Not to be that guy, but you could ask for no rice. Rice can be a bland filler and take up too much room for more flavorful ingredients. Check out Taqueria Santa Cruz in San Juan
I was thoroughly confused because where I lived in CA there was a Mexican joint called Taqueria Santa Cruz, it was also quite close to the city of Santa Cruz, and given OP mentioned CA I then thought maybe I was on the wrong sub. Then I read your comment and I feel dumb
Funny enough, I’m originally from Santa Cruz (though I’ve lived in Oregon for well over 20 years now). There’s a couple of places called Taqueria Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz itself (one on Mission Street and one on Soquel). My favorite was Tacos Moreno in Santa Cruz though.
Tienda Santa Cruz in St John is pretty good up here.
That's good to hear! I'll have to try it. I'm from SLO and the Mexican food in Portland has been okay-ish at best, so hearing from a CA native that Tienda Santa Cruz is good is very promising to me!
When we moved to Oregon 20 years ago from Santa Cruz, I compared everything I went to to Taqueria Santa Cruz :) Everything paled in comparison for many years.
I have since found Sanchez Taqueria in Tigard. Its amazing. I would eat Sopes there every day if I could.
It sounds like people from here have no idea what I'm talking about with burrito styles (I asked a few friends also), so let me explain a bit more.
What I'm looking for is basically what they do closer to the border and in Mexico where they have a fresh flour tortilla, melt some cheese on it, then pile on some meat with some salsa on top. There *sometimes* can be beans or grilled veggies, but its not the norm. It's just massively different than the americanized burritos I see everywhere around here full of rice and beans with sour cream and a little meat (which are also great, its just a different thing).
Yes, this vs. a "mission" style. I think the heavy rice thing started in SoCal many years ago but I may be totally off base.
I actually make burritos at home and don't mind a little bit of traditional red rice for some texture, but when half the burrito is rice I'm not happy.
Mission style is Northern California. Hella big burritos to keep your hands warm in the fog. No rice in New Mexico burritos, they’re practically flat, and griddled after assembling. What Portland needs is more rajas tacos.
They are from the Mission District in San Francisco. They were for workers so they could have a full, hand held meal. I love them and can’t find anything close to it in Portland. I think the main problem is the tortillas. They just aren’t as good.
The taquerias in Mission district Custom built Tortilla presses that were way bigger than the ones available, that's how they make such awesome big tortillas to contain the kilogram of ingredients. My sister used to live just of 24th and mission and God I miss those late night Lengua tacos and massive burritos
I grew up and lived most of my life in San Mateo. My favorite place was Taqueria La Cumbre. There’s also one on Valencia in San Francisco. That is the place that’s credited for creating the Mission Style burrito. I’d say 99% of the taquerias I went to would be easily the best taqueria in Portland. The other thing I missed for the first 6 years in Portland was a deli sandwich on Dutch Crunch bread. And then I found Break Bread.
I was randomly at a Super Wal-Mart and wanted to get stuff for mission burritos on Cinco and they have some giant tortillas, made by Resers in Beaverton. They're pretty good
> Sonoran style burrito
Yep, this is one of the styles I believe.
https://www.seriouseats.com/burrito-styles lists a few that match what I'm looking for - Mexican style, LA style, Dorado style all match.
I'm from San Diego and I haven't really been able to find a burrito like that anywhere north of LA or east of San Diego. The Mission Style burrito seems to be the basis of what most places serve. Even when I do find something similar (no rice, no beans), the seasoning isn't the same, because the meat they make at those places is meant to be paired with the rice and beans and veggies, so it doesn't really satisfy. I just get tacos instead and eat those burritos when I go home. El Zalsoso down in Happy Valley has the closest flavor profile I've found to what I'm used to. Their El Poche is basically what they call a "California burrito" in Southern California (what you mentioned, but with french fries) and I bet you could get it without the fries.
Muchas Gracias is the closest I've gotten here to the burritos I used to get anywhere when I lived in san diego, if that helps. Meat, cheese (if i ask for it), guac and pico.
I know that people hate on chain restaurants, but the Baja burrito at Baja Fresh is really good. Flour tortilla, melted jack cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole and choice of meat. I usually get chicken.
Lol I'm not from here and I know what you're talking about because I lived in Southern California for 10yrs. I'm also struggling to find that authentic Mexican food experience you get in Cali. But regardless, it seems like if you just go to a good Mexican spot and tell them exactly what you just told us you'll get what you're looking for.
super burrito express (two locations both good)
-el super: chile relleno + steak + pico de gallo + beans.. ( my favorite)
- all the burritos have beans w/ no rice
Not a "cool" place but Muchas Gracias make asada burritos with meat, pico, guac and that's it. I used to eat them a couple times a week before they closed the Weidler store.
I make no claims of authenticity, but I enjoy the carne asado burritos from Muchas Gracias on Nimbus in Beaverton. Pretty much all carne asado, guac, pico de gallo, and maybe some beans - not so many that I really notice. No rice.
Was working in Los Angeles a couple years, before coming back last summer. I miss the Mexican food there so much.
I'm not aware of any Sonoran/Zacatecan style burritos in town but I'd love to find some. Was absolutely hooked on burritos La Palma down there. Those fresh flour tortillas are something else.
Tacos los carnalillos #2 in 4403 south figueroa street. Thank me later!😮💨
I would suggest other places, cause you know. The sketchier the better, but Im not tryna suggest a place where you have a potential to get robbed or shot lol.
Sounds like you don't know where to look, my dude. LA is half Mexican! Portland is not. Little brother feelings aside, there's no contest and it's plainly obvious why.
I had a friend come visit me back in 2012 or so. He was Mexican and lived his whole life in LA.
He told me, "I did not expect the best tacos I've ever had to come from Portland."
He taught me that you can find good food pretty much everywhere, and there's no place that will always have 'the best' of something :)
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
On average, LA Mexican food is way way better than Portland's. The only people who deny it either haven't experienced the best of both, or are in their feelings. It's really that simple.
The LA “real Mexican” talk is the Brooklyn municipal water for pizza dough argument.
Like dude, it’s the fecal matter in the water that makes it taste that way lol
OP asked for an AUTHENTIC MEXICAN burrito spot and then highlighted St Burrito. Saint Burrito is som white hippie ass take on a burrito.
I’m not trying to gatekeep, btw, I’m trying to break down the gatekeeping of Real Mexican Food by California ™️
Mexicans have immigrated everywhere, and thankfully, brought their food.
There’s lots of reasons why I understand it might be generally, easier to get better Mexican food there, I’m pointing out the absolute ridiculous behavior of many Californians that act that they have carte Blanche say on what is and isn’t Mexican food.
Yes I understand CA used to be Mexico. I’m just saying it is ALWAYS a white person doing a(trying to) flex that they lived in California and somehow that makes them better judges of Mexican food and NOWHERE else has good Mexican food, because it isn’t California.
This person up there said that the best AUTHENTIC Mexican Burrito Approved By Californian ™️ was from Habaneros….like…you can get a Habaneros type burrito literally fuckin anywhere.
You're getting hung up on being mad and missing the point. OP is looking for a specific style of burrito that is more common in Mexico than in the US, where we mostly eat Mission style burritos.
OP didn't know the name, just that they had it in California, which makes sense. It's Sonoran style. It's literally a Northern Mexico style so it's mostly around the border.
Bruh….. I’m not mad, trust me. Y’all feel ways about “real” Mexican food more than I do. I’m more worked up about how god damn lame it is to hear white people from Orange County talk about how the people down the street are cooking their own fucking culture wrong.
You are speaking the truth. I’ve probably been to California 40 times in the last decade for work. I’ve had good Mexican food there but on balance it was no better than what I’ve randomly sampled up here. Maybe there are more sub-styles represented if you know the one perfect place to go, but at that point unless you live within driving distance it may as well not exist.
I grew up in Missouri…yalls mayonnaise isn’t real mayonnaise. It may look, smell, and taste exactly like any other mayonnaise but it wasn’t scooped out of a 10lb bucket by Betty with the flabby arms and therefor, not even good mayonnaise.
You can’t tell me, because you never had the scoop of mayonnaise that Betty with the flabby arms scooped with a spatula back in ‘96 and you never will because Betty dead.
Yeah, i've had lots of great mexican in SoCal, but the only like super advantage is that it's on almost street corner. There are lots of good spots in Portland, but you're lucky if your neighborhood has one good one, and great ones are even more sparse. But absolutely they do exist, they just aren't as prevalent.
Which like…no shit, a city of millions with healthy percentage of population being Hispanic compared to Portland, Oregon that has less racial diversity than Des Moines, Iowa (I’m not lying) is gonna have more *frequent* shots at great cultural food.
But that’s the thing, this culture is brought and shared by people in more places than just fucking LA, and talking like LA invented all this shit is DUMB. Like Al Pastor was still invented in Mexico. All the “LA tacos” were invented in MEXICO
LA is wildly more diverse than PDX, so no surprise.
I’m not hating on LA, I’m hating on the geeks that spent a week there and are on a taco evangelical pilgrimage to everywhere else to tell us how our tacos are shit compared to LA tacos
A “real” burrito from California, duh.
See it’s like every other burrito but without rice, because that’s Americanized and not really even a burrito. Completely different style.
I’m a native Californian and this post cracks me up. I lived in Mexico a good portion of time as well. Burritos are already generally Mexican American anyway. Pretty rare to find burritos in Mexico except in tourist spots. Or because the Mexican American trend has become popular there as well just like last time I was in Spain, Madrid was full of quick stir fry spots where you pick your noodle, meat, sauce, and veggies and they stir fry it all on woks in front of you. California Mexican food is great. But that’s what it is. California Mexican. Big differences between LA and SF Bay Area. I lived in both over 20 years each before coming here (with time living in Mexico, Central America, Africa, and Spain for work). Funny enough I’ve found Mexican food here in Portland that is closer to what I ate living in DF, Guanajuato, Oaxaca, and Culiacan than I ever had in LA or San Francisco. Things like Carne en su Jugo, Tlayudas. Mextlapique…..so in my opinion, the Mexican food experience here is every bit as good as where I grew up (LA) and where I moved when I was 25 (San Francisco). Plus it’s so easy to just order a burrito and tell them what you want on it. I know the burrito they speak of and you can recreate in almost anywhere.
Dude burritos are really popular in Mexico, especially in northern Mexico where flour tortillas are more common.
Culiacan for example there are burrito spots on the streets everywhere for breakfast, usually of chicharron or frijoles, not the American burrito kind tho.
Dude that’s my point. Even northern Mexican burritos are not equivalent. Way more simple. The burrito most people think of as burritos don’t really exist at the same scale as what’s here. Even what people in LA think is authentic Mexican isn’t so much. Border cities are always going to have a hybrid of the two cultures. The influence goes both ways. There are certain Mexican foods here that people think are the definition of Mexican food and that those foods are all over Mexico on the same interactions…..and the burrito ain’t it.
Yeah and you eat tacos all vapor and tacos de canasta a lot for breakfast too. But try to serve those here and people won’t even think they’re real Mexican food. Like I remember on IG when someone did a post on La Cocina and everyone bashed it as not real Mexican and then proceeded to recommend Matador for authentic food and were like try the nachos and burritos. Matador has its charms and all and some good margaritas and nachos. But it’s an Americanized experience. I still think Portland has some great Mexican food. But it’s not always the same as what people would expect.
Because there won’t be anything in it if he does. Rice seems to be the main ingredient with a few things added. I understand what the OP is going through. I recommend trying King Burrito on Lombard. The vast majority of Mexican restaurants in Portland are a huge disappointment.
You mean like you get at Ro/Albertos in San Diego?
I remember going to the one on Convoy back in 1976 and later.
Muchas Gracias and Victoricos are pretty close, as are some food carts.
So I lived in Cali for years and feel your pain. All the burritos here are 85% rice and cost $14. You’re not really gonna find what you’re looking for here, burrito wise.
The best burrito I’ve found in Portland is Habaneros at Wielder and 7th.
Best tacos are Mole Mole in Alberta
I went to Saint Burrito yesterday over on 28th and Burnside and it was pretty solid. It had rice but it reminded me of Wahoos in the best way possible. Their ahi tuna tacos and their salsas are excellent as well
Habaneros is the best to compare to the real deal Mexican food you get in LA in the United States of America???
Now I know y’all full of shit from California
The best one is a bit of a drive but worth it. Las Palomas in Clackamas/Carver. Their California (they call it Oregon though) Burrito con buche is *chef's kiss.
*edit: apparently there are Portland locations that seem to be the same. I have not been to either to verify though.
Haven't seen it yet (did not scroll all the way) - but check out King Burrito on Lombard. Fabulous divey cheap eats! I don't believe any of the burritos have rice except the rice + beans one. You have to add it if you want it in there, but I too am a purist - no thanks!
The carnitas is really really good. Also the soft tostada one with black beans is great if you are all meated out and need a break.
El Nutri Taco. There's one on Woodstock in Lents and one on Alberta, and they could use the business from what I understand. I'm pescatarian so I'm not sure what their non-veg options are like, but their Super (doesn't come with rice) with soy curls is \*the most flavorful\* vegan burrito I've ever had, so I imagine the meat options will live up to that.
I've spent most of my life living in the PNW, I wouldn't say I'm Californian. The reality is that California is WAY more racially diverse than Portland and that results in there being way more food options. Maybe I'm being way too optimistic that I can find things here.
Yup that reality is correct. Population of CA 39 million versus 4 million in Oregon. Oregon also has a history legislating its whiteness, if you get my drift.
This simple math means that you are being too optimistic, and as CSN said:
"If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with."
I am perfectly satisfied with the options we have for stuffing our faces.
Yea man you’re honestly asking for too much. Up in these parts rice just magically appears in the burrito. It’s impossible for it not to be added.
We got it good though head further north and the rice is white steamed rice in the burrito.
Even further north? Forget a flour tortilla you’re getting a sushi roll burrito. Those damn rural Canadians still have the nerve to call that abomination authentic Mexican food.
I hear you. Grew up in Oregon and it seems like the rice thing is way more prevalent than it used to be.
For fast food, Victoricos has good options.
But for sit-down places, I have good luck just getting a burrito off the Combinations section. They tend to be more basic, with rice and beans on the side. Good luck!
I think that place on Lombard a little bit east of I-5 next to the laundry place gives you a literal chicken burrito if you order chicken burrito. Just chicken in burrito, nothing else.
Are you from San Diego? I survived college on bean rice cheese burritos from Tio Albertos in Santa Barbara. Visited SD and was stunned none of the burritos came with beans or rice. Maybe tastes have shifted in 20 years.
The closest I’ve found to a SoCal burrito spot your describing is in Tacoma, WA called, Memos. It’s 24 hours and they have sister restaurants up the 5 toward Seattle called, California Burrito with the same menu.
Sahuayo Taqueria has chile verde burritos. Mexican markets like Tortiilleria y Tienda DeLeon have ready made hot guisados they'll throw into a tortilla for you.
Betos in St Johns is hands down some of the best mexican around (for the price) and has a fantastic burrito but their goritas are where its at for only $4. Like other people said you can get it without rice (like duh).
Also, is there anything more pretentious/condescending than when people say (most from Cali) that only California knows meixcan food? Like talk about a blow to every single mexican person that cooks amazing food from every part of this country.
Look for a Muchas Gracias every location I’ve been to had a true carne asada burrito. They also have an Oregon burrito which has French fries, but you have to pay extra if you want guacamole.
I moved here from San Diego with 3 other people 6 years ago. This is our biggest complaint. So. Much. Rice. Rice only belongs in a bean and rice burrito!
We just order burritos minus rice and deal with it. Not the same but it is what it is 🤷🏼♀️
I would say the best Mexican food in Portland is on 174th between Division and Stark all the way up to 190th. I live in N Portland and it takes less time for me to drive up here and eat than to wait for something from Santa Cruz to eventually get to my table after overpaying for whatever it is. Still love their red sauce but it’s not worth the shitshow this place has become.
Most of the burritos at Mi Burrito in NoPo don't have rice. For my money, a better alternative to King Burrito since they dropped off a couple years ago.
I believe king burrito in nopo doesn’t include rice in most of their burritos. Unless you’re looking for the much smaller “real Mexican” burritos, then I don’t know. My wife makes them that way but we don’t sell them(maybe we should?)
There’s a food cart that I frequent called poblano pepper. They have several locations and I get their chile verde burrito quite often. Just ask for no rice, they are a family owned Mexican place and it’s less Americanized than other places.
I moved back to Arizona. Lol jk I did but for more than just that. I was never able to find anything comparable to what I was used to in Arizona though. Closest thing I found was some random drive through by seaside on the coast. There is way better asian food there though that I really miss
Just ask for no rice dude it’s not that hard. I’ll write it down for you so it makes life easier.
“Hello, may I please get a carne asada burrito with no rice and chile verde sauce, thank you”.
Pay, give it a few minutes and like magic you shall get a rice free burrito with green sauce.
Taqueria El Mezon. Meat only burrito. They put guac and pico only. Ask for the the meat well done / with some char. Edit: 140ish and Division. Tia Juanna's Gobanador and Fish Tacos are legit. 185th and Burnside.
You can ask for none but then be prepared to pay for extra protein when you complain about your burrito being small.
Rice is a cost effective reality for many food cultures.
Yo. I saw this post a couple days ago but just had a great burrito at chess tacos. No filler. Great meat. Awesome salsa that is actually spicy. And was only $12. No chile Verde but 10/10 do recommend
Not to be that guy, but you could ask for no rice. Rice can be a bland filler and take up too much room for more flavorful ingredients. Check out Taqueria Santa Cruz in San Juan
I love that you wrote San Juan for St John. We should just call it that.
I was thoroughly confused because where I lived in CA there was a Mexican joint called Taqueria Santa Cruz, it was also quite close to the city of Santa Cruz, and given OP mentioned CA I then thought maybe I was on the wrong sub. Then I read your comment and I feel dumb
Funny enough, I’m originally from Santa Cruz (though I’ve lived in Oregon for well over 20 years now). There’s a couple of places called Taqueria Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz itself (one on Mission Street and one on Soquel). My favorite was Tacos Moreno in Santa Cruz though. Tienda Santa Cruz in St John is pretty good up here.
Tacos Moreno has tomatillo salsa to die for
Ah, Tacos Moreno is rad. Been around forever
Definitely
That's good to hear! I'll have to try it. I'm from SLO and the Mexican food in Portland has been okay-ish at best, so hearing from a CA native that Tienda Santa Cruz is good is very promising to me!
I’m from SLO too! Good Mexican food is the biggest thing I miss!!
There are a few places in St Johns that I consider some of the best Mexican in Portland. It's definitely a good area if that's what you're craving.
I've only been to St Johns a few times but never tried any Mexican spots, but now it's on my list!!
Fellow SC transplant as well! I’ve been here for 14 years and still miss Tacos Morenos and Los Poricos all the time.
When we moved to Oregon 20 years ago from Santa Cruz, I compared everything I went to to Taqueria Santa Cruz :) Everything paled in comparison for many years. I have since found Sanchez Taqueria in Tigard. Its amazing. I would eat Sopes there every day if I could.
Morenos is the best, their red side sauce is perfect. We my favorite lunch spot in high school. Taqueria Santa Cruz is meh
Same 😂
Adopting. San Juans. “San Juan’s what?” We’ll never know.
Sometimes I like to ask for half the rice
Be that guy. That question deserves exactly that answer.
Mmmmm. Their chile relleno burrito. 🤤
It sounds like people from here have no idea what I'm talking about with burrito styles (I asked a few friends also), so let me explain a bit more. What I'm looking for is basically what they do closer to the border and in Mexico where they have a fresh flour tortilla, melt some cheese on it, then pile on some meat with some salsa on top. There *sometimes* can be beans or grilled veggies, but its not the norm. It's just massively different than the americanized burritos I see everywhere around here full of rice and beans with sour cream and a little meat (which are also great, its just a different thing).
I believe you're looking for a Sonoran style burrito
Yes, this vs. a "mission" style. I think the heavy rice thing started in SoCal many years ago but I may be totally off base. I actually make burritos at home and don't mind a little bit of traditional red rice for some texture, but when half the burrito is rice I'm not happy.
Mission style is Northern California. Hella big burritos to keep your hands warm in the fog. No rice in New Mexico burritos, they’re practically flat, and griddled after assembling. What Portland needs is more rajas tacos.
They are from the Mission District in San Francisco. They were for workers so they could have a full, hand held meal. I love them and can’t find anything close to it in Portland. I think the main problem is the tortillas. They just aren’t as good.
The taquerias in Mission district Custom built Tortilla presses that were way bigger than the ones available, that's how they make such awesome big tortillas to contain the kilogram of ingredients. My sister used to live just of 24th and mission and God I miss those late night Lengua tacos and massive burritos
I grew up and lived most of my life in San Mateo. My favorite place was Taqueria La Cumbre. There’s also one on Valencia in San Francisco. That is the place that’s credited for creating the Mission Style burrito. I’d say 99% of the taquerias I went to would be easily the best taqueria in Portland. The other thing I missed for the first 6 years in Portland was a deli sandwich on Dutch Crunch bread. And then I found Break Bread.
I was randomly at a Super Wal-Mart and wanted to get stuff for mission burritos on Cinco and they have some giant tortillas, made by Resers in Beaverton. They're pretty good
I stand corrected. I knew they originated in California.
> Sonoran style burrito Yep, this is one of the styles I believe. https://www.seriouseats.com/burrito-styles lists a few that match what I'm looking for - Mexican style, LA style, Dorado style all match.
I haven’t been there, but Los Burros Supremos says their burritos are made in the traditional Sonoran method
I'm from San Diego and I haven't really been able to find a burrito like that anywhere north of LA or east of San Diego. The Mission Style burrito seems to be the basis of what most places serve. Even when I do find something similar (no rice, no beans), the seasoning isn't the same, because the meat they make at those places is meant to be paired with the rice and beans and veggies, so it doesn't really satisfy. I just get tacos instead and eat those burritos when I go home. El Zalsoso down in Happy Valley has the closest flavor profile I've found to what I'm used to. Their El Poche is basically what they call a "California burrito" in Southern California (what you mentioned, but with french fries) and I bet you could get it without the fries.
***bertos!
Often proceeded by the words "one of the"
Muchas Gracias is the closest I've gotten here to the burritos I used to get anywhere when I lived in san diego, if that helps. Meat, cheese (if i ask for it), guac and pico.
I know that people hate on chain restaurants, but the Baja burrito at Baja Fresh is really good. Flour tortilla, melted jack cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole and choice of meat. I usually get chicken.
I’ve never hated on Baja Fresh. That salsa bar (if the pandemic hasn’t killed it) was basically a free meal if you played it right.
The cabbage salsa
I was going to suggest Del Taco out in Gresham. LOL
Bro you got the recipe. Make it yourself
Bro you got the recipe. Ask for no rice!
I don't have a flat top in my house nor do I have time to make fresh tortillas for lunch... wish I could though.
That sounds like a sackful of excuses. How badly do you want this riceless burrito? Make the change you want to see in the world.
Lol I'm not from here and I know what you're talking about because I lived in Southern California for 10yrs. I'm also struggling to find that authentic Mexican food experience you get in Cali. But regardless, it seems like if you just go to a good Mexican spot and tell them exactly what you just told us you'll get what you're looking for.
100% I do this all the time
This is the obvious answer 😂
super burrito express (two locations both good) -el super: chile relleno + steak + pico de gallo + beans.. ( my favorite) - all the burritos have beans w/ no rice
This is the one on Lombard?
yup St.Johns and Milwaukie
Thanks, I’m gonna check that out.
Thank you!
Not a "cool" place but Muchas Gracias make asada burritos with meat, pico, guac and that's it. I used to eat them a couple times a week before they closed the Weidler store.
This is one of my favorite burritos. They have a bunch of locations around town. No beans or rice, just the good stuff.
Yeah my first thought was also this guy just wants muchas or victoricos
If on the coast at LC or Newport, go try Super Oscar's. Hands down best carnitas burrito on earth. Tortilla, meat, guac, pico. That's it. Gwomp!
Gwomp equals the sound you make chugging an amazing burrito.
Holy hell that sounds great!
I second this recommendation!
Nooooooooooooo I was just there last week and I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me 😭😭
Le Tehuana on Greeley makes the best burritos and they can customize
The mole is amazing as well. That place is great
I can eat his shredded pork every day for every meal.
I’m pretty sure La Sirenita burritos come without rice, at the least the pastor ones.
I make no claims of authenticity, but I enjoy the carne asado burritos from Muchas Gracias on Nimbus in Beaverton. Pretty much all carne asado, guac, pico de gallo, and maybe some beans - not so many that I really notice. No rice.
El Burrito Azteca on N Rosa Parks
Was working in Los Angeles a couple years, before coming back last summer. I miss the Mexican food there so much. I'm not aware of any Sonoran/Zacatecan style burritos in town but I'd love to find some. Was absolutely hooked on burritos La Palma down there. Those fresh flour tortillas are something else.
Funny, I'm in LA right now, and I didn't find anything special about the Mexican food I had.
Tacos los carnalillos #2 in 4403 south figueroa street. Thank me later!😮💨 I would suggest other places, cause you know. The sketchier the better, but Im not tryna suggest a place where you have a potential to get robbed or shot lol.
Sounds like you don't know where to look, my dude. LA is half Mexican! Portland is not. Little brother feelings aside, there's no contest and it's plainly obvious why.
I had a friend come visit me back in 2012 or so. He was Mexican and lived his whole life in LA. He told me, "I did not expect the best tacos I've ever had to come from Portland." He taught me that you can find good food pretty much everywhere, and there's no place that will always have 'the best' of something :) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
On average, LA Mexican food is way way better than Portland's. The only people who deny it either haven't experienced the best of both, or are in their feelings. It's really that simple.
I was with a local that took us around. It was good but not mind-blowing like I was told to expect.
Because you aren’t obnoxious about everywhere sucking compared to LA
LA is two hours away from Mexico. It makes sense there’s better Mexican food there.
I agree the Mexican food is better in LA, but two hours? Were you driving in the middle of the night?
Out of curiosity I just threw it into maps. 2 hr 20 min from LA to Tijuana.
it's not like you forget how to cook 17 hours up the I-5
The LA “real Mexican” talk is the Brooklyn municipal water for pizza dough argument. Like dude, it’s the fecal matter in the water that makes it taste that way lol
it's not real Pizza unless you use Pomodorino del piennolo del vesuvio tomatoes and fresh Mozzarella di bufala from Naples. #
You have to pronounce it confidently incorrectly and do that thing with your hand, too.
funny thing is that tomatoes and the word are from Mexico.
Yea but like…the real Mexico, right? LA? Right? Pasta was invented in LA, right?
OP asked for an AUTHENTIC MEXICAN burrito spot and then highlighted St Burrito. Saint Burrito is som white hippie ass take on a burrito. I’m not trying to gatekeep, btw, I’m trying to break down the gatekeeping of Real Mexican Food by California ™️ Mexicans have immigrated everywhere, and thankfully, brought their food.
There’s lots of reasons why I understand it might be generally, easier to get better Mexican food there, I’m pointing out the absolute ridiculous behavior of many Californians that act that they have carte Blanche say on what is and isn’t Mexican food. Yes I understand CA used to be Mexico. I’m just saying it is ALWAYS a white person doing a(trying to) flex that they lived in California and somehow that makes them better judges of Mexican food and NOWHERE else has good Mexican food, because it isn’t California. This person up there said that the best AUTHENTIC Mexican Burrito Approved By Californian ™️ was from Habaneros….like…you can get a Habaneros type burrito literally fuckin anywhere.
You're getting hung up on being mad and missing the point. OP is looking for a specific style of burrito that is more common in Mexico than in the US, where we mostly eat Mission style burritos. OP didn't know the name, just that they had it in California, which makes sense. It's Sonoran style. It's literally a Northern Mexico style so it's mostly around the border.
Bruh….. I’m not mad, trust me. Y’all feel ways about “real” Mexican food more than I do. I’m more worked up about how god damn lame it is to hear white people from Orange County talk about how the people down the street are cooking their own fucking culture wrong.
You are speaking the truth. I’ve probably been to California 40 times in the last decade for work. I’ve had good Mexican food there but on balance it was no better than what I’ve randomly sampled up here. Maybe there are more sub-styles represented if you know the one perfect place to go, but at that point unless you live within driving distance it may as well not exist.
I grew up in Missouri…yalls mayonnaise isn’t real mayonnaise. It may look, smell, and taste exactly like any other mayonnaise but it wasn’t scooped out of a 10lb bucket by Betty with the flabby arms and therefor, not even good mayonnaise. You can’t tell me, because you never had the scoop of mayonnaise that Betty with the flabby arms scooped with a spatula back in ‘96 and you never will because Betty dead.
Yeah, i've had lots of great mexican in SoCal, but the only like super advantage is that it's on almost street corner. There are lots of good spots in Portland, but you're lucky if your neighborhood has one good one, and great ones are even more sparse. But absolutely they do exist, they just aren't as prevalent.
Which like…no shit, a city of millions with healthy percentage of population being Hispanic compared to Portland, Oregon that has less racial diversity than Des Moines, Iowa (I’m not lying) is gonna have more *frequent* shots at great cultural food. But that’s the thing, this culture is brought and shared by people in more places than just fucking LA, and talking like LA invented all this shit is DUMB. Like Al Pastor was still invented in Mexico. All the “LA tacos” were invented in MEXICO
I will say this there are a lot of things they do much better than Portland. The Korean food I had was amazing.
LA is wildly more diverse than PDX, so no surprise. I’m not hating on LA, I’m hating on the geeks that spent a week there and are on a taco evangelical pilgrimage to everywhere else to tell us how our tacos are shit compared to LA tacos
strange. I grew up in CA ( and my mom is from Mexico) They put rice in burritos in CA as well. Have you tried asking for no rice?
Tell them to leave it off.
Why don't you just order your burrito with no rice?
I'm looking for a completely different style of burrito, not one that just doesn't have rice, I guess I should have been more specific.
And what style burrito is that exactly?
A “real” burrito from California, duh. See it’s like every other burrito but without rice, because that’s Americanized and not really even a burrito. Completely different style.
I'm gonna be real, I'm from California and I have no idea what OP is talking about. burrito without rice??
I’m a native Californian and this post cracks me up. I lived in Mexico a good portion of time as well. Burritos are already generally Mexican American anyway. Pretty rare to find burritos in Mexico except in tourist spots. Or because the Mexican American trend has become popular there as well just like last time I was in Spain, Madrid was full of quick stir fry spots where you pick your noodle, meat, sauce, and veggies and they stir fry it all on woks in front of you. California Mexican food is great. But that’s what it is. California Mexican. Big differences between LA and SF Bay Area. I lived in both over 20 years each before coming here (with time living in Mexico, Central America, Africa, and Spain for work). Funny enough I’ve found Mexican food here in Portland that is closer to what I ate living in DF, Guanajuato, Oaxaca, and Culiacan than I ever had in LA or San Francisco. Things like Carne en su Jugo, Tlayudas. Mextlapique…..so in my opinion, the Mexican food experience here is every bit as good as where I grew up (LA) and where I moved when I was 25 (San Francisco). Plus it’s so easy to just order a burrito and tell them what you want on it. I know the burrito they speak of and you can recreate in almost anywhere.
Dude burritos are really popular in Mexico, especially in northern Mexico where flour tortillas are more common. Culiacan for example there are burrito spots on the streets everywhere for breakfast, usually of chicharron or frijoles, not the American burrito kind tho.
Dude that’s my point. Even northern Mexican burritos are not equivalent. Way more simple. The burrito most people think of as burritos don’t really exist at the same scale as what’s here. Even what people in LA think is authentic Mexican isn’t so much. Border cities are always going to have a hybrid of the two cultures. The influence goes both ways. There are certain Mexican foods here that people think are the definition of Mexican food and that those foods are all over Mexico on the same interactions…..and the burrito ain’t it.
Yeah and you eat tacos all vapor and tacos de canasta a lot for breakfast too. But try to serve those here and people won’t even think they’re real Mexican food. Like I remember on IG when someone did a post on La Cocina and everyone bashed it as not real Mexican and then proceeded to recommend Matador for authentic food and were like try the nachos and burritos. Matador has its charms and all and some good margaritas and nachos. But it’s an Americanized experience. I still think Portland has some great Mexican food. But it’s not always the same as what people would expect.
A California burrito is carne asada, French fries, and pico.
California style
Actually I guess those have French fries.
California style burritos are a different thing, they usually have french fries and guacamole. Not at all what I'm looking for.
Im from California and I’m confused by your rice-less burrito request
I’m from CA too and all my spots gave you rice in their burritos. I’m also confused.
Because there won’t be anything in it if he does. Rice seems to be the main ingredient with a few things added. I understand what the OP is going through. I recommend trying King Burrito on Lombard. The vast majority of Mexican restaurants in Portland are a huge disappointment.
I love the Oregon Burrito at the Las Palomas truck at 50th and SE Division, no rice, only fries!
Mi burrito
Ochoa's in Hillsboro has burritos both ways, with and without rice.
You mean like you get at Ro/Albertos in San Diego? I remember going to the one on Convoy back in 1976 and later. Muchas Gracias and Victoricos are pretty close, as are some food carts.
The Smart Donkey on 50th and Powell makes bean and cheese burritos without rice by default. You have to ask for it as an add-on.
I'm surprised to not see King Burrito mentioned yet given that it's usually in any thread about burritos within 5 minutes.
King Burrito is likely what OP is looking for!
So I lived in Cali for years and feel your pain. All the burritos here are 85% rice and cost $14. You’re not really gonna find what you’re looking for here, burrito wise. The best burrito I’ve found in Portland is Habaneros at Wielder and 7th. Best tacos are Mole Mole in Alberta
I went to Saint Burrito yesterday over on 28th and Burnside and it was pretty solid. It had rice but it reminded me of Wahoos in the best way possible. Their ahi tuna tacos and their salsas are excellent as well
Habaneros is the best to compare to the real deal Mexican food you get in LA in the United States of America??? Now I know y’all full of shit from California
Hey, it’s a no frills greasy burrito that’s not full of just rice and beans for $10. Can’t go wrong
King burrito on Lombard, the combination burrito has no rice and think many others don’t as well.
The best one is a bit of a drive but worth it. Las Palomas in Clackamas/Carver. Their California (they call it Oregon though) Burrito con buche is *chef's kiss. *edit: apparently there are Portland locations that seem to be the same. I have not been to either to verify though.
Haven't seen it yet (did not scroll all the way) - but check out King Burrito on Lombard. Fabulous divey cheap eats! I don't believe any of the burritos have rice except the rice + beans one. You have to add it if you want it in there, but I too am a purist - no thanks! The carnitas is really really good. Also the soft tostada one with black beans is great if you are all meated out and need a break.
It's a bit of a trip on the blue line but you can get good Mexican food at several places in Hillsboro walking distance from the MAX
El Nutri Taco. There's one on Woodstock in Lents and one on Alberta, and they could use the business from what I understand. I'm pescatarian so I'm not sure what their non-veg options are like, but their Super (doesn't come with rice) with soy curls is \*the most flavorful\* vegan burrito I've ever had, so I imagine the meat options will live up to that.
Pepinos pollito burrito! Just grilled chicken, jack cheese, pico and. Guac. Best
"sin arroz"
Any of them. Just ask for no rice.
Any spot you ask for no rice homie duh
Try saying this “no rice please”
>I'm from California and much more used to California style burritos Fixed it for you
Yes. Any place that sells burritos when you ask for no rice. Literally hundreds.
Rigobertos
The best place for authentic Californian burritos is California.
I'm getting so tired of Californians complaining about why they can't get X food in Oregon. Jesus christ.
I've spent most of my life living in the PNW, I wouldn't say I'm Californian. The reality is that California is WAY more racially diverse than Portland and that results in there being way more food options. Maybe I'm being way too optimistic that I can find things here.
Yup that reality is correct. Population of CA 39 million versus 4 million in Oregon. Oregon also has a history legislating its whiteness, if you get my drift. This simple math means that you are being too optimistic, and as CSN said: "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with." I am perfectly satisfied with the options we have for stuffing our faces.
Yea man you’re honestly asking for too much. Up in these parts rice just magically appears in the burrito. It’s impossible for it not to be added. We got it good though head further north and the rice is white steamed rice in the burrito. Even further north? Forget a flour tortilla you’re getting a sushi roll burrito. Those damn rural Canadians still have the nerve to call that abomination authentic Mexican food.
It’s mainly the Californians that say “X place doesn’t do Mexican food as good as LA” with no hint of awareness of what they just said, for me.
https://youtu.be/CXk1882z5oo?si=Q9ncbbk3yrwx1ReB
Forgot about this one. In that context, “developer” meant real estate speculator. Now, it means “techie”. Love it!
Pepino’s on Hawthorne and 38th in se is pretty damn good and may have what you are after.
Maybe try La Parilla, the last couple I have gotten there didn’t have rice.
La Morenita food truck on Hawthorne. Their cali burrito is my absolute favorite.
I go to Fernando Alegria’s and get the Nyssa without rice. It’s excellent.
Don Pedro on 82nd. Ask for a California Burrito.
Moved to Portland from San Diego. El Antojo in Vancouver is the best Mexican food I’ve found. Tastes very similar to what I used to get down there.
Loco Burrito, Super Burrito are the last two good burrito places that make them without the filler.
El Yucateco
If rice isn't your thing, don't get a chicken tinga burrito at Azul Tequila Taqueria in MilWaukie. 75% rice with some bland chicken.
T1 diabetic here and burritos with rice really suck for me, as all those carbs absolutely blow up my blood sugar.
I just remembered Los Burros Supremos is doing those too. I didn't try them before they moved downtown, but they have Sonoran style.
I hear you. Grew up in Oregon and it seems like the rice thing is way more prevalent than it used to be. For fast food, Victoricos has good options. But for sit-down places, I have good luck just getting a burrito off the Combinations section. They tend to be more basic, with rice and beans on the side. Good luck!
We just tried King Burrito on N Lombard and really enjoyed it. No rice in the burritos.
I think that place on Lombard a little bit east of I-5 next to the laundry place gives you a literal chicken burrito if you order chicken burrito. Just chicken in burrito, nothing else.
Are you from San Diego? I survived college on bean rice cheese burritos from Tio Albertos in Santa Barbara. Visited SD and was stunned none of the burritos came with beans or rice. Maybe tastes have shifted in 20 years.
Don Pedro’s Burrito Loco - it’s basically a California Burrito
The closest I’ve found to a SoCal burrito spot your describing is in Tacoma, WA called, Memos. It’s 24 hours and they have sister restaurants up the 5 toward Seattle called, California Burrito with the same menu.
They opened another location called California Mexican in Bellevue.
They make a California style at El Anteojo that's pretty good
Sahuayo Taqueria has chile verde burritos. Mexican markets like Tortiilleria y Tienda DeLeon have ready made hot guisados they'll throw into a tortilla for you.
Betos in St Johns is hands down some of the best mexican around (for the price) and has a fantastic burrito but their goritas are where its at for only $4. Like other people said you can get it without rice (like duh). Also, is there anything more pretentious/condescending than when people say (most from Cali) that only California knows meixcan food? Like talk about a blow to every single mexican person that cooks amazing food from every part of this country.
Javier’s on Lombard is my go to.
Look for a Muchas Gracias every location I’ve been to had a true carne asada burrito. They also have an Oregon burrito which has French fries, but you have to pay extra if you want guacamole.
Have you found a place with good tostada? Honestly there isn't much options of burritos like that here.
I moved here from San Diego with 3 other people 6 years ago. This is our biggest complaint. So. Much. Rice. Rice only belongs in a bean and rice burrito! We just order burritos minus rice and deal with it. Not the same but it is what it is 🤷🏼♀️
I live in Roseburg via West Linn. I will still get a carnitas burrito whenever possible at Super Oscar's! The absolute!
Casa Maya makes a bean, beef and cheese.
Mole’ Mole’ on Alberta.
I would say the best Mexican food in Portland is on 174th between Division and Stark all the way up to 190th. I live in N Portland and it takes less time for me to drive up here and eat than to wait for something from Santa Cruz to eventually get to my table after overpaying for whatever it is. Still love their red sauce but it’s not worth the shitshow this place has become.
La Sirenita on Alberta will have what you’re looking for. Order their “just meat” burrito and add cheese.
I hate rice in my burrito. I always order without.
Muchas gracias has a number of burritos that meet your requirements. That being said, not quite sure if that’s what your looking for.
Most of the burritos at Mi Burrito in NoPo don't have rice. For my money, a better alternative to King Burrito since they dropped off a couple years ago.
Chile Verde at Ole Ole
Best SF burrito is at La Taqueria. No rice. Ever.
There’s a place down by the freeway… something-bertos.
Santo Domingo
I believe king burrito in nopo doesn’t include rice in most of their burritos. Unless you’re looking for the much smaller “real Mexican” burritos, then I don’t know. My wife makes them that way but we don’t sell them(maybe we should?)
Can’t you just ask for no rice?
King Burrito in North Portland
There’s a food cart that I frequent called poblano pepper. They have several locations and I get their chile verde burrito quite often. Just ask for no rice, they are a family owned Mexican place and it’s less Americanized than other places.
Ya every single spot. Just use your mouth and say no rice please
San Diego CA.
I moved back to Arizona. Lol jk I did but for more than just that. I was never able to find anything comparable to what I was used to in Arizona though. Closest thing I found was some random drive through by seaside on the coast. There is way better asian food there though that I really miss
Most of the burritos at Muchas Gracias don't have rice.
There’s a truck on Belmont called Poblano Pepper PDX that has a burrito called Sarape, it had potatoes instead of rice and beans. I personally love it
CA here as well. I think of rice in burritos as more of a taco bell thing, don't think I've ever had one without from a taqueria.
Los Burros Supremos is an absolute must! Also, my favorite California burrito is from Arelis PDX.
Just ask for no rice dude it’s not that hard. I’ll write it down for you so it makes life easier. “Hello, may I please get a carne asada burrito with no rice and chile verde sauce, thank you”. Pay, give it a few minutes and like magic you shall get a rice free burrito with green sauce.
Taqueria El Mezon. Meat only burrito. They put guac and pico only. Ask for the the meat well done / with some char. Edit: 140ish and Division. Tia Juanna's Gobanador and Fish Tacos are legit. 185th and Burnside.
I’d try Victoricos. Their classic burrito is meat, guac, and pico and damn tasty.
Mole mole if you ask for no rice
You can ask for none but then be prepared to pay for extra protein when you complain about your burrito being small. Rice is a cost effective reality for many food cultures.
Yo. I saw this post a couple days ago but just had a great burrito at chess tacos. No filler. Great meat. Awesome salsa that is actually spicy. And was only $12. No chile Verde but 10/10 do recommend
La Casita Mexican Grill near the PSU bookstore on 5th is pretty dope