There are as many kinds of burritos as there are stars in the sky. There are even breakfast burritos and sushiritos. When I moved to Los Angeles, I discovered a burrito like no other: the California Burrito. The difference between the California Burrito and your regular Chipotle order is french fries. But, do french fries make the burrito ten times better or ten times worse?
UCLA has some of the best dining halls in the nation, and one of them, Rendezvous, has just released its own special California Burrito. Every Thursday, the line to grab these burritos gets longer and longer. To learn whether the California Burrito is the better burrito, I've asked students and staff to give their critique.
Do you think the California Burrito is the better burrito?
"The California Burrito is the one thing I look forward to every week. School is hard and just thinking about the burrito that I am going to devour on Thursday helps me get through the week. I feel that the french fries is the perfect icing on the cake. It ties all the ingredients in the burrito together. So yes, I think it is undoubtedly the best burrito I have ever had."
"I wait about 20-30 minutes in the Rendezvous line on Thursdays at just so I can get a California Burrito. The line was never this long when I had a meal plan. I have to convince my buddy with some swipes to get me the burrito. I wish we had the California burrito when I had a meal plan because my swipes would not have been wasted on the basic build-your-own burrito."
Even though there is a multitude of students who dream about the California burrito, others have an unpopular opinion.
"I honestly do not like the California burrito. I feel that burritos were not made to have french fries. They were made to wrap up meat, rice, beans with guac and queso. If I wanted french fries, then I would order a burger or sandwich. But, when I order a burrito, I want Mexican flavors and the french fries really ruin that for me."
"I mean it's not a BAD burrito, but it's definitely more of a one and done deal. You eat it once, you feel awful afterwards, and you never get it again. I do think that you should try it just because it's part of the California culture or the American Dream... I think. But, it's not something I would get everyday. It's just WAY too much for a burrito."
Finally, for an expert opinion on the burrito, I asked someone who works at Rendezvous:
What do you think of the California Burrito?
"The California Burrito is definitely a hit among the students. We had to split the line for the California burrito: one line for steak and the other for impossible meat. Our workers are always prepared for the large volume of orders we get every Thursday night. I think that Rendezvous offers better things than the burrito, like the quesadillas and the sopes. But, everyone likes their burrito differently. I mean that's why everyone loves burritos- because you can customize it for you! I think that the California burrito opens up another avenue of flavor in one's burrito that may not have been seen before."
In conclusion, I can not really tell you whether the California burrito is the better burrito. To be frank, it doesn't really matter whether it's the better burrito as long as you're happy with your burrito. It can be a breakfast burrito, a sushi burrito or a basic Taco Bell bean burrito. As the Rendevous staff member thoughtfully said, the burrito is meant for you, so make it the way you want it!