The battle of the burritos

Cha Cha Cha퀌_s illustrious menu of burritos offers 17 varieties, and the staff is fast and friendly. Getting a reasonably healthy and satisfying meal including a beverage for under $5 makes Cha Cha Cha a great destination for fresh, affordable and authentic Mexican food.

Fuego Burrito Cart

In the Park Blocks between Smith and Neuberger

11 a.m.-2 :15 p.m.

Fuego퀌_s Park Block cart offers fresh and affordable burritos of the vegetarian or chicken persuasion with your choice of toppings. Fuego퀌_s huge burritos and convenient location make this cart an easy option for a fast meal between classes.

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On campus and have a hankering for fresh Mexican food? Fuego (the burrito cart between Smith and Neuberger) and Cha Cha Cha on S.W. 6th and Jackson have just what you need.

FUEGO

It was noon on the PSU campus last Monday and fumes of burrito goodness came wafting my way from Fuego. Overcome by hunger, weak and weary of the approaching school term, I turned to the burrito cart in search of nourishment. Approaching Fuego, much to my chagrin, I was instantly confused by the simple ordering process, In the hopes of imparting clarity, I퀌_ll tell you exactly how to order a burrito at Fuego. Hanging on the cart you퀌_ll find a bunch of numbered tickets bound together by a metal ring. Remove this “ordering packet” from its place and circle the burrito options that appeal to you. Once you퀌_ve done this, hold your ticket until Cris Hansen, the burrito guy, is ready to prepare your request.

Fuego Burritos

Fuego, one of an 11-cart Portland-based fleet, offers fresh and affordable burritos. They keep it simple by offering only two choices: either the vegetarian or the chicken burrito, both served with rice and black beans and topped with your choice of sour cream or yogurt, and two types of salsa. You can also add jack cheese for 50 cents. Fuego퀌_s huge burritos and convenient location make this cart an easy option for a fast meal between classes.

Fuego prepares its salsa fresh daily, ensuring a high-quality product. The grilled chicken is topped with a tasty secret sauce, giving it a unique appeal. Fuego also offers their ingredients bento style, or without the tortilla, adding a bit of diversity to the limited menu.

CHA CHA CHA

The atmosphere of this quaint taqueria is colorful, clean, and bright. With 10 or so tables inside and two outside, there퀌_s plenty of seating for diners. Formerly Ole Ole, Cha Cha Cha hasn퀌_t gone to great lengths to change the already prolific offerings of its previous tenant. And that퀌_s a good thing. At Cha Cha Cha you will be hard pressed to notice many changes. The ingredients are still very fresh and the menu similar. The prices haven�t changed either, and the food remains really good.

Cha Cha Cha offers 11 tacos for under two bucks. All are quite good. The fish tacos, filled with seasoned and breaded Pollack fillets, are very tasty.

My favorite is the chorizo taco. Topped with cilantro and onions and served on two soft corn tortillas, it incorporates a nice balance of spiced chorizo sausage and vegetables.

Cha Cha Cha Burritos

The burrito menu offers 17 varieties (fifteen carnivorous options and three vegetarian), all for under four dollars and all packed with fresh ingredients. They are large enough to satisfy a healthy appetite.

The Cha burrito with picadillo-lean ground beef, carrots, raisins, olives, potatoes, onions and tomatoes, and served with pinto beans, Spanish rice, sour cream and guacamole wrapped in a flour tortilla is a well-conceived combination that does not disappoint. For the non-meat eater, Cha Cha Cha offers a number of equally tasty vegetarian options. Among the best are the vegetarian taco with saut퀏�ed bell peppers, onions, zucchinis and tomatoes and the popular vegetarian burrito with pico de gallo, onions, zucchini, guacamole and your choice of either cheddar or jack cheese.

There aren퀌_t many places around campus that offer the freshness and affordability that Cha Cha Cha serves up daily from morning till night. In fact, one of the best things about Cha Cha Cha is its prices. For under five dollars, you can get a reasonably healthy and satisfying meal with a beverage, making Cha Cha Cha one of Portland퀌_s best destinations for fresh, affordable, and authentic Mexican food.

So if it퀌_s fresh, fast and cheap Mexican food your stomach is grumbling for, put a burrito in your mouth. When time is tight, make it a Fuego. But if you have a little more time, I recommend a stroll, or perhaps a cha cha, down to 6th and Jackson, where the choices are endlessly delicious and the prices as accommodating as the friendly staff.

Note – Number of times 퀌�burrito(s)퀌� used in article: 22