Cafe Rosalena

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While I do love burritos, I'm not usually one for breakfast burritos, but a little birdie told me that I must try this place.  Cafe Rosalena a hidden gem that apparently everyone in San Jose seems to know about.  Literally on a empty street in a less busy area of town, this small cafe is filled with people ordering one thing - their breakfast burritos.  Its so popular that many people opt to forgo the wait and call their order in for pickup. 

Similar to another San Jose famous taqueria, La Victoria's, they have their own "orange sauce".  The flavor has hints of smokiness and a squirt between each bite is a commonality amongst all the diners here.

Knowing full well the holidays are amongst us, a "lighter" breakfast burrito, the veggie, was throw into the mix.  A thin flour tortilla surrounding a mixture of fluffy eggs, avocado, diced potatoes, and melted cheese.  Usually burritos can be overwhelming to eat and have a "should I finish it all" moment at the 3/4 mark, this burrito was the perfect size for a single sit down serving.  While the veggie burrito had all the markings of all my favorite breakfast ingredients, the flavor was just okay. 

The chorizo and bacon burrito (avocado is an add on) was a different story.  Each bite was bursting with flavor from the meats.  A huge contrast from the veggie burrito.  The meats definitely make this breakfast burrito a winner.  Another great thing I (and any burrito eater) noticed was the amounts of each ingredients were well distributed through the burrito.

Address:                    Cafe Rosalena
                                   1077 The Alameda
                                   San Jose, CA
 

Type:                          Mexican/cafe

Popular chomps:        breakfast burritos

Chomp worthy:           chorizo and bacon breakfast burrito

Oki's Dogs

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I don't even know what to categorize Oki's Dog as.  Is it Japanese?  Is it just hot dogs?  Is it burritos?  Its all the above in pure gluttony status. 

Their menu has a little bit of everything.

Quite a bit of their items is doused with their signature chili sauce.  The beanless chili reminds me a little of Japanese curry both in the consistency and in the seasonings.  Even though chili cheese fries don't look like anything special, the chili and the crunchy fries are addicting. 

The oki dog is one of the signature items here.  Two hot dogs along with cheese and chili are wrapped in a flour tortilla.  The combination is oddly satisfying and makes you wonder why aren't there more of these.

The pastrami burrito is another wildly popular item.  First of all, this is gigantic.  One order can easily feed two people.  Jam packed with slices of pastrami, cabbage and then wrapped in a flour tortilla, this is delicious.  Even better when its cold.

       

Address:                  Oki's Dog
                                 5056 W. Pico Blvd
                                 Los Angeles, CA
 

Type:                        hot dog

Popular chomps:      oki dog
                                  chili cheese fries
                                  pastrami burrito
                                  orange bang

Chomp worthy:        oki dog
                                  chili cheese fries
                                  pastrami burrito

Mariscos Los Costa

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Mariscos Los Costa is south, like very south, San Jose.  Situated in the middle of a parking lot, this extremely busy taqueria was a surprising find.  Maybe even the best tasting carne asada in San Jose..

The pulpo y camerones (octopus and shrimp) tostada was just ok.  The chunks of shrimp were better than the slices of octopus.  The addition of Tapatio and a squeeze of lime always helps out too.

I wouldn't normally order meat, especially carne asada (beef) from a place that specifically said mariscos (seafood) in their name.  While I wasn't happy with the tortilla or the sloppy rolling of the burrito, the beans and meat were super flavorful.  Possibly a lot of lard in the beans gave it its hearty flavor.  There is not a lot of rice in the burrito, but that just allows for more beefy goodness.

Address:                  Mariscos Los Costa
                                 4152 Monterey Hwy
                                 San Jose, CA
 

Type:                        Mexican/seafood

Popular chomps:      carne asada
                                  cerviche

Chomp worthy:        carne asada

Dos Coyotes

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So maybe its not La Palma (see post HERE), or even El Farolito (see post HERE), but Dos Coyotes rings with nostalgia for me.  Probably a step above Chipotle, but I don't care, I love it! 

Unfortunately, Dos Coyotes has yet to grace the Bay Area with their prescence with most of their locations north of Davis. 

As a poor student, the shrimp burrito was one of the rare treats that I indulged in.  Its fluffy rice with plump shrimp (6 to be exact - when you are a student, you count these types of things) and white sauce was amazing!  I've often looked for a  similar substitute in the Bay Area, but never had much luck.



 

The mahi mahi burrito is another popular choice.  Flakes of mahi mahi fish and their 

     

Address:                  Dos Coyotes
                                 1411 W. Covell Blvd
                                 Davis, CA
 

Type:                       Mexican

Popular chomps:     shrimp burrito
                                 mahi mahi burrito
                                 paella burrito
 

Chomp worthy:        shrimp burrito       

La Tapatia Mexicatessen

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I'm rarely on this side of the woods, but a semitrustworthy burrito source told me that I had to visit this spot.  It's a good sign when everyone walking out had a burrito in hand. 

The inside reminds me of my favorite burrito spot - La Palma (see post HERE).  Part grocery store and part taqueria,  it sells all the good stuff. 

The super burrito comes with all the fixings.  Although they do add lettuce, which I did not like.  The pieces of chicharones are cut in big chunks on the spot before being rolled into the burrito.  The chicharones are flavorful with just the right amount of fattiness and crispiness, even better than La Palma's.  It doesn't have La Palma's freshly made fluffy tortilla, but their spicy salsa and excellent chicharones make it worth the trip outside the city.   

      

Address:                  La Tapatia Mexicatessen
 

Type:                        burrito/Mexican

Popular chomps:      chicharones burrito
                                  carne asada burrito
                                  carnitas burrito

Chomp worthy:         chicharrones burrito     

The Little Chihuahua

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With location popping up in every SF neighborhood, The Little Chihuahua reminds me of Papalote.  Unfortunately, the one I went to was in the Mission area.   Its hard to be open minded about a new burrito spot when there are dozens of taquerias that serve up a better and cheaper burrito within a five block radius.  It falls somewhere above Chipotle and below any Mission taqueria.  The best thing to do when eating at one of these places is to know its not real Mexican, more like Mexican inspired.

Fried plantain and black bean burrito at The Little Chihuahua-  2013 7x7 SF's Top 100 Eats

The fried plantain and black bean burrito is one of the popular burritos here.  The plantains are sweet, chunky, and give the burrito a nice texture.  I wouldn't normally get black beans in a burrito, but I'm trying to open minded with their standard ingredient.  Overall, its not bad and really healthy tasting, which isn't a bad thing, but I prefer my burritos a little dirty and with refried beans cooked in lard.  When it comes to fried plantain burritos, I prefer Cuco's in the Haight for a more authentic Salvadorean take on the burrito (see post HERE).

I'm still on the lookout for a substitute for Dos Coyotes's shrimp burrito so the garlic shrimp burrito seemed like a tasty option.  Not much garlic flavor.  The small shrimps were dry and bland.  Not a tasty substitute so I'm still on the search.

updated - Working my way through the 2013 7x7's SF big eat 100 things

Address:                  The Little Chihuahua

                                 581 Valencia St.
                                 San Francisco, CA 
 

Type:                        Mexican

Popular chomps:      garlic shrimp burrito
                                  fried plantain and black bean burrito
                          

Chomp worthy:         nothing                

Taqueria Pancho Villa

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I've walked by this taqueria dozens of times and noticed lines of people and its never really piqued my interest until now. 

I should have turned around right when I saw the sign that said we use no lard!  Lard is what makes Mexican food tasty!

This taqueria has more aguas fresca flavors than I've seen, too bad the strawberry flavor I ordered was too sweet (from too much sugar) and had hardly any fruit flavor.

The carne asada burrito just lacked that gritty taste (possibly from the lard) I think about when I crave a good burrito.  A step above Chipotle and Papalote (see post HERE), I can see it being a possible option if healthy burrito in a taqueria setting is your thing.

  

Address:                 Taqueria Pancho Villa
                                3071 16th St.
                                San Francisco, CA 
 

Type:                       Mexican/taqueria/burrito

Popular chomps:      carne asada burrito
                                  salsa        

Chomp worthy:         nothing     

Taqueria La Altena

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It takes a lot of persuasion for me to actually try a new burrito or taqueria spot because I think my two favorite spots are well placed on my burrito pedestal:  La Palma (see post HERE) and El Farolito (see post HERE).  Taqueria La Altena is one of those taquerias I must have passed by hundreds of times on my way to El Farolito without even glancing in.   

I had heard about this spot and their amazing al pastor freshly made while marinating in its own juices on a spit.  Walking right in, I had high hopes for this spot.  True to the rumors, you see well piled slices of pork on a spit.  On an even better note, there was a line for this place in the middle of the day and no one in line spoke English.   

Al Pastor Burrito - #8 on SF Foodie 92 list

I came here for one thing only:  the al pastor burrito.  Usually, I prefer my al pastor on a taco so this was one of the few times Ive actually had it in a burrito.  The al pastor was juicy and tender, so tender that the pork almost seems like it was stewed instead.  Even in a super burrito with all the fixings, the meat is the most dominant ingredient so those that aren't a fan of rice might dig the burritos here.  Although the meat was dripping with sauce, I didn't find the meat to be too flavorful and a tad too salty even by burrito standards.  A nice venture and I wasn't too disappointed, but I think I'll stick to my favorites for now.

updated - Working my way through SF Foodie's 2012 50 dishes  

      

Address:             Taqueria La Altena
                           2588 Mission St.
                           San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                   Mexican

Popular chomps:  al pastor
                           carrot juice

Chomp worthy:    nothing            

John's Snack & Deli

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John's Snack & Deli is one of those places you can try if you're lucky enough to make it out this way Monday through Friday.  Its a convenience store that doubles as a Korean mini restaurant. 

The menu changes slightly each day, but the kimchi burrito is a consistent menu item.

They make their kim bap or korean sushi, as I like to call it, fresh and in store.  The vegetables inside aren't as pickle tasting as I like.  Also, it isn't rolled as tightly and tends to fall apart when you pick it up.

kimchi burrito - #15 on 2011 SF Foodie's 92

The kimchi burrito.  Pretty mild in the spice level and the meat is pretty tender and flavorful.  If only the burrito was rolled a little tighter...

Address:                            John's Snack & Deli
                                                 40 Battery St.
                                                 San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                                   Korean

Popular chomps:     kimchi burrito
                                                  kim bap

Chompworthy:         kimchi burrito

Random facts:         The kimchi burrito is #15 on 2011 SF Foodie's 92 list

La Palma

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La Palma

La Palma is probably one of my favorite taquerias in San Francisco.  A notch higher than El Farolito because all the ingredients are so fresh.  A yummy taqueria as well as a go to place for order large party platter and small Mexican ingredients. 

Check out the ladies in the back making the fresh tortillas for all the burritos and plates!  You can even purchase the tortillas by the bags.  The ordering system can be a little overwhelming.  Just walk straight to the back and you can order burritos or prepared food items with someone on the register on the right side of the store.  Anything grocery related can be purchased with the checker in the front of the store.

The birria (stewed goat) is a special dish that La Palma makes on Saturday and Sundays.  You can have it in a plate (like chose here) or in a burrito.  The plate comes with a choice of beans (refried here), or a side of rice, and some tortillas.  The refried beans here and flavorful and mushy (the best way, of course!).  Beware of small pieces of bone when you're chomping away. 

A couple of freshly made tortillas to sop up the juices and beans.

I couldn't decide between rice or beans so I got BOTH!  Rice is well seasoned here and perfectly fluffy.  And most importantly, NOT DRY!

The infamous chicharrones burrito (no sour cream for me).  The chicharrones are also made in house and you can purchase them by weight or in their dinner meals.

Address:                           La Palma Mexicatessen
                                                 2884 24th Street  (between Bryant St & Florida St)
                                                 SF, CA

Type:                                  Mexican, Taqueria, market
                                                casual

Chomp worthy:       chicharrones burrito

Random facts:        Closes early!

Curry Up Now

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Okay, I admit it.  All this time, I've been too lazy to track down the Curry Up Now truck.  So when they finally opened up a storefront in downtown San Mateo, I had to hurry down and see the hype for myself.

tikki masala fries

close up of tikka masala fries

An Indian twist on my beloved carne asada fries (San Diego must eat).  Although it sounds delicious, its poorly executed.  First of all, I'm not a fan of criss-cut fries.  The flavor of these sweet potato criss-cut fries detract from the masala flavors.  It seems like they used criss-cut fries to take on the weight of the sauce, but it stil ends up soggy.  Everything clumps together in a one big goopy mess.  Very disappointing - I had high hopes for this dish. 

chicken tikka masala burrito

Chicken Tikka masala with chana masala (garbanzo beans) and pickled onions wrapped in a La Palma tortilla.  Another confession - I actually had this exact burrito the week before and I had to come back for another because I couldn't stop thinking about it.  It's that good.  The perfect ratio of spiciness, rice, and meat all rolled up into one delicious surprise.

goat biryani burrito

Goat biryani burrito was the special item of the day.  Love goat biryani and not too many places serve it regularly.  Its mostly seen as a rotating special item.  The goat biryani here is pretty tasty, but I think I prefer it as just a biryani dish.  There wasn't much else in the burrito - just goat biryani wrapped in a tortilla.

Address:                              Curry Up Now

                                       129 S. B Street
                                       San Mateo, CA                                    

Type:                                      Indian, burrito
                                                     casual

Chomp worthy:          chicken tikka burritos

Pass:                                       tikka masala fries

Avatar's Punjabi Burritos

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 The predecessor of Curry Up Now located in the sleepy downtown of Mill Valley.

Indian and Mexican - the perfect combination

mango lassi

A must order whenever ordering Indian food on a nice day.  The coolness of the lassi always compliments the spiciness of Indian food.

pumpkin

 I ordered the pumpkin burrito having heard that it was the most popular item here.  The burrito is wrapped in either a thicker tortilla or a really thin naan - I can't figure it out.  Probably one of the worst wrapped burritos I've seen in my life (pet peeve of mine).  You can see even in the picture it can barely stand on its on and the filling is oozing out.  This burrito feature irked me while I was eating it since I had to constantly keep eating the part that was falling out to keep everything from spilling out.  The pumpkin provides a sweeter taste than what Im normally used to. Not very spicy either.  Definite downer here.

curried lamb

Decided on another burrito in hopes that at least there would be a 50% win here.  I also thought that the lamb would give the burrito more substance so it wouldn't be as mushy.  No such luck.  Same gripes as with the pumpkin burrito - a little bland, mushy, and hard to eat.  This burrito was probably a tiny bit better than the pumpkin burrito, but absolutely not worth driving across the bridge for.

Address:                                 Avatar's Punjabi Burritos
                                                      15 Madrona St.
                                                       Mill Valley, CA

Type:                              Indian, burritos              

                                         casual    

CuCo's Mex Salvadorian Restaurant

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I heard about these plantain burritos this week and thought plantains plus burrito..how genius!  I must get one!  Its nestled in the lower Haight area of San Francisco (where there is NO parking).  I'm not sure how I never heard about it since I love Rosamunde across the street.  This small family owned restaurant serves both Mexican and Salvadorian dishes.



inside

  

Steak Salvadoreno platter with tomatoes, onions, peppers



I figured since I was here I might as well try something other than the burrito.  There were a small number of dishes written on a board located by the door.  Majority of the items were Mexican items - enchiladas, tacos, etc.  I chose the Steak Salvadoreno.  Choice of beans (refried, black beans, pinto) and spicy or mild sauces.  I chose spicy sauce and refried beans.  This dish took some time since it was made to order.  The rice was so fluffy and flavorful, probably some of the best rice I've had in a while.  The steak itself had a lot of sauce.  It was a little tougher than I prefer, but it was flavorful.  Comes with a side of flour tortillas. 



Plantain burrito



At first bite the sweet/spicy/salty mixture was strange for me.  You don't expect to bite into a burrito and think its going to be sweet.  It feels like I'm eating a dessert burrito, almost as if I should be eating this after a carne asada burrito.  One of the few gripes I have about this burrito is that it isn't rolled tight enough.  Also, I'm not sure if the sauce in the burrito is the same as the spicy sauce on the side, but it wasn't spicy enough for me. Nevertheless, I love fried plantains and these were delicious - fried lightly on the outside and sweet and gooey in the middle.  Definitely an interesting take on the burritos that I'm used to eating.  Also, its a solid option for vegetarians.

Verdict:                      The plantain burrito is definitely the most popular item on the menu.  Everyone inside 

                                          was happily chomping away on a burrito of some sorts.  A definite must try if you love

                                          plantains and have never tried a plantain burrito.  The burritos are definitely one of the

                                          cheaper burritos I've seen in San Francisco.  Both items together cost about 16 

                                          dollars. 

    

Address:                   Cuco's
                                         488 Haight St.
                                         San Francisco, CA
       

Type:                            Salvadorian/Mexican
                                           casual
         

Chomp worthy:   plantain burrito