The 12 best breakfast burritos in Los Angeles to start your day right

If the $3 price tag doesn’t sway you toward Tacos Villa Corona, then maybe Anthony Bourdain’s stamp of approval will; he stopped in on an episode of The Layover and had nothing but good things to say. Served out of a literal hole in the wall, this cash- and daytime-only Atwater Village staple has a consistent line, but don’t let that stop you. Freshly stewed nopales, sautéed spinach, steamy potatoes, melty cheese and house-made, actually-spicy hot sauce come together in legitimate harmony, making Tacos Villa Corona beyond worth the wait.

It shouldn’t surprise you that a breakfast burrito from the Rustic Canyon group will run you $15.75. It also shouldn’t surprise you that a breakfast burrito from the Rustic Canyon group is unbelievably delicious and full of organic eggs, aged cheddar, roasted farm-fresh potatoes, caramelized onion, avocado mash and salsa roja. The eggs, cheese and potatoes feel homey, but the caramelized onion and avocado give you that only-in-California feeling. It comes with chips, too.

Talk to anybody about L.A. breakfast burritos, and it’s pretty much a guarantee that somebody will reference Lucky Boy. The time-tested torpedo is huge, attacks hangovers head-on, and is thankfully available all day. Crispy hash browns are one of Lucky Boy’s hallmarks, thrown onto the grill with your choice of meat and shredded cheddar. If you want something artisanal, look elsewhere; if you want something heavy and hearty, something for the soul, Lucky Boy is for you.

Cofax might just be at the heart of L.A.’s modern breakfast burrito obsession: The Fairfax coffee shop is more famous for them than even, well, the coffee. The bacon is tasty, but they’re known for the chorizo, which brings you all the flavor of the sausage without being overly spicy. Any lovers of Ugly Drum pastrami will be happy, too, since they usually offer that as a filler as well.

The real ingenuity of the Corner Cottage burrito starts on the grill. Rather than assembling each ingredient individually, they’ll cook your ingredients together like a scramble, and then layer it into the burrito. It’s one of the many reasons that this cash-only Burbank legend makes burritos that really taste like breakfast, and not just a bunch of breakfast ingredients in a tortilla. Get in there before 11am on Saturdays and 3:45pm on weekdays and choose bacon, sausage, ham or steak to griddle into the eggs, potatoes and cheese. The house-made hot sauce is—unlike many places, which stick to tomatillo sauce or pico de gallo—a jalapeño-and-onion–based blend, and as with so many of the restaurants on this list, you’ll want to order extra salsa.

Thick tortillas and house-made salsa set the stage for Lily’s famous breakfast burritos, which have probably been recommended to you at some point as one of Malibu’s most incredible breakfast options. The eggs are perfectly scrambled, the bacon is crunchy and smoky, and the heat from the salsa ties it all together. Lily’s is the best thing for miles.

Some people may claim that there are better tortillas in L.A. than La Azteca, but most of them are probably wrong. Here, they’re fatty, flaky, spongy things, perfect for holding in a hot breakfast. Azteca has a solid lineup of breakfast burritos, but this is the place to branch out from the norm. Of course bacon and egg are delicious, but give the nopales, egg and pico de gallo a look.

Leave it to a trendy café next to a yoga studio to build a great plant-based menu; Royce Burke’s Yarrow turned out killer healthful dishes till the café’s 2019 closure, but one of the best breakfast burritos is back again at Burke’s West Hollywood location of Secret Lasagna & Market. His burrito is truly one of a kind: Roast carrot purée provides the backbone for soft scrambled eggs, charred lemon romesco, and roasted veggies. The real genius, though, is the slightly crispy layer of cheese which surrounds the outside of the burrito, and for which Burke deserves some sort of Nobel Prize.

Guerrilla Tacos has had L.A. in the palm of its hand for years, first with a food truck, then with a brick-and-mortar, and now with a coffee shop just a few doors down in the Arts District—and we’re all the better for it. We all know the tacos are the stuff of legend, but now at Guerrilla Cafecito, the breakfast burrito (once just a special) can be found all the time. A cool $10 will get you a burrito with eggs, beans, cheddar, hash browns, avocado and bacon—an absolute steal for the ingredient quality—and they’ve got other flavors in rotation, too.

With the explosion of trendiness in North Hollywood and Studio City, the Valley isn’t quite what it used to be—and perhaps that’s what makes Nat’s Early Bite so magical. It’s a taste of bygone SFV, a simple diner full of locals grabbing breakfast before work. While the menu is loaded with American-café classics, there are hordes who swear by the breakfast burrito. Served with both bacon and sausage, the addition of bell peppers and onions, it brings to mind a classic diner omelette—but the hot tortilla, chunky potatoes and salsa remind you just how special a great breakfast burrito can be.

This family-owned, old-school American joint really showcases what’s great about eating in L.A.: great food in an unassuming location. Alpha Omega looks just like any other Covina drive-thru, but their Mexican lineup is killer, especially the breakfast burritos. You’ve got the standard choice of bacon, sausage or ham, but what sets Alpha Omega apart is the size: They’re huge, and for under $7, these burritos are a beautiful deal. Get extra salsa and call ahead—the line can get long.

It seems like all of L.A. is sleeping on this one: Four eggs, plus cilantro, avocado, queso fresco, tomatillo salsa and cheese await inside an actually tasty whole wheat tortilla, and you can even add soyrizo. It’s a lighter, fresher burrito, so it won’t quite take wind out of your sails the way most bigger, greasy ones do. Brave the small parking lot and head to Mixto. You’ll be glad you did.