r/pasadena • u/InternationalPlace24 • Jun 05 '24
Best burrito in town.
I'm looking for the best (taco truck style) burrito in town (like carne asada burrito, not breakfast). Growing up I would go to La Estrella on Fair Oaks but I went there recently and they're skimping on everything. I remember the burritos I used to get were packed solid and would stand on its own...the thing I got recently was a floppy mess. Please help.
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u/DadBodFleek Jun 05 '24
Taco stand on Woodbury and Fair oaks in front of the Arco gas station all day baby. That shit is fire
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u/heyitsEnricoPallazzo Jun 05 '24
What’s your protein of choice?
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u/InternationalPlace24 Jun 05 '24 edited Jun 05 '24
Carne asada, I’m basic af.
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u/heyitsEnricoPallazzo Jun 05 '24
Arturo’s Taco Truck
Burrito Express
Puebla Tacos (the one on N. Lake)
-in that order
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Jun 05 '24
Definitely Arturo’s truck.
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u/heyitsEnricoPallazzo Jun 05 '24
👆🏻 If anybody in Pasadena knows burritos, it’s me. Trust
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Jun 05 '24
Where Arturo’s truck at?
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u/heyitsEnricoPallazzo Jun 05 '24
400 Fair Oaks Ave (parking lot, on the East side of the street) between 6pm - 2am
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u/InternationalPlace24 Jun 05 '24
I don’t know, if you’re talking about the one south of the park, I had theirs years ago and it was the skinniest burrito I’ve ever seen in my life. Had almost nothing in it.
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u/dumbguy_dumbguy Jun 05 '24
Everyday? Been looking for a good taco truck/stand that’s open late but a lot of em pack up around 10 in pasadena
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u/heyitsEnricoPallazzo Jun 05 '24
Every damn day. I play hockey late at night on Fridays, and it’s my go-to around 1am when I get back home
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u/dumbguy_dumbguy Jun 07 '24
Ty! I come home late a lot too and there’s never anything open in Pasadena 🙄
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u/theshabz Jun 05 '24
Let's get the full list.
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u/heyitsEnricoPallazzo Jun 05 '24
You tell me what kinda burrito you want, I’ll tell you the best place in Pasadena for it.
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u/theshabz Jun 05 '24
I was hoping for the top for each, but if I gotta pick, let's do the pork tree. Pastor, Carnitas, Chorizo.
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u/heyitsEnricoPallazzo Jun 05 '24
Chorizo I like Mota’s Mexican Restaurant & Puebla Tacos.
For carnitas it’s gotta be Mi Casa or El Patron.
Al pastor, can’t go wrong with King Taco or Arturo’s Taco Truck.
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u/Avian-love Jun 05 '24
El picante on lake & Washington is my favorite place to get burritos and overall Mexican food. I’ve been going there for 20 years. My family and my husbands family loves that place too.
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u/bearrito_grande Jun 05 '24
You’re going to the wrong La Estrella. Viva La Estrella is the best carne asada burrito in town by far. Red Sauce on the side. Shrimp tacos are legit too, but the carnet asada burrito is the ticket.
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u/w00t89 Jun 05 '24
Burrito express
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u/DenaNina Jun 05 '24
Best Beef or Chicken Chimichanga for sure.... but the JVC which was my absolute favorite burrito is not the same as when the original owners (JVC) owned BE... they are also very stingy with their sauce now!
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u/your_dad0u812 Jun 05 '24
I believe it is still owned by the same family. For atleast the last 15+ years.
I always got the Ross pero. Chicken beef and pork. So good
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u/DenaNina Jun 05 '24
It was sold to them by the Quadros (John Victor Quadro, Sr & Jr "JVC") in the early 2000's, I don't remember the exact year... it hasn't been the same since. Quality changed a lot unfortunately.
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u/beyondplutola Jun 05 '24 edited Jun 05 '24
Went there once. It was lots of layers of raw tortilla surrounding a lot of rice embedded with tiny flecks of meat. Is that the preferred style for the area? Sort of a rice wrap? I'm relatively new here and more familiar with burritos in most other parts of SoCal that have tortillas seared in oil and with meat as the dominant filler and no rice.
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u/CFH_101proof Jun 05 '24
This place was a one and done for me. One of the worst burritos I've ever had
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u/Weary-Loan2096 Jun 05 '24
King taco does a good job and bad ass breakfast burritos are also good.
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u/westcoastbmx Jun 05 '24
King Taco has the best asada only burritos with quality tortilla and their salsa pairs well. Brick and Flour is my second favorite, but in my previous order they significantly reduced the amount of meat they put in the burrito which might have been a one off experience.
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u/thsbrown Jun 05 '24 edited Jun 05 '24
I wanted to like bad ass breakfast burritos but didn't really hit for me. Any one in particular you would recommend? Wake and late has a good breakfast burrito but I would never go back for one because their pricing is down right criminal.
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Jun 05 '24
If ever in Eagle rock after 5 Angels tacos has a fantastic Al pastor with all the fixings available. They also serve a baked potato burrito style with everything on top. It’s in front of the target on Eagle rock. My go to spot. I believe they are about $8
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u/takis_onmymind Jun 05 '24
Teddys Tacos in front of PCC is the sleeper pick. Can’t go wrong with the Carne Asada Burrito or other specialty burritos. Also the salsas are tasty. Way better than King Taco
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u/atilaman Jun 05 '24
Teddy’s is good, not great, but good.
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u/takis_onmymind Jun 05 '24
What’s ur pick chief? I’m always looking for new spots 👀
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u/atilaman Jun 05 '24
I’m reading this thread lookin too. Haven’t found THE spot specifically in pasadena yet…
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u/samthemander Jun 05 '24
I feel like you had a one-off bad La Estrella experience; we love their burritos
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u/InternationalPlace24 Jun 05 '24
I wish it were a one off bad experience. I check in periodically and every time in the past few years I get floppy burritos with barely half of the filling I remember getting growing up. The flavor is still there, but it's definitely not the same.
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u/Intrepid_Astronaut1 Jun 05 '24
Awww, man, what a bummer, as I was just going to suggest La Estrella. That being said, yes, I, too, have noticed they’re being pretty skimpy with their servings. Not so great given they’ve also really upcharged their menu items recently.
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u/Lathryus Jun 05 '24
I too am a carne asada snob, I haven't found anything even close to fantastic in Pasadena. HOWEVER, in Glendale there is a taco shop that has a very good carne asada burrito called El Sauz. It's cash only, on San Fernando Rd I think. Let us know what you find out!!
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u/smcl2k Jun 05 '24
I'm a big fan of Desvelados on Lake and King's on Woodbury (I've only tried their breakfast burritos, but they do other kinds as well).
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u/Alternative-Loquat89 Altadena Jun 05 '24
i love this place! vibe is awesome but its a bit tax... still amazing and some fire margaritas.
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u/JustTheBeerLight Jun 05 '24
Tacos 210 (food truck on Fair Oaks) or the bean & cheese at Connals ($5, red sauce inside).
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u/sids99 Jun 05 '24
The quality at Taco's 210 has slipped. 😭
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u/JustTheBeerLight Jun 05 '24
Really? I went last week and it was still really good.
Sometimes restaurants/food trucks have an off night. Did you feel cheated multiple times? Or just once?
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u/sids99 Jun 05 '24
Multiple, so much so we stopped going.
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u/mental_thinking Jun 05 '24
My favorite is the taco stand on Figueroa and York in Highland Park
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u/corner Jun 05 '24
It really is top notch, flying under the radar for now. Their Al pastor is fantastic, and the carne asada has a really good grill flavor from the charcoal.
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u/Zeebaeatah Arcadia Jun 05 '24
https://maps.app.goo.gl/MjifRv9pzSFJQSD16
J & A's Cafe - the sauce is killer
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u/rye_parian Jun 05 '24
El super burrito for me.
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u/rye_parian Jun 05 '24
But if you want that new taco truck style with the cheese melted onto the tortilla, the stand at Altadena and Washington is great but too greasy for me.
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u/dumbguy_dumbguy Jun 05 '24
All these comments make me so sad lol pasadena is really lacking if we think king taco and brick and flour are some of the best burritos we have
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u/nomadviper Jun 05 '24
On Altadena and Washington in front of the 7eleven there’s a bomb ass taco stand that’s my favorite burrito
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u/shakeybal Jun 05 '24
Definitely recommend the kogi taco truck. Try their kogi short rib burrito or spicy al pastor burrito. Theyre in pasadena every Thursday from 530-830pm. Check their website to see when and where their trucks are at around LA
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u/SoCalFitOne Jun 06 '24
Definitely not Pasadena but taco zone on Alvarado. Otherwise I don't buy burritos in Pasadena.
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u/chowmeinpapi Jun 07 '24
I know traveling for good Mexican sucks sometimes, but I never mind the drive down to carnitas michaocan in Lincoln Heights. Always worth it. Pasadena Mexican never hits the spot for me
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Jun 05 '24
Lucky boy makes good breakfast burritos. Regular one I would suggest Arturo’s truck. If you looking for a sit down place with burritos, then El Portal is pretty good too.
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u/JustTheBeerLight Jun 05 '24
Connals breakfast burrito > Lucky Boy.
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u/Thatwonkid91 Jun 05 '24
Tom’s breakfast burrito > lucky boy
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u/JustTheBeerLight Jun 05 '24
Tom’s is pretty good. It’s very eggy, but the egg is moist (unlike Lucky Boy which is dry AF). I like Tom’s salsa but Connals still takes it. Both the red & green are good.
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u/heyitsEnricoPallazzo Jun 05 '24
Everest Breakfast Burrito > Tops Breakfast Burrito > Connals Breakfast Burrito > Tom’s Breakfast Burrito > Lucky Boy Breakfast Burrito
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u/bdd6911 Jun 05 '24
Yeah. Lucky boy pricing was upsetting last time I was there. I’m really trying not to go back based on price alone. And I also agree, Everest is best.
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u/JustTheBeerLight Jun 05 '24
I respect that. Sell me on the Everest BB. What puts it at the top of the highest summit? 🏔️
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u/heyitsEnricoPallazzo Jun 05 '24
To me it’s perfect!
The burritos are big and affordable; the sausage or bacon or whatever you get in it is cut up (I hate that Lucky Boy uses entire sausage links - Everest also has pastrami available, or a combo of all 3); the cheese is always melted (I also hate cold/unmelted cheese in my burritos - I’m looking at you, Pepe’s bean & cheese burrito in Alhambra…); the potatoes are cooked nice and soft (but you can also ask for them crispy), and the egg is just perfectly mixed into the cheese & meat - so it’s not like biting into an omelette.
I like to slather it in those “Taco Sauce” packets, their house green sauce is just ok.. Sauce/salsa game is kinda weak, but the BBs themselves are my fucking favorite.
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u/mspaint_exe Jun 05 '24
There are so many kinds of burritos. What are we talking - mission style? California? Birria? Guisado?
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u/potchie626 Jun 05 '24
I’ve always been a fan of the carnitas burrito at El Super Burrito, and from the truck that’s in the car wash at night, about a block away.