I am referring specifically to burrito-type places that prepare your food to order in an open space where you pick the ingredients, not nice restaurants with semi-open kitchens.
I just always feel unsettled watching people make my food. It has nothing to do with food anxieties or hygiene- its something about the watching itself (or maybe its the assembly-line feeling?). I also don’t like watching other people watching their food get made. It just feels…weird. Like I feel as if everyone is secretly judging his/her order and analyzing if the employee is making the food correctly. Of course people start tweaking things down the line (more cheese, less lettuce, what’s that, blah blah blah).
I miss the days where you just ordered something and then pick it up without making 15 decisions about size, additions, sauces, etc. Too much customization and choices. Less is more. Make it how you like (but no sour cream!).
I’m a big fan of this style of Burritos - we have 2 in my area: Chipotle and FreeBirds. I have no anxiety at all about watching them make food, nor do I have any anxiety about watching them make others. That said, I understand the feeling you are talking about, it’s how I feel when I carry something I’m reading in public - I don’t like people seeing what I’m reading or watching.
Yeah, this. Especially since these are inevitably fast-food type places, where cleanliness can be questionable. I like my local Chipotle because they have the actual kitchen right in view, so I can see the ingredients being prepared, and then watch my burrito get made at the prep bar as I go. I don’t have to worry that some prep cook failed to wash his hands, or wiped his nose while putting together a burger, or had a bad day and decided to take it out on the customer.
No. No problems with it.
What does annoy me though is people who feel the need to tell the employee “a little more” with every ingredient they put on the thing. Christ, like a Chipotle burrito doesn’t have enough calories as-is you greedy pig.
I’ve only seen this sort of thing at the various delis, but I like it. First, I like that the hygiene is under scrutiny, and second, I can tell them “no onions” when they automatically reach for the onions.
I love it. I find that I’ve become much more willing to state preferences even in regular sit-down restaurants since I’ve started frequenting the open preparation places. I don’t always remember to say no onions or no peppers, and sometimes I don’t even know that these things will be included in my order. I also like the opportunity to request a different sauce on my sandwich or a different dressing on my salad. In the past, that wouldn’t have occurred to me, but when you see it being made in front of you, it’s easier to make those choices. I’m a big fan of the Signature Deli at Safeway, and I love watching everyone get their sandwiches made and seeing if someone has made an interesting choice that I might like.
My burrito order is a flour tortilla, cheese, rice, refried pinto beans (not black beans), mild chicken, guacaomole, sour cream and no salsa. It’s a lot easier to get that in a place where I can see what the preparer is doing.
Not only did it never occur to me that some folks might object to this, if anything I would have thought people might object to food preparation being out of sight.
The ‘open’ burrito type places (Cal Tort for the win!) are no more disturbing than ordering something in a deli.
I like to see my ingredients - they’re not likely to let something that’s starting to go ‘off’ remain on the line where the customer can see it. Plus, I can see the grooming and general hygene of the preparers, and how they handle the food (gloves, hand washing, hair nets, etc.). Quality control by customer eyeball.
Works quite well for me.