Published by Angie. Last Updated on April 6, 2022.
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El Burro is a tiny little Mexican joint on Federal Street in Pittsburgh's North Side neighborhood. While not necessarily a dining destination in its own right, if you find yourself in the neighborhood visiting the Mattress Factory, Randyland, or the Aviary, for example, it's a great place to grab some quick grub.
Although they have a small amount of counter-type seating, this place is really more suited to takeout- making it especially suited for residents of the North Side like us!
Basic Burritos and Tacos
The menu at El Burro is focused on burritos and tacos which are pretty basic and generally come with your choice of protein, rice and pico de gallo. To amp things up you can add additional toppings like salsas, guacamole, sour cream, or cheese as well.
On one of our many recent visits we had the carne asada burrito which comes with guacamole and pico de gallo.
Although the meat was rather chewy, there was a ton of it making this baby quite hefty and perfect if you're hungry. The guacamole is pretty basic without garlic or any other seasonings, but it's usually piled on thick.
The chorizo burrito is another customer favorite and one that we like a bit better than the carne asada. When we have ordered it, it has been more rice than meat, but what meat is there has an interesting cinnamon sweetness to it.
In general, the burritos are huge in size and average in taste, but can be helped out quite a bit by adding extra toppings like salsa and sour cream.
Quesadillas, Chilaquiles, and More
Although the burritos and tacos take up most of the menu, our favorite dishes have been those in one little corner of the menu simply labeled as “other.” Here you'll find a quesadilla, chilaquiles, and carne asada fries, all of which we enjoyed much more than the burritos and tacos.
The quesadilla has lots of fresh veggies in it, just the right amount of cheese, and a perfectly crispy tortilla shell.
The carne asada fries, although by no means Mexican, are a great snack for sharing as they have a heaping mound of meat and toppings.
The chilaquiles are perhaps our favorite menu item with chips slathered in tangy salsa verde and topped with cheese, eggs, onions, and cilantro.
Although you may not go out of your way to try this local haunt in the North Side, if you find yourself craving Mexican inspired dishes in a fast, takeaway restaurant concept while in the neighborhood, El Burro is certainly worth a visit.
El Burro is located at 1108 Federal Street in the North Side. El Burro has a second location in 1113 S Braddock Avenue in Regent Square.
For more tacos and Mexican meals in Pittsburgh, check out La Palapa, Condado Tacos, or Doce Taqueria.
