King Burrito: More Than Just Burritos

Living in San Diego with all the wonderful Mexican food, one has a tendency to get a bit jaded. After a little Internet research, I am guesstimating there are at least 750 restaurants in the city serving this style of cuisine. In Lemon Grove alone, King Burrito makes an even dozen Mexican places I’ve reviewed. There is a higher standard here for Mexican food than the rest of the country, because we have more choices than anywhere else.

Not a bad thing. A bad thing is when I decided to live for a few years in a house I inherited in northwestern Minnesota, and then realized the closest Mexican food was an hour and a half drive away at Taco John's. If you are not familiar with this Midwestern chain, you’re very lucky—the only thing Mexican about it is the word “taco.” This is really, really horrible fast food.

The visit to this week was my first to this three-year-old restaurant in the Grove. They have an extensive menu offering a variety of Mexican favorites. It is larger on the inside than the outside would suggest, with 12 or so tables and booths. In one corner is the kitchen, behind the counter where we ordered our food. I found the service to be fast, friendly, and efficient.

My dining partner and I decided to split a few items to get a good sampling of their fare. We picked a bean and cheese burrito for $2.89; a special-of-the-day fish taco for 99 cents; the No. 8 combo plate, a cheese enchilada and chile relleno with rice and beans, for $6.29; and a large horchata for $1.99. The total damage for lunch was a reasonable $13.22, including tax.

The bean and cheese burrito was good—but if you call yourself King Burrito, maybe it could have been better. While all the proper ingredients were included in the large grilled flour tortilla, it lacked a certain depth of flavor in the beans. In its defense, it was big and we finished it with no problem.

The combination plate featured a decent cheese enchilada and chile relleno in a tangy sauce. The accompanying beans were a bit better than the rice. Again, the plate got clean. It just did not wow me.

In our opinion, the big winner of the day was the 99 cent fish taco, a nice piece of crunchy fish with shredded cabbage, diced salsa cruda, and white sauce on a steaming corn tortilla with a slice of lime. It was simple and delicious. I could have eaten at least three.

King Burrito is located at 6929 Federal Boulevard, near the corner of College Avenue. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and offer specials. The hours are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. They accept credit cards, and food to go and catering is available. You can call in your order to 619-469-0791. King Burrito does not have a website, but you can check out their Facebook page.