The 50 Best Burritos In America

The burrito just might be the perfect food. Seriously, what's not to love? It features nearly every food group, making it a well-balanced meal (of sorts), and best of all, it's handheld. Though its origins are in Mexico, the burrito quickly became beloved stateside and ranks among the most iconic dishes in America. In honor of this iconic bundle of culinary joy, we're pleased to present our seventh-annual ranking of the best burritos in America.

First things first: What, exactly, is a burrito? For today's purposes, we're talking about a completely customizable mixture of rice, beans, cheese, meats, vegetables, guacamole, pico de gallo, crema and maybe some hot sauce all wrapped up in a tidy, nearly bursting flour tortilla. The best burritos feature all those Tex-Mex flavors commingling to create a flavor bomb that's tailor-made precisely to your liking.

In order to compile our ranking, we researched burritos from all across the country and applied several criteria: Are all the ingredients fresh? Is there a good selection of meats and add-ons? Can you customize your order, right down to the amount of crema? Is it renowned by critics and locals alike in its city? Yeah, those are the burritos we're looking for. There are few foods quite as satisfying as a well-made burrito, and these 50 restaurants do it better than anyone else.

With eight locations in and around Boston, 24-year-old Anna's is the standard-bearer for burritos in Beantown. Filling options include steak roja, carnitas, chile verde and al pastor, but for vegetarians and carnivores alike, the grilled vegetable burrito is one of the best ways to eat your vegetables. A fresh, hot tortilla is filled with your choice of veggies, including seasoned onions, broccoli, corn, zucchini, squash, eggplant, red onions, sweet potatoes and seasonal offerings like Brussels sprouts, rolled up with rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, pico, hot sauce and jalapeños.

Run by the Hurtados family since 1997, El Dorado is a beloved Mexican restaurant in Anchorage, Alaska, serving a wide variety of favorites, including fajitas, chicken mole enchiladas, tamales and chile rellenos. Burritos are filled with your choice of options, including al pastor, carne asada, carnitas, chile verde, chipotle shrimp and more. They're filled with rice, housemade beans and all the traditional fixins.

Having gotten her start as a lunch truck operator in Los Angeles in the 1970s, La Juanita owner Christina Bautista knows what it takes to make a good burrito, and she's spread the gospel to Iowa of all places, where the daily crowds let you know that you've come to the right place. Open from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily (and 2:30 on the weekends), La Juanita has made a name for itself thanks not only to its authenticity, but also to the variety and high quality of the ingredients. The carne asada is fabulous, but the cabeza shredded meat from the cow's head is tender, juicy and definitely the way to go.

The team behind Cal-Mex New York City cult favorite Calexico started small with a cart in SoHo that quickly became a mob scene during lunchtime. They've since expanded to five brick-and-mortar storefronts in the city, a stall inside Brooklyn's Barclays Center, a massive location in Detroit and an additional outpost in Bahrain. The original cart also happens to still be going strong. Though its tacos and rolled quesadillas are things of beauty, the burritos are true works of culinary art. To get a sense of the amount of hard work that went into perfecting its recipes, opt for the chipotle pork with rice, beans, cheddar cheese, red pickled onions, sour cream and pico de gallo.The meat is slow-cooked, shredded and mixed with a smoky, tangy, just-spicy-enough sauce. The whole package will knock your socks off.

The Corner is a cozy Mexican restaurant with chef Alejandro Martinez at the helm. Here, he makes corn tortillas by hand and fills tacos, burritos, sopes and huaraches with a huge variety of fillings, including al pastor, carnitas, chicken and beef tinga, pork rinds, tongue, sliced poblanos, pumpkin flower and soy-based meats. The Corner also happens to have an expansive vegan menu. When it comes to burritos, go with the "Corner Burrito," which is filled with your choice of protein, along with guacamole, refried beans, rice, lettuce, onions, cilantro, sour cream and cheese.

Yes, a burrito in Montana can compete with the ones served in San Francisco. Taco Del Sol, opened in 1997 in downtown Missoula and today has 12 locations throughout the state. Their Mission-style burritos come with adobo rice, your choice of beans, your choice of meat, fresh salsa, hot sauce and jalapeños. Make it a "Supreme" and sour cream, cheese and guac join the party for just a dollar more. The Cuban-style, shrimp and fish burritos are also worthy of note.

At The Chile Pepper, open since 1954, it's not about the girth of the burrito or all the add-ons, but the exquisite execution of simplicity. Case in point? Locals rave about the simplest of burritos here — the bean and cheese. The fresh tortillas and a dash of hot sauce transform the experience from simple to spectacular.

Cash-only Costa Rican spot Irazu, located in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, has been around since 1990, serving homestyle fare to the hungry masses and absolutely nailing it. Traditional Costa Rican dishes like gallo pinto, chifrijo and casado are joined by more common tacos, empanadas and sandwiches, but the chorizo burrito is the must-order here. The spicy, fresh custom-made sausage is sautéed and rolled up with beans, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes and can spiced up even further with additional hot peppers. Get some traditional Costa Rican salsa Lizano on the side and you're all set.

A taste of the Bay Area in New York City and Chicago, Dos Toros is a rapidly expanding New York mini-chain (currently at 18 locations in New York and four in Chicago) that does its West Coast roots proud. Tortillas first get a thin slice of cheese melted onto them to serve as a base for perfectly proportioned fillings in order to prevent soakage. The meat selection is simple: grilled chicken, grilled steak or slow-cooked carnitas. Our tip? Opt for the carnitas; it's tender, juicy and full of porky flavor.

Tucked away on a sleepy corner in the Bronx between a fish market and a hair salon, the narrow and unassuming Taqueria Tlaxcalli is holding its own in an area with no shortage of great Mexican options. Burritos here are approximately the size of a small child, and they're filled to the brim with high-quality, well-made ingredients and topped with artful lashings of thin guacamole, crema, black bean sauce and chipotle sauce. Don't miss the spicy pork.

This burrito joint may be located in a strip mall in the Chicago suburbs, but the steady stream of locals who patronize El Burrito Mexicano (especially after a night out) are all in on the secret. The huge burritos are loaded with fillings, but special care is given where it matters. The beans are slow-cooked, and the steak is always tender, flavorful and generously portioned. While the menu has other offerings, you're going to want to get the steak. And best of all? They'll be more than happy to melt some cheese on top for you.

This little tienda in Portland's St. Johns neighborhood would be right at home in Mexico, right down to the free pickled peppers, carrots and guacamole on the tables. There's a market up front, a no-frills dining room in the back and amazing burritos made-to-order coming out of the kitchen. Just about everything at Taqueria y Panaderia de la Santa Cruz is spectacular, but the al pastor is truly a thing of beauty.

With six locations in Denver, two in Boulder, one in Fort Collins, one in Tempe and one in Tuscon, Illegal Pete's is single-handedly turning everywhere it lands into a burrito destination. This restaurant mini-chain sources all of its antibiotic- and hormone-free meats from Niman Ranch, and nothing arrives at any of the locations pre-cooked. They offer a wide variety of gluten-free and vegetarian options, but you have to try their standout pork carnitas burrito. The pork is braised with Mexican Coke, orange juice and spices, and is sweet, spicy and an absolute flavor bomb. That incredible meat gets rolled up in a tortilla with cilantro-lime rice, beans, salsa, cheese and sour cream. Get it smothered in green chile sauce for the ultimate experience.

Cabo Bob's brings a taste of Baja California to Austin without being tacky or gimmicky and with a real commitment to high-quality food. All tortillas are made-to-order and all sauces are made from scratch in-house daily. There's always the option of customizing your burrito and loading it up with fillings, but it's best to just go for the No. 5, the pork burrito. An ancho chile tortilla is filled with shredded pork, white rice, black beans, grilled onions and peppers, cheese, lettuce, cilantro and their own 66 Red Sauce.

Don't let the term "garbage" fool you into thinking this burrito will contain extraneous stuff; it just means that the Garbage Burrito at Rosa Maria's Drive-In is loaded with meat, beans, rice, cheese, lettuce, tomato and onions. The only meat options for burritos here are red pork, green pork, red chicken or green chicken, but they're prepared using the same recipes that have made Rosa Maria's so popular over the past 40-plus years. It's slow-cooked perfection.

Peek behind the counter at this tiny, cash-only Albuquerque hole in the wall, and you'll see the Burrito Lady herself, assembling burritos loaded with meats with breakneck speed. Her burritos have a habit of not staying exactly closed and can be beasts to eat, but there's a reason this place is packed from open to close: Even if you only fill your burrito with chicken or calabacitas (zucchini and other mixed vegetables) in green sauce, it's going to be insanely good. The breakfast burritos are also renowned.

If you're looking for a great burrito in the Big Easy, look no further than Juan's Flying Burrito. This "Creole taqueria" has four locations where everything is made to order and finished with a minute on the grill. If you want to try a little bit of everything, the Flying Burrito is what to order. Grilled steak, shrimp and chicken, cheddar-jack cheese, black beans, yellow rice, salsa, sour cream and guacamole are rolled up in a tortilla then given a final go on the grill. It's one delicious beast.

San Diego gem La Perla turns out delicious burritos with expert precision and doesn't disappoint. You can opt for the King Kong, which stuffs both a chile relleno and an order of carne asada into a burrito, but we suggest you leave the relleno out of this one and go right for the asada, which are thin strips of marinated and grilled tender steak. Make sure you opt for a dollop of freshly made guacamole.

Located just a couple blocks from Fenway Park (with a second location in Brighton), the tiny El Pelon is a favorite of in-the-know Boston locals who pick up a burrito before heading to the game. The pescado is a standout: Atlantic cod is lightly breaded with cornmeal and fried until crispy, then wrapped up with black beans, Mexican rice, lettuce, spicy mayo and salsa fresca. If you find yourself jealously eyeing someone downing a tasty-looking burrito during a Red Sox game, this is where they got it.

A no-nonsense 40-plus-year-old taqueria, Chicago's La Pasadita makes its presence known with a screaming-yellow exterior. Filling options include carne asada, lengua (beef tongue), barbacoa, chicken or a chile relleno, and the restaurant claims to serve more than 3,500 tacos daily, so we imagine the burrito count is pretty high as well. The "super" burrito comes loaded with cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, onions, cilantro, rice and beans — it is a behemoth.

Taqueria San Francisco opened in 1990 in San Francisco's historic Mission District, and it has a loyal group of local regulars. While the carnitas burrito is among the city's best, we actually think the al pastor is where the party's at here. You can opt for the rather tame "regular" style (with rice, beans, onions and cilantro), but we suggest going for it and ordering the "super" (with rice, beans, onions, cilantro, sour cream, cheese and avocado).

Manuel Rojas' family opened El Tepeyac Cafe in 1955, and over the years, his gregarious personality and welcoming presence made his restaurant a Los Angeles institution. Manny passed away at 79 in 2013, but his name lives on thanks to his signature burrito: Manuel's Special Burrito. This enormous burrito can feed up to four people and is filled with your choice of protein or veggies along with rice, beans and guacamole. If that's not enough, this behemoth is then topped with more meat, more cheese and a flavorful sauce. 

La Camaronera might have exploded in popularity since it was featured in an early episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," but it really is all it's cracked up to be. It's the place in Miami for fresh seafood, cooked and served with no frills by people who really know what they're doing. While you may be tempted to order a snapper sandwich, fried whole fish or conch fritters, don't leave without ordering a Camaronera burrito. It features lightly fried shrimp and fish wrapped in a tortilla, topped with melted cheese and a drizzle of sauce. Think seafood can't pair well with cheese? Try this burrito.

Gordo Taqueria is a Bay Area institution with a handful of locations, and each are equally spectacular. The wonderfully juicy carnitas burrito is filled right in front of you as you peer into the open kitchen. If you can keep your burrito from spilling forth its contents, you'll have accomplished more than most Gordo diners.

The wacky Lucha Libre Taco Shop prides itself on turning out spot-on California-style burritos, which generally eschew Mission-style burritos' rice and beans in favor of French fries. This spot's Poblano California comes with grilled chicken breast, fries, Jack cheese, roasted poblanos, avocado and corn poblano sauce. The must-order is their popular Surf & Turf burrito, filled with grilled steak and shrimp, rice, avocado, pico de gallo and chipotle sauce. Both the steak and shrimp are perfectly cooked, and the addictive chipotle sauce ties it all together.

Go sit in the modern, gastropub-like Cantina Los Caballitos on East Passyunk Avenue in Philadelphia, eat their goat burrito and you'll be happy. A flour tortilla is filled with rice, black beans, onions, cilantro and braised goat, and the result is really fantastic. Get it smothered in red enchilada sauce if you want to go really big.

Joaquin and Dolores "Lolita" Farfan first opened the doors to Lolita's in 1984, and their dedication to fresh, high-quality ingredients and traditional Mexican recipes has earned them a massive following over the years. Their fan-favorite Tsunami Burrito brings together the best of two worlds with grilled-to-order Black Angus carne asada, huge fresh shrimp, cabbage, guacamole, Jack cheese and salsa Mexicana. One bite and you'll know what all the fuss is about.

Peek into the kitchen at Los Dos Molinos, a Phoenix institution for over 30 years, and you'll find owner Vicky Chavez or one of her daughters preparing New Mexico-style classics from scratch. Burritos here come filled with beans and cheese, beef or chicken, but opt for the carne adovada, a red pork stew that's a Southwest specialty. Few places do it better than Los Dos Molinos. However, heed the warning given by the little red chile pepper next to it on the menu: It's spicy.

It's been more than 60 years since Sadie Koury first opened the doors to what has become an Albuquerque institution, and today there are four locations of Sadie's throughout the city. Like at many other Southwest taquerias, the house specialty is carne adovada, a stew made with cubes of lean pork and plenty of red chile. The best way to experience it is wrapped up in (and atop) a fresh flour tortilla.

In a city known for its Baja-style fried fish Mexican mainstays, El Zarape separates itself from the pack by serving a rave-worthy lobster burrito. It comes with your choice of add-ons including tomatoes, crema, cilantro, beans, rice and salsa verde, and we suggest exploring the solid salsa bar — especially if you order the 99-cent fish tacos, which is really the pro move when in "America's Finest City."

Portland's King Burrito is a true local gem, turning out expertly prepared, wildly delicious creations. Though the carnitas and carne asada are stellar, don't miss the King Burrito, which is a monster: chile relleno, refried beans and steak picado (diced steak mixed with tomatoes, onions and chiles), topped with homemade avocado sauce and served in a giant flour tortilla. And you know you want to get it topped with red enchilada sauce. It's a delicious beast.

Yes, it might be a little bit touristy, but Taqueria Cancun is a tourist favorite that locals go to too. This Mission Street staple is turning out some undeniably delicious burritos. All the ingredients used at Taqueria Cancun are fresh and high-quality, and we suggest you fill a "super" burrito with carnitas. A giant tortilla gets tossed on the grill with cheese melted on it before it's filled with Mexican crema, fresh and tangy salsa that's not too spicy, your choice of beans, rice, avocado, onions, cilantro and finally a heaping serving of crispy and flavorful fried pork. Add a couple spoonfuls of their spicy green salsa, or order it "mojado-style" topped with enchilada sauce, green salsa, melted cheese, sour cream and Mexican salsa, and you've got a perfectly constructed, perfectly proportioned masterpiece.

Neighborhood favorite Tacos Y Burritos Metro Basilica 2 has phenomenal Mexico City mini-tacos, sopes and tortas filled with a wide variety of proteins, including carne asada, tripas, lengua, cabeza and al pastor. You can't go wrong with anything, but we're talking burritos today. Burritos here are filled with your choice of meat along with beans, rice, onions, cilantro and fresh and spicy green or red salsa. For the best experience, opt for the crispy, tender carnitas and get it "wet," topped with plenty of cheese and soupy peppers and onions.

El Castillito is another place offering "regular" and "super" burrito options, and we will always tell you to go in the super direction, which here means rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, onions, cilantro and salsa along with fillings including carne asada, pastor, chicken, chorizo or carnitas.

Tiny, strip mall-based Taqueria El Trompo gets packed around lunch time every day, and for good reason. The namesake trompo is a big vertical spit used to slowly cook al pastor, and you're going to want to come on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays when it's in operation, turning out some of the best al pastor in town. Order the campechano burrito, and it'll come with pastor, diced carne asada, beans, lettuce, tomato, avocado and Mexican crema; order it California-style and the two meats will be mixed with just rice and beans.

Tito's Tacos opened in Culver City in 1959 and has since become beloved for its astoundingly delicious creations. There's a lot of pride in the culinary traditions here. There's a chili con carne filler option, but we suggest you go with the simple bean and cheese, which speaks to the burrito's beginnings as a humble street food. It's simply perfect.

This neighborhood spot has worked its way into the hearts of locals thanks to its lunch specials, combination plates and, of course, burritos. El Burrito Wey Estilo Jalisco is a warm and inviting restaurant with a large outdoor patio for al fresco dining. While there's a wide variety of burritos available in some creative styles, choose the best of both worlds and go for the campechano, which contains al pastor, carne asada, grilled onion, cilantro and cheese, all wrapped up in a homemade flour tortilla. No rice, no beans, no problem.

Colorful Logan Square spot L'Patron has not only conquered Chicago's burrito scene, but it's also conquered carne asada as well. Grilled to order, still a little pink on the inside, expertly seasoned and not overly greasy, it's beefy perfection. When combined with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, homemade refried beans and avocado (and roasted poblano chiles if you're feeling adventurous), it's a masterpiece.

Opened in 2011 by Mexico City native Armondo Sandoval and now up to two locations, Maize feeds crowds of students and locals nearly non-stop every day from 11 a.m. until way past sunset. There are some surprising items on the menu, such as a zucchini blossom quesadilla, but since we're talking about burritos here, go for the asada. It comes with the steak diced, perfectly grilled and encased in a large, fresh, homemade tortilla along with beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.

As one of the most popular and written-about taquerias in the country, El Farolito lives up to the hype. And at nearly 2 pounds, its burritos will fill you to the brim. The rice, beans, sauce and other fixings are all artfully arranged and evenly distributed, and the carne asada is tender, juicy and full of grilled, beefy flavor. After a night out, there are few San Francisco sights more welcome than El Farolito.

One of Seattle's great hidden culinary gems, Tacos Chukis is literally hidden from the street — the original location is located on the second floor of a mall in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. (Two more locations, both more visible than the first, have opened as well.) On top of that, it doesn't even have a website. But once you've found it, you'll be hooked. Tacos, which clock in at just a couple bucks, are widely regarded to be the city's best, but the burritos really are something else. We suggest you actually go for the "baby burritos," which are small enough to sample a few of (or pair one with a couple tacos). As for the filling, you can't go wrong with al pastor, caramelized chunks of flavorful and tender pork.

There are too many great burritos in San Francisco to count, but the one served at Taqueria Guadalajara, a hidden gem located outside the Mission District, is a true local favorite. There's a massive variety of proteins available, including lengua, cabeza, pollo cocido, tripas and fresh chorizo, but you're going to want to order the perfectly crispy deep-fried carnitas loaded inside a "super" burrito, which adds cheese, sour cream, and avocado to the standard rice, beans and salsa. It's a gut-busting masterpiece.

The traditional San Diego burrito contains French fries, and one of the finest places to experience this style for yourself is the family-owned Ortiz's, located inside a Point Loma strip mall. Order your burrito "California-style," and your flour tortilla will be filled with fries, cheese, sour cream and your choice of meat. Protein options include carne asada, carnitas, chicken, beef, pastor, cabeza, buche (pork stomach), fish and shrimp — and you really can't go wrong with any of them.

A lot of folks (including the late food critic Jonathan Gold) are really into Al & Bea's bean and cheese burrito, but if you like to go against the grain a bit, order the combination burrito instead (or even better, along with). Yes, you get the beans, but you also get shredded beef, which then gets topped with either salsa verde or roja and plenty of shredded cheese. The chile relleno burrito is also a showstopper.

Spread out across five dining rooms with seating for more than 300 people, Frontier, which opened in 1971, is nothing short of an Albuquerque institution. Open from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week, the restaurant serves some stellar breakfast burritos, but their red pork stew, the regional specialty known as carne adovada, is perhaps the best item on the entire menu. You can get it atop just about anything (or in your breakfast burrito with egg, hash browns and cheddar), but we suggest you try it rolled up with rice and cheese and topped with a huge ladle of Frontier's famous green chile sauce.

The burritos at Nico's in Ocean Beach are the perfect size — not too large or unwieldy but still big enough to not leave you hungry. Your choice of meat (we suggest carne asada), French fries (this is San Diego, after all), cheese, guacamole, lettuce and tomato are all rolled together inside in a way that lets you get a little of each with every bite. The restaurant was founded by the husband-and-wife team of Nico and Catalina Carreon in 1982. Today, it is run by their son Jose, who keeps his father's iconic cowboy hat in a display case over the register "as a constant reminder of the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice his father made to build Nico's into the great Mexican food restaurant it is today," according to the website.

This 90-year-old restaurant, long the standard-bearer for Tex-Mex food in Albuquerque, got its start as a tortilla factory Though the operation has expanded quite a bit since then, these tortillas are still some of the finest you'll find anywhere, especially when rolled up into a burrito. Standouts at El Modelo include the chile relleno, carne deshebrada (brisket stew) and carne adovada (pork stew) burritos, but opt for the chicharrones, deep-fried chunks of pork. It'll only set you back about $5, and you'll still have some room left over for a sopapilla.

Raved about by famished travelers and locals alike, the chile relleno burrito at La Azteca Tortilleria is a thing of beauty. The place offers other options like carnitas and carne asada, but the cheese-stuffed, perfectly fried chile relleno that makes up the bulk of this burrito is what sets it apart, elevating the humble poblano chile to heights of Tex-Mex greatness. While you're at it, you might as well have them add some carne asada to it. It's everything you look for in Tex-Mex cuisine, all in one perfect bite.

Must-visit Santa Fe institution The Shed has been spreading the green and red chile gospel since it opened in 1953 and is so renowned that there are often lines to get in. But this ranks among the restaurants worth waiting in line for. Just about everything on the menu of traditional Hispanic and Pueblo recipes is delicious, but the vegetarian green chile burrito is one of the best you'll ever encounter. Its simplicity is what makes it so great: It's just pinto beans, white cheddar and onion rolled in a flour tortilla and topped with their famous green chile sauce, served with Spanish rice on the side. It's all about chile at The Shed, and this is arguably the best way to experience it.

Run by Miguel Jara and his family since 1973, La Taqueria is the most legendary burrito joint in San Francisco, and it's still the best. Either keep it simple and just stick with meat and beans — no rice filler in the burrito here — or upgrade it with all the classic burrito extras. Load yours up with its unique style of carnitas, which are somehow both crispy and moist, and incomparably delicious. All the praise that this perpetually packed institution receives is well worth it: It really is that good. And it's also home to some of America's best tacos.

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