A good breakfast burrito can fortify your body and soul.
Crudo? There's nothing like a big ol' burro with extra salsa to bring you back to life. Need to get the most bang for your buck? A good breakfast burrito will keep you full well into lunch or further. Are you working out and needing a good recovery meal? A burrito will instantly reverse all those laps you just ran. However, as we all know, not all breakfast burritos are created equal.
A legendary breakfast burrito is marked by a thin, chewy tortilla, scrambled eggs that have not been overcooked to death, a crispy potato, and juicy morsels of breakfast meat, any meat.
In a sea of lousy breakfast burritos, here are a handful personally vetted by L.A. TACO to fully satisfy your breakfast burrito cravings all over the Southland.
Taquería Nopal ~ Northridge
If you've ever sped down Balboa Boulevard or Roscoe early on a Thursday or Friday to get to work or drop off your kid at school on time, you’ve likely seen a large crowd hunched under a green tent huddling around the smell of griddle-seared breakfast meats and crispy cheese. That’s because word has traveled fast about Taquería Nopal, a two-year-old breakfast taco stand in Northridge started by lifelong friends Ruben Duarte and Eddie Alarcón. What does it take to stand out in Los Angeles's saturated taco climate? Focus on stacked breakfast tacos, "breakfast quesadillas" with crispy cheese skirts, and the most hulking breakfast burrito Balboa Boulevard has ever seen. - Noe Adame
8400 Balboa Blvd, Northridge, CA 91329. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 152, 235, and 236 - "Balboa/Roscoe."
Open Thursday to Saturday ~ 7 AM to sell out. As for any pop-up, always check their Instagram account to confirm hours.
Corner Cottage ~ Burbank
The City of Burbank’s breakfast burrito scene is strong, but Corner Cottage reigns supreme. If you’re one of the many huddled masses who find themselves making the trek out to Burbank on a Saturday morning to get a taste of the legendary breakfast burrito, then you know why we’ve hailed it as one of the best. It’s the perfectly cooked mixture of potato and eggs, and your choice of bacon, sausage, or ham. Don’t forget to ask for some of their homemade chunky salsa to be sauced inside your burrito. That added level of spice creates a superior bite and is an excellent way to start your weekend out on a high note. - Gab Chabrán
310 S. Victory Blvd. Burbank, CA 91502. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 155 - “Olive/Victory.”
Cofax ~ Fairfax
There is no denying the greatness of this chorizo burrito with must-have avocado. It might be why millennials never own homes, but it makes for a great meal. The key ingredient to this burrito is the smoked potato hash. The mild spice of the bell peppers and smokiness completely envelope every bite. This burrito changed my idea of what I thought a breakfast burrito could be. Also recommended is their classic bacon, egg, and cheese, as well as their pastrami breakfast burrito. - Cesar Hernandez
440 N. Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 217 or 218 - “Fairfax/Rosewood.”
Burrito Track ~ Whittier
In 1978, Don Pedro Vaca created the one and only Burrito Track on Mills Ave, a community gem lauded by residents and burrito lovers abroad for its delicious specials and 17 different kinds of three-egg breakfast burritos. If you're in Whittier, come in for a taste of this neighborhood-approved community gem. -Daniel Suarez
10027 Mills Ave. Whittier, CA 90605. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 120 - “Telegraph/Mills.”
Burrito Bomba ~ Glendale
Burrito Bomba specializes in breakfast burritos made with a signature red tortilla filled to the brim with a cheesy egg mixture goodness, your choice of bacon and large, juicy cuts of steak, freshly cut cajun fries, and their own pico de gallo and spicy mayo. While purists might turn their nose to such an addition, we assure you that it's the perfect complement. The signature condiment adds to an already savory flavor bomb that makes for a transcendent experience, leaving you wondering if it constitutes a burrito that's only specific to breakfast or something completely different entirely. - Gab Chabrán
1360 E. Colorado St Unit A Glendale, CA 91205. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 251 - “Colorado/Verdugo” or Bus Line 180 - "Broadway/Verdugo."
Jugos Azteca ~ Highland Park
The contents of the VIP Burrito are equal parts crispy bacon and soul-confirming, meaty pieces of Mexican chorizo, with large chunks of home fries that are as soft as they are warm. It gets better with enough slices of avocado that this would probably cost double if it was on toast a few doors down. There is also an outlying ring of Monterey Jack cheese that is always welcome in the kingdom of breakfast burritos. It is served with a side of grilled onions and seared jalapeño, even if you didn’t ask for it. If you want even more heat, ask for a side of their potent salsa Mexicana. - Gab Chabrán
5213 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90042. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 182 - “York/Avenue 52.”
Macheen at Milpa Kitchen ~ Boyle Heights
Some people will argue that a burrito is not a taco, but we beg to differ, which is why Macheen’s pork belly breakfast burrito is a meal that's more than worth the taco hype. Amongst the bustling sounds that make up Chavez Avenue in Boyle Heights, you will find this perfectly sized on-the-go breakfast inside Milpa Kitchen. The burrito consists of hashbrowns, crispy adobado-style pork belly, scrambled eggs, and gooey Swiss and cotija cheese, all complemented with delicious green salsa. The eggs are soft and practically melt with the cheese, and the pork belly is cooked to an artistic ideal, with each bite having the right amount of crunch. This burrito was dubbed one of Macheen’s most popular items by former L.A. TACO writer and current San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Cesar Hernandez.
Available at Milpa Kitchen and on Sundays at Smorgasburg L.A.
2633 E Cesar E Chavez Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033
Milpa Kitchen: Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 70 - “Cesar E Chavez/Mott” or Bus Line 251 - "Soto/Cesar E Chavez."
Smorgasburg L.A.: Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 53, 60, or 62 - “7th/Central.”
The Rooster ~ Pico-Robertson
The Rooster became one of L.A.'s favorite breakfast food trucks thanks in large part to the Rico Suave. The breakfast burrito stuffed with eggs, bacon, tater tots, avocado, cilantro crema, salsa, and a cheddar and cotija queso blend."- Erick Galindo
8809 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 617 - “Robertson/Pico.”
Delia’s Restaurant ~ Eagle Rock
The chorizo breakfast burrito shines through, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil. The chorizo is crispy and juicy with the right amount of charred ends. It comes mixed in with loose bits of scrambled egg and a decent amount of hash browns. Together, this cylinder of sustenance is enough to hold you over on those days when you might have to work through your lunchtime or class time." - Gab Chabrán
4501 York Blvd. Los Angeles, CA, 90041. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 182 - “York/Avenue 45” or Bus Line 251 - "Eagle Rock/York."
Pete's Blue Chip Burgers ~ Eagle Rock
One of the most flavorful breakfast burritos in Northeast L.A. After placing your order at the counter, you can feel extra classy as you slide into one of the faux leather seats and Sinatra plays over the speakers. The specimens here are stuffed to the brim with large, soft curds of scrambled eggs mixed with hefty chopped sausage pieces. The standout feature of Pete’s breakfast burrito is their pico de gallo salsa. - Gab Chabrán
1701 Colorado Blvd. Los Angeles, CA, 90041. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 180 - “Colorado/Mount Royal.”
The Highland Cafe ~ Highland Park
Its breakfast burrito should be in the shape of California since it nods to San Diego’s notorious style of adding fries to things but through the lens of an Angeleno. This means cramming a generous amount of french fries drenched in a red enchilada-like sauce. The other usual suspect is there in the form of omelet-like scrambled eggs. Nonetheless, this burrito is unique because it gets a boost from the most delectable glob of mashed avocado that sits perfectly in the center—almost serving like the heartbeat of the entire affair. When consuming the California, this cosmic mishmash of spicy, crispy, and eggy filling will envelop your sense of reality. - Gab Chabrán
5010 York Blvd. Los Angeles, CA, 90042. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 182 - “York/Avenue 51.”
Penny’s Burgers ~ Highland Park
"The Works burrito is a lavish affair, packed with sausage, bacon and Canadian bacon. It is a substantial layer of meat cradling hard scrambled eggs topped with lacquered American cheese. The foundation of it all is a warm bed of griddled hash browns with the right ratio of both soft and crispy bits. This burrito is served with green salsa and it is zesty enough to convince you to eat the whole damn thing. The flour tortilla that it is wrapped with is of the grilled variety that wishes you a good morning and sends you off on your day, like a mother who kisses their children before they head off to school." - Gab Chabrán
6300 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90042. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 81, 182, 256 or 258 - “Figueroa/York.”
Tito's Bakery ~ Long Beach
Long Beach locals know this beloved, little storefront bakery in downtown is one of the city’s overall best. The two best choices for breakfast burritos are chorizo or machaca mixed with crispy potatoes and large, soft ribbons of scrambled eggs. Not to mention big chunks of refried beans, which are often one of the more overlooked ingredients on the breakfast burrito periodic table. It is expertly topped with house-made green or red salsa, delivering the perfect amount of fiery goodness. It's like the perfect home-cooked meal or a hug from an old friend. - Gab Chabrán
1107 E 4th St. Long Beach, CA 90802. Closest transit lines and stop: Long Beach Transit Line 151 - “4th/Orange” or Long Beach Transit Line 71 - "Alamitos/4th."
Brother's Burritos ~ Hermosa Beach
All the burritos I’ve had from here have been stellar. The gimmick here is that each order comes with two small burritos. Essentially, each burrito comes with its brother. The “triple” is usually my go-to because it has a tri-tip and the standard egg-potato-cheese combo. It is the best kind of Tex-Mex. The salsa is good here, so splash it on liberally." - Cesar Hernandez
24 11th St. Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 232 - “Pacific Coast Highway/11th.”
3216 Manhattan Ave Ste B, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 232 - “Pacific Coast Highway/Artesia.”
Ma N' Pa Grocery ~ Long Beach
Ma 'n Pa Grocery is a time capsule floating in Long Beach's Belmont Heights neighborhood. It's also one of the last breakfast burritos in L.A. County that cost less than $10. It is also not overwhelmingly big and beefy, so it won't make you want to nap after and set you up for a nice long day of productivity. The grocery and deli are also a stone's throw away from The Colorado Lagoon, making it a perfect spot to load up for a picnic by the water. - Javier Cabral
346 Roycroft Ave. Long Beach, CA 90814. Closest transit lines and stop: Bus 151 - “4th/Park” or Long Beach Transit Lines 111 and 112 - "Ximeno/4th."
Tacos Villa Corona ~ Atwater Village
Tacos Villa Corona is a tiny family-owned taco stand best known for its breakfast burritos. The line can stretch down the block on a busy morning, but breakfast burrito aficionados never run away from lines. They order in advance. Tacos Villa Corona's breakfast burritos come on the smaller side. You may order two if you're hungry or nursing a Saturday morning hangover. You can't go wrong with a chorizo and papas breakfast burrito or their "chef's special" (bacon and papas). But Tacos Villas Corona is also known for its nopales and chilaquiles burritos. Maybe, most importantly, all of their burritos clock in at under $10. - Lexis-Olivier Ray
3185 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90039. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 92 - “Glendale/Brunswick (southbound)” or "Glendale/Atwater (northbound)."
La Azteca Tortillería ~ East Los Angeles
The tortillería that makes arguably the best chile relleno burrito in Los Angeles also opens at 6 AM daily and feeds the working masses of East Los at dawn. The tiny restaurant off Cesar Chavez Street uses the same iconic handmade flour tortilla. It is buttery, chewy, flaky, and tortilla that gets you out of bed and excited to start your day. Their breakfast burritos are hearty and feature scrambled eggs, potatoes, beans, and ham. Technically, their chile relleno is battered in the whipped egg, making it an excellent breakfast burrito.
4538 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90022. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 70 - “Cesar E Chavez/Ford.”
The Chori-Man ~ San Pedro
Some breakfast burritos are unique, stand out independently, and are outside any list. The Chori-Man is that burrito. He changed the game in 2016 when he introduced Toluca-style green chorizo to Los Angeles, and his pioneering chorizo prowess follows his handmade chorizos today at his burrito shop in San Pedro. His chorizo verde is made of fresh herbs and chiles instead of the usual ones made with dried chiles; you must taste it to understand it truly. Forget the green eggs and ham and sink your teeth into these green chorizo burritos.
2309 S. Alma St. Los Angeles, CA 90731. Closest Metro lines and stop: Metro J Line (950) or Bus Line 246 - “Pacific/21st.”
Toshi's BBQ ~ South Central L.A.
If you are looking for something different for breakfast, head to South Central and head to Toshi's BBQ. While they are new on the scene, they are not new on the block. This South Central BBQ pop-up specializes in Texas BBQ with an L.A. twist, with their smoked brisket being their top seller. And while they serve anything from ribs to sausage links and side servings, the breakfast brisket burrito is the number one seller. It includes eggs, potatoes, cheese, and slow-cooked and smoky brisket slabs. Now, they are a pop-up that only sells on weekends, so check their Instagram for updates. The BBQ pop-up opens at 9 a.m. until they sell out, and trust us, they do sell out.
4001 San Pedro St. Los Angeles, CA 90011. Closest transit lines and stop: Bus Line 51 - “MLK/Avalon Blvd.”
Uruapan Taco ~ Compton
The taquería has absolutely no online presence, and even if you managed to spot it while driving down El Segundo Boulevard in Compton, its outer walls, scarred by layers of graffiti and buffing paint, hide the truth about what’s inside this tagged-up community gem: some of the best burritos in L.A.
Inside, a long display case holds all the enticing stews. These are guisados Michoacános. They range from tripas en salsa roja, carnitas, and chile verde to chiles rellenos and chicharrón, all fogging up the display glass protecting them. For the community of workers who frequent this place, it's all about the nuances and details in the rice, beans, tortillas, salsas, and yes, that guisado. All of which combine here to make you really take a moment to admire it. Don't let its tagged-up walls stop you from biting into their guisad-filled breakfast burritos or their equally famous chile relleno burrito.
604 E El Segundo Blvd. Compton, CA 90222.
Los Molcajetes ~ Koreatown
At 9:56 a.m. on November 19th, 2024, Los Angeles pupusería Los Molcajetes invented their “Salvi Breakfast Burrito.” It was a planned and half-happy accident, but the city of L.A. and the world are both better for it. This innovation on the famed breakfast burritos, of purported New Mexican origins, was built with distinctly Salvadoran ingredients. Instead of hashbrowns, it has yuca frita. Instead of bacon, sausage, or ham, it is filled with chicharrón, chorizo Salvadoreño, and bacon.
This breakfast burrito is genuinely “very L.A.” It reflects the time and place well, with Salvadoran cooks and a Japanese-Jewish co-creator taking on a Mexican favorite that was originally an amalgamation of Mexican and North American cuisine in Koreatown.
269 S. Mariposa Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90004. Closest transit lines and stop: Bus Line 16 - “3rd/Alexandria.”
El Cachanilla Burritos ~ Gardena
If simplicity in authenticity reigned supreme, these burritos would have their castle rather than an EZ-UP, a king’s table instead of a folding one, and a golden chest full of cachanilla burritos instead of an igloo with reused tortilla bags full of aluminum-wrapped burritos.
El Cachanilla sells burritos like bistec, pork chile verde, chicharrón, chorizo and eggs, ham and eggs, and papa con carne, their top seller. These burritos are perfect for breakfast and lunch; they are warm, hearty, and homemade.
~ Pops up Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. until it sells out, on Vermont Avenue just south of Artesia Boulevard.
You can also find them in Wilmington by Pacific Coast Highway and Figueroa from Monday through Friday.
Almaya ~ Lincoln Heights
Nikki Abeskharoun, who runs Almaya in Lincoln Heights with her mother, Blanca Gonzalez, and partner, Joseph Doubleday, continues to see customers looking confused as they take in their Mediterranean-meets-Mexican menu three months after opening the restaurant.
At Almaya, which anchors a food court in one of the two towering pillars of gentrification standing shoulder-to-shoulder on Barranca Street, you can make your breakfast out of a straightforward plate of shakshuka, chilaquiles, or machaca.
Or opt for a breakfast burrito made with fluffy eggs, fried potato fritters, halal beef bacon, and beef chorizo, topped with a creamy jalapeno salsa, impeccable chile de árbol salsa roja with notes of cumin, or herby tahini-cilantro dip—a formidable trio of flavor-packed salsas our team agrees are some of the best we’ve had in recent memory.
2020 Barranca St. Ste. C Los Angeles, CA 90031.Closest transit lines and stop: Bus Line 16 - “3rd/Alexandria.”
Sobuneh ~ West Los Angeles
Sobuneh started as just three friends who were first-generation Iranian Americans born in Los Angeles, who had one goal: to create the best breakfast burrito in the city. It first began as a pop-up at their house, but they are now located on Santa Monica Boulevard, serving what people call the best breakfast burrito in Los Angeles. They serve four signature burritos, some of which include steak, their house-blend beef chorizo, and pasture-raised organic eggs. All of these come with their chipotle aioli or cilantro lime sauces. We recommend getting both if it’s your first time there.
11419 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025. Closest transit lines and stop: Bus Line 1 - “Santa Monica Blvd/Federal Avenue.”
Phanny's ~ Redondo Beach
There's one thing South Bay residents, beach blondes, and the out-of-town staff in the service industry have in common: Phanny’s breakfast burrito. It’s a staple of the community, much like Al & Bea's is to East L.A., Tito’s to Culver City, or Hawkins House of Burgers is to Watts. They’re big in every way—size, flavor, and reputation. Drizzle some of their bright red salsa on every bite and taste a bit of what Redondo Beach residents have kept a neighborhood locals-only secret.
1021 S Pacific Coast Hwy. Redondo Beach, CA 90277. Closest transit lines and stop: Bus Line 232 - “Pacific Coast Hwy / Ave C.”
Honorable O.C. Mention
Nick's Deli ~ Seal Beach
Their house breakfast burrito combines eggs, chorizo, bacon, and cheese with their special sauce and maintains its integrity by not skimping on the details. The tortilla is lightly toasted, never soggy nor steamed, and the potatoes are always fried crisply. The special sauce is similar to a red enchilada sauce, which you will have your choice of, mild or spicy, bringing all the flavors together in just the right amount of spice unison. Remember, it’s cash only, and you pay after your order has been fulfilled. – Gab Chabrán
223 Main St. Seal Beach, CA 90740. Closest transit lines and stop: Bus Line 171 or OC Bus Line 42 - “Electric/Main.”
