Lolita's Mexican Food ★ 4.4
Lolita's Mexican Food on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in Kearny Mesa, San Diego, the California-burrito counter selling the canonical version for under twelve.
Try: California burrito under $12, breakfast burrito $8-10
History
The carne asada burrito predates the California burrito by decades, dating to working-class kitchens in northern Mexico and crossing the border via the same Tijuana-and-San-Diego corridor that brought the fish taco and adobada. Border-shop kitchens like Aibert's, Roberto's and Lolita's served carne asada burritos through the 1960s and 70s before the fries innovation arrived. The dish remains the simpler, purer plate; surfers and skaters in Pacific Beach kept it in rotation as the California burrito's older cousin.
Common allergens: Gluten
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 700g skirt or flank steak
- 4 large flour tortillas (12-inch / 30cm)
- 1 lime juiced, 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, half a teaspoon oregano
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil
- 200g guacamole (2 ripe avocados, half a lime, salt, half a small white onion finely diced)
- 200g pico de gallo (2 tomatoes, half a white onion, half a jalapeno, cilantro, lime, salt)
- Salt, pepper, hot sauce (optional)
Method
- Marinate the steak in lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper for 30 minutes.
- Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Sear the steak 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Rest 5 minutes; slice against the grain into 1cm strips, then chop.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry pan, 20 seconds per side, until pliable.
- Build each burrito on the bottom third of a tortilla: a strip of carne asada, a row of guacamole, a row of pico de gallo.
- Fold the sides over, then roll tight from the bottom. Sear seam-side down on a dry pan 1 minute to set.
- Cut on the diagonal and serve with hot sauce.
Tip from the editors. The traditional version skips sour cream; if you want to add it, use a Mexican-style crema instead of supermarket sour cream for the right pour and tang.
Where to eat carne asada burrito
Carne asada burrito in San Diego
El Comal ★ 4.2
El Comal in San Diego is the North Park family-owned Mexican kitchen on Illinois Street, a longstanding interior-Mexican counter known for carnitas.
Signature: Carnitas plate, Chilaquiles, Mole Poblano
Order: The carnitas plate with handmade tortillas; weekend chilaquiles before noon.
Tip: Cash on hand speeds the counter; the courtyard patio runs warmer than the indoor room.
Tacos El Gordo ★ 4.7
Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista, San Diego, the open-until-4am Tijuana-style trompo carving adobada tacos for around three dollars and California burritos.
Try: Vertical-trompo adobada tacos under $4
El Carrito ★ 4.4
El Carrito on Logan Avenue in Barrio Logan, San Diego, the homestyle Mexican counter in a 1930s streetcar with chilaquiles divorciados and carnitas.
Try: Chilaquiles divorciados, carnitas, breakfast burritos
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop ★ 4.2
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop in Mission Hills, San Diego, the wrestling-themed counter on Washington Street where Surfin' California burritos last.
Try: Surfin' California burrito, four-dollar tacos, late-night chips and guac
More cities are in research. Want carne asada burrito covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.