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"Don't tell anyone, but I've always thought that happy hour is overrated. The cheap drinks are usually, well, cheap to begin with. The food…" read more »
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This place is kind of lame, especially from a veggie perspective.
There are two options for veggie burritos:
One has green peppers and onions, the other has red peppers and something (purple onions?). That is not a veggie burrito- that should be standard!
A veggie burrito will run almost $8.
Pluses are the location, they serve beer, and they mix all the fillings in with a spoon before wrapping the burrito- so you never get a huge bite-ful of just sour cream, That is worth a star all by itself- and it leaves me wondering why no other burrito joint I've been to does this.
Jesus, how does Illegal Pete's have a rating on the bonus side of 3 stars? How? I guess it's the cache, you know, everyone being like "Oh, it's a Colorado original that hasn't sold out to the corporate assholes". Is that what it is? Well, a shit born in Colorado, excreted in Colorado, and flushed in Colorado is still a shit, no?
Didn't Chipotle get it's start right here in CO too? I guess the difference is when you serve quality ingredients and stick to your guns, you get noticed by the money investors and hit the big time. I would much rather sell out to the corporate beast and go to Chipotle to eat a quality product vs. eating a shoddy product just because they stayed local. I guarantee you that if Illegal Pete's was offered a ton of $$$ to expand nationally, they would take it in a heartbeat, local label be damned.
If you can't tell, I've been disappointed by Illegal Pete's for the last time. The ingredients are just not quality. Whenever I get the steak, it's chewy beyond digestion. And the chicken? I almost always get grisly chicken in my tacos. Sure some of it is moist and delicious, but I can only reach into my mouth to extract fatty, tendon-y chicken in front of my friends so many times before I say enough already. The lettuce is always brown, and the flour tortillas are always dry to the point of being stale.
I'll never understand why people will wait a half hour in line to eat here.
I was visiting from out of town this weekend and while in Boulder my friend told me about this place; she said she loved it and i thought yes.. let's eat here!
We split a burrito as i wasn't that hungry (I know what you're thinking.. not hungry, right; but yes... ) anyways we ordered the chicken pesto. The first bite and i knew this was good. every bite just seemed to get better and better!
I really enjoy how they mix everything for you.
I would definitely eat here again next time I'm back!
bonus is that they have good beer!
I stopped getting burritos from Illegal Pete's on Pearl because I can't stand the employees there. The food has always been pretty lousy, but there aren't a lot of quick restaurants downtown, which means I hit up Pete's more often than not.
However, after dealing with distracted, vapid service from Pete's peons for the past few years, I've decided to end my burrito relationship with them. It's one thing to have lousy food. It's quite another to staff your restaurant with people who couldn't care less about the food production, let alone the customers.
They are slow, perpetually annoyed and wholly unfriendly.
It always feels like Illegal Pete's is a party to which customers are not invited. If that's the case, the restaurant should lock the doors and kindly ask people to eat elsewhere. The food would probably be better there anyway.
Stopped in here for an early dinner on the same day as the Boulder-Boulder, it wasn't difficult to park in the garage. People seemed to be trying to overcome the rain.
I hadn't had any Mexican (or Tex-Mex as this is more accurately labeled) in a while and this satisfied my most basic 'Mexican' needs. I had a beef burrito bowl which was pretty tasty. I like that I could taste each ingredient and it all tasted fresh and good. Sometimes a burrito is just a mashup of random bland items. The guacamole was also yummy. The price was good as well.
A cheap and pretty tasty quick stop for lunch or dinner.
I ate here a few days ago for the first time and I will have to say it was a pleasurable meal. I feasted on the primavera tacos Next time I will get a burrito though cause I hear they are really good. The staff seemed chill and the atmosphere is great. Can't beat being located on Pearl.
One of the first things I have started to miss about CO is this place (been gone 3 months now...wow).
BEST burritos - hands down. The ingredients are always good, the portions are hearty. The homemade warm tortilla chips are insanely good and their cookies are the perfect cap to the meal..of, and it doesn't hurt that they serve beer....
Because of food allergies, I get my burrito pretty stripped down and boring. In order to compensate for that, they either up the portions of what I do get or charge me for a kids burrito - both of which is very nice and most restaurants do not do.
The staff is pretty laid back and awesome. This place is just as much about the atmosphere as it is the food.
DEFINITELY a must-go-to, which is hard because there are so many great places on Pearl - but trust me, it is worth the stop!
Of all the illegal pete's, this one makes the best food and has the best atmosphere. You can't beat being on Pearl Street and all the seating they offer. Secondly, this place also makes the best nachos and burritos. They beat Chipotle, because they toss the ingredients together. If you haven't tried their nachos, they're amazing! You can put anything you want on them and pile them super high.
Funky.. in a good way.
Had all the standards and a few pleasant surprises.
I really dug the crab cake eggs benedict.
OK, one more solid review for Pete's, but here's my say: The breakfast burritos.
Well, their website says they open at 11am everyday, but this Boulder location opens at 9:30 Saturday, maybe the same on Sunday, and maybe earlier on weekdays, due to their b-burritos. Huh? You'll have to call to check like me, or memorize their hours posted on the door.
Anyways their breakfast burrito is around $4.50 and their regular burritos around $6.50. As far as I can tell, they come out around the same size, and I can get eggs, potatoes, chorizo, bacon, cheese, green chile and more in the morning. So this is just one large b-burrito, that I save the last third for later in the day (remember, your brain doesn't know your stomach is full until it's too late). So I'm in a race against time to obtain this burrito, when I head out late, to get there before they run out of eggs...
No, Pete's is not authentic whatever, but they are fresh, generous, consistent, and tasty, which makes them popular with students, tourists, and lots others in Boulder looking for a quick, decent, satisfying, and importantly, cheap meal. But hey, I am still looking for an authentic b-burrito near me in Boulder...let me know where u go.
Friend of mine turned me onto their green chile, both pork & veggie options, which can be slathered in any burrito. Not that much heat, but still quite enjoyable. Fish tacos made to order with crispy battered fish and their cooling smooth white sauce is also not authentic, but very enjoyable too.
Word from staff is dog pals are OK on the patios (i'd still be careful on the front section, as that IS on the Pearl St. Mall, where pets are banned).
I didn't even realize this was a chain until I started to write my review. New in town, will be residing here for a couple of weeks for in office training with IMBA.
Delicious! Ordered the grilled chicken burritto. Added corn and guacamole...mmmm. I love how they stir the ingredients together in the tortilla before folding it. Every bite is the same goodness, you don't have to wait to get to the cheese.
Get a Fish Burrito. Just get it. Get a beer too. It's really good.
It doesn't have the salty-ness of Chipotle, so if you'd rather have Chipotle I'd understand. But you get as much food from Pete but you don't feel like a huge heavy stomach when you're done. You feel good.
Just go there.
A lot of food, A LOT of food for the money! I didn't need a burrito that big, but it was so god-damned good, I could not help but to eat the whole thing!
Illegal Pete's is the best of the killer-burrito genre in the Boulder area. It certainly trumps Chipotle, and even though Qdoba gives it a run for its money, Pete's has an unbeatable weapon: the spoon.
That spoon stirs your burrito's contents up before it is wrapped. It's simple, and genius. No more all-rice or all-beans burrito bites. Oh no. At Illegal Pete's, each delicious bite is a little meat, a little cheese, a little guac, a little rice... mmmmm...
In Boulder to check out the Arts Festival, tummy growling uncontrollably (I think I scared a few small children), we wandered into Pete's for a little lunch break. I've eaten here a few times, but it had been a while. This is my sad face because the quality has gone waaaaaay (that means a lot!) down. A big fan of the Fish Burrito, I was pretty psyched to take a big ole bite of what was once a burrito enveloping a hearty portion of fried cod, cabbage, salsa and fish sauce. It was all there, but um, where was the fish? The 2 measly pieces I had were more fried batter than fish. Hey, if I wanted fried batter in a tortilla, I'd go to Long John Silver's where I just saw an ad for their new fish taco last night. It looked gross, but probably would've tasted better than my burrito. Just sayin. Also, why is it always so friggin hot and humid inside? And why oh why is the staff so mean and grumpy? The place was pretty noisy, so I had trouble hearing the burrito-barista guy. I'm so sorry to inconvenience you with my pesky and rude "could you repeat that please". The dude TOLD, not ASKED me what I wanted on my burrito. I actually wanted the hot salsa instead of the usual pico, but I think he was in a rush to get another bong hit in, so with a nod of his head indicating our time together was over, I moved down the counter to pay. Really, the only thing that kept me from bursting into tears ws the knowledge that, as soon as lunch was finished, I was trotting my merry way down to Tee and Cakes for a Hostess cupcake. I'm okay now. Thanks for asking.
The only good thing here is the name. This place should be illegal. Had a Big Fish burrito. I really wish I hadn't. There was absolutely no flavor except for the off-tasting beans. Later that night I ended up spending some serious time in the bathroom. Not good at all.
AWESOME... I don't know if this is the original location, but I love seeing a small business grow from the hill to a Boulder staple.
Fantastic little, simple mexi-Cali burrito shack. Great food at reasonable prices.
Fantastic every time, for what it is trying to be.
Stopped by this week and got a steak burrito. I love burritos, was hungry, and had been thinking about burritos for 3 hours before I got to IP's. The meat was cold. The rest of the fixings were blah. The best thing about this burrito was that I wasn't hungry after eating it. Pete, it's like you don't even care anymore. What has become of you?
If you want a burrito in Boulder, then check out Illegal Pete's. They aren't doing anything… Read more »
Don't get me wrong, I think that Illegal Pete's has a pretty good burrito but...
The thing about the Pearl street store that drives me crazy is the emo-pretty boys that serve the burritos. My friends live right next to this place and warned "I don't know if you want to eat there" and wouldn't say exactly why. I had to find out what was up for myself.
I go in there and I thought that (insert emo band name) was making my burrito. They were dancing and moving as they made my burrito. What's worse is that they weren't nice and polite like you think that sensitive emo kids would be. They were pretty snobby. It seemed like they thought they were sooo cool for working at Pete's on Pearl and that I was a punk for eating there. I don't mind pride in the place you work, but it sucks when you are so confused, pissed and somewhat laughing about the experience of ordering that you can't enjoy the food. I am taking away a star for each dude that was behind the counter that day.
I used to walk into Illegal Pete's craving one of their delicious burritos... and then end up ordering something equally delicious, like a quesadilla or fish tacos or something like that. I appreciate the fact that I have those kinds of options, unlike at Chipotle or Qdoba. Illegal Pete's also was the first (in my book) to encourage me to get a naked burrito (without the tortilla) and to eat the insides with tortilla chips instead- something that Chipotle figured out much later. Now there is no going back.
I live in Seattle. There is only ONE Chipotle in the entire city and it is constantly crawling with college kids, and then there are 500 Taco del Mars that make me sick every time. I miss Illegal Pete's like you wouldn't believe, and my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Well, this is the other half of the local-burrito-chain coin.
As I said in another review, in the Boulder burrito battle you have to choose a side. I 'm not sticking with Pete. (Though as restaurant names go, I love it!)
I've tried, honestly I have, to understand why some people like Pete's better than Chipotle. My experience has been that Pete's has no flavor. None. And I go for the hot salsa. The guac must consist solely of smashed avocados, because it has no zest, no zip, no yumm factor. Who knows what's in the salsa 'cause you can't taste it. I don't like it when my burritos "pee", and every time I've been to Pete's I've gotten tons of meat run-off water. Dear God! Buy a slotted spoon Pete!
One of my go-to stops whenever I am in Boulder. One of my favorite things about Illegal Petes is that they mix the ingredients of the burrito before they fold it up. Also if you're not a burrito lover, the chicken taquitos are quite good.
Like someone else said, nothing revolutionary, just good burritos. I was definitely happy with my chicken burrito. All the ingredients were definitely fresh and tasted great. The service was good and they were playing Atmosphere's new album, which made me happy. For some reason, I expected Illegal Pete's to be cheaper than Chipotle, which it's not. That's OK though, still very reasonable prices for a big meal of delicious burritoness.
I love this place. Great burritos, quesadillas etc etc and they even do breakfast burritos. I work right above it so I frequent the tasty goodness that is IPs. I've had a warning from some co-workers that their chicken or any meat can sometimes be questionable in texture so I've only gotten veggie options. I think next time I will definitely try the carnitas which will give them their 5th star. Regardless this is burrito deliciousness and if you haven't stopped in yet, you MUST. In addition to the great food they have a cute little bar with a great happy hour.
The boulder location is better than the Denver one, and definitely better than any chipotle out there. Their breakfast burritos are awesome, their pork green chili is fairly good and the atmosphere is good. I would recommend staying with the normal meats of beef/chicken/pork though, I've tried their fish burrito/tacos and they are just not that great to me. The interior is a little small especially during lunches but still worthy
What more could you ask for in Burritos? The cafeteria style production line speeds the process along. Try the Big Fish, it takes a few minutes, but the sauce is great.
They offer the option of getting your burrito in a bowl. Take this, as there is always more filling in the bowl that in the burrito.
Only draw back....Staff. The Pearl street, and Hill location have college kids who don't know the first thing about customer service, and snarl at you if you don't add a tip to your credit card receipt or even say hello or thank you. If management is reading, this can make or break a place.
First time tonight at Illegal Pete's and, while this place may not be authentic Mexican food, it was pretty darn tasty. We had a burrito, tacos, and 2 margs for around $20. Note this is cafeteria-style dining, not a full-service restaurant. I did not experience any emo-boys (maybe it was their night off) but we did get good service, good food, and good drinks. It satisfied the vegetarian mexican craving, for sure.
Update: Illegal Petes not as good as I once thought. Maybe the Margs had something to do with the 1st review! Have been back there several times and food was definitely not too tasty. Got the veggie burrito, which was pretty bland. Another time got the fish tacos and bland again, not to mention the fish definitely wasn't fresh. $4 happy hour margs still alright but you'll find better drinks (and food) in Boulder.
I think Illegal Pete's is about a 4 when it comes to the food, but when the atmosphere is factored in, it's a home run! The burritos are good and you can get a beer with it. Nothing spectacular, but again, I think the atmosphere is what keeps me coming back. I make sure to eat at Illegal Pete's every time I come back to Colorado.
Whenever Im in Boulder I stroll down Pearl Street and before I hit the Boulder Bookstore I make a point of paying a visit to Illegal Pete's. Nothing fancy here but it's damn good and not too hard on the wallet.
my first time in boulder and we stopped here for a bite to eat. the burrito was huge in size and taste! as they make your burrito in front of you they mix the insides together - what a great idea! i'm sure other places would do this for you if you ask, but being the dummy that i am, i was in awe. the tortillas are really soft but also holds the burrito together well.
the lines are long but they move real fast. you might have to fight for a table though.
Quick, tasty, cheap, and BIG burritos. Not bad. It was my first time in Boulder, so I was happy with the variety of food to choose from. I guess that's what you can expect / take-for-granted in a good college town.
sorry, all you haters, but this place has my heart. an indie burrito place that has a full bar rocks my world, especially since they stock the tapatio to make things as zesty as need be. i've never had a bad interaction with the staff, but a lot of my experience is from 2001. 2007 summer, i brought 20 of my friends here while we were in town from texas and it was precisely what we'd been missin'.
This is the boulder classic. Nothing reminds me of college days as much as this place. The venue of choice for dinner or after bar beer munchies. Steak burrito with corn and lettuce. Life does not get any better. And the Perl location even has a liquor license.
This place will kick Chepotle's butt any day of the week. Not only for taste, but it's also for being an independent local organization, unlike the McDonalds' owned opposite.
I didnt try its burrito, but the quesadilla with chicken. I asked for some salad to go with it, and got a weird look. I always get that from Qdoba, plus they are more generous with ingredients too.
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