provided the product, the review is my own honest opinion of the product.