Burritos La Palma — Restaurant in El Monte

Burritos La Palma is a tough restaurant for me to review, because they are such a unique operation, and they do a few key things unexpectedly well. Rather than a deep-dive into why this Zacatecan restaurant serves slender burritos that can fit into one's palm that many people (myself included) also would consider to be tacos, I'll simply leave it at that. Also, I'll save the burrito history lesson for another review. And as much as other reviewers and food critics alike want to write about how Burritos La Palma somehow brought beef birria to Southern California, this notion is mistaken and, in fact, not even close to being accurate -- but since I don't have a better or more definitive answer, I'm avoiding that one as well.

The first burrito I tried at Burritos La Palma was their "Tinga de Pollo Burrito." The chicken tinga recipe they use here results in a juicy, mildly-spiced tinga that is dominated by pork nectar and smokiness from its chipotle chiles. It is a messy, drippy guisado that demands a strong tortilla. The hand-pressed flour tortillas used at Burritos La Palma are based on a family recipe and are indeed both stout and fantastic: substantial, moist, a little chewy, with a flavor that makes me think "biscuits" not "burritos."

The "Birria, Frijoles y Queso Burrito" makes even better use of the tortilla: they lay it on a griddle for a bit to help melt the cheese inside the burrito. The toasted surface creates a different flavor and texture on one side of the burrito, making it distinctively quirky. The feisty beef birria inside is well-spiced and decadently soft. The combination of their beef birria, refried beans, and salty, creamy queso in their half-toasted flour tortilla creates a whole that is superior to the the sum of its parts.

I would avoid ordering the "Flautas de Maiz," basically bone-dry taquitos with a small bit of shredded beef and a mild runny green sauce on it. As with many taquitos, the predominant flavor of these flautas was the deep-fried corn tortilla shell. This dish desperately needs more meat and less tortilla. I wanted to throw something when I realized the same restaurant that makes wonderful little burritos was also capable of producing something like this. Can't win 'em all I suppose.

Burritos La Palma now operates several stores across L.A. county and Orange County, but this location in El Monte is their original restaurant that opened in 2012. The ladies working here were engaging and willing to chat a bit about the food, and the shop was immaculately clean. I was impressed by their complimentary chips and salsa, which were outlandishly good. Upon completion of my visit here, I found that the hype and praise this operation receives is legitimate, and next time I'll solely stick to the burritos, which is what I advise you...

MÉXICO 🇲🇽 (Zacatecas) Eat the World LA review: Zacatecas is not the first place you think about when the topics of flour tortillas or burritos come to mind, but the Bañuelos family has been trying to change that since 1980 and their days making this type of tortilla back home in Jerez, a place that formerly only used corn tortillas. The state of Zacatecas is large and sends wide and thin tentacles in every direction from its center in North-Central México, making it a place that would naturally pull in cultures and customs from those that surround it.

Putting Zacatecan guisados inside the flour discs produced by their tortilleria started as casual meals for family and employees but then became popular when others had the chance to try and eventually laid the foundation of Burritos La Palma. Nine shops opened in Zacatecas before Alberto Bañuelos decided to open up shop in El Monte and expand the empire north to feed Zacatecans who had moved to Los Angeles but still had good memories of his family's business.

The birria de res is probably the original and still the most popular selection, always satisfying. All locations back home and here in Los Angeles still use the recipe of his parents. The harmony that is created by these stews wrapped up in chewy, dense, heavy, stretchy flour tortillas is a feat, as is the fact that each one is pressed...

Clarification: their burritos are not burritos. They are enchiladas. Burritos La Palma should be called Enchiladas La Palma. We all know what a burrito is...and those are not burritos. They are either enchiladas or a taco using a flour tortilla.

Saying that, after reading many reviews, today was my first time there and I let the cashier know that. I asked for the 3 burrito special but was told that they don't have that anymore and that all "burritos" are sold individually.

There was a special sign next to the cash register. I ordered that which was 2 burritos special. This is what it was: 2 small enchiladas 😳😂, small portion of beans and a small portion of salad for around $14.00. That was it!!! OVER PRICED!!!

Yesterday night I went to Tijuana Tacos and ordered 6 tacos: 2 asada, 2 al pastor, and 2 chorizo which included a free portion of beans rancheros, free condiments (nopalitos, grilled onions, rabanos, salsa, and lemon) for around $14.00. The tacos were regular size tortillas...I may even.say bigger than Burritos La Palma "Burritos"🤔. Anyways, both Burritos La Palma and Tijuana Tacos food are delicious...but I prefer the second...