Post-pub grub
Colleen Johnson
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Go loco for the pork tacos
photo: Ben Welland
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Burrito Borracho caters to cases of late-night Mexican munchies
Burrito Borracho translates literally as "drunk young donkey." It's an amusing, if not terribly fitting, name for a place that serves up inexpensive and tasty Mexican fare to the post-bar crowd. Conveniently, this place is open until 4 in the morning from Thursday to Saturday, and is stumbling distance from most of the Byward Market's drinking holes. I recently tried the food and discovered that Burrito Borracho may just give Sasha's a run for their money.Though the space inside Burrito Borracho is cramped and unappealing due to an overly loud refrigeration unit, a small patio out front makes up for lost ambience with its prime people-watching location. Diners crowd around the counter on the lower level to order and pay for the food before sitting at the small bistro-style tables.
The food is ordered fast food-style here, but ordering may be anything but fast. I had to repeat my order several times and remind the person behind the counter that I had yet to pay. One of the appetizers I had ordered, the house-made guacamole and tortilla chips, was forgotten altogether.
The burritos are especially filling here, rivalling some of the city's biggest shawarmas in both size and bang for your buck. I ordered up a pork burrito, which featured flavourful marinated hunks of pork topped with red onions, black beans, guacamole, lettuce, seasoned rice, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and sour cream.
The tacos are filled with either chicken, marinated pork or strips of steak. Since they were all out of steak,
and almost out of chicken, my date's options were somewhat limited. The last of the chicken was a tad dried out, while the pork was the much tastier of the two. The tacos are wrapped in a double layer of corn tortilla and, like the other menu offerings, can be topped off with one of four homemade sauces: salsa borracho, salsa roja, salsa Mexicana and the wickedly hot salsa verde.Seasoned rice and chopped salads may be added to your meal at a minimal cost. The salad was simply dressed with balsamic vinegar and oil, and featured many of the toppings that were on the mains, including romaine, tomatoes, shredded mozzarella and red onions. The seasoned rice was a tad bland and somewhat toothsome, perhaps from having seen too much time in the warming tray.
Considering the low prices, and the late hours, most diners will find Burrito Borracho good enough to satisfy their midnight cravings.
Burrito Borracho
105A Clarence St.; (613) 889-0762, (613) 265-8999
Sides: $0.97-$4.97
Mains: $3.25-$12.97
