Boojum have it all wrapped up!
Posted: 24 February '11 by Niall
Boojum Mexican Burrito Bar, Chichester Street, Belfast
If you’re not familar with Belfast’s Botanic Avenue, the name Boojum might mean nothing to you.
Ask a student, however, and I can guarantee that they’ll know it, and not just because it’s right beside Queens University – the Mexican Burrito Bar is loved as much for it’s large portions and great prices as for their tasty wraps.
While the service has always been surprisingly fast in the Botanic Avenue outlet, the popularity of the place does mean that you probably will be standing in a queue before you order, although not for any great length of time.
Help is at hand for the queue-averse, however. The next link to the growing Boojum chain opened on Chichester Street in December 2010, and it seems to be a bit of a well-kept secret – so far at least.
With the kick-off for the Friday night Six Nations match only minutes away, we needed our fix of Mexican, spicy goodness in a hurry – so Kelly and I thought we’d venture a little further afield and try the new restaurant in Belfast city centre.
Ordering, the Boojum way
The first step towards Boojum-bliss is in deciding between a burrito (a tortilla filled with coriander-and-lime flavoured rice and black or pinto beans), a fajita (another tortilla filled with rice and sauteed peppers and onions), or tacos (a choice of 3 small flour tortillas or hard corn tortillas).
Next comes the main event, the filling for your wrap. The vegetarian option always seems very popular, and Kelly loves the spicy chicken.. but I have to go with a new choice, the “carnitas”: slow-cooked, shredded pork with a hint of lemon and thyme.
Finally, there’s the garnish and salsa. There’s a good range of salsa sauces to flavour your wrap, from the mild sweetcorn salsa right up to the “salsa roja” (a fiery little number, especially if you decide to splash out and add some Jalapenos).
| Mains: | |
|---|---|
| Shredded Pork Burrito | £5.00 |
| Chicken Fajita | £4.75 |
| Additions: | |
| Jalapenos | £0.40 |
| Sundries: | |
| Corona x2 | £2.85 ea. |
| Total: | £15.85 |
Our verdict
Whenever we’re writing these reviews and thinking about the food, the ambiance, the staff and so on, something usually rears it’s ugly head to take the sheen off what might otherwise have been a very enjoyable evening. It’s a pleasant surprise to find that this just wasn’t the case with Boojum!
Boojum isn’t a fine dining establishment, nor a restaurant, for that matter. It’s more of a “cantina”, and they get the recipe right: no frills, no fuss just remarkably quick service; friendly, chatty staff; monstrous, delicious burritos and fajitas; and all at a fantastic price.
They certainly don’t scrimp on the fillings either, with one wrap being enough for an evening meal all by itself – foolishly, I tried to eat two burritos in one sitting in the past and ended up in a burrito-induced semi-conscious state, albeit a very happy one.
Billy Connolly has joked that Mexican food is all the same, the only difference between them being the way they’re folded. I don’t know about that but, whichever way you fold it, Boojum has good Mexican food all wrapped up!
You can see the photos here:
Other information
Boojum
Chichester Street,
Belfast
You can also find Boojum – Chichester Street on Google Maps.
Boojum
73, Botanic Avenue,
Belfast
BT7 1JL
You can also find Boojum – Botanic Avenue on Google Maps
Boojum
Millenium Walkway,
Dublin 1
You can also find Boojum – Dublin on Google Maps.
T: 028 9031 5334
E: info@boojummex.com
W: www.boojummex.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/boojumbelfast
Building our burrito in Boojum, Chichester Street, Belfast
Tags: belfast restaurant guide, belfast restaurants, eating out in belfast, favourite local restaurant, mexican food, restaurant review
Categories: Restaurant Reviews
Booj-yum!
I had my first Boojum burrito the day college ended, just before Christmas. I was taken by a native Belfast girl who said it was a MUST for Mexican lovers. I had a chicken burrito with salsa roja that was so hot my lips were tingling long after I’d finished eating. I struggled to finish it but it was so satisfying and I was full for absolutely hours.
Yes, it was busy (we queued for at least 10 minutes)and we had to squeeze in beside two random guys but everyone was so busy digging in no one really cared!
Can’t wait until next semester starts – I know where I’m having lunch :)