The burrito is a fairly modern invention. While its exact origin story is a matter of debate, the dish started to appear in Mexico sometime in the 19th or early 20th century, with cooks filling thinly pressed or stretched flour tortillas with stewed or grilled meats before folding them into appetizing handheld packages. Over the following decades, burritos made their way north. And while the dish eventually spread to all corners of the United States, California is the burrito’s spiritual home in this country.
Arguably the perfect food vessel, today burritos are one of the most popular meals in California, showing up splashed with salsa roja or mole negro, griddled with cheese on the plancha, and stuffed with eggs and crisp potatoes. Across the state, specific regional burrito styles have emerged. San Francisco has the famous Mission burrito, with its deeply griddled tortilla filled with rice, beans, guacamole, and pico de gallo, which became the template for numerous national chains, including Chipotle. In LA, the overstuffed, saucy bean-and-cheese Chicano burrito is a local favorite, while San Diego has its french fry-packed beauties, known simply as California style.
Beyond the most famous burritos in a given city, the California burrito scene of 2023 also encompasses the flavors and ingredients of the Golden State’s great immigrant cultures. Lebanese, Indian, Filipino, and Korean flavors meld within the tortilla, pushing the dish into exciting new territories and showcasing the innovation of a new generation of chefs.
This series is a celebration of the burritos of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, in both their traditional and genre-pushing forms. Here you’ll find stories of legendary local spots, explanations of unique regional styles, as well as anatomies of each city’s most iconic burrito. Peel back the foil and dig in. — Matthew Kang
By: Los Angeles, San Diego, & San Francisco
GOLDEN
GOLDEN
STATE
STATE
BURRITOS
BURRITOS
ESSENTIAL STYLES
ESSENTIAL
STYLES
The Definitive Burrito Styles of San Francisco
The Definitive Burrito Styles of San Francisco
The Definitive Burrito Styles of Los Angeles
The Definitive Burrito Styles of Los Angeles
The Definitive Burrito Styles of San Diego
The Definitive Burrito Styles of San Diego
Expand your horizons beyond the famous Mission burrito
ANATOMY OF
ANATOMY OF
The Platillo Especial at Burritos La Palma
The Platillo Especial at Burritos La Palma
The Mission Burrito at Taqueria Cancún
The Mission Burrito at Taqueria Cancún
The Surf and Turf Burrito at JV’s Mexican Food
The Surf and Turf Burrito at JV’s Mexican Food
