On the Richmond Burrito Trail: Angel's Restaurant breakfast edition
We were greeted with a question.
Do you want a burrito?
Yes, but how did she know?
She knew. It was a cold morning, but we were motivated to venture out into the world and find something warm and tasty. A sandwich board placed on the sidewalk out front lured us in, so we dashed inside Angel's Restaurant on San Pablo Avenue in the burgeoning North and East Foodie District.
Angel's is nestled into an unassuming building between a liquor store and a gas station. As we walked the long stretch from Angel's Restaurant's front door to the counter on our way back, our order taker started a rapid-fire list of possible combinations we weren't quite awake enough for. Veggies? Steak? In the morning? No, please. We blurted out BACON and then added beans to our order.
The restaurant was empty. "It's cold," she said. "People are not coming out to eat." We told her we came out BECAUSE it was cold.
Inside is unexpected, with the walls a crispy gray and blue in contrast to the bright orange and rocky exterior. One wall hosts a Virgin of Guadalupe altar, and another is adorned with Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Maria Felix photos.
We had just read Cesar Hernandez's 10 best breakfast burritos in the San Francisco Chronicle, and suddenly a whole new genre of Burrito Eating blossomed in front of us.
Cesar Hernandez
OMG, guys, we can eat burritos for BREAKFAST!
Breakfast Burritos wrap a whole morning meal in a tortilla. Eggs, potatoes, cheese, and breakfast meats mingle together in a handheld package. You'll trade the rice in a typical burrito for potatoes--this is the one time we think it is acceptable to lose the arroz. Some slab artists use hash browns or tater tots. Angel's uses peppery home fries that were still piping hot when we returned to Grandview Independent Headquarters.
Slicing into Angel's Restaurant's Bacon Breakfast Burrito revealed a nice mixture of eggs, potatoes, beans, bacon, and salsa. The perfectly cooked custardy scrambled eggs found their way into every nook and cranny of the interior, while the creamy refried beans helped hold everything together. The bacon was crispy and stayed so until the last bite. The cheese melted into everything, gooily improving everything it touched.
The burrito topped out at 561 grams, which seemed like a good size to fill you up, but not enough to make you want to slip back into bed for a nap. We splashed some spicy red salsa on the comforting eggy carb tube to bring the warm coziness to the next level and fuel the day's work.
Angel's Restaurant offers tons of other breakfast options, from Pancakes, French Toast, and Eggs Benedict to Chorizo Scrambles and Huevos Rancheros. Yelp reviewers claim they have the "Best Breakfast Burrito in town." It was good, but we are going to have to eat a few more Breakfast Burritos before we make that proclamation.
The total for our Bacon Breakfast Burrito was just $11.28, so switching to breakfast is one small way we can fight against Burrito Inflation.
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.
Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible.
If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting local journalism with a Grandview Independent subscription. Here are our monthly and annual subscription plans.
Copyright © 2024 Grandview Independent, all rights reserved.
