Super Bowl? Burrito Bowl.
If you're around the Brookline or just the greater Boston area, you're probably faced with a--well--mexican plate full of choices when it comes to burritos and other fare from a direction heading below the border. In any case, if you're experiencing a Super Bowl hangover--metaphorically speaking, of course--it's time to play Super Burrito Bowl.
First, the starting point for the debate is usually the venerable Anna's Taqueria, with two locations in Brookline, one in Davis Square, and another in Porter Square. I started going there several years ago and kept coming back for their no-frills yet tasty Mexican offerings, prepared in front of you in a breakneck-speed food assembly line. The very reasonable prices make it an easy pick for shoestring budgets, with an 11 PM closing time in itself pointing towards Anna's as a good later-evening option. To talk decor, I like the warm southwest colors in the place and on the storefront and the Mexican tiles inside.
Next up is the ever-expanding Boca Grande, with branches in Brookline, Cambridge (one near Porter Square and one near Kendall Square), and in Brighton Center. According to Wikipedia, Boca Grande's founder's brother started Anna's after a brief period at Boca. Boca Grande pretty much matches Anna's and their menu actually seems a bit more extensive, with lemonade that is really homemade-like. Prices are also very reasonable here with an 11 PM closing bell as well. Decor-wise, I find it even a little bit better than Anna's, though that is parsing hairs a bit. The tamales are a surprise hit.
In Brookline, the non-chain entry into the Burrito Bowl is intimate Baja Betty's Burritos in Brookline Village. Sizable burritos, great soups (in season), tamales, and a generous fixings bar (various salsas included) makes this spot one to check out if you're in the neighborhood.
Another place to note is Qdoba, the chain that includes branches by BU on Commonwealth Avenue and by Northeastern's campus. I haven't been there as much, but they do make a mean taco salad bowl. Relatedly, and in the spirit of food and games, Qdoba just hosted the Rice and Bean Pot, a band-battle and eat-off at the Paradise Rock Club (a great spot for music in Boston) on Thursday between the teams from Bean Pot (local college hockey tournament) schools.
This said, there are definitely other burrito joints in the area and feel free to sound off on your faves and give your breakdown on the ones mentioned above. Also, do you count Boloco (formerly The Wrap) as part of the field in your rating of the local burrito scene?
