Best Buds Burritos

Thank you, Best Buds Burritos, for bringing the indigenous flavors of California to the burrito wasteland of New York City. You’re doing God’s work!
For real though, I had your Carne Asada Fries at Smorgasburg this weekend and it was on point. Fries, carne asada, cheese, guac, sour cream, salsa, and hot sauce. Haven’t tasted anything like that since I moved to NYC from CA. Seriously, thank you.

Love these burritos. The perfect size. I gave up being vegan for these bad boys. Also the owners are hot.

I’ll be honest, I wanted to hate Best Buds Burritos. That didn’t end up happening.
Being thousands of miles away from the birthplace of a regional food item usually spells disaster. Chicago style deep dish in Winnipeg, Manitoba? Yeah right. In this case, we’re talking about California burritos. A San Diego cheap eats delicacy that everyone north of Tijuana adores. Recreating it in New York City? No way that ends up successful. Or maybe it does.
At $ 9 for a single California burrito, I very nearly turned away in disgust. That’s highway robbery anywhere near Interstate 5. But I reminded myself I’m nowhere near the Pacific Ocean and trudged forth without fixating on cost. The result was an open mind for a French fry laced burrito that’ll appease any displaced Southern Californian. The carne asada was spot on, the pico de gallo was fresh and vibrant (though they refer to it as «salsa fresca» which no Mexican restaurant in San Diego does), and most importantly, the fries were crispy and perfect. It was significantly smaller than what you’ll usually find on the west coast, but nobody needs a burrito the size of a full grown adult’s arm. We’re already obese enough as it is.
The only bummer was the actual personnel working the both. You’d think with a name like Best Buds and running into fellow San Diego expats they’d be stoked to extend a warm, sunshine-​y greeting. That didn’t happen. In fact, they almost seemed not to care at all. Oh well.