ISO steamed burritos on the peninsula

[dmel]

I'm looking for a place that steams the tortilla before rolling the burrito, but all the taquerias that I've seen so far grill it. I'm looking for the best steamed burrito (grilled chicken if possible... that's another thing- I see lots of boiled chicken but can't find grilled) in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Mountain View or nearby.

*Edit: after reading http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/... I see that it's stewed chicken, not boiled, as I said above.*

Thanks!

[yummer]

Karlitas Taqueria on Woodside rd in Redwood City steams the tortillas before rolling them. As an added bonus they steam the whole burrito after its wrapped in foil!

[dpfefferbaum]

I have to strongly second buenobueno (el camino @ showers dr). Not only do they steam (both) tortillas in their buenobueno burritos, but they steam at a key point in the assembly process: after putting the meat, beans, rice and cheese on the tortillas. This eliminates any chance of the ever burrito-ruining unmelted cheese. Topped off with lettuce, fresh pico, great guac - all post steamming. Just describing it makes me wonder why I moved to NYC... Enjoy.

[Humbucker]

How do they steam the tortilla when it has the filling on it? I assume they don't use the tortilla presses that all the places that steam tortillas I've been to use.

[dpfefferbaum]

The press they use has room for the fillings... I'm not 100 percent sure on the details, I'd have to suggest a trip to MV so you can check it out yourself.

[jkg]

Buenobueno steams their tortillas -- and if you order a 'buenobueno' burrito, you'll be getting two :-)

BB is one of my two favorite taquerias in the Bay Area (well, their sign says 'burritoria', so I'm not sure if they qualify) - the other being Papalote. Like 'lote, BB is what I consider 'Cal-Mex', eg, lower overall grease/lard content, more veggie/vegan options.

I've been going there since about 1995 and almost always order a chile colorado w/pinto beans -- very tender beef in a mild red sauce that's a bit smoky and rich without being greasy. You mentioned you were looking for grilled chicken, and their pollo asado w/black beans is my close second favorite -- good quality chicken with a nice grill flavor and some crispy bits. I occasionally get carne asada but can't justify it over the colorado, and I don't eat much non-carnitas pork so I don't really have an opinion on their chile verde.

They're on El Camino at Showers Drive in Mountain View, a block south of San Antonio. They also have a second, smaller, limited-hours shop in the tiny strip mall wedged behind the Shoreline Century movie theater. That location isn't quite as tasty, but it is good for honing the ninja skills required to sneak a hot burrito, chips, and salsa into a matinee, and eat it as quietly as possible in the dark. Not easy!

slightly OT -- is 'burritoria' even a word? Is it BURR-ih-TOR-i-a, or burr-EEE-toe-REE-ah? I'm partial to the latter, myself.

[mattg]

Pancho Villa in San Mateo.

[wchane]

lol...whole foods of all places came to mind, however i'm not a fan of their chicken.

[Humbucker]

Funny that you prefer steamed tortillas. It seems like most people prefer them grill, as they get gummy when steamed. Also, I always thought the grilled tortilla places were rarer. Taqueria Los Charros in Mountain View and Chavez Supermarket's Taqueria are two place that I can think of off the top of my head that do the steamed tortilla thing.

[Melanie Wong]

I felt the same way! Would love to hear where the grilled tortilla burritos with stewed chicken can be found.

[dmel]

I'm from Boston, where all the places I go to serve the tortillas steamed. From my limited experience here (Three Brothers Tacos and the drive-in place across the street) the norm here is to serve them grilled. That's the impression I got from other posts on this board.

Thanks for the suggestions!