As fans of Mexican food, we’re always on the lookout for a great new lunch or dinner spot that we haven’t tried before. While there is a wide variety of styles and dishes that fall under the category of "Mexican food", one of our favorites is a good burrito.
Recently, we decided to visit three popular local Mexican restaurants in a search for the best burrito in El Dorado Hills, California. We came away impressed (and full) with each contender’s offering. Deciding on an overall favorite was difficult. The good news for fellow Mexican food aficionados is that there’s no shortage of great food to try.
To keep the comparison fair, we ordered a carne asada burrito at each of three local Mexican restaurants. The burritos we ordered all included meat, cheese, rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream—and either salsa or pico de gallo.
We consecutively visited the three restaurants between 1 pm and 3pm on the same day. Here are our findings:
Taqueria El Dorado
Location: 3955 Park Dr #6, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762, (916)933 8877
Price: $8.50 for a super burrito with choice of meat
Bonus Feature: Amazing outdoor patio area
Our first stop was Taqueria El Dorado on Park Drive. We arrived right at lunch time. There was already a line out the door, which is always a good sign. After a short wait, we ordered a carne asada super burrito and were given a number to place on our table.
After getting our drinks, chips & salsa, we headed to the beautiful outdoor patio. Our food came out only a few minutes after we sat down. Fast service is always welcome -- we eagerly unwrapped our burrito and dug in.
What we liked: The first thing we noticed was that our super burrito had a fine overall balance of flavor. None of the ingredients overpowered any of the others. Some burritos have a tendency to end up with all the best bits in the middle -- when you get to the ends all that’s left is rice and beans. This was not the case with our burrito at Taqueria El Dorado. Each bite we took was consistent from start to finish.
What could be improved: While we appreciated how quickly our food came out after we ordered, the burrito we got wasn’t hot all the way through. We would have been fine waiting a few extra minutes to get one that was nice and hot in the middle. A little bit more “carne” in the burrito would’ve been good with us too.
Cascada Restaurante & Cantina
Location: 2222 Francisco Dr, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762, (916) 618-4369
Price: $10.25 for asada burrito
Bonus Feature: Great service, relaxing atmosphere
Our next stop was Cascada Restaurante and Cantina. Cascada is located in a fairly nondescript building. We had to hunt for a minute before we found the entrance. But as soon as we walked in, we were immediately greeted by a friendly host who quickly escorted us to a nearby booth and provided menus.
The interior is spacious. There are a lot of tables and plenty of booths. The menu includes both traditional Mexican dishes and "California cuisine." Our server was attentive and friendly. She took our order right away. We were also served complimentary chips along with two salsas and a warm bean dip. Our order arrived after a short wait. We were immediately impressed with our dish’s presentation.
What we liked: In many ways, our Cascada burrito was the opposite of our experience at Taqueria El Dorado. It was nice and hot all the way through. It was chock full of grilled steak. The rice and black beans were a great compliment to the burrito. We appreciated the generous servings of sour cream and guacamole on top. If you’re a meat lover, this is the burrito for you.
What could be improved: As much as we love grilled steak, we felt there could have been a bit more balance with the rest of the ingredients (we’re picky, we know). The steak itself, while tasty, was slightly overcooked for our liking. However, those who enjoy well-done meat will find nothing to complain about.
Mexquite Mexican Restaurant
Location: 25095 Blue Ravine Rd, Folsom, CA 95630, (916) 984-8607
Price: $14.48 for Mexquite Burrito with steak
Bonus Feature: Fun and vibrant interior decoration
Our final stop of the day was Mexquite Mexican Restaurant. Right above the door, there’s a banner that touts the venue’s status as Folsom and El Dorado Hills' "Favorite Mexican Restaurant" for the last ten years. This sets a high expectation before you set foot inside.
The good news is that our first impression was indeed favorable. It’s a beautiful restaurant with a fun and vibrant atmosphere. We were greeted and taken to a booth by a friendly host who took our drink order on the spot.
While not a factor in our review of the burrito we ate, it’s worth mentioning that the chips and salsa at Mexquite were by far our favorite of the day.
We ordered the Mexquite burrito. It costs $10.99. With steak it’s an extra $3.49. While we made it clear up front at each restaurant that we would be sharing a burrito, Mexquite was the one restaurant that took the extra step of serving our shared burrito on separate plates. Each one looked like a full meal on its own. This was a nice touch that we appreciated.
What we liked: Unlike the two previous burritos we tried, the Mexquite burrito came covered in a red burrito/enchilada sauce. This added a nice layer of additional flavor to our meal. The burrito itself had an excellent balance of all the various ingredients. We could clearly identify each ingredient in every bite we took. Our burrito tasted fresh and well-prepared. Temperature-wise, it was nice and hot when it arrived at our table. It stayed warm until we finished.
What could be improved: There wasn’t much to complain about with our Mexquite burrito. The only quibble we had was the included sauce tasted a bit strongly of tomato, which gave it a slightly more Italian than Mexican flavor.
Final Thoughts
A lot of food critique is subjective. What we did or didn’t like may be the opposite of what other people enjoy or dislike. We enjoyed each of the meals we had. We’d also gladly return to each restaurant to try other dishes on the menu.
We’re happy to say that there is no "Best Burrito in El Dorado Hills." Why? Because we found something tasty everywhere we went.
Sometimes, a quick lunch at a taqueria is just the thing. Other times, sitting down in a nice restaurant and having a leisurely dinner over a couple of cocktails is a great way to spend an evening.
After trying three great options in our backyard, we’d encourage all Mexican food fans in El Dorado Hills to visit each of the restaurants and decide which one they like best.