The tortilla on this breakfast burrito is griddled on the plancha before they wrap it, and that alone tells you the kitchen knows what they're doing. Honestly, that's the kind of detail that separates a decent breakfast burrito from a great one, and it's the first thing I noticed when I unwrapped mine.
I'd heard about Smack Burger through their food truck and always liked their smash burgers, but recently I kept seeing people call their breakfast burrito one of the best in the Bay Area. I'm from LA, where good breakfast burritos are everywhere, so I've been on a bit of a hunt since moving up here 10 years ago. That reputation was enough to get me to drive out to San Leandro.
Fair warning if you're planning a visit, parking in that plaza is rough. It took me about 20 minutes to find a spot, and I'd ordered ahead for pickup, so I ended up missing my pickup window by about 20 minutes too. If you're ordering online, build in extra time before you even think about walking up to the counter.
The pickup itself was quick and totally neutral, nothing special either way. I gave my name, they double checked my last name, handed me the bag. No complaints there.
They do have a small outside patio, which was great because I had my dog with me. Ate outside in the sun, which was nice.
The burrito comes boxed, wrapped in foil, and already cut in half, which I appreciated. Inside was bacon, egg, cheese, tater tots, and I added avocado and chives. The eggs were fluffy, the cheese was melty, and both the bacon and the tater tots were still crispy, which honestly is the most important thing for me. Crispy potatoes are the real dividing line between a good breakfast burrito and a world class one, and this one delivered.
My one gripe is distribution. The ingredients were kind of localized instead of spread evenly throughout, so depending on which part of the burrito you're biting into, you might get mostly potatoes in one bite and mostly egg in the next. I like an even ratio in every bite, so that knocked it down slightly for me. Still tasted great regardless, just something to know going in.
They also serve with jalapeno crema, and they don't skimp on it, mine came with two containers. It's creamy with a nice bit of heat, but if you want something to cut through the richness instead of adding to it, I'd bring your own green salsa. The crema is good, but it's rich on rich, and sometimes you want that acid to balance the fat.
Everything was still hot and fresh by the time I sat down. I paid around 17 dollars for the bacon breakfast burrito with chives and avocado added, which felt fair for what I got.
Would I order this again? Absolutely. Next time I'd skip the pickup and just wait for it fresh, and I'd probably bring my own salsa to balance the crema. I'd also try it with onions and chives just to see. If you're a breakfast burrito person like me, this one's worth the parking headache. Just plan ahead. read more