National Burrito + Beer Day in Long Beach

This place has made a lot of very good noise since opening in November with its innovative, evolving menu and cocktail program. Its weekend brunch – which includes the likes of Cornbread French Toast and Mexican Hot Fried Chicken – has quickly become a thing, in part due to its innovative, evolving versions of the breakfast burrito. For instance, its Pork Belly Breakfast Burrito is packed with crispy pork belly, eggs, fries, crema, tomatillo and pico de gallo in a flour tortilla with a crispy, griddled cheese crust. Yeah. Their beer selection includes all the regulars you’d expect along with plenty of boutique brews. We suggest trying their eLBC Michie Michelada or their Suero, which comes with your choice of beer, combined with lime, salt and served over ice.

People are fiercely loyal to this little gem, and its delicious breakfast burrito is just one reason why. From the first bite, you understand that this burrito was produced at a bakery, since baked goods require a scientific type of precision and balance. Though Tito’s breakfast burrito contains eggs, a choice of meat – chorizo, chicharrones (when available) bacon, shredded beef, chicken – potatoes, beans, onions, cilantro, they all work gloriously together with no single ingredient sticking out or dominating flavor. You also get your choice of red or green salsa – we’d suggest both. Though it’s a little place, it makes a big burrito, don’t be surprised if you and a friend will be perfectly happy splitting one. They’ll cut it in half. Oh, and by the way, it’s cash only.

This is just one of the city’s most beloved restaurants. Everybody goes to Lola’s, in part drawn by the family vibe created by chef/owner Luis Navarro, in part due to his interpretation of his mother, Lola’s, recipes. One that made the restaurant’s name and reputation was its mole, so we’ll suggest checking out the Mole Burrito. It comes with grilled chicken, garlicy whole beans, toasted sesame seeds, pickled red onions and is smothered with a mole of your choice – Negro, Poblano, Verde de Oaxaca. Lola has a full bar and wonderful margaritas – another reason for its popularity – but we’ll suggest ordering something light like a Strand Blonde beer, brewed in nearby Torrance, or something smooth, like a Modelo Negro.

In one of the most unlikely places – a rather nondescript medical office building–you’ll find some of the most interesting fusion of flavors in the city. Owner Vinod Venkataraman, is a former musician who played with Ravi Shankar – and George Harrison! – a former physician and now a restaurateur whose Indian-Mexican fusion menu has quickly made a name for itself. Foremost is the Maharaja Burrito, a vegetarian take filled with turmeric rice, chunks of saag paneer, lentils and mushrooms. (There’s a vegan version called the Maharani.) The Maharaja was judged the best burrito in the state, given its stellar Yelp reviews, some of which called it a “MUST order. So flavorful & delicious. I honestly forgot that it didn't have meat in it.” Another said it was “full of flavor but not heavy, so you won't be stuck in a food coma after lunch.”

Located downtown in The Current highrise apartment building, Poki Cat has quickly become one of the city’s most popular poke purveyors, in large part due to its fresh ingredients and takes on the cuisine. Consider their Sushi Burrito, a coming together of three fish choices, vegetables, rice and sauces, all of it contained in a seaweed wrap. An amalgam of delicious flavors and textures, you can eat the burrito there, but if you decide to take it with you – and it comes in a convenient, plastic container – we suggest you go next door to its Current neighbor, Hi-Lo Liquor Market, and grab a beer from its large selection.