Late-Night Gem Super Sergio’s Serves a Textbook Example of the California Burrito
Why this drive-thru makes a straightforward but killer version of the classic San Diego burrito
“We’re going to Super Sergio’s!” exclaimed my friend Vivian as we drove down from a campus ministry gathering in the mountains above San Diego. The year was 2004, and I was a sophomore at USC about to experience for the first time the pure bliss of a near-perfect California burrito. Of course, growing up in LA I’d had my fair share of delicious taco truck burritos and wet burritos from places like El Cholo, but Super Sergio’s was the first time I had crisp french fries tucked into a fast-food burrito filled with carne asada, melty cheese, and pico de gallo.
Biting into my first California burrito was a revelation of tender carne asada surrounded by shredded cheddar melting slowly from hot, crisp golden brown fries. I was reminded of a good breakfast burrito with hash browns, but the fries were less greasy and more crunchy. I learned that the beef, often the focus of a meaty burrito, plays second fiddle to the fries here, likely a kind of flank or flap cut that balanced chewiness with a savory juiciness that helped amplify the potatoes. A tangy, spicy red salsa acted as a binder, moistening the crunchy, salty spuds bunched like matchsticks, waiting to be ignited by the chile-infused tomato sauce. The fries themselves were sublime, no wider than a pencil, and cooked with a surprising level of finesse for a fast food joint.
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