EAT IN ASIA / Food destinations / Other food destinations / Central america - central american food / Guatemala - guatemalan food
The best burrito in Flores, Guatemala
Wraps with meat or vegetables are very popular in the Central America, and it does not surprise me at all. They are delicious! Made with wheat or corn flour and stuffed with great ingredients are something you cannot dislike! Among them, tortillas and burritos from Mexico and Guatemala are wonderful! Especially if you find a good place to have them.
What is the difference between tortillas and burritos?
The difference is very slight and very often these names are used as a replacement for each other. Actually, the main difference should be in the stuffing ingredients’ list. Tortillas, that are also called wraps, should have a more variated set ingredients. That said, inside them you might find more vegetables, meat and sometimes even rice and cheese. On the other hand, burritos are mainly one to two ingredients rolls and usually with meat.
But that is just a general rule and each place has its own definition of each dish. So a tortilla in one place can be almost the same as a burrito in another. The same applies to quesadillas, that can be served in a really different way and form.
Regarding the flour that is used for tortillas and burritos, for me, tortillas are generally speaking made of a corn flour, while burritos, if not stated otherwise, from wheat flour.
The size of both of them is usually also a little bit different. Tortillas are, generally speaking, slightly bigger than burritos.
But, all in all, more or less, both of them are wraps with a different set of ingredients.
Guatemalan burritos
As burritos are very handy and easy to be eaten as a take-away lunch (Check our post on the Best Guatemalan lunch ideas) we love them. Apart from that, burritos are so traditional and typical for that region, that you will find them in many places. Street stalls, small bars and posh restaurants do offer and sell them. Of course the serving form and the list and quality of ingredients would be different, but still, some sort of them will most probably be in the menu.
Although burritos are limited regarding the list of stuffing ingredients, according to a general rule, there are places that do not follow this rule and prepare them really amazingly!
Burrito vs burrito
However, not all burritos are equally good. Some of them are better, while other are worse. Although everything depends on your taste, for me, the richer the filling is, the better it is.
Usually burritos grabbed from small street stalls or fast food bars are worse than these from restaurants. However, it is not always a rule. Once we had a pork burrito in a nice restaurant with a pleasant view over the Peten Lake in Flores, Guatemala, that was not as good as the one from a combo set from a fast food chain – Taco Bell.
Burrito Supreme – Taco Bell
Just after our arrival to the capital of Guatemala, we decided to eat something quickly but in the same time, something local.
That is why, that time we decided to grab a combo box from Taco Bell. And although we did not expect anything spectacular, we wanted to save time and enjoy our first afternoon and evening.
However, what we got in the box did exceed our expectations. The whole combo set consisted of a burrito, one tacos, fries and a soft drink. Of course the selection of drinks was relatively wide, so we could either pick a regular, western drink like Pepsi or choose some local flavors and select Grapette.
This time, we did not want to experiment too much and preferred to go with well known flavors. That is why Pepsi was more than fine for us.
What was nice in the selected combo box, was a crunchy taco, that gave an additional chance to try something Guatemalan.
But the most important was the burrito that was really tasty. Everything was prepared, as always in that fast food chain, freshly and had a pleasant way of serving.
The burrito was with beef meat, some rice, beans and additionally with a little bit of cheese. Apart from that, a small amount of fresh vegetables was in it too.
The wrapping dough was soft, not extremely thin, but also not too thick.
The stuffing was reach and was nicely filled in the wrap. It had a delicate taste and thanks to the inner salsa, burrito was more delicate and had a pleasant soft tender texture.
The beef meat was nicely prepared. Had no hard parts but in the same time, kept its natural texture. It was mixed with red beans and rice. However, these two last ingredients did not create the base and we did not have a feeling that they might be put inside to cheaply replace the meat.
All proportions were good. Maybe a little bit more of fresh vegetables would be a good idea, but I know, that I am the person that could have vegetables always and in everything, so I am not the best person to say it here. However, we both did enjoy that meal.
Burrito con carne – pork burrito
The next burrito we had, was the one in the Flores Island in Peten. We chose a nice restaurant close to the Peten lake with a very pleasant view over the water, so that we could see the the second shore. The place had outside tables overviewing the lake and that was what did really convince us to choose this restaurant.
Apart from a set of different seafood and fish dishes in the menu, there were also burgers, quesadillas and burritos.
This time, we chose a pork burrito to give us a chance to compare street food burritos (here you can also find more about the Mexican street food options and about the food you should try in Mexico: TOP 19 Mexican food that you MUST try, which include burritos too) with those from a fast food Taco Bell chain and with a one from a proper restaurant.
Unfortunately, that was not the best decision, however, it is always good to try something else, especially if the location is good. Really, the view was perfect. The lake was marvelous, the sun was glittering in the water, birds were flying around, boats were sailing and people were chilling.
The burrito we had was a very basic one. I cannot say that it was untasty. Nothing like that, but there was nothing special in it. It was very simple. Had basic ingredients and was served in a very plain form. Although it came with fried potatoes no other garnishes were added. I would say, it is a pity because these little things make the meal special and more tempting to eat. It is nice when the plate is decorated in some way. Even if it is such a simple garnish like a little bit of chopped parsley, some spices or a dash of any pairing salsa.
The roll was cut in half and nicely laid on the plate. The wrap was filled with red beans mixed with rice and pork chops. It had no extra vegetables inside apart from these red beans. Due to that, the filling was creating a dense pulp with pork elements. The stuffing was soft and had a delicate texture. Beans with rice created a mostly homogenous mix. The filling was mild. It had no special spices. The only condiment was salt, however not used excessively.
Pork chops were of a good quality, but rice and beans dominated the whole stuffing. Although the meat was well mixed with rice and red beans, pork meat was not in every bite of this burrito. More or less, it was in each second or third one, so rather a scarce amount.
The whole serving was definitively satiating. The burrito wrap was wide and richly filled, however mainly with rice and beans. The dough was tender but not moist. It was a little bit dried, however not fired or grilled.
The general impression was, unfortunately, not the best. As I said at the beginning, we do not regret this time and meal, but definitively will not have it once again in this restaurant.
The best burrito in Guatemala – burrito in Flores, Peten, Guatemala
The restaurant – Cool Beans is a great place where you can not only have a delicious food but where you can also relax and enjoy your time. Choose the way you like to spend your time and have a place either at the table in the inner part of the restaurant or go to the garden and chill there, or… relax on hammocks! That is wonderful! With your body swinging, legs above and your mind away! Add to that a pleasant music that is not excessively loud and that is of course, really pleasant and well known to almost everybody. The staff is brilliant too! You can feel as at home.
No dress-code, no strict rules, nothing like that. You can just feel as at yours. Apart from that, the perfect staff is helpful, smiling, in a good mood and extremely positive. You can feel this special atmosphere just from the entrance!
And the food! So delicious! Choose between western dishes like pastas, pancakes, toasts or hamburgers, or, what I think is better to do, choose a dish from a Guatemalan list. Quesadillas, tortillas and burritos are the most famous and popular. That is why it is a good thing to choose one of them. No matter which one you take, you will not be disappointed!
I highly recommend taking a burrito with pork. It is really great! Everything is prepared just after your ordering and is super fresh.
How is burrito with pork served?
This burrito comes on a large plate and is served with some fresh lettuce, some tomato salad and with a nice watermelon triangle.
Tortilla wrap for the burrito
The wrap is huge. It is in one part and nicely rolled. The roll is topped with a homemade tomato and onion salsa. Burrito dough is delicate, nicely baked and slightly crispy.
Burrito with pork - the filling
The filling in the burrito is soft and moist. It has a nice texture. Neither it is overcooked nor is too hard. Just ideal. All ingredients are distinguishable one by one. However, in the same time all of them create a one, well-composed filling.
Pork meat in the burrito
The pork served in the burrito is super delicate. It is a little bit like a pulled pork meat regarding its structure and taste. What is great about it, is that it is not a minced meat as it is in many other places. Here, in Cool Beans, you get whole, well-cleaned meat parts with no bones and with no excessive fat.
This pork is really tender. Has no fibrous and no hard parts. All in all, it has no hard elements to bite. Apart from that, it is well combined with the rest of the stuffing. However, you can easily distinguish meat parts that are not meshed into the filling.
The amount of the meat is also a reasonable one. It is just ideal. Not too much of it, nor too little. Thanks to that, all proportions are well-balanced and create a good composition.
What is more in the burrito apart from the pork meat?
But meat is not the only ingredient in this burrito. Comparing to other burritos that you can get, this one is not the two ingredients' one. It is richly stuffed with many other ingredients that are well composed and ideally seasoned.
Apart from the delicate pork meat this burrito has avocado slices, some red beans, coleslaw salad and some cheese. This additional cheese nicely combines and unifies all other ingredients creating in the same time an ideal filling.
What is also great, is the fact that this red beans do not dominate the stuffing. Yes, they do exist, but they are not in an excessive amount. Just to give some more Guatemalan flavor and nothing more.
Avocado slices are richly put inside. Slices are delicate, very ripe and have beautiful green and yellow color. Their shape and quality is really good. No black or darkened elements, no brownish fibers and so on.
If it is about the coleslaw salad it is also served in a proper amount. Thanks to that, the pork burrito gets an extra fresh aroma and texture. The salsa sauce is a light one, not too heavy and added in a moderate amount, thanks to what it only nicely combines all ingredients and does not create a meshy pulp.
Finally there is some melted cheese with a delicate flavor but which very well unifies the stuffing with the wrap.
All in all it is delicious. Especially when you pair it with some fresh salad that is served aside and when you finish your meal with some bites of this juicy watermelon.
That is what you really MUST have! That is the best of all and once tried, you will be always taking it!
Author: Beti – A passionate traveler and lover of Asian cuisine, especially Thai and Japanese dishes, Bernadeta brings her culinary and cultural experiences to life in her writing. Beyond her travels, she’s an avid technology enthusiast with a deep interest in data processing, merging her love for exploration with analytical insights.
Photographer: Adalbert – An aficionado of computers and photography, Adalbert captures the essence of diverse cuisines with a discerning eye. A connoisseur of rich flavors and particularly fond of meat-based dishes, he combines his technical skills with his passion for the culinary arts in every shot.
EAT IN ASIA / Food destinations / Other food destinations / Central america - central american food / Guatemala - guatemalan food
