Breakfast burritos are a hearty way to power you through the day. They’re also great as a hangover cure. Whatever you need a breakfast burrito for, Tucson is there for you. Local tortillas? Housemade chorizo? A variety of salsas? Check, check, and check — and much more.
Here are some of the top spots in town to find this local specialty. ¡Buen provecho!
This Guide is part of a series that honors Tucson as the home of America’s Best Mexican Food.
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“Easily the best breakfast burritos I’ve had in Tucson. Maybe ever. And the best part is they come in twos so when you finish your burrito, there’s still one more left!”
Known for serving some of the best breakfast burritos in town, Barista de Barrio is also prized for its excellent coffee. Instead of a single massive burro, you get two smaller breakfast burritos in each order — perfect for sharing. The custom-spiced chorizo is the star here, though be warned: It is on the spicier side, as is the salsa. Vegetarian and vegan options are on offer too, plus a wide range of coffee drinks.
Heads up: the food is so good that the line gets long quickly on the weekends. Make sure to queue up early!
A spot of color and cheer on a nondescript First Avenue drag, Buendia Breakfast & Lunch Cafe was voted one of the Top 100 Places to Eat by Yelp readers in 2023. One taste of the breakfast burritos and you’ll know why. Creative complements to the eggs in the burros include machaca, nopales, and bacon, as well as chorizo. With food this good and a sprinkle of “joy” — alegria — on each dish, you can’t help but smile at the start of your day.
Every morning Frank’s opens its doors, a traditional diner equipped with all the American-style fixings you’d crave. One of those things is Eric’s Burro. This monstrous burro is loaded with three scrambled eggs, beans, cheese, salsa, and your choice of bacon, ham, sausage, or chorizo. If you want a lighter option, grab Frank’s Veggies Burro, which comes with three scrambled eggs, beans, cheese, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and salsa. Stop by soon and check ’em out for yourself! The diner celebrated its 40 anniversary back in 2022 so they’re totally doing it right.
“When I stop by Lovin’ Spoonfuls, my go-to order is the Southwest Burrito. It features a blend of housemade soy chorizo, green chiles, tofu scramble, and potatoes, all wrapped snugly in a vegan flour tortilla. I like to add guacamole to make it even better.”
Juan Irais Benavides and Michelle Benavides have offered a breath of new life into Lovin’ Spoonfuls. With a wealth of restaurant experience, they’re taking Lovin’ Spoonfuls to new heights. Since 2005, Lovin’ Spoonfuls has built a tight-knit community, treating their employees like family, and both Juan and Michelle are all about preserving that warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Huevos rancheros, wrapped in a tortilla? Yes, please! That’s just one of the options that makes the burritos served in the morning at this self-described “fast food” Mexican restaurant a breakfast of champions. The setting may be casual and the food inexpensive, but the ingredients are fresh and the quality high.
Popular and affordable, this place is a hot spot for authentic Mexican grub, and the breakfast burritos are a big deal. Literally. They’re massive. House-made tortillas and generous portions of all the usual fixings may have you skipping lunch.
If you don’t want to change out of your sweat pants but still want a baller breakfast burrito, head to the drive-thru, and pick chorizo or machaca.
Red Captain Coffee’s breakfast burritos, crafted for both vegans and omnivores, feature the option of soyrizo or chorizo, making them an exceptional way to kickstart your morning or afternoon, depending on your waking habits. Whether you rise with the sun or embrace the day closer to noon, the delights of Red Captain Coffee, including its beverages, treats, and spacious patio, are all worthy of appreciation.
“The burritos at Salsa Verde are the best way to start the day if you ask me. I usually opt for the chorizo burro (no eggs, sub potatoes) — and don’t forget the salsa verde to slather on!”
Salsa Verde isn’t your typical burrito joint with a drive-thru. For starters, the family-owned-and-operated restaurant prepares everything from scratch: the tortillas, tortilla chips, desserts such as ChocoFlan and cheesecake, and even the aguas frescas.
For a leisurely start to your day, settle down on the shady patio of the Mercado’s gracious Spanish-style courtyard with one of Seis Kitchen’s breakfast burritos. While you can keep it simple with house-made chorizo or center-cut bacon, you can also go extravagant with El Padre, filled with adobo steak, green chile, pico de gallo, eggs, potatoes, and cheese. It’s a religious experience.
This hugely popular place is takeout only, with a few chairs for you to wait after you order at the counter. This does not deter the many loyal fans who have been coming here for years for the likes of fresh breakfast burritos, served all day by an always friendly staff. Fillings include carne seca and chorizo, as well as such traditional American staples as bacon, sausage, and ham — cross-cultural cuisine at its best.
Named for the granddaughter of one of the founders and open for more than 40 years, Tania’s Flour Tortillas is a simple, down-home spot to grab a great Mexican meal on the southwest side of Tucson. As you might expect from the name, the tortillas used for the breakfast burritos are fresh and flaky and the fillings such as machaca and eggs are, well, filling.
This Barrio Hollywood institution may have the largest selection of vegan breakfast burritos in town, with meatless versions of machaca and chorizo as well as carrot tocino (carrots fried bacon style). The breakfast burritos are served all day long and come in regular, large, and extra-large sizes, thus catering to all appetites as well as to a variety of dietary preferences.
“Tooley’s burritos are best when eaten out on the patio — no matter what the weather conditions are. I usually go for the turkey and jalepeno burrito but the potato, egg, and cheese burrito is just as pleasant. The homemade salsa is a spicy icing on the cake, I mean, burrito.”
In 1989, Ron Schwabe purchased the building that would become both Peach Properties and Tooley’s Cafe. Tooley’s is the namesake for Ron’s college dog, Tooley.
“I’m so excited that Urban Fresh brought their breakfast menu back, and I couldn’t be happier about their stuffed breakfast burrito. Whatever you do, don’t miss out on the salsa!”
Urban Fresh is a family-run restaurant that focuses on community, sustainability, nutrition, local, and organic ingredients. Everything is made in-house in Tucson. The menus are surprisingly extensive given their small kitchen and the fact that everything is housemade.
Amelia’s Mexican Kitchen on Oracle Road features warm ambient lighting, exposed brick walls, and decorative tile accents along the bar. Tables line the narrow dining room under a mix of pendant lights and skylights that brighten the space.
Chef Jose Contreras, a James Beard semifinalist, leads this Sonoran-inspired kitchen. Regulars rave about quesabirria tacos and margaritas. For an extravagant bowl, the Molcajete Amelia’s towers with steak, shrimp, lobster, cactus, cheese, and onions, served sizzling with tortillas, rice, beans, and guacamole.
This is the family’s second Tucson location; the original is on Grant Road near Craycroft Road.
Taqueria El Pueblito features bright papel picado, Mexican flags, and tile-lined counters with casual counter service.
They earned their following with its Zacatecas burrito, a classic carne asada burrito ramped up with the simple addition of bacon. But their breakfast burritos and menudo also earned loyal followings.
