On the border of Sun Valley and North Hollywood, underneath a freeway junction, tucked away in the corner of a nondescript Chevron gas station is one of the best breakfast burritos that LA has to offer. I am talking about none other than Cilantro Mexican Grill.
All credit goes to Zoe Rosenburg who introduced me to this wonderful find in January of this year, when she was producing a short film I was shooting. Early on the second morning of our shoot, she handed me a burrito in a brown paper bag. I didn’t expect much. In fact, I was a bit worried on my drive to set, as I was searching for a bite on the way, but couldn’t find anything that wasn’t a chain within a three mile radius of our location. I thought that either the burrito was going to ruin my appetite, or be cold. “Sometimes the meal is the penalty”, I once heard a salty grip say to me. To my surprise, my anxieties were assuaged as soon as I opened the brown burrito bag. Beyond the burrito, wrapped in aluminum foil like a silver bullet, I saw a generous portion of thin tortilla chips, seasoned with something that gave them a tint of red. I tried one, and immediately knew I was in for a treat.
They were salty, and the seasoning gave off a BBQ taste that was quite unusual for a tortilla chip, but made me think that wherever these were from, they must make a bangin’ chillaquilles. I ventured further, peeling back the tin foil of the burrito and taking a bite. I’d found heaven. The thin tortilla was wrapped around a perfect mix of carne asada, eggs, potatoes, cheese, and salsa. And despite it’s small size, this burrito is dense. I could taste the fresh herbs and ripe tomatoes of the salsa, and despite the pleasant flavor, I could barely finish it. I asked Zoe where she’d picked this up, and she told me it was from Cilantro, a lesser known spot literally located inside of a Chevron. I was amazed, and realized that I had seen the place on google maps, but the fact that it was in a Chevron, and had entirely too generic of a name turned me off it.
On another day, I went to see the spot in person, with good pal and Key Grip Henry Martinez. No joke, you’d miss the spot if you didn’t know about it. The only thing that signifies that this burrito exists is a small, corporate looking sign affixed on the corner of the building— nearly invisible from the street.
Inside, directly to your left as you walk in, you’ll see a quaint kitchen and a few cooks who were servicing a line that stretched almost all the way down a snack aisle. We got to the counter and I thought I must have been in the wrong place. The menu looked silly, flickering on a couple of TV screens above the counter— but I figured the long line of patrons must be there for a reason. The cashier quickly took our order, and we sat down under the fluorescents of the gas station. A few minutes later, the burritos arrived, and again, I couldn’t believe it. Here I was, having the best breakfast burrito in LA— one that I’d found out about only a month prior, in the middle of a gas station in Sun Valley.
If you’re a teamster, or you work regularly in Sun Valley, I’m sorry in advanced for making the line longer— but if you’ve never tried this place, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Cilantro Mexican Grill
7214 Whitsett Ave,
North Hollywood, CA 91605
Mon-Sat 6:00AM – 10:00PM
Sun 7:00AM – 9:00PM
$$
Parking: Lot (it’s a gas station)
My order: Carne Asada Burrito, Agua Fresca
Pro tip: When Henry and I went, a choice of Agua Fresca came with the breakfast burrito. I’m not sure if this is a regular thing or just because of Henry’s charm.
Pairs well with: Game Dude (.5 miles), Apex Electronics (3.1 miles)