Bean? Machaca? Green Chile? No matter your favorite filling, Phoenix is full of interesting spots to take down a burrito. And these three spots are no exception. This list includes a colorful taqueria decorated with Mexican folk heroes, a taste of the borderlands on Grand Avenue, and a little stand in downtown Gilbert with an unusual mascot.
They’re all funky spots I’d gladly share with out-of-towners who’ve had their fill of turkey and gravy because each one offers a unique take on one of Arizona’s favorite foods.
As you make your November dining plans, I recommend eating these three burritos first.
La Santisima is known for its wild, colorful style and inventive Guadalajara-style tacos. But a burrito stole the show during a recent lunch to this beloved 16th Street taqueria.
A specialty from the coastal states of Sonora and Sinaloa, smoked marlin has a reddish-pink flesh and an intense salty flavor that’s akin to a strong tuna. It’s usually found in soft tacos, often alongside fried bulbs of fish or shrimp, but here it can be ordered in the Mazatlan Marlin burrito ($15.99), stuffed with rice, toasted Oaxacan cheese and the restaurant’s fruity style of guacamole. The bright avocados balanced the gaminess of the flakey fish, which is cooked with veggies like carrots, peas and onions that mellow the flavor. The result is more subtle than a typical marlin taco, and one I’ll be coming back for.
Best things I ate this week:Burrata, a smoky burrito and clam linguini
Details: Two locations, 4117 N. 16th St., Phoenix. 602-254-6330 and 5932 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale. 623-939-3292. lasantisimagourmet.com.
Chihuahua is the largest state in Mexico and home to the vibrant alcoholic spirit sotol, a tribe of world-renowned indigenous athletes and Fernando Hernández, the owner of Testal, a counter service restaurant on Grand Avenue in Phoenix where he serves Chihuahuan-style burritos.
What really sets Testal’s burritos apart is the fluffy tortilla, made from flour, water and vegetable shortening, with no preservatives. The restaurant’s kitchen staff follows the recipe of Hernández’s mom, Ana Saldaña. They roll them by hand and run them through a machine every morning.
The burritos themselves are thinner, rather than bulging with fillings, and they’re not sealed up on the ends. After eating almost every burrito on the menu, I realized that the fillings themselves play a minor role in this epic performance.
They’re all delicious, whether made from soft chicharron, shredded beef in chile verde or one of the vegan options like picadillo with vegan ground beef. But beans ($4) were my favorite of the bunch, because who doesn’t adore a lush refried bean burrito, especially when the thin burrito shape allows for a more sumptuous tortilla in every bite.
Regional burrito tour:Try these Chihuahua-style burritos on Grand Avenue
Details: 1325 NW Grand Ave., suite 1, Phoenix. 602-384-9993, testalphx.square.site.
I admit it, I was drawn to this walkup burrito stand not by the menu, but by an anthropomorphic rodent in a forest ranger’s hat. At Topo, in downtown Gilbert, the roof is flanked by a 7-foot-tall statue of a gopher.
The Spanish word “topo” commonly refers to a mole (which, if we’re splitting hairs, is technically a different species from the gopher), as well as an epically disturbing Alejandro Jodorowsky movie.
The roadside attraction is the brainchild of Joe Johnston, the owner of Joe’s Farm Grill, who knows how to appeal to our childish sense of whimsy.
As far as the food goes, they serve just two burritos, a cup of elote and vanilla and prickly pear soft serve ice cream.
The more basic Topo Burrito is made with pork and beans, but when ordering under the shadow of a giant gopher, it seems appropriate to get a little crazy, so I recommend the Topo Loco ($8.50), which is stuffed with Fritos corn chips, juicy pulled pork, creamy elote corn dip and a soft dollop of refried beans. The Fritos provided a nice crunchy texture. This isn’t classic Mexican food, but it is an interpretation that feels right at home in Arizona.
Read more about Topo:Critic’s Notebook chronicles the bites I ate in metro Phoenix
Details: 301 N. Gilbert Road, building 2, Gilbert. topoarizona.com.
Reach reporter Andi Berlin at amberlin@azcentral.com or 602-444-8533. Follow her on Facebook @andiberlin, Instagram @andiberlin or Twitter @andiberlin.
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