An.n. Arbor
6F- New Student Edition
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
THE GREAT DEBATE
BTB Burrito vs. Panchero's
Politics, sports, music, which party to go to - all of these petty arguments you might wage with your fellow Michigan students pale in comparison to
one of the most polarizing debates in all of Ann Arbor: Which burrito do you prefer? In these dueling columns, two Daily staffers butt heads in the classic
Burrito Battle while trying to convince you which restaurant, BTB Burrito or Panchero's, is the best on campus.
CHANEL VON HABSBURGLOTHRINGEN/Daily CHANEL VON HABSBURG-LOTHRINGEN/Daily
BTB Burrito, which originated in Ann Arbor, serves cheap, fast and delicious burritos until 4 a.m. ' Panchero's is known for its fresh ingredients, including tortillas that are made-to-order.
BTB is a unique experience It all starts with fresh tortillas
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oryearsmy adversarieshave
tried to push the argument
that Panchero's burritos are
the best in Ann
Arbor, better
than home-
town favorite
BTB Burrito.
I strongly dis-
agree, but I'm
not going to
oversell my
case and tell GABE
you that Pan- NELSON
chero's is terri- _
ble. For a quick
lunchtime fix,
Panchero's is fine. So are Qdoba,
Chipotle, Salsarita's and almost all
the other burrito places that have
sprung up in Ann Arbor over the
last few years.
But BTB is something special.
Named "Big Ten Burrito" until
a certain college athletics con-
ference forced the restaurant to
change its name, BTB is an Ann
Arbor original that opened in
2004. The restaurant has been
incredibly successful because, in
addition to serving tasty Mexican
fare, it has become a destination.
More than any restaurant near
campus, BTB comes alive at night,
particularly after the bars let out
and parties disperse.
The first time I went to the res-
taurant's cramped original loca-
tion on South State Street, I was
surprised. The place has just eight
seats and is hardly bigger than a
dorm room, but customers cram
in and form lines out the door.
You'll see and hear the strangest
things at BTB (in my experience,
that means men dressed as prin-
cesses wearing full makeup and
eating chimichangas) but with
the friendly service and clientele,
you'll never feel out of place. Going
to BTB is more than getting a bite
to eat - it is an experience you'll
rarely find outside a college town.
Panchero's, in contrast; has
generic Tex-Mex design and plen-
.tiful-but-usually-empty seating
space, making a trip to the restau-
rant as dull and uninspiring as its
food. On top of that, the employees
must be told to act surly and cold,
because it's hard to get through the
line without offending the people
making your burrito. No, the sour
cream costs extra, unlike at BTB.
No, you don't get free chips with
your burrito, unlike at BTB. Yes,.
they're cursing at you in Spanish,
unlike at... well, you get the pic-
ture.
At this point, a Panchero's
fanatic would point out that I'm
addressing BTB's ambience rather
than the actual food. He'd go on
and on about Panchero's freshly
made tortillas. Here's the thing:
I'm sick and tired of hearing about
those damn tortillas. They're all
right, but that doesn't make the
bland, lukewarm crap stuffed
inside them taste any better. I've
beenthere numerous times (inex-
plicably, some of my friends like
it), and the meat has always been
tough, overcooked and under-
spiced. On top of that, its rice,
beans, cheese and salsa simply
can't compete with BTB's.
I know it's a matter of prefer-
ence. Personally, I think BTB's
food is far better, and most people
I know agree. Go ahead and try
both. But do it at night, so you can
have the full experience at the two
restaurants. If you like Panchero's
better, you're missing out.
With "fast casual" burrito res-
taurants popping up in every part
of the country, you have the rest of
your life to eat Panchero's. There's
a place like it in every suburban
shopping center or downtown
commercial district, and it's bland
enough in flavor and in ambience
that you can even take the kids.
While you can go to Panchero's in
Bismarck, N.D. or Shelton, Conn.,
BTB is a unique part of the Michi-
gan experience. It now has four
locations: three in Ann Arbor and
one in East Lansing near Michigan
State's campus.
So, when it's midnight and you
really want a burrito, don't sell
your soul for a freshly made tor-
tilla at Panchero's. Instead, gt to
BTB, where the students are curs-
ingup a storm and telling tall tales
about parties past. Enjoy the expe-
rience. Like your burrito, it'll be
gone - sadly - all too soon.
Gabe Nelson can be reached
at gknelson@umich.edu.
Before I came to Ann Arbor,
I had never eaten a burrito
from Panchero's or BTB
Burrito.
I werst to
Panchero's just
once and BTB
multiple times
during my
freshman year.
But that wasm
a mistake.
If I could ALEX
give incoming PROSPERI
freshmen one
piece of advice,
it would be
this: When it's 1:00 a.m. and you
find yourself craving Mexican
food, choose Panchero's.
I have often taken a bite out
of a burrito from BTB and tasted
food that isn't fresh. How am I
supposed to enjoy a burrito that is
filled with cold rice?
When you order from Panche-
ro's, you watch as an employee
carefully selects the ingredients
you choose for your burrito.
At BTB, .you order your food
and, as has happened to me multi-
ple times, eat a burrito with some-
thing you didn't order. I'm not a
bean-lover, and when I received
my burrito with beans, I decided
BTB wasn't worth the risk when
you can watch your food being
prepared at Panchero's.
I could teach a class on the supe-
riority of Panchero's over BTB, but
instead, I'll give you three reasons
to pick Panchero's.
One: the bread.
The fluffy, sweet tortilla is
the best part of Panchero's. It all
starts and ends with this part of
the burrito, and it's so delicious
that if Panchero's offered it alone,
I would just buy the tortilla and
eat it. Chipotle is, by far, my favor-
ite Mexican place to eat - but I
freely admitthat the tortillas from
Panchero's are better. That's say-
ing something.
The softness and smooth tex-
ture enable any eater, whether
young or sporting dentures, to
easily sink his orher teeth into the
luscious burrito. BTB's tortilla?
Not even close.
Two: the chips and queso.
You thought a $50 meal at the
Chop House was good? Try salty
chips and oozing queso from
Panchero's, and you'll never feel
the same again. Every Mexican
restaurant, including BTB, offers
its own style of chips and salsa
or guacamole, but the queso from
Panchero's is to die for.
Do you want to know how good
the queso really is? After eating
our burritos on a late-night trip
to Panchero's a few weeks ago, I
dared my friend to drink an entire
cup of queso. Sounds disgusting,
right? But without a moment's
hesitation, that creamy queso was
resting calmly in his stomach.
I only wish I had been-him.
Three: the atmosphere.
Maneuvering around BTB is
like being stuck in bumper-to-
bumper traffic on the way to
downtown Detroit when the Red
Wings and Tigers are bothplaying.
On crowded nights, the line often
extends far onto State Street. Once
you get into the restaurant, there's
room for about eight people to sit
and almost no room to stand once
you place your order.
Sounds like a blast.
Compare that to the spacious
and relaxing setting at Panchero's,
and well, it just doesn't compare.
Panchero's offers a variety of
seating and is a great place to sit
down and eat between classes or
at night. But if you want to stand
shoulder-to-shoulder with sweaty
people you don't know just to ge a
mediocre burrito, be my guest.
To be honest, you'll be pres-
sured to eat at BTB a lot as a fresh-
man. It's the bigger name and
"the place to go" during Welcome
Week.
It's right down State Street,
which means it's a quick walk for
South and West Quad residents
and on the way to the football
games.
But please don't succumb to the
overhyped, inadequate Mexican
food that's served at BTB. Don't
wait until sophomore year to find
out what you've been missing, like
I did.
Go to Panchero's.
Alex Prosperi can be reached
at apjp@umich.edu.
,E
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Brand new eateries take campus by storm
Yes, Zingerman's took home the Best of Ann Arbor Award for both Best Deli and Best Cookie. But let's be fair for a second. The voting was con-
ducted before dessert-on-wheels phenomenon Insomnia Cookies completely changed the meaning of "late-night sweet fix." Add in Quickie Burger,
which was in the middle of a large-scale campus debate surrounding the scantily clad female on its sign, and this was an exciting year to experience
new places to eat in Ann Arbor.
INSOMNIA
COOKIES
It's 2 a.m. and you're hungry, but
you're sick of pizza and burritos.
You're craving something sweet
that will warm up your entire body
for that ten-minute trudge through
the snow to get to your dorm.
And then you see the most beau-
tiful truck on campus: the Insom-
nia Cookies cart.
The truck is never in the same
place, but its main locations are
South Quad, the Union and Mark-
ley - perfect places to cater to stu-
dents' late-night fixes.
The chain operates on 13 dif-
ferentuniversity campuses, and
it made its first appearance in
Ann Arbor last winter. Its cookies
include chocolate chunk, sugar,
peanut butter, oatmeal raisin and
double chocolate chunk. And if
you're craving solid chocolate, the
brownies - complete with toppings
like warm cookie dough or mint
chocolate gooped over the top - are
to die for. In just a few months,
Insomnia Cookies has found its
niche and gained a following it
won't likely lose in coming years.
Fresh-baked cookies and milk
(and even brownies) provide a
somewhat lighter snack than a
calorie-filled calzone or deep-dish
pizza. But with Mrs. Fields Cook-
ies closing early and Zingerman's.
delicious cookies a bus ride away in
Kerrytown, students have flocked
to the Insomnia truck.
The best part about Insomnia
Cookies? It delivers. Until 2:30 a.m.,
you can call, place an order for up
to 300 cookies (a dorm-size special)
and just sit and waitcuntil your hot,
gooey cookies are delivered to your
door.
Last year, freshmen especially
latched on to this late-night option.
The truck parked near the fresh-
men-heavy residence halls and
fraternity houses. The name was
catchy. You could order online.
Cookies were there when you
wanted them.
And it's a trend that will most
likely continue. When delivery
hours are extended intothe wee
hours of the morning, hungry col-
lege students take advantage of
them. And when you throw cookies
into the mix, people won't be able
to resist the sweet treats.
Insomnia Cookies is a new late-
nightoption, but it's definitely here
to stay. .
So go ahead, buy that extra quart
of milk to keep in your dorm room
fridge.
NICOLE AUERBACH
EARL OF
SANDWICH
Earl of Sandwich opened in
October on State Street, between
North University and East Liberty
- a place where it feels like there
are sandwich shops on every cor-
ner. But at Earl, you'll get a sand-
wich that's on two slices of bread
(unlike at Za's), avoids using lunch
meat (unlike at Great Wraps) and
is half the price of Zingerman's.
Sure, it serves more or less the same Street and State Street, the one that
paninis, salads and wraps as its formally housed Tubby's, empty and
competitors - but its side dishes barren. I always liked Tubby's and
are unrivaled. The best part of the figured that whatever filled its space
restaurant is its creamy tomato wouldn't be able to top its delicious
soup with homemade croutons Philly cheese steak sandwiches.
- and for only two dollars, it's the Then, after months of anticipa-
perfect dinner on a budget. Its soft tion following the erection of a
muffin crowns (apple and chocolate "Quickie Burger: Coming Soon"
chip are the best) and cupcake tops sign, I finally took my place in line
(with more rainbow sprinkles than duringtge restaurant's opening
frosting) are a perfect sandwich week.
accessory. There are so many sidle Thelong wait was more than
dishes available, you'll wonder why worth it:
you everthought the chips at Sub- Its specialties include "dirty"
way were good. fries and hotdogs - basically, the
Part of the reason why Earl has food you order is smothered in chili
become so popular is its ambience. - burgers, sweet potato fries, curly
For those whose only priority is to fries, chicken fingers and plenty of
watch their favorite show, there's other fried foods.
a big-screen TV. But its real atmo- Basically, Quickie Burger has
sphere is half eclectic, half chill, a large enough menu to appeal to
like a slightly-cooler-than-the- almost any hungry customer.
Grad-reference-room library. You And unlike some places on State
can read the New York Times over Street where the employees don't
your chicken-and-brie panini, or always provide the best service, the
you can grab the Scrabble board off Quickie Burger workers strike up
the bookshelf and play with your a conversation, joke around with
friends while you wait. Earl isn't just customers, ask how your meal is
a place to snag a quick bite between and generally create a great dine-in
classes -you'll find yourself there experience.
for an hour or two, trying to get that The big-screen televisions in the
perfect 40-point word against your basement provide a great environ-
friends. Try doing that at Amer's. mentto watch sporting events,
COURTNEYRATKOWIAK - especially if you get abig group
together.
Although it may not fit the
QUIC 'r Quickie Burger mold - where
QUICKIE everything is covered in cheese,
D D r chili and fried to crispy perfection
BURGER - my favorite meal is the chicken
fingers with honey mustard sauce.
When I came back to Ann Arbor Just writing this makes me crave
for my second year, I was sad to see some of the chicken fingers.
the building on the corner of Hill ANDYREID
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SAM WoLsON/Dail
Insomnia Cookies (top) and +Quickie Burger (bottom) are both newlto Ann Arbor.
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