On National Burrito Day, tourism authority celebrates San Diego staple 

The San Diego Tourism Authority is hailing a signature dish created in the city — just in time for National Burrito Day.

On April 2, many restaurants are highlighting their take on the California burrito, by now a San Diego staple. 

Although it is named for the entire state, this particular style would be more aptly named the “San Diego Burrito,” where the style hails from — and remains most popular.

That’s why the downtown Moxy hotel is renaming it to the San Diego Burrito for the day. 

Novecientos Grados, the Mexican cuisine spot inside Terminal 1 founded by Tony Hawk, doesn’t even need to rebrand. His menu already lists the California-style burrito as the San Diego Burrito.

The restaurant is, however, celebrating with a discount on April 2. 

The California burrito is a simple twist on the carne asada burrito: just add fries to the heady mix of beef, guac, cheese, pico de gallo, and sour cream, all rolled into a flour tortilla. Lolita’s Mexican Food in Bonita and Santana’s Mexican Grill in El Cajon started selling fries inside their carne asada burritos in the 1980s, kicking off a food fad that still has staying power — nearly 50 years later. 

The fries addition disrupt the carb-to-meat-to-sauce ratio, adding new dimensions to the burrito’s texture — fluffy, crunchy, soft. Plus, potatoes, even when fried, can soak up and enhance the flavors of the ingredients around them. 

“National Burrito Day is our moment to remind the world where this iconic dish comes from. While many will debate what goes in a burrito, San Diego has known the answer for decades — carne asada, fries, and a whole lot of hometown pride,” SDTA president and chief executive officer Daniel Kuperschmid said in a statement.

The trend may have spread to California, but the California burrito is truly of San Diego. 

“New York has its name tied to pizza, Philadelphia has the cheesesteak, and Nashville sizzles with hot chicken. And San Diego has the California burrito — the most iconic handheld in Southern California — and it’s time we celebrate it properly,” Kuperschmid said. 

In addition to the Moxy and Novecientos Grados, other San Diego businesses are celebrating National Burrito Day — and San Diego’s role in creating and popularizing the California burrito.  Lolita’s Mexican Food, partially credited with starting it all, is giving away a free churro with every California burrito purchased at one of its locations. 

Another Terminal 1 spot, The Taco Stand, is offering a 10% discount on all burritos. 

Over in the Gaslamp, get a $5 California burrito at El Chingon with a special twist: The burritos are deep-fried and smothered in queso.  For those who would rather eat at home than wade through crowds, Puesto has a BOGO deal exclusively on DoorDash Buy. The deal lasts through April 5.

And above all, enjoy.