Ever since the news broke that the Northern Ireland established burrito chain Boojum was bringing its first England burrito bar to Leeds, there has been a burrito-based buzz and anticipation in and around this fantastic city.
Admittedly, Mexican cuisine isn’t my usual go-to, but with the hype building, it was time to get involved and find out what all the fuss was about at Boojum.
Since the launch and official opening of the Leeds branch on 11th April, there has been a steady queue inside and outside the building, to sample these freshly made Mexican street food delights; testament in itself to how good the food must be and we were excited to find out for ourselves.
True to form, when our taxi pulled up there was indeed a queue, but the efficiency of the staff working the burrito bar means the queue moves quickly. Waiting patiently, we took in the décor – colourful panels of corrugated tin and wall art adorned with their tagline “Live Out Loud Food.” Soon enough, we were at the front and ready to choose our vessel and from the vast array of ingredients that would go inside it.
With the humble flour tortilla centred around Mexican cuisine, there is a choice of burrito and fajita wraps, soft or hard-shell tacos, plus burrito and salad bowls as lighter options. There’s also a selection of nachos to choose from; veggie, chilli or plain and a choice of additional toppings such as guacamole, salsa, and sour cream, amongst others.
When in Rome, it had to be the burrito for me. My dining partner had recently started a diet, so opted for a salad bowl. That’s the beauty of this way of dining; it easily lends itself to all types of dietary requirements.
With so many mouth-watering ingredients to choose from, their simple 5-step process was a welcome one:
Step 1: Rice & Beans; Step 2: Meat Fillings; Step 3: Salsas; Step 4: Cheese & Sour Cream; Step 5: Extras
My burrito selection consisted of Mexican rice, black beans, beef barbacoa, corn salsa, salsa verde, cheese and sour cream, plus lettuce which is included as standard. My dining partner opted for the pork carnitas, cheese, sour cream, tomato salsa and jalapenos, all laid on a bed of crispy iceberg lettuce.
On the side, we chose chilli nachos as well as the more traditional choice topped with tomato salsa, sour cream, guacamole and cheese. After a quick assembly, we were handed our chosen meals and found a table to get stuck in at.
I have to say, there is some serious weight to these burritos; value for money for sure, especially when you consider the freshness of the ingredients.
As we tucked in to our burrito and salad, we both agreed that the food was loaded with fresh flavours and it was clear to see what all the fuss and excitement about Boojum was about.
The nachos had the perfect crunch, but we both favoured the traditional ones over the chilli nachos which for us, seemed a little heavy on tomato flavour, instead of earthy cumin notes which you would usually expect from a chilli con carne.
The Leeds restaurant doesn’t serve alcohol [yet], but I was perfectly happy with my bottle of Jarritos Mandarin Soda, a refreshing Mexican soda designed to awaken the palate with every sip – and my fellow dining partner opted for good old-fashioned Adams Ale.
As delicious as the burrito was, there was no way I was going to finish it in one sitting, and with an abundance of nachos still to be consumed, there was only one option… takeout! We asked one of the friendly staff members if we could take the rest to-go and within a few minutes she returned with our colourful Boojum takeout bags, ready for the leftovers to be finished at home.
Boojum has well and truly put Mexican street food on the Leeds map. This burrito bar may be small in stature, but for that, it makes up with its bold Boojum flavours!
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Review and images by Sarah Cox @coxys_kitchen
