On the Richmond Burrito Trail: San Pablo Avenue's Mi Casa Grill
This week, the Richmond Burrito Trail stops on San Pablo Avenue at Mi Casa Grill, which sits at the edge of the Grocery Outlet parking lot, for some fancy silver slabs.
The owners of Mi Casa Grill turned a once desolate corner with a vacant building into a brightly decorated neighborhood destination.
We ordered a Grilled Veggie Burrito and a Cochinita Pibil Burrito. According to Wikipedia, cochinita pibil is a traditional Yucatec Mayan slow-roasted pork dish from the Yucatán Peninsula.
In the traditional preparation of cochinita, the meat is marinated in a highly acidic citrus juice, to which annatto seeds are added, giving it a vibrant burnt orange hue. The marinated meat is then wrapped in banana leaves and roasted in a píib, an underground oven. We’re not sure if Mi Casa Grill has an underground oven, but our wrap artist was able to turn out a delicious Cochinita Pibil Burrito.
The burritos are unique and well-executed. They come hot with all of the gooey cheese nicely melted. The flavorful rice had small bites of carrots, which we always appreciate. The veggies were fresh and perfectly prepared. The zucchini was delicately cooked and not mushy, while the carrots were cooked just enough to be tender.
It is the flavor that sets these super slabs apart. The pork was tangy, and the burritos overall were spicy. This isn’t home cooking; it is upscale restaurant fare. They call their meat protein and serve spinach tortillas upon request, which we chose to overlook. The burritos come with a choice of beans, rice, salsa, sour cream, and cheese.
The Cochinita Pibil Burrito weighed in at 635 grams which is on the small size, but we finished it and were left feeling stuffed. Burritos come with hot restaurant-made tortilla chips and three tasty fresh salsas.
Juvenal Magaña and Blanca Zepeda opened Mi Casa in February 2022 in the renovated building formerly home to Kwang Tung Restaurant. The restaurant boasts an array of murals on its walls, both inside and out.
According to the restaurant website, Mi Casa Grill follows the tradition of Mexican-home comfort food by providing homemade tortillas and bread with its dishes. The menu is filled with plates from Southern Mexico, such as the dinner dish Enchiladas Estilo Apatzingan or Apatzingan-Style Enchiladas from Michoacan, Mexico. The restaurant’s bar also serves specialty cocktails, beer, and wine. The owners also opened Biancoverde in Point Richmond’s Hotel Mac.
Danielle Parenteau-Decker
The bill
Mi Casa Grill gets a lot of love and some griping online about its prices. The total for two burritos was $35.12, which is kind of a lot for burritos but also kind of worth it for the flavor and quality ingredients. We’ll probably be back to sample Mi Casa’s non-burrito offerings.
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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