food
Burrito Town
The origin of the burrito is hazy. Some say it began as a mega-version of the rolled taco in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez. Others claim it was invented by Americanized immigrants from Mexico somewhere on the long road between Tucson and Los Angeles. It has been recorded, however, that the burrito was first in business at the touristy Los Angeles Mexican restaurant, El Cholo in the mid-1930’s, giving L.A. bragging rights on where the burrito was unofficially born. So here’s our list of some of the best places to find this rolled-up meal in the city where it was first popularized.
Tacos Por Favor
This westside Mexican taqueria is located in a nondescript red brick building in an otherwise desolate area of Santa Monica. While tacos are the draw for many, the burritos may be the menu’s best secret. Choices range from the healthy spinach and black bean burrito to the massive Monster Burrito featuring both chicken and shrimp amidst rice, beans, veggies and sour cream.
Yuca’s
Considered the first taco stand in all of L.A., Yuca’s has two locations on opposite sides of Los Feliz, one of L.A.’s hipper neighborhoods. Beans and a special salsa are the only additions to their meat burritos. In short, there isn’t much to mask the flavor of a Yuca burrito. But you won’t want to.
El Gran Burrito
A massive taqueria somehow hidden behind the Sunset and Vermont Avenue subway stop, El Gran Burrito is a veritable circus of activity on weekends late-night. Their wide selection of authentic street meats creates lines that snake out into the cramped parking lot. While these burritos are perfect for an evening when you may have had one too many, be warned that the carnitas or carne asada may sit like a rock well into morning.
101 Café
A classic diner, the 101 Café is famous for its sandwiches, old-fashioned leather booths and rock star clientele, but their breakfast burrito may be the best under-the-radar item on the menu. A great stop for an early morning burrito fix after a night out in Hollywood.
Lily’s Café and Pastries
You wouldn’t expect this shabbily designed restaurant off of PCH in Malibu to have some of the best burritos in Los Angeles, but Lily’s is a gem that a lucky few visit on a regular basis. Their regular burrito, as well as the breakfast and fish varieties, draw a steady stream of surfers, businessmen, celebrities and other Angelenos in the know.
Sam Feeder is a poet/writer/photographer who works primarily in Los Angeles and Austin. Feeder is a careful observer and tries to experience as many different aspects of life as possible, ranging from travels all over the world to discovering that hole-in-the-wall restaurant or bar no one knows about.
Image: Plum Tree Samplers
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