The Burrito Hunt Continues...

In the past few weeks, I’ve had more burritos than I had previously consumed in any 12-month period in my life. Except for the year in which I was pregnant with my son, when a burrito was practically a daily meal.

Patch readers chimed in with several suggestions, and the only one I have yet to try is the location in Summit, hailed by one reader as the best ever. It’s not that I have anything against that idea; I have just not had the opportunity to head over to Summit with all the running around for the upcoming holidays.

The final results of this quest are not yet in because I’ve yet to find a hands-down winner. I’ve found a few decent burritos, one or two that I would not choose to eat again, and one that was pretty good but not worth the price. Most were sadly mediocre. In this spirit of the holidays, I will not bash those I didn’t like, but will laud those I did.

There were a few heralded as the best that I will simply not be able to judge, either because they use MSG or they can’t confirm they don’t use the stuff.

Ironically, one of those places where I cannot eat is a place to which I have a gift certificate. I won it in a silent auction at a VFW Welcome Home ceremony. I’ve decided to donate it to the Fisher House, which seems fitting as that organization provides housing and support for the families of wounded veterans while they receive treatment at VA hospitals.

What makes a burrito, or a pizza, or a beef sandwich great is, in the final analysis, completely subjective. Additionally, every establishment defines their standard burrito differently by the inclusion of other ingredients.

To make my very unscientific study fair, I laid out some basic criterion to make the comparison as uniform as possible by defining what is the single, most
important ingredient. For me, that is the steak.

The greatest burrito of all time, in my opinion, is from a place in Chicago called La Palapita on Milwaukee Avenue. This singular burrito favorite of mine is simply steak, cilantro, onions, cheese and spices, wrapped in a flour tortilla.

When they first opened, they didn’t even offer sour cream as an option. So, for the purposes of this experiment, I ordered a steak burrito with no lettuce, beans, tomatoes, sour cream or guacamole, even if they would normally be included in that particular restaurant’s basic steak burrito.

Then, I judge the burrito. Is it flavorful? Tender? Juicy? My favorite is all of those things, while never being stringy, gristly or greasy. One local contender, El Burrito Express on Route 59 in Shorewood (called Brookforest Avenue on that stretch of the road) told me they use meat that costs more than double what the competition uses. 

I was told to expect the best burrito I’ve ever had. Sadly, I can’t confirm that claim, though I will say the meat was not at all gristly or stringy. Where it fell short was in overall flavor and texture. As strange as it may sound, I found the meat a little too tender, coming across as mushy, but still fairly tasty.

Taco Burrito King on Eames Street in Channahon is a branch of one of my preferred stops when in the old neighborhood. It pretty much lives up to what I consider the original, which is a pretty darn good steak burrito. It is not really local, but a far sight closer than Harlem Avenue and Higgins Road in Chicago.

La Hacienda De Los Fernandez on Weber Road in Bolingbrook is much more than a burrito joint. It is actually a pretty nice place, with an extensive menu of Mexican specialties, including a few items I’m looking forward to going back and trying, such as chile rellenos. But, since I was there for the burrito, that is what I had.

It was good, not anywhere near great, but much more expensive than I’m accustomed to for a burrito, even with a side of arroz y frijoles. I guess this was kind of like ordering a hot dog in a family sit-down restaurant – you’re paying for the fact that it is a nicely decorated, fully staffed restaurant rather than a quick, wrapped in paper and foil meal you can conceivably eat standing up.

So, the hunt continues. I will go out of my way to try any place that I spot, with those that are simple, small strip mall joints a priority. I look at places that are the suburban version of what I grew up with in the city -- the storefront dive, with more convenient parking making up for the bland, homogenized physicality of the buildings.

These are the places that are usually family owned and run, which means I get to support a family’s dream, a small business and spend my dollars locally, all of which are important to me.

When I set out on this quest, I wanted local readers to promote their favorite places, hopefully driving a little business there, as much as I wanted to find a nearby source for one of my favorite meals. I was a little concerned that I would get tired of burritos and no longer crave them.

Happily, the more I fail to find the one that surpasses my all-time favorite,
the more I crave that sublime flavor. In the meantime, I’ve spent a lot of time
meeting local business owners, spending my dollars locally, and in general
becoming more connected to the community where I’ve chosen to make my home.

All in all, it’s not been a bad way to spend my meal dollars in the lead-up to the holidays.