Exterior of Chinito’s Burritos
Asian influenced burritos with fried rice sounds weird. So do Mexican egg rolls. But if you are scared away simply because it sounds unusual, you will really miss out on what first time owner Jin Chong has to offer at the new Chinito’s Burritos (635 Florida Avenue, NE). While eclectic, the food at Chinito’s Burritos is exciting and a nice change from the more typical tex-mex offered by so many restaurants and chains (and quite tasty too).
Chinito’s Burritos takes the typical burrito and puts an Asian spin on it. You fill out what you want on a card (the restaurant is welcoming to its neighbors at Gallaudet University), choosing from either a burrito, tacos, or a box. The burritos start at a very reasonable $3 base and then go up as you add more ingredients (but still stay reasonably priced as you add ingredients). The restaurant always has three types of salsa and guacamole for you to add as well as grilled vegetables, beans, rice, cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. Be sure to add the rice to your burrito; it is the delicious fried rice that adds the Asian flavor to the meal. The meats you can add to your meal vary by day–some include carne asada, ground beef, chicken, and shrimp. Chinito’s Burritos also has several side items from the typical chips and salsa to the more adventurous Mexican egg rolls. The Mexican egg rolls are deep fried and look like a typical egg roll, but when you bite into them they explode with cheese, pieces of tenderly cooked chicken and corn all with a strong tex-mex spicy flavor.
Dining Area at Chinito’s Burritos
Our favorite burrito includes the tomato salsa (a basic pico de gallo), spicy roasted tomato salsa, cheese, guacamole, fried rice, and carne asada. The spicy salsa and the nicely seasoned carne asada give it a southwestern kick which combines well with the Asian flavor from the fried rice. Order some chips and salsa and an order of Mexican egg rolls (two per order) to get the full experience–you may need some help finishing all of the food.
Florida Avenue by Gallaudet University might not be the first place you think of to grab food but don’t let the location keep you away. The front of the building might not be the most inviting entrance, but once you enter you will feel the energy of the restaurant. Chong significantly renovated the building, and it now features a small dining area with two large
Open Kitchen at Chinito’s Burritos
standing tables and a completely open kitchen so that you can see your entire meal made. Several chefs are grilling the meat and sautéing the vegetables in real time as your burrito or tacos are made. Chong is proud of being the owner/chef, so you are very likely to have him taking your order or making your food for you. You can take the food to go (it survives well in the bag if you live nearby) or eat it standing up at one of the two tables that are lined with various kinds of hot sauce.
The restaurant is new and still getting established (right now its hours don’t go very late into the evening), but we are very excited by what we’ve seen and tasted so far.
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