Is there a breakfast food more L.A. than the burrito? Here are our favorites

When people speak about what makes living in Los Angeles ideal, discussion often gravitates toward the weather or the proximity to beaches, deserts or mountains.

My colleague and Times restaurant critic Bill Addison may have inadvertently made another claim about Los Angeles’ richness that I hadn’t really considered.

In Addison’s recent list of 16 of L.A.’s best breakfast burritos, the award-winning critic argued that there’s no breakfast that’s more L.A. than the humble breakfast burrito.

I thought about every city I frequent regularly and the variety of burritos available.

Do I stop at Pepe’s or Pharo’s Burger in Alhambra for a monster-sized breakfast burrito? Or what about Corner Cottage or Willie’s Grill and Deli in Burbank?

Town to town, the abundance of options is absurd, making Addison’s selections all the more intriguing.

Let’s take a look at a few of his picks and be thankful we live in an area with such variety.

(Bill Addison/Los Angeles Times)

La Azteca Tortilleria (East Los Angeles)

An East L.A. institution since 1945, La Azteca remains a vital community haven.

This is the one place in my recent citywide sweep where I took an initial bite of a burrito’s tortilla and paused in admiration. So light, given the heft of the bundle, and flaky, and fragrant with the specific richness of lard.

Note that in all but one of six options, Monterey Jack cheese is extra. I loved its addition in a frontrunner filled with nubbly chunks of chorizo, egg and creamy refried beans.

The “sausage and egg” variation contains halved, peppery, Polish-style links. Their texture bounces among diced potatoes and more beans.

And yes, if you prefer to order outside traditional morning norms, the tortilleria’s famed gushing chile relleno burrito is available at the break of dawn: Doors open at 5 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 7 a.m. on Sunday.

(Joel Barhamand/For the Times)

The Chori-Man (San Pedro)

For over a decade, Humberto Raygoza has been selling his meticulously spiced variations on chorizo to L.A.-area restaurants. His own San Pedro shop, meanwhile, has become a regional destination for breakfast burritos.

Even with its dusky, unnatural-looking shade of seafoam green, one burrito that I’m always drawn to is the herbal, earthy chorizo verde; his Zacatecano variation hums with the more familiar red-chile smokiness.

Lately Raygoza has been branching out, filling burritos with near-molten chipotle-braised beef bound among fluffy-crisp potatoes, cheese and two over-easy eggs, their yolks still bursting if you demolish your burrito right away (which you should).

(Bill Addison/Los Angeles Times)

Daisy Margarita Bar (Sherman Oaks)

Brunch here happens to be fantastic.

Among chilaquiles rojos, yellowfin pescabirria and a brioche sticky bun covered in dulce de leche and chopped pecans, there is one breakfast burrito option.

A tightly rolled tortilla encloses soft-scrambled eggs, diced machaca and shrimp and a melting halo of chihuahua cheese. Garlic butter and an aioli softly smoky with chintextle chile gild the situation. Ruddy tomato salsa pounded in a molcajete, its texture almost emulsified, awaits on the side. A burrito of this caliber deserves some atmosphere — in this case the room’s time-tripping saloon vibes, all saturated colors and caramel lighting — and perhaps a 1990s-era sipping tequila on the side.

(Taylor Arthur/Los Angeles Times)

Evil Cooks (El Sereno)

A breakfast burrito named “Chilakillers” is peak Evil Cooks, the wonderful and previously roving taqueria by Alex Garcia and Elvia Huerta now settled into a black-walled goth lair in El Sereno.

Their take on chilaquiles — fried egg gushing yolk, shards of fried tortilla soaked in salsa rojo, a smear of guac, a smattering of queso fresco — can be made in the form of a torta, but the flavors hit harder wrapped in a thin tortilla.

A similar setup frames “The Prince of Darkness,” bulging with inky strips of marinated asado. Garcia and Huerta open for daytime hours only on the weekends. The good news? When the comfort of breakfast beckons for dinner, their eggy, saucy burritos are also available at dinner.

The week’s biggest stories

(Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

U.S.-Canada trade wars

• The U.S.-Canada trade war deepens with new Trump tariffs.
• The U.S. has imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods after tense, last-minute negotiations collapsed.
• Canada’s boycott of U.S. alcohol became a sticking point in Trump’s trade fight.

What’s troubling L.A.

• The viral Proteinmaxxing trend is reshaping L.A. dining and pushing small restaurants to the brink.
• Customers are willing to pay more for protein add-ons, but the higher checks are not leading to higher profits for restaurants.
• L.A. records West Nile fatality as California cases hit 5-year high.
• Dodgers president Stan Kasten reiterates ‘Dodgers are not being sold.’

Entertainment industry deaths

• The brother of actress Hayden Panettiere’s ex speaks out.
• Internet would-be sleuths have popped up in Zach’s Hickerson’s comments on social media this week.
• Actress Sandra Bullock says she ‘wasn’t allowed to speak about’ her late partner Bryan Randall’s ALS battle.
• Early Motown songwriter Janie Bradford Hobbs dies at 87.

Crime, courts and policing

• A man falsely imprisoned for 18 years was exonerated of an Orange County robbery.
• For 6,895 days, Guy Miles sat behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit.
• A motorcyclist who lost his leg wins a $28-million verdict after suing over L.A. firetruck crash.
• Two families are outraged after a pair of speeding muscle cars kill two Victorville teen girls.
  

More news

• Endangered mountain lions are stalling a plan to build 400 residences on Woodland Hills golf course.
• Former mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt gave a rave review to Karen Bass’ debate performance.
• NASA’s nuclear Dragonfly copter to search for signs of life on Titan: ‘A lot’s riding on it.’
• As Lake Mead shrinks, its body count rises.
  

Editor’s picks

California

In L.A.’s ‘Chinese Beverly Hills,’ fighting back against Chinese communist infiltration

In Arcadia, a former council member’s guilty plea to acting as an illegal agent for China has jolted an immigrant‑built suburb proud of its success.

Aug. 22, 2026

More picks

• L.A. Affairs: I befriended an older woman in my new building. Would dating her son ruin our bond?
• Inside Topanga’s ‘Disneyland for dogs,’ a luxury canine retreat like no other.
• Opinion: Baseball labor talks may look like a battle among millionaires, but it’s really about billionaires vs. peons.
• Opinion: Struggling Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker simply needs to relax.
• Opinion: The LAX people mover wasn’t ready for the 2026 World Cup. Will it even be ready for the 2028 Olympics?
  

Things to do

(Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph by Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney)

• 🧑‍🍳Famous chef Roy Choi traverses Los Angeles for lobster noodles and spicy tofu. When he hits up the Regal Sherman Oaks Galleria movies, he orders popcorn buttered on top and in the middle.
• 🎩 Comedic genius Mel Brooks programs his 20 favorite films at American Cinematheque. Read the list and visit.
• 😱 Inventive and inspiring, the horror flick ‘It Ends’ brings ‘Backrooms’ into the backwoods.
  

Today’s Recipe

(Taylor Arthur/Los Angeles Times)

Among the pantheon of brunch classics, eggs Benedict reigns. The gooey burst of yolk welcomes all guests to a wonderfully delicious and decadent meal. Fear not. Here is a simple recipe that anyone can make.

Photo of the day

Greg Field, director of police transportation, Motor Transport Division, shows off LAPD’s adoption of the Federal Signal Rumbler and Federal Signal Sync Module system at the LAPD Motor Transport Division in Los Angeles on July 28.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Games

Here’s today’s mini crossword, plus our other free, daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jack Dolan, investigative reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
Shi Bradley, audience intern

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