I have always had a soft spot in my heart for breakfast burritos. Fluffy eggs, crispy potatoes, and melted cheese, wrapped inside a warm flour tortilla. Growing up in Southern California, I’ve been spoiled with authentic Mexican cuisine my entire childhood.
While attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, Mexican food was the one thing I missed the most and logically the first thing I ate when I returned in 2016. I have made a personal vendetta since then to find kitchens that embody Spike Lee and “do the right thing” when they put out an order.
Ventura’s Culinary scene has exploded over the last 5 years and is closing in on neighboring Santa Barbara County. Ventura is located about 45 minutes north of Los Angeles, so naturally, the quality of dining is slowly spreading north.
What Makes a Good Breakfast Burrito?
What comes to mind when you think of a breakfast burrito?
For me, the size factor is the first thing I notice. Yes, in this case, bigger is almost all cases, better. And since breakfast burritos are not a diet food, please use the tortilla that is the size of a large pizza.
Next comes the guts. People want a good ratio of fillings in a tortilla. Potatoes should be crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle and they must be peeled as the bitterness of the skin can overpower the subtle flavor of eggs. Eggs are a delicate food and should be treated as such. Scrambled but not burnt. Temperature control is the only way to achieve perfect scrambled eggs and this is a good measuring tool of the skill of the cook.
Selecting the right cheese can help meld the flavors. With so many options to choose from, this is a good way to differentiate your product. Cheese also helps to glue everything together. Beans are an overlooked addition to the breakfast burrito, but no shortcuts here (try this recipe). Ditch the can and make your own if you want to stand out.
Fresh salsa is a must, and it needs to have some bite on the Scoville scale. With no limit to the variations, there is bound to be one that you enjoy.
Exploring the Options
Ventura has no lack of options. I would be amazed if the number of taco shops is less than the locations of Starbucks. Some places have been around for decades and are a crowd favorite of locals. As I mentioned earlier, the culinary scene is growing in this community. New dining options are frequently appearing, especially Mexican restaurants.
If you ask a local, then Corrales will most likely be their first answer.
But is it the best? Read more to find out.
Contenders
I decided to limit my search to a 4-mile radius of Ventura College. From there, I used Yelp to narrow down my choices – here they are.
- Corrales – Known for its salsa
- DV Mexican Grill – A newcomer on the block
- Don Lalo’s Mexican Food – A hidden gem popular with the workforce
- Lalo’s Fast Food – Rapidly expanding so they must be doing something right
Judging Criteria
We going to judge this on several factors including taste, egg cookery, cheese selection, ratio of ingredients, crispiness of potatoes, quality of beans, and size of burrito/value for the money. A small number of points will be awarded for overall experience by the staff.
To level the playing field, I am going to order each one identically. Ham, eggs, potatoes, beans, and cheese.
Why Ham? It’s an underrated meat, plus it’s a good way to determine where they are sourcing their products from. I have a feeling someone is going to use cheap lunch meat for this.
The Taste Test
Corrales
Corrales is the fan favorite here in Ventura. They have no website and have been in business for as long as I can remember (and I am 38). If you bring up Corrales most people mention how good their salsa is. But how was my experience?
Price: USD 7.50
This one is a monster. I really wanted to like this one, but it was mediocre in almost every category. Let’s start with the eggs. They were almost missing from this behemoth. Being that this is a breakfast burrito, they should be the star of the show. I also don’t care for the addition of rice in a breakfast burrito, I don’t really see the logic here. Corrales breakfast burrito is basically a beans, rice, and cheese burrito with some eggs (very little), unpeeled potatoes, and cut-up lunch meat. The peel on the potato overpowered the eggs. The mild cheese, which I suspect was a cheap Mexican blend, was only slightly melted. My intuition tells me it was added last minute, and the steam from the eggs softens it, but barely.
I wasn’t a huge fan.
Everything is so bland except the salsa. and I will admit, it was damn good! It had the perfect level of spiciness and salt. Without it – it would’ve fallen on its face. The service level was average.
Final Score: 7.1/10
Verdict: Average. I wouldn’t pay for this burrito but if someone gave it to me for free, I would eat it.
DV Mexican Grill
DV’s Mexican Grill was rated #2 on Yelp and I have never been there, so I had to include this.
Price: USD 12.50
Let’s start with size. It was slightly smaller than the Corrales burrito but still adequate. The ratio of fillings was more inline with what you would expect when ordering a burrito. The ham shines as you can see from the pictures. It’s cut thick like Hamsteak and reminds me of Christmas or Easter. Bonus points for this. It was the best ham of the bunch. The potatoes were slightly under-seasoned but cooked well none-the-less. The cheese was properly melted and appears to be a jack blend, but it is not of high quality as it is kind of bland.
DV includes chips and salsa with each order (Corrales used to but stopped during the Coivd-era) so this was an added bonus. The salsa is great for chips but I didn’t care for it on a burrito though. Tapatio works better for this item.
Although they stop serving breakfast burritos around 2 PM, they still made me one at 5 PM and the staff was very kind to me when I arrived – added bonus!
Final Score: 8.4/10
Verdict: Slightly above average I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy a burrito from them again.
Don Lalo’s Mexican Food
Don Lalo’s Mexican Food is a hidden gem in Ventura and is located in the industrial section of Ventura (near the main Topa Topa brewery). It’s never a slow day as it is located next to many businesses and every time I arrive, nearby workers are there.
Price: USD 8.00
My apologies, I forgot to snap a picture of this one and it’s a shame because this one is a winner in every category.
It’s the largest of all four and I wish I would have thought to weigh it before I ate it. Eating this monster is a guaranteed way to force yourself into a food coma.
Let’s get to the nitty gritty.
The cheese blend here is my favorite of all four. It’s some kind of jack cheese blend, but I can taste the jack. It’s loaded to the point of barely being able to wrap it. Due to the amount of cheese, it is probably the greasiest of the 4, but it’s not excessive. The cheese is properly melted in the scrambled eggs. When the cheese melts, it gets greasy. Deal with it, it’s just food science. The ratio of potatoes to egg is spot on. The ham is a little thin, but I think it works in this case. It has just enough salt to compliment the other ingredients and shocker… the beans are homemade.
We had three salsas to choose from. A Verde, a Red, and a Habenero. Each one is amazing. I don’t really care for green salsa most of the time, but I was so surprised when I tried it. Every one of their salsas has some heat, some spice, and a blend of multi-dimensional flavors. I highly recommend this place. And just as a disclaimer, the habenero salsa is pretty hot.
The man who works at the register is the definition of great customer service. He is always in a good mood, gives you as much salsa as your heart desires, and their kitchen is fast. I mean really fast.
Final Score: 9.3/10
Verdict: A burrito that should set the standard. I would buy this regularly.
Lalo’s Fast Food
Lalo’s was originally in one location near the top of Ventura Ave. Recently they started expanding and have an Italian restaurant and several “fast food” locations, which appear to be limited versions of their main location
Price: USD 13.95
Look at the pictures, They do not lie. They have the perfect ratio of eggs, ham, and potatoes, but I had to add beans as it is not normally included. The eggs were cooked well and you get enough in each bite. I do wish the potatoes had some crunch to them, although they are soft in the middle. The cheese was melted into the eggs and not greasy at all. The ham was slightly above average but not a star.
Salsa was provided and the person who helped was very nice when I requested more. Maybe this was because it’s such a one-dimensional sauce that not too many ask for more. These would be sufficient on a taco but they have no place on eggs. The haberno is hot, I will give it that, but it lacks acidity, and sweetness. Tapatio is a way better option.
Final Score: 9.0/10
Verdict: Would buy it again but I wouldn’t say it is the best.
And the winner is…
Don Lalo’s Mexican Food. And it was hard to decide in comparison to Lalo’s Fast Food. But their salsa, customer service, and price point is what sets them above the rest. You can easily eat half of one of their burritos and save the other half for lunch… its that big.
Do you agree? Join in on the conversation by leaving a reply below, and let’s see what the VC Social community thinks is the best breakfast burrito in town!
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