There’s yet another place on campus to get your burrito fix, and that’s Get Some Burritos, located near the Plaza where Mad Dog’s used to be. I was invited to check out the place.
Nick Baertschy, formerly of 8 Seasons Grille and Aura in Cambridge, Wis., said he was approached by some people in California to run this operation and bring SoCal cuisine to Madison. Their goal is to have locations at all Big Ten campuses, with Ann Arbor slated to open in early 2014.
That means Get Some Burritos is geared toward the college crowd, but I think non-undergrads will like the place as well. Either the carne asada ($8.11 with tax) or chicken burrito ($7.06) is the place to start. Both are filled with diced onion, tomato, lettuce and guacamole, all of which complement the juicy and flavorful chicken. I’m so used to eating the oft-over-grilled chicken found at Qdoba that this was a welcome change of pace, plus I’m a big fan of diced onion in tacos and burritos.
You also can’t go wrong with the well-seasoned and tender carne asada, which I had atop an order of fries, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream ($6). Two or three people could share this large appetizer/side.
The third meat on the menu was beef, and I was pleased it was pulled, not ground. I must admit that it was a bit bland, especially compared to the chicken and carne asada. I had the beef in a what turned out to be an average-tasting flauta ($3.89), topped with a generous helping of cheese and sour cream.
The tacos (2 for $4.95) were nice and crunchy, full of meat instead of filler vegetables. You can choose chicken or beef, and I would recommend the chicken for the reasons above.
My main disappointment in the meal was the sauces (hot and green chile). Both had little flavor and were too watery.
Get Some Burritos is open every day, including late-night Thursday-Saturday. The space is small so you should probably order to go (expect up to 10 minutes for your order). You’ll find meter parking across the street.
Cafe Porta Alba got new life (and bigger crowds) when it moved from the building that houses Capital Fitness to Hilldale Mall. This summer, it spun off a sister restaurant on the far west side called 
Meanwhile, the Parma ($8.50) with house mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula and cherry tomatoes was a nice balance of the salty flavor from the meat and the sharp flavor from the arugula. All pizzas are 10″ and Neapolitan style, meaning you could order one for yourself, or split one along with an appetizer or dessert with a friend.
