We live in the era of the $35 plate of pasta and the $25 cocktail (not to mention the so-called $20 burrito that spun conservatives into a tizzy over the summer). So it’s refreshing that, even in an expensive city like Los Angeles, some values do still exist – and deliver deliciously.
Take Tacos Villa Corona. The humble takeout window in LA’s Atwater Village neighborhood has been serving affordable tacos, burritos and quesadillas since 1993. The family-owned operation, founded by the late Maria “Nena” Arechiga and now in the hands of her son David Flores and his wife Lizette Reza, is known for its papas burrito, famously featured on the Anthony Bourdain show “The Layover” in 2012. Stop by on any given weekend morning, and you’re guaranteed to find a line of customers stringing along the sidewalk, queuing up in the warming air to wait for what is regularly called one of the better breakfast burritos in a town filled with great ones.
And perhaps best of all: The papas burrito, stuffed with potato, egg, cheese, onions, cilantro and salsa on a flour tortilla and served with a fiery chile de arbol salsa on the side, is a mere $3.99. That’s a couple of dollars less than an Egg McMuffin will run you in this economy – and a much more substantial, homestyle breakfast, at that.
The Glendale Boulevard building that houses Tacos Villa Corona. (Karen Palmer/SFGATE)
Customers order at Tacos Villa Corona in Los Angels on Sept. 3, 2026. (Karen Palmer/SFGATE)
Taco street art on the sidewalk in front of Tacos Villa Corona in Los Angeles. (Karen Palmer/SFGATE)
According to Flores, the price hasn’t changed in years, despite difficult economic times and rising costs for restaurants, because of the burrito’s popularity.
“Anthony Bourdain really elevated us, and we were able to get the number of people we needed to keep the burrito at the same price,” Flores says. “We make 600 to 700 burritos a weekend.”
Flores notes that because of the volume, he hasn’t “felt the hit” of the economy like some other restaurants have – and he has no plans to raise the price anytime soon. (Adding protein like steak or chorizo to the burrito only bumps it up to $5.99 – still a steal compared with other breakfast burritos around town.)
When he featured Tacos Villa Corona on his show, Bourdain first tried a couple of tacos but then noticed other customers with the burrito and ordered one. His response was legendary.
“Holy crap, this is a whole different story,” Bourdain said. “… Wow. I could eat this whole thing.”
He adds, “I think we learned something today. That was good. Real good.”
The original papas burrito at Tacos Villa Corona in Los Angeles on Sept. 3, 2026. (Karen Palmer/SFGATE)
An order of breakfast tacos from Tacos Villa Corona in Los Angeles on Sept. 3, 2026. (Karen Palmer/SFGATE)
The burrito’s origin story traces back to Flores’ grandparents. His grandfather was a gardener in Culver City, and his grandmother would make him small egg-stuffed burritos on her own tortillas to take to work for lunch. Flores’ mother would wait for him to get home to eat any of the leftover burritos he still had with him. When she opened Tacos Villa Corona, she decided to sell her mother’s beloved burritos.
The shop still churns out the hearty burritos at a lightning-fast pace; on a recent visit to the Atwater Village location, the burrito was ready after only a few moments. (After more than 30 years in operation, the taqueria opened a second location in Eagle Rock in 2025.)
Flores attributes the burrito’s lasting popularity to its simplicity – because unlike other versions in this breakfast burrito-littered city, you won’t find a dab of artisanal crema or Erewhon-level vegetables inside, just honest ingredients.
The storefront of Tacos Villa Corona in Los Angeles on Sept. 3, 2026. (Karen Palmer/SFGATE)
The breakfast menu at Tacos Villa Corona in Los Angeles on Sept. 3, 2026. (Karen Palmer/SFGATE)
“Every culture can identify with what’s in the burrito,” he says. “My mother’s thing was always to keep it simple, even the salsa.”
And even though it’s been almost 15 years, Flores says the shop still feels the effects of Bourdain’s visit.
“He had a big influence. People still come in and ask about Anthony Bourdain coming here,” he says. “I mean, they just made a movie about him. He had a lot of power.”
Tacos Villa Corona, 3185 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles. Open daily, 6 a.m.-3 p.m.
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This article originally published at LA’s Bourdain-loved Tacos Villa Corona still serves a $3.99 breakfast burrito.