Burrito Bar takes on Guzman y Gomez with new Tex Mex restaurant

Serving up everything from burritos to pork ribs, Gympie’s newest restaurant says it is doing things differently. Take a look:

Burrito Bar Gympie employees with operations manager Nari G (right).

A Mexican restaurant with a Texan twist has landed in the heart of Gympie, stiffening competition against Mexican fast-food empire Guzman y Gomez.

Burrito Bar, which opened November 7 opposite Subway in Mary Street, has been serving up Tex Mex — a blend of Mexican and Texan cuisine — since November 7, with expansions still ongoing.

More than a week after opening their doors, Burrito Bar operations manager Nari G was pleased the Gympie outlet had “gotten a lot of good feedback”.

“Almost everyone’s had a very good experience here,” he said.

Burrito Bar Gympie had an impressive 4.7 star Google review average as of November 18.

The Tex Mex chain began in 2011 in Brisbane, and now operates close to 40 outlets, mostly in Queensland.

Despite inevitable comparisons with the formidable Guzman y Gomez, Nari did not seem too concerned.

“Everybody has their own market.

“They don’t do what we do, and we don’t do what they do.”

We sampled the popular 12-hour slow cooked pork ribs, an item the operations manager said sets them apart from more fast-food orientated chains such as Guzman y Gomez. Picture: Burrito Bar

Besides the large selection of burritos, the venue offers an array of alternatives including slow-cooked pork ribs and buffalo ribs for those who “might be sick of eating burritos”.

Nari said he was intent on providing quality dine-in experiences for locals, while GYG emphasises a takeaway menu.

“These are the differences between my competitors, so it’s challenging in the kitchen to do both (burritos and other food), but we can do it.”

Nari said he was introduced to Gympie by a neighbour, who was a local engineer, and “got to know more about the town” before deciding to open.

One of our journalists sampled their popular “Philly cheese” burrito and pork ribs.

The “Philly cheese” was a satisfyingly crunchy take on the classic burrito, with sprinkled corn chips and tender marinated beef.

The 12-hour slow cooked pork ribs were another tasty option, suited for a full dine-in experience.

While eating, a steady stream of customers drifted through, including the more mature locals, a market the operations manager was keen to attract.

Nari said an understanding among employees about the cultural history of their food was “very important”.

“That’s something we need to teach them … so they can tell the people what we are actually selling.”

Brisbane-based Nari, who will be commuting to Gympie over the next few weeks to train the local staff, said he was impressed with the quality of service provided by his 38-odd employees, mostly young.

“All my crew, they love the brand,” he said.

“There’s a lot of passion.”

The venue will always have two head office employees at the Gympie store to ensure smooth operation, Nari said.

He said he was looking to more seniors joining the team, with an alcohol licence in the works.

The business plans to offer a selection of beers and cocktails.