Stevie Nicks...The Burrito

[TheMacAttack]

Rockin' Burrito will have this fan coming back for encores
By LESLIE KELLY
SPECIAL TO THE P-I

The first time I walked into Rockin' Burrito, Smokey Robinson was crooning on the sound system. It was a hip-hop remix of "Tears of a Clown." I ordered a Louis Armstrong ($6.49) and had a wonderfully harmonious meal.


CHEAP EATS
ROCKIN' BURRITO

PHONE: 206-728-5910

ADDRESS: 2501 Fourth Ave.

HOURS: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday
This stuffed-tortilla spot in Belltown hits all the right notes: wraps rolled around offbeat fillings, a crew that seems chatty and eager to please, tunes cranked up loud enough so the cafe truly does rock.

The place is run by a pair of brothers from Alaska, former oil workers who tease customers about adding reindeer sausage to the mix. Mark and Brian Allen just got their beer and wine license and plan to expand dinner offerings soon, looking toward the islands for inspiration when they add a selection of Caribbean foods.

On the current lineup, $6.49 burritos that deserve a standing ovation include ABBA (chicken with Thai peanut sauce, rice and spinach), Stevie Nicks (red beans, rice, chicken, shredded cabbage, jack cheese, salsa fresca and chipotle cream cheese) and Joey Ramone (turkey club fixings). The Paul McCartney contains no beetles, but a mix of teriyaki chicken, shredded cabbage and pickled ginger.

One bite of Louis Armstrong and I knew what it meant to miss New Orleans: red beans and rice, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, jack cheese and andouille sausage.

A few greatest hits recently were scratched from the menu. The Jon Bon Jovi, Louis Prima, Miles Davis and Meatloaf have been 86ed, but the Italian-influenced Dean Martin remains.

All burritos can be ordered naked, sans tortilla and served in a bowl, for 50 cents more.

There's also a lineup of entree-size salads, all priced in the $7 range. When it comes to greens, make mine an Elvis Presley, a Hawaiian-style salad. I'm not sure what "White Christmas" composer Irving Berlin would think about a taco salad named in his honor, especially if the late tunesmith could hear what was playing at Rockin' Burrito when I stopped in for another lunch. They might need to rename the place Black Metal Burrito and offer earplugs on the side.

Post-Intelligencer food critics arrive unannounced and pay for all meals and services. Contact Leslie Kelly at [email protected].


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