El Bracero

El Bracero burrito digest review
4100 Franklin St. (US 421)
Michigan City, IN 46360 MAP
(219) 872-0760
Hours:
N/A

June 18th, 2005. 2:30 p.m.

After spending the morning on the beach at Mt. Baldy on Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, it was time for a late lunch. My wife and I drove around a little looking for a small, undiscovered Taqueria. No such luck. We went to El Bracero (meaning “the farmhand”) which we both had enjoyed in the past. Let’s see how their steak burrito faired.

Unfortunately there was no steak burrito in the a la carte section of the menu. Only beef or chicken burritos. The waiter suggested the “Giant Burrito Ranchero”. This burrito is described in the menu as “A huge flour tortilla stuffed with chunks of grilled beef or chicken, lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, cheese and beans; topped with our special cheese sauce.” “Grilled beef or steak?” I asked the waiter. I didn’t want another “pot roast” burrito. He assured me it was steak, so I ordered the burrito sans the sauce on top.

The chips were very good and arrived warm and unbroken. My wife was not a fan of the salsa and ordered guacamole to go with the chips. The salsa had a slight vinegar-like taste with black pepper overtones. That description might be way off, but the flavor was hard to pin down. At any rate, I liked it enough to keep eating it.

The burrito arrived grilled and wrapped in lousy fashion with both ends open. I imagine it was wrapped this way as to be eaten with a knife and fork since it was supposed to come with sauce on top. After taking the measurements and a quick re-wrap, it was time to eat. Despite the deceivingly semi-large size, this burrito was light on filling. This fact was verified by the relatively low weight. Indeed, there was not much steak inside at all. The steak was charred more than I would have liked albeit with a decent flavor.

El Bracero is not the place to order a steak burrito (since they really don’t offer one a la carte) or the “Giant Burrito Ranchero”. This burrito was not giant by any means, and its price per ounce is the highest yet. Contrast this burrito that is almost 50¢ per ounce to the best value so far at a hair over 20¢ per ounce. I will say that my wife had an excellent meal. She ordered the “Mexican Flag Combo” for $6.99 which is “Three chicken enchiladas, one topped with special green sauce, one with special cheese sauce, and one with red sauce; served with rice, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo.” We will continue to go to El Bracero and order menu items similar to what my wife got, we (and you) just now know what not to get.



Weight: 15.3 ounces
Length: 10.5 inches
Circumference: 8.75 inches
Price: $7.49 or 49¢ an ounce
Beer availability: Yes

Flavor: 5/10 sombreros
Value: 4/10 sombreros

La Chiquita

La Chiquita
2577 Portage Mall
Portage, IN 46368 MAP
(219) 763-6413
Hours:
N/A

June 9th, 2005. 12:00 p.m.

Upon seating myself in the non-smoking section at La Chiquita, I had the unpleasant experience of having my knees sticking to the clear vinyl that was covering the tablecloth. I quickly ordered the burrito ($7.95!) and awaited the chips and salsa that I hoped would take my mind off the vinyl.

The chips were very good although they were broken quite a bit. The coloring of the chips was also inconsistent. Some were much darker than others leading me to think they were re-fried or from a different batch that was overcooked. I’m not sure why I even commented on that, as the coloring had no affect on taste. The salsa was excellent and would turn out to be the highlight of the meal.

When the burrito arrived, I noticed a small pool of juice coming from the right side (see 1st burrito pic). I immediately thought, “A well wrapped burrito shouldn’t be leaking.” I soon realized I was correct when I grabbed the burrito to weigh it and the whole underside fell open! It was as if the cook threw the ingredients on the plate, put a tortilla on top, and merely tucked it under and around the filling. An award for “worst folding job” should be given here. The filling in this burrito consisted of steak and beans. That’s it. So I did my best to flip the thing over, eat some of the steak and beans out, and refold the burrito. Before I refolded the burrito, I noticed how it looked like a ripped open carcass or Jesse Ventura’s chest cavity after it was blasted open in the movie Predator (see 2nd burrito pic). Yuck. This review was quickly becoming comical. As far as taste goes, the steak was good but very greasy. The grease and obvious lack of ingredients absolutely ruined my dining experience. Thank goodness there was some lettuce and tomato on the side to break the monotony of this Atkins-fest.

Well, what else can I say about this burrito that hasn’t already been said about an annual prostate exam? I think awarding 4 out of 10 sombreros for flavor may prove to be generous.





Weight: 19.1 ounces
Length: 8 inches
Circumference: 9.5 inches
Price: $7.95 or 41.6¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No

Flavor: 4/10 sombreros
Value: 6/10 sombreros

Taqueria Los Comalitos

Taqueria Los Comalitos
6929 Calumet Avenue
Hammond, IN 46324 MAP
(219) 852-0380
Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Update: July 17th, 2008.

CLOSED!

June 4th, 2005. 4:00 p.m.

My wife and I were coming back from the Livin’ It skate/BMX ministry in Tinley Park, Illinois when hunger hit us both. After dodging rain, we hopped into a restaurant neither of us had been to before.

We quickly attacked the chips and salsa the second the waiter put them on the table. The chips were good (above average) and the salsa was on the hot side. The waiter brought out some pico de gallo at no charge when my wife asked if they had anything milder. The pico was very good and had a limey taste, which I liked. There were also a couple of squeeze bottles that contained a hot salsa verde and a red salsa that was very similar to the salsa that came with the chips.

I must say I was immediately disappointed upon seeing my steak burrito cut in half AND with a grilled tortilla. You can check out my reviews of Rancho Grande and El Señor Sombrero to see why I was dismayed. Digging into the first half of the burrito I felt like I was eating a bean burrito that contained some steak. The steak I did encounter was on the fatty side. I couldn’t get the flavor of the steak due to the overwhelming amount of beans. The second half of the burrito faired better with less beans and more steak. What I experienced here and have before elsewhere could be described as poor ingredient distribution. The steak did have a good flavor to it but was drawn down by the fattiness. In addition to the steak and beans, the burrito contained rice, lettuce, tomato and cheese.

Los Comalitos offers up an average steak burrito with pretty good value. With the large number of Mexican restaurants in Hammond and nearby East Chicago (which I plan on visiting soon!), I feel you can find someplace more satisfying with comparable value.



Weight: 19.5 ounces
Length: 8.5 inches
Circumference: 9.5 inches
Price: $5.45 or 27.9¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No

Flavor: 5/10 sombreros
Value: 8/10 sombreros

El Mariachi - Lansing

El Mariachi
18331 Torrence Avenue
Lansing, IL 60438 MAP
(708) 889-1937
Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

June 2nd, 2005. 1:30 p.m.

Located about a mile south of I-80/I-94 on Torrence Avenue in Lansing is El Mariachi. I had driven by there before but never stopped in to eat. Time to change that. This restaurant features an expansive lunch and dinner menu with 43 items excluding a’ la carte.

The steak burrito at El Mariachi was pretty big at just under two pounds. It featured beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sour cream. The flavor was very good and the steak was juicy with only one piece of fat that did not offend. The juiciness of the steak coupled with a little too much sour cream lent to a burrito that began to fall apart and drip as I got to the end. You’ll be glad to know that I held it together and finished the burrito with only a small pool of juice on the plate and minimal mess on my fingers.

With two pounds of food sitting in my stomach, I had a hard time going for some chips and salsa, but duty called. The chips were average and accompanied by a salsa that seemed like a cross between pico de gallo and traditional red salsa. The flavor was real good so I continued to throw more down my gullet. Whew, I was stuffed.

El Mariachi comes recommended for its very good steak burrito and great value. Bring your appetite or a partner for the burritos. The depth of menu and nice interior (i.e. not stark, with tablecloths!) also make this restaurant ideal for going out to dinner with friends and family or your significant other as well.



Weight: 29.6 ounces
Length: 9 inches
Circumference: 10.75 inches
Price: $5.99 or 20.2¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No

Flavor: 8.5/10 sombreros
Value: 10/10 sombreros