I love Habanero. I spent my formative years– both high school and college– in the Clifton area, and Habanero hasn’t been there the entire time, but it feels like it has. When that new kid on the block, Chipotle, moved into Clifton, I laughed. “Ha ha!” I said. “Who needs Chipotle when you can have Habanero?”
Not me. If Chipotle went out of business, I wouldn’t cry. I’d just go to Habanero and pick up my favorite, a quesadilla with barbecue chicken, onions, cheese and corn, which is exactly what I got when Terry and I went together last Saturday. I am so predictable, but it’s so good!
There are a few things I love about Habanero. First, the salsas. There are approximately a zillion kinds (okay, six, I think today is Hyperbole Day), my favorite is the pineapple-almond salsa and the original, which has just a bit of beer in it. Both are amazingly good, fresh, and I could eat buckets of it with their chips. The chips are flour tortilla, freshly fried and crispy. They’re easily the best chips I’ve ever had.
Terry always orders something different. I say “always” as if it’s happened a million times; it’s really only been about three. This time, he got the Arroyo Hondo burrito, which is flank steak, rice, beans, lettuce, caramelized onions and goat cheese. I’m a sucker for anything with caramelized onions and goat cheese, but I didn’t steal a bite– I was far too obsessed with my quesadilla.
Other great selling points: beer on tap (usually 3 or 4, most from Great Lakes Brewing Co.), margaritas, mojitos, smoothies, and lots of vegetarian and even vegan options. If you’re in a rush, you can even order online.
