America takes burritos seriously—and so do we. From fry-packed San Diego classics to New Mexico’s green-chile breakfast bombs and San Francisco’s riceless Mission legends, the country is loaded with wraps worth a detour. Below are 10 famous, well-documented burritos that locals (and critics) swear by. I kept it tight, focused on verifiable details, and saved my personal “if I could only pick one” choice for last. Ready to plan lunch?
Al & Bea’s Bean-and-Cheese Legend (Los Angeles)
Al & Bea’s proves simple still slaps: hot, silky refried beans plus melted cheddar in a flour tortilla, with your choice of red or green sauce. Roadfood calls the combo “nourishing and simple, with every element perfected.” The Infatuation highlights the molten texture that turns this humble classic into a minor obsession. If you’re burrito-curious about LA history, starting here makes sense—and it won’t wreck your budget either.
La Azteca Tortilleria’s Chile Relleno Icon (Los Angeles)
La Azteca is famous for house-made flour tortillas and a chile relleno burrito that draws lines. Michelin notes tortillas are pressed in full view and praises the relleno as the move. The original Boyle Heights location closed in 2025, but the operation continues at a newer East LA address—so the burrito lives on. Come hungry; leave plotting your return.
Delicious Mexican Eatery’s Chile Verde (El Paso)
In FiveThirtyEight’s famous 2014 “Burrito Bracket,” this El Paso stalwart reached the Final Four and was cited for a chile verde burrito that could go toe-to-toe with San Francisco heavyweights. Multiple outlets recapped its runner-up finish in that national face-off. Today, the menu still lists an array of classic burritos, including brisket, picadillo, and that chile verde. Translation: a proven great that’s still doing the work daily.
Frontier’s Breakfast Burrito With Green Chile (Albuquerque)
Right across from UNM, Frontier serves one of the country’s most-talked-about breakfast burritos—eggs, meats, and New Mexico green chile in play. Critics have recommended it for years, and Bon Appétit’s ABQ guide gives Frontier a nod for breakfast burritos. Even the restaurant leans in, highlighting burritos across its menu and merch. If you’re a morning burrito person, this is a pilgrimage.
El Güero Canelo’s Carne Asada Burros (Tucson)
Tucson’s “burro” culture (big Sonoran-style burritos) is alive at El Güero Canelo. The shop is better known nationally for Sonoran hot dogs, but locals point to the carne asada burros as serious contenders—offered in multiple sizes. It’s a snapshot of Sonoran flavors just north of the border. Get carne asada and thank us later.
The California Burrito at Nico’s (San Diego)
San Diego’s signature move—carne asada + fries inside the tortilla—has contested origins, but San Diego Magazine and others document the story and the local debate. For a classic, many point to old-school shops like Nico’s, where the California burrito remains a fan magnet. Eater San Diego maintains a running map of standout versions across the city, too. Bottom line: in SD, you’re never far from a great Cali-burrito—and Nico’s is a dependable stop.
Taqueria Tlaxcalli’s Bronx Heavyweight (New York City)
New York burritos have improved dramatically, and Tlaxcalli helped prove it. In FiveThirtyEight’s national bracket, this Bronx underdog fought into the finals conversation, surprising coastal skeptics. The shop’s press mentions and critics’ notes underline its scale and quality—this is no novelty act. If you’re burrito-hunting in NYC, start here.
Santiago’s Grab-and-Go Breakfast Burritos (Denver)
Denver’s love affair with green chile shows up at Santiago’s, where breakfast burritos are a daily routine citywide. Local coverage underscores their popularity and the chain’s cult following, even while critics debate the chile itself. The menu confirms a deep green-chile lineup and the no-frills price point that keeps lines moving. It’s the mile-high a.m. burrito play.
El Farolito’s Mission-Style Classic (San Francisco)
Another Mission District fixture with a huge following, El Farolito stands shoulder-to-shoulder with SF’s best. Coverage of the FiveThirtyEight quest noted it as one of the local heavy hitters in the gauntlet that judge Anna Maria Barry-Jester ran through. The restaurant’s own materials emphasize big, evenly constructed super burritos—exactly what fans pack in for at night. A must-hit on a Mission burrito crawl.
La Taqueria—The One I’d Pick
La Taqueria’s carnitas burrito won FiveThirtyEight’s “America’s Best Burrito” after an exhaustive, criteria-driven national search. It’s Mission-style but famously riceless—focused on impeccable protein, salsa, and tortilla. The shop has since been recognized by the Michelin Guide and even earned a James Beard “America’s Classic,” underscoring its cultural significance. If I could only pick one place for a burrito, this is still it.
Your Turn, What’s Your Favorite?
That’s the short list I’d hand any burrito-lover landing in the U.S. hungry. From fry-filled San Diego to green-chile New Mexico and riceless Mission icons, each stop has receipts. Did your favorite make the cut? Drop your pick—and what you order there—in the comments so we can keep the map growing. If we missed a regional classic with solid proof behind it, call it out and we’ll investigate next.
