The Best Burrito in Every State

We love Mexican food in this country. The list of incredible Mexican restaurants spread across the United States is long and beautiful, but not every restaurant is famous for its entire menu.

There are places you go for quesadillas. There are places you go for tacos. And there are places you go for burritos. I scoured Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor reviews to put together a list of the best burritos in every state (plus Washington, D.C.). Hope you’re hungry.

Huntsville

The food at Taqueria El Cazador is homey and simple, and the burrito options include everything you might want: birria, lengua, carnitas, and more.

Anchorage

The burritos are plentiful at Xalos, where you can fill your burrito with ingredients like spicy chipotle steak, shrimp, and potatoes. And believe the restaurant when it says the picante burrito is spicy.

Phoenix & Tempe

At Los Reyes de la Torta, there are two main things you need to know. First, the burritos are huge and called “burros” on the menu, and second, they’re all stuffed with mozzarella cheese. Better get over there, quick.

Little Rock

Perfectly melty cheese; well-seasoned, juicy meats; fresh salsas; and warm tortillas are the building blocks for any great taqueria, and Karina Café has ‘em all. Carne asada is especially popular here.

Los Angeles

How do you choose the best burrito in California, the place where burritos have been perfected and it’s sometimes harder to find a bad one than it is to find a good one?

You zag, that’s how. For a burrito experience you’re likely not going to find anywhere else, head to MidEast Tacos. Fusing Armenian and Egyptian flavors with classic Mexican comfort food breeds innovative dishes like falafel tacos, and that’s what MidEast is all about. 

Chef/owner Armen Martirosyan’s grilled meats are already legendary in LA; now he’s putting them in burritos stuffed with chicken, shrimp, and steak.

Boulder

Imagine a chipotle, but boozier and full of college kids. That’s what you’re getting at Illegal Pete’s. Customize burritos to your heart’s content, and choose from proteins like chicken thigh, carnitas slow-cooked with Mexican Coke, beer-batter crispy fish, and more.

South Glastonbury

Are the burritos at Sayulita all over $20? Yes, they are. Does each order come with two burritos? Yes it does. Still frugal, by our count.

Wilmington

The gigantic burritos at El Diablo have become widely-loved in Delaware, with three locations now open in the Wilmington area. Choose from proteins like adobo grilled chicken, braised short rib, and citrus-seared mahi. Oh, and bring an appetite — did we mention these things are huge?

Orlando

Choose from either steak, birria, shrimp, chicken, al pastor, carnitas, chorizo, or sautéed mushrooms at Tacos My Guey, and get it wrapped up in a 12-inch tortilla with rice, beans, sour cream, guac, cheese, and a little side of red salsa. Then repeat seven more times, because you’ve got seven more to try.

Atlanta

The roadside taco shop off Buford Highway is known for a lot of things (especially that queso dip), but the hefty burritos on fresh-made flour tortillas are the biggest draw of all. Can’t decide which meat to order? The campechana burrito lets you pick two.

Lahaina

Sonoran specialties are still possible on island time, especially at the Ono Tacos truck. Standards like asada and al pastor are options, but Ono is also throwing specialties like beef cheek onto the plancha.

Boise

You’ve got three burrito lanes to pick at Madre: chicken tinga, shredded beef, or bean and cheese. Thanks to homemade tortillas and soulfully cooked proteins (that goes for the beans, too), what’s inside is just as beautiful as what’s outside.

Chicago

You can smell this place from down the street, and though the tortillas are successful in their own right, the meats at El Milagro absolutely hold their own. Burritos showcase tortillas in a major way; El Milagro is the place to eat one. Maybe even a couple two tree.

Hammond

El Taco Real is a full scratch kitchen, which means everything is fully homemade. Translation? Your pork, picadillo beef, or shredded chicken burrito will be fresh and delicious every time. Oh, and it’s two to an order.

Iowa City

La Regia is pleased to tout their authenticity, but more importantly, everybody that eats there tends to agree. Classic California burritos stuffed with fries are big-sellers, but don’t sleep on the fried tilapia.

Kansas City

Not every place can nail a proper pork al pastor, but when you see the trompo spinning at El Camino Real, you know you’re in good hands. Don’t leave without that al pastor.

Louisville

You might forget about breakfast burritos in all this, but Con Huevos is here to make sure that doesn’t happen. Loaded with scrambled eggs, potatoes, chipotle cream, Oaxaca cheese, jalapeño aioli, and pickled onions, the breakfast burrito here is a must-order.

New Orleans

Juan’s Flying Burrito is like the city of New Orleans itself: Lively, colorful, and full of flavor. You want a basic burrito? Move along. You want a beautiful piece of Creole fusion? Grab the titular Flying Burrito, which is made with skirt steak, Gulf shrimp, Creole chicken, melted cheddar-jack cheese, black beans, yellow rice, salsa la fonda, guacamole, and sour cream.

Portland & Scarborough

You’ve got nine protein routes to take at El Rayo, and while the meats are celebrated in the area, the veggies are their own force of nature. Fried plantain burrito, anybody?

Multiple Locations

Baltimore locals love R&R Taqueria, but if that doesn’t convince you, maybe its starring role in an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” will. His Guyness visited the shop and had nothing but good things to say. That NY strip steak burrito is waiting for you.

Boston

With fiery, charred meats as delicious as the home-cooked beans and cheesy calabacitas (a melty mix of squash, tomato, zucchini, and onion), you can go vegetarian or carnivore with equal assurance at El Pelón. Just make sure you get some extra fire-roasted salsa, because it goes fast.

Detroit

You’ll be fine with whatever you stuff into your burrito at the locally worshiped Mi Pueblo, but it might haunt you if you never tried the pork rinds in salsa verde. It’s haunting me just thinking about it.

St. Paul

When a place is imposing a two-shot limit without food and that rule is plastered right there on the website, you know people are having a good time. Too good of a time, it seems. Either way, grab a carnitas burrito from El Burrito Mercado and have all the shots you want.

Jackson

Traditional burritos are great, but Green Ghost’s fajita burrito, packed with all those unctuous peppers and onions that come alongside a fajita platter, is often better. Go surf and turf, with a steak-shrimp combo.

Kansas City

El Maguey has nine locations and counting, all of them on the Missouri side of Kansas City. The footlong tortillas the restaurant serves are filled with all kinds of wonderful ingredients — especially the Popeye, made with grilled chicken and creamy spinach cheese sauce.

Helena

El Vaquero keeps it pretty traditional, and its popular Burro El Vaquero (rolled with fresh cheddar, Jack, pinto beans, rice, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, and salsa ranchera) receives continuous praise. When your ingredients are top-shelf and your flavors are dialed in, the basics are all you need.

Omaha

The friendly, welcoming, family-owned vibes are strong at Hector’s, and it’s been that way since 1997. Too far to drive for the famous chile verde burrito? Make ‘em come to you: Hector’s caters.

Las Vegas

The margs are as strong as they are famous at Chapala, so you’ll need some tasty food to help soak them up. Good thing the burritos are massive. We’re partial to the burrito ranchero, filled with chile relleno and beans and topped with ranchera sauce.

Multiple Locations

Six locations. Pages of specialties. Traditional Mexican flavors with local ingredients. 30 different combination plates. All that’s missing is you; that ever-popular fried chicken burrito isn’t going to eat itself.

Pennsauken

You’re at Tortilla Press for the mole poblano carnitas burrito, made with slow cooked pork, red rice, pinto beans, and queso fresco. New Jersey adores this burrito, but if you’re vegetarian, no sweat; the sweet potato burrito with guajillo chile sauce is also a hit.

Santa Fe

You know the rule. If you’re eating salsa in New Mexico, that salsa should probably have some hatch chiles in it. The Shed’s famous green chile burrito comes smothered in it.

New York City & Washington D.C.

It’s not super easy to lock down great Mexican food in New York, but that’s not a problem when you’re at Dos Toros. Mission-style burritos are the name of the game here, meaning they’re huge and full of rice. Breakfast burritos are an option, too.

Durham & Chapel Hill

You’ve got three burrito sizes to pick from at Cosmic Cantina , each of them with options like grilled chicken, vegan chorizo, and even tofu. But why even consider sizes? You know you’d regret it if you didn’t get the large one.

Fargo

The famous Acapulco burrito comes with steak or chicken, beans, rice, pico de gallo, and jalapeno. But better than that, it’s layered with guacamole, red sauce, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. If you become a dedicated diner, there’s good news: Acapulco has a loyalty program.

Columbus

Al Pastor paradise is waiting beyond the doors of Los Gauchos Taqueria, where the scent of the trompo pulls Columbus locals in from blocks away.

Oklahoma City

Big Truck Tacos is no longer just a big truck, and has now found itself a permanent space on 23rd Street in Oklahoma City. Locals love the burritos, especially the Puerto Rican-style picadillo beef.

Portland

There’s more than just your typical beef-chicken-pork trio going on at La Bonita, the family-owned chain that has lit up the PNW. Chile relleno burritos are on offer as well as a few other specialties, but the Mexico City-style suadero is extremely well-loved.

Pittsburgh

The burrito lineup at Mad Mex has been the stuff of legend in the City of Bridges since the ‘90s, thanks in part to its nine protein options and homemade tortillas. Need an old standby? The chicken tinga is super popular. Keepin’ it veggie? Portobello or crispy tofu oughta do.

Providence

The bright, fresh street food that La Lupita serves is a welcome addition to the strong, growing food scene of Providence. There are so many things to try, but there’s nothing better to start your journey with than a burrito, packed with yellow rice, beans, onion, cilantro, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and the killer: mozzarella. Fusion, baby.

Greenville

Chef Dayna Lee-Márquez picked up a James Beard award nomination for her restaurant Comal 864, which has now grown to two locations in Greenville. This is a perfect burrito right here, stuffed with melty cheese, crema, and two homemade salsas, but Comal is also making burritos of the breakfast variety. There’s no wrong time of day to visit this place.

Sioux Falls

Keeping it traditional? Go for one of Plaza Azteca’s famous chicken burritos. Remembering that you’re in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and not central Mexico? Grab a philly cheesesteak burrito.

Nashville

Las Palmas was born in 1990, long before Nashville grew to the acclaimed food town it is now. Today it has nine locations and remains an unrivaled spot to get a burrito in the south. The chile relleno burrito is massively popular.

Austin

San Diego, which is separated from Mexico by no more than a hair’s distance, is an incredible place to eat tacos and burritos. As such, you know you’re in for the good stuff at Daygos, a San Diego-influenced taco shop in Austin where you can take a break from the Tex-Mex that dominates Texas. It goes without saying that you’ll be ordering the California burrito, stuffed with crunchy, golden fries.

Marriott-Slaterville

Dry and handheld, or wet and covered in cheese and sauce? Those are the questions you need to be asking yourself at Paco’s, where you can order a burrito that’s taller than your entire head

Burlington

You may not think of great tacos when you think of Burlington, Vermont, but a trip to Taco Gordo would probably change that. Gordo’s doing al pastor on the trompo. Gordo’s doing grandma’s recipe beans. Gordo’s doing slow-cooked pork shoulder. Gordo’s doing it all.

Multiple Locations

The burritos are big, fresh, and tasty at Guapo’s, but sometimes freshness isn’t what you want. Sometimes you want something crunchier. Something saltier. No problemo: Guapo’s will fry that burrito up for you and turn it into a chimichanga. Everybody wins.

Seattle

El Camion isn’t skimping on its namesake burrito, where black beans, rice, and cheese make an appearance but are ultimately drowned in your choice of protein. Come hungry.

Chevy Chase

Three words: Short rib birria. 17 more words: If you’re feeling like breakfast instead, that’s fine, because the egg and chorizo burrito is also excellent.

Davis

This is the wrong place for authentic Mexican burritos, Hellbender proudly states, and that’s a beautiful thing because rules are meant to be broken. Burritos filled with ingredients like pulled pork, Fritos, and barbecue seitan? Hell yes.

Sauk City

Casual, hearty, and delicious, La Mexicana is the perfect vibe for just about anything. A quick lunch or festive birthday dinner would work in equal measure, and in both of those scenarios, you’re getting a barbacoa burrito.

Casper

The adobada pork burritos from El Burro Loco taste great, but they taste even better alongside an ice cold beer or michelada. Maybe even two or three.

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