Artwork by Mia Nogueira

As a senior at TJ I’ve eaten at possibly every restaurant around at school. I’ve compiled a list of the top ten won’t-burn-a-hole-in-your-pocket fast food restaurants that have become my favorites over the years and hopefully underclassman will find the list helpful when debating where to eat.

10. McDonald’s
McDonald’s, an oldie but a goodie. For people who are pinching pennies McDonald’s is the idyllic place to go because of the dollar menu with many amenities such as the double cheese burger, hot n’ spicy McChicken, small fries, hash browns and apple pies. Although not the most popular fast-food restaurant on the list, TJ students always flock to McDonald’s for their delicious golden fries and low prices. The closest McDonald’s to TJ is located on East Hampden Avenue in a long strip of shops that include Qdoba and New York Deli. Senior Mariah Brown adds, “I like McDonald’s because I love their fries and their breakfast burritos.” What I Order:  a Hot n’ Spicy McChicken with a side of warm golden fries and a cold drink.

9. Burger King
Burger King is another great place to go when pinching pennies. A favorite of most TJ students is the Whopper JR for only a buck.  Burger King is in walking distance of TJ, nestled between The Duffeyroll Café and Starbucks on East Hampden Avenue. With its close location, students without cars are able to walk the few blocks during lunch or after school. Not only is Burger King close and cheap but it also is true to its claim that its burgers taste flame broiled, as if they just came right off the grill. What I Order: a crunchy TENDERGRILL® Chicken Sandwich with a side of crispy onion rings and a medium Cola. Senior Ben Le asserts, “Burger King is great because it’s close and I can get good sized food for a low buck. People are friendly and it doesn’t take long to get the grub.”

8. Taco Bell
Sick of Hamburgers? Try Taco Bell, which is also close by TJ (by driving standards) on East Yale Avenue. Taco Bell is also known for its cheap prices and abundant food choices and combinations. Senior Katie Dehmlow declares, “I could buy a month’s worth of food with $15 and eat it all in 10 minutes. It’s filling and delicious.” The fast food restaurant always keeps us on our toes with its creative and inventive new menu items such as its Volcano Taco and the Mexican Pizza. What I Order: Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas which comes with a crunchy taco and a large refreshing Mountain Dew.

7. Subway
One reason for Subway’s popularity is its healthy choices, which students constantly boast about. Another reason the chain is so popular is its sub-sandwiches that can be easily customized to fit anyone’s taste. The restaurant also offers a lot of food for a great price. Subway is set in a little nook next to Chipotle and across from Whole Foods on East Hampden Ave. What I Order: A toasted 6-inch whole wheat Sub-Sandwich decorated with lettuce, roast beef, onions, tomatoes and honey mustard sauce. Senior Alex Palmer stated simply, “I love Subway because I love vegetables.”

6. Wendy’s
Looking for a fantastic chicken sandwich? Look no further than Wendy’s. Although it’s one of the furthest restaurants on the list (on South Monaco Pkwy), it’s still very popular among students. Wendy’s is another affordable place to eat; if you don’t have a lot of cash you can get one of the Deluxe Value Meals™ for only $2.99 which includes a side of medium fries and a medium drink. Students also love their wide array of desert drinks.  “Their Frosty™ are the BOMB,” says Junior Michael Kutz. What I Order: a Crispy Chicken Deluxe sandwich (without bacon or cheese), with warm golden fries, and an ice-cold coke.

5. Sonic
Sonic is another burger restaurant but with a unique specialty for drinks. They offer soft drinks, iced teas, flavored teas, Minute Made ® juices, milk, limeades, real fruit slushes, flavored slushes, ocean water, fruit smoothies, and water. Sonic is also unique in how they serve their customers, TJ students usually park outside and order from the row of order menus lining the restaurant and an employee comes out with the order(s). Senior Caleb Johnson claims, “Aside from being good, eating at Sonic is like rolling back into America’s heyday where style and tradition and all the classics are everywhere.” What I order: Sonic Burger, melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella sticks and a cherry limeade.

4. Qdoba
Chipotle’s second cousin twice removed, Qdoba is another favorite. More and more students are flocking to the restaurant because of its proximity to TJ and the freshness of its food. Qdoba is also a Mexican fast food restaurant and its height in popularity has a lot to do with students looking for something fresh and new to try out that was also close by. The low prices don’t hurt, either. “Qdoba has fresher food and they don’t put weird spices in their food,” Senior Will Simon states. What I Order: A burrito bowl with white rice, beef, mild salsa and a healthy helping of lettuce.

3. Panda Express
Panda is a little more than your average fast food restaurant, located a little further away then Wendy’s on South Monaco Pkwy. The food is a bit more expensive for the average high school student but it’s well worth it. The restaurant offers delicious Chinese cuisine (and even includes a vegetarian menu).  Senior Ivanna Vdovich had nothing but praise for the restaurant, saying, “Panda Express is amazing because it has a wide variety of food from which to choose and I happen to like the spices and whatever it is they use in their food. The people are pretty nice and are ready to serve with a smile. Food is prepared right in front of you and the wafting smells are the perfect start to your lunch (or dinner). The atmosphere is laid-back and care-free.” What I Order: A panda bowl full of steaming chicken fried rice topped off with sweet and sour chicken and mouth watering pot-stickers.

2. Noodles and Company
Noodles and Company or “Noodles” is a slightly more expensive choice on the list, but it’s well worth it (if you have the cash). One senior who just can’t get enough is Rebecca Holt who remarks, “I like Noodles because it’s healthy, high quality food, with the quickness of fast-food.” Noodles is also one of the closest restaurants to TJ and it offers a change from burgers and burritos. What I Order: straight from the Mediterranean menu a Penne Rosa with pieces of parmesan crusted chicken breast mixed in, and a medium drink. Noodles is just as close as Burger King, located on East Hampden Avenue.

1.Chipotle
Who doesn’t love a big fat burrito prepared right in front of you with the freshest ingredients and a friendly staff of servers? Chipotle is widely visited by TJ students, especially around lunchtime, also located on East Hampden Avenue. There is always a line that almost touches the door, and a great relaxing atmosphere filled with the sound of hungry mouths at work. Senior Martha Alvarez says, “Chipotle is the only fast food restaurant that comes close to tasting like authentic Mexican food.” Spicy, fresh and fast describe the restaurant which also offers a wide array of other menu choices aside from its famous giant burritos. What I Order: Burrito Bowl with steaming rice, black beans, mild salsa, extra beef, and a drink.

     The battle of the big burrito joints rages everyday for the hearts and hunger of TJ students. The basis for both taquerias is the same: they both offer a large meal for a reasonable price. Both offer American/Mexican food with many different choices of meats, veggies, and salsas.

     Upon taking a deeper look at the inner workings of both restaurants, they may seem a lot the same, but they are in fact different.

    Both places offer a variety of different items. Chipotle offers burritos, naked burritos (all the makings of a burrito but without the tortilla), salads (like a naked burrito but with lettuce instead of rice), tacos (both soft and hard), and a variety of different quesadillas.

     While Qdoba offers the same basic items, they go above and beyond covering an assortment of authentic Mexican dishes like tortilla soup, loaded nachos, taco salads, Mexican gumbo, and of course the amazing queso sauce. Along with the diverse lunch and dinner options, Qdoba also offers a breakfast burrito, which is comprised of eggs, potatoes, sausage, and three-cheese queso ranchera sauce wrapped in a floury tortilla.

     With all the options that Qdoba has, one wonders why there even is an option on what to choose – this reporter believes it should go to Qdoba hands down. But this just isn’t the case with a recent survey of TJ students. The results were overwhelmingly clear, with seven out of ten students choosing Chipotle over Qdoba.  With fifty students interviewed, thirty-five chose Chipotle to the fifteen who chose Qdoba.

    Senior Chipotle lover Robbie Folk said, “I’ve been to a Qdoba a couple times throughout my life. I really enjoy their queso cheese sauce, but the rest of their ingredients just aren’t the same as Chipotle.”
 
     While all the ingredients are made more or less the same way, it just comes down to personal preference. Some people eat Chipotle some people eat Qdoba. It’s either one or the other. Senior Qdoba enthusiast Asia Dorsey chooses Qdoba for an assortment of reasons. She said, “I like Qdoba because they don’t charge me an arm and a leg for the beloved guacamole. Also, when I order the quesadilla I don’t get charged for my additional condiments like salsas, sour cream, and meat. Also I love their Nachos so very much.“

    So when it gets down to the basics it’s all about personal preference and how much money the customer wants to spend. It’s all about which one is preferred. While the majority of students at TJ go to Chipotle, many go to both.

    With all the different lunchtime decisions, one can’t really take the title for good. But the students have spoken, and the crown goes to Chipotle. With personal experience dining at Chipotle during the TJ lunchtime rush, no other lunch joint can compete.
 

    Ask yourself one question before purchasing a bottle of water: are you paying $1.25 for the bottle, or the water?

If you’re buying it for the water, you fail. It’s water, the most abundant liquid on the face of the Earth. It’s not so rare; people actually die from drowning in it. Never buy more than one bottle of water.

    Though, due to DPS’s new drink policy, and TJ’s five-year contract with Pepsi, water may be the only sensible choice. Diet drinks may make us cry for calories, but times get hard, study halls become dry, Coach Owens requires many laps. So who’s to sort through the seas of fructose concoctions to find the elixir of the gods? The TJ Journal of course. Below is a review every drink currently available.

Diet Pepsi
Tasting like Pepsi that has been left out for a while, with a heavy aftertaste, and a strong diet flavor – Diet Pepsi seems to be an acquired taste. Only good for the first split second before the dextrose flavoring attacks, this prescription fails to impress.
Rating: 6

Diet Mountain Dew
Not branching far from the eternal favorite, this diet version of Mountain Dew stays close to the original formula. Not as sweet and as fizzy, but with a very similar flavor, Diet Mountain Dew lacks the “diet” taste from which a lot of beverages suffer from.
Rating: 8

Sierra Mist Free
On par with “sparkling water”, Sierra Mist Free tastes good – though noticeably diluted compared to the original. Still refreshing, and with no real aftertaste, it’s an adequate substitute to the real thing.
Rating: 7

Dr Pepper Diet
Stale, bland, and with a weak flavor, Dr Pepper Diet misses on most of what made the original great – mainly tasting like something. A shadow of a once-great, bold tasting mixture, Dr Pepper Diet should be avoided if only for the strange aftertaste.
Rating: 4

Diet Pepsi with Cherry
Though not without its faults; foamy, sweet, and fruity, Diet Pepsi with Cherry is what all diet drinks strive to be. Leaps and bounds better than regular Diet Pepsi, with a cherry lining that carries over and muffles the aftertaste, DP with Cherry is a fantastic choice.
Rating: 8

Tropicana Light – Berry
Accurately described as a “Vitamin Water spin-off failure,” Tropicana Light is pretty light. Watery, with an odd flavor-death about halfway between a sip, and with thoughts of fruity cough syrup not too far off, Tropicana Light is best taken with a cold.
Rating: 4

Flavor Splash – Citrus Blend
What seems to be marketed as water that used to have a lemon in it, Flavor Splash – Citrus Blend has almost no flavor at all. Paired with a “surprise” aftertaste that only emerges a few seconds after drinking, this beverage could easily be substituted with a trip to the fountain where someone left an old lemon rind sitting out.
Rating: 5

Flavor Splash – Raspberry
Citrus Blends’ sister drink, Raspberry, decently pulls off flavor subtlety, and though the raspberry taste is stronger, smoother, and without an aftertaste – it still tastes artificial. FS Raspberry is overall simply “decent.”
Rating: 7

Aquafina Alive Wellness Water – Peach Mango (AKA Orange Lime)
Aquafina Alive does not want you to purchase its products; at least the ones they advertise. Besides having the Berry Pomegranate variety always vend a flavor of Propel, Orange Lime actually works under the pseudonym “Peach Mango.” Unfortunately, it’s still disgusting and similar to drinking a liquefied Ricola lozenge.
Rating: 3

Propel – Kiwi-Strawberry
All three Propels are basically the same combination of diluted Gatorade and sucrose – but as they’re the only monopolistic sports drink available, they serve adequately as thirst quenchers. Kiwi-Strawberry is the best of the trio – sweet without tasting too “fruit punchy.”
Rating: 7

Propel – Berry
Propel Berry may as well find its own crowd; the flavor is above average, but that’s about it. A round of applause for generic berry flavor?
Rating: 6

Propel – Grape
The definite worst of the three, Propel Grape is very upfront with its taste – like drinking a bottle of melted popsicles.
Rating: 5

Diet Lipton – Green Tea
One of the better options available, Diet Lipton Green Tea, is very organic tasting; though the manufactured sugar takes a few sips to get used to. Garnished with lemon, Green Tea tastes like actual tea!
Rating: 8

Diet Lipton – White Tea
Overpowering, with a bombardment of dextrose, and a creepily tangy aftertaste, White Tea offers no advantages over Diet Lipton’s other option.
Rating: 4

    Overall, be wary of your purchases. The vending machines are infamous for their talent at delivering everything but what’s asked for – not to mention Aquafina Alive Berry Pomegranate’s non-existence.
    On a related note: the vending machine way in the back, the last one at the end of the auditorium, serves the coldest drinks. Our sample of Propel had ice chunks in it.

    There are many traditions that are local to the great state of Colorado, but none perhaps as delicious as Duffy Rolls. With the original location within walking distance of Thomas Jefferson, I think we can all consider ourselves pretty darn lucky. Duffy Rolls offer a mouth-watering array of baked goods. And remember, free mini Duffy roll with every purchase of a Latte.
    When I imagine a place that would offer friendly service, coffee, and tempting bakery fare, the Happy Cannon Road and Hampden Ave. location is the poster child. The set-up reminds me of a café that might be found in an old Victorian house’s first floor. But Duffy’s is camouflaged in this nondescript brick building, which can easily be scanned right over. The front entrance and patio, in the winter, is covered in a big, dark, maroon tent.
    I can absolutely recommend Duffy’s to the starving teenager. I ordered a pecan sticky bun and a latte; I was absolutely thrilled when I got to pick out any mini roll free with coffee bar drink. My to-go bag was packed and I barely broke the bank, not even going into the double digits. Duffy Roll is a treat as a breakfast, dessert or “just cuz”; this place is euphoric.
    Frankly, I was so excited to devour the sticky bun that I almost forgot to grab my quote, but I remembered right as we were headed out. Luckily there wasn’t anyone behind me in line, and the manager was at the register! The manager, Becca, was a sweetheart and obviously proud of where she works. She contemplated what to say to the Spartans about Duffy Roll, “You know, I was talking to a friend of mine who lives in New York, and he was saying, ‘I really want a Duffy Roll,’ they are world famous.” I loved it! We also briefly talked about deals for the students. Bring your Spartan Card for a discount!
     The Spartan Card is a TJHS sports fundraiser. The card can be purchased in varying amounts and can score a two for one medium original, which is perhaps the coolest deal possible (and support a sports team at the same time).
     I cannot emphasize enough how great this little place is, but my taste-buds certainly thanked me, and two-thousand and forty-two thank-yous taste awesome. With so many deals available and a location within walking distance from school, there’s nothing better than going to Duffy Roll.

by Sarah Heath

    When I was about 11 years old my parents were shoe shopping at a particularly boring shoe store. I wandered across the street with not more than two dollars to my name and ended up with a hot peach dark tea. I had stumbled into Lollicup, and personally, I feel like my life’s better for it.

    Walking into Lollicup brightens my day; the drinks are fun and new, the atmosphere is comfortable, playful and hip, and I can hang out there for hours. There’s a stupendous selection of drinks and add-ins ranging from $2-$5.

    I blank-faced stared at the two menu boards for about five minutes and finally was able to order. I got my delicious Snowbubble in a hard plastic cup with decorated shrink-wrap on top. “Shake your drink,” my friend (a Lollicup frequenter) told me. “It mixes the Bobas in.” Reluctantly, I shook the cup away from me not wanting to be covered in a Peach-and-Boba storm. My friend also shook hers ferociously and then we both grabbed large straws and, using the pointy end, we punctured the shrink-wrap, grabbed a seat, and started sipping on our delicious Lolli favorites.

    Seating starts in front of the counter at the right half of the shop, and extends all the way back to the bathrooms. I played checkers with my friends, and watched some kids duking it out on the Foosball table. I browsed through a couple shelves full of Manga (graphic novels mostly from Japan). Then there’s a glass-top coffee table covered in Asian beauty magazines. My friend and I skimmed through them, commenting on the beautiful Asian models and then trying to decipher the symbolic writing. We mostly made it up, pretending we were fully fluent in translating Korean and Chinese.

    Lollicup is also a good place to do homework; they have free Internet (just request the password from the cashier) and comfortable seating around desk-sized tables. That is, of course, if you can focus in the giggle-friendly atmosphere. Everyone seems to be smiling, even the two businessmen seriously discussing something over a laptop. This is actually how I found out about the free and readily available internet, I just leaned over and struck up a conversation with the two. They were very friendly.

    Getting to the Lollicup location at 1500 S. Colorado Blvd. from TJ is easy: take Hampden west to Colorado and then go north to E. Florida Ave. The 40 bus has that exact route. The trendy tea-house is open from 11a.m. to 10p.m. on weekdays and 12 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays. Check it out!

by Manny Perez

There is a formula when going to Chipotle. It consists of several straightforward steps:

- Step One: Locate and enter line.
- Step Two: When reaching counter, ask for a burrito: chicken, black beans, cheese and sour cream, no salsa.
- Step Three: Pay, take food, and fill soda.
- Step Four: Eat!

    This has been my setup for the burrito joint since the time my father took me to the first Denver Chipotle on Colorado Blvd when I was nine years old. I can remember thinking,  “This thing is huge!” and “Mucho Bueno” as I inhaled the tortilla wrapped gem. Since then I have never diverged from the same routine. So, never having touched any of the other meats, vegetables, or salsas, I went on a journey (to E. Hampden) to finally take the leap.

    My first step was a steak burrito, filled with pinto beans and Roasted Chili-Corn salsa. This, being my first digression, tasted extremely awkward, as if someone swiped my holy trinity of chicken-cheese-cream for this… this… ripped up cow. It was similar to the experience people who have been in comas have when they begin to learn to walk again. They become aggravated and feel intensely averse to the change. The subject is then overwhelmed with joy after he takes the first step. I learned to like the steak. The pinto beans seemed decent. The Corn Salsa was the only thing I disliked, as my teeth collided with some un-tasty, unidentified substance every so often that wasn’t corn or cilantro.

    On my second excursion I tried a carnitas burrito (pinto beans and all three salsas), a quesadilla, and a bag of tortilla chips, which had eluded me heretofore. The shredded texture of the meat in the burrito was interesting and ultimately crave-inducing, a definite re-try. The salsas forced me to grab for the nearest drink more than once (though, I’ll go lighter next time). The quesadilla was adorably small compared to the Godzilla wrapped in foil next to it, and actually tasted rather bland. I opted to fill it simply with cheese instead of chicken, as the server suggested, so I suppose I missed out on something.  But the surprise winner of my taste-test was the chips. They come in a simple brown bag labeled “Chips” and attacked the taste buds with a wispy flavor of lime.

    Looking into the actual nutritional value of these delicious burritos, I was directed to the Chipotle website at Chipotle.com by a friendly burrito artist. Now, while I was fully enamored with their web design, I couldn’t find a satisfying answer to my query. It seems Chipotle would be unable to post any nutritional info because of a new regulation passed by the New York Department of Health which states that if an eatery puts the info online, it must also place it in the same gigantic Chipotle font with the rest of the menu. Seeing as there are thousands upon thousands of combinations, I can fully agree with Chipotle’s disposition (although one could argue that a print-out with the figures would not be unreasonable), but my question burned on.

    Turning to a less official source, I found myself on ChipotleFan.com, a quaint fan site dedicated to everything Chipotle. On the site they have a way to find ones burrito soul mate (someone who eats the exact same burrito as you), recipes to create Chipotle burrito clones, and most interesting, a nutritional calculator for each combination of food item you might eat there. The info is taken from a PDF handout given by the chain that has been long gone for some time now, and is placed in a simple nutrition table. The results after punching in my “usual” were shocking.

    By the Daily Calorie Intake recommended by the FDA, most people should be on a diet of 2000 calories per day. My chicken and black bean burrito came in with approximately 1149 calories, over half of the suggested amount. There was also 47 grams of fat, 166 milligrams of cholesterol, and 119 grams of carbohydrates: very high numbers. But most outrageous was the sodium content: 2429 milligrams! At first glance these numbers seemed scandalous, and the overall thoughts of some sort of “burrito conspiracy” rapidly arose, but after factoring in some common sense and some quick math, my rash disgust was changed to reasonable sensibility.

    What most Americans can’t grasp in today’s culture is the pure amount of food they consume everyday. An example of our growing ignorance is the constantly expanding size and increasing numbers of cup holders in cars, due to the explosion in popularity of fast food since the 50’s. Chipotle has only capitalized on this growing trend and was, and still is, being met with glowing comments on their large burritos. The individual burritos crunch in at about 21 oz, which, compared to the icon of unhealthy eating, is almost 3 times the size of an ordinary Big Mac. Putting the two side by side, one Chipotle burrito vs. one McDonald’s Big Mac, the Mac clearly is the “healthier” choice at 540 calories to the burrito’s 1149.

    What is happening here is just a simple underestimation of size. Because we see the uncomplicated and compact aluminum pill that is a Chipotle burrito, we instantly see it as an ordinary and healthy meal, as the chain often boasts its organic and untreated ingredients.

    These ingredients should of course be lauded. Most of the menu can be switched around to include only vegetarian foods, and with certain match-ups, can cross into vegan country. There is of course the praised insight to include all natural and unprocessed food; a number of items being purely, or at least partly, organic. But the result is a turn to quality when choosing food we believe is good for us, and leaving all thoughts of quantity behind. If one were to, say, eat 30 apples, the product would be harmful to one’s health no matter the benevolence of the fruit.

    Now, imagine a 21 oz Big Mac, with all its grease dripping, heart-clogging goodness, the same size as a Chipotle Burrito. The result is clear, as the Mac is topping in at 1512 calories compared to the 1159-calorie burrito. This is where the naturally raised pork and the 0 grams of sugar shine through. But it still is a very large burrito. And while the Chipotle of today will always be one of my favorite lunchtime eateries (sorry Qdoba), it is not to be taken lightly.

    Aside from the car-swerve-causing burritos, I believe Chipotle’s ultimate success lies in its reputation of being one of the few respectable companies thriving today. From its complete attentiveness to healthy and natural pork, chicken and beef, to the simple recyclable logo on all the bags and napkins, even the design in every restaurant is modern and a breath of fresh air. Each aspect of the eatery, whether or not positive to the company, is always positive for the customer and THAT is why I could never picture Chipotle ever going away. And if the final Chipotle were to ever close, there could be a bet on my life that I will be there to order my last chicken and black bean burrito. Unless, of course, I were to find a new favorite.

    My only question left is what to order next.