The Whole Enchilada

I work in Durham, and on the days when I don’t pack my own lunch I try to find a local option that’s somewhat healthy. Options are limited here, however, and unfortunately The Whole Enchilada is drastically lacking in flavor and is now on my «not even if I’m starving» list.
My first experience with Whole Enchilada was actually years ago, when I tried a burrito and found it very dry and bland. It was bad enough that I had no interest in eating there again. Lunch time boredom got to me eventually, so I tried one of their salads. It was OK, but only because I made substitutions. The modified salad wasn’t bad, but it’s not something I’d want to regularly pay for. Like the burrito I tried long ago, it didn’t have much flavor, which is perplexing. Mexican food should have so much flavor! Cilantro, chili, cumin, cheese, sour cream, black beans, corn, onions, salsa, guacamole — how can you go wrong?! Apparently Whole Enchilada found a way to go wrong.
Lack of flavor aside, the salads just aren’t well executed. I don’t know how they wash the lettuce or if they don’t drain the black beans, but each time I ordered a salad it was swimming in liquid — not the dressing (which is confusing, because they call it a unique Mexican dressing but it looks and tastes like a very bland Italian?), which I don’t even use. Because of all that excess water, the lettuce was soggy and just gross. The last time I ordered a salad, I probably poured off over a third of a cup of brownish (from the beans, I hope) liquid before I could attempt to eat my lunch. It was pretty disgusting and put me off ever ordering from Whole Enchilada again.
Yes, the place looks clean and the staff are pleasant. But please, someone buy them a salad spinner and some spices! They could probably use a Mexican cookbook too.

My Review was for Old Management and Staff. I understand a New Management is in so review unfair to New Ownership.
Will go back just to verify and Rewrite Review then.

Turn away. My burrito contained soy sauce…

Disappointed. Ordered the Chicken Burrito and they were very stingy with the chicken, on top of that the burrito was $ 8.50! The guy who ordered before me wanted water with lunch and the cashier said they only have bottled water. Expensive lunch. Won’t be back.

While not the best burrito I have ever had, they aren’t the worst and I would venture to bet that they are one of the best places in the Middletown area to get a burrito that you can take to go and actually eat in your car.
The flavors are ok but they aren’t as assertive as you would expect from Mexican food but overall it isn’t bad. The rice and beans are cooked well and they offer some hot sauces (both are Frank’s brand Red Hot and Green Jalapeño) in the restaurant as well as offer guacamole and sour cream for an additional price. They have daily burrito specials where you can get a burritto for $ 4.99 which is a lot cheaper (and a lot better) than other things you can get for $ 4.99 in the area.
One drawback that some people may not like is they don’t offer you the choice of what goes on your burrito. Unlike the chains (Chipotle and Moes for example) you basically place your order and tell them what you don’t want or want additional as they are making it. Also, you can’t see what the items as they are in the back and away from the order counter. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can skeeze some people out especially since its an assembly line system. where the items are prepared in advance and are simply in a holding area.

Personally, I like to take my burrito home and toast it in the oven for a few minutes so it gets crispy but eating one on the go is also good.

I stop here often for the burrito of the day. $ 5,you can’t do much better than that for lunch. The place is always clean, and the staff is always friendly. As some other reviews mention, some of the food suffers from a lack of seasoning. Some people said it’s expensive and they should have gone to taco bell… that’s crap… the food here is fresh and maybe a little pricey for such a «bare bones» operation, but it’s way beyond anything you will get at taco bell. If you haven’t tried it yet then get the 5 dollar burrito of the day … I’d be surprised if you were disappointed

I stopped in at The Whole Enchilada on my way to a job without reading any reviews. (Just driving by). I wish I had because I feel like I just wasted $ 10. Although it wasn’t –bad-​, it wasn’t what I would call good either.
I ordered the Enchilada thinking that it would be good since that is sort of what they have branded themselves around. Definitely a disappointment. When I think Enchilada I think soft corn tortillas cooked in that yummy dark red sauce but what I was served was two Enchiladas with just salsa on top, not even that hot, and not enough cheese. I honestly feel like maybe it was just microwaved. The only reason I gave it two stars was because the portion was good and I didn’t leave hungry. But really, why no Enchilada sauce?!
Aside from the food, the staff was very friendly and the place was pretty cool. I just think the food could be so, so much better.

Stay away. Over priced and the food has no flavor you are better off going to Taco Bell

ABSOLUTELY TO DIE FOR!
I am constantly looking forward to my Whole Enchilada meals. The service is amazing and the food is just-​YUM YUM YUM!
Everything I’ve ever gotten has been to die for (from burritos to enchiladas to salads to soups!).
The service is amazing! I never wait more than 5 minutes! So quick! All of the guys there are so friendly and knowledgable!
For the amount of food you get, it’s an amazing deal! Their burritos are massive! I almost never finish mine.
The restaurant itself has really great décor (amazing atmosphere!) and it’s spotless!
Service is so fast, but it definitely doesn’t feel like fast food!
Great lunch or dinner spot!

Definitely a fresh and healthy alternative to Taco Bell. Awesome buffalo/​BBQ chicken burritos and good rice. Inside is kept very clean and is decorated nicely. I like some of the painted scenes on the walls. Friendly staff too. Comfortable inside enough to eat-​in, but I usually just do take-​out. They even have a couple tables with umbrellas outside if you wanna eat in the fresh air on a nice spring/​summer day. Prices have improved. Sadly I don’t go very often because I rarely find myself in the mood for Mexican food.

Went there today for take out. 2 burritos (half the size of what you get at other places), w/​2 sides of sourcream, and 2 small chili… $ 38. I couldn’t believe it. The small chili’s were over $ 5 each. Really? This food is decent. The employees are friendly and service is fast. But in terms of it being a great deal or really good MEXICAN, not so. They just have very little competition.

Been here for lunch a few times, nothing remarkable. Today will be my last, ordered to buffalo chicken burrito with no tortilla. Just hot no flavor and it was over ten dollars. Taco bell would have been better!

Undoubtedly the tastiest Mexican food around. Usually around $ 8, the burrito has all the necessities of a good burrito — rice, black beans, cheese, lettuce, and so much more. They even have daily $ 5 burrito specials. What’s most important, though, is that all of the food is generally healthy. There are plenty of healthy choices for the choosing including, but not limited to, brown rice and whole wheat tortillas. No matter what you order, expect to be full after. The burritos are stuffed and the quesadillas are almost just as filling. I was very interested to see that vegetarian and gluten-​free alternatives are available as well! Try the Gazpacho (it’s seasonal) or the tropical mango burrito, both are so refreshing and unbelievably tasty, especially in the summer months! The workers are exceptionally nice and very accommodating. Luis, the head cook, will always make your day brighter just by stopping in and talking to him.

Good fresh healthy choice. Perfect to pick up dinner or eat in.

After getting slightly lost on our way back from Lyman Orchards, my boyfriend and I noticed The Whole Enchilada and decided to stop in for lunch. Bad choice. My guess is that this is the only Mexican spot in the area, which is straight up country. Mainly a takeout place, there are two or three wobbly tables to sit down. My boyfriend reported that the bathroom was a disaster area, so I didn’t even make an attempt to go in there. With that said, I don’t mind a hood spot, if the food is great. No such luck. We ordered the chicken nachos which appeared to be a few mini Tostitos covered in chicken, cheese, tomatos, and jalapenos. Mediocre at best. For an entrée, we both ordered the hard beef tacos with rice. The rice tasted like yellow goya boxed rice and the tacos were disgusting. I took one bite and gave them to my boyfriend who is a human garbage disposal. The beef was bland as if they have an aversion to Adobo. They were topped with mozzerella cheese, very Mexican, no salsa, no sour cream. Bleh! I would of been happier going to Taco Bell.

This place has the best burritos! The best deal is the burrito of the day! You can get a huge burrito for $ 4.99. The people working there are so friendly, and they did a great job hiring the right ones. We especially liked the employee Brian who waited on us. What a handsome and friendly fellow he was. Why hasn’t Hollywood discovered him yet! His coworker Luise was so nice as well. The restaurant is very clean. Definitely a place to try!

the whole enchilada is pretty good mexican take out fare. i think it gets popular in the summer when people are header to/​from the shore. off peak times it never seems too busy.
i have had a few different things here, and all were decent — i was never disappointed but never really blown away. they didnt have tons of options for a vegetarian that doesnt eat beans, but the things i ordered without beans were always good. the roasted veg burrito was good. the nachos were ok. cheese quesedilla was pretty good. all pretty basic stuff — but not very cheap.
if you are passing by the whole enchilada and want mexican food there arent too many other options without driving a ways. if i had to choose between a taco bell or the whole enchilada. i would go to whole enchilada and pay 4x as much .
ps. their web site plays very annoying music.