Taco Gordo — Restaurant in Burlington

Just truly not good Mexican food. It was as though a white college kid made me a burrito at his house but was running out of ingredients. I looked at the menu, hoping for a steak burrito, I was quite hungry. The server asked if I wanted anything, I asked if the $5.50 guacamole came with chips. She said no those were separate items. Ok, I’ll have the $5 chips and salsa. I got a basket of corn chips and a plastic container of what looked and tasted like BBQ sauce. I was going to ask for some fresh salsa but noticed a salsa bar, I went over and there was some salsa verde and more of the BBQ-esque salsa. I got some salsa verde and went back to eat chips. I ordered the gordo supreme burrito with ground beef since there was no steak option. It listed a fully loaded burrito on the menu, sounded great! I took a big first bite making sure to really get past the tortilla. The filling was kind of like a purée of some sort. Is that beef? I took another bite. It seemed to be some kind of paste beef purée. Do they put the ground beef in a blender? I took another bite seeking the rice beans, cheese, cabbage, crema and salsa verde. There was some rice and a small amount of beans but the amount of cabbage, cheese and crema was so insignificant I really had to investigate to confirm there was any at all. This was just a bad burrito. I continued to eat the burrito but did momentarily consider putting it down and walking out after the 3rd bite. As I was eating it I thought “there’s no way a Mexican person made this”. I got up and looked into the kitchen. There were 2 young white men cooking up the mediocrity, one on his phone. There are Mexican people in every kitchen in every type of restaurant in the US, but somehow this Mexican restaurant did not have any making the Mexican food, and it was evident in the burrito. The burrito was just not good. Everyone working there was a white college kid or just out of college. The food is served in a plastic basket, with little plastic containers for salsa. It’s like an indoor hot dog stand that decided to dim the lights and make burritos and tacos so they can charge more $. I ended up paying $30 after tip for a bad burrito, a basket of corn chips and a seltzer. It happens, but there’s no chance this would be a 4.5 star restaurant in any location that had decent Mexican restaurants or food trucks. I hope they begin to put more thought and care into the food they prepare, serve on actual plates to reduce waste and please, please let Mexican people make the Mexican food or at least oversee the process! Alternatively, let the young white guys make burgers and stop trying to be a...

We got Taco Gordo for takeout (haven't dined in yet). Got a brisket taco, carnitas taco, a burrito, salad, and a few sauces. I'd give the spot 3.5 if I could, but going with 4 here since they really make a great effort to keep their produce sources local, which is awesome. The tacos are on the small side (you'll definitely want more than one or two), and definitely too expensive for what they are (albeit only by a buck or two). The brisket was pretty dry which was a bit disappointing, if they used the brisket you can get at Meyer's it would be killer. The carnitas was delicious though, super flavorful and had a great crunch. The sauces were great also, specifically the medium spice serrano one. The salad and burrito were also both small for the price, and the chicken in the burrito was a bit dry. Given a regular bean burrito is $9, with chicken added an additional $3 (not sure if it's local chicken), and a light smear of guacamole at another $2, a $14 smaller burrito with dry chicken, minimal guac, rice and beans is on the overly-pricy side - especially when compared to a place like Bueno y Sano. Overall, if things were just a little less dry and a few bucks cheaper across the board, this place would be one of my most-visited spots in town (who doesn't love tacos?!). Hopefully with more success they'll find a way to decrease cost just slightly, as it's definitely tough to compete with chains AND afford what I assume to be absurdly high rent in one of Burlington's fastest growing...

It's Taco Tuesday in Burlington's old North end and there's no better place to be, than Taco Gordo. It's a local hub of loud, standing room only, self-service deliciousness served up in baskets of bueno. With a full bar, and a creative Inez mixing up everything from standards to special requests, you really can't go wrong. Start with the chips and guac, especially if you're like me and love your fatty avocado cut with a little extra acid...and don't forget the agua, because there's no sparing the salt on the snappy house made tortillas. It was tempting to try it all...but I limited myself to a taco tinga, pork tamale, and guac tostada. The tostada arrived crispy with a healthy dose of cilantro that I really enjoyed. The taco was both light and satisfying with a good mix of flavors...if you're seeking senseless heat, this is not a hot pepper challenge. It's good authentic food. While the masa was on the dry side (likewise the rice), the pork tamale was full of flavor. With a side of rice and beans, my three choices turned out to be more than enough for a fulfilling and enjoyable meal. It's close quarters, but most of our nearby diners we're friendly and eager to share in conversation. I was concerned about one man at the bar who appeared to be gnawing on his forearm, until I watched him dip it in salsa verde and realized it was a massive burrito. Next time, Taco Gordo...next...