The tightly rolled, home-style burritos of Burritos La Palma have been a favorite in Orange County since the family-owned chain opened its first area location in 2017.
But the story of Albert Bañuelos’ restaurant goes back a lot further.
“We are a burrito that started in Zacatecas 45 years ago,” said Bañuelos. “Very simple, very humble roots, and we like it that way. We want to keep it that way.”
Burritos La Palma came to the states in 2012 and now has locations in Boyle Heights, El Monte, Highland Park and two in Santa Ana. On Nov. 4 the brand added a sixth location, at 170 Baker St. in Costa Mesa.
“Costa Mesa means a lot to us,” said Bañuelos. “It’s special.”
The Zacatecan-style burritos served at Burritos La Palma are long and slender compared to the hefty burritos smothered in cheese found at most Mexican American restaurants.
The burritos are filled with guisados, or braised meats, like birria de res, chicken tinga, chicharron in spicy salsa verde and the very homey deshebrada, made up of shredded beef in green chile with potato. Refried beans with cheese are also a favorite along with the Con Todo, filled with birria de res, refried beans and cheese. The burritos are served with a whole Serrano chile and a cup of thin, fresh tomato salsa that perfectly compliments each bite. A Platillo Especial includes a two-burrito combo dressed in Salsa Especial and served with refried beans and a side salad.
Soft, fresh flour tortillas are the base of each burrito. The preservative-free discs also originated at Burritos La Palma, which began as a tortillería in Zacatecas in 1980. The brand has come full circle too, launching Mejorado Tortillas in 2019.
Burritos from Burritos La Palma made with fresh flour tortillas.
(Sarah Mosqueda)
That quality has earned Burritos La Palma many accolades, including a Bib Gourmand from the prestigious Michelin guide for five consecutive years from 2019 to 2023. The lauded flour tortillas also earned Burritos La Palma the Golden Tortilla championship title in 2021’s KCRW and Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament.
The restaurant’s appearance on Netflix’s second season of “Taco Chronicles” helped the brand go viral during the pandemic, a time when many restaurants were struggling. That popularity made it difficult to produce enough burritos, and since COVID, hours have been kept short with most locations closing at 6 p.m.
“One of the biggest challenges is making the tortilla. We are limited to that production,” Bañuelos said. “When we were lucky enough to be featured on Netflix a few years ago, we just couldn’t keep up with the demand, which made the hours even shorter. But we are finding ways to meet that challenge.”
The Costa Mesa location is bigger than the other Orange County spots with more staff that can produce more burritos. The new spot will have extended hours, from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily.
Bañuelos said he has plans to expand the menu in Costa Mesa.
“Our menu is a little bigger in Mexico, and the intention of Costa Mesa in the future is to add a few more items that we offer in Mexico,” he said.
A Platillo Especial at Burritos La Palma includes refried beans and a side salad.
(Sarah Mosqueda)
One dish exclusive to the Costa Mesa menu is a dessert option: a delicious sweet quesadilla filled with melted cheese, quince paste and butter topped with a sprinkle of sea salt.
“Membrillo, or quince, was something I grew up with in Mexico, even though we would use it on bread,” Bañuelos said of the fruit often described as a cross between an apple and a pear.
Additionally, Bañuelos will be adding something to the menu no other locations have offered.
“We have been wanting to add a breakfast burrito for a while, and I feel we are close” Bañuelos said. “We are about to launch it.”
Bañuelos said Burritos La Palma plans to bring one more exciting menu offering from Mexico here to the States.
“We want to add corn tortillas to our menu here,” he said.
That means diners can look forward to tacos on corn tortillas or gorditas and maybe sopes at Burritos La Palma in the very near future.