Bajio Mexican Grill

When choosing a place to eat, I use the rule of "3 C's."

Cost
Quality
Cleanliness

OK, so quality doesn't start with a C, but it would sound like it if you didn't know how to spell. And the rule of 2 C's and 1 Q doesn't have the same ring. Perhaps I should call it the rule of 3 cuh sounds.

I use the above criteria when picking a place to eat, and generally in that order. In a pinch I'll go somewhere that satisfies 2 of the criteria.

Ex:
Sometimes you need to satisfy a craving for a chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard at Dairy Queen. By my untrained eye, it appears that there is 49 years of sludgy accumulation on every table/floor in this place. If you tried to carbon date the dirty crap covering the underside of the tables, you'd find boogers predating JFK. They should require a tetanus shot before entering.

Ex:
I love the Outback Steakhouse. It's clean, the food is great, and it will cost me roughly 89 dollars to bring my family there. This is even despite the fact that I have a small horde of "Bloomin Onion" cards that will give me a free appetizer. (don't ask, don't tell)
Is it worth one week of a grocery budget to eat a Rockhampton Ribeye? Sometimes...yes it is.

Places that only satisfy one of the criteria do not qualify for a visit.

Ex:
There is a restaurant which I'll call "Kurger Bing." It is cheap, but the food tastes like it was soaked in liquid smoke, and I believe this is where I contracted gonorrhea. (just a joke...maybe)

I will use the rule of 3 cuh sounds to let you know if "Bajio Mexican Grill" is worthy of a visit.

I can remember 15 years ago when I went to this little place called "New York Burrito." You'd go through this cafeteria line and specify what meats and food guts you wanted in your burrito. It was an interesting concept even if they heated your burrito in the microwave.

Now there are literally hundreds of Mexican places like this. You go through the line, and pick your style of beans, rice, salsa, etc.
One main benefit of this is that you only have to leave a couple bucks for a tip instead of 5-10 dollars.

Bajio's is the same style restaurant. You can order from a veritable plethora of sludgy heart-stopping Mexican dishes, and choose your meats, rice, beans, etc.

Cost::
You're looking at roughly 10-11 bucks a person if you also purchase a drink. I also weigh into cost, the value of the food. Holy crap do they give you a ton of food.
An average person would be able to save half of their food for lunch the next day.
The average American will eat the whole thing, and complain that there wasn't enough sour cream and guac on top.
Most dishes literally weigh a couple pounds. The next time you sit down in front of that monster Mexican pizza, try to imagine your poor stomach working overtime to process 150 fat grams. Eat half, and save the rest for later.

Quality::
Most of the food tastes fairly "fresh." And by fresh, I mean that there is no freezer burn taste.
I truly never had anything I hated there. If you like basic bland Mexican food, you'll enjoy this place.
There is actually one item on the menu that I LOVE. The shrimp tacos are cooked in flavorful honey butter, and then topped with mango salsa. If you like shrimp, then don't waste your time with the other stuff on the menu. This is their best item. (You can also get a salad topped with these shrimp)

Cleanliness::
They "assemble" the food in front of you, so you'll be able to see if an employee with a runny nose wipes their hand before loading your burrito with cheese. I've been to multiple Bajio's, and the tables, floors, and other places are typically clean. As always, please don't place food directly on the table as you have no idea what went on after-hours in any restaurant. (Butt-prints are not traceable, and are very hard to distinguish from dried pinto beans)

If you are the type of person who "poo-poos" Panda express or Baja Fresh for being cheesy and not "real food," I suggest you do not visit Bajio's.
I would rate Bajio's better than most of the "walk-through" Mexican burrito joints, but solely for their shrimp tacos. They truly are that good.

3 hearty stars out of 5.