"qdoba" news and stories

It's ironic that perhaps a decade ago, "street meat" sidewalk food was frowned upon by uppity gourmands, because these days, it's all the rage. Food trucks and sidewalk cart vendors are now the go-to spot to get good, inexpensive meals, and the fervor over these portable eateries has spawned the Vendy Awards and food truck rivalries in different American cities. Restaurants, including fast food chains, have embraced the trend: Last year Taco Bell introduced street-inspired "Cantina Tacos," and now Qdoba Mexican Grill has jumped on the urban bandwagon with their Mini Street Tacos. Here's how they rate:

The Claims: An order of Mini Street Tacos is a "light meal, heavy on authentic flavors" consisting of "three snack-sized soft corn tortilla tacos with your choice of pulled pork or shredded beef, finished with diced red onion and fresh cilantro." Completing the combo is lime wedge for a squeeze of citrus, plus a small side of ancho chile baked beans.

The Price: $4.99 for the combo (480-510 calories). (Prices may vary at participating locations.)

The fast-food giants have nothing on America's regional favorites, according to a survey released this week.

Diners rated regional chains over traditional heavyweights in a survey of overall customer satisfaction. In-N-Out Burger of Irvine, Calif., took the top spot in the survey of 141 chains conducted by Sandelman & Associates.

Regional faves grabbed top honors in the survey released Monday: In-N-Out Burger moved to the top spot from second place in 2007, receiving a 60 percent "excellent" rating. The popular California burger chain was followed this year by Raising Cane's of Baton Rouge, La., with 59 percent and Giordano's Pizza of Chicago with 56 percent. Pei Wei, which won the satisfaction survey in 2007, finished seventh.