Not too long ago, I found myself waiting for a breakfast burrito outside a makeshift window, wind whipping around me while I dreamed of bacon, eggs, grilled peppers and salsa. I’d biked there, so there was no choice but to wait out in the wind. These were the lengths I would go to in order to get my breakfast-burrito fix at Los Jalapeños. It was the height of the pandemic. Some businesses were open only for takeout; others were forced to shut their doors. Los Jalapeños, a longtime staple of Mexican food in Bend, made it work by opening up a window on the side of its building, serving up its bags of takeout from, literally, a takeout window, a set of temporary steps allowing patrons to reach up and grab the goods.
Los Jalapeños serves food all day long, six days a week, but for me the breakfast burritos are the star of the show. I like the Bell Burrito with bacon, featuring a healthy dose of the meat alongside yummy grilled peppers and onions, hash browns, two eggs and cheese. I’ve even been known to leave downtown Bend during the workday—where we have a wealth of food options—just to grab a breakfast burrito from this spot.
Chef and owner Gonzalo Morales has been serving his recipes to Bend since opening Los Jalapeños in 1994, so on top of being my personal favorite for breakfast burritos, it’s clear that many other Bendites have long chosen this place as their go-to.
Today the takeout window is gone and we’re once again able to grab food from Jalapeños’ low-key indoor food counter, taking it home or deciding to hang out on its inviting, shaded patio to marry burritos with a margarita or michelada. Oh wait—we’re talking about breakfast burritos here… so in order to maintain some type of dignity, forget that I ever suggested that my breakfast burrito also occasionally comes with a breakfast marg. Who does that??
Los Jalapeños
601 NE Greenwood Ave., Bend
losjalapenosbend.com
