Regulars bring their friends to Gorditos for the selection, the fast service, and what they call the Baby Burrito.

“Come on,” my friend said one hungry day around lunchtime. “I know the best place for burritos – and it’s not on the Ave!” My tummy growling, I squeezed into the back seat (really, the open storage area) of my friend’s two-door, and with that, we headed to Greenwood.

When we arrived after catching some free parking in an inconspicuous parking lot adjacent to the restaurant, I stared at the menu, jaw to the floor. I could get a caesar salad with beef and beans, ceviche tostada, and even at 2 p.m., huevos rancheros.

As I stood agape, my amiga took the liberty of ordering me a Baby Burrito.

“Churi!” I protested. “I’m so hungry. I was going to at least get a bowl.” When she insisted, I begrudgingly shelled out $9 and made a note to eat extra tortilla chips antes de almorzar. The house salsa is delicious.

Imagine my surprise when a burrito the size of a newborn arrived in front of me 8 minutes later. Churi laughed. Then I got the joke. She pointed out a sign next to the cash register. Side by side were two photos: one of a dish similar to mine, the other a small baby – and one measured up to the other.

So I ate as much as I possibly could of my baby-sized burrito (I got about three-quarters in before calling it quits and letting the rest slosh into a to-go box), shook my head, and loosened my belt.

When you visit Gorditos, you can order the huge dish, but ask for it’s official name, the “Grande Burrito,” if one of the newer employees is at the counter. You’ll also be impressed by the rest of the menu, especially las "aguas frescas" and "el flan." Don’t miss the house-blend, “family” salsa—it’s delicious, and like all the other fixings in the salsa bar, it’s free-flowing.

One drawback? The restaurant doesn’t do substitutions. And even though they do warn, “If you order spicy, be prepared, chili crops are inconsistent making ‘spicy’ levels vary,” it’s still disappointing to ask for a spicy Mexican dish and get one that’s mild, at best. But I like pulling a fast-one on my friends too much to let those details get in the way of my periodic Gorditos field trips with the unsuspecting.

Gorditos Healthy Mexican Food
213 N. 85th St., Seattle

Foto cortesía de: http://www.flickr.com/photos/risk/

Valoración de los usuarios: / 0
PobreEl mejor