Papalote (24th & Valenica)

Papalote Mexican Grill - 3409 24th Street
Visited: 4/19/09

Ordered: Super Veggie Burrito
Cost:$6.83

Overall Description: I liked my burrito for the most part, although it did take a while. I think this is because it came with potato, mushroom, and carrot, which tasted pretty fresh. An interesting choice of veggies - I could have had grilled eggplant and zucchini, which strike me as more obvious burrito filling, but I'm trying to evaluate "Veggie Burritos" as dictated by the shop. I think this place has some great entrees and breakfasts, and they have an excellent choice of beans (vegan black bean refried, which I had) and wraps, but their burrito didn't stand above and beyond to me.

Composition: (out of 5) 4 - Put together pretty well actually, each bite was a little different from the ones before and after it. The potatoes and carrots gave it an interesting consistency, and there was a good amount of sour cream. I would've liked some more cheese however.

Ingredients: (out of 5) 4 - Everything tasted pretty fresh and I ended up enjoying the combination of the vegetables. Rice and beans were tasty as well, but they used guac instead of avocado, and there was a bit too much garlic for me as well - also what seemed like a lack of tomatoes/salsa.

Size: (out of 3) 2 - It was a bit on the small side actually, but the potatoes weighed it down and made it more filling then a burrito that size generally would be. I stopped eating with about 4 or 5 bites left.

Taste: (out of 10) 6.5 - This burrito was plenty tasty and had some interesting consistencies, but it didn't blow me away. Also, some of the bites were really heavy with onions and garlic, and others weren't. In general I felt like this burrito was lacking in a lot of little ways, which eventually added up. I also waited for what felt like forever for it, which tainted my final evaluation a little bit. I'll eat here again, but I probably won't get a burrito.

Value: (out of 5) 3 - Nothing spectacular.

Total Score: (out of 28) 19.5 - I had really high hopes for this place, and while I was not disappointed, I was not blown away in general. It had been a while since I had a burrito with potatoes in it though which can be delicious. My first California Burrito was in San Diego years ago and I remember being surprised at how good potatoes in burritos were. Papalote does some stuff right - but this is not a contender in my "best burrito" search.

Additional Comments: Tasty chips and salsa, nice people at the counter, Reed's ginger beer and regular beer, Papalote is pretty good for mid-ranged "cheap" mexican.