Moe's Southwest Grill?

Just curious if anyone else has any opinions of Moe's Southwest Grill. My daughter dragged me there when I was visiting her at school last week (she had a college discount) and I was pleasantly suprised.
 
It sort of reminded me of Baja Fresh, but with MUCH LESS Corporate Attitude.  The food was fresh and the help actually seemed to enjoy working there. 

Went once and not since.  Didn't care for the yelled out greeting to every single person who entered.  I find that forced, staged behavior in restaurants annoying.  I remember approximately one head of lettuce in my burrito, some beans and not much else.

I would not think of going there.  Should I try them??

Jaylhorner, why bother with Moe's when we have much better local tex-mex..Bomber's in Albany and Schenectady, Salsa Latina in Albany, El Mariachi in what is it 3 locations including Saratoga...Mexican Connection....
If we didn't have the locals, then perhaps I'd try Moe's..

I agree!

I ate at Moe's in SW Orlando when it opened there. I found the food rather bland.
 
I know they're all over the place now, and there is one in Harrisburg. I'll have to try it again.
 
Personally, I prefer Qdoba or Chipotle Grill.

My daughter works at a Moe's, so I eat there more than I'd like.  Here are some responses to the points above.

They don't do the greeting at my daughter's franchise.  I'm more likely to yell "Welcome to Moe's" than the employees are.

The portion control of their meats is tightly controlled (2 scoops on a burrito), but they are pretty liberal with the rice, beans and other toppings.  They often have trouble wrapping it all in a tortilla.

I've had all their meats and they are all flavorful.  The selection of toppings and salsas is wide enough that the food at Moe's can be as spicy or bland as you like.

Moe's isn't going to match an authentic "five steps" Mexican restaurant, but they beat taking a run for the border.

We had a short-lived Baja Fresh in our area that I found to be very good, and the one time I did try Moe's found it really average.  Step up from Taco Bell, but wouldn't go out of my way to find one.

I've been to a local Moe's several times; it's not really different than Qdoba.  It's OK, and a little expensive for essentially tortilla, beans and rice, but not bad for a quick lunch.   As other posters have said, much better than the Bell. (but what isn't?)

I really didn't enjoy Moe's.  I went once to one of their Raleigh, NC locations and had something called "The Homewrecker"...maybe that's why I didn't like it?  Made me think of Edie from Desperate Housewives.  I thought it was bland and their nacho chips were stale.

I've been to Moe's a few times and really don't like their food very much.  In general, I dislike the assembly line form of Mexican food (that would include Q'doba and similar places as well).  The warm ingredients (beans, rice, meat) usually aren't kept very hot or else they would dry out in their bins.  So the result is that their burritos and tacos have lukewarm hot ingredients that won't melt the cheese and get cold really quickly from the cold ingredients.  By the time I fill my soda, my burrito is one big lump of cold mess.
 
Baja Fresh is much better, imo, because they cook everything to order, so there's no temperature problem.  Or at least I've never had that issue with them.
 
And I do find the shouted greetings at Moe's rather annoying.

Well Said, Westley. I agree with your evaluation of 'Moe's'. We have tried it a couple of times and have decided not to try again, for the reasons you describe.

westley


The warm ingredients (beans, rice, meat) usually aren't kept very hot or else they would dry out in their bins. 

Westley,

That is not true north of the border.  Wisconsin's food codes would not allow food to be kept "lukewarm" awaiting serving.  It is kept HOT at the franchise I frequent.

And if you think about, that is just the way it is in every Mexican restaurant.  They don't cook the meat, beans and rice from scratch every time you order.  It is sitting it heating tray, just like at the assembly line places, but the food is behind a wall so you don't see it. They may nuke it to melt the cheese before it miraculously emerges steaming hot from behind the wall.  Ask them to microwave it if isn't hot enough at the assembly line place.

Jim

Glad to hear the one near you is so much better.  I no longer live near one, but I wouldn't go back, and I'm not a very picky customer.

I actually really enjoy Moe's. I have never had a bad experience at one, and I've gone to eat at them in three different locations. I am kind of a picky eater and I like that I can completely customize what I am eating, and it's made right in front of me. The pricing is reasonable as well.

We have been a few times.  Our location closest to us is next to the doctor and is a great location for a quick meal after a long wait for the doctor.  Not the real deal Mexican that you can get at the Bodega near our house but for quick service its decent.  We have a toddler so we depend on finding places that a child can be comfortable but also not disturb the other guests.  They do not welcome you as PP stated at our location (Branchburg NJ).  They Queso is pretty flavorless, but the tacos are great along with teh burritos.  If I had a choice of Moe's Chipotle Qudoba or Baja Fresh I would pick it last.  But its decent.  The prices are fantastic.

I had my first Moe-down last weekend. I actually walked into a Moe's once...saw it was cafeteria style...saw the goofy menu names, turned around and left.

This weekend I attended a graduation party in the Albany area that was catered by Moe's...I hadn't made the connection to the chain until my wife came back with a plate full. I had overheard a kid say " this is authentic Mexican, not like Taco Bell"..My wife sat down with a fried tortilla bowl filled with a mix of stuff...not authentic Mexican food.

I went to the buffet and saw the fried tortilla bowls, pre-formed crispy taco shells, plain flour tortillas (oddly labeled on the tin as 'fajitas'), a ground beef mix, chicken, saute'd pepper and onions, chopped onions, pico degallo, shredded cheese, queso sauce (?), black beans and rice, guacamole and a variety of salsas..

I made myself a ground beef burrito, and a chicken burrito, each with the saute'd peppers and onions, chese and pico degallo. The beef was incredibly salty...amazingly salty...the chicken was salty too but edible. Black beans and rice were a little too aldente for my taste, and salty too. For some reason the guac was bilsteringly spicey hot.  The pico degallo was, however, fresh and tastey.

I'm glad I didn't pay for it , and now I know my first instinct to walk out of the restaurant was correct.

It is not the greatest in the world but I am a fan if I have no other choice. I like it better than Chipotle personally.

Unfortunately for Moe's I have been blessed to have lived in Chicago and have an appreciation for not only decent Tex-Mex but Mexican food in general, so I know what I am supposed to be eating.

In Syracuse, and Cortland we have four or five pretty good local Tex-Mex joints, so I don't have to resort to Moe's or places like Moe's...Plus, I figured out how to cook it pretty well.

It would be nice though, to be able to get decent Tex-Mex in a take-out joint, shouldn't be that hard to do.

A true Carne Asada Burrito like served in San Diego like Roberto's or Alberto's is an amazing thing. People who love Moe's and Chipolte have no idea what they are missing. Had I never had the real deal I might like these two places.
21 years old 1982 July 20th 2:15 am in the morning. Just moved out from Detroit. Never seen the ocean. Rode my motorcycle from a night of dancing and drinking in a club with a new friend to a place called Roberto's. I asked him what to order. He said Carne Asada Burrito with Guacomole and a bag of Pickled Carrots, Onions, and Jalapenos. We walked outside sat on a parking block 75 degrees and a Palm Tree in front of me and opened our foil wrapped, big as your head burritos and dug in. Dumped some of the supplied salsa in a small plastic container. Shoved a carrot and jalapeno in my mouth and took a big bite. Prior to this in Michigan the only salsa I ever had was Frito Lay in a pop top can and had never tasted Guacomole or cilantro. It was the best thing I have ever eaten. Life just didn't get better than this. I remember it and the taste like it was 10 minutes ago. I was hooked...Russ

They shout the greeting at the Parsippany, NJ location. I've had the joey sack of donuts? Is that what I ordered? I don't remember, but I had a few soft shell and hard shell tacos. Not bad, not spectacular. The prices are outrageous though. 3-4 dollars for a taco? I'm used to eating more than 3, it gets pricey.

jaylhorner


I would not think of going there.  Should I try them??

Don't waste your money...... A tiny step above Taco Hell, and a LOT more pricier..
(And I have not eaten at a Taco Hell in well over 10 years.. probably closer to 15)
I tried one because I saw it mentioned here, and was ever so sorry I did....