El Burrito Junior by Ed Milich
		Eating lunch at El Burrito Junior is a SoCal tradition. EBJ was on of the first places I ate at after I moved to SoCal, so it holds a special place in my heart. The location I usually go to is on Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach, just a short walk form the Riveriera Village and from the “Hollywood Riviera” Coastline. El Burrito Junior is an old school SOL Mexican lunch counter with a few locations scattered throughout the LA sprawl. They recently opened a sit-down location at Hawthorne and Torrance Boulevards in the South Bay. While the food at all the locations is comparable, I recommend the Redondo Beach location as an introduction to the chain, based upon its “beachy/urban” ambience. The chips are served as oversized (about 6” diameter) round corn chips, and you need to break them apart before you dip them in the spicy salsa. The shredded chicken and beef fillings are both excellent. They’re spicy and juicy at the same time.  I usually get a taco or enclilada combo that features one of these. They enchiladas feature lots of spicy brown sauce and gooey cheese. You’ll want to take the round aluminum container that it comes in and lick them clean. The Mexican beans and rice that are included with the combinations are the real deal, so they’re probably not too terribly heart healthy.  Keep the defibulators handy! In summary, EBJ succeeds because of their great execution of typical Mexican comfort foods.  You probably don’t want to eat this stuff every day, unless you want to be mistaken for a stray whale that washed ashore at Redondo …once in awhile won’t kill you, though. Just make sure that you order a Diet Coke as well. There is no inside dining at the PCH location. Instead, you can carry your food out or sit at one of the outside tables on the side of the building. Part of the fun of eating here is sitting on the patio and watching traffic go by. Over a 20-minute lunch, you’re sure to see a Ferrari or two, a bunch of motorcycles, and maybe some classic cars as well. People and vehicle watching is all part of the El Burrito Junior lunch experience. What a classic SoCal experience! You can usually get lunch for under $8 with a drink. The El Burrito Jr lunch is an excellent if slightly fattening lunch stop. Gold Star.
	El Burrito Junior 919 S Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 (310) 316-5058 El Burrito Junior 21141 Hawthorne Blvd Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 944-9200