Searching for San Diego's finest burrito
August 30, 2015
Want to get a good burrito in SD but not sure what new place to try? Here’s a periodically-updated ranking of some places to prioritize and avoid! There are two lists:
- Best carne asada burritos (beef, guac pico)
- Best all other burritos
In addition to its ranking, each burrito has a rating (out of 10.0). To give you an idea of the quality compared to some chain Mexican restaurants, Rubio’s scored a 6.0 (too much rice!) and Chipotle a solid 7.8. Most burritos were about $6, while you can expect to pay more at Lucha Libre, in downtown La Jolla, etc.
In the future, we’ll perform a more in depth, multidimensional analysis of the top burritos.
Check out the Google Map with all rated locations! (deprecated as of Jan 29 2016)
Check out the Google Sheets with all rated burritos!
Best carne asada burritos
#1 (8.8) The Taco Stand
It’s a little small, but the tasty beef and freshly-made tortillas made it the best carne asada burrito I’ve had in SD. Making it unfortunate that this picture is so out-of-focus.
#2 (8.7) El Zarape
Awesome guac. And solid mild (don’t hate) salsa. They also have a burrito with pineapple in it!
#3 (8.1) Lolita’s Taco Shop
Awesome guac. First result when Googling ”best burrito in San Diego.” Churros good. Horchata bad.
#4 (8.0) Rigoberto’s
Rigoberto’s has a special place in my heart. I had my first California burrito and cup of horchata here when I flew in around midnight for a grad program interview. It’s probably your best option if you’re looking to get a burrito after 10pm. I would also recommend the Campeon burrito, pictured above, is enormous and only $7. Warning: remember to ask without sour cream.
#5 (8.0) El Patron
Free grilled onions! And this place also has a sweet Taco Tuesday deal: an assortment of $1 tacos.
#6 (7.7) California Burritos
Carne asada everything - apparently “everything” means + cheese and sour cream. Mucha carne. Sour cream is never a good decision, but otherwise, it was really good.
#7 (7.7) Los Primos
Good beef flavor. Known for their Monster burritos (pictured). The carne asada monster was pretty bad, too much rice and not enough meat.
#8 (7.5) Los Dos Pedros
High quality traditional burrito for only $5.25. But really, you should go to Oscar’s next door and get some fish tacos and ceviche.
#9 (7.4) Carmen’s Mexican Food
Good tortilla. The meat:nonmeat ratio was off. Not enough meat.
#10 (7.4) Taco Surf PB
An above average burrito with lots of meat and good hot sauce. But the meat wasn’t too flavorful. .
Other ratings
Don Carlos Taco Shop (7.4) - The hottest burrito I’ve touched. Mediocre salsa. Kind of expensive, and it’s a block away from The Taco Stand, so just go there.
Kotija Jr. Taco Shop (6.6) - Was an 8.5 before their meat was hard to chew and the tortilla’s structural integrity disappeared
Los Palmitos (6.6) - Slightly above average burrito. Large water cups!
Estrada’s (6.5) - “American or Mexican Guacamole” … “Mexican” guac tastes just like all the other guac I’ve had.
JV’s (6.0) - average taco shop
El Indio (5.9) - Just go to Lucha Libre down the street.
Belindas Cocina (5.5) - at UCSD “farmer’s market”
Vallarta’s (4.7) - Did not want to finish.
Cotixan (3.0) - I usually look forward to leftover burritos. I was terrified to eat this the next day.
Best other burritos
#1 (9.2/10.0) Lucha Libre California burrito.
The meat flavor is great and their cheese isn’t just filler! They’re well known for their delicious green cilantro sauce. I originally rated their Surf & Turf (7.2/10.0), which commits the sin of using rice as a filler. Free chips are always a plus. Though they’re not great.
#2. (9.0) Sushi Freak Sushi burrito
Cheap sushi that’s actually filling! Just $10 for a giant roll with salmon, crab, and tuna. Cucumbers in sesame oil on the side. Nom.
#3. (8.9) Los Panchos Breakfast burrito
I’m usually not a fan of breakfast burritos, but this was exceptional. Just a little egg with beef, cheese, and potatoes. And salsa verde.
While I assert that these ratings are objective and should certainly extend to everyone else’s tastes, I always like hearing what others think, so let me know if you think I completely misjudged one restaurant, and maybe I’ll re-evaluate. Also inform me of any places I might be missing out on, and I’ll try to schedule them in for an official rating.