The Flying Burrito Brothers, Wellington, New Zealand (5 of 10)

This is probably the best go at a legit burrito I came across during my time in Australia/New Zealand.  While bland (as per Kiwi/Aussie/British standards), adding a little habañero hot sauce to the dish made it taste much closer to home.  Of course, at this point I had been 5 months removed from what I would consider real Mexican food, but in either case it was pretty dang tasty.  My buddy who joined me for my NZ adventures said it wasn’t as good as home (California, that is–where he had come from only a few days before), but that’s to be expected.  The simple fact of the matter is, for 2 little islands in the middle of the Pacific, this place had a pretty darn good burrito…and it was close enough to authentic for me.  I wish I could’ve picked it up, instead of having to get my fork on.  Regardless: flavour and fun…not quite California style, but best in the area.  5 of 10 on the Mexiscale for a good showing and destroying local competition.

Vera Cruz Restaurant, Pittsburgh, PA (5 of 10)

Okay, okay…so this post is really late.  BUT, when I was wandering the streets of Pittsburgh in fall 2009, I stumbled across this gem in an otherwise sea of what must be crap Mexican food in Pennsylvania.  Say what you will, but I was surprised and delighted by this place.  I never expected to find authentic Mexican food in Pennsylvania.  5 of 10…good on ya, Vera Cruz.

Mad Mex, Australia (4 of 10)

This is another restaurant similar to Guzman y Gomez in Australia.  Like G&G, it’s a chain.  I think their food is a bit more authentic, but it’s still most definitely another Chipotle clone.  Still, for what there is in Oz, I think Mad Mex is reasonably decent.  Try it if you’re getting desperate, but don’t order a grilled chicken burrito as “pollo asado”…you’ll just confuse the person serving you.  4 of 10 on the Mexiscale.

Guzman y Gomez, Australia (5 of 10)

This place is a bit like Chipotle back home…it’s got better flavour, though.  While I really don’t like Chipotle, this place doesn’t do so badly, namely because it’s probably the best bet in town.  While the burrito is far from authentic, it’s wrapped well enough and has all the right ingredients, even if adding guacamole does cost A$2.50 more…  At any rate, the spicy beef and spicy pork burritos are decent enough.  Guzman y Gomez restaurants are all over Sydney, and I know there’s one in Fountain Valley in Brisbane as well.  If you’ve been in Oz awhile, and are getting desperate for a burrito, head over to Guzman y Gomez and oder up.  At the very least, if you’ve been away long enough, you won’t remember that it’s just not quite the same….5 of 10 (at least relative to everything else you’ll find in Australia…)

Beach Burrito Company, Bondi, NSW, Australia (3 of 10)

I was pretty excited to try this place.  A friend from home told me that, while she hadn’t been there, it should be legit because it was owned by a guy from San Francisco.  SF doesn’t have the greatest Mexican food in the world, but I figured it had to be decent–or at least better than anything else Oz was putting out…  I rocked up to the joint, scoped the menu, and ordered a carne asada burrito.  After ordering, I chatted with the cashier, asking if the establishment actually was owned by a guy from home.  He gave me a puzzled look before saying, “Nah mate, he LIVED in San Francisco for awhile…”  That’s not the same at all, is it.  The burrito was small (by US standards) and was kind of pricey for what you got.  It also didn’t have much flavour and was kind of dry.  Really, the most enjoyment from it was watching my Kiwi friend squirm under the “spice” of Tapatio sauce.  3 out of 10 on the Mexiscale.  It’s alright if you’re around, I guess…but don’t go out of your way for it….

La Victoria Taqueria, San Jose, CA (6.5 of 10)

My mom and I tried this place out after one look at the line in Iguana’s.  All in all, it didn’t turn out to be a bad decision.  The food was pretty good.  The burrito was huge.  The pricinng was fair.

This restaurant advertises the same orange sauce as Iguana’s (though they claim they’re the only ones who sell it) and they sell it by the gallon, for all the college students who can’t get enough of it.  Once again, the orange sauce here is mediocre compared to what’s offered at Cotixan’s in San Diego, but still, I guess if it’s what ‘the kids are into these days’ then so be it.

As for my carne asada burrito, it was pretty similar to that of Vallarta or Iguana’s.  Not bad, but nothing overly special.  Mexiscale rating = 6.5 out of 10.

Alerto’s Mexican Food, Anaheim, CA (7 of 10)

Probably the best thing about this place is its proximity to Disneyland.  Simply exit the Main Gate, hook a left and walk out to South Harbor Blvd, turn right and head south down South Harbor Blvd a couple of blocks, cross over S. Harbor at its intersection with W. Katella Ave, and you’re there (believe me, it’s closer than it sounds…maybe a 10 minute walk from the park’s gates, and near a number of the off-site hotels).  I discovered this place for brunch while waiting for some friends to drive up from San Diego.  The burrito was good and well-priced, and with its proximity to the park, it would be an easy way to head out for a cheaper lunch than buying somewhere inside the grounds (though, I do love me a Monte Christo sandwich from Cafe Orleans…).  The service is speedy, they serve standard SoCal Mexican fare, and all in all it makes for a good place to stop; whether to avoid the lines and prices of food at the park, or as somewhere to hit after a long day of maxing out on rides, when you just need to get your burrito coma on.  7 out of 10.

Papa Chevo’s Taco Shop, Marina, CA (8 of 10)

If nothing else, this place definitely has the right look.  It’s a little hole in the wall, and the only place I’ve seen in Northern California with a drive thru.  In fact, many things about this place scream SoCal, including the existence of a California burrito and carne asada fries on their menu (a rarity in Northern CA).

I actually hit this little stand/shack twice in the last week…and that was actually twice in about 16 hours: once for dinner and once for breakfast.  The first stop was on my way to class on Monday night.  I wanted to stop for a quick burrito and had just heard of this place and the fact that they actually had a CA burrito.  After eating it, I’d be more inclined to call it an Irish burrito.  It was very basic: potatoes, beef, cheese, and some onions and peppers.  That being said, it was very tasty and I’d be interested to go back and try it with some sour cream and guacamole.  I will have to do so in the future (and am sure that I will sometime over the next 3 months of my work in Monterey).  One thing I will say about the service, though, is that they take 1 order and make it at a time…so while it takes about the normal amount of time to get your food, it feels like it takes forever.  Perhaps this was just a one time thing.

The next morning, realizing that I was pretty much out of food for breakfast and lunch, I decided to stop again for food on my way to work.  This was partially prompted by reading the previous day that these guys are known for their breakfast burritos.  I can’t argue with this statement.  The breakfast burrito was really good; full of potatoes, eggs, bacon, cheese, and deliciousness.  The service was a little faster with no one else there, and the restaurant opens at 6am on weekdays, which makes it a quick and convenient breaky option.

If you’re in the area, stop by the little shack called Papa Chevo’s.  It’s quite good and you should be in for a decent meal.  8 points on the Mexiscale.

Iguana’s Taqueria, San Jose, CA (6.5 of 10)

This place is all about novelty, and it works for it.  You may have seen it features on Man vs Food, where the host seeks out Iguana’s in hopes to tackle the Burritozilla, a 5 pound burrito made essentially of 3 giant, intertwined tortillas wrapped together and stuffed with burrito fillings to taste.  This is what a friend and I decided to split during my visit.

The first thing to note is that Iguana’s is not cheap.  The Burritozilla, especially, totals in at a wopping $19 and change, before tax.  You do, however, get a lot of food for the price…so I suppose it balances out.  The food tastes more or less the same as anywhere else in Northern CA.  The burrito comes with rice, beans (black or refried), cheese, meat of choice (several options–we went with carnitas), guacamola, sour creme, and salsa.  It’s pretty hefty, and tastes pretty decent as well.

While you can probably find a better burrito, the novelty of Iguana’s does add a little bit of extra fun.  They also serve this “orange sauce” that is wildly popular in the San Jose area, though I can’t figure out why.  I had hoped it would be similar to the orange salsa served at Cotixan’s in San Diego, but it was not.  For novelty, filling, and decent taste, score Iguana’s up at a respectable 6.5 on the Mexiscale.

Me with a Buritozilla (cut in 1/2).

Riggaberto’s, South Lake Tahoe, CA (6.5 of 10)

This was an interesting find.  It all started when a buddy and I decided to make a last-minute snowboarding excursion to South Lake in January.  After veering right at “The Y” and searching for our motel, I noticed a familiar neon sign to my right.  I only caught a glimpse of it, and thought it was a Roberto’s, but upon returning the next night learned that, in actuality it was a Riggaberto’s; similar to those found in San Diego.  The next night, when dinner time came around, my buddy and I headed out to investigate the situation.  As I had been jonsing for some Southern California Mexican food, this was an absolutely amazing find.  The food was mediocre, much like the Bird Rock location, but it was great to get some SoCal style Mex, which earned the South Lake restaurant an extra 0.5 on the Mexiscale, briniging it up to 6.5.