The Burrito Diaries by Kenneth Straka

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I didn't have much exposure to Mexican food... or burritos. The only "Mexican food" I ever had was Taco Bell. It wasn't until I moved out west in 1999, that I realized I actually liked it. I've spent the last 11 years of my life making up for lost time. 


Since that particular day in 1999, I've become quite the connoisseur of Mexican food... in particular burritos (aka American Mexican food). Therefore, I thought I would share my knowledge with others. Below is a list of restaurants I've visited and an accompanying ranking. The ranking is associated only with the burrito quality at each place (not taking other foods into account with this ranking). 


Restaurants are ranked on a scale of 1 to 10 (1=worst, 10=best)... and are listed in alphabetical order. 

Acapulco Restaurant
Rating: 4.0
Comments: Uninspiring Mexican chain restaurant located in California that I would compare to any other "chain" restaurant out there... the food is OK, but there's no reason to go here with all of the other choices around you. The margaritas are much better than the burritos.



Alerto's
Rating: 7.5
Comments: Legit Mexican place in Westminster, CA. The "food quality" might not be the cleanest or super fresh... but the taste makes up for all those issues. I predominantly visited this restaurant after 2am (got a little dangerous at that time). However, it was good at any time of the day. My favorite burritos are carne asada and breakfast. 

Anna's Taqueria
Rating: 4.5

Comments: Boston burrito chain. Quick and Cheap. However, meats and salsa have very mediocre flavors. This was one of my only options before Chipotle invaded the New England. I celebrated that day.


Baja Fish Tacos
Rating: -100
Comments: This place tries really hard to be Wahoo's Fish Tacos... and they fail miserably. I used to eat here on occasion (if I didn't have other options close by). However, I got an awful case of food poisoning and never went back. I didn't even want to put a link to this restaurants website.


Baja Fresh
Rating: 4.5
Comments: National chain. My favorite menu item there is the chicken quesadilla. However, I wouldn't recommend that anyone ever go there for a burrito. The food is relatively bland. 

Boca Grande
Same as Anna's Taqueria

Boloco
Rating: 5.5
Comments: Offer "unique" burritos, but are lacking in the "staples" and overall quality. Apparently, they have pretty good smoothies

Border Cafe
Rating: 4.5
Comments: Cheap, strong margaritas!... that's what this Cajun/Mexican restaurant in Harvard Square is known for. There are some decent items on the menu (my favorite are the corn and black bean empanadas). However, this is not the place to go for burritos.



Cafe Azteca
Rating: 3.0
Comments: This is a little restaurant in Lawrence, MA. I was taken here for my first lunch after starting at New Balance. In order to be relatively nice, the best thing about this restaurant is their margaritas. Also, the chips and salsa are decent.

Chipotle

Rating: 7

Comments: National chain. Fresh/organic food options on menu. Meats are flavored very well. Service is usually good. This is pretty much my only burrito option in the New England. On a negative note, they do not offer re-fried beans, spanish rice, or grilled fish.

Chronic Tacos
Rating: 9.5
Comments: By far, the best burrito I've ever had. My favorite is the grilled fish. However, you can't wrong with any of the following: pollo asado, carne asada, shrimp, carnitas, or al pastor. With such a large variety of options, I could eat there over 7 times a week (and sometimes I did). They also offer a pretty epic breakfast burrito. The only reason I'm not giving it a 10 is because they have turned into somewhat of a chain with over 20 locations (used to be only 1)... and I'm not sure if the quality has been maintained. Also, an emo kid used to work there that wasn't very nice. Luckily, I think he was fired... A few of their locations serve beer. 

Del Taco
Rating: 2.5
Comments: Fast food "Mexican" chain located primarily in Southern California. In college, this was one of the only places open "late night" (A friend of mine actually got robbed at one of their locations). The food here is cheap,  fast, and not very good. I don't recommend ever going here... unless it's 2AM and your only other choice is Dominos. I actually used to get their cheeseburger (college kids do stupid things)

El Callejon
Rating: NA
Comments: Fantasitic al pastor, camarones, carne asada, and carnitas tacos at this little Mexican place in Encinitas. However, this place served more authentic "Mexican food"... and I don't think they even served burritos. I never ordered one at least. 

El Tarasco
Rating: NA
Comments: Insane taco stand in Manhattan Beach (right across the street from Sharkeez). Amazing tacos and amazing chips and salsa. What makes this place even better is that they're open late! They have bar style seating inside. However, I don't think I ever ordered a burrito. This is a taco place... get tacos!!


El Torito
Rating: 4.0
Comments: Uninspiring Mexican chain restaurant located in California that I would compare to any other "chain" restaurant out there... the food is OK, but there's no reason to go here with all of the other choices around you. The margaritas are much better than the burritos.


Freebirds World Burrito- Santa Barbara
Rating: 7.1
Comments: Fantastic burrito place in Santa Barbara (not to be confused with the Freebirds in Texas)... open 24 hours a day. Some people claim that this place is only good when you're wasted at 3am... however, that is not true. I've been there at all hours of the day and it is equally good. Get BBQ sauce on your burrito!!

Las Olas
Rating: 6.9
Comments: Probably one of the best Mexican restaurants in San Diego (I used to frequent the restaurant in Cardiff). I actually surfed with the owner while in Baja. Very good food... ingredients are made fresh daily. However, like any "true" Mexican restaurant, the stars of the menu are not burritos. I recommend the Baja style fish tacos. 


Margarita's  
Rating: 4.9
Comments: As the name would suggest, they have phenomenal margaritas. Margaritas has several locations throughout "the New England" (I've only been to the one in Exeter) and the food is decent. However, after several margaritas, anything is going to taste decent. I ate there once completely sober and was not super impressed. Like any New England Mexican place, the burritos are lacking in flavor and ingredients. 


Pancho's Restaurant
Rating: 6.5
Comments: A South Bay landmark. This has to be one of the oldest restaurants in Manhattan Beach. The food is quite good... however, I do not recommend ordering a burrito. There are far too many items on the menu that are much better. Get the Birria Chef Ramon or Chile Verde instead. 


Pedro's

Rating: 7.5
Comments: Nice little burrito shop in San Clemente. Located right down the street from Trestles... and is a great place to go for an after-surf meal. Fantastic carne asada and fried fish. However, I'm not so sure how "fresh" the ingredients are. 

Roberto's
Rating: 5.7
Comments: Decent Mexican spot in Encinitas (right across the street from a Chipotle). The burritos at Chipotle are better... however, if you're looking for some breakfast or a non-burrito meal, this was the place to go. They had a killer soup. 


Rubio's
Rating: 4
Comments: National chain. Offers "lobster" tacos (that aren't actually made with real lobster).The place tastes like you would expect a fast food establishment to taste... consistent, but bland. At least they have beer!

Sharkeez
Rating: 6.9
Comments: Better known as a bar that people get sloppy drunk at (Shark bowls!!)... this place actually has some pretty decent food. I thoroughly enjoyed the burritos I used to get-- Lobster, Fish, Fajitas. They have locations in many of the SoCal beach towns: Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach (which got burnt down once), Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, etc.. 


Taco Bell
Rating: 0
Comments: Taco Bell made me think that I didn't like Mexican food... need I say more?

Taco's Lupita
Rating: 5.5
Comments: Little "hole in the wall" place in Lawrence, MA. This is the best burrito option around the New Balance office facilities. It has decent carne asada and chorizo (order double meat if you're "man enough"). However, the ingredients are not very fresh... and I don't recommend adding lettuce to your burrito. Also, the meats are relatively bland (need to add hot sauce for more flavor).



Viva Fresh
Rating: 7.5
Comments: This was the place that made me realize I liked Mexican food (and burritos). It's a little taco/burrito restaurant right down the street from Loyola Marymount University... I think that they have since added a few additional locations. My only issue with this place is that they did not offer a wide variety of quality meats to choose from. I mainly just stuck with the chicken. 

Wahoo's

Rating: 6.9
Comments: West coast chain (predominantly in SoCal). Wahoo's has some of the best tacos outside of Mexico... blackened fish tacos are phenomenal. I love the Maui bowl as well. However, they're not known for their burritos (and this rating is based on their burritos). Food is made fresh and service is good. 

Boston's best feuds

I've only lived in Boston 3 years now... however, I've come to realize that any "purebred" Bostonian loves a good fight. I thought the main reason for this bitterness was because of cold weather and poor street signs, but it appears to be more than that. I recently came across an article in Boston Magazine talking about Boston's Best Feuds. Boston was founded on a handshake when William Blackstone invited Puritans to live near him. Pretty soon they start arguing over religion... and before you know it, Blackstone gets his house burned down. He leaves town, the Puritans stay. Four centuries on, Bostonians are still prone to a good tussle.

This article got me to start thinking about other "feuds" in the Boston area (leaving out sports related feuds). Although not quite as violent, below are some of my favorites:

Anna's vs. Boca Grande
It's no surprise that a rivalry exists between these burrito chains. Their Coolidge Corner locations are just blocks apart, they share the same menu, prices, and strategy of fresh/fast food.... and the owners just  happen to share a last name: Kamio (Japanese). Mariko and Kamio are brother/sister and former coworkers. Their split was a bitter one. They haven't spoken to each other in a very long time... but that doesn't mean they don't speak about each other. They've been known to launch into tirades.

Sibling rivalries are some of the fiercest... and this one began in 1986 after Mariko opened her first Boca Grande, in Cambridge. Her younger brother later came (from San Fran) to manage her stores until they parted ways and he founded Anna's.

Mariko worked in marketing until she decided that the corporate world was not for her. She had access to a lot of marketing data and it showed Mexican was going to be the fastest-growing ethnic food. She modeled her restaurant based on San Francisco's Gordo's Taqueria chain (owned by her cousin). Mariko brought her brother to manage Boca Grande. The business relationship was rocky and some of the problems might have been caused by little-brother syndrome. Plus, Michael may have felt constrained by his sister's firm ideas of how he should do his job (micro-manager). Bottom line... they didn't get along. In 1995, Michael opened his first Anna's Taqueria, in Coolidge Corner. He cited his cousin's Bay Area restaurants as his model and never mentioned the five years he spent with his sister.

The last time Mariko and Michael spoke to each other was in 1996 at their father's funeral.

Dunkin Donuts vs. Starbucks
Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks both have their own unique flavors of coffee. DD=mild ; SB=bold. More than 100 million people in the U.S. drink coffee every day. Each of these people have a preference to which chain they choose. It can almost be broken up into a red state blue state debate. SB and DD are divided in coffee bean choice, style, and price. They both define our culture in a unique fashion. DD is known for its simplicity and orange/red cups. SB is known for fine coffee, hip hangouts, and upscale image.

No where is this culture clash more prevalent than in Boston. When I first moved to Boston I nearly started several fights by just stating that, in my opinion, SB was a superior coffee. I know that DD's corporate offices are located in Boston... but I don't have feel that a company's location should dictate what food I eat or beverage I drink (I have no loyalty when it comes to food/beverages). The competition between the two has caused them to change the way they do business.
DD changes:
*re-modeled many of their stores to be more modern (similar to SB vibe)
*offered a new line of flavored drinks
*launched latte, cappucino, and espresso products
SB changes:
*created "Pikes Place Roast" (very mild coffee blend)
*have more "Clover Coffee" locations in Boston than anywhere else in the country (trying to distinguish the brand here)

The biggest difference between the two companies (other than flavor) is the philosophy in which they source/process coffee beans. DD produces coffee in more of an assembly line process.. they get all their beans from the same source, they have a detailed "spec sheet", and everything is processed/milled specifically for DD. SB, on the other hand, is known to "scour" the globe for unique coffees. Their philosophy is that there is no one best way to grow coffee... hence the unique flavors. I think the DD philosophy fits into the NE mindset better.

Cupcake wars: Sweet vs. Kick Ass
No one would expect such a bitter rivalry to form over something so sweet. Located only two "T-Stops" apart (on the Red Line), these two cupcake shops have become bitter enemies. Sweet Cupcakes and Kick Ass Cupcakes owners' do not share the same last name... but their menu, prices, product, and service are basically the same. The two have been known to send spies to infiltrate each other's stores. Also, a sign exists in one of the bathrooms stating: "Don't flush anything down the toilet... other than a Sweet Cupcake".

Taxis vs. the MBTA
How many times have you been at a bar (in Boston) until closing... and then had to get a $40+ taxi ride home? The $40 taxi ride is much better than driving home under the influence, but it gets rather frustrating... especially since the night started out with a ride on the MBTA for $2. I'm not sure why the MBTA doesn't stay open for an additional 2 hours (on the weekend) to accompany all of the bar patrons. It would seem to have obvious benefits:
-Decrease in drunk driving
-Increase in revenue for MBTA
-Save money for Boston citizens
-Make Boston a better place to live

This got me to thinking that if the MBTA did stay open for an additional 2 hours, taxi drivers would lose a large portion of income. Taxi drivers must have an extremely powerful lobby group. I'm sure they hate the MBTA and prefer that it continues to operate in an inefficient manner.