On the Richmond Burrito Trail: Macdonald Avenue’s walk-up restaurant Tacos El Indio
Tacos El Indio is an order-at-the-window restaurant attached to the La Fortuna Latina Mercado Y Carniceria on Macdonald Avenue. The cheerfully painted red and green concession stand-style food place blends into the grocery store so well that we’d never noticed it.
We were four Yelp pages in when we realized there was a burrito opportunity to be had on Lower D. Also, on Yelp, the business promised its dishes were “100 percent authentic from secret family recipes.” One review said the nearby Richmond librarians recommended the place, while other reviews were less kind.
The menu is plastered high on the wall, and you order through a waste-high window of the lonely outpost hidden away from busy Macdonald Avenue. We ordered a Super Carnitas Burrito, and a young slab maker immediately tossed a tortilla on the grill. We hate a steamed tortilla, so we were off to a good start.
First bite impressions were juicy and porky, followed by a wave of comforting warmth from the beans and rice washing over you. Sour cream and cheese round out the burrito fillings. The burrito got better as we tucked into the second half. The pockets of unmelted cheese at the beginning of the burrito entirely melted into the beans and rice, and tasty red salsa upped the heat.
Maybe the 12 minutes it took from when we left Tacos El Indio location, arrived back at Grandview HQ, sliced our burrito in half, and artfully arranged our silver wonder on a plate wasn’t long enough. What is the ideal time from construction to consumption for a burrito to support a self-sustaining chain reaction of slab magic?
Tacos El Indio’s tasty Super Carnitas Burrito felt more significant than the 671 grams noted on our kitchen scale. Munching on the grilled pepper and onion included on the side, plus the hot salsa, was enough to make us sweat. The ingredient mix was good but a bit light on the Carnitas. We finished this satisfying burrito from a location we’d never noticed before and were not left hungry.
Like many Richmond taquerias, Tacos El Indio withholds guacamole, which makes us sad. Even just a little bit belongs on a Super Burrito. The price is right: the Super Carnitas Burrito only costs $13.11.
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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