The Best Breakfast Burritos In Seattle

If you find yourself reaching for an ibuprofen and thinking about breakfast burritos after a night out, you’ve come to the right place. This is not a list filled with fancy wraps or unsalted eggs thrown into a tortilla as an afterthought. This is a lineup of demolish-in-seconds, only-this-meal-can-save-me kind of breakfast burritos. Fair warning that once you have some of these, you may never be able to experience a weekend morning without them again.

THE SPOTS

Burrito Express serves the very best breakfast burritos in the city. They’re also the most versatile, with 14 different options on the menu—like poblano and corn with a cheesy cream sauce, or the Pig Pen that features three different meats. And at this South Park trailer, there's a nice morning soundtrack to listen to while you wait, like tortillas being tossed like pizza dough, pans of frying chorizo clanking together, and queso sizzling on a flat top. Order The Sauced Pig burrito “wet,” a.k.a a grilled pork breakfast burrito smothered in salsa verde, cheese, and sour cream. A fork and knife are necessary for this one, but if you need something handheld, the Don Pancho with bright red chorizo crumbles and molten lava-like refried beans is a winner.

Textureless scrambled eggs that lose their appeal after a few bites have no place at Cafetal Quilombo. The breakfast burrito at this Mexican counter spot on Beacon Hill is stuffed with a fried egg, which means crisp, buttery edges that hold its shape when folded in with melty cheese, ham, and bacon. It’s all swaddled in a smaller-than-usual flour tortilla, resulting in a snack-sized situation that’s like a hot pocket. Except better. And without the risk of burning your mouth. 

Cocina Barelas is a New Mexico-style pop-up operating inside South Park wine bar Good Voyage, and they have perfected the true essence of a great breakfast burrito. It’s packed with flavor, easy to eat on the walk back to the car, and just the right size to carry with an iced coffee in hand. These burritos are filled with perfectly seasoned eggs, carne adovada that drips through the seams of the tortilla requiring more than a few napkins, and green chiles that add a kick. To get one of these, you’ll need to closely follow their Instagram for updates, and then rush over.

Hi-Spot Cafe’s breakfast burrito isn't one that you can grab and run away like a sweatpants gremlin. Rather, it’s one to enjoy while out to brunch with friends. This Madrona spot serves morning things like pancakes, scrambles, and avocado toast, but you’ll find us elbows-deep in their hefty breakfast burrito. Scrambled eggs, black beans, and sautéed vegetables are wrapped into the size of a newborn and served with a side of breakfast potatoes, tomatillo salsa, and a dollop of sour cream that should immediately be smeared everywhere like a preschool art project. 

Let’s set expectations here. Rachel's breakfast burritos are a pound each—which means that it's enough food to sustain you in a Cast Away scenario, but it’s also so good that Tom Hanks won't be getting any. With combos like kale, carnitas, and Mama Lil’s peppers or potato, chorizo, and queso oaxaca, grabbing one before noon on a Wednesday will be much more satisfying than a dry Pop Tart you were eyeing from the office vending machine. 

Breakfast burritos can’t tell time, as much as we’d like to see them with little sausage patty watches. So why do they often clock out after 11am? At this walk-up window in Wallingford, you don't have to worry about that—the breakfast burritos are always on duty. The chorizo verde is our favorite, but the carne asada is a nice change of pace if you're not in the mood for typical breakfast meat. Be sure to get one of each salsa on the side—the avocado crema adds a tangy freshness, while the roasted habanero has a sweet heat.

We love Mas Café for their breakfast sandwiches, and the burritos are equally as good. So good, in fact, that they could make you forget all about any applicable breakups and/or hangovers. While the chorizo is charred and the bacon is thick, the heavy hand of fresh cilantro and pico de gallo adds a brightness that most breakfast burritos lack. It’s the kind of morning meal that can be washed down with a green juice before a productive day involving a few laps around Greenlake, summiting a mountain of laundry, and a trip to Homegoods.