Fiesta Taco

Details:

• Rating: 6.54
• Order: Super Burrito - $12.27
• Meat: Cabeza - 6
• Beans: Refried - 4
• Rice: 4
• Guacamole: 8
  
• Crema: 8
• Salsa: 8
• Tortilla: 6
• Cheese: 7
• Size: 4
• Taste: 7.5

Description:

A burrito with too much guac and crema? Apparently it does exist. This burrito was still solid, because I do love a lot of guac, crema, cheese and all the ingredients that go into a very non-dry burrito. But in this case it was at the expense of meat, rice and beans. That wasn't the worst thing because the rice and beans weren't amazing. There could have been more meat, but it wasn't too sparse and it was pretty good too. I did deviate this time with cabeza, but I just felt like something other than carne asada. Overall the burrito was quite enjoyable, but it didn't leave too much of a lasting impression. This was definitely an example of how important the right ratio is in a burrito. I almost always want more guac and crema, but this burrito proves that too much is too much (way better than too little, though).

Other Notes:

Small amount of chips and quite good red/green salsas.

Golden State Taqueria

Details:

• Rating: 6.06
• Order: Super Burrito - $10.65
• Meat: Carne Asada - 4
• Beans: Pinto - 8
• Rice: 9
• Guacamole: 6
• Crema: 7
• Salsa: 2
• Tortilla: 7
• Cheese: 10
• Size: 5
• Taste: 6

Description:

First burrito way out in Dublin/Pleasanton! It was fine. I guess it was better than I expected, so that's pretty good. Reasonable price, reasonable size, and reasonably good. There really isn't too much to say about this one. The meat was actually not salty enough, which is super rare. Rice and beans were really good, but the salsa was pretty bad. Lots of good melty cheese, and the guac and crema were decent. That's really all there was to it. I'd eat it again for sure, but I wouldn't make any special trips.

Other Notes:

None.

Rico Rico Taco - repeat visit

Details:

• Rating: 7.60
• Order: Burrito - $10.87
• Meat: Carnitas - 9
• Beans: Black - 5
• Rice: 10
• Guacamole: 8
• Crema: 6
• Salsa: 8
• Tortilla: 9
• Cheese: 6
• Size: 8
• Taste: 8

Description:

This repeat visit to a top 10 taqueria proves that the first test was not a fluke. Yes, Rico Rico has now dropped to #11, but it was still an awesome burrito.

This time I tried the carnitas, which was true to the menu description: crispy. It was super crispy. This is pretty rare for carnitas in a burrito, so props to Rico Rico. However, it was so crispy that it was a bit hard to eat in burrito form, and it was also a bit too salty. But I can't knock it too much because the flavor was great. Just like last time, the star of the show at Rico Rico is their rice. I can't even imagine getting a taco that is 1/5 the size for 1/2 the price, and doesn't have rice! Even if their taco tortillas are freshly homemade.

The other great thing about this burrito is the extra greasy fried tortilla. Tastes delicious, but at the cost of making the burrito more brittle and messy to eat. Pretty much everything else was as I remember it from the first trip. Overall very quality ingredients. The only difference this time was that I got black beans. I usually enjoy black beans more than pinto, but they were not very good this time. A bit undercooked, not much flavor, more grainy than creamy. I'll be sticking to the pinto from now on at Rico Rico. Overall, I still highly recommend, especially since there are very few other good burrito spots in the area.

Other Notes:

See review for 5/16/19.

Taqueria Los Pericos #5 (San Leandro)

Details:

• Rating: 6.54
• Order: Super Burrito - $13.16
• Meat: Carne Asada - 8
• Beans: Refried - 4
• Rice: 7
• Guacamole: 7
• Crema: 7
• Salsa: 7
• Tortilla: 7
• Cheese: 6
• Size: 7
• Taste: 7

Description:

I wanted to try this taqueria because I figured it must have been the same owners as the same-named #7 on the list in Santa Cruz. But as soon as I stepped out with my burrito, I realized there was another Taqueria Los Pericos a single block away. At this point I have no idea what connection they all have to each other. All I know is that this definitely does not match up to the Santa Cruz version. But it's still a solid burrito overall.

The meat had a nice charred flavor. The beans were pretty meh, but everything else was solid. Not amazing, but solid. This is another classic Bay Area burrito that satisfies any burrito craving, but doesn't leave the critic saying "wow." And maybe I'm just too price sensitive, but $13+ for a burrito doesn't sit quite right with me. I understand burrito price inflation has been skyrocketing over the past 5 years or so, but this is still on the upper end. I'd happily eat another burrito from here, but I won't be going out of my way for it.

Almost forgot to mention, check out all that guac and crema in the picture! Too bad it was too good to be true. Just another case of poor ingredient distribution left me guac-less and crema-less after the first few bites. So sad.

Other Notes:

None.

Casa Barajas

Details:

• Rating: 6.48
• Order: Super Burrito - $11.00
• Meat: Carne Asada - 7
• Beans: Refried - 6
• Rice: 8
• Guacamole: 8
• Crema: 8
• Salsa: 9
• Tortilla: 8
• Cheese: 5
• Size: 3
• Taste: 6.75

Description:

Casa Barajas is a pretty cool spot located inside the Chug Pub bar. But I'll cut straight to the chase: their burritos are...decent.

I'll start with the high points. All of their ingredients are very high quality. The carne asada is very meaty and not overcooked, but it is missing a little bit of that char and marinated flavor (I wasn't a huge fan of the al pastor or tinga though, which I also tried). It also was very lean so the rice got none of the meat grease flavor mixed in. However, the rice was very good on its own so not a huge downside there. The rice was a little undercooked, but that may be a personal preference. The guac and crema were both very good, but the guac was very sparse. So was the pico...could barely find it beside that one very strong cilantro stem bite. Beans were good from what I could tell, but again there were almost none. Same with the cheese, where are you?! Basically the burrito was pretty heavily rice. Tortilla was good and nicely pressed on the griddle.

So as you can tell, there were a few issues despite the ingredients being high quality and yummy on their own. But the biggest issue was that this $11 burrito was a little baby burrito. Now, it was big enough for a meal and nobody went hungry, but it sure wasn't a Mission Style burrito as they tout. It wasn't big at all and it just didn't have the same flavor as all the other Mission Style burritos. Even though all the fillings were great, they didn't mesh together well as a whole unit. I never got that "wow" moment and the lack of juiciness caused the whole burrito to feel a little disjointed.

But I have to hand it to Casa Barajas, their chips are top of the line. They're so crispy crunchy with little kapows of salt, and their salsa are really good to match.

So would I go back for a burrito? Nah probably not, but it's out in the Sunset so it's probably still the best option out there. And of course we're talking Bay Area burritos here so even though this is lower on the list, it's still a solid burrito that I was happy to eat. Now, would I go back for just chips? Yeah, I can't think of any better chips out there.

Other Notes:

Best chips everrr. Great salsas (green, roasted red, creamy chipotle).

Quarantine Kitchen

Details:

• Rating: 4.33
• Order: Homemade Burrito - $0.00
• Meat: Gringo Ground Beef - 2.5
• Beans: Canned Refried - 8
• Rice: 6
• Guacamole: 6
• Crema: None
• Salsa: None
• Tortilla: 3
• Cheese: 2
• Size: 4
• Taste: 3.5

Description:

Alright, I think this burrito deserves a shout out. I won't put it on the ranking list, but I have to at least compare my first legit homemade burrito with the best of the best. So was it the best? I'll give that a resounding no. But it was a great attempt with the ingredients that I had lying around home.

In the COVID craze, the only tortillas left at the store were burrito size. I've tried to make burritos at home before, but its a game changer to have correctly sized tortillas. Unfortunately I didn't plan ahead very well and didn't have the right kind of meat, rice, salsa or crema. So, I went with the typical gringo style with taco seasoned ground beef, diced tomatoes, etc.

The beef was...well it was ground beef in a burrito. Never a good idea. The mexican rice actually came out great and only could have been better if I didn't use brown rice. The canned beans were super good. Like better than most places on the list so far. That's sad. Guacamole was good but I didn't have fresh limes or cilantro. Tomatoes were a good substitute for salsa. Cheese wasn't plentiful enough and the tortilla is tough to steam without a steamer.

I also had to try out my hand at distribution and construction for the first time. It wasn't terrible but I had a leak and didn't spread the ingredients very well. Props to the pros for their far superior folding skills.

Total rating would put this burrito down toward the bottom of the list. But that means it's still higher than a few places! It really wasn't very good, but some better meat would've made this so much better and it was all homemade! Something to be said for that too. I guess the beans were canned, but they were still bomb.

Other Notes:

Chips never came out of the cupboard but I could have had them if I wanted. Same with salsa.

Off The Hook

Details:

• Rating: 5.29
• Order: Super Burrito - $10.00
• Meat: Carne Asada - 5
• Beans: Refried - 3
• Rice: 4
• Guacamole: None
• Crema: 4
• Salsa: 2
• Tortilla: 6
• Cheese: 7
• Size: 10
• Taste: 5

Description:

So was it off the hook? Nahhh. Was it decent? Not exactly. But this thing was huge, that's what it has going for it.

This is not the most inviting restaurant...to put it nicely. The food looked like it had been sitting out for a long time and the quality was definitely not there. I will say that I was still satisfied in the end.

The meat was ok at least. The beans were pretty bad. The rice actually had nice flavor but was super hard. Guac was extra so I didn't get it. Crema was ok and the salsa was really bad (and there was no salsa bar or salsa to go). The tortilla was alright and it was nice and melty cheesy. That's all I really have to say. It was subpar. Oh yeah it had a ton of jalapenos in it, that was weird too.

But man this thing was huge. If you're looking for a couple meals in one, this can definitely be your place. And it's debatably better than Ole Ole across the street if you're at Oakland First Friday and craving a burrito.

Other Notes:

No chips or salsa.

Taqueria Guadalajara (San Leandro)

Details:

• Rating: 7.55
• Order: Super Burrito - $10.54
• Meat: Carne Asada - 7
• Beans: Refried - 5
• Rice: 9
• Guacamole: 8
• Crema: 7
• Salsa: 6
• Tortilla: 8
• Cheese: 8
• Size: 8
• Taste: 8

Description:

Guadalajara seems to be the go-to spot in San Leandro. This place was poppin' with a long line, full tables, but quick service. And their burritos did not dissapoint after the anticipation. Holding 3 in my bag was some serious weight, no small burritos here.

Overall the burrito was packed with quality ingredients that each added a nice touch. They were all very good but for some reason the burrito lacked the elusive wow factor. Nonetheless, it was a great burrito. The carne asada was smoky and flavorful but was on the skimpy side which probably contributed to lack of wow factor. The beans were mediocre. Good enough to do the job at least. The rice was the star of the show and was pretty spot on without overpowering the rest of the ingredients. Guac, crema, onions and cilantro all did their job as well. The salsa was tasty but there was so much that it took over the flavor in an unwanted way. Cheese was plentiful and covered almost the whole tortilla. And the tortilla was steamed and also great.

TL;DR it was great but lacked the wow.

Other Notes:

Only chips if you eat in. Only one type of salsa for the chips.