My top 4 fast veggie burritos in C-U

Posted in FOOD & DRINK to Restaurant & Bar Reviews by Amelia Bowen on Friday, April 9, 2010 at 11:00 am

4. La Bamba

1905 Glen Park Drive Champaign (355-6600) and 606 S. Sixth St. Champaign (344-6600)

This may seem like an obvious choice, but I didn't really discover the veggie burrito at La Bamba until after I graduated from college, moved back to C-U and realized I needed beans and veggies in a large quesadilla after the downtown bars closed. That's when I discovered La Bamba isn't just for college kids — their location just off Mattis St. is also open until 3am, and has a drive through, which works out well when you have a designated driver and don't feel like seeing everyone else who wants a burrito at 2:30 am. Their veggie burrito comes in at 4 because it can be hit or miss - sometimes all the guacamole is in one part of the burrito and all the beans are in another part. Overall, it is a good burrito, comes in Mini, Regular, and Large, and if you are still hungry, they have veggie tamales (a rare C-U find).

3. Common Ground Food Co-op

300 S. Broadway Ave. Urbana (352-3347)

The deli at Common Ground is always full of delightful, nutritious organic foods prepared in the store. I have mentioned their vegetarian tamales in the past, and these are still great, with more flavors this year, including a vegan black bean and yam tamale. The other day I picked up a large bean, rice, and cheese burrito from their deli. I took my tamales and burrito home and had a reheated feast. I liked their bean burrito because the cheese was not overpowering, and the beans and rice were not at all greasy. The price was more reasonable than La Bamba for the portion size. Call ahead to make sure burritos are available as their deli options change daily.

2. Cactus Grill

1405 S. Neil St. Champaign (351-8226)

Cactus Grill is a well-kept secret on Neil Street. They have many choices of toppings and salsas, similar to Chipotle. They are the only place in C-U that I have found where you can have tofu in your burrito. The tofu is prepared well, not at all watery. They also have black beans in addition to refried beans. I found that the black beans and the tofu went together very well. The service is fast at Cactus Grill, and they offer delivery until 11:00 p.m.

1. Los Amigos

404 E. Green St. Champaign (337-7300)

I went to the new-ish campus restaurant, Los Amigos, today for lunch and I must say their veggie burrito is one of the best I have ever had. On Thursday, the special is a veggie burrito and a can of pop for $4.99. The burrito was at least as large as a Regular at La Bamba, but the ingredients were of much higher quality. One thing that stood out for me was the rice in the burrito. It was not at all dry and it had a very pleasant, warm flavor. Often I find that rice can be dry and just seem to be a filler. The rice complemented the beans and the cheese very well. The cheese was flavorful without being too heavy. The cheese, beans, veggies, rice, and sour cream were all distributed equally through out the burrito — no lumps of beans at one end and rice at another. They used thick, fresh slices of avocado. Also, generous, fresh leaves of cilantro were scattered in with the veggies. The burrito was served quickly, and the staff at Los Amigos were very friendly. The manager went through the menu with me and showed me all the items that could be made vegetarian, which was basically everything. I am looking forward to going back and trying their sopes and stuffed peppers. They also deliver until 3 a.m. Saturday through Thursday so I may have found my new late night burrito!