Something about eating this burrito reminded me of being at a resort on a tropical island, but the absence of a margarita with my meal kept me grounded in the pleasant Fenway area. I think it was the music, so I guess that’s a thumbs up for environment. The walls are lined with pictures of customers wearing El Pelon Taqueria shirts. It seems like a customer-oriented establishment. The photos are fun to look at if you’re having lunch alone.
The steak is chewy, but it’s well worth the chew. You get flavor with every chomp. Comparing steak to Starburst doesn’t sound particularly appealing, but if you can envision savoring the flavor with every bite until you swallow the Starburst, replace the sweet with savory and gumminess with a meaty consistency.
The burrito as a whole tasted fresh. It was a fresh kind of authentic with unique flavors that I haven’t experienced with other burritos. Let’s start with the salsa fresca. It was, indeed, pleasantly fresh: a nice toss up of tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. In addition, there were fresh jalapeños. They complemented the salsa well and were pleasantly hot, in the fresh way. Similarly so with the hot sauce. It was yellowish-green in color and had a similar degree of hotness. It’s the kind of hot that you feel the flavor of upon it gracing your tastebuds, but the ‘ah, hot’ effect sneaks up on you later. You’ll have a solid bite of this thing and five minutes later it’s like, “What the hell, why is my tongue burning?” You look down to see an empty container of extra hot sauce as you grab your complimentary water cup and book it to the soda machine. I’m normally a fan of chipotle mayo and, well, ALL the sauce, but even I wouldn’t suggest that for this burrito. It was good just the way it was. The lettuce even contributed to the flavor instead of floating around as just another ingredient. This burrito gave my arteries a break.
As steamy as it may get with all that fresca hotness, the rice and beans simmer down the feisty flavor. The seasoned tomato Mexican rice is alright with its subtle hints of cheese, but the beans are bangin’. They have an excellent consistency, something like chunky mashed potatoes. Me gusta.
Pleibian Potato 