Today is Cinco de Mayo, and that can only mean one thing: Time to pig out on Mexican food and margaritas. One of the best ways to celebrate this holiday is with a tasty burrito, but let’s face it: Finding decent burritos in Eugene can be a difficult task. But don’t worry – we’ve done all the hard work for you and compiled some of the best burritos available around town.
Las Brasas
541 Blair St.
(541) 338-0807
Size: 4 (out of 5)
Taste: 5
Price: 3
Customization: 3
Venturing into the Whiteaker neighborhood for some Mexican food just might be the best decision you ever made.
The small, mom-and-pop restaurant known as Las Brasas cooks up the biggest and tastiest burrito I’ve ever taken a fork and knife to. For $6.25 you’ll get a massive, plate-filling tortilla stuffed with beans, rice, sauce and meat and then covered in even more sauce. Ordering it “Las Brasas” style gets you avocado and sour cream inside and melted cheese on top for an extra dollar.
The burrito was so deliriously tasty and filling that I’ve been raving about it for days to anyone who would listen.
The meat choices, ranging from the delicious chicken mole and chicken chipotle to slightly less common choices like tongue, make the Las Brasas burrito experience that much better.
– Matt Sevits
Ritta’s Burritos
Located in the Saturday Market
Size: 3.5
Taste: 4.5
Price: 2.5
Customization: 2
Ritta’s Burritos is one of the most happening booths at each week’s Saturday Market. I had to wait in line for at least 5 minutes to order and another 5 minutes to receive my burrito. I elected to get the Deluxe burrito, with black olives and avocado for $6.25 – no sour cream. The burrito was big and really messy. I attempted to pick it up several times but to no avail. It tasted fantastic and definitely filled me up. It may not have been the best burrito I ever had, but I could find myself craving Ritta’s Burritos in the future.
– Tiffany Reagan
Mucho Gusto
67 Oakway Center and 1079 Valley River Way
(541) 302-2325
Size: 4
Taste: 4
Price: 3
Customization:4
Mucho Gusto is just one restaurant among many. The era of customizable burritos is, at this point, well established. We owe thanks to Chipotle, among others, but Mucho Gusto can at least claim it has taken the movement to a higher plane.
The quality of the ingredients is worlds above many other burrito places in town, and you have plenty of options. All of this usually comes without sacrificing any speed, although a warm day can result in a ridiculously long line.
The price is, as in many other “organic” claiming restaurants, unfortunately higher than is probably necessary. But for around eight bucks you can get a filling burrito, chips and a drink, which isn’t too bad of a deal.
– Kevin Glenn
El Pato Verde
682 E. 13th
(541) 686-9700
Size: 4
Taste: 5
Price: 4.5
Customization: 3
Anybody can make a decent burrito at a decent price – it’s pretty hard to mess up fried beans and rice – but cooking good eggs is a skill and making a delicious breakfast burrito is a downright art. I have sought far and wide for tasty breakfast burritos made with fresh eggs to find that they’re quite a rare species around these parts. But, finally, I have found one sitting right underneath my nose on 13th Avenue in between Hilyard and Patterson streets at the El Pato Verde. El Pato Verde (aka The Green Duck) offers three varieties of breakfast burritos: ham, bacon and chorizo. Before ordering the chorizo I was warned of the spicy prowess of the ground seasoned pork, but being built with a stomach made of burning coals, I naturally scoffed. Bad call, because the chorizo packed a surprising amount of punch. The scintillating medley of peppers danced across my tongue without ever scorching it. The chorizo’s perfectly proportioned fire and its tender yet chewy texture balanced with the rich fluffy eggs and the melty queso. It’s a midsize burrito, but it bears the filling power of a $12 behemoth; so much so that I had to skip dinner. And at the pequeño price of $3.75, a breakfast burrito-heavy portfolio will pay off for the hungry investor.
– Alex Gabriel
Burrito Boy
510 E. Broadway
(541) 344-8070
Size: 4
Taste: 3
Price: 3.5
Customization: 3
The burrito wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. It was just your average burrito.
I ordered the Adobada Wet Burrito for $7.25 from the Burrito Boy located at 510 E Broadway.
The six-inch-long burrito includes seasoned pork, beans, cheese, rice, tomatoes, onions and cilantro encased within a fluffy flour tortilla. If you get it “wet” then the burrito is topped with a liberal amount of mole, sour cream and cheese and comes with a handful of tortilla chips.
The most disappointing thing about this experience was the lack of heat. When I think of Mexican food, and I mean good Mexican food, I imagine an explosion of spicy flavor on my tongue and the feeling of my eyes beginning to water ever so slightly from the essence of poblano, habañero or jalepeno peppers within the dish.
As much as I’ve heard people rave about their Burrito Boy experiences, I have to wonder if the only reason they thought it was good is because they were indulging in some late-night “drunchies.” When you’re faded, anything is good, and Burrito Boy’s fare is average at best.
– Jaime Swindle