Big Fat Burrito has opened their third Toronto location just steps from Bay and Dundas. Finally! An alternative to the overpriced Chipotle or the Z-Teca at Church and Gerrard for those with a burrito craving.

Big Fat Burrito has thrived at their Kensington Market and Annex branches and are trying to keep pace with Burrito Boyz , Burrito Bandidos , Quesada , Z-Teca and Chino Locos for domination of the Toronto burrito scene.

We walked in from the stifling July heat and following the typical routine. Line up, order and wait. The staff is attentive and completely in the zone - a necessity given the noontime onslaught of hungry patrons. This small space gets packed quickly and we counted up to 26 people lining up for food at one point.

I decided to try the small veggie burrito ($6) which I had with all the toppings (refried beans, Mexican rice, lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa, guacamole, green pepper, jalapenos, sour cream and garlicky mayo).

The small burrito is actually quite large and comes tightly packed. I asked for medium heat on the sauce but either they forgot to add it or medium here is just mild.

It's a good thing you can request hot sauce separately. Bottles are labeled by level of spiciness and I chose no. 3 which added just the right amount of heat and zing to enhance the burrito's overall flavour. I enjoyed the veggie burrito and found it so filling. The veggies were all fresh, still crisp and the beans to rice ratio was perfect enough to hold everything together.

Other standouts on the menu, which I'm going to come back to try include the Steak Burrito ($7.50/small) made from AA Canadian beef, the Pulled Pork ($7.50/small) and their signature Yam Burrito ($7.00/small).

My friend ordered two ground beef tacos ($2.50 each) but found them disappointing. They Lacked flavour and the shells too reminiscent of cardboard. It felt like anyone could come up with better tacos using an Old El Paso Taco dinner kit, ground beef, cheese and veggies.

Chips and Guacamole were just the perfect complement to a hot summer day and a good way to counteract the fiery flavour of the burrito with the no. 3 sauce. The salsa they serve is also very good and we found it quite refreshing as a dip for the chips and to add a much needed little something-something to the tacos.

For fast, filling and somewhat healthier fast-food options, Big Fat Burrito seems to have what it takes to really succeed in this area. Those who stick to the core burrito offerings shouldn't be disappointed. And for claustrophobes, it might be better to grab and go rather than dine in because it can get super crowded.

Hours 11:30 am to 9:00 pm

Monday to Sunday