by “The Food Guy” – Food Blogger / Restaurant Critic for Vero Vine
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My next tasting experience takes me down Oslo Road, just off of Hwy 1 in the South Vero Square plaza to the XXX Burrito Cafe! Opening just a little over 6 months ago, Steven Ronshaugen and family are the owners and they definitely take pride in their restaurant and the food they serve. Now before you go there, get your minds out of the gutter! The XXX in the name of this place does not mean what you think it means. They use the X’s for the different levels of heat you can have added to their food items. One to three X’s, depending on how hot you would like your meal to be, it’s your choice, just tell them when you place your order.
If you are driving by on US Hwy 1, you may miss the restaurant because of its location in the strip mall, but it’s definitely worth seeking out. Only open from 7:00 am until 3:00 pm, they serve the breakfast and lunch crowd. Due to its location in the strip mall, there is definitely ample parking available. First impressions walking into this place is that it is definitely Mexican themed in design with the brightly colored tiled walls and decorations. I was also equally impressed with how clean this place was. We arrived around 1:00 pm, and did not see any mess from the lunch crowd at all. We sat down and were greeted by the owner shortly thereafter.
Now on to the food! Let’s jump right in and see what I had to eat and drink!
Small Horchata – ($3.75) – I first tasted real horchata in Mexico a while ago and fell in love with it. It’s hard to find homemade at most chain Mexican restaurants because most use a powder mix and it’s not very good. Real horchata is made from rice, and this stuff is definitely from scratch and out of this world good!
Albondiga Soup – ($4.00) – This soup definitely hit the spot on a cool winter day in Florida! It was made with a rich beef broth, onions, carrots, celery, corn, southwestern seasoned meatballs, and pasta. The broth was perfectly seasoned, the meatballs are homemade and seared to add a little more flavor and texture, and the vegetables were perfectly cooked. It was fantastic!
Smokehouse Veggie Omelet – ($6.99) – Opening early in the day allows them to serve breakfast, which is not something you can get at any other Mexican restaurant in town, so it’s nice to have something different to choose from. The omelet was filled with diced smoked sausage, onions, mushrooms, roasted potatoes, crumbles of queso fresco, and topped with their chipotle sauce. The eggs were perfectly cooked, the veggies were all roasted and seasoned perfectly. The chipotle sauce added more flavor than heat to the dish. This is definitely a great choice for a healthy way to start the day.
White Chick Smothered de Lujo – ($7.00) – We asked to try some of the more popular items on the menu and this one was suggested to us. It’s a flour tortilla filled with seasoned grilled chicken, rice, cheese, and garnished with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes. The chicken was really moist, and the rice inside the burrito was really good. This is perfect for someone that does not like spice (heat), as I believe it’s one of the milder options on their menu.
Holy Mole Chicken Burrito – ($12.99) – Holy Mole is right, just look at the size of that burrito! It’s made with a large flour tortilla, shredded chicken, beans, rice, topped with their house made mole sauce, and garnished with sesame seeds. The filling was the same as in the white chick, but this time it was much larger. The mole had cocoa in it, which made it dark and complex in flavor. I think it’s my new favorite burrito in Vero!
Camarones a la Diabla Burrito de Lujo – ($11.00) – If you like things spicy, then this burrito is for you. It’s a flour tortilla filled with shrimp, beans, rice, topped with a spicy red sauce, cheese, covered with their spicy chipotle sauce, and garnished with shredded lettuce and diced tomato. The red sauce had a nice kick to it, and had some onions in it to give it a nice little crunch. The shrimp inside the burrito were a little bit overcooked, but still quite tasty.
Mexican Sundae – ($5.99) – Now doesn’t that look good! A flour tortilla has been fried, topped with ice cream, garnished with caramel and chocolate sauce, dusted with powdered sugar, and whipped cream along the sides with a cherry on top The tortilla was nice and crispy, the ice cream was creamy and delicious! A perfect way to round out a meal!
In Conclusion:
Before moving to Vero a few years ago, I lived in a small town in NE Indiana and we had a TON of Mexican restaurants to choose from. Once we got to Vero and looked around for a good Mexican restaurant, we were quite disappointed to find out there were only a few choices and what we did find were not that good. This new family run restaurant is a nice addition to the Vero Mexican restaurant scene and it definitely gives you another choice, but I only wish they were open for dinner because I know we would visit them more often. If you are in the mood for good Mexican food, then I suggest you give these guys a try, I don’t think you will be disappointed!
Have you tried XXX Burrito Cafe? What has your experience been with them? Sound off in the comments below and let me know your thoughts, or feel free to email me at thefoodguy@verovine.com with your questions or comments.
Atmosphere – 5 Forks
Service – 5 Forks
Food – 4 Forks
Rating Scale Legend:
1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent
XXX Burrito Cafe Facebook Page
| Wednesday | 7AM–3PM |
| Thursday | 7AM–3PM |
| Friday | 7AM–3PM |
| Saturday | 7AM–3PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 7AM–3PM |
| Tuesday | 7AM–3PM |
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