Battle of the Green Chili Mix Burrito: Rito's vs Carolina's

By Shannon Armour Wed., Jun. 13 2012 at 11:51 AM

Savory, salty, spicy, burrito-y -- Mmmm we love our green chili burritos. Mix it up with creamy refried beans and we're in burrito la-la-land.

Two of the Valley's best burritos come out of tiny hole-in-the-wall take-out joints that have been around forever. Carolina's on Mohave has been around since 1968 and the elusive Rito's is celebrating its 35th birthday this month.

Both burrito joints have cult-like followings, have several awards under their belts, and lines out the door at lunchtime. But which burrito joint executes our favorite green chili mix burro better?

Let's find out.

In This Corner: Carolina's Mexican Food

The Setup: Tucked away in a rundown Central Phoenix neighborhood, Carolina's has been churning out award-winning tortillas and burritos for 44 years. The menu is made up of your standard Mexican staples, and the summertime lunch lines can be brutal in the non-air-conditioned building.

The Good: Carolina's tortilla are top-notch. Soft and sturdy with just a slight char, they have the ability to stand up to whatever it is you decide to fill them with. The green chili filling was thick and hearty with a decent amount of pork chunks, and the beans had a perfect creamy texture.

The Bad: Where's the heat? Carolina's green chili is on the extremely mild side. Great for those of you who hate the slow burn that the rest of us crave. We had our containers of red sauce to spice things up, but the sauce just didn't satisfy our need for heat.

Location Info

Venue

Map

Carolina's Mexican Food

1202 E. Mohave St., Phoenix, AZ

Category: Restaurant

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Rito's Market and Mexican Takeout

907 N. 14th St., Phoenix, AZ

Category: Restaurant

Tags:

Bean, Best, Burrito, Carolina's, Green Chili, Rito's

We Recommend

rubachiliinyoureye

both are bomb!

Jim Lyding

I miss both of those places dearly. I'd put Carolina's Oaxaca Special burrito up against anything. Back in the day I ate one every work day for a month to win a bet. I won, and my reward consisted of a Oaxaca Special purchased by my coworkers.

Hock

They're both awesome. Never had a issue with employees at Ritos.

guest

They both use beef not pork!!!!!!

Steve D.

Same. If they've been short with me it's because there's 15 people waiting in line behind me. Can't beat the mixed burrito, enchilada style. It's so good you forget you're eating on their tiny patio in 110 degree heat.

John

Ritos is the right choice. And I've never had a problem with the employees there.

guest

Neither. El Norteno, 7th Ave and Roosevelt. I'd crawl over broken glass to eat their green chili.

ernie lopez

i love carolinas. the food is great and the people are treated very well. Rito's, on the other hand is a bad place to eat, The owners and their "daughters" are the rudest people on earth. i went there one dat and was turned off by the way the family treats people. i never went back and i discourage people from going there. they think there food is the best , but its not. Its only a step up from Taco bell. Carolinas on the other hand, ARE GREAT.