Surcheros - Fernandina Beach, FL — Restaurant in Fernandina Beach

Today I will be looking at a side by side comparison of the two burrito/bowl restaurants we have in town: Surcheros and Barberitos. I will be comparing them on price, portion size, and flavor for the Steak Burrito made the same way at each establishment. Both were done with the standard portion of steak, pinto beans, rice, pico, cheese, and chipotle ranch sauce(called Surcheros sauce at Surcheros) on a chipotle tortilla. I am in no way affiliated with either restaurant and am just a local enthusiast. To me the products are too similar to have a reason to visit both frequently so I needed to figure out which one was better.

Price:

Barberitos wins this category coming in at $8.55 after tax for their steak burrito vs Surcheros at $10.68 after tax. Both of these restaurants include chips and salsa and gave me the same amount of chips with the salsa being served at a salsa bar where you can take as much as you please. No drink, queso, or extras were purchased at either place and this is just the cost of 1 steak burrito.

Portion Size:

Barberitos is the clear winner here again. I could tell before I even got them home and put them side by size that Barberitos gave way more filling. When I was going through the line, the Surcheros burrito looked unimpressive, while the Barberitos one seemed like it wouldn't close from the sheer amount of food inside. Barberitos burrito was at least 25% larger than its Surcheros counterpart.

Flavor:

I fully expected Surcheros to win this. With all of the reviews touting it as amazing and "the best ever" I was fully prepared to be wowed. I was not. Their assembly line and its ingredients are almost a carbon copy of each other, so I didn't expect either to gain too many points on each other there. The steak at Surcheros was less flavorful, way more dry, and there was less of it. The rice at Surcheros was hard unlike the fluffy and ultra compressable rice at Barberitos. The cheese, beans, and pico tasted exactly the same from both. The tortilla wrap from Surcheros was lacking in the chipotle flavor department too. Just overall you had moist and flavorful vs dry and bland. Surcheros grilling the burrito did add a nice touch to it though.

Conclusion:

Barberitos won hands down for me. I was fully expecting for this to go completely the other way when I first set out to do this, but boy was I wrong. I essentially got 1.25 burritos worth of a more flavorful burrito for $2.13 less at Barberitos. To those who would say that Surcheros is more known for its bowls, the bowls are just the burrito filling minus the tortilla. I hope I helped someone with this review to get to the ultimate answer of which burrito place in Fernandina...

I was unsure if I would like Surcheros because when I eat a Barberitos (similar concept), all of the food tastes the same, and it's not good. I was so pleasantly surprised!

The food is fresh and delicious! You can get whatever you want, and there are no hidden charges. They do inform you if your request for "more" is going to cost more as well--excellent customer service move for someone on a budget. Even my 6 year old eats her whole meal!

When you walk into the store, it's clean and smells, well...delicious. The bathrooms are clean, and the three times we've been there, someone has been walking around cleaning tables, so there are lots of choices for places to sit.

The customer service is first rate. The employees seem happy to create your meal, and begin with a greeting when you walk in. They laugh and socialize with you as you are making your choices (at least from my experience), and once you hit the register, you are happy to pay the reasonable prices for a very filling meal that usually leaves lunch for tomorrow (...usually...). :)

I highly recommend trying this place. If you like your food to be spiced up, ask how that can happen! There are many flavors to choose from on the salsa bar, and the people behind the counter can make your food more interesting by doing things like grilling and adding sauces.

Another note, if you go on their Facebook page, you can sign up for special deals that get sent to messenger. The other day, two of us ate for $9 because of that! My only complaint is that the queso costs too much. Give. Me....

I went to the counter to complain and ask for a refund and was told that there was nothing they could do. They completely dismissed the fact that there was mold.

By the time I was done talking with the manager, Dustin, our food was ready. My husband and I ordered burritos. I decided to see what the food looked like compared to the drink machine. As soon as I opened the tinfoil the burritos fell apart and my children's little quesadillas were burnt. Again I went to the counter and asked to speak with the manager but he had left and no one would provide me with his contact information. Thats when Josiah, the young man working the register, said profanities in front of my small children, calling me horrible names and informed me that I would not be receiving a refund even if there was mold in the drink machine and our food was an absolute mess.

The person you are and how you treat your paying customers reflects on the "business" you are running.

With that said, I highly recommend no one eat at this establishment for fear of becoming severely sick due to mold. If there is mold in the drink machine, imagine what is behind the counter away from customer eyes.

Just earlier today I was informed that children are supposed to eat free on mondays. However, I paid for my 3 children's meals and was told they will...