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“The quality of our food is far superior to any of those burrito chains.”
Robert Matos didn’t hesitate issuing a bold statement when asked how his Burrito Blvd stacks up against the big national names in fast-casual Mexican food.
The Burrito Blvd co-owner says that confidence comes from a simple approach the Long Island-based chain has stuck to for 12 years: prepare food fresh every day, keep portions generous, and don’t cut corners.
Now Matos and business partner Joseph Vetrano are bringing that formula to Rockville Centre, where Burrito Blvd opened June 25 in the former Green Cactus space at 288 Sunrise Highway.
“It’s a great community,” Matos told Greater Long Island. “We wanted to be here.”
While chains like Chipotle and Moe’s also build meals to order, Matos said Burrito Blvd puts more emphasis on what happens before customers reach the counter. Vegetables are chopped and ingredients are prepped fresh throughout the day in-house, rather than relying on pre-cut or bulk-prepped items delivered to stores.
“Everybody knows them because of how well they market themselves,” he said. “But we take pride in the fact that everything is fresh. Nothing is prepackaged or delivered. You can taste the difference.”
The sugar skull murals that brighten up the new Burrito Blvd, located at 288 Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre. (Credit: GLI/Andrew Rappaport)
And Matos says while quality is number one, quantity is just as important.
“My buddy was showing his friends one of our TikTok videos, and they said, ‘There’s no way they make burritos that big. Those huge portions are just for the videos,’” Matos recalled with a laugh. “So they called me on FaceTime, and I showed them live as we made a burrito for a customer. He was amazed. That’s what we’re known for.”
For Matos, it all comes back to value.
“You spend money, you don’t want to leave hungry,” he said. “You want to be satisfied, and that’s what we believe in here.”
The menu features customizable burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, salads and nachos, with a range of proteins, toppings and house-made salsas. The newest addition is smashburger tacos.
“It’s the biggest craze right now, so I figured, why not?” Matos said. “It’s on a corn tortilla, crispy on both sides, topped with cheese, lettuce, pico and chipotle mayo. Three for 10 bucks. How can you beat that?”
The restaurant also has a liquor license, offering Mexican beers and four varieties of margaritas.
“We aren’t a bar,” Matos said. “But we want people to be able to enjoy a drink with their meal.”
Beyond the menu, Matos said the goal is to build a place where service matters just as much as what’s on the plate.
“I tell all my people, treat everyone here like they’re family,” he said. “I always say great customer service is very important. We know there’s a lot of competition out there, so we want to prove to everyone that our food is great and that they’ll have a great experience with our staff.”
The company first opened in Mineola 12 years ago before expanding into Queens, where it built a steady local following. Franchise locations later opened in Suffolk (now closed in Coram and Oakdale) but the company has shifted its focus back toward Nassau and Queens counties.
Burrito Blvd in Rockville Centre is open seven days a week beginning at 11 a.m., serving lunch and dinner with extended weekend hours.
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