It’s hard to screw up a burrito.

That’s why it’s nice to have neighborhood burrito joints, places you can go for a dependable dose of beans, rice, cheese and meat and/or veggies, all wrapped up in a tortilla and doused with a modest helping of salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

BRUCE’S BURRITOS

WHERE: 438 U.S. Route 1 (Yarmouth Marketplace); 846-6330

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday

WAIT: Less than 5 minutes

PARKING: Yes

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes, but the parking is not right in front of the restaurant

Additional Photos

A basic burrito with a side of chips and salsa. Photos by John Ewing/Staff Photographer

Christopher Hall adds ingredients to a burrito for a lunchtime customer.

Bruce’s Burritos is tucked into a corner of the Yarmouth Marketplace strip mall on Route 1.

Easy on the rice, though. Too much and it’s just filler.

Bruce’s Burritos is one of those classic, dependable burrito joints. It’s not the kind of place I’d drive out of my way for – there are plenty of decent burrito options in Portland, after all – but if you live in the Yarmouth area, or happen to be passing through, you’ll be happy with the menu here, and the way it’s executed.

Bruce’s is tucked into a corner of the Yarmouth Marketplace shopping center. There are only about a half dozen tables, and ordering is done at the counter.

The inside is colorful, and the walls are covered in drawings by local children that say things like “I (heart) burritos.”

They would make for some fun reading if you were sitting and waiting for your order, but – at least the night I was there – service at Bruce’s was lightning fast, even with a modest line of people ahead of me. I’d wager that not even two minutes went by before someone was bringing me my order.

I tried a couple of different items. One was a chicken burrito, on the specials board for $8, with guacamole, mango, salsa, rice, a mix of pinto and black beans, cheese and sour cream. The burrito could have used a bit more chicken, but overall the ingredients were well-balanced and tasted just fine. I was not impressed with the guacamole, however. This was guac at its most basic – mashed avocado with some citrus and, apparently, a little garlic thrown in. I like my guacamole a little more dressed up, with maybe some tomato, onion and cilantro, and a touch of jalapeno.

A basic burrito at Bruce’s costs $6.25 and contains beans, rice, cheese, salsa and sour cream. Add one filling and the price goes up to $7.25, or you can get two fillings for $8. Fillings include chipotle chicken, green chile beef, chorizo sausage, chilorio pork, sweet potato, spinach, guacamole and tofu of the day. Quesadillas with your choice of filling are also available at similar prices.

I tried a chilorio pork taco, and when I go back to Bruce’s, I will order multiples of these and skip the burrito altogether. This simple little taco was terrific. The pork, according to the menu, is shredded in a sauce of roasted poblano and bell peppers, onions, garlic and fresh lime juice. The taco ($2.35 for one, $7 for three) consisted of the pork nestled in a crispy shell along with lettuce, homemade taco sauce and grated cheese. Tacos come with a side of homemade salsa.

Bruce’s makes its own sauces and salsas, and the ingredients found in each variety are listed on the menu.

If you live in the Yarmouth area and haven’t been to Bruce’s, you’re missing out.

Staff Writer Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at:

mgoad@pressherald.com

Twitter: MeredithGoad

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