The Justice

Media Credit: Amy Melser An employee at Tango Mango offers up one of the restaurant's generous meal portions.

Chipotle enthusiasts, listen up: The burrito shop Tango Mango recently expanded its locations. With an original location in Newton, Mass., the restaurant is now also located at 484 Moody St. in Waltham. The fare is slightly more authentic than Chipotle's and the restaurant has a more homemade atmosphere, but meal prices at the two restaurants are similar. The cooks in the back make the food and then bring it to the front of the store where customers can view what they are getting through a window. A selection of meat, chicken, beans, rice, lettuce, salsas, guacamole, cheese, etc. can be added at the customer's discretion. Additionally, the restaurant feels more family-friendly as opposed to a mass-marketed chain. Tango Mango is also clean and, unlike at Chipotle, you do not reek when you leave. The interior design is kitschy but inviting.

The server behind the counter asked my friends and me what we wanted to order from the uncomplicated menu written on a chalkboard and immediately took a premade tortilla out of a plastic bag. Would I taste the difference if the tortilla came from a supermarket or was homemade? Maybe not, but at Tango Mango you are not getting homemade tortillas. The bland and chewy burrito casing left much to be desired.

However, Stacey Frish '12 judges her food by the protein components and said that the chicken is decent. The chicken in my dish was also very lean and had a texture as if it were boiled; that fall-off-the-bone feel is unbeatable. Moreover, I could taste chunks of chicken; I hate when the chicken is chopped into baby food. Yet I felt that there was way too much rice in the burrito and not enough tasty chicken. The portion size of the burrito was generous, but if you factor in the ratio of chicken to rice, it was definitely skewed.

An expert on fast Mexican food, California native Alisa Wecker '12 thought Tango Mango could have been "fresher." She said the food felt as if it had been sitting too long, and there weren't enough vibrant flavors. Thus, the salsa was mild and dreary, similar to something from Usdan. However, it had more flavor than the guacamole. Jenny Golster '12 did not enjoy it with our tortilla chips. It was creamy but not dreamy green mush. The tortilla chips had a nice crunch and weren't too salty. The condiments were supposed to complement them, but they were better by themselves. The chips sit under a warm lamp and are served in a brown bag, like a Mexican version of the French fry.

Overall, we were served boring but filling dishes. When I initially ordered my burrito, the server asked if I like spicy foods and recommended a pork dish. I do not eat pork, nor do I like spicy foods, so I might have missed out on the opportunity to try their best dish. Nonetheless, I ended up getting a bland burrito. There are definitely ways to make tasty dishes without adding hot sauce. Thus, I was disappointed. If only the colorful floral designs on the tables and brightly painted walls were analogous to the food. If you ever want to satisfy Mexican food cravings Tango Mango may do the trick. But if you have time to sit, Taqueria Mexico on Charles Street has more flavor and authenticity and is worth the wait.

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