Restaurant review: Burrito Borimex offers tasty, no-frills Mexican fare

Aside from draping a few Mexican flags on the walls, the owners haven’t changed the ambience at all. The highlight here, though, isn’t the cramped atmosphere. It’s the home-style cooking.

There’s not a particularly large menu, just a few of Mexican staples like burritos, enchiladas and tacos. I was interested in trying the Mexican-style barbecue ribs listed on the menu, though when I inquired about them, I was told they weren’t available that night. The same went for the tres leches cake, which I wanted to order on another visit, only to find they were out of that as well.

The tortilla chips were just ordinary, but I really liked the creamy guacamole, laced with a nice hint of cilantro. The fried plantains were gooey, sweet and delicious.

You have a choice of corn or flour tortillas for the fajitas. We sampled both and they each passed muster. The steak tasted slightly overdone, but the vegetables were cooked well. The beans, featured in many of the dishes, were especially good. They were great complements to the great, enormous burrito and the nachos. The quesadilla was grilled nicely, and had fresh chicken and cheese inside.

I’d skip the American offering with a Mexican twist: the habanero turkey club, where both the bread and turkey tasted processed and the sandwich was saturated with a too-spicy sauce.

I really enjoyed the Mexican lime sodas that we had to wash down our meal — definitely a fun alternative to Sprite. For dessert, a tasty flan featured a caramelized crust and creamy interior.

Service was touch and go. The small staff seemed overwhelmed, even though there were only a few patrons. I noticed a Help Wanted sign when I was there, so the staff shortage may be improving.

Burrito Borimex is a cozy, homey place that generally does a decent job preparing authentic Mexican food that isn’t too rich or heavy. I’m rooting for it to succeed where others have failed. Burrito Borimex 2285 S. State St. Ann Arbor 734-222-1770 Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. every day. Plastic: Visa, Mastercard. Liquor: No. Prices: Inexpensive to moderate. Individual tacos are $1.50 and enchiladas are $1.75. Combo meals are $9 to $11 and are served with rice, beans and corn or flour tortillas. Value: Very good. Noise level: quiet. Wheelchair access: Yes. Smoking section: No.

Photos by Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com. Top: Servers Marisol Noriega, left and Julia Gomez eat enchiladas during their dinner break at Burrito Borimex, located at 2285 S State St. in Ann Arbor. Left: Counter clockwise from bottom left, a chicken, beef and pork taco platter, beef burrito and chicken tamales at Burrito Borimex, located at 2285 S State St. in Ann Arbor.