The Anatomy of the Giant Surf and Turf Burrito at JV’s Mexican Food | Eater San Diego

"Inside a 28-year-old Morena Boulevard restaurant that bills itself the “home of the surf and turf,” I learned from manager Julio Carrillo that JV’s Mexican Food — one of the city’s busiest taco shops — has offered the surf and turf since day one and sells at least 50 on a busy summer Saturday. Ordering one feels like a competitive-eating challenge: patrons post photos beside forearms, the burrito is so gargantuan it requires two platter-sized flour tortillas (wrapped in the shop’s yellow paper and foil with a lime wedge) and was once weighed close to three pounds, measuring about 10.5 inches long by 4.5 inches wide. Built with a base of chopped marinated carne asada and equal parts shrimp (about 14 medium-sized shrimp), it’s topped with Mexican rice and guacamole, but the real keys are the sautéed tomatoes, onions, and green peppers that add moisture and a smoky char that ties the grilled beef to the briny-sweet shrimp. Family-founded in 1993 and surviving the pandemic, the owners prefer to serve their many regulars rather than expand; the menu has grown to more than 30 burrito varieties (plus tacos, tortas, seafood cocktails, burgers, and salads), and Carrillo also recommends their California burrito and the Sonora quesadilla with grilled chicken, bacon, guacamole, green chiles, and Monterey Jack." - Candice Woo