At El Barrio, I definitely prefer the taco. It’s a concise, more concentrated meat-purse in a bold blue corn tortilla. But you do get a lot more food in a burrito for not that much more money, and all of it is lip-smacking, tummy-filling good. Just find someone equally hungry to split them with so you can switch it up and try them all.
The Al Pastor Pork Burrito is so sliced-off-the-spit tender that the middle cries a little with every chew. Little bits of pineapple add a splash of citrus, and the salsas add pinches of spice to perk up the rice-and-beans-in-a-wrapper.
I love the toasted cheese crust. It does double duty in keeping the burrito closed and adding crispy crunch to a soft tortilla. Crunch contrasts the juicy in the Carne Wagyu Steak Burrito, and the green salsa brings a mildly wake-me-up kind of sting.
It's a rare day that I don't miss the meat, but the Cauliflower Con Mole Burrito doesn’t need it. The roasted cauliflower has a robust texture, lighter but just as filling. The mole adds an earthy depth, and I wish they’d smear some of that black magic on everything else.
I guess the birria fell off the delivery menu, but it was the best thing ever while it was there. I’m waiting for it to come back, but there’s not a single thing on the menu not worth having. The delivery fees aren’t fun, but I’d pay almost anything for one of El Barrio’s tacos.
