Ames, Iowa is the home of the Iowa State University Cyclones. This article is part of a series that reviews restaurants in central Iowa. Enjoy!
The Flying Burrito in Ames, Iowa, slings-up giant, made-to-order burritos to hungry members of the Iowa State community. The restaurant is similar in style and fare to the likes of Qdoba and Pancheros but with one big advantage… they deliver!
Decor/Ambiance
Snuggled next door to Nikki Nails, the Flying Burrito is located on Lincoln Way just a block or two off of Welch Ave in Ames, Iowa. The interior of Flying Burrito is minimal, consisting of only a few tables and the burrito counter. The large, open space works well for the large masses of Iowa State bar goers that crowd the restaurant after last call.
Service
The staff at Flying Burrito are fast and know how to feed Iowa State customers quickly. The owner and managers at Flying Burrito won’t be winning any congeniality awards in the near future, but most complaints don’t usually make it out of the mouths of the fed (and happy) customers.Delivery time for the Flying Burrito is comparable to most other delivery joints at Iowa States and Ames. During the lunch rush it usually takes 45 minutes for your food delivery to arrive from the Flying Burrito. Delivery times highly vary in the evening. Expect a delivery wait from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on what time you order from the Flying Burrito.
Food & Beverage
Ordering your perfect burrito is easy and occurs in a series of quick questions with the Flying Burrito. What type of tortilla? Choose from flour, wheat, garden, or tomato. Rice? Pick wild or white. Beans? Black or white. Meat? Your choice of beef, chicken, or pork–all are great but the pork is by far the supreme. Are you a vegetarian? Try the soyrizo as a substitute meat product or keep it green by picking the grilled peppers and onions. The veggies make a great selection by themselves or as a great addition to any of the meats.
Next, pick your dairy. Choose from shredded jack cheese, a tasty queso sauce, and regular, chipolte, or lime cilantro sour cream. Finally, choose your salsa. The Flying Burrito makes up five of their own fresh salsas that range from the mild to insane and from the classic to the savory (peach and jalapeno). Top off your burrito with a few shots of hot sauce if you need a bit more of a kick and then watch the experts wrap your meal up in a neat little bundle.
The Flying Burrito also offers a few other selections. You can decide to make a quesadilla, nachos, or tacos if you are looking for something different, but be warned that none of them will be as tasty as the original burrito and you very well may be disappointed.
If your eyes are bigger than your stomach and you are craving something sweet, be sure to grab a giant rice krispy bar. Rest assured that you have not had a rice krispy bar this soft, moist, buttery, and gooey since you were five. If you are craving chocolate, the triple chocolate brownies won’t disappoint.
The Flying Burrito offers a few traditional Mexican Juarito sodas and an assortment of SoBe drinks and teas. One qualm about delivery is the lack of bottled American sodas.
Value
You will be hard pressed to find a restaurant that provides more food for a cheaper price anywhere at Iowa State or Ames. A typical burrito with all the fixings usually weighs in around a pound at the Flying Burrito. For a mere $5.25 it’s a good deal, especially if you stretch it to two meals.
Perhaps the only problem with Flying Burrito is the lack of consistency between employees when it comes to portion size and how much you’ll be charged. I order my burrito the same way every time, yet somehow I end up with a price that can vary up to $2 an order. Similarly, on some days my burrito is a heavy as a brick and others it’s as light as a hot dog (oddly enough, the days it feels a bit light are the days it costs an extra buck).
The problem seems to arise from some employees loading on the toppings while others give you more of a meager ration. For example, I stopped into the Flying Burrito one day to grab some lunch. My burrito chef and I were minding our own business making me up a delectable lunch when an assistant manager came along and told the staffer he was putting too large of portions on my burrito. Fair enough–I grew up in the restaurant business, I understand the concept of portion cost, etc, and I was willing to roll with the rules.
The guy helping me out, a fellow ISU student, seemed a bit frazzled and embarrassed about being called out in front of other Flying Burrito customers, but everything seemed to be cool. Until, that is, the assistant manager started heaping on the toppings for the guy next in line. As the assistant manager began instructing my burrito chef on all the extras I should be charged for (none of which I asked for), the other customers and I looked on confused and embarrassed. When I pointed out I didn’t ask for any of the things I was being charged for, I was told by the Flying Burrito assistant manager, too bad, you’ll pay for what you got. Needless to say, none of this sat well with me, especially since the burrito that the assistant manager made was twice the size of the one I paid nearly 50% more for.
Final Opinion
Even with lack-luster service and consistency, Flying Burrito is a success. The Flying Burrito provides a tasty, hearty, fresh product that fills the tummies of Iowa State students and Ames residents without emptying their wallets. Even with the opening of the corporate chain Pancheros, Flying Burrito succeeds with a higher quality product and the ability to deliver right to your door. Compared to other delivery joints at Iowa State and in Ames, the Flying Burrito provides fresh options and arguably the best value.
