In this blog series I take an unbiased, scientific approach to the age-old question:
What is the best burrito in Naperville?
Before I begin, it’s important I lay down some ground rules to ensure that every restaurant gets a fair chance. The first rule is no national chain restaurants. That means no chipotle, no qdoba, and no taco bell. I’m looking to find the best burrito native to Naperville – local chains like Burrito Parilla Mexicana, or this week’s entry, Los Burritos Tapatios, are safe. The second important rule: my order will stay consistent from restaurant to restaurant. I will be evaluating the quality of each establishment’s Asada Burrito, exactly as it comes, adding only sour cream if it is not included. And before I get any comments about authenticity – if I wanted to review authentic Mexican food I wouldn’t be ordering a burrito, and I certainly wouldn’t be doing it in Naperville.
With the ground rules set, there was only one logical choice for my first review. It is a perennial favorite, one that transcends the boundaries of age and status. It is a late-night haven for the tired, the hardworking, and most often, the heavily inebriated. But questions remain – Does it taste as good at 6pm as it does at 2am? Is it more than just a budget meal for broke high-school and college students alike? And most importantly, does it deserve to be Naperville’s favorite burrito?
While I couldn’t get the full “Taps” dine-in experience due to new covid-19 regulations, I was able to call in and pick up the standard order – an asada burrito, add sour cream. The order came out to $7.52 with tax, and weighed in at a whopping 1.2 pounds. On our Burrito Budget Index (BBI), that comes out to 2.57oz/$. In terms of sheer value, “Taps” sets a benchmark that will be difficult to beat in coming weeks.
What’s even more impressive is the composition of this burrito. Weighing 1.2 pounds, one would expect upon opening up the cross-section to find a heaping portion of rice and beans – but to my surprise, the burrito was majority steak. Most exciting to me was the lack of rice. To me, rice in a burrito is a cop-out, a flavorless add-on used to compensate for a lack of more valuable ingredients. It compromises the structure of a burrito, overwhelming it’s composition and spilling out after just a few bites. This is of course, a matter of personal preference, and as such I will not allow it to impact my review.
The real star of this burrito is the steak. It tastes like it came fresh off the grill, and that’s because it did – the counter at “Taps” offers customers with a direct view of the cooking process. The steak is perfectly cooked, just slightly smoky, and perfectly charred to give it a complex, slightly bitter bite. Whatever marinade they used was just enough to make the steak perfectly tender, without adding an overwhelming amount of flavor. I mean this by no means a knock on the flavor, rather a compliment, as it allows the flavor of the meat to shine through. This paired especially well with the beans, which were applied sparingly, and are noticeable only as a compliment to the steak.
While the steak is exceptional, the burrito does falter in other areas. The tomatoes were chopped large, leading to textural inconsistency throughout, and were a little too watery. It was pretty clear that these and the lettuce were not at their freshest, but it didn’t ruin the burrito. The only other negative I found was the wrap of the burrito. It appears that the tortilla used was too large for the burrito, and in order to compensate, it was bunched up in the rolling process. This left large pockets of plain tortilla with nothing else, which was jarring at times.
Overall, this burrito stood up to my high expectations, and will be tough to beat moving forward. It is exceptionally budget-friendly, but does not skimp on quality, and certainly deserves to be a Naperville favorite. Of course, you’ll have to come back next week to find out if it truly is the Best Burrito in Naperville.
Hi Carter, I personally believe that Taps has the best burrito in Naperville and is definitely a staple in the community. You bring up an extremely interesting and relevant point by questioning if Taps is just as good at 6pm rather than 2 am. I agree with your breakdown of the annoyingly large tomatoes that somewhat ruin the experience. I have heard from others that El Hogar is also up there so it will be interesting to see a review from there. However, I still believe that Taps does have the best burrito in town.
Carter,
I found your review very interesting and insightful. I have been a fan of Taps ever since I began high school. I am particularly partial to their tacos but found that your comments and criticisms hold true across different food-mediums. The over-sized tomatoes in particular have always been a nuisance to me, providing inconsistency in texture at times. I also appreciated your objectivity in assessing the food from Taps. As I usually frequent the establishment when I am in a hurry, I have never stopped to think about the value that I am getting. I know you are only reviewing the burritos, but next time you should give a Jarrito, a brand of Mexican soda, a try. I look forward to reading more of these blogs in the future and recommend that you add El Hogar to the list of dining establishments that you check out, i it is not on it already.
Carter, I understand where you are coming from, and I don’t think it is completely your fault, but you are misinformed. The best burrito place in all facets is El Burrito Loco on 75th. That burrito is around the same price and weight as taps except there WAY more options for filling including carne asada, birria, al pastor(good al pastor too, not like the dry al pastor at taps), chile relleno, and so many more. Not only is the meat quality just better than taps, but the cheese and beans in the burrito actually have a distinct flavor compared to taps. Furthermore, their red salsa is much better than any of the 3 salsas you can get at taps. Again, I don’t think it is completely your fault. I’m just informing you!! 😀
Ethan, it is incredibly disappointing to me that you feel this way. I’ve always thought of you as an exemplary person of strong character, but I must admit that the opinion you expressed here throws that into question.
I was trying to be professional in my previous comment but to be honest when I first read this I thought it had to be a satire!! that’s my mistake!
Carter, I believe you have been misled. Taps is a late night staple without a doubt and there is no questioning that their food slaps late at night when sneaking out of a sleepover or driving back from a get-together. However, if you insist objectivity be your forte, then you must concede that the finest burrito in all the land is Fiesta Burrito on 75th. It fits your criteria of lacking rice and has an excellent balance of vegetables, meat, and cheese. Furthermore, not only do they cook the steak in front of you, but it is better cooked, with the marinade a perfect compliment to the flour tortilla. Maybe next time.
Hello again Ethan!
I have found your second blog, and before the burrito stuff, I want to say you have an excellent narrative voice, but I digress. This seems like a strong choice for me in the future, especially with one of the locations being right up the street from North. Great reviews!
You really cannot deny the Taps effect. There is no doubt in my mind that the best Burrito in Naperville is created with godly care at this fine establishment. To even entice the idea that any other restaurant compares is sacrilege; I am near ashamed to admit that I know you. I will disregard this indecency and continue to watch your rankings with skeptical eyes – You know where I stand.