Barberitos

by Anna Ferguson, Gwinnett Daily Post • October 05, 2007
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=4944&Sectio...

Open since: May 7

Location: Barberitos is located in a new Hamilton Mill shopping center across from Wal-Mart.

Owners: Robert Hendrickson and Trey Hinderscheid

Hours: The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Atmosphere: There is no word better than “cantina” to describe the atmosphere of Barberitos. Cool, earth-hued tiles line the floor, and a large wooden overhang arches along the restaurant’s left side. Under the covering are spacious wooden booths large enough to fit an entire family, plus a few friends.

Barberitos is a Southwestern-flavored, family-oriented spot, where kids eat free every Tuesday night and all day Sunday.

At this make-your-own-burrito joint, cleanliness is a top priority. For Hendrickson and Hinderscheid, sticky tables just won’t do.

“We’re a family place, and we like to keep it extremely clean,” Hendrickson said. “No one likes sitting down with their kids at a messy table.”

The menu: Everything in the Barberitos repertoire is made trans fat-free, and all ingredients are made in-house, from scratch.

Even the salsa is made from fresh tomatoes every morning. To make the buckets of salsa used every day, one employee is specifically devoted to cutting about 25 pounds of tomatoes.

“It’s intense. We’re serious about our fresh food and fresh salsa,” Hendrickson said.

The only items not created in the Barberitos kitchen are the tortillas. These are brought in, and are available in four flavors: spinach, jalapeno cheddar, chipotle and flour.

Burritos are the restaurant’s specialty, and orders can be customized to fit any taste. Of the six signature varieties, the most requested is the Heavy D, a mix of rice, black or pinto beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole and a choice of meat – beef, ground beef, chicken or tofu.

Let it be noted that these are not small servings of meat. The chicken and beef chunks, as well as the cubes of tofu, are golf ball-sized and tender, marinated for 24 hours in the restaurant’s signature Southwestern sauce.

Hendrickson favors the Fatty, which is a Heavy D sans the sour cream. The Vegan burrito, made with rice, beans, tofu, salsa, guacamole and lettuce, is surprisingly popular, and sauteed veggies can be added upon request, Hendrickson said.

“Some days we’ll have four people lined up in a row waiting for the Vegan,” he said.

Burritos can also be downsized into a make-your-own-taco option, which is a set of two smaller soft shells with all the fixings. Nachos are also a customer favorite, and Hinderscheid leans toward the fully- loaded Heavy D nachos, made like the burrito, but on chips.

Salads and quesadillas are also menu staples, and can be customized to order.

Beverages: Fountain drinks, water and tea are served.

Dessert: Cookies are the perfect ending for a spicy burrito.

Things you might not know: As many University of Georgia students do, Hendrickson and Hinderscheid both fell in love with Barberitos while in school in Athens. After graduating in 2003, the two pals never forgot their love for the rolled meal, and decided to open their own franchise.

“Barberitos was always in the back of my mind,” Hendrickson said. “It was the perfect opportunity to start one here now. We’re getting in ahead of the curve.”

There are 19 Barberitos locations across the Southeast, and this is the first franchise in Gwinnett.

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