The Burrito Window

Once a true window-only joint operating out of the back of D’lish Catering in Tahoe City, The Burrito Window has moved to Kings Beach and is now a fast-casual sit-down restaurant.  A popular Tahoe wedding caterer, D’lish is known for beautifully plated, locally-sourced cuisine — and the Burrito window proves that its range extends to fresh and simple Mexican fare. (Full disclosure: I’m biased because D’lish Catering catered at our wedding back in 2012.)

Open from 11-4 daily, the Burrito Window is always a good idea for lunch. It is fast. The food is delicious. And it’s very kind to your wallet.

We order ours to go, but the small restaurant is charming, with distressed wooden walls, a big “BW” in the corner, and a water station with mason jars. Out the window and across highway 28 (also known as North Lake Boulevard) is expansive Lake Tahoe; today it’s looking rather moody.

We start with chips and guacamole. The guacamole is good and fresh, with huge chunks of avocado and onion. The chips, though, are especially tasty. It seems that they’re double-fried, with a very satisfying thickness and crunch.

Burritos are huge: One is more than enough to feed two hungry people. The tortillas are soft and taste freshly-pressed. The rice grains seem smaller than average, which gives it a nice consistency with the beans, jack cheese, and chipotle sour cream. For a nice kick, you can add red or green salsa (we go for both). We get chicken and pork — in separate burritos — and both are good, but the pork wins: It’s flavorful and tender, well-seasoned and proportioned.

Chopped salad is the surprise of the lunch. It’s an excellent example of simple done well, with organic mixed greens, corn, jicama, tomatoes, mango, black beans, and queso fresco. The cilantro lime dressing is sweet but not overly so, and pairs well with more of that excellent pork, which appears to be crisped before piled atop the salad. We added a few pickled jalapeños which you can find in front of the hot sauce and next to the water (highly recommend getting a few for whatever you order).

As most folks who live in Tahoe, the gentleman behind the counter is kind and laid-back, with that “I’m just happy to be here” vibe. We’re happy they’re here, too.