The Best Burritos In NYC

The city’s burrito game is better than it’s ever been. Handmade tortillas are bubbling up all over the city, avocados being pounded. When you say the words “Mission-style” people no longer think you’re referring to the Tom Cruise film franchise. While large, rice-filled Mission burritos lead the way, there are also places that specialize in California burritos with crispy french fries, baja fish burritos with chipotle crema, and even a spot that flies in their tortillas from Sonora. Find some of our favorites below (and stay tuned for our breakfast burrito guide).

THE SPOTS

El Jalapeño

West Coasters, this Mexican food truck is everything you’ve been looking for. Everyone else, get to the West Village for a teachable moment. Parked on 4th and Grove, El Jalapeño sells massive, made-to-order burritos for $9, which includes a soda. The spicy pork is something of a signature: tender pieces with crispy edges are coated in a tomato-chili sauce, along with jalapeño, green peppers, and even some fiery sichuan pepper. Rice, beans, lettuce, pico, and crema fill out the rest. The result is a delightfully greasy parcel of food, soaked in chili oil and pork fat—and it’s available until 4am on weeknights, and all 48 hours of the weekend.

Plaza Ortega

Plaza Ortega might be our favorite place in Bushwick to get Mexican food in general, and they have three types of burritos: Sonora, California, and birria. We get the Sonora when we want something that reminds us of an LA taco truck. Just meat, beans, rice, and pico—heavy on the meat, and easy on the rice. The California burrito is also pretty good, but the fries don’t stay as crispy as the ones at Electric Burrito (keep scrolling).

Super Burrito

“Super burrito” is the other name for Mission-style burritos, and these ones resemble the monsters you find in San Francisco more than any others on our list. They’re very big, the tortillas are steamed, and they’re shamelessly overstuffed with a sour cream-coated mixture of beans and meat. Just make sure to let them know you want to “make it Super.” Super Burrito’s original location is in Rockaway Beach, because, duh, the beach. But this second location in Williamsburg has a semi-hidden bar in the back that’s open until 2am.

Cemitas El Tigre

El Tigre’s burritos are all pretty tasty, but pay special attention to the Baja Fish Burrito. Very few places in the city get this right. Through the center of the burrito, you’ll find big chunks of battered and fried, super flaky tilapia, surrounded by pinto beans, pico, jack cheese, a modest amount of Mexican rice, and a classic chipotle crema. You can also add a generous scoop of guacamole for $3.

Son Del North

A burrito is only as good as its tortilla—is a new life motto we made up. Try the burritos at Son del North and you’ll see what we mean. This fast casual burrito counter on the Lower East Side flies theirs from Sonora, which is famous for chewy, flaky tortillas with a high fat content. This spot is also adamantly anti-rice, instead packing mayocoba beans, big chunks of avocado, cheese, and your protein of choice into their rolls. There are five options and our favorite is the steak, thanks to a flavorful coating of sala roja. Son del North is open until 12am, and can be mobbed by the Orchard Street bar crowd, but they keep it moving and those tortillas are worth it.

La Abuelita

Everything is made fresh to order at this tiny restaurant tucked in the back of a Bushwick bodega. Order a burrito, and watch as the three women (aka, las abuelitas) in the back mash avocados for guac while freshly-pressed tortillas turn golden on the griddle. This is a rice-heavy burrito, but the rice isn’t just filler, it’s super well-seasoned and brings a ton of flavor to the table.

B'klyn Burro

B’Klyn Burro was founded by two San Francisco expats who brought the Mission-burrito style to various NYC dive bars before opening up shop in Clinton Hill about a decade ago. Their operation still stands out for the small details. Each burrito gets some time on the grill, arriving with a nice crust that adds some extra flavor from the grill’s leftover meat drippings, and seals the tortilla so that your big parcel of food doesn’t burst like an off-brand trash bag. Test their tortilla’s limits  with the C.Hill Rey, which has chopped up pieces of fried, cheese-stuffed chili relleno inside.

Electric Burrito

When fries wind up in burritos, it can go one of two ways. Either the fries are drastically soggy and weigh the whole operation down, or they're the perfect golden, crispy additions to your handheld meal. At Electric Burrito on St. Marks, expect the latter. This counter-service spot's California burritos use french fries in place of rice, and wouldn’t be out of place at a stand in San Diego. You can also order their Conga burritos which are just as noteworthy and come with beans, rice, crema, and your choice of protein.

Forsyth Fire Escape

This food stall inside Chelsea’s Olly Olly Market makes one thing: scallion pancake burritos. The burrito is a mashup of Chinese, Thai, and Dominican flavors—repped by the crispy pancake, lemongrass chili crisp, fried queso blanco, and slow-cooked pork, respectively. The scallion pancake hugs the pernil like it’s an old friend, and the lemongrass chili crisp provides hits of punchy sourness. There’s some mild guacamole in there too. In terms of structural integrity, the thick pancake doesn’t always hold everything together, so spread your napkins accordingly.

Downtown Burritos Cocina Mexicana

Refried beans and melty cheese. It’s a gas station classic, and Downtown Burritos makes the best version. This tiny East Village counter is known for their breakfast and smothered burritos, but we only have eyes for this simple combination. The super flaky tortilla gets a once-over on the grill, and if you’re feeling extra indulgent, you can upgrade it with a swipe of sour cream. These are best eaten on a bench in Tompkins Square Park, where you can reload each bite with more hot sauce.

El Burrito Box

For a long time, Burrito Box was just the place we went to when we were too far from the Hell’s Kitchen Chipotle. But then we tried the chili con carne at this fast-casual counter. The hearty chili, chock-full of ground beef, is a surprising hit amongst the otherwise mediocre food. Wrapped in a tortilla with spanish rice and melted cheese, it’s a salty, saucy, and pretty spicy parcel of food that will fulfill all your Tex-Mex fantasies and hit the spot after a long day.