Mexican Food Lacking in New Kaleidoscope Shop

Dan Lauriano, local restaurateur, has opened the new restaurant Rockin’ B’s Burrito Bandito at the . It's Mexican fast food just the way you like it. You choose your type of taco or burrito and you build it with only the ingredients that you want. 

After a long day at the soccer field it seemed the perfect place to grab some of my favorite food.

Upon entering Rockin’ B’s I was disappointed to see that every table inside was dirty (pet peeve). We chose the least dirty table we could find.

The gentleman behind the counter was friendly enough but seemed unsure of how to move customers through the line in the most efficient manner. It became clear that he was the one and only person working at the time. 

As I made my selection of one puffy taco and one street taco, I was pleased to see that they offered queso fresco. Queso fresco is made from whole milk and has a crumbly texture and great flavor. I love it, and I rarely come across in fast-food places. Unfortunately, even the queso fresco couldn’t redeem these bland concoctions.

The green salsa from the salsa bar was sour. It was made with tomatillos and if not made correctly will be sour. My mom makes this type of salsa all the time, and it is usually one of my favorites.

My son Drew ordered the nachos with carne asada and cheese. The carne asada wasn’t bad, and the generous portion was enough to feed three people. The cook made sure that nearly every chip was smothered in cheese and meat. 

My husband ordered Flautas Fabuloso but was served Taquito Bandito instead. Although he was disappointed, he didn’t complain to the cook. Whatever they were, they were as uninteresting as the tacos.

For me, the rice and beans are key to having a successful Mexican food menu. These were forgettable.

Gabrielle had the burrito bowl, which was basically a plastic container that you can have filled with whatever ingredients you like. This dish, if you can call it that, is truly uninspired and seems like an afterthought on the menu.

Finishing our meals, we attempted to empty our trays into the trash cans inside the restaurant. They were packed so full of trash we had to leave them on the tables. Makes one wonder if anyone is paying attention to this new establishment.

The menu and the ambience seem to prepare one for a bold flavor experience, with pictures of Pancho Villa and Mexican music playing. The verbiage they splash all over their marketing collateral felt like a cheesy attempt at being edgy. Bumper stickers and T-shirts stating, “Size Matters, Not Only is Mine Bigger it Tastes Better.” Really?

The menu categories are all in English except for “Pinche Postre,” which is where you will find your dessert selections, all two of them. For those of you that may not know, “pinche” as it is most commonly used, is pretty offensive. . I hope no one translated the menu for him.

Although this place held its grand opening May 7, the restaurant had a soft opening March 26. Let's hope they get the kinks worked out in time for summer, when schools let out and the Kaleidoscope will be packed with hungry teens.