Elite ‘Rito Rollin’ at Dos Toros

Roll your own burrito and eat it too? How Fc*kin’ cool is that?
Sure, sure, restaurant employees do it every day but these dainty hands have rarely handled anything more than a hammer, much less a spatula. A beautiful day on one of Williamsburg’s most populous streets, Bedford Ave., is Dos Toros Taqueria. A location with enough space to seat 20 or so guests. Perfect location and décor for fast casual.
One of the brothers/​co-​owners, Leo (Kremer), who hails from the Bay Area, introduced himself and explained how they got into the business. Never mind the Steph Curry on the wall. What? A life-​size likeness of him is plastered on the wall. Here’s a hint: Golden State Warriors. Yes, go figure.
With a recipe they’ve perfected, obviously, the focus is on key ingredients. We basically got rolling hands-​on with some guidance, from Leo and the great staff.
Tortilla, cheese, beans, meat filling, sauce, more condiments. Roll it like a… er… joint. You didn’t hear it from me. Some packed in too much, but everybody was able to do it. Not quitting my day job anytime soon though.
With plenty of time during the session (there were two), we were able to down our burrito, and douse ourselves with Jarritos or other soft-​drinks on hand. Yes, I went for light-​me-​on-​fire-​diablo hot.
Overall, just so much funnnnn and definitely an experience worth sharing with Unilocalers and taqueria fans. Priceless. Thank you Peter D, Leo K., and the staff of Dos Toros.

Burritos are one of my favorite foods (there was a small two-​year window where we had a falling-​out due to a food-​poisoning issue, but happily we’re back to normal) and I jumped at the chance to learn how to roll one properly from pros. I’ve rolled a good number of amateur burritos in my day, but this tutorial from Dos Toros was very helpful. I also had an insightful discussion in line, breaking down the difference between So Cal and No Cal burritos; although I think at the end of the day my heart lies with the San Diego version, I was very appreciate of this opportunity to have a little west coast flavor on a Sunday morning.

What a fun experience! I think rolling burritos may be my second calling.
I loved the carne asada and the guacamole. I was brave enough to try the super hot sauce. I cant believe how much kick it had with just one little line of sauce. Yum!
I loved that the event did more than just allow me to the food (which was delicious!). The hands on experience made it that much better. Thanks so much for hosting us. Now I know where to satisfy my cravings for carne asada burritos!

What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than rolling your own burritos in bk.
Loves the whole concept of one making their own burritos. As we walked in the owner gave us an overview of dos toros and what their specialities are. The staff was über friendly and made sure everybody received personal attention while rolling the burritos.
Really like how the tortillas was steamed with cheese on it. It was so much fun rolling the burritos. The burritos were huge and very filing.
Kudos to Peter D for the nice execution and spilliting the event into two sessions so more people could comfortably attend it.

I knew this event was all about getting down and dirty but who knew rolling a burrito can be so much fun!
In a line formation, we all watched how a burrito was rolled and took turns doing it. Leo, the owner of the restaurant and also our instructor guided us through the entire process and made it really fun.
We first started by steaming a wrap with a slice of Monterey Jack cheese for 7 seconds such that the cheese would melt evenly. After the steaming process was done, we then added all the goodness to our burrito and started building it up.
I opted for the chicken as it looked like it was grilled and cubed perfectly. I then added black beans, rice, onions and peppers and extra guacamole and cheese to make my perfect dreamy burrito and boy was it good! After everything was added, I preceded by rolling up my burrito and voila! It was done!
All in all, I had a lot of fun! I liked the fact that it was an intimate affair where we got to talk and to know each other and to just chill.
As always, thank you Peter D., Unilocal team, Leo and Dos Toros for making my Sunday into such a Funday!!!
Lastly thank you Alan L. in all his effort to take my photos of me even if my phone did freeze-​up!

As soon as I saw this event, I knew I wanted in. What’s better than eating burrito? Not much. but rolling it is pretty amazing.
I have to thank Peter for inviting me to this small intimate event. It is no small feat to get me out of bed on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, but when deliciousness is involved, I am there!
When I got up to the steamer I had a game plan, make a giant overstuffed burrito of deliciousness, that would require professional intervention during the rolling process. I have eaten at Dos Toros when they first opened up near Union Square. They usually steam the burrito in a steamer with a slice of cheese. This time… I was going for broke. TWO slices of cheese. A good helping of beans, some rice. I decided to go with the beef, but I slipped in a little carnitas, and finally enough guacamole to fill out all those times you wish you had more. Some cheese, and tomatoes, a dash of sour cream, and my bad boy was ready to go. The guy who was helping, told me that the hot sauce was «Super» hot Habanero. I decided go with mild, and have some hot on the side.
Now came the tricky part. By the time I was done loading this bad boy up, I had amassed a mound of food. That was the game plan, but I thought I was being conservative. When the guy came back to help me roll it, his eyes widened in surprised, and he said, «That’s one big burrito». None the less, with his instruction, I rolled that bad boy up, no problem, and have perhaps learned a better technique for rolling my own burritos. An invaluable skill, which I have been trying to master for years. Mine are over stuffed in general already. This burrito rolled like a dream, and there are pictures to proof the size. It was a beatific burrito, perfect in size, and weighing about 2.5 pounds. I smiled in satisfaction, tin foil shiny side up, I picked up a drink, and walked to the table to enjoy my feast. The man helping me remarked, «Enjoy your 3 pound burrito» with a friendly knowing look (I couldn’t help but wonder if he was correct). I grabbed some cherry soda, and sat down with some fun Unilocalers for a delicious Sunday morning lunch. and the pride of making my own burrito.
Notes
I got the hot sauce on the side for a reason. Towards the end of my burrito, I got a good dab of the hot sauce that Dorie had been applying liberally to her own burrito, and my stomach is still on fire. That hot hot sauce has a kick! I learned from Nina, that if your burrito stands on it’s own, you have a new party favor! The carnitas was delicious, and all the ingredients were tasty. Getting to use the steamer was fun, and HOT! This was super cool experience. I like hands on events. The staff was very friendly, and good at giving instruction. I totally feel qualified to work hear now.

I’ll let you in on a secret: the small events like this are my absolute favorite.
I did the noon session, so when I first arrived, there were already some newly christened burrito masters enjoying their meals. Once it was time, we got a brief lesson on the origin of the burrito, and some food engineering tidbits about preserving the structural integrity of a burrito.
After that, it was gloves on and behind the counter we went. It was pretty nice being able to make your own food (I went for a steak burrito). I have to say, after standing there and nervously making just one, I tip my hat to the guys who stand for hours doing it – quickly!
My steak burrito lost a bit of its cargo when I went to roll it up, but not only did it not break, it passed Leo’s test of a good burrito: it stood up vertically without slumping. Burrito Baron, confirmed. I polished off my culinary masterpiece with a grapefruit Jarritos, which I think is a perfect beverage on an unseasonably warm Sunday.
Thanks to Dos Toros for hiring such a cool event, and Peter D. for getting us all together!

There is nothing better I could have asked for on a Sunday morning. Rolling out of bed, managing to guzzle 2 cups of black coffee down my esophagus, rolling onto that special G train, and finding yourself a few minutes later with a burrito bigger than your head and a refreshing Corona. Met some awesome Unilocalers I haven’t talked to before to boot. Also, managed to snag some brief hellos with the second group as I was the slacker of the group and couldn’t finish my humongo burrito quick enough. The experience was fun. I love anything involving plastic gloves! It’s like burrito surgery. I choose the Carnitas Pork and the hottest of the sauces. Which I wish I put more of the habanero sauce on, but the guys kept insisting it would kill me. Liars. Thanks so much for the burrito rolling event Peter D! And shout out to Leo for helping us all roll!

Things I learned at this event:
1. How to roll a burrito (my «things I learned» thing actually applies to this event!)
This interactive event on a sunny Sunday morning was refreshing and fun. The staff members at Dos Toros make it look so easy, but rolling a burrito with the perfect amount of ingredients into a «not quite bursting at the seams but getting there» size is a skill that few have. It was so interesting to learn that steaming a tortilla with a slice of cheese on it keeps the ingredients together, one should never overfill with rice (even though the Dos Toros rice is of the delicious, fluffy red kind), and that folding the sides first and scrunching the ingredients in the middle helps when folding.
2. Dos Toros is environmentally and health-​conscious.
They use ingredients with no GMO’s, the hormone-​free chickens are locally-​raised, the beans are organic, and the utensils/​plates/​napkins are compostable!
2. Unilocalers are so nice.
It was really nice to meet Unilocal friends in person! Being in a different borough from the one I live in meant I saw a whole new crowd. Having two small sessions gave us ample time to roll burritos and mingle with such friendly, fun folks.
Thank you, Peter, for giving me a chance to experience this wonderful Brooklyn event! Thank you to Leo for the burrito lesson and for shutting down the place for us!

One thing I’m really passionate about is cooking I’ve always failed to roll a burrito properly — either it’s too loose or so tight my ingredients spew out. Thankfully, I was so lucky to have gotten into this awesome event and learned how to do it right from the pros at Dos Toros.
What’s great about the hands on experience was learning the how to and of course the yumminess thereafter. My «fiesta» style (threw in both the black and pinto beans) and had the shredded pork as well as a few chunks of steak was amaze-​balls. While my friend said it was slightly bland — you truly need that sauce IN the burrito to tie it all together (instead of having it on the side).
5 sexy stars for the culinary education, Leo for making Dos Toros happen, Pete for the excellent opportunity, and all my Unilocal pals for the company.

Thanks again, Peter, for the great event! Thanks also to Dos Toros, who were great hosts!
I successfully rolled my burrito without it exploding so I felt like I had a personal victory that Saturday morn.
The burrito was so tasty and gigantic — it lasted two waves of snacking. I will be back!

Apparently rolling things is my specialty…
Burritos, just burritos.
A nice way to start a big Sunday was to head out to Willy B to learn the craft of burrito rolling. Got there a couple of minutes prior to 11 and saw we were packing the place.
Sat down and began listening to the owner, Leo, drop knowledge on some folk. Leo explained how the burrito is thought of as a Mexican cuisine but it’s actually Mexican and American infused. That the birth place of the burrito is actually where he was from, California. I’ve had Mexican food in California, it’s good. And I was excited. He taught us that you should start out by laying the cheese down first to keep the structure of the burrito intact in case a rip happens. Then layer it with rice and beans. Meat next. Followed by lettuce, tomato and guacamole. Then roll it up.
Was on the back of the line waiting to roll up a fat burrito when his grace Peter D, joked that we may have to take ours to go because the wait was long and noon was approaching. I looked at him and let him know, never to question how fast I could eat ever again. While I waited I had some excellent conversations about the important things in life, how awful fast food is, why I love diet soda and how excited I am to see the Nets in the playoffs.
Finally my turn came up. Steamed my tortilla, laid some cheese down nice. Then put some beans on there, not too much. Topped that with rice. I went with the Carnitas which was what was recommended. Added some guac, lettuce and tomato. Then the big decision. What hot sauce to do. They said not to over do it on the habanero sauce, but that’s just silly. I loaded that bad boy up, it wasn’t too hot at all. Child please.
Then came the rolling. Dos Toros employee, Grady, explained the art of rolling. Fold the sides to the middle, but just before they actually touch. From there I knew the rest. Grab the base of the tortilla and tuck that bad boy under the other end, nice and tight. Then simply just rolled it up and rolled up the foil. A Plus!
Grabbed a cerveza, stood by the window on a beautiful day and enjoyed a perfectly rolled up burrito. Peter D suggested I don’t take off the foil when I go to eat it, so it doesn’t fall apart. Did he not realize I rolled it?
Finished my burrito up before some of the first people ate theirs. Started chatting it up with the next crew coming in at noon. At first I was bummed, I got the eleven o’clock showing but totally worth it in the end. More time to enjoy two of my favorite day time activities in Brooklyn, Coney Island and Habana Outpost. Then saw the Nets take care of business, the return of Don Drapper and the Purple Wedding at the bars. What a perfect day!
Thanks Peter D, Leo, Grady and the rest of the staff at Dos Toros. Nice way to kick off my Sunday!

Please don’t challenge me first thing in the morning — I get all sorts of riled up!
It was a beautiful day to head into Williamsburg to learn how to roll the perfect burrito. Leo, the owner gave us a run-​through on burrito rolling instructions, which ended with, «If you’ve rolled the perfect burrito, you’ll be able to get it to stand up. But, none of you will be able to do that today!» EXCUSE ME?! Challenge accepted, sir!
Of course, I watched a few people do it first and then it was my turn! Tortilla, cheese, steamer, beans, rice, meats, hot sauce, guacamole, tomatoes, cheese and lettuce — tuck and roll. Then, the moment of truth — will it stand? Um, DUH! I’m pretty good at making things stand at attention. :brushes shoulder:
Off course, if my current job doesn’t work out, I can always fall back on rolling *perfect* burritos… Thanks to Leo, the staff at Dos Toros and Peter for a great start to a lovely Sunday.

Fun little event! Nice to have a smaller intimate gathering.
Thanks to Dos Toros for letting us go behind the counter and teaching us how to make a proper burrito. I learned how the cheese acts as a barrier against the beans to prevent the tortilla for getting soggy. I learned the proper order to layer ingredients. And of course, folding techniques.
I managed to make my burrito stand up! That indicates a successfully rolled burrito. Biggest accomplishment of my Sunday.
And the perfect finish, enjoying the deliciousness of my creation. Damn I make a good burrito, if I do say so myself.
Thanks Peter for this great event!

Keep rolling rolling rolling!!! What a unique and fun experience to make your own food, burritos in this case, at a restaurant.
We all started by listening to the owner, Leo talk about the art of preparing, making, and rolling a burrito. It was a good lesson indeed.
Side note. Couldn’t help notice the large picture of Golden States Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. Totally random. Haha.
Fun part is that we really did make our own burritos. Here’s how it goes.
1. Take a tortilla and put a piece of cheese in the middle
2. Steam it for 7 seconds.
3. Take a piece of foil and place the tortilla on top of it.
4. Add the pinto beans, rice, pork, chicken or steak. Not too much because you don’t want to over flow it.
5. Add the other toppings like guacamole, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes.
6. Add the sauce. I went with a chipotle sauce.
7. Roll it up. Fold the sides first and make a nice round shape where you put all the food in. From bottom roll it up to the top. Roll the foil up.
There is my nice lovely neatly made burrito ready to be eaten.
My burrito… DELICIOUS!!! DUH!!! I made it all with my bare hands, of course it was delicious and very filling.
Thanks to Peter D. and the Unilocal team for making this event.
Thanks to Leo and the Dos Toros staff for welcoming us and showing us how to make and letting us make our burritos.
Thank you to fellow Unilocaler Nga C. for taking photos of my burrito making skills. Haha
You guys were great!!! I had so much fun!!!

What an awesome event… one-​on-​one training to layer different sides onto a tortilla and folding it without its contents oozing out. The hardest part is folding the burrito WHILE pinching the filling inwards. Whew!
Thank you Peter and Owner.

After rolling my own burrito, I now hope to gain employment at Dos Toros. Just kidding, though it does give me a new appreciation for the burrito rollers. I must say, Dos Toros knocked Chipotle out my top burrito spot. The trick is to steam the tortilla with cheese, which helps hold in all the ingredients and prevents your burrito from breaking!
Leo the owner was friendly and gave us a nice overview on burritos and how to roll dem up. He gave us tips at the beginning of the burrito stuffing process, which usually was just «add more ____”(guac, meat, beans, rice). Grady provided useful advice on how to roll up the burrito and to test to see if it would stand (the ultimate test).
Will definitely be coming back soon! Thank you Leo, Grady, the rest of the staff and Peter for another successful and delicious Unilocal elite event.

If you think a taco is just a taco, then you haven’t had a taco from Dos Toros Taqueria. Their tacos offer flavor explosion! Compared to their 4^th ave location, this place (Bedford ave) has more seating and serves larger portions.
Wilkie, what you think of the place? Hold on, let me take a few bites of my tasty creation. Ok, where was I? Yes, Good size restaurant, but perfect for on-​the-​go customers. Food/​costs are the same concept as Chipotle and Qdoba. I find the ingredients to be really fresh and flavorful. I got a carnitas (pork) burrito with rice, peppers, onions, salsa, and guac.
Wilkie, what you think of the place? Huh, wait, don’t want anyone stealing my food, so let me take another bite. Let me answer… Great burritos, fast, filling, inexpensive. Definitely better than the rice thing that Chipotle serves around the corner. There are probably about 8 seats, very cozy!
Wilkie, what you think of the place? Really?! Ottimo ristorante burrito messicano. Venite a questa posizione e provare tutto. Godetevi il paradiso in terra!
Peter you did it again! You found this hidden gem! Peter & Leo, I would like to send many thanks from me and my tummy. Thanks for the tasty Mexican dish!

For the first time in my life I rolled a fat one today — A fat burrito, that is! I mean obviously I’m used to rolling egg rolls, but rito rolling requires a completely different skill set using foreign ingredients, like black beans, queso, pollo asado, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. However, thanks to clear instructions and guidance from Leo, the owner, I completed my creation within a minute and I didn’t bust the tortilla.
Many thanks to Peter D, and Leo + staff of Dos Toros for welcoming us into your taqueria (casa de burritos). It was a really fun time and a great experience! And with the perfect weather outside, it was a great opportunity to explore Williamsburg afterwards with awesome Unilocal buddies. Good times!

Now I can add «Professional Burrito Roller» to my resume, right? Right, Peter? Right, Leo?
No???
OK, how about — «Some experience in Burrito rolling»?
Alright!!! I will put both your names as references, yes?
Dos Toros is an awesome place there perfect burritos get rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling — all day, every day. Steamed tortillas, melted cheese, all yummy toppings to choose from (oh, Carnitas and Guacamole!!!) and perfect sauces to pair with (yea, that nuclear red super hot one is reserved specifically for Dorie).
The ultimate test to well-​rolled burrito was to make it to stand up (did I just say that?) and only Nina achieved the grade. She was paid handsomely in burritos, of course.
«My burrito is bigger than your burrito». Dude, you gonna eat that?
That was a looooot of delicious food and drinks.
Casual, laid back space, great owner, wonderful stuff, fresh ingredients, good food — Dos Toros is all that.
Love Sunday events, and the fact that it was small group — was great to chat and eat and enjoy spring weather afterwords.
Thank you all who made this happen — Leo, Peter and Dos Toros team!