Prof Recreates Tortillas Burritos; Delivers To Decatur
February 8, 2010 | 11:56 amCreative Loafing’s Omnivore reported this story a couple days back, but props go to self-proclaimed Tortillas-junkie Suzanne for pointing it out to me.
Part-time Morehouse professor Matt Hinton missed Tortillas burritos so much when they closed in 2003, that he’s recreated them and many of their other items from scratch. And now he’s selling his Tortillas “cover band” creations to the public under the name West End Burritos!
If you ever went to Tortillas on Ponce before they closed, you know that they had the best burritos in Atlanta. Well, I have finally, after much trial and error, come VERY close (95%) to an exact replica of some of their most popular items, including both the red and green sauces. I will begin offering Tortillas style burritos and other sundries (see attached menu) next week which I will deliver to you!
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: Each Monday [Update: Tuesdays to be added soon], I will make a delivery run from Downtown Decatur to West End. If you live within 2 miles or so of this route, you are eligible for delivery. I will deliver to your door or leave it on your stoop. Deliveries will occur from approx. 4-6:30, so every Monday can be Burrito night.
Hinton’s delivery zone extends from West End to Decatur (a map is shown on his order page). The full West End Burritos menu can be found HERE, while you can read more about the venture on the West End Burritos Facebook page.
Awesome.
I told a buddy in D.C. about this ( we practically lived on Super Bean and Cheese in college) and his response was “booking my flight now”.
I was also a regular during college. Especially when they added their $1 off coupon to those massive yellow calendar/coupon things they dropped off at the campus post office. At the time the basic burrito was only $2.06 … without the coupon. This comment could also live under the “why did they go out of business” comment.
It looks like his delivery area ends about 100ft from my door. *weep*
Well, you’ll just have to put your house on the market and move up 100ft. Of course, it will be hard to sell your existing house if potential buyers find out it’s not within the burrito perimeter.
I will stand on a street corner inside the delivery area to have these burritos.
Getting an order tonight… will report later on how close it is to the real stuff.
BTW, you have to order by Sunday to get a Monday order.
This man needs to be nominated for a Nobel Bean Prize. If his claims are true, he has done a great service to mankind (at least those members of mankind who live in his delivery area).
i don’t understand why he didn’t try to fix the recipes instead of just slavishly replicating their mediocrity. tortillas burritos were always pretty much middling crap.
Some people really loved them. Too bad you didn’t. I am sure you love something other people consider crap as well.
I won’t say they were crap, but they weren’t very good. There’s no question in my mind that many burrito places are better. None beat Chipolte.
I am going to die and go to heaven. I used to work across the street at Dugans and had a very memorable snowball fight with the Tortilla’s guys across Ponce, among other things….. if I can’t have Tortilla’s I’ll have to order this!
I’m married to an ol’ school Tortilla’s employee (snob
who says this about West End:
“Red sauce is dead-on. Beans aren’t bad considering the logistics of delivery. Green sauce is too salty and the tomatillos are gelatinous. Betther than Moes.”
But that said, he’s really excited that we’re eating WEBurritos for dinner tonight!
Tortillas is before my time (in Decatur), so I need a barometer. Better than Chipotle? Better than Moe’s isn’t saying much, because Moe’s is inedible.
Regardless, based on the reaction here, on CL, and on Twitter, this fellow is likely to have more business than he can handle. Monday night deliveries are genius, because no one enjoys cooking at home on Mondays. We plan to place an order for next week.
lump, we agree on Moe’s. It’s pathetic. An affront to taste.
Tortillas was not very good at all. Edible but not among the better choices. A mile below Chipolte. Worse than Willy’s and Raging Burrito, IMO.
moved here from what i believe is the burrito nexis of the universe: 16th and valencia, san francisco. hence, i would welcome something other that the me-too mediocre copies.
two questions:
1.if they were so good why did they end up closing down the shop?
2. who do i have to brow to get a tamale parlor to the vicinity?
“1.if they were so good why did they end up closing down the shop?”
This article explains it:
http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A11969
You can get pretty good tamales at the Decatur Farmers Market in The BofA parking lot on Wednesday nights from the Zocalo booth.
Seconded. I’ve had a lot of bad tamales in this town, but the ones Zocalo sells at the Decatur Farmer’s Market were surprisingly good. Unfortunately, since my wife started graduate school, neither of us are able to make it to the market.
Third question: Why did it take 45 minutes to get a burrito at Tortillas?
Probably because they only got 45 minutes worth of sleep between the previous night’s gig and their work shift.
Well, having consumed at least my body weight in burritos in both places, Tortillas was NOT La Cumbre. But especially for thier time, they were the best (and just about only) “California style” burrito in town. (Burrito with the sauce inside, wrapped in foil as most of the burrito parlors do today vs. served on a plate with sauce and shredded cheese poured over the outside of the tortilla). While I agree that their sauces were good, IMO it was their beans that made them an exceptional treat.
As to why they went out of business if they were so good – I can only speak for myself to say that the poor service and snarky attitude of the staff there finally just wore me out. I’m sure the proliferation of chain (and Buford Highway) options contributed, but frankly (blame it on middle age) I just stopped going because of the contempt for their customers so often exhibited by the counter staff.
Brad Steel – I hear you on the tamale parlor. I grew up having them for Christmas Eve dinner in South Texas. I now have them shipped from Texas every Christmas.
As long as El Myr is open, I’m good.
This is maybe more exciting than the birth of my kids. Tortillas was the bomb!
OK, so as I sit in my post “Cover Band Tortilla’s” euphoric stupor.. I will attempt to give a review of my experience…
Overall… Dr. Hinton is nearly correct with his assertion that his burritos are 95% Tortillas. I’d give them a 92%… still an A and still good enough to put me in that old familiar euphoric state.
Tortilla: Dr. H has that perfect… chewy goodness and generously sized.
Beans: These have the Tortilla’s flavor and were fabulous. It may be b/c of the delivery model, but I thought that their “sauce” was a little thicker than Tortilla’s and the beans were a bit mushier… still the best beans in the ATL at this juncture.
Rice: Again, perhaps b/c of delivery rather than fresh in the store, but it was a bit softer than what I recall at Tortilla’s… otherwise the same.
Red Sauce: By George he’s got it! Fantastic! It’s the mild version though. Maybe there is hope for a hot version one day.
Green Sauce: Little less salt, a little bit chunkier and a little hotter and it will be a perfect replica.
Chips: Identical.
Would I recommend? Yes!…I’m hooked. IMO (and I know others will disagree) – it’s better than all the chains and Raging).
Let’s hope we can talk him into a brick and mortar restaurant… preferably in Oakhurst.
Am wondering what Suzanne thought of her delivery. Mine was delicious, def the best beans in Atlanta as MrFixIt states, could have used a little more cheese. Loved the green and red. Hard to recall 7 years later how close it replicates Tortillas but is the best burrito I’ve had in Atlanta in years. Made a pilgrimage to the Mission District (SF) for burritos last year and these were as good, imho.
I really dislike Raging Burrito, will eat at the chain stores if that’s the only choice but don’t get burritos there. I’m very happy with this option. Warm and delicious and delivered to your door. mmm.
I’m way out of his range, but I might have to do that street corner thing. What’s a good intersection for all of us to huddle around?
And remember, where burritos are concerned, you can’t spell MEDIOCRE without M-O-Es.
You’d call Moe’s mediocre? That’s generous.
How about if we use my house as a Decatur Burrito Acceptance Depot? I’m pretty central in Decatur. I could receive burritos for Decatur/Avondale areas not included in the established burrito perimeter (for a small fee, of course).
Then again, this would really start to look like some sort of drug operation with people coming back and forth to my house so much. Probably some sort of zoning issue there too.
Nevermind.
They’re gonna think you’re distributing raw milk or something.
Let’s remember to support our local burrito shop- Raging Burrito!
Seems like Decatur is falling into two camps:
old time Tortilla’s lovers and people who like Chipotle.
Actually, way back when Tortilla’s and Raging Burrito were struggling because of corporate chains like Moe’s and the then-McDonald’s backed Chipotle, I remember talking to Scott from RB at a party and he was simpatico with the Tortilla’s gang.They really felt they were fighting a war against the corporate burrito.
Willy’s by the way, is a local shop owned by a dude named Willy.
I am going to RB for dinner tonight and ordering take out on Monday from the professor!
El Taco Veloz on Buford Highway has the best burritos. Try a barbocoa with all the fixins’.
I’m happy to see a debate that doesn’t focus on the number of pizza or burger joints around Decatur!
I’m happy to see one that is focused on beans!
What about Frijleros?? Once upon a time the only two games in town were Tortillas and Frijoleros and everyone fell into one of those two camps. I loved them both – apples to oranges if you ask me. And nobody touched Burrito Art for flavor and variety – a completely cross-cultural menu that just happened to be wrapped in a tortilla. Stay away from the chains!! They were the demise of some great burrito joints in this town.