The cost of things these days? Far too expensive! Tariffs, rent prices, giddy price gouging from proprietors large and small—the boring factors are too numerous to count. To protect our readers, Racket launched the Best Budget Bites series, where we’ll showcase a toothsome, wallet-friendly food item that’ll actually fill you up. Have a nomination? Hit us up: tips@racketmn.com.
What: Burrito
Where: Maya Cuisine, 1840 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis
Cost: $8.75
Availability: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday
It is not easy to get a burrito for under $10 these days. At Lito's Burritos in Minneapolis, they'll run you around $14. Ditto for St. Paul's El Burrito Mercado. Andale Taqueria ($13), Órale Mexican Eats ($12.50), Los Ocampo ($15), El Taco Riendo ($10.65), and even Chipotle ($10.50)—all surpass the steadfast Best Budget Bites $10 price ceiling.
Maya Cuisine in northeast Minneapolis is different. Opened 14 years ago by Isela Perez and Victor Martinez Sordovel on Central Avenue, the locally loved Mexican restaurant has somehow, someway frozen its prices in the pre-pandemic era of food affordability. That includes the big honkin' burrito, which costs just $8.75. If your total order cracks $20? Maya throws in chips and house-made salsa.
The burrito arrives stout and bursting—this is a roundboy. Inside the soft flour tortilla, we encountered generous deposits of fall-apart carnitas packed tight alongside beans, lettuce, sour cream, rice, cilantro, onions, and corn. This isn't a revelatory burrito that'll—Shins-like—change your life. But if the promise is a solid, humongous lunch at a bargain price, then promise kept.
We did encounter some problems: stale gratis chips (hard to complain when free); two forgotten salsas (the avocado one that arrived was tangy and bright); and one ignored burrito tweak (I suffered through my onions like an adult). That said, a lot can be overlooked when you're getting a real-deal burrito for under $10. Now, it should be noted that the $8.75 price point reflects the burrito you order at Maya's cafeteria-style assembly line (they're BOGO on Wednesdays); the bar menu burrito creeps up to $13.50. In theory you couldn't maximize your dollar-to-grub ratio by going hog wild at Sunday's recently revived brunch buffet, but c'mon, you're no animal.
And one shouldn't nitpick prices too much at Maya. After Covid hurdles, a recent ICE-induced closure, and the 10,000 daily things that besiege mom 'n' pop restaurants, the cheery neighborhood Mexican spot keeps churning out scratch cooking at remarkably fair prices—nothing on the line menu exceeds $12. It's no wonder Northeasters love the place so much.
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