A lot of the time, a burrito is just a burrito. Fillings vary in quality and variety, but they are generally the same basic thing. Not so much at Burritos La Palma in El Monte. These burritos came straight from Jerez, Mexico and if you didn’t know any better you might think of them as enchiladas. Burritos La Palma specializes in birria and so that’s what I got.
But I didn’t just order my birria straight up, I ordered them as the Platillo Especial, which comes topped with a green chile pork sauce, a side of refried beans and lettuce and tomato for no apparent reason. But you may be wondering what a birria actually is. Well, in actuality it’s little more than a spiced, shredded beef, but the way Burritos Las Palmas makes it you would think it’s a whole lot more. The seasoning was nothing short of fantastic and the little bite I had of my buddy’s chicken tinga only served to drive that point home. The beef was incredibly tender, as well, and the best part is that there was nothing else inside the burritos but the beef.
It was served enchilada-style and really was basically an enchilada. Probably the only difference is that the burritos were closed off at the ends and perhaps maybe the people of Jerez just know better.
It’s not easy to find a reason to go to El Monte, but Burritos La Palma is one of them. You can get a normal burrito almost anywhere. You can find some great burritos out there, too. But Burritos La Palma is more than that, it’s not just unique, but it’s great in every conceivable way. Well, except for that ridiculous bit of lettuce and tomato, of course.