Cartel - Crazy Burrito Shack — Restaurant in Zurich

Gotta to give props to any place calling themselves a crazy burrito shack... in all honesty, this is a solid burrito joint. I grew up in Southern California, home of amazing TexMex and CaliMex and what most of the world would interpret as a 'Mexican' burrito. FYI real Mexican burritos don't have rice and lettuce and all that other filler (great filler stuff IMHO) stuff, it's just meat and cheese and beans and maybe some pico de gallo and crema. The staff were friendly and cool (misfits x cartel tee), inked and they have authentic Mexican beverages like Jarritos. Any joint that has luchados represented as well as zapatas gets bonus points from me. The carnitas were real good, flavorful if a bit wet, the ingredients fresh (choice of tomato rice or cilantro rice, choice of beans, and loads of other optional filler including guacamole. The chips were crisp and housemade but a bit salty. The hot sauce is not that hot but it had a bit of kick. I highly recommend this burrito shop for anyone looking for good taste, chill atmosphere and good vibes. I will be back! Hasta luego Cartel!

So I went back and it was still good, but not as good. You gotta definitely watch while the burrito is being made and make sure the ratios are correct. My second burrito had way too much rice and way too little meat so it was bland, dry and definitely less tasty and satisfying although I was more full and bloated after. See my later photos for reference - it took about 4 bites to get to my first bite...

For the first time since moving to Switzerland four years ago, I finally found a place, aside from making it myself, to satisfy my craving for authentic Mexican food. I grew in San Diego, California amongst Mexicans and just over the border from Mexico where I have been countless times so I’m quite discerning about this cuisine. I’m always a bit skeptical about trying Mexican food anywhere in Europe because it’s never as flavorful or complex as what I’ve grown accustomed to, but to my surprise Cartel hit the mark and satisfied my palate. They don’t offer a lot of variety but what they do offer, they’ve done well. It was surprisingly tasty, portions and price were reasonable and the staff was exceptionally welcoming. Will definitely visit and indulge here again. On a side note, the chili chocolate bites is not necessarily traditionally Mexican, but yummy...

Don't know if I would go again. It is not bad, but not really tasty either. Not expensive, but at the same time overpriced (or overrated). The "menu" is helpfully written, but not as descriptive as it should be - I had to ask extra for almost each ingredient. Service was slow and a little ignorant about the food, although not all of them. The size of the burrito is OK, but served with 6-7 nacho chips which looks extremely poor - and wrong (I seriously thought they forgot to put a little bit more in my plate). I mean, either serve a normal/small portion of nachos with it or not at all. And what is it with the coriander everywhere, even in the guacamole? For people who don't eat spicy sauces and coriander, there are unfortunately not so many choices. In general, well, nice try but there's...