371225 Wed Feb 14 15:14:54 -0800 2007 30 2 Los Angeles Area 0 2293516 I love creamy refritos as much as the next guy, but I'm also a big fan of whole beans (black or pinto) in my burritos. What are the best burrito places that serve whole beans? I'm a fan of both Tacos Por Favor and Eduardo's on the west side. Does anyone know if Tacomiendo offers whole beans? Wed Feb 14 15:14:55 -0800 2007 18466 a_and_w 1 2293644 J&S has the creamy beans you're looking for. Open 24 hours. J&S 887 N Garfield Ave/Just south of the Pomona Freeway- 60 Montebello, CA 90640. (323) 728-3853 Wed Feb 14 15:53:00 -0800 2007 2293516 11914 monku 2 2293716 No, no, I want WHOLE beans. But thanks... Wed Feb 14 16:12:27 -0800 2007 2293644 18466 a_and_w 1 2293733 El Cihualteco Taqueria # 1 2325 1/2 S. San Pedro St. Los Angeles 213 748-2519 Wed Feb 14 16:17:39 -0800 2007 2293516 10883 JAB 2 2293749 Thanks -- do they have both pintos and black beans? Wed Feb 14 16:23:27 -0800 2007 2293733 18466 a_and_w 1 2293907 Not on the west side, but Alegria on Sunset usually has both whole black and pinto beans as well as refried. Opinions on the place itself vary (search the board). I haven't been to Tacomiendo in a while. I /think/ they do actually have whole pinto beans, and they pretty definitely have whole black beans. Their menu is at: http://losangeles.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=0&restaurantid=25423&neighborhoodid=170&cuisineid=0 I'm also a whole bean fan, though I'm veg, so maybe I'd like the refried stuff better if I ate at places that cook it with lard. The taste and texture of refried beans have never really appealed to me, though sometimes it hits the spot. Wed Feb 14 17:25:59 -0800 2007 2293516 59830 will47 2 2296163 Thanks. Is Alegria a burrito you can eat with your hands? Thu Feb 15 11:44:19 -0800 2007 2293907 18466 a_and_w 3 2296991 Well I guess it depends how good you are at eating burritos. :> I'm usually able to eat most of a burrito with my hands there. They wrap it in paper, not foil, at least when you get it for there. However I imagine they would wrap it in foil if you asked. Thu Feb 15 14:51:56 -0800 2007 2296163 59830 will47 4 2297093 If they wrap it in anything, that's a good sign! Thu Feb 15 15:14:59 -0800 2007 2296991 18466 a_and_w 1 2293927 Yuca's on Hillhurst uses whole pinto beans in their burritos. http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com Wed Feb 14 17:33:03 -0800 2007 2293516 42600 Bon Vivant 2 2296165 Excellent! Do they have black beans, too? Thu Feb 15 11:44:45 -0800 2007 2293927 18466 a_and_w 1 2294538 el pollo loco Wed Feb 14 22:53:59 -0800 2007 2293516 69558 lapchern 2 2294564 If we're including fast food type places, Qdoba (and probably Baja Fresh / Chipotle as well). Wed Feb 14 23:24:14 -0800 2007 2294538 59830 will47 3 2296144 I'm actually looking for local places, but thanks. Thu Feb 15 11:40:07 -0800 2007 2294564 18466 a_and_w 1 2294568 I moved from LA to northern California a long time ago, but I remember being surprised to get rice as well as beans in northern burritos. I seem to remember that LA burritos had no rice, and I liked them better. Is my memory just playing tricks? Wed Feb 14 23:28:50 -0800 2007 2293516 17062 wearybashful 2 2294572 Nope - seems that the rice in a burrito idea is called a "Mission Burrito" - here's an interesting thread on the topic: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/357410 (For the record, sometimes I like rice in my burrito, sometimes I don't. But I do like whole beans as opposed to refried, most of the time.) Wed Feb 14 23:37:21 -0800 2007 2294568 58039 ElsieDee 2 2296148 Have you checked out La Taqueria in SF? They do burritos with no rice... Thu Feb 15 11:40:50 -0800 2007 2294568 18466 a_and_w 1 2295487 Tacomiendo uses whole beans in their burritos.They also put rice in their burritos, fwiw. I happen to love Tacomiendo btw. Live walking distance to Inglewood and Culver. Eat there a lot. But I have to warn you ... their burritos fall apart. I don't know if it is because they overheat the tortillas on a grill and make them to breakable or if it is because they over stuff them -- but I've never made it through a TM burrito without it falling apart, leaving me to eat it with a knife and fork. And I've tried it maybe a dozen times. With rice and without (prefer without, if it matters.) Tacomiendo uses homemade corn tortillas on the tacos and include them when you order a plate. I've been sticking lately with their tacos and the plates, particularly the asada plate and the chile colorado plate. But there are whole beans on the burritos. Thu Feb 15 09:26:27 -0800 2007 2293516 10914 PaulF 2 2296159 Thanks for the info. I'm dying to try Tacomiendo but am disappointed to learn that the burritos fall apart. I really hoped to leave knife-and-fork burritos behind in NYC, and will never understand why more places in LA don't wrap them in foil. Still, things fall apart... Thu Feb 15 11:43:37 -0800 2007 2295487 18466 a_and_w 3 2296824 They wrap them in foil, but they still fall apart. They're too heavy for the tortilla in my opinion and in my experience. Others -- Dommy!, I think is one -- swear by their burritos. And they are delicious. They're just messy to me. So, I get tacos and plates there. I like the burritos across the street at Sanchez better. They're smaller. Also, at TM, the fresh tortillas are great, so I try to order something that comes with them and the burritos are made on big, flour tortillas. Thu Feb 15 14:10:25 -0800 2007 2296159 10914 PaulF 4 2297099 Interesting...Dommy! and I tend to disagree about burrito places but TM sounds so promising, all the moreso since they wrap them in foil. Perhaps this will be the place on which we can agree -- one taqueria to unite them all! Thu Feb 15 15:16:52 -0800 2007 2296824 18466 a_and_w 5 2310484 Yeah, I actually perfer to eat my burritos with a knife and fork because then I can add as much salsa as I want! :) Anyway, the CLOSEST thing to eating a burrito with whole beans, wrapped in foil that won't fall appart is to get it at a Taco Truck. Since most Trucks assume you are going to eat the burrito ont he go, they tend to WRAP them extra tight. Recently I've really like Los Primos located at night on Jefferson near the intersection of La Brea. I recently took one of their burritos on a flight with me. That was one of the HAPPIEST airplane rides I've ever had and it really held together... Even when I re-wrapped the burrito in wax paper, it did not fall apart at all... http://members.aol.com/pmgon/Chowhound/1LA/MileHigh.jpg Anyway, Bandini's taco hunt blog can probably help direct you to a taco truck near you... --Dommy! Tue Feb 20 10:26:32 -0800 2007 2297099 10659 Dommy 6 2314305 Thanks, Dommy!! I'm already a big fan of Bandini's blog, but did not know that the trucks tend to wrap the burritos extra tight, which I like! Wed Feb 21 10:14:15 -0800 2007 2310484 18466 a_and_w 6 2314321 Ack!! I just realized last night driving past, I got Taco Trucks confused. The one on Jefferson near La Brea (where I got the burrito in the picture) is actually Betos Tacos. --Dommy! Wed Feb 21 10:19:04 -0800 2007 2310484 10659 Dommy 3 2296990 I haven't been there in a while, but I've eaten burritos at the one in culver city with my hands. I'm pretty sure they can wrap them in foil (they will if you say you're eating it to go). Thu Feb 15 14:51:12 -0800 2007 2296159 59830 will47 1 2296270 Taco Village uses whole pinto beans for their burritos. I especially like their carne asada and fresh salsa bar. Taco Village 3501 W Beverly Blvdl, Montebello, CA 90640 (323) 722-9758 Thu Feb 15 12:09:27 -0800 2007 2293516 11461 slbear 2 2297478 Yes, Taco Village is a great recommendation for whole beans. I've been going there for years and they are consistently good. One of the very few places that I enjoy carne asada as it is often inferior quality, too gristly, or without any char flavor. Thu Feb 15 17:07:52 -0800 2007 2296270 14558 Ernie 1 2296840 TORTILLA GRILL on Abbot Kinney in Venice (between Venice & Main) uses whole beans, black and pinto . . . if you like Tacos Por Favor, you should also try Tortilla Grill. Thu Feb 15 14:13:55 -0800 2007 2293516 22499 jimmyodonnell 2 2297103 Jimmy, this sounds most promising! Thu Feb 15 15:17:25 -0800 2007 2296840 18466 a_and_w 1 2368036 SO, where'd you end up? Any reports? Thu Mar 08 19:52:21 -0800 2007 2293516 22499 jimmyodonnell 2 2369637 Haven't been able to try Tortilla Grill yet, but here's a link to my recent burritos: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/376012 Fri Mar 09 09:59:17 -0800 2007 2368036 18466 a_and_w