El Diablo Burrito - Devilishly Good.

On a rainy Saturday after mother nature had thwarted my plans to take the kids to the dog park I decided to head down to Trolley Square to get my laundry done. Conveniently Trolley is also home to several eateries so I could get my nosh on while my knickers were drying.






There has been a buzz around El Diablo since they opened a couple of months back. I usually only go to Trolley Square to drink at Logan House on Welfare Wednesdays (when Miller Lt. drafts are $1) so I hadn't had the opportunity to check it out yet. I headed in around 6:30 for dinner. The place has a kitschy appeal I love. The El Diablo logo is a cartoon style devil with a pitchfork skewered burrito. I ordered the first thing my eyes fell on: The Serrano Short Rib Burrito. Okay, I waived slightly. I originally was going to go with the taco version but changed my mind. I should have gone with my original instinct. The burrito version came out weighing 72lbs and I had to back my truck up to take my leftovers home. This is only a slight exaggeration.




The place is situated in Trolley Square's shopping center. Diamond shaped decals decorate the front window and they have two small tables outside for dining in the weather. Since the weather around here has been hot enough to make El Diablo feel right at home I chose to dine inside. The tables and chairs are all retro 60's style and quite comfy I might add. The walls alternate between bright blood red and a gray wallpapaer that has the El Diablo logo. After ordering my Serrano Short Rib Burrito ($8.75 + $1.75 for Guacamole), iced tea ($1.75) and chips ($1) I took a seat to enjoy the food and sunshine. And to write this blog right here.




While I was typing away I overheard the employees discussing how many of their customers were tall men. As an amazon myself, I no know where to come in Delaware to pick up men. El Diablo is airy, fun, and hip. Even the employees seem to have fun being there as I watched them joke and laugh in between costumers. I enjoy seeing this kind of atmosphere in a casual dining spot. Unlike the gloomy misery queen's over at Johnny's Dog House these guys seemed to be a happy crew. It's good ju-ju for your food. Now to the food!




The iced tea was a true blue brewed iced tea. It wasn't skunked either. Ever have a glass of iced tea that tasted moldy? That's because it was brewed, chilled, warmed, then chilled again. Or left out overnight. It's gross. There were happy slices of lemons on the side. Another happy moment for me. The burrito. Oh, the burrito. The Serrano Short Rib (with goat cheese, salsa verde, lettuce, pico de gallo, rice, beans, and pickled peppers) smelled so good I had to take a bite before I took a photo. I'm not blowing air up your skirt when I say the meat was almost as good the short rib I enjoyed at Bibou. It was far beyond something I'd expect at a burrito shop in Wilmington. The tomatoes were fresh and crisp, the guacamole was creamy and delicious. Next time I would skip the guacamole since I think it took away from the mingling favors of the meat and goat cheese. The pickled peppers (mild, because I'm a sissy) were something I'd never tried before and intend to get extra of the next time I come. They have a tart crispness that really perked my taste buds up.

I do have a gripe: I wished the chips had been saltier, and warm.


El Diablo Burrito - Well worth some time in purgatory.

Burrito Bandido - Sweet Horchata, Burritogirl!

For about three years now I've been driving past Burrito Bandido (227 N. Maryland Ave, Wilmington DE) every few months and thinking to myself "I really need to try that place. I just KNOW they've got to have awesome food there". Alas, I've either not been hungry (shut up, it does happen) or I've been in a hurry (ie, running late as always). Well I have learned my lesson this time. I waited too long, and those little upstarts over at The Spark got the drop on me and reviewed them first. Jerks.

I also found this review which describes the area surrounding Burrito Bandido as being "questioning" and "discomforting". This dude obviously hasn't had the pleasure of driving down 4th St at 2am. Or 2pm. Really, 4th is pretty scur-dry any time of night or day. Seriously, I ran over a cup once while driving down 4th and thought I'd been shot at. I digress.

I found myself exiting Wilmington the other night, and found the opportunity to stop at Burrito Bandido at long last. As soon as I entered I was backhanding by the visual assault of bright orange, lime green, and mexi-kitsch. We all know I love kitsch. The first good sign was a Latin (I'll wager Mexican) couple eating dinner in the small dining area. When you go to an ethnic restaurant and there are no patrons of that ethnicity there, you just know you're about to eat crappy food. The menu includes steak, chorizo, lamb, pork, beef ...and tripe, tongue, or head. I went the safe route, and got a steak burrito. The waitress was very friendly, asking me if I had any questions about the menu.

Why yes, I do. Oh please, sweet little Mexican woman, tell me what I want to hear, tell me you have my beloved Horchata? THEY DO! I refuse to believe that any Mexican establishment can claim to be "authentic" and not serve Horchata. What makes this South Jersey Jew the foremost authority on the authenticity of a Mexican eatery?

1) I spent weeks in Phoenix, AZ as a teenager.
2) I said so.

If you have not had the pleasure of enjoying a glass of horchata, allow me to explain. Simply put: Horchata is a Mexican rice milk drink flavored with cinnamon. Sir Forksalot compares it to a drinkable rice pudding. I compare it to milky proof that god loves us and wants us to eat well. It's subtle sweetness and milky consistency make it possible to eat fire and not rip our tongues out.


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I ordered the steak burrito ($6.50) and a horchata ($2.75). The horchata came in a huge quart sized bucket-to-go container. I got a cup so I could drink on the go. I got my order take-out. A dumb choice, in retrospect. I should have stayed and hung out there. Especially once I saw the size of the burrito. Let's just say that if this burrito were transformed into a living breathing man, that man would have a great career in porn. I ate it for dinner, breakfast, and lunch. The horchata was just as orgasmic as I had hoped. There were even bits of cinnamon clinging to the bottom of my cup when it was done, a testament to the flavor of the drink.





Yeah, it's a crappy photo. The Travel Channel hasn't come through with their financial backing to this blog yet. I'm waiting.

The burrito came with a green and a red sauce. The green tomatillo had an undercurrent of cool flavor to offset the spice. The red was just out to burn my face off. First bite impression: WOWZA! The steak has been marinated since last October, it's packed with flavor. Fresh crispy lettuce, perky sweet tomatoes, rice, and refried beans. I wish I'd had more refrieds and less rice, but I'm a pain in the ass that way. I really can't stress how much I enjoyed the flavor of the steak and appreciated the time they had taken to spice and marinate it rather than just grilling it up with bland salt&pepper. I can't wait for an excuse to go back and try some of their tortas.

Burrito Bandido - If you don't like it, you're a jackass bandit.