Oh. My. God!

I just visted Taqueria Zamorano, at the corner of International Boulevard and High Street in Oakland. The neighborhood is a little intimidating, but if you are looking for the Serious Burrito Experience, it is worth checking out. I made the mistake of ordering the $7.50 super, because the regular burrito was only $2.50 and I assumed it would not be enough food. HAH!

When I got home and opened my bag, what emerged was a burrito that clearly needed its own area code. "I think I'm going to need a bigger plate." Even so, the burrito, made with two large flour tortillas laid end to end and overlapping in the middle, flopped over the sides of my 12-inch dinner plate. I ate half for dinner, and made two lunches out of the remaining half. Pretty good value for the money, and like lasagne, the burrito actually seemed to improve with age and reheating.

OK, but size isn't everything, right? So all questions of enormity aside, the Zamorano burrito is pretty tasty, not the very best of its kind anywhere, but respectable and authentic. The chicken was tender, the rice and beans flavorful, and the guacamole creamy. If you ask for it, it also comes with a free side order of pickled carrots and chiles if you want to spice it up further. (If you order the regular, which I recommend you do unless you are a football player in training, you can add guacamole, crema or cheese to your burrito as extras.)

Zamorano has a good selection of aguas frescas, including tamarindo, horchata and real lemonade. Collectible "Homies" figurines are dispensed from gumball machines in the lobby.