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I recently moved a few blocks away from El Burrito Jr, so I've been here more often than I'd like to admit. I've loved their food every time... it's one of those places that delivers exactly what you expect.
I suggest trying the carne assada or chicken burrito. Most orders come with tortilla chips (as in whole tortillas) and salsa. They also have a decent guacamole if you're in the mood.
Just ate here for the second time...I live just three blocks away but haven't really gone for whatever reason. I recall having a burrito there before that was good and inexpensive but didn't make much of an imprsssion. I just went back now and had the Chile Verde Burrito and I get why there are always people waiting outside. Its very good and inexpensive. They say its "the best mexican fast food in the south bay"...I think this is accurate if you don't count Gardena as South Bay, in which Ramona's is a better. The chile verde was meaty and nicely spicy, the salsa is just salsa...nothing to write home about but good. A place like this should put any Taco Bell in close proximity to any El Burrito Jr. out of business...and actually...I think thats what happened at this location a few years back!
Call ahead, bring cash and enjoy.
The biggest pet peeve I have with restaurants or just about any retailer is when they do not take credit cards. I went here with my family (7 people) and we needed close to $80 to pay for our food. Call me crazy but for a fast food place that's kind of a lot, yet they expect you to have cash on you to afford them?
Either way the food was pretty good, had the Carne Asada wet burrito and a drink as well as a carnitas taco. El burrito Jr. get a CC terminal and stop trying to dodge taxes=) and Ill be back more often.
Good for inexpensive food, and for take out, but there is no point eating there. In terms of food, it provides good quality at low prices, and has all of you standard mexican restaurant items, but lacks anything unique. For a good filling meal, try the special C, everyone raves about it, but "they" consist of highschoolers strapped for cash, but it really is good for just being a couple of bean and cheese burritos.
I've been a big fan of this LBJs for the last 10 years or so, almost since it opened. The food is always freshly made and although it cannot ever be described as upscale or fancy, its still full of flavor and has a lot of authentic Mexican elements.
This time I got their special that was taped up to the window on a white piece of paper - the pork and green chili burrito! It comes as a dry burrito, but I asked for it wet so it comes with sauce, guacamole, and sour cream. All of the fixings were nice, and it made it into a big meal, definitely requiring a fork and knife (which were luckily supplied). The burrito was good, lots of chunks of pork, all of which was tender and juicy, not dry at all. The green chili sauce was good too, and it had plenty of chunks of chili to give it some color and texture. I think the only other filling was beans, keeping the burrito nice and simple with plenty of pork.
The burrito also came with chips and salsa. The salsa is very good, it has more spiciness than the average restaurant salsa and it is very fresh. A healthy amount of cilantro gives it a more complex flavor as well.
All in all, this trip to LBJs was another success and I think this burrito is definitely going on my favorites list.
I have to give this place a five star...we have HISTORY! I have been ordering their delish #14 since 1994. We have a relationship that runs deep in an obsessive way sometimes. (Flash back to a teary Sarah, Freshmen year of college crying and begging her sister to bring a #14 to Boston. "JUST BRING THE BEANS AND RICE, DAMN IT!")
This is your essential hole in the wall beach Mexican place. Others have tried to convince me that there are better but I say NAY!
They have great lunch specials...so for under $6 you will enjoy one delish chicken taco, generous helping of rice and beans, chips, salsa and a drink. There are several other options for the lunch special but that one is my favorite. (Circa 1995 the lunch special was $3.75) Every order comes with uncut corn tortilla chips and freshly made salsa. Salsa hotness varies but the chips barely make it home with you so ask for extra if you're heading home with your order. If you are heading over during peak lunch and dinner times, I strongly suggest calling ahead and when they say 10 to 15 min give yourself 20-25 min. Their deluxe burrito is the sizes of a new born baby so if you don't think you can handle it go for the Junior Deluxe. You can find a full menu packed with great choices my favorite is the Chicken Tacos and the Junior Deluxe Burritos wet....amazing chicken super messy so it's not a date food.
Do call ahead especially during the lunch and dinner rush especially on the weekends.
Don't crowd around the pick up window hoping your weepy face will make the often moody staff get your food to you any faster then anyone else. If they call 85 don't ask if they called 90....did they say 90?!?!? Stupidity won't get you any closer to your food.
Do ask the person in front of you if they have ordered already because the area is small and the jerks mentioned in the above make it hard to distinguish.
Don't take your sweet time to order...you will make fast enemies of the people around you.
Do make nice with the staff and leave a tip...give it a few consistent visits and they will remember you and it may help your food to get there sooner....
Don't expect a fancy place to sit... actually, don't expect to sit at all on a weekend lunch and dinner rush...just head two blocks west to the beach and enjoy your food there.
CASH ONLY!
LBJs is the place for food. i've been going back to this place since i was a teenager and it has always made my heart skip a beat on that first bite. oooooohhhhh super deluxe asada burrito. you are all i need. you and a glass of orange bang.
there is always a line. all the time. every day. bring cash, if not there's an atm attached that you can get cash at. here's my trick, which i am hesitant to share because i don't want other people doing the same, call in your order and wait 10 minutes. then you walk up to the pick up window and get your food.
i'm hungry now.
if only they had something even slightly close to this in the east coast....
i've been a fan of this place ever since the first time i tried it. i've been to 3 of their locations (torrance, redondo beach, and lomita), and all three locations are equally delicious. when i eat with my family i go to the other two locations, as they offer waiter service, whereas this one is solely takeout only.
everything: burritos, tacos, enchiladas....are all delicious. i can never eat enough of their tortilla chips, and therefore i always request extra (at no extra charge).
I ordered the Carne Asada Burrito...Well, you get what you pay for. If you have never had REAL GOOD mexican food, then order here. It is defenitely a gold mine since there is always a line outside but I think will pay a bit more and order at some of the other local mexican places.
Yes its a hole in the wall and they only take cash, but there's a reason there is always a line outside of this place. I have friends who lived on the special C (2 bean and cheese burritos chips and a drink) for 5 bucks. I always end up with the #5 ( 2 chicken enchiladas rice and beans). Really good mexican food for a good price how can you go wrong?
I drove by this place over the weekend and all I saw was a line full of people....so I had to try it.
I had the breakfast burrito (chorizo with eggs and beans) and the carnitas quesidilla.
Truly authentic Mexican food with huge portions and cheap, cheap, cheap prices. I paid less than 10 bucks for both of my entrees.
Despite the loooong lines, U must try this place when in the Beach Cities area!!
Used to live down the street in Redondo Beach...It's a pretty good choice for some cheap taco's or a burrito or two. The Special C (2 bean burrito's and a drink) is a good (and safe) way to go.
The Carne Asada burrito is nothing like those in San Diego tacqueria's. It is wet and the quality of the meat is hit and miss.
Also- be warned. The guy who takes your order and your money is the same guy who packs your bag and throws in a couple fried tortillas (chips). So not the most sanitary operation...
Really????
We saw a line outside and thought this is the place we need to be. Come to find out they are just slow and they don't have a lot of competition.
The wet burrito is the best on the menu as I have been twice now. Other than that it is pretty average.
I'll take any suggestions on an cheap mexi near the beach. In San Diego I can't go two blocks without running into them and they are all better than El Burrito Jr.
cheap yummy mexican.
I am usually not a beans person but their beans are good, I like they they are not whole so you can dip chips in or i guess eat if you didn't have teeth. I have no idea why that thought came in my head. I had carnitas pretty yummy, carne asada taco once. The carne asada was okay, I like my carne asada drier this was a bit wet. Good salsa, and good tortilla chips. They also have orange bang, which I never had before ( hey i'm from the midwest).
LBJ is freakin delicious.
Their prices have gone up recently, which I'm none too happy about. The Special C (two bean and cheese burritos and a drink) isn't the ridiculous deal that it used be now that it's over a $ more than it was, but it's still so worth it. I also can't get enough of their chicken tacos and you can't go wrong with their burritos if you like em smothered in sauce and cheese.
Call ahead to avoid waiting, and if you go right before closing they give you TONS of extra chips. Just don't forget it's cash-only!
All about the Special C.....make sure you call your order in ahead of time.
As good as it gets.
Everyone's favorite hole in the wall Mexican restaurant! Despite the bad location, this place always has a line in front of it for a good reason. I used to ditch class, pile my car with friends, and drive here for lunch in high school. You can order pretty much anything on the menu and have a tasty meal, though not always healthy. They also have great horchata, a cinnamon-y milk drink. If you haven't tried it I definitely recommend it!
I'm sitting here eating a machaca burrito. Didn't see it on menu but I had one in Oregon and I loved it. The guy said he can make it. Shredded beef chorizo egg and guac. NICE. its ur typical grunge feel joint so after u had a long night come here and order up. Lots of food for the $$
update: i went the very next day and ordered the same thing. I'm hooked
Whenever we pass this place by, we see so many people lined up.
What's with all the people we said, every time we pass this place by, but never got to try it until yesterday when we both were extremely tired and couldn't decide on what to eat and didn't want to cook.
Turns out, if you follow the crowd, you can't go wrong.
We ordered two taco combos. When we opened up the bag, the volume of food was just massive. Huge beans and rice, and large tacos packed separately. The shredded beef was good, but now I've seen yelpers mention chorizo, that is what I will try next time.
I wish we had more lime. I missed lime. The food still can't beat Taco Sinaloa, but still, it's pretty darn good.
this little spot is top notch, stopped by because every time i passed by there were lines of people. given the area i was not impressed by the white folks always in line but when i see construction workers and gardeners in line, they know whats up.
i recommend the carnitas tostada, that thing is huge its pretty much a tostada with beans and piled on top are carnitas and lettuce cheese. you get extra tostadas and salsa.
good shit does not break the bank
I get the bean and cheese burrito, extra chips + salsa, and a large diet coke. I don't F around with any of the other stuff, it's sketch city. Not that it's not good, it's just not the bean and cheese.
The tortilla is warm and soft, the beans and cheese melt together into a melty, yummy, gorgeous mess. Each bite is amazing and gooey, made even better with a crunch of hot tortilla chips. And the salsa. i can't even talk about the salsa. Ok, I can. Sometimes it's hot enough to make you sweat, sometimes it's just a suggestion of hotness. Either one is fine by me. They put some garlic in there so don't go looking for love right after you head to LBJ.
Don't listen to the people who say El Burrito Jr. isn't good - they're wrong. But I'm also not telling you to order the carnitas or the fish taco. Just the bean and cheese, that's it. It's perfect.
I have been going to El BJ for over fifteen years.
It's a great hole in the wall joint with authentic Mexican food. The boys in the kitchen churn out consistently good food quickly and efficiently. I always get the #7 with chicken tacos and a large Horchata.
You always get plenty of food and their tortilla chips 'n salsa are made fresh daily.
you can eat it there, or, you can take it to go, walk two blocks, and eat at the beach. =)
To avoid the line I call ahead.
What can be said about ELBJ that you don't already know if you live or grew up in the South Bay?
The Special C is a legend, and for good reason, you just cant beat 2 huge burritos, a drink and chips & salsa for under 5 bucks (not sure the exact current price). I practically lived on Special Cs in high school (which might have laid the base for my belly that just wont go away).
Yeah sometimes your stomach doesn't agree with ELBJ but it's just so good going down that its a small price to pay.
If you're looking for a fancy mexican joint ELBJ is not for you, but if you're down for some cheap great tasting burritos then don't pass this joint up.
Order a burrito, preferably the bean and cheese. Skip the nachos. Trust me, skip the nachos.
Those burritos are really tasty, though. Mmm.
If you want a lot of food for reasonable prices this is the place for you! Hint one: order by phone. The first time I ordered a chile relleno combo and it took forever... while a dozen people popped out of their car, paid for and grabbed their food and drove off. Hint two: well, I don't have any other hints I'm not that smart.
One warning, the burritos are huge. My girlfriend ordered one and she had it for dinner, breakfast, and then lunch.
I don't get the hype? It's just ok. I've eaten here three times and got an upset stomach twice. Plus they screwed up my order once.
I guess if your really hungry and just want a cheap quick meal this place will do.
I think most people like this place for the nostalgia since it seems to be pretty popular with the local high school crowd (read: cheap).
Just because there is a line, does not mean it's exceptional...case in point Bill's (MB) or Joe's (RB).
There is nothing "hole in the wall" about this big A-frame and 30-foot sign sitting prominently on PCH...potentially long waits and marginal assembly line mexican food.
Go to Hermosa Mexican if you value flavor and authenticity.
Wonderful Mexican food. I recomend the Special C (two bean and cheese burritos and a drink for not too much). Took my girlfriend there who is from the heartland and she fell in love. You are able to get food and take it to the beach which is nice.
El Burrito Jr. (LBJ), is absolutely amazing.
If you drive on by, you'll be able to easily recognize it, since there is an LBJ Hamburger stand, and a taco stand. Even though I've been to the taco stand at least 50 times, I've never been able to say no to the taco stand, and try the hamburger stand.
When you go to LBJ, they have a whole bunch of menu options, but there is only one menu item that has a place in my heart. That is the Special C. The Special C is a combo which consists of two bean and cheese (B&C) burritos, a drink, chips, and salsa. You get all of this for about 4 bucks. They recently raised their prices, as it used to be 3.25.
These bean and cheese burritos are fantastic. These burritos consist of only refried beans and I think mozzarella and cheddar cheese. But whatever they've done, they haven't added just the run of the mill ingredients. These burritos are by far the best bean and cheese burritos that I've ever had, and will drive out of my way thirty minutes to get them.
But, I have to admit, that on any given day, their bean burritos will range anywhere from rad to downright godlike. They are never bad, but some days they're just better than others. Even on their "rad" days, it still puts other B&C burritos to shame.
As for their location, it is very close to the beach. Probably about three of four streets away. A great place to go after you've been at the beach all day.
The generally always has a line, that can be absurdly long at around lunch time. You can always call in advance, and put in your order. In fact, if you want, you can call in your order WHILE you're there, and sometimes get your food faster than waiting in line. I've seen that happen quite a few times.
I always get their horchata when I order the Special C, as it is quite tasty. If you like horchata, then you'll find that their horchata is way better than their fountain drinks. They also give you free refills.
Last thing, always ask for Mas Chips (more chips) and salsa, and they'll generally give you another handful of each.
Side Note: My friends also claim that their chicken tacos/burritos are quite good as well, but I've never strayed from the Special C to try. Depends on what you're in the mood for. If you don't want B&C, then give it a shot. I doubt you'll be disappointed.
If you are looking for a football sized burrito covered in fatty enchilada sauce this it the place!
Please don't read this review!!! It is nonsensical.
El Burrito Jr. has a magnet inside. It is of the opposite polarity than that of my brain waves. Whenever the magnet guy in the back of El Burrito Jr. turns it on - I go there!
Today in the mail I received a coupon for some LaHotFreshMexiGrill down the street. I thought to myself...."hmmm" I want Mexican and I want healthy! I'm in control and I will exercise the power of choice!
I got in my four-wheeled automobile to cha cha cha down to the FreshMexGrill.
I pulled into the parking lot, turned off engine, pulled key out of ignition.
Hmmmm. looking up into the Mexi-Freshtaurant, I notice the employee cleaning out the salsa bar. Shoot the place was near closing. I hate going in when they're about to close. They don't want to make anymore food now. They just want to go home and watch American Idol. Hmmm. Where was all this rationalization "not go in" coming from?! They would be open for another 20 minutes. I was hungry. Why was I talking myself out of going inside? Then I realized where these thoughts were coming from. Magnet man EBJ 'bout a mile down the road. Darn! He did it to me again.
I put the key back in the ignition. like a robot. Looking in my rear-view mirror, my facial expression was empty. like a robot. I was programmed. Choice was no longer mine. like a robot I will eat cheesy greasy food and love it. like a junkie.moments later, the my automobile arrives curbside in front of the Big yellow facade for the magnet that drew me in. beep beep beep. "#21 please and a Orange Bang please"... "chomp chomp chomp"..."thank you"... "buuuuuuuurrrrp"!!!
see you tomorrow beep beep beep.
Excellent bean and cheese burritos - Order a special C; 2 bean and cheese burritos, a handful of chips, and a drink for under 5 bucks.
Ask for extra salsa. They try to horde it and it is easy to get in a fight with the cashier about it. It is kind of fun!
i came here to meet up a couple of friends after work. they were boogie boarding nearby so i met them up here. they arrive earlier than me and already had their food. i ordered the burrito that was on Special with the green sauce. and they gave me HELLA more chips than my buddies for some reason, maybe cuz i was dressed in my work clothes, button down shirt and slacks, so i looked like someone important *shrug* maybe. but that burrito with the green sauce was pretty bomb though. would recommend if craving mexican food if i'm around the PCH area.
If you love to punish yourself with food knowing what you are eating is so damn good but you will regret it after, than EBJ is it.
The Chorizo Burrito is the only thing I eat here and words cannot describe it's brilliance.
Oh my God is this place amazing.
I once lacked cash. They gave me the food and said to come back with money. I came back and tipped them $5.
I once was drunk. I ate a beef burrito and realized that there are higher aspirations in life and changed my ways.
I once was hungry and ate a Chicken Taco. I saw an effigy of Jesus, burnt into the shell. I then knew that what I was doing was right.
The cashier is just silly. He gives me a bag full of good shit and all I give him is cash. Haha, he can't eat cash. What a silly person.
There is ALWAYS a line standing out front as you ride past on PCH
I HATE bean and cheese burritos, but from LBJ's I can down a couple of them since they are so good
Re-creating their bean and cheese burrito was impossible for me
I am very reluctant to try other places for bean and cheese burritos
my favorite mexican food is the Carnitas Burrito, and sadly LBJ's ranks pretty low on my list of favorite mexican foods in the hermosa-redondo-manhattan-torrance area as it has lots of fat still on the meat
Amigos tacos ftw!
I give this place 5 stars because it's so delicious, lard-fatty and such goodness.... BUT.... I can't eat here anymore.
Apparently what happens when you turn 18 or so is that your body decides it can no longer digest the 2 bean & cheese burritos, chips, and a soda (aka Special "C" for you locals).
The "brick" just sits in my belly and I feel like Big Bertha. But man, it is delish. Enjoy you happy folks of the beach cities! I am with you in spirit.
Many predecessors have denounced the value of "LBJ", including one guy who claims that both Del Taco and Taco Bell are a step up from this Mexican taco stand, attributing its long lines and a significant wait to surfers who have had their taste buds marred by the polluted waters. My only response to these accusations are, "Why would you EVER follow the advice of a peroxide-blonded latent homosexual Raiders fan?"
El Burrito, Jr. is owned and operated by the same family that owns and operates El Tarasco, a business that has been around the southland since 1969. The menu items, ingredients, and options are basically the same. The recipes have withstood the tests of time, though sadly they have failed the tests of Jeff M. (Syntax point: Adding spaces between every sentence doesn't make your writing any more substantive!)
Prices are notably cheaper than at El Tarasco, with the same quality food. And as far as "the taco carts of TJ" go, Tijuana is basically California's Pic n' Save. I have had far better Mexican food in LA and San Diego than in Mexico, and ESPECIALLY than in Tijuana. High five to the FDA! El burrito jr. is a gem, and should be regarded as so. If douchebags ruled the world, the place would be bulldozed for a 4 story taco bell. Just waiting for that Taco Bell!
Their deluxe burritos are their staple every time I go there. I'm a HUGE fan of burritos covered in red sauce, guacamole, sour cream, and sprinkled with cheese! MMMM mmmm!! Heart attacky goodness! There chips and salsa are pretty delicious also!
I like the wet burritos here. Nothing is great here but its good for a quick eat outside spot. I eat here more out of convenience because I can walk here from work.
Neighborhood: Torrance
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Hermosa Beach
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Hermosa Beach
Category: Mexican
Lawndale, CA
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Redondo Beach
Category: Mexican
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