It’s not Freebirds, but it wants to be. Zookas Ultimate Burrito, San Marcos’ entry into the burrito bistro biz opened Monday, April 5, next to “Joe on the Go” in the old “I’m Game” location at the corner of Moon Street and University Drive. I got a chance to check it out last night. Right away, it’s obvious they’ve emulated Freebirds to a great extent (Chipotle and Habanero’s as well, but as I’ve only eaten at those rarely in the past (Habanero’s more than Chipotle), their influence wasn’t as obvious), which is why this review will reference Freebirds heavily in comparison (since, after all, that’s what I’m most familiar with). There was around 8-10 people eating there when I arrived, with a steady but modest flow moving through the entire time I was there. They’ve got the sheet-metal aesthetic going on, with pipe-lined waiting lines and a bare concrete floor. There are outdoor tables and an indoor bar running along the big picture window areas. There’s a big “Texas State Supercat” logo over the grill area, and the left wall is earth-toned stucco with a big “Zookas” logo emblazoned across it. The atmosphere was actually pretty minimalist. They hadn’t tried hard to achieve that “funky cool” that permeates most burrito eateries. I got the impression of significant open space, and honestly, wasted space, although the restaurant area isn’t all that big. It actually reminded me more of the original Santa Barbara Freebirds location than it does the wacky Texas versions, with a heavy dose of the Chipotle chain aesthetic.
The menu offers a “regular” burrito on an 11-inch tortilla, or a “bazooka” on 16-inch (equivalent to the regular and Monster at Freebirds. There is no SuperMonster variant). Other options include open-face burritos (burrito in a bowl) and several other entrees I’m afraid I didn’t pay much attention to. I was there to put their burrito to the test. Tortillas come in flour, cayenne and spinach varieties. Unlike Habanero’s, they steam the tortillas here, which is a plus. The build-your-own burrito concept is in force here, laid out much the same as Freebirds (whereas Habanero’s focuses more on pre-designed “gourmet” burrito selections). First option is rice, which is your run-of-the-mill Spanish rice. The bin was uncovered and the rice was pretty clumpy. It also tasted a little odd to me, but then I’m used to the milder flavor of Freebirds’ rice. From there it was beans—black or pinto—and choices of tomatoes, pico, white onions, cilantro, shredded lettuce, grilled onions and green peppers, jalapenos, salsa, cheese (a shredded blend of cheddar and Monterrey—it appeared to be the pre-packaged variety). I believe there were a couple of non-Freebirds standards as well, but they escape me at the moment. Meat choices consist of steak and chicken. Rather than the fajita style of Freebirds, the meat is chopped/diced. Sauce options include barbecue, tomatillo, habanero, chipotle, ranch and maybe a couple of others I’m forgetting. They also have guacamole and sour cream options. A very big plus for Zookas: ALL of the extras are free, and included in the base price of your burrito. So you don’t have to pay extra for grilled onions or guacamole. That was cool. Another plus is that they’ve adopted Freebirds’ 25¢ increment, tax-included pricing structure. Pricing is very reasonable as well: $5 gets you a regular chicken burrito, $5.75 gets you a Bazooka chicken. Drinks are $1.25 with the standard soft drink self-serve setup. There is no beer.
My server was tentative and unsure of herself, although she was polite and friendly. She was constantly second-guessing herself on the amount of ingredients she put in my burrito, and tried to talk me out of the habanero sauce because “It’s REALLY hot!” The manager/owner (?) showed up while I was there and began helping on the serving line, and it was obvious he knew what he was doing. Quite confident and decisive in his burrito construction. I wonder if he’s managed an Austin Freebirds or Chipotle? My finished burrito was somewhat lumpy, but I write that off to my server’s inexperience. The burrito itself tasted pretty good. It wasn’t Freebirds, but it came pretty darn close. The pico hadn’t looked all that fresh, but tasted fine in the mix. I’d asked for all of their sauces on it (my usual thing) and while my server had included all of the sauces, she hadn’t included very much of any of them, so my burrito wasn’t as sloppy as I like. My fault for not telling her otherwise. A big negative was the absence of any kind of sauces on the tables. I had to ask for a cup of sauce from the cashier. I think all burrito places should be federally mandated to include a selection of sauces on their tables. Habanero’s in San Antonio doesn’t have that great of burritos, but their sauces are potent and some of the best I’ve come across. The hot sauce at Zookas is almost, but not quite, indistinguishable from Freebirds death sauce.
While I was waiting in line, a college couple came in and the girl squealed “Wow! This is just like Chipotle!” I cringed at that. Not because of the Freebirds vs. Chipotle thing, but because she mispronounced it “chi-POLE-tee.” Now, I know the chipotle pepper is mispronounced in practically every ad its featured in, whether its for Chipotle or not, but come on people. It’s not that hard to get it right. It’s pronounced “chi-POHT-lay.” Just like it’s spelled. You actually have to do more work and transpose letters to mispronounce it. Like fingernails on a chalkboard. Almost as bad as people saying, “Sign your John Henry.” It’s John Hancock—he signed the Declaration of Independence with an enormous, flourished signature. John Henry was a steel-driving man. Two very different people that shouldn’t be confused.
So, the ultimate verdict is that Zookas is a pretty darn good burrito fix. I question the wisdom of opening just a month and a half before the University’s spring semester ends. They’re obviously going for the college crowd, and I’m not sure if enough Freebirds-deprived Aggies live in San Marcos to support them over the summer months. But I’ll definitely be going back. It’s good stuff.
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