It’s easy to draw comparisons between Lucky Lopez, Jianwai SOHO’s new Tex-Mex joint, and Chipotle Mexican Grill. Both serve hefty burritos, prepared assembly line-style – think Subway, but with more beans, rice and spice. Even the interior is familiar, down to the corrugated steel partitions. But despite our reservations, lunch here left us pleasantly surprised and full enough to skip dinner.

We started with the 12-inch burrito and a pair of seven-inch tacos. Prices are determined by filler, of which there are four: ‘barbacoa beef’, ‘carnitas pork’, ‘pollo chicken’ and vegetarian. The carnitas, prepared with a dry rub and braised in a seasoned stock for several hours, are juicy and tender, if a little salty. The pollo is a safe choice, and served in generous portions.Supplement your meal with one of Lucky Lopez’s ‘specials’: a fish taco or two tamales. We were particularly impressed with the way the fish taco catered to local tastes (sweet ’slaw and lots of mayonnaise) without going overboard. On the other hand, steer clear of the tamales, which were desert dry. Grab a mango smoothie instead to wash it all down.

The food at Lucky Lopez is lard-free and made from scratch, and improvements are also on the way, we’re told: spicier, tangier sauces, including chipotle tomatillo sauce, a happy hour and a brunch. It may not be the Mexican food savior we’ve been waiting for, but Lucky Lopez satisfies.Address: No. Building 8, Jianwai SOHO, 827 Henghui Donglu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区建外SOHO 8号楼827号一层Source: timeoutbeijing.com