Restaurant Review: Donde esta la comida?

A reviewer describes her experience at a local Mexican restaurant in Burlington

Mary Austin Slate / Reporter

Americanized versions of staple Mexican dishes can be found nationwide, from Taco Bell to Chipotle.

Wholly Guacamole! a Mexican restaurant with locations at The Burlington square mall, Greensboro and Stoney Creek, once again proves you don't have to be near the border to enjoy a good Tex-Mex meal.

Wholly Guacamole! has all of the expected comforts of a chain Mexican restaurant: an unlimited supply of chips and salsa, bold primary-colored plates and a mascot named "Pepe." However, not all of these restaurants are the same and Wholly Guacamole! actually provides a quality and robust meal with the Latin music and family atmosphere that diners enjoy.

While the restaurant has a spacious seating area, the influx of parents and siblings from Elon's Family Weekend placed a strain on the hosts and servers alike. The wait was a reasonable 25-30 minutes although it was almost unbearable because of the wafting scent of sizzling fajitas and quesadillas.

Crunchy tortilla chips were instantly brought to the table, but it took about 10 minutes for the waiter to come and take drink orders. The wait staff was obviously working very hard to accommodate the large number of customers. Our waiter was exceedingly friendly and more than made up for the wait with his cries of "amigo!" and speedy responses to our needs.

The restaurant's "specialty" is, un-surprisingly, also called Wholly Guacamole, which consists of a chunkier version of the regular guacamole dip, served in a tortilla-shell bowl. It was decent, but definitely on the mild side. Try adding salt if you like your guacamole stronger, or just skip the guac and stick with the free salsa.

The real surprise standout of the meal was the veggie quesadilla, which was filled with chunky mushrooms and a creamy cheese sauce that made this plate a delectable treat. Most veggie quesadillas are a poor-man's variety of the chicken or cheese versions, but Wholly Guacamole's! put that stereotype to shame. Even if you are a meat-eater, I would recommend the veggie quesadilla – you won't be missing out. Likewise, the cheese quesadilla was satisfactory, although it was not filled with the same cheese sauce as the veggie. The cheese quesadilla tasted like it had a mixture of cheeses, rather than the one flavor that you find at most Tex-Mex restaurants.

The "house specialty," brochetas, is a skewer full of vegetables and meat. Shrimp and thin layers of chicken are roasted and kabobed to an appetizing result, although not as noteworthy as some of the other menu items. For those who are looking for an even heartier meal, the enchilada burrito is stuffed with steak and beans and covered in cheese. This burrito was also first-rate for a chain restaurant, and the steak was tough enough to add a twist to the usual bean-and-rice offering.

The average cost of an entrée is $6.95, with prices ranging from $3-13.95. This luckily falls into the average that college student's budget can afford. For those over 21, Wholly Guacamole! has famous margaritas in a variety of flavors.

Wholly Guacamole! also offers a combination plate where you can pick up to three different entrées, including chimichangas, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas and tacos. This is an excellent choice for those diners who either can't make up their minds or just don't want to. And why would you?

With so many yummy offerings, it's definitely tempting to order the combination plate, unless you have friends that will let you nibble off of their meal.

We're not talking world-class food here, but as far as cheap Tex-Mex goes, Wholly Guacamole! is pretty darn holy. If you can wean yourself off of the meal plan system for a night, Wholly Guacamole! is definitely the place to spend your money.

Contact Mary Austin Slate at pendulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.