Day 85- Diego's

I went way inland for this one. After a grueling Muay Thai session, I headed out to a spot that Google maps had assured me was the location of a taco shop. They got it right, technically. It wasn't the one they said it would be, but it was a taco shop. A brand new one, actually.

Diego's has a pretty good California burrito (but sadly, no Orange Bang). They serve it loaded, although it is far from fast. I was the only customer they had and it still took a while for them to whip it up. And it is ungodly hot in that place. Holy fuck, it's like you're standing on the grill. But like I said, a good meal.

So if you find yourself in the Mission Gorge/Mission Trails area, do two things. First, ask yourself "What the fuck am I doing way out here in the middle of nowhere?" Second, stop by Diego's and have a California burrito. BYOOB.

Day 84- Aiberto's

Yes, another fucking "berto's." Located on University, just East of the 15, it's a run-down looking little shack. Cash-only is kind of a pain in the ass, but it's the price one pays for B90X.

Their California burrito is served fast and cheap, but with only pico. As you can imagine, I found it to be pretty bland. Not a great California burrito by any stretch.

But more concerning to me than the proliferation of substandard Cali burritos is the drought of Orange Bang I'm currently experiencing. Seriously, I haven't had an Orange Bang with my Cali burrito in a while. And I ask at every place. They should all have Orange Bang. In fact, California burritos should always be served with an Orange Bang automatically. Shit is delicious! It's like drinking diabetes. Or something.

Day 83- Alanberto's

Another taco shop brought to you by the Google-powered 'taco shop quest.' I was headed for a late-night California burrito at a place near college area called Gualberto's, but I guess those sissies close before 1AM.

I ended up a couple blocks down the road at Alanberto's. And by the way- how many fucking"-bertos" are there in this town? I would think they'd run out of variations, but not so.

The California burrito here is good. It's cheap, which always helps, and relatively quick. I was all set to write about this pace being slow as fuck, since I sat in the drive through for about 18 minutes. But it seems that delay was caused by the guy 2 cars ahead of me. I don't know what the hell he ordered, but once he was gone with his dolphin burrito or whatever, the car in front of me and myself got in and out of there like... I don't know, something fast.

So, not a great California burrito, but it'll work.

Day 82- Hard Rock Cafe

*Apologies to Jiavani Linayao, whose outrage at my shitty choice of taco shops is justified by her admission that her 3 favorite places are Lucha Libre, El Zarape, and Livingston's. ;) *

Yeah, that's right- Hard Rock Cafe. I was meeting a bunch of friends after the last day of Comicon, and this is where we met. I had intended to not eat and just grab a burrito after, but then the server came over and gave us his spiel.

He said that Hard Rock had invented a California burrito burger, and that it was pattented or copyrighted or exclusive, something to that effect. He also claimed it's either the most popular or best selling burger in the country. I'm paraphrasing but that is, no shit, what he said. I would guess he's never heard of this place called Mc-something or other. They have this burger called a Big Mac, which- while probably not great- I'm fairly certain is more popluar and better selling than anything else on Earth.The burger was OK. Not that great, barely good even. It's served loaded, but they use some kind of weird seasoning on the burger patty. The flavor is just odd. The California burrito is basically an Americanization of a Mexican dish, and this burger is the Americanization of an Americanization. It's a weird, unnecessary alteration, liked colorized movies. If you're at a Hard Rock, I'd almost suggest ordering it just for the WTF factor.

Day 81- Mr Burro

A shop I stumbled upon during a now-routine taco shop quest. I'll find a place via Google, and when I get there it either doesn't exist or it's closed at some retarded hour. Don't tell Jane Lynch I said that.

Mr Burro is in the same plaza as McGregor's, which if you haven't been there is an awesome bar. They were just getting ready to close when I arrived, but were happy to fix me up with a California burrito. You can get it regular for $5, or deluxe for $7, which is what I got. I prefer it loaded if given a choice.
A $7 burrito had better be pretty effing good. Like, cupping the balls good. That's setting the bar high, and usually setting yourself up for failure. Their California burrito was tasty, but not worth that price. It was loosely wrapped, making it hard to eat, and the carne asada was a bit chewy. So not a bad burrito, but there's definitely better for cheaper.

Day 80- Rojelio's

Another shop in the college area, where I've come to expect good California burrito's for cheap. And for the most part that's what you'll find here. With few exceptions.

Rojelio's definitely fits the pattern. They are cheap and fast. And their California burrito is served with guac and sour. It's pretty basic, but it's a good burrito. If you're in the area it's worth a visit.

The funny thing is that as I was on my way here, I was thinking about how sick I am of this whole B90X thing. The hassle of finding new shops and posting reviews. Which I obviously don't have to do; I do it because I want to.

But even in the midst of this struggle, this battle with B90X fatigue, my true colors would shine through. As soon as I had that burrito in my hand I could not wait to devour it. This shit is still the best food ever. I don't think I've ever eaten one thing for 80 days in a row. That's a true testament to the perfection of the California burrito.

Day 79- Bravo's

Today begins Comicon, the main reason that I fell so far behind on this blog. After a full day of nerd vacation, I took my friend Jesse- who was visiting from LA- to try a California burrito. For some reason this is really just a San Diego thing. I have several friends in LA who say they can't find one anywhere. Add that to the list "Reasons San Diego is fucking awesome."

This was a classic taco shop: cheap, fast, and located in a shady neighborhood. While we were waiting for our food, two cop cars went screaming past in full pursuit of something. No idea where they were headed but they were on a mission.

Their California burrito was a bit of a letdown, though. They serve it with pico only, and the carne asada is kind of dry. Onward we go.