Venturing beyond the safe, reassuring walls of Portland, further and further Southwest we went; through an endless desolate land of strip malls and cul-de-sacs, ranch homes and parking lots... Until finally we spotted the bright red and green sign on the left side of 99W, with a happy taco mascot welcoming us to this strange, yet homey establishment.
The atmosphere reminded me of some of the spots I visited in La Paz, Baja California Sur. Tiled floors, bright walls, simple tables and chairs. All that was missing was a large central condiment bar of every imaginable salsa and pickled pepper, crema, etc... (Oh man, do I miss Baja).
Carnitas Burrito
Price: $6.95
Ingredients: Pork, rice, beans, onion, cilantro, cabbage
Sides: Red and Green Salsa
Size: Colossal!
We sat expectantly as a stream of saucy steamy plates of food flowed past us to other eager patrons. Our hunger growing by the second. Then, our mammoth burrito babies finally arrived. So beautiful.
Have you ever received a gift, so exquisitely wrapped, that you were afraid to open it? The tortilla was so warm and light and fresh, it left a fairy dusting on my fingertips that said it was made that morning.
Have you ever opened that gift, only to find something mediocre inside? You smiled and said "thank you," even though you were disappointed, didn't you? Well, I wasn't blown away by the inside of this guy. It was ok, but I want more pizzazz! Though the carnitas had a nice texture, the flavor was weak and it lacked juiciness. There was too much rice and not enough beans. It needed some cheese, maybe some crema. Haters gonna hate, but I need cheese!!! The salsas were delicious, but I had to rely on them for the added flavor. I think this was a typical case of an establishment having some tasty items, with the burritos being a safety net for the faint of heart. I wish I would have gotten one of the enormous plates of steamy food, or maybe a variety of tacos instead. I had such high hopes, but this guy fell flat. Gimme the greasy spice, gimme the heat! Gimme some fucking cheese!
Thank you.
The Rating:
2.8 out of 5 stars
Thanks for trekking out to the burbs to review my local spot! They have such potential. I am subtly training them (eyes roll when they see me coming). Continue the hunt and keep on blogging.
ReplyDeleteI can see the potential! I never do custom orders when I visit a place, they've got to get it right from the get go for me. Thanks for reminding me of this place, I've been wanting to go there for quite a while.
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ReplyDeleteThanks for fighting the good fight, Burrito Junkie! I hope you can visit more spots in the Beaverton area.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been there is years, but I used to get the carne asada burrito and it was awesome. I hope they haven't gone down hill.
ReplyDeleteTry the pollo al pastor (seasoned chicken) burrito. It is the only thing I order here (several times a week), except on the rare occasion when I make it a super (topped with the house red salsa, cheese, sour cream, and avocado slices). I actually prefer my burritos simple (meat, rice, beans, salsa), so their particular preparation suits me. The notion of cabbage and refried beans put me off after having been in LA and the bay area, but now I can't imagine this burrito without them.
ReplyDeleteI don't order tacos here. The tortillas they use are too large and they add some extra stuff that kind of ruins them. Like my burritos, I want my tacos small and simple.
I've been eating a burrito a day this year and now that I'm closing in on the end I'm trying to pick out the best ones around PDX. Glad to have found your blog! I'll probably just go through and pick out your highest rated burritos.
Did you mean to say a burrito a day for a year?? That is extreme! I hope you found some good ones! If you like your burritos nice and simple, I would recommend Tienda Santa Cruz in St Johns if you haven't found it already!
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