THE UPTOWN LOUNGE:
UPTOWN BURRITO
TYLER HAYDEN
! K E E W
0122345ÿ7889
Maybe it was watching Clayton Kershaw put on a show on the back patio TVs. (I’m a Giants fan but can appreciate good pitching when I see it.) Maybe it was hearing the crack of pool balls and the cackle of laughter inside, and feeling the cool cocktail in my hand. Or maybe it was wolfing down the flavorsome Uptown Burrito—tri-tip, rice, black beans, bell peppers, mozzarella cheese, and homemade salsa—that truly made me forget about life for a while. Most likely, it was the full package. But if you’re not in the mood for a burrito, the Uptown Lounge serves some very tasty wood-fired pizza, too. —Tyler Hayden
3126 State St.; (805) 845-8800; uptownlounge805.com
THE CREEKSIDE: CREEKSIDE BURRITO
A longtime hangout on Hollister Avenue in the heart of Noleta, The Creekside ditched a somewhat dicey drinking- hole reputation from years past when it reopened as a family-friendly restaurant—but still with that bustling bar—back in 2017. It’s best known for grilled, roadhouse-style cuisine, such as hamburgers, baby back ribs, chicken, and tri-tip roasted over red oak, but it’s always flirted with Mexican cuisine as well, via mayo-slathered street corn, nachos, quesadillas, and burritos. They’re serving up the Creekside Burrito as this week’s special, a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs affair full of rice, black beans, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and your choice of grilled chicken, tri-tip, or veggies. It being a grill spot, I opted for tri-tip, and the smoky chunks were heavy in the mix, framed primarily by that fluffy rice and aided with side salsas and the highly recommendable Cadillac Margarita. My wife went the veggie route and approved. “It’s good,” she said, “and a little messy.” —Matt Kettmann
55 8ÿ 25
MAT T KET TMANN
2 8 ÿ0122345 452ÿ0122345 2 34 ÿ0122345
LOS ARROYOS:
RUNAWAY BURRITO
MAT T KET TMANN
Available dine-in only, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Limit one per person per day. 4444 Hollister Ave.; (805) 770-3200; thecreeksidesb.com
If your downtown Santa Barbara life stretches back about two decades, then Los Arroyos will forever claim a soft spot in your heart as the most popular fast-casual Mexican joint in town upon its 1999 opening on West Figueroa Street. Mastermind Tony Arroyo steadily expanded the menu and locations over the years, but the Runaway Burrito remains a staple at every restaurant. Meant to be eaten in your hands, the Runaway is appropriately packed with the right balance of brown beans, cheese, guacamole, and your choice of grilled chicken or al pastor pork, offering just enough food to be stuffed but not so much that you regret that final bite. This was an easy one for me to dive into, as it’s what I usually order, unless I’m feeling like pozole. To me, the Runaway is simply a bean and cheese burrito with bonus meat, and it serves as a blank slate for enjoying the restaurant’s fresh salsas. This time around, I opted for a spoonful of the chopped habanero atop a slug of that fresh, soothingly green avocado-tomatillo salsa. Wash that all down with sips of cerveza or horchata, and you’ve got the perfectly sized meal. —Matt Kettmann
Available during lunch and dinner, all locations. losarroyos.net
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For a limited time, we are bringing back one of our original burritos, the Chile Colorado. Tender chunks of beef simmered in our homemade Chile Colorado sauce, wrapped in a flour to illa with beans and cheese.
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INDEPENDENT.COM
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
THE INDEPENDENT
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