Same old, same old
At Burrito Express, that's a really, really goog thing
By Erica Wayne 07/02/2009
Whenever I get back from a foreign jaunt (even to Bakersfield), I immediately stop by Burrito Express on East Washington Boulevard
and load up on Southern California regional delights: burritos, soft tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas and, of course, chocolate
chip cookies.
It’s a little out of the way, perhaps, but the quality of the food at Burrito Express makes it well worth the extra 10-minute travel time from the Caltech area to the northeast boundary of Bungalow Heaven. The restaurant’s been in Pasadena since 1978 (as have I) and (as do I) just gets better with age.
I could easily consume everything I order on the premises (despite its small size, Burrito Express has three indoor booths and a bunch of shaded picnic tables outside), but usually I take the food home to share with my mate, whose despondency (he sulks) when he misses out on good Mexican food is hard to take.
Despite transportation issues, everything is always delicious. Soft tacos filled with spicy shredded pork are wonderful, even without the tangy green or mild (not bland) red homemade salsas. Chimichangas (a kind of deep-fried burrito) are golden and full, looking more like platonically perfect egg rolls than the usual small greasy tubes on Mexican appetizer plates. And enchiladas are always fully loaded with sauce and cheese.
It’s easy to figure out the most popular item at Burrito Express. Thirteen “regular” burritos top the list, including egg and chorizo with beans and cheese, all meat and cheese, beans only, beans and cheese and two JVCs (the original owners’ son’s initials — he suggested the combos), with or without meat.
Said JVCs are stuffed with beans, rice, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes etc., which swell them way beyond the volume of the others. They’re also juicy enough to drip down to your elbow. And, speaking of juice, orange and V-8 ($1.25) provide a nice alternative to sodas, iced tea and coffee.
All burritos come in “regular” ($2.96-$5.75) and “Vic’s Special” ($5-$7.81) versions, smothered in a mild or spicy sauce, melted cheese and served with salad and chips. Frankly, I’ve never indulged in the latter, preferring a burrito I can tackle without knife and fork.
Two burritos joined the lineup in the 1990s: the Ross Perot ($5.75/$7.81) — “it comes with just everything. ‘It's full of it,’ you could say ”— and the Ito-Burrito ($4.39/$6.45), “In honor of ‘His Honor.’” It's a vegetarian roll with rice, cheese, beans, guacamole and sour cream. Although they both sound good, both Perot and Ito are ancient history. I doubt whether many of the younger folks who stop by recognize either name, and I’d like to suggest they concoct something in recognition of a more contemporary figure like Obama, for instance. With any luck, that should be pertinent for another seven years.
But the presence of these outdated entities on the menu (after two ownership changes in the past several years) is an indication of why Burrito Express continues to thrive, despite more and more competition (from Puebla Tacos on Villa Street just east of Allen Avenue, for instance, another northeast Pasadena favorite of mine).
The original owners, Vic and Lila Cuadra, had loads of experience, not only at Burrito Express, but, before that, at Vic’s mother’s Mexican deli in Highland Park. Everything except tortillas and cookies were made from scratch, which ensured that most of the 300-plus customers per day are familiar faces, some (like me) going back the entire three decades of Burrito Express’ existence.
When they sold the place, the new owners understood that it would be a mistake to mess with success, so almost everything stayed exactly the same. The menu hardly changed (and neither have the prices). Aside from burritos, there are the same tostadas, tacos and enchiladas. But, one innovation — tortas (not on the printed menu) — is now available as well.
The cookies — melt-in-your-mouth disks loaded with oozy chips and crispy pecans — still come from one of our best local bakeries, Patticakes. There's a newer option of oatmeal, and both cost a reasonable $1.20. All the other recipes had been in the Cuadra family for years. Even the beans are mashed and refried on the spot. Believe me; it shows.
Burrito Express is open six days a week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and you can get breakfast items (until 10:30 a.m.) that include huevos rancheros, chilaquiles and eggs, and eggs (all $5.87) and several egg-based burritos ($2.96-$4.39). Whatever the hour, Burrito Express is well worth a visit. It sure beats the heck out of Taco Bell!
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