Swiftly making their way up the ranks as king of the fast-food world are the freshly prepared, simple, and dangerously moreish, burritos.
Here we round up five of the best places in London to grab one.
1 | Poncho 8
Providing a healthier burrito option for the people of London (you can check the nutritional values online), ex-financial businessmen Frank Yeung and Nick Troen first set up shop in Spitalfields back in September 2009. They now boast five outlets including St Pauls and Soho.
Using only the finest ingredients, Poncho 8 marinate their chicken in lime juice, cumin and paprika, while their pork is smothered in juniper berries, bay leaves and fresh oregano before slow cooked to juicy perfection.
Their branded chili is also available from Harvey Nichols, and comes in three great flavours – Smoky Medium, Garlic and Super Hot Fuego (that’s ‘fire’ in Spanish).
poncho8.com
2 | Chilango
Back in 2006 founders Eric and Dan embarked on a gastronomical adventure to Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco (it’s a hard life) in order to bring the best of the Mexican flavours to London. And so far they’ve done a pretty good job.
From chili-marinated steak to oven-braised pork – which includes the deliciously charred fatty edges, each burrito is filled with a generous dollop of coriander-lime rice, cheese/sour cream, beans and chunky homemade salsa.
chilango.co.uk
3 | Daddy Donkey
Tucked away on Leather Lane, the self-proclaimed ‘kick-ass Mexican grill’ Daddy Donkey does exactly that – serve a kick-ass Mexican grill. Started by Joel Henderson back in 2005, the burrito cart serves the Daddy D burrito – a ‘big-ass’ flour tortilla with all the usuals. Choose from five fillings including Carnitas (pulled pork shoulder & leg, slow cooked in garlic, spice and coca-cola) and marinated chargrilled chicken. And of course don’t forget to ask for a shot of guacamole at the end.
With market-goers and lunchtime traders it gets pretty busy at lunchtime, so get there early to avoid disappointment.
daddydonkey.co.uk
4 | Luardos
Since 2006, Luardos’ Jesus H Van (it’s blue) have been serving homemade burritos – also known to locals as the perfect hangover cure – stuffed with your choice of meat (chicken breast, carnitas, chipotle or beef), black beans, tomato salsa, sour cream, lettuce and fresh coriander. If you fancy a double dose of meat, you can always add extra chorizo.
His hot sister van Mary (yes, it’s pink) is the one who ‘gets around’ so make sure you follow her on Twitter for regular updates on where she’ll be next. Expect a lengthy queue during lunchtimes.
luardos.co.uk
5 | Freebird Burritos
Dangerously close to the Esquire offices on Berwick Street Market, this burrito stand offers a fuss free, faster-than-light service.
There are three easy steps to follow: pick the meal, pick the meat – our pick of the bunch is the tender medium-rare marinated steak – and add a generous portion of salsa. To really kick it up a notch we recommend you go for the Smoky Medium – a tomatillo based salsa with fresh herbs & seasoning with, you guessed it, a smoky twist.
