.
Feedback

Burrito Poll: And the Winner Is...

Here's our latest contest in our Readers' Choice series. Poll votes, reviews and comments below this piece will all factor into our selection, to be announced Friday. Click "Keep me posted" for an email update.

Community favorite the  ousted Albany institution to win this week's Readers' Choice poll. 

Said Art Simon in our comments section: "I'm glad to see Hot Shop leading in the poll. It's pretty cool to have a local Afghani Halal Burrito shop. If you haven't tried the spicy Lamb Tropical Burrito with the white garlic sauce you are missing out on a very unique treat. Go Hot Shop!"

[Editor's Note: This happens to be my favorite Albany burrito as well, in the interest of transparency.]

Other commenters voted for the "Hot Shop, hands down" and pointed out the chicken artichoke burrito as another favorite. 

A close favorite was Gordo's, with many folks singling out its carnitas as a stand-out dish. 

Others gave a shout-out to the truck over at the ("I find myself going back to Tacos El Autlense for the carnitas burrito. The tacos with avocado and ceviche are excellent as well and it's all really cheap."), and  in Berkeley ("ANYTHING with their carnitas can make angels weep. Nothing should be that good. And don't get me started on the flan...").

***

Here's our latest contest in our new . Poll votes, stars and reviews, and comments below this piece all will factor in to our selection, to be announced Friday. Click "Keep me posted" below for an email update.

(Miss last week's winner in the martial arts for kids category? .)

Click on the links to rate a business on its Patch Places listing. You can even leave a review.

Scroll down to take the poll.

If there's another spot we missed, start a write-in campaign in the comments section below. In the event of a tie, we will break it based on the comments, so please explain your choice.

The poll opens at 5 a.m. Monday and closes at 9 a.m. Friday. Come back later that day for the results.

(Because our poll is not scientific, it is not the sole consideration in choosing a winner. The winner will be determined by the Patch editor, based on poll results, comments and reviews on Patch Places. Please vote only once per survey.)

If you'd like to recommend a spot nearby, you can vote on El Cerrito Patch or Berkeley Patch.

Ben Lukas March 26, 2012 at 04:26 pm
Tough choice for carnivores here, between a lamb curry burrito at the Hot Shop or a carnitas with black beans at Gordos. But I go with the Hot Shop as first choice.
Jon Meyers March 26, 2012 at 06:22 pm
Hey, where's Talavera here?
Peggy McQuaid March 26, 2012 at 06:26 pm
Talavera is in Berkeley
Jennifer March 27, 2012 at 10:27 am
Hot Shop, hands down
Amy Smolens March 27, 2012 at 08:15 pm
Hot Shop, absolutely. I love the chicken artichoke.
David March 27, 2012 at 11:15 pm
Montero's is my favorite for quality and taste.
lubov mazur March 28, 2012 at 12:19 pm
I can walk to Gordo's. Does that make it an Ecoburrito?
Art Simon March 28, 2012 at 01:38 pm
As awesome as the Hot Shop is, and it's really unique, excellent food, I find myself going back to Taco El Autlense for the carnitas burrito. The tacos with avocado and seviche are excellent as well and it's all really cheap.
Moriah VanVleet March 28, 2012 at 03:36 pm
Me too! I am ever amazed by the quality, flavor, price, and sweet service at Tacos El Autlense. Even their vegetarian dishes are flavorful, not bland like so many other places. I wonder how many people taking this poll have tried the taco truck -- it seems hard to not get addicted!
Paul O'Curry March 28, 2012 at 06:19 pm
Could some fan explain to El Autlense that styrofoam food containers are illegal in Albany ??
Tara DeRosa March 28, 2012 at 09:50 pm
I was just about to ask about Talavera before I remembered it is technically Berkeley. However, I can't resist saying that anything, ANYTHING with their carnitas can make angels weep. Nothing should be that good. And don't get me started on the flan...
Margaret Tong March 28, 2012 at 09:58 pm
They shid row it in newspaper, like fishnchips. Is that legal?
Colin Epstein March 28, 2012 at 10:07 pm
Hot Shop is so tasty, and so unique, so that's my vote. I haven't tried Tacos El Autlense yet, but based on all the raves from friends, I certainly must.
Art Simon March 29, 2012 at 12:14 am
I'm glad to see Hot Shop leading in the poll. It's pretty cool to have a local Afghani Halal Burrito shop. If you haven't tried the spicy Lamb Tropical Burrito with the white garlic sauce you are missing out on a very unique treat. Go Hot Shop!
Emilie Raguso March 29, 2012 at 06:38 am
Lamb tropical burrito with white garlic sauce -- This is my absolute favorite too!
Moriah VanVleet March 29, 2012 at 12:57 pm
I'll take a flavorful, friendly Hot Shop burrito over Gordo's any day! Rooting for Hot Shop!
Yael Bloom March 29, 2012 at 03:30 pm
I think Talavera's chicken mole burrito is great.
Emilie Raguso March 29, 2012 at 04:53 pm
Great idea. Did you try connecting with the Hotsy Totsy owners about communicating that?
Peter Goodman March 29, 2012 at 05:49 pm
I'm for Talavera's mole burrito too, but that's not Albany :(
Paul O'Curry March 29, 2012 at 07:51 pm
If 7-11 is in Albany , maybe we could claim HALF of Talavera, as they are part of Montero"s.
Emilie Raguso March 30, 2012 at 02:01 am
@Paul -- I think Talavera is actually up the street, east of 7-11... Are you thinking of the restaurant formerly known as Timbao?
andrew woolman March 31, 2012 at 06:37 pm
If you like your burrito runny, and with a heavy dose of inexplicable condescension from behind the counter, then you need to go to Gordo. But for best burrito, I have to agree that Hot Shop is mighty tasty - I'm reminded that it's time to go back there for their delicious lamb burro, and friendly service!
Colin Epstein March 31, 2012 at 06:53 pm
Congrats to Hot Shop on a well-deserved win!
Art Simon March 31, 2012 at 06:58 pm
Great discussion, it it motivated me to visit Talavera for the first time. I was impressed. It has a very extensive menu, so it's a great choice for adventurous Mexican fare beyond the usual favorites. I got the Sopetitios with mushrooms, which my wife loved but thought the doughy bowl was too heavy. I also got the Baja fish tacos for my son, but even though I asked for them with no salsa, they still had a very spicy sauce, which I liked but was too much for my 10 year old son. The Mole burrito was a hit. My wife loved it, though it was just a little sweet for me. I ordered a Chile Verde plate, which by mistake they gave me as a burrito. It was excellent, and huge. Great salsa bar. Still, it's a bit pricey compared to Hot Shop and Taco El Autlense for takeout, which are equally excellent in their own way. If you are dining in, it's a different story as Talavera has a nice ambiance and the others don't. I'm in the Albany flatlands, and Talavera is a significant uphill bike ride, so I'll save it for special occasions. For takeout Hot Shop and Taco El Autlense are still the bomb. Thanks though to Jon Meyers, Peter Goodman, Tara DeRosa and Yael Bloom for the recommendation, I was impressed.
Robert Phoenix April 1, 2012 at 12:57 am
The Hot Shop is a wrap--not a burrito. El Autlense es muy authentico! But Gordo still reigns supreme.
Michael Valladares April 16, 2012 at 10:38 pm
Oi! Spoke with the owners of the truck and they are gonna switch over from styrofoam any day now for good.

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from Albany Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Amy Smolens June 7, 2013 at 02:57 pm
Hi there - This doesn't seem like an appropriate announcement for Albany or Berkeley Patch. 1) theRead More category is Announcements/Around Town and these events are all in Marin 2) Patch's "Terms of Use" say "You may use this Service solely for personal and non-commercial purposes. That is to say: You can’t use the Service to make a living unless you enter into a separate agreement with us that says you can." This is clearly solely a commercial venture, not a neighbor of ours or local organization providing a community service and charging for the service. 3) I went to the Novato website and saw this listing: "Ettiquette (sic) Series for Kids - 17737 Ages: 7 Years to 11 Years - Residents $150.00 - Non-residents $163.00" 4) These items push our items of local interest down and out of sight. Especially now that there is no box indicating the stories with the most recent comments, as there used to be on the Patch front page, out of sight does mean out of mind. Charles, what are your thoughts here? Thanks.
angie allison June 7, 2013 at 03:45 pm
Hi Amy, Thank you for letting me know and I understand! Angie
Mechanics from Street Level Cycles tune up bikes at the Albany Arts & Green Festival. Photo courtesy Matt McHugh
Lin B. June 6, 2013 at 11:29 am
I've been waiting for the right time to donate my son's old bike he used in middle/high school. It'sRead More been hanging on hooks in the garage and this seems like a great time to give it up!
christopher papazoglow June 7, 2013 at 10:30 am
Can you please post their hours / days of operation ? As i recall, they're only open afternoons aRead More few days a week, and it won't do to just leave donations outside ( they'll be scavenged ). And i was not able to find the info online.
AS&R - Albany Strollers & Rollers June 7, 2013 at 11:20 am
Thanks, Christopher. Open Community Hours are Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12-6pm so anytime those daysRead More are definitely fine. They're there (84 Bolivar Drive - Aquatic Park) most of the day Wednesdays and Thursdays for Youth Classes and the doors are locked. I just spoke to Amber Rich and she asked you to call them at 510 644 2577 and let them know what time is good for you and they will be sure to be there. Thanks for your generosity!
Dover June 5, 2013 at 02:47 pm
Thanks for the update but I am worried. This is very distressing. How will Eric and Tarina be ableRead More to afford their annual lengthy hipster vacation if they have to cough up lawyer fees? I am sure they were expecting that UCB (aka the rest of us) would pay Mr. Siegel's bill. Now they may have to resort to staying home and eating Top Ramen out of their charming and cheerful "made in Asia by small children but they're not slaving for 14 hours a day in front of our faces so we don't care" ceramic bowls. Oh noes! Bad, bad, very, very bad news.
Charles Burress (Editor) June 5, 2013 at 03:06 pm
David, thanks for the alert to the judge's decision.