Business & Tech
Video: Albertaco's Walks That Hole-in-the-Wall Fine Line
Simple and clean enough for that Mission Viejo respect, but is it cheap, dirty and tasty enough for our personal affection?
I recall first becoming acquainted with Mission Viejo Patch editor sipping coffee in the Irvine area earlier this year, talking about the best eats in the South County area, particularly of the Mexican variety. Growing up in Anaheim a few miles north of Mission Viejo, I of course had my fair share of opinions on amazing Mexican food.
Our banter included my take on the lack of quality, hole-in-the-wall fast-Mexican options in Mission Viejo and its neighboring cities. Quick to defend the city, Pete urged me to check out before passing judgment on the area as a whole.
Never one to turn down a suggestion, I made my way to Albertaco's after a quick shopping spree at The Shops at Mission Viejo. The location was within walking distance to the mall, in the same shopping center as a and .
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Everything about the location exuded proper hole-in-the-wall imagery: simple colors, elaborate menu options that are all generally variations of the same ingredients, and affordable prices. We were greeted with a line of customers out the door, naturally. I like to meet that situation with a roll of my eyes and a huff and a puff, but because of the speedy service, we were at the front of the line a few minutes later.
My colleague Geoff and I jumped at the chance to taste the shrimp burrito ($4.80) and two beef burrito combo platter ($6.45), so with the addition of two drinks, our entire meal for two was less than $15. The shrimp burrito, much like the carne asada burrito, is a good barometer of the quality of the location you're eating at.
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The seasoned grilled shrimp was wrapped in a warm tortilla, accompanied by fresh cabbage, Baja sauce, rice and a fresh salsa. The burrito was clean, the grease was light and those same descriptions used for the shrimp burrito can be attributed to the overall vibe of the location. This is apparently the place to go for hole-in-the-wall Mexican food in the area.
The place was clean, service efficient, the food tasty. I've ordered two-beef-burrito combo platters at other locations before, only to have to sift through a greasy mess when my order arrived. Not at Albertaco's.
For those who need greasier fare (who doesn't from time to time?), word on the street is that the California burrito is a must. The large, slightly crispy flour tortilla filled with carne asada, french fries and sour cream is definitely on my list of items to try on the inevitable return visit.
