1 food critic, 40 burritos: Finding the best in Chicago
Most people don’t think about the burrito. The brute cousin to the taco simply exists, and any consideration pertains to size. Who cares about the particulars when the quantity means more than the quality? A burrito bigger than your head certainly bests a wimpy, meager one, right?
But feel no shame for the burrito. Despite what you may have heard, the dish has strong Mexican ties, and charged with finding the best burrito in Chicago, I unexpectedly uncovered a creative and vibrant burrito scene. All you have to do is recalibrate your idea of what constitutes a burrito.
The burrito many of us recognize comes bulked to the brim with meat, beans, rice, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Sometimes referred to as a Mission burrito, after the Mission District in San Francisco where the style supposedly originated or, at the very least, was popularized. This is also the style you’ll find at your local Chipotle outlet. But the burrito began life as something much simpler. Though the history is not crystal clear, the burrito almost certainly originated in Northern Mexico, and it’s important to appreciate its roots.
To see the burrito unadulterated from American meddling, visit Gordillas on 26th Street in the Little Village neighborhood, where I experienced my first burrito epiphany. Employees made the flour tortillas fresh before my eyes. Instead of swamping the tortilla with a dozen components, each burrito came smeared with refried beans, topped with a filling, folded over, and griddled until golden. That was it. And it was small, just slightly bigger than a normal taco. Each bite centered on the interplay of the soft tortilla, creamy beans and meaty filling. It was the best burrito I'd ever eaten.
This is called a Durango-style burrito, named after the northern Mexican state of Durango. It didn’t take me long to realize there were tons of Durango-style restaurants in Chicago, each making burritos vastly superior to most of the bulging grease-filled packages you’ll find.
Another great burrito style in Chicago is the breakfast burrito. To qualify for this category, a burrito basically just needs scrambled eggs, though potatoes, cheese and some kind of meat are also common. Their relative simplicity means that they avoid many of the pitfalls of the overloaded versions.
I gleaned some serious knowledge over the course of my feasting. Rice is almost always a bad idea, because it dilutes the flavor of each bite, adding nothing but empty carbs. And while romaine lettuce adds crunch, iceberg lettuce usually just steams into an unsightly mush. I believe in the superiority of refried beans over whole beans. The former adds both a creaminess and some much needed stability to each bite. I don't think all burritos need to have refried beans, but I never met a burrito that wasn't improved by them.
By the end of the feasting, I somehow managed to try more than 40 different burritos. Because the offerings were all so different, coming up with a strict scoring system didn’t make much sense. Instead, I ranked them based on which ones I most wanted to eat again. Here are my top picks.
Editor’s note: This article was originally written in 2017. It has been updated with current prices and locations.
La Lagartija
I tried a number of al pastor burritos, and most were so fatty that a pool of orange-tinged grease spilled out of them after one bite. La Lagartija was the exception. Like the tacos, the burritos are carefully assembled, so each bite gets the ideal proportions of meat, beans and toppings. Extra points for the beautifully griddled tortilla. $13.86. 132 S. Ashland Ave., 312-733-7772, orderlalagartijataqueria.com
Carbon
Don’t expect any frills at this bare-bones joint. Just enjoy the freshly grilled meat, aggressively seasoned, which is chopped up and tossed into a tortilla with onions and cilantro. That’s it. If you want salsa, you’ll have to squeeze some on each bite, which is a little frustrating. But there’s no reason to complain when each bite tastes like the distilled essence of steak. $13. 300 W 26th St.; 810 N. Marshfield Ave.; 312-225-3200, carbonmex.com
El Pollo Vagabundo
Unlike other Durango-style burritos served in the area, these are quite large. You can even get them crammed with toppings like lettuce and tomato, though you should resist the urge. Instead go for the refried beans and the desebrada (spelled without the h here). The one thing that sets El Pollo Vagabundo truly apart is its epic salsa bar, featuring dozens of handcrafted salsas, from flavorful tomatillo and avocado salsa to an incendiary habanero. $15. 101 W. Grand Ave., Northlake; 847-288-0713, elpollovagabundo.com
Las Asadas
When people heard I was looking for the best burrito in Chicago, I’d inevitably get recommendations for La Pasadita. Sadly, that mainstay on Ashland Avenue wouldn’t come close to making this list. But if you’re really looking for a grilled steak burrito packed with freshly grilled meat and a minimal number of toppings, you do have an option. Las Asadas, with locations in Logan Square and suburban Des Plaines, does everything La Pasadita does, but better. I especially love how the flour tortilla is warmed on the grates of the grill, adding a faint smoky aroma to each bite. $9.35. 2045 N. Western Ave., 773-235-5538; 356 Lee St., Des Plaines, 847-298-3393; 782 W. Oakton St., Des Plaines, 847-718-9782; lasasadas.com
Las Gorditas de Don Angel
There’s only one burrito on the menu. Yet, the deshebrada burrito at Las Gorditas de Don Angel still manages to be incredibly satisfying. The tender braised beef is bulked out with soft potatoes and extra-meaty refried beans. Note that even without any salsa, there’s a genuine chile burn with each bite, which I found captivating. The shop now has six locations scattered throughout the suburbs, expanding its fan base into Melrose Park, Cicero, Joliet, Elgin, Bolingbrook and Aurora. $3.25. Multiple locations, lasgorditasdedonangel.com
Jarabe
You know what’s a great burrito filling? Arugula. Most lettuce wilts and turns to mush after a few minutes, but arugula stays strong and adds a pleasing bitter note that helps cut through heavy ingredients. That’s definitely the case with the excellent breakfast burrito at Jarabe, where well-spiced chorizo mixes with soft scrambled eggs and roasted potatoes. (Do note the breakfast burrito is only available on weekends at this time). 1104 W. Taylor St., 312-725-0507, jarabechicago.com
Angela’s Burrito Style
At first glance, it doesn’t appear that there’s much difference between the California-style burrito and the regular steak burrito at Angela’s Burrito Style. But take one bite, and you’ll immediately notice the addition of crispy browned potatoes. This sounds small, but it transforms a decent offering into something genuinely satisfying. $10.15. 2556 N. Clark St., 773-248-3901, orderangelasburritostyle.com
Flo
The idea of adding anything on top of a burrito is kind of absurd, but the well-crafted New Mexican-inspired sauces at Flo are the exception. They are so good, I suggest you go with both, ordering the egg and cheese breakfast burrito “divorced.” That way you’ll get a rustic red sauce on one side and the vibrant green sauce on the other, with a dividing line of guacamole running down the middle. Do note that the burrito is currently only available during the West Town cafe’s weekend brunch. $12. 1434 W. Chicago Ave., 312-243-0477, flochicago.com
Gorditas Santiago
Here’s another excellent Durango-style restaurant with freshly made flour tortillas and a wide range of filling options. While you can’t go wrong with the deshebrada, what really stood out to me was the flavorful machaca burrito at this West Elsdon restaurant. The concentrated flavor of the beef melded with the eggs, making for an excellent breakfast burrito that you could nonetheless order whenever you like. $3.75. 3710 W. 55th St., 872-267-5260, gorditassantiago2.negocio.site
L’ Patron
No taqueria in Chicago serves such flavorful chunks of grilled steak. Instead of chopping the steak into minuscule pieces, Logan Square’s L’ Patron leaves the beef in sizable chunks, allowing you to marvel at how tender and well seasoned each piece is. I’m not a big fan of the lettuce stuck in, but that’s more than made up with the restaurant’s practice of grilling the whole burrito after it is assembled, which lends a faint smoky aroma to every bite. $12. 3749 W. Fullerton Ave., 773-252-6335, lpatrontacos.com
Del Toro
Chicago excels at grilled steak burritos, but none approach the singular concentrated beefiness found in one bite of the carne asada burrito at Del Toro in Pilsen. Unlike most burritos, the cheese is given time to melt, so it fuses with the steak, adding a savory creaminess. The lettuce and tomato are kept to a minimum, while soft black beans help pull everything together. It’s all rolled up into a petite package, perfect for one-handed manhandling while you politely sip one of the bar’s excellent cocktails in the other. $9. 2133 S. Halsted St., 312-733-7144, deltorochicago.com
Gorditas La Tia Susy
Deshebrada is not a particularly common burrito filling around town, but the shredded beef filling — often stewed with tomatoes and chiles — is a staple of many Durango-style Mexican restaurants. So if you do spot the word, you’re probably in for a great burrito. My favorite version in town can be found at this humble spot, where the beef is lusciously tender, with a pleasing vinegar bite. Though Durango-style burritos usually keep fillings to a minimum, when you order deshebrada around town, mayonnaise and avocado come with the requisite refried beans. This sounds like a mistake, but the additions work, making each bite slightly more ridiculous. But the real reason Gorditas La Tia Susy stands apart is for its incredibly supple and fragrant freshly made flour tortillas. $4. 3500 S. Western Ave., 872-231-0997; 2423 W. 51st St., 773-249-9221; gorditaslatiasusy.com
Gordillas
With locations in Little Village, West Elsdon and suburban Addison, Gordillas specializes in Durango-style burritos, which forgo almost all extraneous toppings to focus on the elemental — beef, beans and tortilla. Watch as the workers make the soft and thin flour tortillas in front of you. Marvel at how the beefy steamed barbacoa is tender to the touch, slightly funky and packed with a complex chile profile — not mushy, bland and waterlogged like a certain burrito chain. Admire the extra-meaty refried beans, which add a necessary creaminess. Rolled up without fanfare and griddled until nicely browned on both sides, this is the burrito at its simplest and most satisfying. If any one burrito can steer you away from the overloaded gut-bombs, it’s this one. $10.50. 3759 W. 26th St., 773-823-1499; 5734 S. Pulaski Road, 773-424-0347; 655 W. Lake St., Addison, 630-543-1400; gordillas.com
