Burrito express is the best burrito in pasadena hands down, I also enjoy the taquitos plate when we stop in. The cashier is always friendly and remembers faces, she definetly makes us feel welcome when me and my family come in. I cant wait for them to Serve shaved ice soon, only place in pasadena who makes them and so delicious too! If your in the area you must stop in to this wonderful family owned restaurant! And if your in a rush or super hungry they take phone orders as well!! read more

Burrito Express - Delicious taquito plate,my fave! Ask for green salsa - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've only tried the Bean and Cheese burrito. I always end up getting two burritos. Eat one for dinner and eat the other one for lunch the next day and it tastes just as good. Burritos are big and they have generous amounts of bean and cheese. Definitely hits the spot especially when I don't feel like eating meat. It's a small place with limited tables, the environment is that of a fast food restaurant. I usually get my orders to go. Staff is friendly and you must eat your burrito with their special hot sauce. It's not too spicy and not too mild, it's just right. read more

These burrito's are just what the rating says, A-ok. They are priced higher than we're use to spending and not busting from the seams. Definetly undersized as previous poster's have noted. What can I say, we're spoiled. However they were generous with their chicken in my order of chicken enchiladas. I enjoyed their sauce with was home made but a tad too thick for me. It had the consistency of tomato paste. I appreciate their efforts in stewing their chiles rather than taking the easy route of opening up a can of oversalted under-seasoned sauce. Customer service, i had hoped, should be more pleasant and precise. They forgot our order of taquito's! They will not be my first shop of choice but I have to give this place credit for staying in business for so long. Kudo to you Burrito Express! read more

This is the type of burrito that gets you depressed when you are half way through, because there is only half left. So good. Their beans have a very unique flavor. I usually go for the JVC. Tortas are delicious as well. Bring your stretchy pants cause these bad boys are loaded with goodness. Prices are very reasonable, service is quick, and it is amongst the best burritos that I ever had. read more

Been going here since I was a kid. Burrito express might be the best mexican food in pasadena. Los Angeles has a lot of good stuff but if you're looking for the best burrito in pasadena look no further. Fairly inexpensive and incredibly delicious burrito express delivers every time. I wouldn't recommend getting anything except a burrito from here because I haven't really had anything else. The JVC or Ross Perot make excellent choices. The bean and cheese is a classic if you're looking for a filling snack or small meal. Eat here. read more

This place is bomb.com! They have the best burritos - I always get the Ross Perot Burrito. So good, so filing, and so flavorful! Hubby and I usually order 2,and when we get the bag, it weighs a ton! This is probably the only burrito that I can come close to finishing though, but only because it is that good. *Get extra sauce because there is never enough, and it is really tasty* My only gripe is that they are closed on Sundays :( read more

This place is decent. It's never a hit or miss, because it's very consistent. The decor is lacking, and the spot is small and dainty, but it has a very cozy outdoor seating area. I wouldn't consider this authentic, but contains its own style. I usually get the chicken burritos, and those are usually really great. It's juicy, shredded, and did I say juicy? Can't beat a juicy chicken burrito (although it's probably fatty dark meat). Oh well, who the hell goes for a burrito because it's healthy? When I first came here, a friend told me, "the red salsa is an acquired taste", and it is. I've come to like the taste of the hot salsa, and appreciate the simplicity of their burritos. Negative points for being closed on Sundays, and the lack of cheaper prices. read more

Service was excellent. I ordered the "All meats and cheese" burrito which didn't take that long to make. The burrito however was too greasy. It was too wet. I had one bite and juices spilled out like it wasn't a controlled sip of water. Neat was too rubbery and undercooked. Cheese didn't blend well with the meat and the wrap wasn't heated very long. Overall it wouldn't be suggested for groups and I'm definitely not coming back. I would eat it if I was forced to and its still a pretty reliable fast food joint given how short of a timing it was. read more

Pretty much known for their wet burrito which is called Vic special. I went for that and was not disappointed, so many flavors you can't really go wrong though the meat was a bit bland. However all the other ingredients make up for it. One of the best burritos in the "area"... Be sure to remember that this is the pasadena area which is not really known for authentic mexican. Not to take anything away from them, it was good food and a good option if you want to eat a little closer to home. read more

So, I decided to give it one more try. Perhaps it's hit-and-miss, or it depends on who's cooking. My B&C burrito tasted pretty much like I remember from 30 years ago. Great with an Orange Bang! One thing that needs to be updated, in my opinion, are the signature burritos in honor of Ross Perot and Lance Ito. I remember these guys. Do you? read more

Been coming here almost once a week for about 15 years. Fun, friendly staff, always clean, and excellent meat and beans. The highlight however, has to be the sauces. All three (red, green, and hot red) are made in house and the "spicy" green sauce is among my favorite flavors. The shaved ice in the summer is great too. read more

I never ever leave reviews but I just had to leave one bc I'll never forget the service from the woman in the front of the store, she's an absolute light and it was a pleasure to have encountered her during my pick up order, definitely coming back!! read more

The lady who took my order this past Saturday was so amazing. So friendly! I would come back because of her. Hopefully her welcoming spirit is indicative of the rest of the staff. Ok, now on to the food. I got the Ross Perot burrito and a carnitas torta. I saw a Yelp photo that showed Perot's name crossed out and Trump written over it. Now I know why I wouldn't get that burrito again. Not that it was bad. Lot's of promise, but no results. Now the torta, I really liked. It was big and flavorful for a "fast food" place. It definitely has that local neighborhood vibe with limited seating in and outdoors. I wouldn't make a special trip to go there, but if I was in the area, I would drop on by again. There was plenty of residential parking on the Saturday. Btw: Did I mention the awesome customer service. :) read more

The staff was nice and welcoming. I ordered the chicken chimichanga and it came with complimentary hot sauce. It was tasty and made me full. I'll have to come back to try more food. There is limited seating and one restroom. read more

See all

JVC burritos taste good. Food is overpriced compared to competitors. No chips included. Won't substitute or add anything. No specials. read more

Burrito Express - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I give Burrito Express two stars. In the past, it would've been four stars. First off, I'm a long-time customer of Burrito Express. I have been going there since they opened in 1978. In the past six months or so, I have gone several times and have noticed a trend... the food quality has consistently been going down. I suspect that this is due to the fact that the older gentleman that owned and managed Burrito Express has since retired about six months or so ago and is no longer involved in the day to day operations. During my more recent five or six visits, I have discovered that the quality control is completely gone. I don't believe there is any quality control any more. Current management is altering recipes and cutting corners with food quality and also neglecting detail. Detail that in the past, made this place really good. Current management does not know what they are doing. The food does not taste the same, the burritos are dripping with grease, and the attitude/vibe at the counter is not as friendly as it used to be. The older gentleman would have never allowed any of this! I really hope Burrito Express can get their act together. I want to like this place. I really do and always have but I'm now at the point where I am going to give it a rest for a while. I will go in a few months and see if they have improved. I'm doubting it though. The older gentleman that owned Burrito Express really had it all dialed in. He knew exactly what he was doing and Burrito Express was great because of it. Bottom line.... if you go, eat at your own risk and do yourself a favor, ask for lot's of extra napkins for all the dripping grease you are going to get sliding down your wrist! read more

I was craving a burrito so did a search on best tasting burritos in Pasadena and Burrito Express was at the top of the list. The Bean & Cheese burrito got the most positive reviews so thought I'd give it a try. Went one step further and ordered the Bean & Cheese Vics Special style for an additional 2 bucks. I must say I was very disappointed. It was not the divine taste treat I had been anticipating, but I found the burrito to be quite average. For about the same price I could have gotten the same burrito with a lot better, fresher, healthier, ingredients at Whole Foods Market. For about a dollar more I could have gotten a much better and healthier burrito at The Orean Express on Lake street. The fact that they left out the rice that was supposed to be included in the Vics special style I don't think would have made a difference. A mediocre burrito is a mediocre burrito. Kudos to them in their advertising and marketing. They got me to try it! I won't be back, but they did get me to give it a try. I'm very surprised the place is so popular. A very mediocre place that seems to do extremely well. I'm not hatin' on them, just not for me. There's a lot of better places for about the same amount of money. Guess bright side is in less than a half hour of being on its way in the burrito was on its way out. read more

This place reminds me a lot of the San Diego style of Mexican burrito spots (i.e. more burrito focused, refried beans, carne asada, flour tortillas...). I have a friend from SD that lives in the LA area now who is so obsessed with this aspect of Burrito Express that after moving away from this area, she will drive to Burrito Express from any location she has lived in LA. For her, this place is 100 stars. She currently lives in Venice and comes out every couple of weeks to eat at Burrito Express. My wife is from LA and grew up on LA taco trucks (more taco focused, marinated meats, corn tortillas, boiled beans...). She is not into the San Diego type of Mexican food. I have converted to LA style Mexican food as well but I get nostalgic for the SD style but my wife has not come over to the SD style in general, so she isn't into this place but she isn't into they type of Mexican food they serve here. I am only putting this in, so you can get a perspective from a couple different angles. For me, this is a legit spot for a burrito. The staff is super cool and the food is consistently nostalgic of San Diego burrito spots. If you know SD, Burrito Express is better than your average Alberto's and similar to good little independent shops, which is what Burrito Express is. read more

It was our first time coming to burrito express. We ordered the JVC Vic special burrito. I got mine mild with no meat, and my fiancé got carne asada spicy. One of my friends always raves about this place so I wanted to give it a try. I wasn't very impressed. While the food looks amazing and delicious, to me it just doesn't have enough flavor. The salsa could've had more flavor along with the burrito. Also our burritos were served cold. I hate to give bad reviews because I know what it's like to work in the food and service industry. I just think that if we get something made to order that the food should be hot. We got our food pretty fast so maybe that's why it wasn't very hot. read more

Burrito express has been around for a few decades and there is a reason why! Their menu consists of burritos, tacos, and enchiladas which are all great value and happen to be good quality as well. When ever I go the friendly staff gives me and all my friends the "friend discount", which makes me come back every week. If you go enough the staff will quickly become your friends and you will be hooked for life. Important info: - Three tables indoors - Outdoor seating - Street parking - Fast service - Desert (shavies) served from 5pm-close read more

I did not enjoy Burrito Express. I moved from San Diego in 2001 and began my search for a great burrito. Mission not accomplished. :( read more

The first thing I did when I moved to Pasadena, is look for my new local Mexican spot, that I hate to love because it contributes to weight gain. Fortunately for my skinny jeans, Burrito Express is not that spot. It's ok, nothing to write home about. pretty big burritos but not that tastiest by any means. Don't see myself going back here unless someone's treating me and this is my only choice. read more

REALLY? people love this place? reeeeeaaaally??? this is very confusing to me. Ok, they have been around a long time. great, so have a lot of places. This place tastes like Taco Bell. seriously, if you dont believe me test someone. The beans taste like they came from a can and their red sauce tastes like an actual can. mmmmm......i love the taste of lard and aluminum in my mexican food! now i know this will make several people angry. but how can anyone seriously enjoy food here when just 20 min down the road in LA you can get super fresh mexican food that actually tastes authentic!!! if you went to mexico city and brought food from this place, the people would feed it to the chickens. read more

I was really wavering between 4 and 5 stars on this so I guess it's 4.5 stars and I'm willing to bump up to 5 since I can't rate with 1/2 stars. I was in the area filming a project and Burrito Express was right down the street from our location. I love burritos and although it feels Chipotle has taken the country by storm, I love finding the smaller run businesses and trying them out. I found a jackpot here. Burrito Express is a small restaurant that has a pretty limited menu, but what they have is awesome! I love places like this. I think what I love best is that the burritos stick to the basic burrito ingredients. I had the JVC with chicken and it was a filling, delicious burrito. The perfect comfort food. I scarfed it down between takes and the whole crew raved about the burritos. Service was fast too. I was nervous as I didn't have a ton of time to go pick up the burritos for my small crew, but they were fast back there and I think it took less than 10 minutes to get in and out of there. I didn't try anything else, but I'm in that area from time to time and don't see the need to check out any of the other places around there. Can't wait to go back! read more

My favorite things are the taquitos and the no-meat JVC? Now I am blanking but it's the double wrapped one and so good!!! I wasn't in love with their tacos because the shells cracked and seemed overcooked but get the burrito and you won't be disappointed. Very affordable and the burrito could last you two meals, if you have the willpower not to unbutton your pants and finish it in one sitting!! Great for hangovers, PMSing or just general comfort food!! They have outdoor seating so DOGGY APPROVED!! read more

Rating: 3.5 stars When I worked in Pasadena, my team used to make pilgrimages here every few weeks for lunch. Sometimes we would get JVCs, the 'healthier' among us would get the Ito. But what really kept me and most others coming back were two lovely words: Ross Perot. Three kinds of meat, guac, sour cream and beans. For $2 more smother it with green sauce. It's a heart attack in a styrofoam box, but it's soooo good. I haven't been to this part of town in ages, but I'm considering swinging by just to get my Ross Perot fix after a couple of years. read more

I've been going here all my life, I haven't ever had a bad experience with the food and have changed up my "regulars" quite often. I love this place! Carnitas, JVC style Salsa verde read more

Awesome burritos and tortas. We come every chance we get. There service is great and quick. read more

Burrito Express - JVC!!! Best burrito. - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I went here last night for dinner. A word to the wise: call your order in first and then pick it up, especially in the dinner rush. I had the burrito dinner plate. It was really good. They give you a ton of food. My only disappointment was that I did not ask for the burrito to be wet, and it was. But beyond that, it was really good food and the staff was nice. If you are planning to eat there, you may have trouble as there are only like 3 booths inside. Parking was also a bit of a problem, but overall I liked the food and service! I will return! read more

Get the JVC burrito or the Ross Perot burrito with an Orange Bang and you're set. My favorite burrito joint in Pasadena.

I'm fortunate enough to work very close to burrito Express. Wonderful family who runs it the food is great always fresh always tasty the JVC beef burrito is one of the best burritos in Pasadena. read more

Hot Damn! They never disappoint me with the machaca spicy burrito. I'm talking tons of shredded beef, goooey cheese, and spicy sauce. People rave about the JVC, but I love my machaca so much, I have never ordered the JVC. If you have never been there, keep in mind that this is a fast food joint, with three table on the inside, and a few tables outside. Not fancy, but that burrito is damn good. read more

Quick, cheap, and delicious! What more can I say. The burritos aren't anything crazy special, and their titles give away how dated they are, but man they are good. There is just something special about these simple burritos that make them irresistible. I will keep coming back here. read more

A pretty solid breakfast. They weren't kidding when they say express bc it came out quick. But for $5 it's a solid burrito with the major fixings, beans, egg, and choice of meat. What more could you ask for? Staff is nice. There aren't a lot of indoor seats so either eat quickly or take it to go. Not a lot of parking but it's next to a neighborhood so you can street park there read more

Bean & Cheese baby!!!! This place is a Pasadena institution. Go for the burritos, it's in the name and there's a reason why! The tostadas are also good and we like the taquitos ala carte. Family owned and friendly, if the line scares you, call ahead to order and pick up at second window... No waiting. :-) Their beans are awesome so I really just love the bean and cheese which is full of beans and Jack cheese. I order mild which is a thick, red enchilada type sauce in there. Spicy is green sauce in the burrito. If you want hot sauce, it is a red sauce they give you on the side that is very tasty. My husband likes the beef burrito and asada also. Sometimes the asada is too dry. They have a great selection of packed and sauces burritos that are favorites like the Ito burrito and the JVC. Love this place!! We eat there every Friday, no joke. read more

Meh. First time here and I was unimpressed. The JVC just tasted like lard and the nachos were soft chips with unmelted jack cheese and guac from a tube. Does not compare to the huge, delicious, cheap burritos I've had in San Diego. If you want something more tasty in Pasadena try El Metate on Mentor. Everything is fresh, less expensive, and more authentic there. On the plus side, the service was fantastic. read more

Great mexican-american food. There meat quality is great which translates to some great nachos, burritos, etc. I recommend their chimichanga. Cheesy/beefy goodness! read more

Chicken taco was pretty dry. Steak taco was ok but pretty spicy. No option for flour tortilla. read more

Burrito Express - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Best deep fried chimichanga in town always consistent and friendly service as well as fast service..... large menu to choose from....

Good 'ol high school favorite.....John Muir peeps you know what I mean.... I'm not gonna say this is the BEST Mexican food but I will say their food has been consistent since I have statred earting here over 15 years ago. Chorizo & eggs burrito....always a pick anytime of the day! Their Pork meat is my fav. The red hot sauce has the perfect kick to add to any menu item without leaving your tongue scorched. Ok...so the guac is kinda "fake".....still good but like I said....consistency! Tortas w/pork are awesome....you're gonna wanna share this one...trust me its big! Give this place a try...but keep in mind small joint, simple food, decent pricing read more