Can the Subway system of sandwich customization work for burritos?

The answer is yes, but the experience can be fraught with the same drawback found at Subways in recent years: Hot and cold food don’t mix well.

Early in the last decade, Quiznos launched a massive, ad-based toasted-sub offensive against Subway before finally losing the sub wars. Goaded into matching the toasted sub option by jealous consumers, all Subways were quickly outfitted with toasting ovens to compete with Quiznos’ hot sub fad.

Like the dupe that I am, I gave the toasted sub a whirl, soon discovering that hot meat and melted cheese don’t mix well with the array of vegetables I load onto my “saladwich.” Of course, at Subway, I can and do choose to eat my sandwiches cold. At Beach Burrito, located within the Astoria Subway, the burritos are automatically hot, so you’re faced with either foregoing the tempting vegetable options, or eating a lukewarm burrito with wilted lettuce and veggies. To some people, this is no big deal.

I’m used to the all meat burritos found in authentic Mexican restaurants and taco trucks, but filling tortillas with all manner of produce and cold condiments is becoming more and more popular. Beach Burrito takes the Subway setup and applies it to burritos. Different wraps and fillings can be customized in countless combinations as you pick and choose your add-ons. Signature sauces are also on hand.

After sampling the entire menu, I found that there were things I’d definitely return for, and others I’d steer clear of. The menu is incredibly simple. Burritos are $5.95, and available fillings are pulled pork, shredded beef, seasoned ground beef, Caribbean lime chicken, fajita chicken, grilled vegetables and smoked salmon. I’m not kidding about the salmon. Tortillas come in multiple flavors including spinach, whole wheat, plain flour, tomato basil, garlic herb, chile tomato and spicy chipotle, and are briefly heated in a large panini press. You choose your wrap, your meat, and from there the burrito travels along the cutting board toward the register and grows as you see fit.

Spanish rice is an option, as are black beans (kind of a paste really), pinto beans and refried beans. Nachos ($4.95, $5.95) are available, and can be outfitted with either a “nacho” cheese sauce product or a shredded three-cheese blend, along with your choice of meat. The chips are flimsy and brittle, and the cheese sauce sogs them to mush within moments. Plus, why eat a processed cheese sauce when you could have the real deal?

If you’re sensitive to cilantro, note this to your “burrito artist,” as it is used liberally on many dishes. Watch out for the guacamole. I’ve never had such a tart, sour mix. Far too much lime juice is employed in the Beach Burrito recipe, and my tasters and I all got “pucker-faced.”

Of the filling options, chicken and pork were the clear winners. The pulled pork was tender and juicy, subtly seasoned and appropriately fatty without being greasy. Caribbean lime chicken was also perfectly textured and flavored, the lime thankfully restrained. The fajita chicken is inconsistent; overly salty on one visit, just right on the next. I did not enjoy the shredded beef. Dry and lean, the meat was devoid of the seasonings I expected, and was agreed by all to be reminiscent of overcooked pot roast. Smoked salmon seemed an odd option. I was hoping to enjoy it, but it just didn’t work for me. The brightly dyed salmon was the exact same orange as a road cone. Furthermore, it was microwaved, ruining any acceptable texture it may have had. Perhaps grilled or blackened salmon would make an edible burrito, but not the smoked. The seasoned ground beef was as expected, a little sloppy and loose; more of a sauce, really.

The messiness of your experience is of course dictated by how much you have crammed into the wrap. A ground beef burrito with sour cream, cheese sauce, diced tomatoes, guacamole and pico de gallo is obviously going to be more difficult to eat than, say, a pork burrito with rice. The grilled veggie filling was a little disappointing. I was hoping for some squash, zucchini, maybe eggplant, but roasted bell peppers and onions were all I got. I managed to bulk it up quite nicely with fresh vegetables, but again, this was not an ideal temperature when it came to biting time.

Beach Burrito offers a chipotle slaw, which while a little sweet and heavy on the sauce, is a nice, fresh side dish with good crunch. While I considered the slaw to be mild more smoke than spice there is a creeper heat that hits you after about 15 seconds.

While I still prefer traditional, simple taco truck burritos, I think Beach Burrito is a great idea. The service of customizing a menu item to the customer’s exact specification is what people love about Subway, and at comparable fast food prices, it’s also a good deal. Service is friendly, informative and high-energy.