Mexican munchies in London: a look at the city’s beef burritos

This beauty was found in a stall in Exmouth Market. Verdict: tasty but soggy towards the end. Photo credit: Kathrine Anker

At best, a burrito is the tastiest tortilla wrap crammed with the freshest and finest beef, beans and rice, accented with that zing of spicy salsa – wonderful gastronomic satisfaction. At worst, it is a galling and messy gourmet ordeal, leaving you with a bloated feeling for the remainder of the day. The First Pint went out savouring burritos at a handful of London’s Mexican eateries – and here’s our verdict:

Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle on Charing Cross Road, the newly opened eatery from the popular U.S. franchise (the first of its kind to open in Europe), boasts an all-round, highly palatable steak burrito, with its fresh, assorted ingredients neatly complementing each other; the chilled and refreshing, lightly crispy romaine lettuce works well with the piquant marinated beef to create a melding of quality and distinctive flavours.

One significant drawback emerges in the course of the eating: the steak is actually more fried than chargrilled, leaving you with less of a delectable, broiled taste, and certainly more of those oily, flowing meat juices pouring all over your hands and fingers.

Burrito: ***
Service: ***
Interior / Ambience: **
OVERALL: ***
Steak burrito £6.95

Chipotle Mexican Grill
114-116 Charing Cross Road
London WC2H 0JR
Mon-Sat 11-23
Sun 11-22
tel. 0207 836 8491

Tortilla
A resoundingly disappointing culinary experience – the water-laden lettuce à la ‘Sauerkraut’ makes the wrap soggy; the risotto-esque lime-cilantro rice fills you up to excess; and, the cube-squared, chewy, fibrous steak mini-medallions are served without any hint of marinade (let alone – of ‘meat’ flavour). You can imagine this burrito feels like meat – but without the meat taste. On a brighter note, the burrito’s price is right, the cosy interior with smart wooden tables and benches inviting – and they sell Snapple, as well as a delightful condiment from stateside named Bone Suckin’ Sauce!

Burrito: **
Service: ***
Interior / Ambience: ***
OVERALL: **
Medium steak burrito £5.20
Large steak burrito £6.20

Tortilla
13 Islington High Street
London N1 9LQ
Mon-Wed 12-22
Thu-Sun 12-23
tel. 0207 833 3103

Burrito Bros.
Purists of Tex-Mex cuisine – not to mention ranch hands from the Wild West – will love the full-flavoured refried bean paste that coats the inside of your tortilla wrap. What’s more, the mildly overcooked, braised, shredded beef provides a unique meaty oomph to your usual burrito fix. But very soon, your taste buds will detect an immoderate amount of salt embedded in your steak. Salt-lovers and Tex-Mex zealots will embrace this bang-up burrito – all others should take a smidgen of culinary caution when approaching this salty, hefty beast.

Burrito: ***
Service: ****
Interior / Ambience: ***
OVERALL: ***
Steak burrito £5.50

Burrito Bros.
17 Clerkenwell Road
London EC1M 5RD
Mon-Thu 11:30-23
Fri 11:30-00:00
tel. 0207 336 0679

Chilango
Your quest for that best burrito this side of the Atlantic ought to end here – what Chilango offers is a wholesome, well-balanced burrito replete with the most succulent chargrilled meat on the market. The steak here is flawlessly marinated, with little in the way of dripping juices compelling you to reach for a new paper napkin every 5 seconds. Good to note that the spicy salsa is not too overpowering. Do be sure your burrito ‘sandwich artist’ on duty doesn’t overload with that essential dollop of sour cream – you don’t want a dairy fest in your meal.

Burrito: ****
Service: ****
Interior / Ambience: ****
OVERALL: ****
Steak burrito £5.90

Chilango
142 Fleet Street
London EC4A 2BP
Mon-Fri 11-21
tel. 0207 353 6761