The first time I went to Moe’s was in Tallahassee (if we’re gonna talk about college towns, let’s talk...). The place was packed. All I remember is a slew of college kids working behind the counter: some grilling up chicken and fajitas, some
taking orders, everybody being cheery. This was fun atmosphere. This was vibrant atmosphere. And when I decided on my burrito, they handed me a foil-wrapped burrito the size of my head.I remember feasting on my chips and salsa and struggling to finish the cheesy, gooey, delicious burrito.
It was broke college kid food. And good broke college kid food at that. Truly delicious.
So you could only guess the excitement I felt when I found out they had opened one right next to my school. Indeed, college kid food. And so friends and I participated in Moe Thursdays where students got discounts. We ate there as much as possible filling up on the thick, rich queso and the tomatillo salsa that was always my favorite. Nice burst of cilantro, nice mild tomatillo flavor.
We’d walk out stuffed.
Graduation came around and I had to depart from my lovely Moe’s. But would you believe my luck - a new Moe’s was set to open 5 minutes from my house (and 5 minutes from all the other colleges, duh). I was ready for my Moe’s again.
My first experience at the new Moe’s was with my old Moe’s companion. We ordered our usual, but it just didn’t taste the same. We left. I didn’t go back for quite a while, but one day decided I was in burrito-mood.
Walking in, I ordered my usual: the Joey Bag of Donuts burrito. Rice, no beans, chicken, cheese, pico de gallo. Side of queso. Thank you.
The tortilla was steamed. The rice went on next. Oh, about 1/4 cup. Then the chicken, which wasn’t much more than the rice. Next the tablespoon sprinkle of cheese and the pico de gallo. When it was wrapped up in the foil in became the smallest burrito I had ever been served from them...ever. My side of queso was dropped in the bag along with the tortilla chips. I opted not to get my beloved tomatillo salsa because the salsa bar was so unbearably uninviting with dry, chunky salsa being offered.
When I got to work and opened my bag, I couldn’t believe how cheap they were. The thick, rich queso I grew to love was nothing more than barely thickened milk with some american cheese probably thrown in. I dipped one of my 10 tortilla chips into the queso. There was still flavor, but not how it used to be. Then I tried my burrito - my burrito that was probably a quarter of the size of what I used to get. My burrito that was probably a good 5 bites before it was over. There was barely any cheese to get that nice cheesy flavor. There was barely any rice to get that great rice flavor mingling with the other ingredients. And the pico de gallo was overpowering and just annoying.
I was so terribly disappointed. My only thought was "Taco bell is so much better".
And if you understood the years of gross-ness I felt for taco bell, you would understand that thought was practically radical.
And yet, their crunchy tacos with packets of mild sauce are so much better than that awful 5-bite burrito I was served at a place I used to once love.
No more Moe’s for me. Unless I make some stop in Tallahassee one day (where I will say I had the best Moe’s experience) or I make the drive out to my old school to enjoy what I used to think Moe’s embodied: burritos the size of my head, rich gooey queso, and tomatillo salsa you can’t help but love.
Unfortunately, for the college kids of Davie, there is no love here.
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