Well Isn’t That (Burrito) ‘Special?’

Having already successfully forayed into the “wet” burrito world at , with its dynamite Chile Verde offering, I decided to take a similar journey for this week’s edition of The Burrito Blotter.

Being brazen enough to put something called The Special Burrito ($4.50) on the menu gets high marks in my book from the very start. But the fact that this burrito was, in fact, worthy of its name, is doubly impressive.

The Special Burrito is a combination burrito, featuring beef, beans, rice, and lettuce, smothered in a signature sauce and melted cheese. Here's the breakdown:

Tortilla
I really didn’t have bad things to say about the burrito. Though it was topped with sauce, it didn’t get overly mushy. That said, there was nothing that really stood out, good or bad, with the tortilla, which I guess is a good thing. It’s like being a ref at a basketball game. If you have a good game, it means the fans aren’t talking about you.

Beef
The beef was slow roasted and shredded, which made it incredibly moist and tender. It had a good, but not outstanding flavor, meaning it was fairly forgettable. Again, not bad, but not good. On the positive side, there was a lot of it, which for carnivores like myself, will always ring the bell.

Beans
The texture contrast provided by the smooth, creamy refried beans was a great touch. My only issue is that it seemed that the amount of beans was lessened in leiu of more meat. Could have used a little better ratio.

Lettuce
Eh, what can you say about lettuce? No flavor, no real texture contrast. Crispness got lost in a sea of special sauce. It didn't really add anything, and I actually could have done without it.

Rice
The rice had a good flavor, but it was a little bit mushy inside the burrito. I suspect it was just a result of being a tad overcooked and stuffed inside with a lot of other moist ingredients.

Special Sauce
By far the star ingredient of the burrito. It was salty and a little spicy, but overpowering. In a strange way, it made every bite better. Even when I would eat a piece of meat of some beans on their own, adding a bit of sauce improved the flavor greatly. I suspect that if there had been a pile of old chewing gum and rusted bolts wrapped up and topped in the special sauce, it would have still been delicious.

Overall
Despite being only above average in some components of the burrito, the special sauce brought it all together and made The Special Burrito, exactly that. And the fork and knife factor is a big plus too.

Rating: 4.0 (out of 5)