Decoding the Burrito: Grandview Independent hits the Richmond Burrito Trail

We’re not going to sugarcoat it. We eat a lot of burritos at Grandview Independent. Almost since the beginning of our publication, burritos have been a steady companion at our editorial board meetings. 

So we’re hitting the Richmond Burrito Trail again with plans of visiting every taqueria, food truck, restaurant, or restaurant that looks like a food truck in Richmond with a burrito on the menu.

So, what makes a good burrito? It is subjective, for sure. Your preference seems imprinted by your very first burritos. Some people like french fries, ground beef, and nacho sauce on their burritos. Others prefer Chipotle. We were raised on big-honking, Mission-style burritos filled with beans, rice, seasoned meat, guacamole, pico, and cheese wrapped in aluminum foil.

Taqueria La Bamba is a longtime favorite, but we usually go after pupusas when we venture south of 80. We still think about one of the best Super Carnitas Burritos we’ve ever had from La Flor De Jalisco on Macdonald Avenue. Oh My God, we are still chasing that high. 

This is where you, dear reader, come in. A lot has changed in our city. We won’t use the term “food scene” as it tends to oversimplify our city’s rich and diverse landscape. We need your suggestions, your favorite burrito haunt, your goto order. Let us know in the comments, send an email, or what ever is your preferred mode of communication.

We are heavily influenced by burritoeater.com. That dude had us schlepping across the city on a quest to visit every single taqueria we could fit into our lunch hour.

Burrito Eater examined 12 critical elements of a burrito, each receiving a 0-10 rating on a trademarked 10-Mustache Scale. Size, tortilla, meat, rice, beans, cheese, vegetables, sauciness, spiciness, ingredient mix, temperature, and burstage abatement. 

We’re starting this journey on the burrito trail with an easy one. Tacos El Tucán is one of our favorites, and its location near Grandview headquarters means it is in heavy rotation. 

Tucán’s Adobado Super Burrito is everything we look for in a spicy burrito: a flaky grilled tortilla, well-seasoned meat, and a nice proportion of rice and refried beans, guacamole, cheese, pico de gallo. This offering weighed in at 679 grams or almost 1.5 pounds of porky goodness. It comes with chips, and online ordering is available.

The veggie burrito is a solid choice. It is not just a regular burrito without meat but a legitimate, big, tasty burrito with grilled mushrooms, zucchini, and corn. The total for both burritos was $29.40, including a technology fee, tax, and tip. 

Since opening in the former Pup Hut building on The Avenue, Tucán typically boasts a line of hungry customers, and that is a very good sign. So we recommend ordering in advance. 

Sometimes, we get tacos, and those are really good, too. 

A note about the process. We send an undercover operator to pick up our burritos; we pay for our meals, and we are proud to support the local businesses in our neighborhood.

Where are we heading next week? Will our next stop beat Tucán’s top-notch offerings? Check out the next installment of The Burrito Trail to find out.

Help us pay for burritos.

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