So I have been really lagging on my burrito consumption. Living in Berkeley is fully not conducive to successful burrito reviewage as you may have read in the past. When finals ended I went and drank beer in the forest during the daytime and decided to embark on a mission to Casa Latina on San Pablo which came highly recommended.
Quality of meat (1-10): 5.5
So I didn't like the meat here but almost everyone who recommended Casa Latina to me is a vegetarian, so take that into account. The meat was very chewy and "fresh" tasting, but in a bad way, like sort of stringy and more like beef than asada. Another place with "fresh" tasting meat like this was that place Andalé in SFO. The problem I have with this faux-fresh tasting meat is that it's sort of tasteless. It is meat, but it might as well not be, since it doesn't add the necessary flavor to the burrito. Maybe I just like super greasy burritos, or something?
Quality of house salsa (1-10): 7.3
Okay, to be honest, I don't really remember how good the salsa was since it was a few weeks ago, but the score comes from exactly that. I'm pretty sure it was nothing special. 7.3 is an overapproximation, if anything.
Quality of guacamole (1-10): 8.2
Great job!
Quality of chips: (1-5): ?
We were so incredibly hungry when we arrived at Casa Latina that the chips we got right after ordering tasted like God's toenails. I have no idea how good they actually were. If I ever go back to Casa Latina I'll put a real number score. I guess it's not like chips will sway your decision to go there one way or the other, mm?
Size/diversity of menu: 4.4
Well, I am pretty sure the menu was really general and standard, but this is where it's worth mentioning that Casa Latina has supposedly great flan and all sorts of Mexican pastries. It's actually more of a bakery than it is a taqueria. If you find yourself down on San Pablo near Hearst you might just want to go in for some pastries because they are super good.
Size of burrito: 3.6
Coming back to blogging, this is maybe the hardest part, because I can't remember how big my previous burritos ACTUALLY were, and my stomach is smaller since I don't eat as many burritos. This is my best guess.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : ~$9
Locally owned?: Yes
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 7.7
This is based on the circumstance, really. We were HUNGRY.
Overall taste (1-10) : 6.0
I wouldn't go back here. If you're veg it's worth checking out, I guess, but you might just want to trek up University and go to Monte Cristo. If anyone knows where in Berkeley or even Oakland where I can get a burrito better than a Taqueria Monte Cristo burrito, please let me know!!
Casa Latina
1805 San Pablo Ave
Berkeley, CA 94702
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Jilberto's
So this is the first San Diego burrito I've had, but I guess it's not even really a San Diego burrito. People from San Diego will insist that Escondido is not San Diego, even in terms of burritos.
Quality of meat (1-10) : 8.0
The carne asada's downfall was that it was intensely salty. Actually, the carne asada burrito here originally had no beans or rice in it. I added beans. I suppose it is a personal belief of mine that beans in a burrito are indispensable. Anyway, the meat tasted pretty good, but it wasn't anything super fantastic-amazing.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 8.2
There are two salsas of note. One is the standard awesome pico de gallo and one is another standard sort of salsa, but this is the "house salsa." I'm running out of unique ways to describe house salsas...um...it was pretty heavy on the cilantro.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 9.5
Some of the best guacamole I have had, I think. There are loads of avocado trees around here.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 2.7
Nothing too extensive. There are carne asada fries, which are sort of like nachos with French fries, but San Diegans are used to this. Another one of these San Diego taquerial idiosyncracies is the California burrito, which is a carne asada burrito with potatoes and cheese.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.9
It was pretty heavy. I barely finished it.
Approximate price : $4-5
Locally owned? : Yes
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 8.0
Overall taste (1-10) : 7.9
Jilberto's
1301 E Valley Pkwy Ste A
Escondido, CA
Quality of meat (1-10) : 8.0
The carne asada's downfall was that it was intensely salty. Actually, the carne asada burrito here originally had no beans or rice in it. I added beans. I suppose it is a personal belief of mine that beans in a burrito are indispensable. Anyway, the meat tasted pretty good, but it wasn't anything super fantastic-amazing.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 8.2
There are two salsas of note. One is the standard awesome pico de gallo and one is another standard sort of salsa, but this is the "house salsa." I'm running out of unique ways to describe house salsas...um...it was pretty heavy on the cilantro.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 9.5
Some of the best guacamole I have had, I think. There are loads of avocado trees around here.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 2.7
Nothing too extensive. There are carne asada fries, which are sort of like nachos with French fries, but San Diegans are used to this. Another one of these San Diego taquerial idiosyncracies is the California burrito, which is a carne asada burrito with potatoes and cheese.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.9
It was pretty heavy. I barely finished it.
Approximate price : $4-5
Locally owned? : Yes
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 8.0
Overall taste (1-10) : 7.9
Jilberto's
1301 E Valley Pkwy Ste A
Escondido, CA
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Presidente Restaurant
SEE POST FOR CELIA'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT HERE:
http://caburritoblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/celias-mexican-restaurant.html
The only difference is that Presidente is a chain.
www.presidenterestaurant.com
You can and should avoid both of these places.
Presidente Restaurant
11451 Sepulveda Blvd
Mission Hills, CA 91345
http://caburritoblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/celias-mexican-restaurant.html
The only difference is that Presidente is a chain.
www.presidenterestaurant.com
You can and should avoid both of these places.
Presidente Restaurant
11451 Sepulveda Blvd
Mission Hills, CA 91345
Arriba Mexican
Seriously, let me know if any of you guys ever go here. Really. I'll be so surprised. It's in Idyllwild. When are you gonna go to Idyllwild?
Quality of meat (1-10) : 7.2
I must admit, for sit-down unauthentic Mexican fare the meat was pretty okay. Of course it didn't hold a candle to any real taqueria, with the non-exception of Taqueria Vallarta, which is not an exception because it is not a real taqueria. Same goes for all sub-4.0 burritos on here and most sub-6.0s. Um...yeah, the meat was fine.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 7.5
The only salsa was just standard pico de gallo, and I haven't quite figured out what score to give to standard pico, but this stuff was just barely worse than that. The tomatoes were somewhat mealy and they added too much salt to the stuff.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 8.5
So I guess making good guacamole is about the easiest thing you can do, but most taquerias that fail at it fail because they don't want to spend money on good avocados. Too often guacamole comes squeezed from a plastic bag. Unauthentic sit-down Mexican food restaurants (USDMFRs) such as this one don't have that problem. Props.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 3.1
I must say, for a USDMFR the menu was not terribly diverse. But I guess it was a while ago, so I might not remember that well. I guess it doesn't really matter. Come on. It's in Idyllwild. Seriously.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.8
All USDMFRs have burritos in the 3.5-3.9 size range.
Approximate price : $7-9
Locally owned? : No
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 7.1
Overall taste (1-10) : 7.1
Arriba Mexican
25980 Highway 243
Idyllwild, CA 92549
Quality of meat (1-10) : 7.2
I must admit, for sit-down unauthentic Mexican fare the meat was pretty okay. Of course it didn't hold a candle to any real taqueria, with the non-exception of Taqueria Vallarta, which is not an exception because it is not a real taqueria. Same goes for all sub-4.0 burritos on here and most sub-6.0s. Um...yeah, the meat was fine.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 7.5
The only salsa was just standard pico de gallo, and I haven't quite figured out what score to give to standard pico, but this stuff was just barely worse than that. The tomatoes were somewhat mealy and they added too much salt to the stuff.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 8.5
So I guess making good guacamole is about the easiest thing you can do, but most taquerias that fail at it fail because they don't want to spend money on good avocados. Too often guacamole comes squeezed from a plastic bag. Unauthentic sit-down Mexican food restaurants (USDMFRs) such as this one don't have that problem. Props.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 3.1
I must say, for a USDMFR the menu was not terribly diverse. But I guess it was a while ago, so I might not remember that well. I guess it doesn't really matter. Come on. It's in Idyllwild. Seriously.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.8
All USDMFRs have burritos in the 3.5-3.9 size range.
Approximate price : $7-9
Locally owned? : No
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 7.1
Overall taste (1-10) : 7.1
Arriba Mexican
25980 Highway 243
Idyllwild, CA 92549
Las Palmas Taco Bar
So I finally made it down to Las Palmas, months after I moved out of Santa Cruz. I must say, I was pretty underwhelmed...for a greasy, cheap burrito it wasn't that great.
Quality of meat (1-10) : 8.0
So I guess the meat was good; it was crispy and obviously pretty greasy. Taquerias in the suburbs have much to learn about "quality of meat" from taquerias like this one.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 7.8
There was only one kind of salsa here, which is definitely not (necessarily) a bad thing (see Tacos Moreno), but it wasn't outstanding. It was definitely good enough to eat with the whole burrito, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it again.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 8.1
Hard to mess up guacamole. Pretty hard. Nothing special, but it sure isn't bad.
Quality of chips (1-5) : N/A
Chips are extra, so Las Palmas should really be getting a penalty here, but I'm not going to split hairs. Hahahahahaha. Penalty.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 2.8
Pretty average; all the old standbys and a few more.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.8
This burrito was definitely sizeable. I was able to finish it, but I can imagine numerous situations in which I would not have been able to. The size is really not what makes you feel full, though. Las Palmas food sits with you.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : $6
Dude, the veggie burrito is only $3! Seriously!!
Locally 0wned? : Probably
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 8.3
The burrito feels like lead in your stomach at first, but that slowly turns into not being hungry for several hours.
Overall taste (1-10) : 8.6
Update: Definitely way better than Taqueria Santa Cruz, contrary to what I said before. Santa Cruz destination burrito status.
Las Palmas Taco Bar
55 Front Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Quality of meat (1-10) : 8.0
So I guess the meat was good; it was crispy and obviously pretty greasy. Taquerias in the suburbs have much to learn about "quality of meat" from taquerias like this one.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 7.8
There was only one kind of salsa here, which is definitely not (necessarily) a bad thing (see Tacos Moreno), but it wasn't outstanding. It was definitely good enough to eat with the whole burrito, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it again.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 8.1
Hard to mess up guacamole. Pretty hard. Nothing special, but it sure isn't bad.
Quality of chips (1-5) : N/A
Chips are extra, so Las Palmas should really be getting a penalty here, but I'm not going to split hairs. Hahahahahaha. Penalty.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 2.8
Pretty average; all the old standbys and a few more.
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.8
This burrito was definitely sizeable. I was able to finish it, but I can imagine numerous situations in which I would not have been able to. The size is really not what makes you feel full, though. Las Palmas food sits with you.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : $6
Dude, the veggie burrito is only $3! Seriously!!
Locally 0wned? : Probably
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 8.3
The burrito feels like lead in your stomach at first, but that slowly turns into not being hungry for several hours.
Overall taste (1-10) : 8.6
Update: Definitely way better than Taqueria Santa Cruz, contrary to what I said before. Santa Cruz destination burrito status.
Las Palmas Taco Bar
55 Front Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Taqueria Monte Cristo
Okay, so I'm convinced that this is the best burrito in Berkeley and I happily challenge you all to prove me wrong.
Quality of meat (1-10) : 7.9
I haven't tried the carne asada here because I was fully feeling al pastor, but that was pretty good. One could easily tell that it was pork, which I find slightly unusual. Make of that what you will. Still, next time I'm getting carne asada. I'll let you know how that goes.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 8.4
I don't really know what to say about the salsa except that the avocado salsa tasted right. It's a shame that apparently salsa verde is easy to mess up. Taqueria Monte Cristo doesn't think so.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 8.2
I'm not sure if the guacamole is anything more than avocado. It didn't seem like it, but they called it guacamole. Obviously worth it!
Quality of chips (1-5) : 2.8
The chips are okay, nothing special. They are, however, exceptionally oily. They do not fit the burrito terribly well, but they are certainly not bad.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 3.3
Barely above average. Check it: http://www.sporq.com/berkeley/montecristotaqueria/1446universityave
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.8
They did a real bad job wrapping the burritos, which was strange. That's never really happened to me at a taqueria outside Chipotle. Anyway, I had trouble finishing mine, but I don't feel that they deserve to break 4.0, since the vast majority of the burrito was rice.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : ~$6
Locally owned? : Probably? I don't think they have any other locations.
Satisfaction Factor (1-10) : 8.2
Overall Taste (1-10) : 7.8
Taqueria Monte Cristo
1446 University (University at Sacramento)
Berkeley, CA 94703
Quality of meat (1-10) : 7.9
I haven't tried the carne asada here because I was fully feeling al pastor, but that was pretty good. One could easily tell that it was pork, which I find slightly unusual. Make of that what you will. Still, next time I'm getting carne asada. I'll let you know how that goes.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 8.4
I don't really know what to say about the salsa except that the avocado salsa tasted right. It's a shame that apparently salsa verde is easy to mess up. Taqueria Monte Cristo doesn't think so.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 8.2
I'm not sure if the guacamole is anything more than avocado. It didn't seem like it, but they called it guacamole. Obviously worth it!
Quality of chips (1-5) : 2.8
The chips are okay, nothing special. They are, however, exceptionally oily. They do not fit the burrito terribly well, but they are certainly not bad.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 3.3
Barely above average. Check it: http://www.sporq.com/berkeley/montecristotaqueria/1446universityave
Size of burrito (1-5) : 3.8
They did a real bad job wrapping the burritos, which was strange. That's never really happened to me at a taqueria outside Chipotle. Anyway, I had trouble finishing mine, but I don't feel that they deserve to break 4.0, since the vast majority of the burrito was rice.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : ~$6
Locally owned? : Probably? I don't think they have any other locations.
Satisfaction Factor (1-10) : 8.2
Overall Taste (1-10) : 7.8
Taqueria Monte Cristo
1446 University (University at Sacramento)
Berkeley, CA 94703
Friday, November 14, 2008
Taqueria Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa is well-known, and for good reason. It stands out even among the rest of the Mission district. One of their walls is plastered with statewide and national salsa awards. Seriously. Anyway, the Pancho Villa burrito is pretty unique. I've never really had anything like it.
Quality of meat (1-10) : 8.5
So I'll be honest here and say that we got high before coming here. So I don't actually remember exactly how amazing the carne asada was beyond "really," though I do remember laughing hysterically at a bust of Pancho Villa himself. The meat's texture wasn't fantastic, but that's really the only negative thing about it that I could point to.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 9.6
Holy crap. So they have four kinds of salsa here. I tried two of them. One was sweet and comprised mostly of tomato. The other kind I tried was standard salsa, akin to pico de gallo, except it also contained carrots and magic. This salsa was some of the best salsa I have ever had. I don't need to remind you about the wall. It is that good. I can't wait to come back to try the other two kinds of salsa. And I haven't even mentioned the pico de gallo they put in the burritos to begin with, which is in itself super notable. It's freshly chopped, crisp and colorful. It's pretty. And the hot pico is "hot enough." The salsa alone makes Pancho Villa a destination.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 7.7
Like, it was good. But it wasn't totally amazing. I couldn't tell if it was made there or not, but I would guess that it wasn't. However, you can get straight up avocado in lieu of guacamole, which is the option I'll be hitting next time. I recommend this as well, since I'm sure you've had the guacamole before. I wouldn't be surprised if it was shipped in in a plastic bag. But really, it wasn't bad.
Quality of chips (1-5) : 4.1
I think that our intoxication affects this category more than any other, since we were really hungry anyway when we came in and the chips were what we started with. They didn't necessarily pair fantastically with the burrito, but they were damn good on their own. I actually feel pretty strongly about how stoked I was on these chips. I would bet good money that they're excellent consumed in sobriety as well.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 4.4
Okay, maybe it's this category. We walked in and stared at the menu for like, ten minutes. And I knew that I wanted a carne asada burrito when I walked in. You could spend a lot of time experimenting with different meals at this place. They have an especially extensive collection of vegetarian burritos : http://panchovillasf.com/page/o5wz/Menu.html
Size of burrito (1-5) : 4.2
In my experience, burritos in the Mission are all of comparable size. I must say, I have had very, very few burrito experiences in which I felt as perfectly sated as I did after eating exactly one Pancho Villa burrito.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : $8
Locally owned? : Yes
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 9.5
Overall taste (1-10) : 9.1
It's really hard to compare Pancho Villa to Taqueria La Cabana, the so-called California Burrito Blog reigning champion. They're both amazing, but numerous times since Pancho Villa, I have thought about the comparison and decided time and time again that I would rather, in that moment, get La Cabana. Make destinations out of both places. Or don't. Pancho Villa fuckin delivers. Wow, if I lived in San Francisco.
Taqueria Pancho Villa
Quality of meat (1-10) : 8.5
So I'll be honest here and say that we got high before coming here. So I don't actually remember exactly how amazing the carne asada was beyond "really," though I do remember laughing hysterically at a bust of Pancho Villa himself. The meat's texture wasn't fantastic, but that's really the only negative thing about it that I could point to.
Quality of house salsa (1-10) : 9.6
Holy crap. So they have four kinds of salsa here. I tried two of them. One was sweet and comprised mostly of tomato. The other kind I tried was standard salsa, akin to pico de gallo, except it also contained carrots and magic. This salsa was some of the best salsa I have ever had. I don't need to remind you about the wall. It is that good. I can't wait to come back to try the other two kinds of salsa. And I haven't even mentioned the pico de gallo they put in the burritos to begin with, which is in itself super notable. It's freshly chopped, crisp and colorful. It's pretty. And the hot pico is "hot enough." The salsa alone makes Pancho Villa a destination.
Quality of guacamole (1-10) : 7.7
Like, it was good. But it wasn't totally amazing. I couldn't tell if it was made there or not, but I would guess that it wasn't. However, you can get straight up avocado in lieu of guacamole, which is the option I'll be hitting next time. I recommend this as well, since I'm sure you've had the guacamole before. I wouldn't be surprised if it was shipped in in a plastic bag. But really, it wasn't bad.
Quality of chips (1-5) : 4.1
I think that our intoxication affects this category more than any other, since we were really hungry anyway when we came in and the chips were what we started with. They didn't necessarily pair fantastically with the burrito, but they were damn good on their own. I actually feel pretty strongly about how stoked I was on these chips. I would bet good money that they're excellent consumed in sobriety as well.
Size/diversity of menu (1-5) : 4.4
Okay, maybe it's this category. We walked in and stared at the menu for like, ten minutes. And I knew that I wanted a carne asada burrito when I walked in. You could spend a lot of time experimenting with different meals at this place. They have an especially extensive collection of vegetarian burritos : http://panchovillasf.com/page/o5wz/Menu.html
Size of burrito (1-5) : 4.2
In my experience, burritos in the Mission are all of comparable size. I must say, I have had very, very few burrito experiences in which I felt as perfectly sated as I did after eating exactly one Pancho Villa burrito.
Approximate price (for a standard burrito) : $8
Locally owned? : Yes
Satisfaction factor (1-10) : 9.5
Overall taste (1-10) : 9.1
It's really hard to compare Pancho Villa to Taqueria La Cabana, the so-called California Burrito Blog reigning champion. They're both amazing, but numerous times since Pancho Villa, I have thought about the comparison and decided time and time again that I would rather, in that moment, get La Cabana. Make destinations out of both places. Or don't. Pancho Villa fuckin delivers. Wow, if I lived in San Francisco.
Taqueria Pancho Villa
| 3071 16th St San Francisco, CA 94103 |
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