The Burrito Blog

Benitos Taco Shop

Return To Benitos

See also: Machaca Revisited.

Back on Santa Monica Blvd I had to make a stop at Benitos (and Pili's). The carnitas burrito and machaca burrito never seemed to fail me at Benitos, though the rest of the menu is hit or miss. This being the morning, I went with the huevos filled machaca. Delicious.

This Benitos Taco Shop meal was rated: 7.7.

Sunday, July 23, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for Return To Benitos

Snack Time

After a solid showing at the keyboard, John and I decided to take advantage of the lovely weather and take our time getting lunch. He grabbed his bicicleta and I my boardo.

The specimen at right is a carne asada burrito, doused in hot sauce.

Back to work.

This Benitos Taco Shop meal was rated: 6.1.

Sunday, April 30, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for Snack Time

Machaca Revisited

The same delicious Machaca as before, slathered with hot sauce. This time I took a little of my own advice and ordered at night. Delicious.
This Benitos Taco Shop meal was rated: 7.8.

Monday, March 20, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for Machaca Revisited

Fish Tacos From Benitos

The fish tacos from Benitos, or almost anywhere in Los Angeles, it seems, come with an incredible amount of shredded vegetables on top.

I'm not crazy about that, but who am I to poo-poo the highly varied presentation of the fish taco?

Oh wait, I have poo-poo'd the fish taco before. Looking back, the aesthetics of the fish tacos at El Pelon soar past those of the fish tacos I've seen on the west coast. In fact, I get a lot of hate mail for the bad rating of the El Pelon fish taco.

Now that I have a better measure of comparison, I think I should return to El Pelon for a second try.

This Benitos Taco Shop meal was rated: 3.1.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for Fish Tacos From Benitos

The Grease Rises To The Top

I'm a big fan of the burritos at Benitos - that's not much of a secret. But you've got to order with knowledge. Don't go into this place blind.

For example, take the plates. They are greasy in a way never before seen by Burrito Blog. Stay away.

Also a surprise was the Californian burrito. Many establishments make their Californian burritos with avocado. Not Benitos. They use potatoes instead. Some people like that, some people don't.

That choice is yours to make. Now that you've got all the facts, choose wisely.

This Benitos Taco Shop meal was rated: 1.9.

Monday, March 13, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for The Grease Rises To The Top

Como Se Dice...Huevos Blancos?

After an evening out, Paul, Kristin, and I headed down the hill to Benitos for some late night snacks. Kristin and I skated, and Paul has some real hustle.

Kristin was craving a huevos burrito filled only with egg whites. After a brief lapse in communication with the cashier, she found the lingo: huevos blancos.

That accent was all our new friend (at right) needed to hear before embarrassing Kristin and her Español skills.

She got the egg whites, and we all got a good laugh.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for Como Se Dice...Huevos Blancos?

Benitos Menu Highlight: Carnitas

This is not to be missed by carnitas and guacamole fans, such as myself. The carnitas burrito at Benitos costs only $3.89 - the same as the veggie.

That alone is a deal. Oh, but there's more. It comes with guacamole, which ordinarily costs extra. Bonus.

Carnitas is usually hit or miss. In this case, it's a hit.

This Benitos Taco Shop meal was rated: 8.3.

Friday, March 03, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for Benitos Menu Highlight: Carnitas

Torta! Torta! Torta!

All of 2006 has been super productive, but this day everything seemed to go wrong in one way or another.

I'll spare you the details of my Internet woes.

In an effort to bring some joy to my day, I got the carne asada torta from Benitos. This one was smaller than some tortas I've seen in the past, but no problem. Overall, it was pretty good, but the dark cloud on my persevered. I was overcharged, no refund was issued, and the flaws in my day continued.

Benitos, I hold you responsible, but forgive you.

This Benitos Taco Shop meal was rated: 5.1.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for Torta! Torta! Torta!

The Rolled Taco (Taquito)

The rolled taco from Benitos is better known as the taquito in many parts, though the two are, in fact, the same. The shell is hard, and the filling is minimal.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of taquitos in general due to the grease factor. This one was no different.

This Benitos Taco Shop meal was rated: 4.6.

Monday, February 27, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for The Rolled Taco (Taquito)

My First Machaca

Like many new things I see on the menu, I was compelled to give the machaca a try. What is machaca? It's shredded beef with scrambled eggs.

What's not to like? Nothing. It was delicious and a deal at $3.29. This particular photo was taken at breakfast time, though the machaca can be prepared at Benitos any hour of the day.

This Benitos Taco Shop meal was rated: 7.3.

Sunday, February 26, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for My First Machaca

Finally, Not Highway Food

Phil previously posted about his 3,000 mile road trip. Those who know Phil personally will not be surprised to hear that he did it in record time.

However, after an estimated 40 hours with almost no sleep and nothing but McBurgers to eat, Phil did take the time to have a real meal.

Boy, was that kid happy to see a burrito. Carne asada, con todo - his only complaints were the lack of black beans and the parking ticket he received for having a truck with a sign on it.

This Benitos Taco Shop meal was rated: 6.6.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for Finally, Not Highway Food

Welcome To Benitos Taco Shop

With four locations in the West Los Angeles area, Benitos offers burritos, tacos, tortas, and more 24 hours a day.

Benitos claims to be LA's original taco shop, though I don't know how true that could possibly be. They also claim to be home of the rolled taco, a.k.a. taquito. Prices are low, the floor is dirty, and the burritos are filling.

Here are the locations:

• Beverly and Fairfax (Map)
• Santa Monica Blvd. and Highland (Map)
• La Cienega near Pico (Map)
• Santa Monica and Federal (Map) - my favorite

Check it out, any hour of the day. The official site can be found here and the menu here.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006 by Jonah. Permalink for Welcome To Benitos Taco Shop | Comments (1)