Chino Locos

Excellent always. Best burritos east of Yonge. Portions are huge, prices are fair, spicy is spicy. Always have the rice myself. I like them so much I might just see if they’re open right now…

A unique place in east china town for a fusion of mexican burritos and chinese food. You have your choice of it being stuffed with rice or chow mein. The food here was good and is priced reasonably well. For those who like heat, go for the hot. I like hot sauce but settled for the medium and was left unsatisfied. Don’t like the staff talk you out of it like they did to me :(.

It’s just ok, but I thought it would be more flavourful. I found it bland, but still made with a lot of attention. Another thing: their business hours say they open at 11:00 am but more than once I’ve arrived and waited 20 minutes to no avail, I eventually left before they opened. If you have trouble opening at 11:00, then change your hours to 11:30 or noon. Really poor form to open more than 20 minutes after your stated start time.

OK, so the concept of this place had me really excited for a while — it’s like Mexican/​Asian fusion where they stuff chow mein into burritos, so I was like «DAYUMMM, that’s genius!!!» Maybe I had set my expectations too high then, because while the concept is cool, I thought the execution just wasn’t quite up to par. I mean, the burrito wasn’t bad, but the chow mein didn’t really add any extra value or oomph to the burrito compared to any other regular burrito. I also found the whole thing overall to just be too bland, which really surprised me because I was expecting a heavy burst of Asian… or Mexican… or any kind of flavour. I believe I got the slow roasted pork burrito which was supposed to have scallion-​ginger relish in it — again, sounds like it could be amazing in theory, but didn’t deliver. I think mostly my disappointment stems from the fact that I see so much potential for this place to be better — I mean, the burritos are huge and cheap, like less than $ 7 before tax, but I just can’t deal with the lack of flavour. I’ve heard that the other location (the original one, at Greenwood) is a lot better, but unless I coincidentally find myself in that area I don’t really see a reason for me to try this place again.

With too many taco and burrito places popping up lately, Toronto is awashed in an overplayed Mexican food fad at the moment. Burritos however doesn’t excite me much. Burrito Boyz, et al… meh!
Chino Locos however, is different. Whether it is the east end roots, the fact it is operated by an Asian guy, or its simple menu that lets them focus on one thing only, Chino Locos offers a burrito experience that stands out without much needed hype or in-​your-​face-​hipness, even though all they do is combine Mexican and Chinese tastes in a fusion bundle that actually turns out to be «tasty good burritos.»
Of the few times I stopped by so far, I haven’t been disappointed. From the menu choices, you have a choice of getting your burrito packed with fried rice (which isn’t that special), or chow mein (now we’re talking – it really makes for a life-​changing Chino Locos kind of burrito). It’s funny to see them note that «medium» spiciness is actually «HOT,» and when you decide you want your grub «spicy» spicy, they warn you that it is actually «HOT HOT HOT.» Which doesn’t bother me as a chilihead with desensitized taste, that the highest setting amounts to a bit of a tingling. Maybe I ought to ask for extra-​spicy-​to-​death, but if you are weak on the chili, get it in mild and see how that goes.
Unlike their original Greenwood Ave shack, this location has some seating. At the southwest corner of Broadview and Gerrard, fronting East Chinatown, Chino Locos seems like out of place at first glance, but seems fitting in representing what the area is now and what it might eventually end up becoming in the near future. Its location is conveniently situated to capture the attention of hungry commuters on three streetcar lines.

I ordered a big bean burrito and it was very bland. The noodles are a nice change but it didn’t have much flavour. Needed more sauce or seasoning.

Favourite Toronto burrito. And the staff are so nice! Noodles in a burrito, no need to further explain.

Im not a burrito fan, I really don’t like rice, so the chow mien is what I always get. The Fish burrito is the only one I get, I’ve had the pork and it was far too dry. I always get extra sour cream since they don’t really give you much to start, it’s not the most flavourful of foods, but like I said, I’m not huge on burritos to begin with. That being said, I like it much more than Chipotle, it’s great to have something other than Chinese food in the neighbourhood, they should add some more stuff to the menu and I’d go back more.

I’m a bit disappointed
I checked this place after some of the great reviews online. I think they are a bit off, unfortunately.
The ingredients are fresh and their proteins are good. The noodles and some of the other unusual ingredients are a nice touch, too.
Service is friendly.
However, it comes down tot he fact that the burritos don’t really stand out and they are forgettable.

The burritos have a reasonable amount of kick to them, but I found it a bit dry. I went with spicy with extra-​hot sauce on the side. Spicier than Big Fat, but I don’t think it warranted the ‘warning’ the server tried to give me. Can’t speak on the chow mein noodles because I haven’t tried those yet. One of the better burrito places in the area, so I’ll probably be back, but it hasn’t unseated Bandidos as my favourite.

I don’t know what these people are talking about. These burritos are the best period. Everything is fresh and made to order. This place has mad flavor. Just a fyi if you like yours really spicy just ask. Tell the guy to throw some heat on it.

Well, I spoke too soon. The new Chino Locos is nowhere near as good as the original.
I’ve been to both this location and the Greenwood one many times since writing my last review as I live pretty much in between both. Most of the time recently, I’ve been finishing up my Gerrard/​Broadview burrito and feeling slightly disappointed. Then, I try the Greenwood location again and am reminded of why that branch is consistently rated higher.
Everything just seems to be of a higher standard at Greenwood — the pork is juicier, the veggies seem fresher and the burritos are toasted for longer.
The service is also way better at the other branch. This wouldn’t usually be an issue for me when it comes to quick takeout places, but twice the poor service at Gerrard/​Broadview has directly impacted the taste of my food! Last time I visited, a man in front of me in the line was waiting for his burrito to be toasted. I’d say he was waiting about 60 seconds or so. I placed my order and the staff member made my burrito and put it under the toaster alongside this other gentleman’s burrito. About twenty seconds later, both burritos came out at the same time, mine disgustingly underdone, the other customers’ probably charred and sickly burnt. Bleh. That’s just laziness from the staff. No excuse.
I’d encourage everyone to go to Greenwood instead. THAT location really is worth the hype.

My fish burrito with rice was the blandest I’ve ever had. Sure, the medium is hot, but the mild is boring as sin. Lighting is strange and atmosphere sad. Looked better from the outside.

Went here tonight with some foodie friends and left pretty disappointed, though I’m still glad we checked it out. I mean, how else will you find out, right?
Place was quite spacious and clean. Staff were also very friendly. So that alone I’d give ⁵⁄₅ stars.
My friend and I shared Da Finest which is their basa fish burrito and also an Off Da Hook which is their rib-​eye burrito. Because they said that their medium hot sauce is super spicy, we opted for their mild sauce. We got all fixings in both burritos so the portions were actually very good. You can definitely fill up with just one burrito.
With Da Finest, we opted for rice. Fish was nicely fried with a nice batter and a generous amount of rice, beans and guacamole. The mild sauce was so mild that you could barely taste anything. Thankfully I have a Sriracha-​to-​go so I was able to add some flavor to it. I wish I had my Cholula hot sauce instead though which is the best hot sauce out there for Mexican food and even Italian. Gonna give this one ³⁄₅.
Then there’s the Off Da Hook burrito. We opted for the noodles instead of rice this time. Interested, sure but still lacked flavor. Admittedly I picked out the little cilantro from both but because there was very little in the first place, it wouldn’t have done much with respect to flavouring. The beef, however, was very tender. Sometimes beef is tough but this was perfection. As much as I appreciated the tenderness of the beef as well as the quantity, it still lacked flavor. Gonna have to give this one also a ³⁄₅.
Nacho and cheese was a huge disappointment. The ones you get from the theatre are much better in my opinion. For its portion size and overall taste, it’s definitely not worth $ 4.99. ²⁄₅.
They had one with pulled pork and another one that’s a special jerk chicken that I’d like to try. Don’t think I’ll go back anytime soon, though.

The best burrito place!!! Drove from yonge and finch just to have their slow roast pork burrito! Must try! The owners are super friendly and enthusiastic! Great place:)

So this is a burrito place paying homage to being in Chinatown East. I got the Bento box which is a burrito without the wrap. I asked what meat is their popular seller and he said the chicken and pulled pork.
I opted for the chicken. I got home 10 mins later thinking the cheese would have been melted; hot food + cheese = melted cheese. Nope. And the chicken was really dry.
I can’t see them staying open for too long serving food like that.

I don’t know what everyone is complaining about, I LOVE THESE!!! My kids love them! It’s super filling and healthy, and when I get my kids them I am happy and they eat every last bit, which for my kids is saying something as they usually eat like birds. Maybe people are expecting something else? A Chino Locos Burritos is it’s own thing, and it’s absolutely delicious, AND a complete value for the money.

I love me a burrito. When I saw a chow mein burrito, and all the mixed reviews associated, I knew that eventually the day would come where I would try this creation. Spoiler alert: They are serving one heck of a bland, mediocre burrito here at chino locos.
We had the pulled pork with ‘medium’ hot sauce, despite knowing from reviews that it may be bland. At the cash there was a sign saying, «medium is HOT» (yeah, in caplocks and everything!) So we went safe, just in case. The pork was dry, the sauce non-​existent, the noodles mushy, and I can’t even tell you what else was in this since there was just no flavour. However I can tell you it ended in a soggy mess — that’s where all the pork juices went!
We ordered the hot sauce on the side — it is very hot, made with serranos (I think?! much hotter than jalapenos.) So order it if you want some heat. Real heat. «I love hot food and this is spicy», kind of heat.
I bring nothing new to the reviews — I can only prompt you to listen to the bad ones and avoid disappointment. All those leaving 5 star reviews have clearly never had a good burrito before and I feel really bad for them, even chains are producing something better, or equal.
The benefits of here… it’s cheap! We went in hungry and came out satisfied after sharing a Jarrito and a burrito for ~$ 10. They had some good tunes playing, the staff was nice, but you won’t ever catch me here again.

did not blow me away at all… it was very meh… the fusion thing is a little weird for me.
chow mein in a burrito was weird, especially when the chow mein wasn’t even good on its own. in my opinion it did not add any value to the burrito. Rice is definitely the better option. The quac is definitely missing the lime factor. there is no kick in any of the food. I would have preferred more lime.
I dont know how long this place will last, especially since this location seems cursed. whatever opens in this location usually closes down. although it does seem to be the perfect location in the middle of a intersection with 4 TTC transfer stops.
The front staff also said «feel free to tip us.» while handing back my change.
TIP: thats not cool. that kind of pressure makes me have a bad feeling about this place.

I was so excited to try Chino Locos as I’d heard great things. I just had to try the basa fish burrito with the noodles in it. I asked for hot. I was not pleasantly surprised. This burrito was so bland! Almost the entire thing was noodles, with some fish and black beans and a couple random pieces of tomato thrown in there. I couldn’t detect any bit of spice in there so I had to go home and dump a bunch of hot sauce on it but I was still wanting some spice. I really didn’t get the whole noodle thing either, they were just mushy and weird.
Burrito Boyz still has the best burritos in town!

The plus… this location is way more spacious.
The downside… it’s been a while since I’ve had a burrito from these guys and I gotta say I was underwhelmed. I got the pollo locos and thought the flavour was monochromatic to say the least. Although I saw them putting lime on it, it wasn’t enough to brighten it. The one edamame bean I found in it wasn’t up for the challenge and the cilantro listed on the menu was nonexistent.

I’ve tried this new location and I have to say I am not impressed, a lot of beans for sure and very little steak. While the server was pleasant it wasn’t as welcoming of some other burrito joints I have visited. I like to be able to stand and watch what is going on while my burrito is being made, to me this is part of the experience. This place doesn’t lend itself well to that at all. The décor looks very make shift. I don’t think they followed any theme or design. The preparation area doesn’t flow well either.
I am on pursuit of the best burrito in Toronto and I have to say, this isn’t it. For taste I would have to say it is Burrito Boyz in Little Italy takes the prize. Any suggestions please let me know.

Guess who has opened up a new location? Chino Locos baby! While driving down Broadview one night I noticed a familiar sign to my right, it said «CHINO LOCOS». I have been to the OG location numerous times standing in a small compact area with limited seating. You could practically turn around and touch all 4 walls but I always find myself coming back because they make one of the more unique and tasty burritos in the city. They have created a fusion burrito using Asian and Mexican flavours by adding ingredients such as edamame, chow mein or using proteins such as basa fish and adobo chicken (special).
As soon as I found out they were opening on April 29^th I immediately contacted a friend to go visit the joint and wish them best of luck. Positioned on the corner of Gerrard/​Broadview next to old Chinatown seems like a weird place to set up shop but I think it is brilliant. The area is slowly being populated with young small families who frequent many restaurants along Gerrard like the numerous phở places, dim sum spots or Rose Café (my fave). Now you have this cool, hip burrito shop which still encompasses the Asian culture but adds what Emeril would say «BAM», some spice.
Once you walk in you will notice this store is about 5 times bigger than the OG lol you can actually sit at a table and eat your burrito which is nice to have. The space seems a bit bigger than what they need but I am sure they will figure it out soon and fill it up with more tables or pinball machines.
We both ordered the Basa fish burrito, which is my favourite, with half chow mein/​rice and fully loaded but medium spice… be careful because their hot sauce is homemade and packs a heavy punch. One thing I did notice is that they have the same old school Coke fridge like the OG location.
I will have to apologize because I was so hungry I totally went out of character and forgot to take a picture of my food LOL however I have some pics of the store which I will upload shortly.
If you have never tried Chino Locos you better get on it quickly. Once I declare a place is «my fave» in the city it usually is with other patrons too. Try it out and let me know if I am wrong :)