A native El Pasoan is sharing the Borderland’s vibrant cuisine more than 2,000 miles away in a tree-lined Brooklyn neighborhood.
Alan Delgado opened Los Burritos Juárez in Fort Greene, a historic area tucked away in the northwestern part of New York City, on Aug. 14, serving El Paso/Juárez staples like hearty chicken mole and tender chile colorado in handmade tortillas.
He ended his first week open, selling more than 2,200 burritos — a testament to the border’s diverse flavors that have already hooked New Yorkers.
“I’ve been away from El Paso for 17 years,” Delgado said. “Aside from my family, the thing I miss the most is the burritos. You can’t find them like in El Paso.”
Delgado was born and raised in the Sun City and grew up venturing between the U.S.-Mexico border. After briefly attending UTEP, he pursued his culinary aspirations, moving to Austin for a decade before ultimately packing up a small U-Haul and relocating to New York in May 2020 — just as the pandemic was unfolding.
“I left my job and was in my apartment, bored, so I thought, ‘I’m just going to make burritos,'” Delgado said. “I would presale them on Instagram.”
Delgado recalled living on the first floor of his New York apartment, opening up his window and handing hungry customers their online orders. Without any particular recipes, Delgado cooked up flavors he encountered along the border by memory (and some trial and error), and as the demand for his burritos grew, so did the line outside his home.
“It got a little too big for an apartment, and I got a little scared that my landlord was going to kick me out,” Delgado joked.
Years later, Delgado’s dream of opening up a family-owned restaurant inspired by his Mexican roots came to fruition.
Los Burritos Juárez is cozy and homey, just like the humble burrito spots he visited along the border as a child. Photos of his family line the wall of the yellow and maroon eatery as soft, fluffy tortillas are filled and rolled in front of patrons.
“The tortillas are half of the burrito to me, if not more,” Delgado said. “I remember the first burrito I had outside of El Paso was awful — it was thin, tough and dry. I really wanted to make it by hand, and the goal is to put in the effort and deliver the tortilla in its best form.”
Word of the burrito spot has spread around the close-knit neighborhood, Delgado said, resulting in a long line of excited visitors forming around the block daily.
“I couldn’t have done this without living on the border and seeing the people that live there day in and day out, and how hard they work and the values,” he said. “The smells and flavors (of the border) — I know that’s where I belong.”
Los Burritos Juarez is located at 354 Myrtle Ave. in Brooklyn, New York. Hours are currently Thursday through Sunday, from noon to 8 p.m. Follow Los Burritos Juarez on Instagram for the latest updates.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on Twitter, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma Thompson on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso native brings Borderland burritos to Brooklyn with restaurant inspired by home
Reporting by Natassia Paloma, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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