166879 Fri Jan 17 18:20:39 -0800 2003 33 14 Washington DC & Baltimore Area 0 891873 OK, let's settle this once and for all. I think DC is a pretty bad place to get a great, cheap burrito. There's a few sitdown places that have decent burritos, but I miss the under $5 California very filling, very delicious burrito. If you've never had a real burrito, you may not know what I'm talking about. I hate Burrito Brothers and the last time I had a burrito at the Burro, it was really awful(although they have an addictive salad dressing). Chipotle is sometimes ok, nothing more, and they're kind of sloppy about keeping non-veggie stuff out of my veggie burrito. Yes, I know about but have never been to the burrito cart--too far from work. I will visit it one day, but it's not a place I will be able to get to more than once in a blue moon. Where do you get a great, decently-priced burrito around here? Fri Jan 17 18:20:39 -0800 2003 0 Pixie 1 891878 California Tortilla on Cordell Avenue in Bethesda. I drive past Baja Fresh, Burrito Bros., Anita's, Chipotle and a bunch of others to go there from Reston occasionally. It is THAT good. Fri Jan 17 19:15:47 -0800 2003 891873 0 Joe H. 2 891919 There's also a California Tortilla in Rockville, a couple of doors away from the Regal Theater. Excellent place with an astounding array of hot sauces to use (and buy, if you like). Leo Mon Jan 20 08:32:15 -0800 2003 891878 0 Leo Scanlon 3 891940 Same ownership as Bethesda. Mon Jan 20 18:33:05 -0800 2003 891919 0 Joe H. 3 891947 I think it's a bargain: For $11 you get any choice of burrito, a soda & a pass to any movie in the Regal chain of cinemas, good for a year (altho you can't use it for some big movies the first 10 days it's running) If you get on their email list, you get monthly freebies & deals sent to you. Also, Mondays starting at 5pm, when you make a food purchase, spin the prize wheel for free soda, chips & salsa, 50 cents off your order, etc. Mon Jan 20 22:52:50 -0800 2003 891919 0 Lauryn 1 891879 Are you near DuPont Cir.? Isn't there a Flying Burrito Bros. in an alley off 19th St, or do I have it wrong? Fri Jan 17 19:16:25 -0800 2003 891873 0 Lauryn 2 891911 Lauryn, there is a Burrito Brothers in Dupont, but it's up Connecticut north of the circle. Well-Dressed Burrito is the place in the alley off 19th Street. I've never made it to Well-Dressed Burrito, and I've only been to Burrito Brothers once. I'm a New Mexican, and therefore rather picky about my burritos, and I didn't particularly care for theirs. I recall things being heavily laden with cilantro, which is not my cup of tea. Cheers, Xochitl10 Sun Jan 19 10:35:52 -0800 2003 891879 0 Xochitl10 3 891931 I too am New Mexican and am wondering, outside of the burito question, where can one get decent NM food (lot's of red and green chili)??? Thanks. Mon Jan 20 15:51:53 -0800 2003 891911 0 CBG3 4 891937 As far as I know, there are two places in the area to get NM food. One is Anita's, owned by some relation of the folks who own Little Anita's in Albuquerque. There are a number of them around, and Azami and I have only ever been to the one in Chantilly. It's pretty good; they get their chorizo from Mexico, so while not the unnaturally red color of Peyton's chorizo, it's much closer to the chorizo I'm used to than anything else I've found around here. The _best_ place to get NM food, in my opinion, is Santa Fe Cafe on Wilson Blvd. in Rosslyn. Real Hatch green chile stew with pork and potatoes and stuff. And good tortillas. I think you can get smothered burritos there and, if I recall correctly, they give you the option of red, green, or Christmas. Cheers, Xochitl10 Mon Jan 20 17:41:05 -0800 2003 891931 0 Xochitl10 5 891957 Thank you for the suggestions, I will get there soon. What part of NM? Tue Jan 21 09:55:10 -0800 2003 891937 0 CBG3 6 892125 Originally Gallup (home of Genaro's and the best stuffed sopaipillas I've ever had), most recently Burque (with, of course, its Anita's/Little Anita's connection to the place we now call home). You? Cheers, Xochitl10 Thu Jan 23 19:26:00 -0800 2003 891957 0 Xochitl10 7 892202 Originally Las Vegas, NM school UNM, here 6 years. I miss the smell of roasted green chili and big bowls of red with homemade tortillas! Chat soon! Mon Jan 27 14:31:57 -0800 2003 892125 0 CBG3 1 891884 As a temporarily-transplanted Angeleno, I'm eagerly looking for an answer to this question too. Baja Fresh and Chipotle are really terrible... Fri Jan 17 22:22:39 -0800 2003 891873 0 Key Lime Guy 2 891897 I am a transplanted Angeleno myself, and I can never understand why people make such a big deal out of Mexican food in L.A. It's nothing special. Really. There's just more of it than there is elsewhere, so you have more choices. If you don't think Place A is great, you can try Place B, and keep going until you find Mexican you think is wonderful. That's all there is to it. More Mexican restaurants equals more opportunities to discover something that suits your own personal idea of how Mexican should taste. Baja Fresh and Chipotle are fine for what you pay. L.A. does not have anything remarkably better for the price. I mean, really, how much better can it get? The food is pretty simple, and probably would not be improved by complexity. Superior ingredients would make a difference, but they would also add to the cost. In D.C., if you want an alternative to Baja Fresh and Chipotle and don't mind waiting in line at a catering truck, try Honest To Goodness Burritos at the southwest corner of 15th (I think) and K. You get a choice of around five different tortillas, at least a dozen different sauces, and maybe two kinds of beans and cheeses. I should mention that it's all vegetarian, which might or might not bother you. --Darin Sat Jan 18 13:55:16 -0800 2003 891884 0 Loose On the Lead 3 891907 This being the transplanted Angeleno thread, I'll have to chime in. First, the burrito is a Cal-Mex invention to begin with. It is completely dependent on the quality and variety of the filling. There are a couple of different styles-- the La Salsa knockoff style, typified in this area by Baja Fresh, which has grilled meat, salsa and a little bit of beans, and the more traditional L.A. El Tepeyac style, with stewed, shredded meat and soupy beans (and sometimes rice) While burritos are not my favorite Mexican-style fast food, I have never had one in the east to rival the machaca or green chile burritos I used to get at Burrito King on Sepulveda, back in the late 70's. The burritos al pastor at La Salsa back in the eighties were incredibly good. Or the chorizo, egg, pintos and serrano chile burritos at the little dive near my loft in Inglewood, in the early 90's. The critical difference in flavor has to do with the presence of pork or lard somewhere in the beans or the meat. It just isn't autentico without it. Sat Jan 18 19:17:08 -0800 2003 891897 0 zora 3 891915 I ate a lot of really good Mexican food during my 10 years living in Arizona, and I think Baja Fresh, Burrito Brothers and Chipotle make pretty good burritos, for what they are. (I don't care for The Burro.) What I really miss is green chile burritos. I don't think I've even seen them on a menu around here anywhere but at Anita's. Sun Jan 19 13:40:24 -0800 2003 891897 0 BW 3 891927 nota bene - the honest to goodness burrito stand has closed down and the owners have moved to west virginia, to the chagrin of all its loyal (and patient) customers . . . Mon Jan 20 14:49:14 -0800 2003 891897 0 christine 2 891963 Another Angeleno transplant's opinion: on the big subject of quality, I think the number of places helps. If you have to plan a night out, hire a babysitter, and drive to Dupont Circle from Reston, no burrito can do justice. But if you were already driving up Sepulveda hungry and just pull over, you might be in for an epiphany. And my most recent epiphany was at "La Union," a little place that looks like a corner market (which it is) on Lee Highway in Arlington, the part between Glebe and Quincy, where Lee Hwy and Old Dominion form a sort of loop, and Lee Hwy is the smaller road to the south. In the back, behind the Latin American groceries is a service counter with meat and just a few dishes, including tamales with sweet corn, chicken or bean, and a fine vinegary cole slaw. I didn't care for the bean, but now I can hardly drive past without stopping for a couple of corn or chicken tamales. They charge $1.50 each, and two makes up most of a meal. Tue Jan 21 11:20:43 -0800 2003 891884 0 Bob B. 1 891914 I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of flour tortillas and cal-mex food... I prefer a good corn tortilla taco at a Salvadorean/Central American place. Right now my favorite is El Rinconcito II on Park Road (Columbia Heights metro). They also have a lot of mexican-inspired items on their menu, but I've never gotten past their top-notch pupusas, tacos al carbon, tamales de elote, and yuca sancochada... I would like to find a place that serves good carnitas and tortas. As a sandwich, I like the tortas at Mixtec, but they aren't terribly authentic. Anyone know of a good place? Sun Jan 19 13:28:58 -0800 2003 891873 0 butterfly 2 891924 Speaking of carnitas. I was at the Ritz Carlton in Cancun last month for a week. The club sandwich at the poolside restaurant was $12, and had probably been made the day before. Coming home from a dinner the second night, I noticed about 8 police cars and 8 cabs parked every which way at a convenience store across the street from our hotel. Curious of the crime that had been committed, or the free doughnuts being served, I dropped my wife off in our room and wandered over. No crime. Instead there was a guy in a small thatched hut next to the store, selling pork and steak (I know there's a different name for the steak ones) carnitas on very fresh, very small corn tortillas. Condiments were kind of a runny guacamole and a thin, pureed salsa with just a bit of bite, lime wedges, and sea salt. Men would order a few, eat them quickly, then line up for a few more. You could grab a beer at the store, and there were maybe 4 small tables with umbrellas set up against the road. Needless to say, I ate at this shack with my 2 year old son for breakfast and lunch everyday for the remainder of our stay. Delicious. For breakfast, they made a fried dough with white cheese and chiken inside for me, and another for junior with powdered sugar. Plus, I probably met every cop in Cancun, not to mention ALL the workers from the Ritz on their lunch break. And you know what they say, cops know where the best food can be found! Mon Jan 20 09:54:48 -0800 2003 891914 0 Pappy 3 891939 Great post! Mon Jan 20 18:31:01 -0800 2003 891924 0 Joe H. 2 893294 Way late to this discussion - but excellent & authentic carnitas & tortas (though I haven't had the tortas as we usually stick to the tacos) can be found on Rte. 1, about 15 minutes south of Alexandria, at a little place called Tacos Jalisco. Irnoically it's directly across the road from a Taco Bell. After moving here from LA, my husband and I searched for over a year for some good tacos (they use the corn tortillas too) and finally found this place. They have a terrific homemade hot salsa, occasionally fresh tres leches for dessert, and all the authentic Mexican standards. Mon Mar 10 17:41:24 -0800 2003 891914 0 LaLaLa 3 893295 Thanks--sounds like a real find! We'll definitely check this one out the next time we're in the area on a Krispy Kreme run. We're blessed with a plethora lot of good taco places nearby (in DC), but have yet to find a good carnitas torta... Mon Mar 10 18:12:58 -0800 2003 893294 0 butterfly 4 893296 OK, that one got my interest: Where is this hidden plethora of good taco places in DC? Mon Mar 10 19:14:04 -0800 2003 893295 0 Marty L. 5 893297 Ward 1 in DC: specifically Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights. There are over 20,000 latinos living in a ten square block area that's teeming with Central American places. Here are my two favorites: El Rinconcito II--1326 Park Road NW Really good tacos al carbon (homemade corn tortillas), carne deshilada, yuca sancochada, and platanos. Very friendly proprietor and a nice ambiance, though it can get a little loud downstairs when the jukebox is on--there's also a bar and tables upstairs. A bit hard to find, as it is on a side street. Ercilia's--3070 Mt. Pleasant St My favorite pupusas and carne guisada in DC. Tacos de res (al carbon) are also very good with homemade corn tortillas. The ambiance isn't as nice as El Rinconcito. The food has a more homey feel, like someone's mom is in back cooking it up just for you (which is, I'm sure, the case). This is not fast food--they really are making it to order and it takes a while. (http://www.wamu.org/mc/ercilias.html) There are so many others within blocks of the two above (and a short walk from the Columbia Heights metro) that I've tried over the years, but not as regularly. Off the top of my head: Glorias 3411 14th St. NW Corado's 3217 Mt. Pleasant Street--Guatamalan Don Juan's 1660 Lamont Street, NW Amaryllis 1654 Columbia Rd Waffle Shop 1402 Park Rd. (don't order waffles!) El Rinconcito Deportivo 3226 11th St NW Restaurante Pasaquina 1424 Park Rd NW Pupuseria San Miguel Mt. Pleasant Street--in the basement (they used to have a tabletop Ms. Pacman game, I haven't been for a while, I wonder if they still do...) And there are some newer places on 14th St. north of Park Rd. that I haven't gotten a chance to check out yet... Tue Mar 11 00:03:48 -0800 2003 893296 0 butterfly 6 893299 Thanks for the great guide, butterfly. Tried ECII today, and loved not only the carne deshilada, but also the gracious staff and the wonderful mix of lunchtime patrons who obviously know a good thing. One caveat -- it's not on a side street: It's right on Park Road, plain as day. (Was I in the right place?!) Wed Mar 12 23:06:21 -0800 2003 893297 0 Marty L. 7 893300 Yes, you were in the right place--really glad to hear you enjoyed it! It's definitely got the nicest atmosphere and staff of all the places I mentioned. I guess I should have said it's on a residential street. Most restaurants in Columbia Heights are either on 14th, 11th, or Park Rd east of 14th, so it's kind of an anomaly (one that I hope inspires others!). Wed Mar 12 23:59:11 -0800 2003 893299 0 butterfly 1 891922 I'd say the beef burrito at La Lomita Dos on Capitol Hill is probably the best one I've had in the DC area. I'm not a big fan of Austin Grill but their beef burrito's very good (in both cases it is NOT ground beef but marinated chunks). I also like California Tortilla and Baja Fresh (recommend the bean & cheese w/ chicken), used to like Burrito Bros. til the quality took a nosedive a couple of years back, and don't really care for Anita's or Chipotle. I spent 5 years in Tucson and haven't found anyplace here that compares well to even the average mex. restaurants there, but I've learned to adjust. Mon Jan 20 09:28:40 -0800 2003 891873 0 Malcolm J. 2 891926 The biggest thing I was ever served was the "USA Today" chimechanga at the original El Charro in Tucson. Three pounds or so, about 18 inches long and six inches thick. Unbelievable. A real fireplace log. And it was seriously good! While D. C. doesn't have anything like Taco Mesa in Costa Mesa, CA (Sunset Magazine called this the best Cal Mex in CA), the Santa Barbara shack that Julia Child immortalized or the original Ninfa's on Navigation Blvd. in Houston (best I've ever had anywhere-but ONLY at Navigation which is the original location) I do believe that Rio Grande Cafe, known as Uncle Julio's in Dallas and given three and one half stars by the Dallas Morning News (tied for 2nd highest rating in Dallas), is excellent. But Rio Grande is not a burrito place. Their strength is fajitas and they are among the best at this. The best burritos, I believe, are where Zora mentioned: roadside stands/shacks in CA. While this is a real long shot for it being the same one, there is a "shack" on Sepulveda just north of Marina Del Rey on the left hand side going north that is awesome. I first saw it about ten years ago and there was a line of about a dozen people waiting in the rain for food. Every year I would drive by there at least once planning on stopping but the line was never less than eight or ten people. I think there could not have been more than two people working inside of it. Anyway, about three or four years ago I said to hell with it, parked, got out and waited in line for 20 minutes or so. Incredible! Just outstanding. Having said all this Baja Fresh which you mentioned is a southern CA chain and they do just as well there as they do here. I spend far too much time eating Mexican food when I travel. Far too many calories, too. Mon Jan 20 14:04:13 -0800 2003 891922 0 Joe H. 1 891965 Have you tried the Well Dress Burrito, a small shop down an alley way off 19th Street...it's run by the people who do CF Folks, and the alley way is basically across the street...I've always enjoyed the food there, very fresh, and well priced. Link: http://bourrezvisage.blogspot.com/ Tue Jan 21 12:00:10 -0800 2003 891873 0 Tweaked 1 891980 I don't know about their burritos (anyone tried them?), but I'll bet they're as good as everthing else on the menu at Mixtec (18th and Columbia). I can never get past the tacos al carbon or tacos al pastor. Dirt cheap and delicious, served with a killer selection of salsas (ask if they don't bring the salsas). Tue Jan 21 17:11:57 -0800 2003 891873 0 Chris 2 891983 I second Mixtec - I had a pretty tasty torta there and I am from the Mission District in SF. Tue Jan 21 17:19:08 -0800 2003 891980 0 monSFO 3 891987 I really like their tortas, too. They don't remotely resemble anything I've ever had in Mexico... but the meat is tasty, and you've got to love a sandwich with black bean spread. I also like the platanos at Mixtec, I'm not sure why, but they are the best I've ever had (and I've had a lot). Wed Jan 22 00:34:29 -0800 2003 891983 0 butterfly 1 891984 Thanks for the great exchange on this burning topic. I'm sorry to hear the burrito cart is gone before I ever was able to check it out! You've all given me a lot of great suggestions to check out and I look forward to any further experience on the burrito issue. Tue Jan 21 17:28:20 -0800 2003 891873 0 Pixie