Where’s the best fast-food breakfast burrito in Spokane? This longtime quick breakfast connoisseur weighs in.
Even with the best intentions toward overnight oats, many of us find ourselves short on time and hungry while on our way in the morning. Breakfast burritos to the rescue. The origin of “breakfast burrito” sparks dispute, including claims by a New Mexico restaurant for inventing the item, at least the “dry” (unsauced, hand-held version) in the 1970s. Much more likely, breakfast burritos existed ever since burritos intersected with breakfast – likely in the 19th century in Northern Mexico. (And no, burritos are not a Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex invention).
Fast-food (they prefer the term “quick service”) burritos merit consideration because they’re widely available, frequently sought by commuters and travelers, and relatively cheap. This is not to discount the non-fast-food restaurants which offer great breakfast burritos – though, in my honest opinion, the best Mexican-inspired breakfasts are migas, huevos rancheros or chilaquiles. In the Spokane area, pick-up breakfast burritos generally means the fast-food chain restaurants; in other parts of the country, some of the best breakfast burritos (or more likely, tacos) can be found at gas stations or drive-through coffee huts or food trucks. One of my best breakfast memories was stopping by a converted one-hour photo booth on my bicycle for a 50-cent taco/burrito when I lived in Austin in the early 1980s.
It is tricky to nail down the first fast-food chain breakfast burrito, but a Burger King franchise in Dallas introduced bacon and egg tacos in 1989. These were quickly transformed into burritos for easy handling. Since then, the big chains have all jumped into breakfast, and several on the burrito bandwagon.
In the service of commuters and others on the go, here’s a breakdown of what’s readily available in our area, sampled in comparison over a couple of days recently, all purchased as drive-through items. I attempted to order the most “standard” burrito item to compare, and pass judgment based on taste, ease of handling, value and quality attributes such as filling to wrapping ratio, tortilla quality and freshness.
McDonald’s offers a sausage burrito, part of its “value menu,” meaning buy one, get the second for a dollar. I confess to having eaten a fair number of these over the years, and after this comparison, I wonder why. One thing they are is consistent. Unfortunately, they are consistently small, have odd little sausage balls, a gummy cheese-ish sauce, and are overwrapped in a dry bready tortilla. They seem to have been on the warming shelf so long, I wondered if they are made in store or shipped pre-made. (I asked McDonald’s via their media contact and received no reply). I grabbed them occasionally in the past due to the availability and cost, but after this test, and with one costing $2.99 – and the smallest of all compared, I may have eaten my last one (actually, part of one).
Burger King offers several burritos, and the menu can vary by location. While I ordered a Junior Bacon Burrito, I received a sausage burrito. Aside from that slip, the burrito had a thin and tasty tortilla, a cheese sauce with a bit of spice, eggs that seemed like real eggs. There was a small part of a hashbrown at the bottom. Assembly may have been a bit haphazard, as every bite had a different mix of ingredients. But it tasted good! I ate the whole thing, and for $2.19, will likely do so again.
Wendy’s is a more recent entry in the breakfast burrito category, launching its version in 2024. This is a bigger burrito, with two eggs (fried!), potato strips, bacon, a cheese slice and sauce. This one was a bit odd, with the fried cracked eggs and a bland sauce. It wasn’t bad, it just did not have a lot going for it other than volume. Wendy’s website says it includes six strips of bacon, though I’m doubtful mine did. At $4.69, it’s hard to be enthusiastic about it.
Carl’s Jr. offers four burrito versions, all quite large. The simplest is the bacon, egg and cheese version. Carl’s website indicates Crispy Cherrywood Bacon, with a photo that appears to include bacon strips, but my burrito had bacon bits. However, they were real bacon, and they were generously spread throughout the entire burrito. The shredded cheese stood out, the eggs seemed freshly cooked, and the burrito had been lightly grilled. Overall, it was tasty and fresh. At $4.99, it cost more than most, but it was big. Though you should not try driving while eating this one, it rates well if you’re looking for a bigger option.
Sonic describes its breakfast burrito as containing a “medley of savory sausage, fluffy scrambled eggs, melty cheddar cheese, golden tots…” and more. That doesn’t fit with the version I sampled. The eggs had been grilled into a thin omelet, tasting more like grill than egg. The cheese seemed more like American slices than cheddar. There were a tot or two in there. While the bacon was real and ample, it just was nondescript overall. At $4.19, it doesn’t beckon a return visit.
Jack in the Box has long offered breakfast items – the Breakfast Jack is over 55 years old! Burritos have come and gone; the current offering was a meat lover’s burrito, with ham, sausage and bacon strips – and lots of eggs, which were soft, dry and fluffy. The cheese seemed like real cheddar. It was all wrapped in a big tortilla. In fact, it was the largest of the burritos I tried. However, the overall taste was just OK, and at $5.49, it didn’t seem like a bargain. If Jack in the Box was your only choice, I’d like opt for my lifelong guilty pleasure: their regular tacos, deep-fried with a finely-ground mystery meat that have tasted the same since the 1960s.
Taco Bell is the sole Mexican fast-food chain included here (the Jack in the Box fast-food sister, Del Taco, can be found in Post Falls but not Spokane). While Taco Bell has been doing breakfast for just over 10 years, they certainly should know their burritos. The most basic option is the Cheesy Toasted Burrito (I went for bacon rather than sausage). The tortilla was fresh and tasty; eggs were a bit dense and seemed pre-cooked (which an internet search confirmed); bacon was a bit undercooked; and the cheese was s shredded blend (though the website says the standard is “nacho cheese sauce” – which would not be a plus). While none of this sounds exciting in parts, somehow this burrito comes together in a very balanced and satisfying taste. It also stays closed while you eat it. At $2.29, and since you can add their “fresca” – a pico de gallo – free, I count it a decent bargain.
The take-away advice? First, adjust your expectations to “low,” even for so simple an item. While Carl’s Jr.’s version had a bit of spice, none of these are zippy. Bland is the fast-food common ground they share. All offer packets of some form of salsa (see side bar) but having to open a packet and either add it bite-by-bite (a hassle and mess) or open, add and reclose the burrito to include it sort of undermines the benefit of a drive-through burrito. For a quick and inexpensive bite, with ingredients that don’t hold mysteries, Taco Bell is the winner. But if you’re stopping there, you might opt for a regular burrito. Who says breakfast burritos have to include eggs?