Last month, we launched a spotlight series focused on local foods, because no one should need to search far for good food. We started with a quintessential American staple — bagels. Today, we turn to a food that serves as the perfect quick lunch or dinner when you’re heading to or from campus – BURRITOS! Keep in mind, as we mentioned in the first review, the locations we’re critiquing are narrowed to those in the immediate Newton area surrounding the BC Law campus.
We (Tess Halpern and Travis Salters) traveled to six different restaurants for burritos in the span of approximately two hours. To keep our orders consistent, we stuck to one chicken burrito, typically with lettuce, pico de gallo, rice, beans, and cheese inside. Needless to say, we didn’t feel our lightest after this experience. May our sacrifices serve the people!
Read on…
Teresa’s Market
Our first stop was Teresa Market in Brighton. Right off the bat, we knew we hit the jackpot. When you walk in, everything from the music playing to the sliced mango being sold at the register shows you’re entering an authentic Mexican establishment. Our burrito was made to order on the grill behind the counter, and it was the largest one we got all day. I don’t think we could’ve finished this one even if we didn’t have five more burritos to eat! But more than size, Teresa’s burrito had incredible flavor. This was the only burrito with any hint of spice that we had, and everything from the rice to the chicken was flavorful and well balanced.
When we were reflecting on this burrito later in the day, we started to doubt whether it really was this good or if we were just at our hungriest when we ate it. But the real sign of its deliciousness was in the order itself. After going to Teresa’s, we decided to order guacamole on each burrito to add an extra kick, so this was the only burrito we ate without that flavor boost. If their burrito was this good without guacamole, I’m sure it would’ve scored off the charts if given the chance.
Teresa’s Market: 9/10
Amelia’s Taqueria
Amelia’s was our next pit stop, located right in Cleveland Circle. This turned out to be a pretty standard burrito. There was a toppings bar where you could customize your meal, and there was a very nice man behind the counter putting it all together. I think Amelia’s might have been harmed slightly by its proximity in our list to Teresa’s, as almost any burrito right after that one was going to be a disappointment. There was nothing bad about this place, but nothing particularly great either.
Amelia’s: 6/10
El Pelón Taquería
If you’re looking for a convenient spot for a burrito while on Boston College’s main campus, you can’t do better than El Pelón in Chestnut Hill. However, that certainly doesn’t mean you can’t do better if you’re willing to venture farther than literally across the street. This is a more traditional takeout restaurant that doesn’t have the build-your-own options popular in most other establishments, so there are fewer ways to customize your order. The burrito itself also definitely didn’t knock our socks off. In fact, as we were eating it, we agreed that this burrito was so average it could almost serve as a baseline for all other burritos to compare to. I wouldn’t be mad to eat another burrito from El Palon, but thankfully most of the other places we tried were better than just average.
El Pelón: 5.5/10
Anna’s Taqueria
Next, we turned to a classic Newton establishment – Anna’s Taqueria. Most students on the BC campus are familiar with Anna’s because they cater many school events. When ordering at the location, they offer three different size burritos: a “regular” 10 inch, a “super” 12 inch, and a “super super” 24 inch. After eating a good amount of burritos already, we easily chose the regular, but it’s good to know you have options if you need a really substantial meal. However, one drawback at Anna’s is that they don’t offer as many topping options relative to most of the other restaurants.
Anna’s burrito was very solid and stuffed to capacity. The chicken had a nice charred flavor, but the burrito could’ve used a bit more of that chicken instead of so much rice and beans. The strongest element of this burrito was the tortilla, which was tender, but wouldn’t stick to the roof of your mouth or in your teeth.
Anna’s: 7/10
Los Amigos
Los Amigos is the best option to try if you’re on the BC Law campus because of its proximity in the Newtonville shopping area on Walnut Street. Los Amigos also provided a significantly heavier and fuller burrito than most other places, aside from Teresa’s. Additionally, there were more topping options at Los Amigos than anywhere else. You can fill a burrito with steak, chicken, pork, shrimp, or a combination of any of these proteins, and they also have fajita vegetables, various salsas, and a brown rice option that we didn’t see anywhere else. If you’re really hungry, this is a great choice. However, what it provided in substance, it lacked in flavor. Fortunately, they have a bottle of Cholula hot sauce on every table to add some kick where needed.
Los Amigos scores a 6.5/10.
Los Amigos: 6.5/10
Tango Mango
Our last stop was Tango Mango in Newton Center. Honestly, we probably shouldn’t even review this burrito because at this point, it was difficult to even look at or smell the food we were about to eat. But, we persevered.
The best part about Tango Mango is the quick service. However, speed comes at a price. Unfortunately, this was the most disappointing burrito we ate all day, and I can say with confidence that it wasn’t just because we were full. The burrito was small and had almost no flavor, as all the ingredients tasted the same. I would try them again when I’m hungry for a burrito (which may be months from now!) to verify this assessment, but it wouldn’t be my first choice in the area.
Tango Mango: 4/10
Final Verdict:
1. Teresa’s Market
2. Anna’s Taqueria
3. Los Amigos
4. Amelia’s Taqueria
5. El Pelón Taquería
6. Tango Mango
Travis Salters is a third-year student at BC Law, and president of the Impact blog. Tess Halpern is a second-year student, and VP of Impact. Contact them at salterst@bc.edu, or halperte@bc.edu.
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