Its 10:55 a.m., and the brothers are chatting with the staff at Dos Toross Park and 23rd location before the doors open at 11. Leo stoops over an employees phone to check out a picture of his newborn baby, while Oliver ducks behind the bar to make himself a salad. credit: Kian | Entrepreneur
From the start, hiring decisions were based on personality – both brothers have read and re-read Danny Meyers book Setting the Table (HarperCollins, 2009) which hammers home the point that while you can teach technical ability, you cant teach warmth, engagement and respect.
And it turns out that like most of their peers, Leo and Oliver are Chipotle fans. When Dos Toros opened in 2009, Chipotle had already opened 37 restaurants in the state of New York, many of which were in New York City; the brothers speculate that its presence probably helped them: “If anything, Chipotle has grown the category,” Oliver says. “If they had never come here I think a lot of people would be like, well what is a burrito and why do I need it?”
To combat this, the brothers continue to try and put Dos Toross people and culture at the forefront, occasionally at the expense of convenience. Recently, when they hired a team of web designers to overhaul Dos Toross website, they were advised to scrap the existing headshots of each locations general manager and hiring manager because it would complicate the design process and possibly overwhelm visitors to the site. It was a fair point, but Leo resisted. He wanted his general managers and hiring managers to feel proud about where they worked, to visit the site and see their photos prominently displayed, explaining: “Its almost more for that person and that team to feel excited about it then it is for the user, you know?”
In 2009, if you told Leo and Oliver that Dos Toros could, one day, make its way to the West Coast, they would have just laughed.
I maintain, though, that their rice sucks. (I’m sorry. Maybe I suck. But I just don’t like it.) It is mushy and bland—but it definitely isn’t as offensive as I’d originally thought. And while I liked the carnitas better than the carne asada, I must admit that both were pretty boring. But I remain convinced: Overall, Dos Toros is pretty damn good.
My burrito wasn’t bland. It wasn’t soggy. Nothing tasted funky. All the ingredients were fresh-as-could-be, and the burrito as a whole was flavorful and cohesive, without any of the mushy homogeneity of my first Dos Toros meal. Above all, it was good. Great, even. So: I’m sorry, Dos Toros. I misjudged you.
I figured I should switch it up, so when my turn came, I ordered a carnitas burrito with rice, peppers and onions, tomato salsa, corn, verde sauce, guacamole, and sour cream—and, of course, some chips and guac (why not?). As promised, everything was free. And the employees were absurdly friendly. With my last Dos Toros experience still fresh in my mind, I was ready as ever to hate everything about the place—but I couldn’t. Everything was perfect.
The first time I went (to the Union Square location, in late February), I ordered a carne asada burrito with rice, corn, cheese, and sour cream—and to be honest, I absolutely hated it. It was soggy and bland, with mushy rice and funky-tasting steak, and I promised myself I’d never return. Come summer, though, I read that a brand new Dos Toros location was having a a Friends and Family event—basically a free food day—in celebration of their June 13th grand opening. If I was ever going to give the place another chance, it had to be then.
With regard to potential cross contaminants, a Dos Toros representative told me the following via email: “I just talked to one of the founders and it’s probably not fair to say we ensure that there are no contaminants, but we assume something like onions or peppers is not being grown next to peanuts.” Some may not be satisfied with that answer, but it was enough for me, so to Dos Toros I went.
Chipotle Vs Dos Toros: Don’t Believe The Hype
FAQ
What does Dos Toros mean?
Who is the owner of Dos Toros?
Is DOS Toros a Chipotle?
Pork belly is packed into the rice bowls, and the grilled corn (with Cotija cheese and cayenne) is so photo-ready you’re basically required by law to ‘Gram it. On the surface, Dos Toros’ menu looks almost identical to Chipotle, even down to the sustainably raised meats.
What is the difference between Pancheros and Chipotle?
There are three major differences between Pancheros and Chipotle. First, there’s Bob the Tool, the weirdly loved little spoon-like implement/mascot that mixes all your burrito or bowl’s ingredients together. Then there’s the house-made queso, and a fancy tortilla maker called the DoughPro DP2000 that presses ’em fresh to order.
Is Chipotle the best Mexican restaurant in America?
Nobody’s ever mistaken Chipotle for one of the best Mexican restaurants in America, but the iconic Colorado chain mastered the art of fast-casual, assembly line-style burritos. In doing so, it showed American eaters that there was more to quick Mexican-ish food than food trucks and Fourthmeal.
Are Chipotle burritos a ripoff?
But it’s not a Chipotle ripoff by any means, as evidenced by its hugely popular nachos and the multitude of options in the way of serving size: Hybrid (small), Freebird (normal), Monster (huge), and Super Monster (you’re pretty hungry, eh?) burritos.