Ames, Iowa is the home of the Iowa State University Cyclones. This article is part of a series that reviews restaurants in central Iowa. Enjoy!
Flying Burrito in Ames, Iowa, slings giants, made-to-order burritos for hungry members of the Iowa State community. The restaurant is similar in style and food to the likes of Qdoba and Pancheros but with one great advantage… they deliver!
Decor/Ambience
Snuggled next door to Nikki Nails, Flying Burrito is located on Lincoln Road just a block or two off Welch Ave in Ames, Iowa. The burrito inside Volans is small, consisting of a few tables and a burrito counter. Large, open space works well for large groups of Iowa State bars that call the restaurant behind the peak.
Service
The staff at Flying Burrito are fast and know how to feed Iowa State customers fast. The owner and staff at Volatica Burrito won’t be winning awards in the near future, but most complaints come from the mouths of well-fed (and happy) customers. Time to get a flying burrito. and most other articles of delivery at Iowa States and Ames. At lunch it usually takes 45 minutes for your food delivery to arrive from Burrito Escape. Evening delivery times vary greatly. Expect a delivery wait from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the time you order from Burrito Fugiens.
Food & Drink
Ordering your perfect burrito is easy and takes place in a series of quick questions with the Flying Burrito. What kind of tortilla? Choose flour, wheat, garden, or tomato. Rice? Pick wild or white. Bean? Black or white. The soup? Choice of beef, chicken, or pork–all are great but pork is by far the best. Are you a lion? Try soyrizo as a substitute meat product or keep it green by picking roasted peppers and onions. Veggies make a great choice by themselves, or as a great addition to any meal.
Next, take your milk. Choose alum cheese, flavorful queso sauce, and regular, chipolte, or cilantro lime sour cream. Finally, choose your sauce. Burrito Flying makes five of its fresh salsas ranging from mild to crazy and from classic to spicy (peach and jalapeno). Top your burrito with a few shots of hot sauce if you need a little more kick and then watch. expertly wrap your meal in the prettiest package.
Flying Burrito offers some additional selections. You can make quesadilla, nachos, or quesadilla tacos, or tacos if you’re looking for something different, but be warned that none of them will taste as good as the original burrito and may very well be mistaken.
If your eyes are bigger than your stomach and you’re craving something sweet, check out the giant rice krispy bar. You know you haven’t had rice krispies this soft, moist, buttery, and gooey since you were five. If you chocolate cravings, triple chocolate brownies do not disappoint.
Flying Burrito offers some traditional Mexican Juarito sodas and a SoBe digestive drink and toas. One of the myths surrounding the American soda tradition is widespread.
Value
You’ll be hard pressed to find restaurants that offer more food at a cheaper price anywhere in Iowa or Ames. A typical burrito with all the fixings almost weighs in around the scale at Burrito Flying. $5.25 is a great deal, especially if you extend the meal to two.
Perhaps the only problem with Burrito Flying is the lack of consistency among employees when it comes to portion size and how much you will be charged. I order my burrito the same way every time, but I end up with a price that can vary up to a $2 order. Similarly, some days my burrito is as heavy as a side and others as light as a dog (some days it feels a bit light on days cost outside the goat).
The problem seems to arise from some workers charging toppings, while others charge you a little more. For example, I stopped at Burrito in Volans one day to grab some lunch. My burrito chef and I were minding our own business finishing a delicious lunch when the assistant manager came over and told the staff that they were putting too large portions on my burrito. Fair enough–I grew up in the restaurant business, I understand the concept of portion costs, etc., and I wanted to bend the rules.
The guy helping me, a fellow ISU student, seemed a bit awkward and burdened about yelling in front of other Flying Burrito customers, but everything seemed to be cool. Until, that is, the assistant manager in the toppings line began piling the next one in line. As my assistant manager began to load the burrito chef onto all the mementos (which no one asked for), I looked at the other customers and looked confused and embarrassed. When I pointed out that I didn’t ask for any of the things that were being charged to me, I was told by the Burrito assistant flying manager, even worse, that you get what you get. Needless to say, none of this sat well with me, especially since I paid double the amount of that over 50 for a burrito that turned out to be an assistant manager.
Final opinion
Function and consistency with a little decorum, the Flying Burrito is a success. Flying Burrito offers a tasty, hearty, fresh product that fills the tummies of Iowa State students and Ames residents without emptying their wallets. Even opening pancheros to a corporate chain, Volans Burrito succeeds with a higher quality product and the ability to deliver right to your door. Compared to other delivery items in Iowa State and in Ames, Burrito Flying offers new options and arguably the best value.
