On the Richmond Burrito Trail: 23rd Street’s all-night truck-building El Tapatio Restaurant
The Richmond Burrito Trail makes a stop on 23rd Street, visiting all-night food truck-like El Tapatio Restaurant during the day. We’ve often found middle-of-the-night dining to be pretty limited around here. There is Nations Hamburgers and Andy’s, but we hear even they close these days. But El Tapatio Restaurant was always reliable and affordable.
Yelp users warn to bring a gun, or as it is located on Richmond’s main prostitution track, others claim it is the best place for burritos and hookers.
Middle of the night burrito runs can get interesting. During our last early morning visit, a shirtless man ran around the parking lot, screaming that someone in Concord had given him food poisoning. But a few women waiting for their orders were super friendly.
When we arrived for a Super Al Pastor Burrito mid-afternoon, all was calm. One couple dined at an outside table. She had an animated speakerphone conversation while he ate in silence. This location is another taco truck lookalike, but it is really an addition to the restaurant.
The burrito was a big 693-gram honker midway between a Mission and a Traditional Style. The Al Pastor itself was intensely flavored, smokey, herby, and freshly prepared according to our slab maker. The beans and rice were tasty and well-cooked.
There were a couple of downsides. The biggest was the large swatch of queso crema, sour cream, and maybe shredded cheese, too, that overwhelmed every other ingredient, like an uncomfortable amount of cream cheese on your bagel. The burrito was also somehow a tad dry and could have been a little saucier. We were able to finish the burrito and didn't eat dinner that night.
It comes with a little bag of round chips and some top-notch spicy salsas, which might have been the best part of the meal. The Super Al Pastor Burrito was an even $12, which is a bit of a deal as burritos continue their march toward the big twenty.
Our inner curmudgeon remembers when you could buy an El Tapatio burrito for less than $5. But that was another lifetime, gramps. Sure, things cost more, but things are better now. You don’t have to hang out in a parking lot on 23rd Street at 3 a.m. Not if you don’t want to.
Let us know where to eat next, and check back next week for another stop on the Richmond Burrito trail.
The Grandview Independent has been embarking on a culinary adventure to explore every taqueria, food truck, and restaurant in Richmond. This initiative dubbed the “Richmond Burrito Trail,” aims to showcase our city’s diverse and delectable burritos.
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