5 Types of Burritos on Spring Garden Road

You could say the burrito is a perfect food. It’s a whole meal wrapped up in a tortilla for easy transport and extra carbs. If you take away the tortilla, you still have a feast of meat, rice, beans and veggies (a.k.a. “burrito bowl”) and the fun part is customizing all of this into a personalized package. You can make it super spicy, extra cheesy, bean-a-licious or nutritious! Can you handle this?! I mean, it’s literally made to be handled… so yes. You can. But where are the best burritos in Halifax?

I’m going to save a formal burrito quest for another day. Instead I present to you 5 styles of burritos you can find tucked away in the shadows of Spring Garden Road. Here they are:

1. The Mission Burrito: Taco Del Mar

Regular $8.49, Small $6.49

A shredded beef burrito from Taco Del Mar with lots of beans.

1526 Dresden Row

Taco Del Mar is a fast service chain inspired by the fish tacos of Baja and the burritos of San Francisco’s Mission District.

Taco Del Mar makes fast food versions – but it’s the closest thing to an “authentic” burrito (or fish taco) you’re going to find in Halifax. A weighty portion of rice is topped with your choice of beans & meat, cheese, pico, lettuce, sour cream and salsa. There’s a few other add-ons (cilantro-haters can make a faux pico with tomato, onion, jalapeno & lime) but it’s a pretty basic toppings bar.

Pro-tip: Baja White Sauce is life!

*Best Vegetarian Burrito
With 3 types of beans to choose from and guacamole inclusion, you can’t go wrong here! Plus, vegetarian burritos are 25% off on Meatless Mondays!

2. The Fusion Burrito: Habanero’s Modern Taco Bar

Sm. $7.19, Lg. $8.29, Jumbo $11.25

Chicken burrito with Mexican spiced rice, pico, bean dip, hot salsa & regular sour cream.

1551 South Park St.

Habanero’s is a local chain specializing in “modern” Mexican-inspired fare, with an emphasis on creativity and fresh ingredients.

There is a modest application of beans & rice, leaving more room for the abundance of fresh toppings and crazy condiments. Bean lovers will have to settle for a sprinkling of firm black beans and a squirt bottle of cold “refried bean dip”. But there are 3 types of rice, 5 types of sour cream, 6 salsas and a plethora of fresh and pickled veggies so it’s hard to get bored here.

The options can be overwhelming so my advice is to keep it simple. But hey – if you want to eat a burrito with curried rice, pickled carrot, corn salsa, donair meat and mango sour cream, that’s your call!

*Best Burrito Bowl
With all of the pickles, pico, and peppers and all the pickled peppers, any peckish Peter can pick the perfect burrito bowl.

* Donair Burritos
…may be coming to the regular menu.

3. The Grocery Store Burrito: Pete’s Frootique

Beef $7.99, Veggie $6.99

A beef burrito from Pete’s Frootique

1515 Dresden Row

Don’t discount the ready-made burritos of Pete’s Frootique! Oft-neglected among the burritos in Halifax, but just as satisfying, you’ll find these somewhere between the samosas and the pot pies in the deli counter.

The beef burrito ($7.99) contains a generous stuffing of shredded beef and black beans, cheese, onions, tomatoes, green pepper, jalapenos & garlic in a baked flour tortilla. The veggie burrito ($6.99) has rice, beans, cheese and salsa in a deep-fried tortilla for extra yum!

These are actually really tasty, quick and filling.

*Cheapest Burrito

4. The Phorrito: Indochine Banh Mi

One Size: $8.70

Beef Phorrito from Indochine

1551 South Park St.

Indochine is better known for Vietnamese subs, but they recently came out with the “Phorrito” ($8.70) – all the flavours of phở wrapped up in a flour tortilla. Phở spiced rice, fresh herbs, green onions, hoisin and sriracha sauce come together in a flavour explosion with your choice of chicken or tofu.

Pro-Tip: Pair it with a coconut & pineapple bubble tea.

*Flavour Bomb

5. The Sushi Burrito: Way2Roll

Reg $8.99-$12.99, Mini $5.99-$8.99

Wasabi Salmon Burrito from Way2Roll

1480 Brenton St.

*Update (July 18, 2018): Way2Roll has temporarily shut their doors! Rumour has it they will be moving to Barrington St.

Of all the burritos in Halifax, this one is definitely the craziest! These gargantuan hand-held sushi rolls are meant to be eaten like a burrito rather than daintily with chopsticks. They are bursting with fresh veggies and meat/fish, held together with seaweed and rice.

The best seller is the Wasabi Salmon Burrito (lg $12.99): Salmon, Crab Meat, Tobiko, Kale, Carrot, Cucumber, Red Cabbage, Avocado, Tempura Bites, Wasabi Mayo & Teriyaki. But you can also get a classic burrito (chicken/beef) with the familiar fixin’s and get this –

They make a Donair Sushi Burrito. We’ve now reached peak fusion absurdity!

*Healthy Choice

These are just a few of the burritos in Halifax. When I get around to doing a full burrito quest I’ll have to include Burrito Jax, Dee Dee’s, El Gallo, and the fork ‘n knife varieties from Cheachie’s, Mexicali Rosa’s and Mexico Lindo. Where else should I consider for my burrito investigations? Where is your favourite burrito? Get at me on social or in the comments below!