Qdoba Mexican Grill's(R) New Mini Street Tacos Offer Fresh, Flavorful Spin On Traditional Mexican Street Fare

By: QDOBA Mexican Eats® | 1 Shares 122 Reads

Qdoba is one of the first fast-casual brands to bring popular street food trend inside the restaurant

March 08, 2011 // Franchising.com // DENVER - Qdoba Mexican Grill, known for its wide variety of handcrafted, fresh and innovative Mexican cuisine options, is proud to introduce Qdoba's Mini Street Tacos to its more than 500 restaurants nationwide. Available only for a limited time beginning March 7, Qdoba's Mini Street Tacos offer guests a fresh, flavorful spin on traditional Mexican street fare. Qdoba's Mini Street Tacos come with three small, soft corn tortillas filled with the guest's choice of Qdoba's signature slow-roasted pulled pork or seasoned shredded beef and then topped with a red onion and fresh cilantro garnish. A full order comes with a side of tangy Ancho Chile BBQ beans and costs just $4.99[1].

Gourmet street fare - or food prepared and served from carts or trucks on the sides of popular streets - was named one of the hottest restaurant concepts at last year's National Restaurant Association show in Chicago and was recently served at the White House by renowned chef Rick Bayless. Street fare has its origins in several countries, including Mexico, where there is a great variety of "antojitos mexicanos" that are found at street food vendors who prepare some of the freshest, most delicious and innovative dishes in Mexico.

Inspired by these "antojitos mexicanos" on his many exploratory culinary trips to Mexico, Ted Stoner, Qdoba's Head Chef and Director of Strategic Product Development, began developing and testing Mini Street Tacos with guests almost two years ago - even before the gourmet street food trend began taking the U.S. by storm. Starting today Qdoba is excited to be one of the first fast-casual brands to bring the street food trend inside the restaurant.

"Every year we travel to Mexico to research Mexican cuisine trends and source new, exciting flavors. We've been enjoying street fare for years during these trips and are excited that we can now bring these vibrant, authentic flavors to our guests in the U.S.," said Stoner. "Qdoba is dedicated to offering our guests the opportunity to explore more flavors and tastes each time they enter a Qdoba restaurant and our new Mini Street Tacos are just one example of this."

Qdoba's Mini Street Tacos are also a delicious way to eat healthy.

An order of Qdoba's Mini Street Tacos (three tacos) with slow-roasted pork contains only 330 calories and offers 21 grams of protein. Qdoba's extra-lean pork is slow simmered in-house for six hours in a signature blend of spices, including green chilis, jalapenos, bell peppers, garlic and onions.
An order of Qdoba's Mini Street Tacos (three tacos) with perfectly seasoned shredded beef contains only 360 calories and offers 27 grams of protein.
A four-ounce side of Ancho Chile BBQ beans paired with the Street Tacos add only an 155 calories yet pack an extra six grams of protein and nine grams of fiber.

All of Qdoba's meals are handmade in front of the guest and topped with personally selected fresh ingredients to fit their own nutritional needs and taste preferences. Guests can check out Qdoba's nutritional calculator (http://qdoba.com/MenuItem.aspx?p=healthy) on its website, www.qdoba.com, to virtually build, customize and calculate the nutritional value of every menu item.

To find a complete list of restaurant locations, please go to www.Qdoba.com/locations.

About Qdoba Mexican Grill®

Qdoba Mexican Grill is an artisanal Mexican kitchen where anyone can go to enjoy a fast, handcrafted meal prepared with fresh ingredients and innovative flavors. Each Qdoba restaurant showcases food that celebrates Qdoba's passion for ingredients, a menu full of innovative flavors, handcrafted preparation and inviting service. Founded in Denver in 1995, Qdoba is among the nation's largest Mexican fast-casual chains with more than 500 restaurants in 43 states and the District of Columbia. Qdoba is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK). Franchise development rights exist for additional Qdoba Mexican Grill restaurants in areas throughout the nation. For more information about Qdoba or about franchising opportunities with the company, please visit www.qdoba.com.

[1] Excludes tax. Mini Street Tacos not available at airport locations. Price may vary by location

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