Nate's Korner — Restaurant in Santa Ana

So I found Nates by chance when I did a Google search for "best breakfast burrito" near me. Nates was the first place on the list and not far away. As I was on my own that morning, I decided to check it out.

To start with, the parking lot was smaller and shared with a 7-Eleven, so parking is a chore. Upon entering the establishment is unimpressive, even a little beat up. There were not enough tables for the number of people, and the line starts right upon entering. With the number of people is such a "normal" place certainly makes the right impression. There is a reason to be here, and it's not the decor.

The girl who took my order was both super friendly and helpful. When I explained that this was my first time, and that from the menu I thought to try the two eggs, two meat burrito, she explained the toppings and then asked if I wanted it spicy. The end product, as described, sounded awesome, and I couldn't wait to try it.

For $12+, I was hoping for the best, and I was not disappointed. It takes a good 10min for them to complete your order as there are a lot of people ordering food. When they call your name and hand you your bag, don't forget to ask for salsa. The weight alone is impressive. I hurried home as I could not wait to taste my order.

Once home, with a big glass of milk, I unwrapped my breakfast and was pleasantly surprised to find that it had been cut in half, which is needed as this thing was large. It could easily feed two people. My first bite was a little heavy in the tortilla side but every bite after that was a perfect combination of egg, bacon, sausage, cheese, onion, cilantro and just required me to add a little salsa.

By the time I got through with the first half, I was well on my way to being full. Since saving and reheating a burrito does not seem like a great idea, I took a good 15-minute rest before starting in on the second half. 😅 When I was mostly done, the burrito was still warm, but I just could not finish it. In the end, it was delicious!!!

I can't wait to go back and try...

HUGE Breakfast Burritos!

I've been going here inconsistently since I was in high school and the breakfast burritos never miss.

Months ago I mistakenly ordered Nate's Favorite (which is definitely not my favorite) because I forgot what I had gotten originally when I first fell in love with the place. And today, I had ordered the Breakfast Steak Burrito. IT IS THE ONE!

The menu has quite a bit of items but I believe their best known for their breakfast burritos. Simply walk up to the register, place your order, and wait for your name to be called. I went shortly after they opened this morning and it only took about 8 minutes for my burrito to be ready.

How was it?

Breakfast Steak Burrito: Simple, yet effective. It's a very large burrito guaranteed to give you food coma. It contains two eggs, hashbrowns (crispy!), white American cheese, and salsa. I requested it to be spicy (versus regular) and it has little jalapenos inside. So good. I feel like the hashbrowns and jalapenos definitely make it so much better.

Service was good, the only interaction I had was at the register when I placed my order and when I received my food.

A decent amount of seating inside and some seats outside.

Parking is minimal, the lot is very small and it's at the corner of the intersection. I could imagine the difficulty at certain hours.

Definitely...

Pistachio for scale. Ok for real, I will never get over how amazing Nate's is. I discovered this place over ten years ago when working near south coast plaza and any time I'm in the area, early enough for a breakfast burrito craving I'm there. Don't let the mess of a second picture fool you that's just plain amazingness of a three meat three egg burrito with added peppers, onions and jalapeno. When you ask for extra anything there, they put extra, not like other places. The hashbrowns in those burritos are always crispy, and honestly for the size, the price can't be beat. This is easily top three for me in terms of breakfast burritos.

About the place itself, it's priced well. The staff, whether it's ordering ahead via phone or in person, are always so polite and welcoming, and answer any questions for newbies. The place is small but very clean. I also love that you can see the open kitchen in the back and see how they make the food. I can't speak about other items because I only get breakfast burritos here but I'm certain that if they make their burritos this well, they do the same with everything else. Make sure to get their house salsa it's better than the tapatio packets and only fifty cents. Honestly, if I lived closer, I'd have to hit the gym way more just from how often...