Burritophile: User Reviews

El Tepeyac (Los Angeles, CA) reviewed by JoeTotoroto (4/10)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:36:47 -0500

I remember standing in line as a kid in the 70s, the burritos were oh so good. They actually had flavor back then. I no longer think Manuel has a say in the quality of the product that has his name attached to it, but in fact his greedy family is. They cut costs at the expense of the faithful consumers who yearn of what used to be, I wouldnt doubt it if they used canned beans and salsa. I have a friend who married into the family and he tells me of some of the inner workings. The family has restaurants in West Covina, Monterey Park, Alhambra, and So El Monte, they are all owned by someone related to Manuel. I stopped patronizing them when I paid Five Dollars for an Horchata in the Monterey Park location. Its too bad.

Benito's Taco Shop (La Cienega) (Los Angeles, CA) reviewed by JoeTotoroto (2/10)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:23:03 -0500

I would rather have a 7-11 frozen burrito than eat there again, the food is overpriced, and tasteless. The salsa is awful as well.
I worked in that area for 11 years and would have to drive miles for good mexican food. What I would have done for a King taco in the area.

Taqueria La Cumbre (San Mateo, CA) reviewed by Mr_Coon (9/10)

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:54:59 -0500

I've been eating at the La Cumbre in SF and SM for many years. During my vegeterian years (late 90's) I would come here for the "grilled veggie" burrito. It's still one of my favorite vegetarian burritos - sauteed peppers and onions with some cashews thrown in - yum. When I started eating meat again the very first thing I had was a pollo asado burrito with habenero salsa at La Cumbre. The salsa verde that comes with the chips is hot and delicious. This place is a favorite of my family's too.

El Molino (Pleasanton, CA) reviewed by ReddHerring (1/10)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:34:22 -0500

Don't confuse this place with El Molino Tacqueria in Concord. The one in Concord is unbelievable. Tortillas are made fresh, the meats are spiced perfectly. Highly recommended. 1500 Monument Blvd, Concord, CA 94519. I can't speak for this place in Pleasanton.

Cosmic Cantina (Durham, NC) reviewed by thorne_frank (10/10)

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:08:15 -0500

An outstanding burrito. When I worked in Durham I would eat 2-3 burritos a week on average here, over the course of three years. All the ingredients are fresh, healthy, and flavorful, without a lot of grease. The burritos felt light yet filling. I'm not doing the place justice, I swear by this joint.

Bonus points for the hole-in-the-wall atmosphere. Most of Durham is boring suburban strip malls, and the Cosmic is an authentic dive in an urban corner of the city.

El Super Burrito (Millbrae, CA) reviewed by robertb (5/10)

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:49:56 -0500

I asked for a vegetarian burrito and the lady behind the counter didn't seem to understand. I asked for it without crema or cheese. The only vegetable was tomato, refried beans and guac. It also had rice. The salsa was salty and uninteresting. Noelle was not very hungry and ordered a bean and cheese burrito. It was OK.

Freebirds World Burrito (Goleta, CA) reviewed by tikipete (5.5/10)

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:39:35 -0500

I would have a hard time rating this over 5.5 or 6 unless I smoked a fattie and didn't eat all day. BIG food is the only way to explain it. The ingredients are fresh and flavorful. A hit with the college students after partying. On the plus side is the chipotle style assembly line.
-Tiki

Tios Mexican Cafe (Ann Arbor, MI) reviewed by jeffmuir (10/10)

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:45:54 -0500

I have eaten burritos in more than 30 states across the USA, including California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, etc. And I have been eating at Tio's since it opened back in what...1985? I can't think of anything I don't like about the place. I judge food on taste and consistency over time. I judge a restaurant on service, prices, atmosphere, cleanliness, etc. Tio's burritos, along with everything else on their menu, are amazing -- fresh ingredients, nice flavor and texture, good portions, tasty sauces and sides -- the works. Ann Arbor is an incredibly fickle restaurant town -- I know, I grew up there. The location Tio's opened in was a deathbed for restaurants in the decade prior to Tio's opening. Think about it, how may restaurants have come and gone over the years in Ann Arbor? Tio's has stood the test of time because it makes people feel good. People feel good eating there, they like the atmosphere, and they obviously love the food. If an individual here or there says Tio's food is terrible then he is obviously a dandy who has been watching too much Food Network. Hundreds of thousands of customers over nearly three decades -- being served fresh, vibrant, consistent food by stable ownership and management. What more could a burritophile want?

Gordo Taqueria (Geary) (San Francisco, CA) reviewed by SuperCarnitas (10/10)

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:28:18 -0500

To fully appreciate Gordo's as a taqueria, you must be a connoisseur who appreciates a harmonious burrito. The burritos are constructed well and rarely disintegrate in your hands (a major problem at many taquerias). The rice is very tasty -- though one point of contention I have with all the Gordo's locations is that the rice can be very salty on occasion. Rather than melting through the ingredients, the cheese is melted onto the tortilla and the ingredients placed on top of it. The effect is that the cheese complements the tortilla and other ingredients quite well. The hot sauce has good heat and flavor, and it's different from the red sauces that get served at most taquerias.

Gordo's has boiled and grilled chicken. The boiled chicken is subtle, while the grilled chicken packs a bit more of a flavor punch. The carnitas and chile verde (also pork) are excellent. While reasonable people may disagree about the chicken, I've yet to have superior pork from any taqueria. It may not be healthy, but the carnitas is hands down the best out there. More than the quality of the individual ingredients, Gordo's strength remains its ability to serve up a burrito whose ingredients are well integrated and satisfying. A Gordo's burrito is greater than the sum of its parts, and that is what makes Gordo's a 10. In addition, any review of Gordo's as a taqueria would be remiss not to mention the quesadillas. Standing alone, they are enough to warrant a 10/10 review. Like the carnitas, the quesadillas -- served on corn or flower tortillas -- are hands-down the best anywhere. I won't go into a lengthy discussion singing their praise. Just do yourself a favor and try one (two if you're getting them on corn tortillas).

In all fairness, Gordo's one serious flaw is its carne asada. The haters are correct on this point. It can be dry and not very flavorful. Since I rarely order carne asada at any taqueria, this flaw doesn't bother me.

There's a longer version of this review in the Gordo's clement thread. That more directly addresses some of the criticisms in the other reviews.

Gordo Taqueria (Clement) (San Francisco, CA) reviewed by SuperCarnitas (10/10)

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:26:25 -0500

Real San Franciscans love Gordo's. Almost all the people I know who were born in SF and grew up here put it near the top of their list of best taquerias. There are a few native haters who, mostly for political reasons or to be different, dislike it -- or they're fans of carne asada (see below). For the most part, their rants should be ignored. Non-natives are also hard on Gordo's. I think it's because Gordo's burritos are more nuanced that the overly meated flavor bombs you can get in the Mission. Of course, you can construct a pretty intense flavor bomb at Gordo's (carnitas + extra hot sauce + extra pico de gallo = one-way ticket to tasty town). But to fully appreciate Gordo's as a taqueria, you must be a connoisseur who appreciates a harmonious burrito.

The burritos are constructed well and rarely disintegrate in your hands (a major problem at many taquerias). The rice is very tasty -- though one point of contention I have with all the Gordo's locations is that the rice can be very salty on occasion. Rather than melting through the ingredients, the cheese is melted onto the tortilla and the ingredients placed on top of it. The effect is that the cheese complements the tortilla and other ingredients quite well. The hot sauce has good heat and flavor, and it's different from the red sauces that get served at most taquerias.

Gordo's has boiled and grilled chicken. The boiled chicken is subtle, while the grilled chicken packs a bit more of a flavor punch. The carnitas and chile verde (also pork) are excellent. While reasonable people may disagree about the chicken, I've yet to have superior pork from any taqueria. It may not be healthy, but the carnitas is hands down the best out there. More than the quality of the individual ingredients, Gordo's strength remains its ability to serve up a burrito whose ingredients are well integrated and satisfying. A Gordo's burrito is greater than the sum of its parts, and that is what makes Gordo's a 10. In addition, any review of Gordo's as a taqueria would be remiss not to mention the quesadillas. Standing alone, they are enough to warrant a 10/10 review. Like the carnitas, the quesadillas -- served on corn or flower tortillas -- are hands-down the best anywhere. I won't go into a lengthy discussion singing their praise. Just do yourself a favor and try one (two if you're getting them on corn tortillas).

In all fairness, Gordo's one serious flaw is its carne asada. The haters are correct on this point. It can be dry and not very flavorful. Since I rarely order carne asada at any taqueria, this flaw doesn't bother me.

The reviewers who complain about the prices must be ordering incorrectly (yeah, pretty difficult) or be dreaming that you can eat anywhere in this city for $5 (maybe in the 1990s, but no longer). It's easy to get a burrito for about $6 to $8, which is essentially the same as the best places in the Mission (e.g., Taqueria San Francisco and El Farolito). But if you don't read the menu and go in and order a regular and ask them to put cheese on it, they're going to charge you, and your burrito will cost more than the listed price. Cheese comes on a super. So if you want cheese, order a super. Last I checked, you have to pay extra for guacamole and sour cream, but again that's a fairly standard practice at most taquerias.

The reviewer who complains about getting sick sounds like a hater--or he/she is a very delicate flower. I've been eaten at all the Gordo's locations for more than 20 years and I haven't gotten sick once. Ditto for my cohort of friends who go regularly. There is nothing to worry about at Gordo's. Their hygiene is good. In fact, it's superior to the places in the Mission that are worth going to.

To the vegetarian reviewer and all vegetarians who eat at taquerias, you probably want to check, but I think most taquerias put lard or some animal byproduct product in their rice and beans.

Long ago, I stopped trying to convince people that Gordo's is great. You either get it or you don't. I wrote this review as a counterpoint to the unthoughtful and nit-picking comments in other reviews (e.g., the comment about the homeless guy -- how does that affect the quality of taqueria? That incident could have happened in any taqueria in the City, or any take-out restaurant for that matter.). On the merits, Gordo's is one of the best in the City. Go and find out for yourself.

Kotija Jr Taco Shop (Encinitas, CA) reviewed by tikipete (8.5/10)

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:21:14 -0500

quite the bomb burritos. excellent service and atmosphere. The carne asada could use a slightly better cut of steak and a tad more seasoning. Portions are huge for the price. My favorite on the menu are the rolled tacos and the steak quesadilla. Both come with the best guac in the north county. The salsa has a sweet unique flavor that really bones down with the cheese like a redheaded cheerleader on prom night.
Stay Hungry My Friends
-Tiki

Taco De Mexico (Grover Beach, CA) reviewed by tikipete (8/10)

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:09:33 -0500

Tacos De Mexico is my choice of all the taco places on Grand. I normally get the machaca and egg burrito. The carne asada is also quite good. I suggest getting it with out rice, as they will add more real ingredients to make it the same size. Most of the mexican places on thecentral coast of CA tend to use too much rice, IMHO, therefor I ask no rice and will substitute with cheese or papas. The staff is frendly and a dollar tip will ensure that you get a bomber of a burrito. The tacos are the real draw at this place. If you like the "street" tacos like the ones in Baja, this is about as close as you will get given the 6 hour drive to the border. If that is your style, you can also check the Nipomo Swap Meet for tacos
-Tiki.

Nico's (Newport Ave) (San Diego, CA) reviewed by tikipete (9/10)

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:59:46 -0500

Nico's is the OB locals choice for you typical surf town burritos. The beans are fantastic and the Salsa rojo packs the punch. Everything on the menu is quality. The best breakfast burrito in OB if not all of SD. The bean and cheese with pico is one of my favs. On the non-burro side, I would suggest the rolled tacos or the "flying saucer" tostada. Of the 3 on Newport, it is my favorite.

Ocean Taqueria (Ocean) (San Francisco, CA) reviewed by Mahalmo (6.5/10)

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:51:14 -0500

This is a decent Burrito Place. I always go for a meaty burrito, I ordered the Carne Asada, and The meat was cooked fresh, they used fresh avocado on my burrito, but the burrito itself was not as flavorfull as I had hoped it would be, and the cost was high for what I got. $8 for a burrito is pricey, A burrito should be between $4-6. I would stick to the Market resturantes Much better bang for your buck.

New Baja Grill (Goleta, CA) reviewed by tikipete (7/10)

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:19:34 -0500

Now this place is fantastic. Considering the competition in the area. The California is your quintessential Cali. It rivals some of those found south of Orange County. The carne asada has flavor, a little crisp on the edges and the papas are thin enough to mingle with the other flavors that are partying in your mouth with every bite. Moderately priced at $6.50 (remember, the 90s and the days of the 3.50 burrito are over in most of Cali)
A definite stop on any burrito pilgrimage through the area. Going north on the 101 it is your last chance for about 40 miles.
-Tiki

Taco Bravo (Campbell, CA) reviewed by CaliMike (10/10)

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:26:19 -0500

I have to write a review of this place i have been going here since i was one year old! Its one of those places you are almost afraid to eat at if you havent been here.. Or it may be a place you stumble in drunk after a crazy night. The Brav is like no other. Its not your everyday Mexican food.. in fact most people wouldnt call it mexican food at all. I honestly could care less. Its just one of those places that become part of you. They have a regulars code for the items.. and a secret menu.. but you gotta be a Bravaholic to know.. With Taco
Bravo its a love or hate relationship and thats it. I dont go here if im craving a carne asada burrito because u wont find it here. I go here when im craving cheap tasty bean burritos or tacos stuffed with cheeeese. anyplace with long lines at 2 in the morning you have to give a chance.. so do it. You might hate it, you might like it, you just might find yourself coming back for more and more.

Super Taqueria (S 10th) (San Jose, CA) reviewed by CaliMike (5/10)

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:03:11 -0500

So half my life i lived up in San Jose and still visit frequently.. and half my life i lived in San Diego. And over half of any taquerias in San Diego would knock this place out! Give me a break. This is nothing special. Wet tortillas.. yum? blah. The food is fresh... but dull! Wanna try some real mexican food? get next to the border. And you will see Super Taqueria is not so super.

La Victoria Taqueria (San Carlos St) (San Jose, CA) reviewed by CaliMike (5/10)

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:45:26 -0500

La Vics.. I will be short.. nothing special at all. The Orange Sauce is very addictive. buy a bottle for 5 bucks or whatever and put it on some other burritos, accually it doesnt have to be a burrito.. it makes anything taste good. wasnt really feelin the food.. i mean its ooohhkay.. but you can find better.

Super Taqueria (White Rd) (San Jose, CA) reviewed by CaliMike (5.5/10)

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:33:37 -0500

Been here a couple times.. what is up with the steamed tortillas in so many places in NorCal. It really bugs me sorry. If you have had SoCal Mexican food you know what i mean. other than freshness i dont really have anyting good to say about this place.. burritos are pretty bland i dunno what the hype is off of Super t.

El Grullense (Capitol) (San Jose, CA) reviewed by CaliMike (7/10)

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:23:01 -0500

So I have lived in Northern California and Southern California.. And first off SoCal Mexican food is different and in my opinion a whole lot better. Trust me i have searched far and wide to find a match of that SoCal style food in san jose and failed... This place i would go and pick up a carne asada burrito now and then.. the burrito wasnt at all bad.. the best i could find in San Jose accually. ok/good size good taste.. downfall of this place is the price. Damn thing is around seven + bucks! and if u want more hot sauce they charge you! and they usually give you one at first. not cool! So although this place would lighten my wallet the food was decent.

Colima's Mexican Food (Oceanside, CA) reviewed by CaliMike (8.5/10)

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:03:44 -0500

Colimas is one of the better taco shops in Oside i would say. Portions are good sized and the food is tasty. Good California burritos, carne asada quesadillas, carne asada nachos.. Its a pretty popular place. if you ever catch the sunset market on thursdays night skip the expensive street vendor food and hit Colimas its on the same street, and be sure to check out the California surf museum next door..def worth checking out.

Super Taqueria (White Rd) (San Jose, CA) reviewed by Psyches (9/10)

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:47:01 -0500

I've eaten at this Super Taqueria a number of times over several years, and it's always been great. The super burrito has lots of meat, fresh ingredients including slices of avocado, and comes wrapped in foil. They have a mini salsa bar with jalapeÃ±os, limes, etc and a rojo and a verde salsa. The salsas are both very tasty, and vary from fairly spicy to extremely spicy.

Famous Taco Burrito King (N Western) (Chicago, IL) reviewed by JamDaddio67 (8/10)

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:10:55 -0500

I have been chowing down at this family owned burrito hut for years. I will have to respectfully and strongly disagree with the reviewer who rated it a 3.5? My review also stands for their 2nd location about a mile away at 2817 W. Irving park rd., which I frequent also. Let's start with the burrito's: forget the carne asada and order up the king sized picadillo (beef) or the al pastor (bbq pork) loaded with lettuce, toms, cheese, sour cream and salsa. I have them add onions, cilantro and guac and it's consistently one of the tastiest I've had in chicagoland. I eat one of these at lunch and I'm stoked til dinnertime and it's only 5 bucks! Other notables are the really great nachos platter, the excellent picadillo and chorizo (mex sausage) taco dinner's and they have a really tasty aguacate (avocado) Torta sandwich. I always wash down the food with an ice cold pineapple jarrito. The hombres running these 2 joints are super friendly and always smiling and accommodating to special requests. Everytime I stop in...lunch, dinner or after a night out on the town, the place is always full, or there is a line. Give it a try folks...stop in, order a big ole' burrito and watch some soccer on the flat screen, you won't be disappointed.

El Sitio (Santa Barbara, CA) reviewed by tikipete (1/10)

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:57:43 -0500

People often ask me:
â��hey Tiki, have you ever found a burrito that you didnâ��t likeâ��
Well today I have as a matter of fact. The fish burrito from El Sitio.
It was an under qualified flour tortilla, packed full of rice, tasteless beans and slimy undercooked fish. That thing wasnâ��t even worth making a turd out of.
A little disappointing on a "Big Burrito Friday" before a long weekend.

Palominos Mexican & Sea Food (San Diego, CA) reviewed by nectarine (9/10)

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:53:17 -0500

I was in ecstasy. (Again, belaboring the LA burrito situation, how is it I can fall into any San Diego taqueria and still have it be better than any I have had after obsessive research and calorie expenditure in LA.)

San Diego-burritos are sparse on their ingredients, so I ordered a carnitas burrito and added refried beans and guacamole.

The tortilla had delicate brown spots, you know the kind, the flaky layers of tortilla that start browning from grilling.

The flavorful carnitas were the desired combo of crunchy and moist. The guacamole was rich, where you could taste straight on avocado (rather than any filler cilantro/onion subtext).

Logistics: popular lunch spot. The salsa bar had good supply and variety, but some OCD signs about only taking one serving of salsa.

Chavez Supermarket Taqueria (Hayward, CA) reviewed by Mahalmo (6/10)

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:58:05 -0500

This place Can be VERY good, but it is not consistant. The meat is VERY Fresh, and always flavorful, but when you order a burrito sometimes it is full of meat, and sometimes its full of everything else. I have been in line many times, and noticed a few customers seem to get exactly what I am waiting for but when its my turn I get a mini version of what they got. That is not cool. Even though the food can be really good, When I am looking for a great burrito I am looking for consistancy of goodness. I want to taste Flavorfull meat in everybite, All of the Vegan burrito people should go to a different site, This is a BURRITO SITE....NOT A SWEET TOMATOE SITE......I will say that The Tortas are awesome all the time.

Oscar's Very Mexican Food (Sacramento, CA) reviewed by Mahalmo (9/10)

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:46:06 -0500

ANYONE who goes into this place will be very HAPPY. It is amazing, I have had many items off the menu and all of them are full of flavor and the perfect size helping. Dont be fooled by the apprearance. This place is all about good food, and CHEAP! Dont just buy one grab 2 for later. The adovada (marinated Pork) Burrito is one of my favs, and the Breakfast burritos are the bomb as well. Burrito Heaven!

Taqueria El Balazo (Upper Haight) (San Francisco, CA) reviewed by Mahalmo (4.5/10)

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:43:24 -0500

Ok seriously I am done with the Haight st Burrito Crowd. I ordered the Al Pastor Burrito, and Got a Bean and Rice Burrito with some meat added in it for almost $10. The meat to its credit was tasty, but the burrito as a whole not very satisfying, I like my beans and rice to compliment the burrito, not to be the burrito, and for that price, I think I am done in this area of the city. Back to mission I go for a REAL BURRITO....

El Farolito (Mission/24th) (San Francisco, CA) reviewed by Mahalmo (9/10)

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:05:29 -0500

I had the Al Pastor Burrito and it was amazing. Way to go on that. The size was good, the meat was perfect, spice was good, and it was pork, not ground or covered in some strange gravy. I will definently be visiting this place for my next Pastor craving. My firend had the chicken burrito and it was a bit on the dry side had to add lots of salsa to get it moist, however they did use Breast meat, so what can you expect, IT WAS A HEALTHIER CHOICE meat. So ups and downs for the chicken.

Cuco's (San Francisco, CA) reviewed by Mahalmo (1/10)

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:01:35 -0500

All of the reviews I have read are out of there mind. This place was not good at all, I tried all of the meats they had available, Carne Asada, Both pork dishes, and the chicken. and none of them were Fantastic or even good to say the least. I found a hair in one. The chicken was ok, but for the prices, there are many many better places to go than this place. This is a NO GO!!!