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Pedro and Vinny's burrito cart reopened at its old location at 15th and K Streets NW on Friday. The popular cart, operated by owner John Rider, closed late last year when Rider left town, but at the beginning of this month Rider announced he was coming back, much to the delight of nearby downtown office workers.
DCist photo contributor Tracy Clayton caught these images of the line down the street on Friday, which had a wait time of roughly 40 minutes. So here's our question -- is this many people willing to wait 40 minutes for a burrito a testament to how good Rider's burritos are, or just a testament to how bleak all the other cheap lunch options are on K Street?
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Fenty promised an end to the streetcart moritorium and more vendors downtown back in 2006. So far, according to Washington Business Journal, they've approved twelve new vendor licenses. The problem isn't the lack of dining options on K or the quality of the burritos. The problem is that the administration has its head so far up its a** it's farting earwax. It shouldn't take two years to approve a dozen vendor licenses.
A forty minute wait is par for the course at Pedro & Vinny's, but it's well worth the wait. It usually takes most of my lunch hour just to get the burrito.
Are these guys better than the other burrito guy near the Farragut North Metro? Is there a difference?
It's a testament of how much tools love standing in lines which they equate with exclusivity, even for something as ridiculous as a burrito.
Open up two shops on opposite ends of a street that sell identical... say... cupcakes. Convince people that cupcake shop #2 is the shop where the cool people in the know eat their cupcakes. Watch the line for cupcake shop #2 wrap around the block past the door to empty cupcake shop #1.
Scenario works for burritos too.
i'm going to throw my vote in for the bleakness option.
and monkey hit the nail on the head here. this is a great example of government regulation not doing its job here. give the licenses quickly and get the hell out of the way.
They only serve meat and bean burritos? I wouldn't stand in line for that.
I am voting for Monkey for mayor.
Carlos's burritos, at Farragut Square are WAY WAY better then these guys. His beans are better spiced. These guys have a vast selection of hot sauce, but who cares? Beans make the burrito.
Open up two shops on opposite ends of a street that sell identical... say... cupcakes.
S**t. You had to f***ing say it, didn't you? Now we get to look forward to Cakelove-on-the-Go and Georgetown Cupcake and Feed-my-fat-Ass Cupcakery carts peddling $7 flavorless briquettes with wide-open-ass frosting to chubbies sweating in line in their suits and running shoes.
Oops, I meant "rice and bean" burritios. I like rice and beans, but burritos are better with meat.
This explains the long line stretching from the restroom door here at the office this afternoon. 40-minute wait!
monkey, hell, the recent popularity of cupcake shops, of all fucking things, is reinforcement of the same theory.
Having just eaten mine (and only having to wait in a line of 2 people to get it!) I can say it's just like I remember it....and worth the wait.
Eh, pardon my ignorance on this one, but when I worked near the current cart's location I often ate at a burrito cart owned by a guy who I think was named James. Is he the overlord that owns Pedro and Vinny's or did these guys gank his spot?
From all accounts Pedro and Vinny's is fantastic, someday I hope to make it into the heart of lobbyist Washington to once again savor a cart-born burrito.
I might as well put in my application for a trough on rollers, filled to the brim with baked beans and garnished with a couple of dead dogs. Monday is halfpriced bean night and with our Frequent Farter card, with every tenth purchase, you get a free dead dog. (Warning: Dog may explode.)
Welcome to Monkey's Gutbucket! May I take your order?
I saw this line when it was slightly longer. At first I thought people were waiting for concert tickets or something. Then I thought one of those free meal vans had pulled up. But when I looked at the clientele, I figured it must be free burrito day or something. When I saw people paying, I was shocked, and headed to Potbelly, where I had a sandwich in about 5 minutes. We also discussed the crazy long line for a simple burrito purchase! I'd NEVER do it.
I agree that Carlos' burritos at Farragut Square are much better than the ones that Rider sells and he is a swell guy on top of that. In the AM the coffee is good too.
@Henry Krinkle,
Totally, rice and bean burritos I much prefer to bean and rice burritos. Or even burritios.
Um, but has anyone tried the Free Samiches given out everyday at McPherson Sq? Those are cheap! Cuz they're free!
I loved Pedro & Vinny's, but Carlos at 17th and K has won me over. May the Corridor have enough burrito fiends to keep them both in business.
Back in early 2006 there was a screw in my burrito from Pedro & Vinny's. I never went back after that.
It's just a burrito.
dude's name is john rider. the hitcher. yet the cart is pedro and vinny's? what gives? spanish for john is juan. and spanish for sucker on the street waiting too long for burritos is that line. julia's shouldn't have left vermont and k.
julia's empanadas? they had a location down there too?
did it go under like the one that used to be on u street—because it was never freakin' open? shortest hours i ever saw in a restaurant on a nightlife strip...
That's sad. I'd rather wspend my 40 minutes walking to Teaism or Bread Line
Yeah, but once you got to Breadline, you'd have to wait another 40 minutes for your $9 sammitch. The only thing in that neighborhood I can think of that's worth waiting in a line for is Greek Deli.
I agree with monkey, Greek Deli is the shiznit.
I love how their Flash-soaked noisemaker of a website gives you tons of irrelevant information and no menu or prices.
All this proves is how desperate people are downtown for decent taco vans. Then there's doner kebabs. Which reminds me: why the f**k do I have to go to LEESBURG to get a goddamned doner kebab? WTF is all that about? Was there some anti-Turkish pogrom downtown that forced all the donermakers to Leesburg? Or maybe they already applied for a permit in quadruplicate years ago and DC lost it? Maybe it was in that $40 million pile that Harriet Walters swiped.