By Thom Volarath

Hidden within the strip mall that used to house Artlite at 1877 Piedmont Road is a quirky little new burrito place that I think you should try out. Sheik Burritos fuses Persian and Southwestern foods into a deliciously packed burrito or served in a dog bowl (I’ll get to that part in a sec).

Walking into the quaint restaurant, the menu looks competely overwhelming. Start with your choice of beef, lamb, pork, chicken or tofu. Then add your choice of sauces: Bad-Man-Jon, spicy eggplant with lentils and tomatoes, or Feast-N-June, sweet pomegranate and ground walnuts with carrots. Follow up with your choice of condiments. My favorite? The Shirazi: tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, mint, citrus and olive oil.

Take my advice and stick to the fixed menu on the right side until you get comfortable with the restaurant. If you get lost the guy at the counter is super helpful and is always willing to give suggestions.

Once you order the kind of burrito that you want you can choose from three different options: Persian style has the entree wrapped in a whole wheat pita; Southwestern style is a traditional burrito wrapped in your choice of tortilla; or the dog bowl, which has your meal served in an actual metal dog bowl. The dog bowl made for good conversation when it arrived at our table, but trust me, it looked really delicious.

As with most burrito joints, the serving portions are huge. Unlike most burrito places, the combination of ingredients are fresh and imaginative – and it doesn’t feel like a brick in your stomach afterwards.