Spilling the beans on New York City’s best burritos

New York is a melting pot for ethnic food, but West Coast students will cite a lack of authentic Mexican taquerias as the exception to this rule. With a little detective work, student burrito addicts can find halfway decent West Coast-style wraps that will at least ease cravings until winter break.

The first logical place to look for a quality burrito is across town in Spanish Harlem, a neighborhood with a growing Mexican population. Students who trek to Yelp-recommended San Francisco de Asis (Lexington Avenue between 114th and 115th streets) will find authentic decor, with a miniature altar to Santa María, sombreros, and vibrant panchos dotting the walls. But alas, a West Coast-style burrito is not a product of Mexico, but a product of merging Mexican and Californian cuisines. San Francisco de Asis is a restaurant rather than a to-go taqueria, and it is difficult to order a customized burrito, especially for students with rusty Spanish skills. The chicken is deliciously grilled and liberally seasoned with black pepper, but the restaurant only offers black beans and the rice is bland. Lastly, San Francisco de Asis doesn’t wrap in tinfoil, but rather loosely rolls up the burrito and puts it in a Styrofoam container to go. Authentic Mexican restaurants like San Francisco de Asis will only remind students they’re not in search of “Mexican,” but rather “Mexi-Cal.”

This realization might bring students to Calexico Carne Asada (Union Street between Columbia and Hicks streets, Brooklyn). The decor is clearly “Mexi-Cal,” with a faux altar à la San Francisco de Asis, and pictures of Mexicans playing cards rather than saints. The altar is a little strange, but it works. The rice is a disappointment—uncannily reminiscent of Rice-a-Roni, as it is unable to absorb the burrito’s flavor—and the habanero salsa isn’t mouth-numbing. But Calexico burritos boast a great juice—grilled chicken juices mix perfectly with hot sauce, guacamole, and cheese to give it a comprehensive feeling. Carroll Gardens may be a trek, but it’s well worth it for true burrito-lovers.

Heralded as the long-awaited West-Coast-style taqueria in New York City, Dos Toros has inspired a fierce debate among Bay Area transplants on its similarities and differences to Gordo Taqueria, San Francisco’s burrito mecca. Similar to Calexico, Dos Toros feels like it was started by starving San Francisco expats for starving San Francisco expats. The decor is also similar to Calexico’s, but a little more sleek than quirky. Dos Toros also has the same shortfall—the workers are inexperienced NYU hipsters with pink hair who can only manage to roll a limp, loose burrito. Wrapping skills aside, Dos Toros shines in its selection of ingredients. The carne asada is high quality and not in the least overcooked, making it a literal and figurative rarity among taquerias on both coasts. The pollo asado is well seasoned, the pinto beans are fresh, the rice has the perfect texture for absorbing the meat’s juice, and the habañero sauce will render students’ tongues numb. Dos Toros also gets points for being the brainchild of Leo Kremer, former bassist for Third Eye Blind.

Though none of the taquerias serve refried beans, and none can wrap on a par with the average San Francisco taquerista, they represent a small beacon of light in what would otherwise be a long, dark, salsa-less semester. ¡Buen provecho!