Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

Bandito’s Burritos—One Family’s Sanity Saver

by Joanna Nesbit9/8/2008 8:34:32 AM

Lots of people have their favorite pizza delivery’s phone number memorized for that last-minute dinner option when they’ve worked too late or there’s nothing in the fridge, and everyone is hungry right now.

Enjoy an inexpensive, casual family dinner at Bandito's Burritos in downtown Bellingham.

Pizza’s fine, but in our family when the cooking gets tough and the paycheck is low (even when it isn’t), we look no further than Bandito’s Burritos. We love this place. Yeah, I can make burritos myself (and I often do), but Bandito’s is such a crowd pleaser in our house that we end up here more than any other restaurant in town. That, and we can get out of this place for $20 or less. If we’re really pooped, we send a representative to do a pick-up-and-bring-home.

Bandito’s is a take-out or sit-in kind of restaurant with a family-friendly ambiance of bright colors, large windows, and tables bordered by window benches. I think it’s the window benches that keep my kids coming back. Well, those and the menu. I mean, lounging on a window bench (what, sit up straight?) and noshing on beans and cheese—it doesn’t get much better than that for a kid. There’s also outdoor seating that’s hard to beat for downtown energy on a warm evening.

Bandito’s is famous for its gigantic burritos, vegetarian or not, ranging from Jumbo to Super to Deluxe. You’re likely to run into an outdoorsy crowd here, refueling from a recent bike ride or a climbing trip. But the burritos are a healthy kind of huge with low-fat vegetarian beans, lean meats, and brown rice. For my now vegetarian daughter, Bandito’s is a safe haven from lard. In fact, Bandito’s makes a point of serving all fresh, low-fat ingredients, and you won’t find anything deep-fried or grilled on the menu. So even if my kids are getting out of eating their veggies (mom that I am), I know they’re filling up on decent ingredients.

For the smaller stomach, we recently figured out we could order a half-sized burrito. This is the perfect option for my daughter, age eleven, who isn’t interested in the kids’ menu anymore but can’t power down a full-sized burrito either. My eight-year-old still likes the cheese quesadilla off the kids’ menu, and we usually have them throw in a little chicken, too. Kids’ meals also come with a beverage—milk or juice—and a cookie. For that really unadventurous palate, you can even order a peanut butter and jelly quesadilla. We never have, but I have friends who swear this option saved them a lot of tears.

My personal favorite is the Yamchilada Plate, featuring yam enchiladas, beans, and rice (certain meals come with beans, either refried or black, and brown rice). The chicken enchiladas also keep me happy. The ten-layer dip with chips is great too, and you can order tacos, tostadas, or quesadillas if burritos aren’t quite your thing.

For those who love spice, Bandito’s makes fresh salsa every day for all tolerance levels, from mild to red hot. Be sure to check out the salsa bar. It’s unbeatable.

Bandito’s is located at 120 West Holly Street in downtown Bellingham. Hours are 11 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week. More information, call 738-8488 or visit Bandito's Burritos.

A Note About the Author: Joanna Nesbit

Joanna Nesbit is a home-based freelance writer. She thinks she can write and parent at the same time. She and her husband, Curt, are developing new interests through their two kids, including chess, Girl Scouts, soccer, and horses. In her limited spare time, she enjoys reading, running, and good beer.