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