Frisco Burritos brings a nice slice of California funk to rather staid old Towson. The ingredients are generally quite fresh, and the food is reasonably priced. All in all, it's a solid choice for the lunch-time crowd or shoppers looking for a quick, nonfranchise meal.
Frisco sits on a busy block in downtown Towson. Inside, it has something of a Mexican motif, with paintings of farmers and dancers adorning one wall. Service is brisk, thanks to a very efficient staff whipping up dishes in the small, open kitchen.
The menu is built around three basic Mexican dishes - burritos, tacos and quesadillas. Fixings for each include chicken, steak, chorizo or spinach.
The burritos come in two sizes, regular and jumbo. Our chicken burrito was indeed jumbo-sized, a huge cylinder of goodies - rice, black beans, spicy grilled chicken, salsa fresca and a slightly tangy chipotle pepper barbecue sauce - all wrapped in a homemade tortilla. It was a solid, delicious meal and worth the $5.75.
The tacos ($4.75) featured three soft-flour tortillas stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce, salsa and, in our case, pieces of what the menu said was steak. The meat was too chewy and a bit too tangy for our taste. Next time, I'd go for chicken or spinach tacos.
The chorizo quesadillas (we chose ours with chorizo, for $5.25), were well-done - spicy Spanish sausage smothered in Jack cheese on tortillas, flavored again with salsa. Homemade fried tortilla chips ($1.25 with salsa; $2.50 with guacamole) were thick and not too greasy or too salty. The very good guacamole had a garlic flavor and little chunks of tomato.
A taco salad ($4.50) featured romaine lettuce, with black beans, chips, salsa, sour cream and guacamole. The lettuce wasn't entirely fresh, but everything else worked well. You can also add meat to the salad.
There are no desserts at Frisco. Parking is hit-or-miss on the streets of downtown Towson, although there are lots and garages in the area.
Frisco Burritos
Food: **1/2
Service: ***
Waiting area: ***1/2
Parking: **
Where: 3 W. Chesapeake Ave., Towson
Phone: 410-296-4004
Fax: 410-296-7927
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday
Prices: Burritos, tacos, quesadillas and salads from $3.75 to $5.75; credit cards accepted