burrito libre - edmonton,ab

burrito libre
6541 28 ave
780.577.7070


As mentioned before, I adore latin inspired cuisine and I'm happy to see the growing addition of 'fresh-mex' style establishments. I can't help but think back to when your choices for fast 'tex-mex' or 'mexican' style eateries left you choosing from Taco Bell and Taco Time. Not that I'm dining out at these places regularly, but with Mucho Burrito, the ever growing Taco Del Mar, and now Burrito Libre, the options look a little brighter.


Burrito Libre has two locations; one of which happens to be a hop and skip from me. Their recent promotion, bring in a food bank item and receive a free burrito, was something that I meant to partake in but unfortunately I dropped the ball that day.


The menu is laid out in a very straight forward manner, with the focus being on the fresh additions you use to customize your dish. You can choose from a burrito, burrito bowl, taco, quesadilla, or salad.

The burrito (why else would I come to a place with burrito in the name) starts with a whole wheat or flour tortilla base, and comes in either small or large. You then get the option to lay on beans and rice, along with your protein - chicken, shrimp, pulled pork, shredded beef or vegetarian. The last two hot options include little potatoes and a sauteed bell pepper/onion mix.


Now you have graduated to the cold prep, which includes - salsas, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, cabbage, corn, hot peppers, and a few sauces. Wrapped into a tight package, you can choose to add nacho chips and pop to make a combo.

The above is version one (small vegetarian) and unfortunately I don't have a picture of version two (large shredded beef). The vegetarian had rice, beans, pico de gallo, corn, cabbage, cheese guacamole, and chipotle sauce. The shredded beef wasn't much different and both were great. The size and heft, especially the large, is unbelievable. I think you could start doing some Ron Burgandy style workouts if you really wanted. The ingredients are fresh and I think they offer enough options to change things up once in a while. The meat could probably be tastier, but what can you expect with hot plates; at least they don't seem to keep very big dishes of it out. They are running a Cinco de Mayo special in May, $5 burritos, which may entice a few more customers who could be intimated by the price. With a Tim's, Wendy's, Taco Time, Little Ceasers, and Burger King surrounding Burrito Libre, hopefully it can stick around.