An Anna's Roadblock

I love Anna's Taqueria, but the place really is in need of a bright MBA grad who can speed things up a bit.

I go to Anna's (at the corner of Cambridge and Garden Streets on Beacon Hill) a few times a month. It's one of those legendary local places that only takes cash. One heck of a burrito. (I was told by a colleague in San Francisco that the owners are Asian.)

I don't mind the fact that Anna's doesn't take cash, but the place has a line most of the time, leading up to an a la carte buffet where three or four employees stand ready to make a burrito to order. The line speaks to the place's popularity, but perhaps it also speaks to some concerns I have about the assembly line.

You start out by giving your order-- the size of your burrito, and the type of meat. However, over the course of fulfillment, you repeat your order at least twice to other individuals standing right next to the original person who took your order (I will spare out the specifics of why this is the case). Generally, one is also asked at least twice whether the order is to-go or not.

My favorite part is, while I generally have the same order each time I go, I always seem to pay a different amount. I guess the Wholesale prices for burrito ingredients are a moving target.

Regardless, I am sure I will be back to Anna's in a few days.