Hey Juan Burritos — Restaurant in Arcata

I mean... wow. Where do I even start. I can't even begin to articulate the impact that my experience of going to Hey Juans Burritos had on me, but dear God is it worth a shot. I guess I should provide you with some context. It was a rainy afternoon here in Humboldt County. The first of many to come, as any local would tell you. As a college student here, broke, hungry, and desperate for a will to live, I decided to walk from campus to the gas station down town. I scrounged up $1.07 from my wallet to buy a fountain Diet Pepsi, something to get me through the day. The transaction was quick and easy, the cashier clearly questioning my excitement over my newly aquired cancer in a cup. Nevertheless I trucked on in the relentless rain, passing many restaurants and cafes on my way. None that caught my eye though. The rain and wind was getting stronger, and I had a one track mind at this point: just get back to campus. Then in the midst of the storm, happening both outside and inside of my mind, I passed an open door of one of said restaurants, and stopped dead in my tracks. A golden glow came from the windows, a whiff of something similiar to a warm hug wafted from inside, music like an enchanting spell to be heard even over the treacherous downpour. Am I in a dream, I thought? Slowly I turned, and there it was. Hey Juans Burritos. As a local, I felt foolish and serendipitously lucky all at once. How many times have I walked passed this, blinded by my own ignorance to not have noticed such a glorious haven? The choice of what to do next was clear. I snapped my umbrella shut, took a deep breath, and entered. The entrance was small but inviting, much like that of Heavens. I walked right up to the counter and ordered: one bean rice and cheese burrito with sour cream and green salsa, please. The saint behind the counter rang me up, and spun the IPad around where an "Enter Tip Amount" prompt greeted me. Oh what the heck, a buck eighty, just for you. I sat down and took in the sights. A lone wolf downing a beer and some tacos to my right, a middle aged couple enjoying a casual Wednesday date to my left. Straight ahead, the chef (bearded white guy hiding his slight smile and wayward eyes behind a cap) hustled to make everyones dish. In no time, he called me over and handed me my burrito, the mere warmth of it causing me to shed a tear. And my journey continued. From the sanctum I stepped out, back into this cruel world and headed back to campus. I have never walked faster in my life, practically trembling from excitement, high off of anticipation. I finally arrived at the depot, set my lunch down, and settled into a comfy chair. Jazz music was playing in the speakers above. The tinfoil hugging my burrito glistened under the magical hue of the lights, practically whispering my name. And let me tell you. It was love at first bite. Have you ever watched ASMR Anime cooking videos on YouTube? Yeah, it was like that. The softness of the tortilla, the saltiness of the beans, the stretchiness of the cheese. God, it was all you could ask for. I continued to indulge for the next 10ish minutes straight, each bite more heavenly than the last. I watched the rain fall, washing down every other bite with my crisp Diet Pepsi, wishing that the moment could last forever. I'm not kidding, it was one of the top moments of my entire life, and I've lived an AMAZING life. When I die, and a highlight reel of all my best memories play during the last seconds of my existence, this meal will play at least 4 times. I've abandoned my religion but best believe I prayed and thanked the Lord while eating today. That Hey Juans Burritos burrito put me in a trance. I imagine doing LSD is similar. When that last bite came, I savored it like there was no tomorrow. The spell of the burrito slowly began to wear off, easing me back into reality. I sipped the last of my Diet Pepsi, sat back, and shed another tear. I am beyond fortunate to have come across Hey Juans Burritos today. They are a testiment to the fact that, Heaven is a place on...

I don’t know if someone recently bought out Hey Juan or what, but they have gone seriously downhill. I haven’t eaten there until tonight in about a month-2 months and was incredibly disappointed to see that not only had the menu changed, but the quality of food had as well. I moved here from the LA area and struggled to find good mexican food, but I quite enjoyed Hey Juan up until now. Tonight I ordered for the first time in a while and half the things I tried to order no longer existed and the things I did order were completely different than they previously had been. The prices went up and the quality went down. The nachos had half the amount of toppings. The burrito was mostly just filled with rice, all while being smaller but the same price as the previously huge burrito. The chicken itself on both dishes just tasted like a bland, dry, shredded rotisserie chicken??? I am so disappointed and likely will not be returning. I don’t know what happened but to me it feels like someone bought them out and tried to make the food even more “american” (aka bland as hell). I don’t usually write reviews, especially negative ones, but i felt like this needed to be heard. So...

I had the simply vegetarian enchilada combo pinto beans , rice with the hot sauce then an order of chips and salsa - the salsas I ordered were hot sauce and the devil spit sauce Honest feedback - Areas needing improvement 1. Chips - they taste store bought and not homemade and way too salty Devil spit sauce - it’s hot for sure but the recipe and or heat level takes away from any flavor - Areas that are awesome - Rice and pinto beans were on point - great seasoning , flavor and texture on both - Veggie enchilada - tasted fresh , cooked and seasoned perfectly just a great bite of food Outstanding exceptional areas The hot sauce - it’s green based and has a very strong heat level with amazing flavor - this sauce is one of the absolute best hot sauces I have ever eaten and I’m a “ pepper head” this is one special sauce they should bottle it if they don’t already Customer service was excellent I highly recommend this place you won’t be...