Bay Area Bites Guide to 5 Favorite Breakfast Burritos in Oakland, Emeryville and Berkeley

Breakfast burritos are a uniquely American invention, a bastardization of an iconic Mexican dish (actually invented in California) which takes the contents of your typical breakfast plate — eggs, carbs and protein — and neatly packages them into a tube. It’s convenient enough for on-the-go eating yet decadent enough to get you through a hungover Sunday morning.

The Bay Area has variations of every type of breakfast burrito, from the usual scrambled egg and home fries combination to ones closer to actual burritos. There are even multiple spots for vegan breakfast burritos. In the East Bay, there are plenty of options for breakfast burritos, ranging from traditional to a French-inspired. Did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Otaez Mexican Restaurant

The menu at Otaez — with locations in Oakland’s Fruitvale district and Alameda--offers two breakfast burrito options. They offer a breakfast burrito, stuffed with the traditional scrambled eggs, cheese and potatoes, with the option to add sausage, bacon, ham or spinach. Then there’s the Burrito de Desayuno. The difference in names indicates whether you want a typical American-style breakfast burrito, or one that more resembles an actual burrito.

Ordering the Burrito de Desayuno gets you a burrito filled with rice and beans, and allows you a more interesting range of filling options: chorizo and potatoes, machaca, or huevos con nopales (eggs with cactus). (It should also be noted that both burritos are under $6, a great bargain). The chorizo and potato burrito was massive, packed with salty chunks of spicy chorizo, tender potatoes and bits of fried egg. Flavorful beans and rice added bulk, ensuring that you’ll stay contentedly full until lunch--or even dinner.

Otaez Mexican Restaurant
3872 International Blvd [Map]
Oakland, CA 94601
Ph: (510) 536-0909
Hours: Mon-Sun, 7am-10pm
Facebook: Otaez Mexican Restaurant
Price range: $ (Burritos $10 and under)

Tribu Cafe

Tribu, located where Emeryville, Oakland and Berkeley all intersect, is one of those stalwart cafes that serves a dizzying amount of functions. There are green smoothies. There are board games and wraps. There is beer and tequila. While I was there, the crowd ranged from office workers to friends catching up on gossip (Overheard: “Is the father still in the picture?”) to my college landlord (drinking orange juice, looking spry).

In case you doubted that great breakfast burritos can be found everywhere in the East Bay, look no further than the improbably delicious burrito at Emeryville’s Home Depot. Yes, Home Depot, that gigantic orange testament to do it yourself-ness. No, not actually in the store. Outside of the entrance you’ll find Kelly’s Deli, a tiny food stand producing a Mexican-ish menu of breakfast and lunch items like breakfast tacos and Philly Cheese Steaks.

This is fatty, decadent food meant to sustain people for a long day of physical labor, to be scarfed down at the handful of outdoor picnic tables before grouting or gardening. A ham breakfast burrito was considerably better than it had to be, with huge chunks of seared ham, rivers of sour cream and piles of seasoned potato. It’s all covered with a massive amount of cheese, producing a decadent mess of a burrito that’s pleasantly spicy (a nearby squeeze bottle of Tapatio adds more heat if desired).

Since it comes pre-wrapped, it’s an ideal grab and go meal, whether you’re installing new floors or merely trying to make your coworkers jealous.